The Titan Times: Week 15
The River Place Elementary (RPE) Campus Newsletter
Hello, November!
Titan Families,
This week we observe Red Ribbon Week and welcome the month of November. November is typically a time we pause, think about, and share what we are thankful for. We can express our gratitude for so much in our lives like our health, each other, our communities, etc. This week, we find ourselves thankful for memorable dress up days rallied around a great commit to a life of good choices, an amazing Red Riboon Week skit from our 5th grade student leadership team, and a night to have an excuse to eat out at Chick-fil-a and support our school! We encourage you to talk with your Titan(s) about their learning and what they are looking forward to in November.
We are also thankful for what is ahead in November! Be sure to plan to join us, volunteer, and/or contribute in all of the upcoming fun detailed in our newsletter. We look forward to engaging with you as the school year moves along. As always, should you have any questions, please feel free to call our campus, and a member of our wonderful office team will be more than happy to support you or direct you to someone who can.
Take care and lead well,
Dr. Amy Sharp
Proud RPE Principal
3rd Grade Team Fun
Sportsmanship Awardee
Viper Cafe Deliveries on Friday!
Leander ISD #1LISD Community News
Reminders for Safety if You Choose to Observe Halloween
The City of Austin wants to remind our Community to:
be alert and aware that more pedestrians will be on the streets during trick-or-treating hours.
slow down and scan the road: Stick to posted speed limits (or slower on Halloween)
watch for trick-or-treaters in unexpected places. Children may be unaware of traffic and dart into the street unexpectedly.
And if you are out with your children trick-or-treating, please remember to always walk on sidewalks or paths when available, and to cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
With a chance of rain on Halloween, these are extra important!
Have a safe and spooky Halloween!
Looking to Better Understand and Serve Our Profession?
Consider becoming a:
River Place is a Polling Location: A Message From District
Our campus has been asked to be a polling location for the 2024-25 election year, including November 5. Williamson and Travis Counties determine where voting sites are and Leander ISD is not permitted to refuse the use of district buildings as a polling site per Texas Election Code (Sec. 43.031) which specifies that an entity that owns or controls a public building shall make the building available for use as a polling place in any election that covers the territory in which the building is located.
We understand some may have concerns about the general public being admitted into campus buildings to vote. For November elections that have a large public turnout, Leander ISD has historically scheduled staff development days so that students are not on campus.
Please be assured we have considered all safety concerns and determined voting areas based on entrances and exits to maximize safety and minimize disruption to campus operations. Leander ISD’s security personnel will also be available to assist with concerns or incidents that may occur.
Please don’t hesitate to contact campus administration if you have any questions or concerns.
Special Programs Family Newsletter
The October Special Programs family newsletter is here! You'll find information about our October 25th Family Workshop Conference, disability awareness, Leander Lazers, SELF 18+ and community resources.
Community Feedback Needed
It’s that time of year when the district reviews the current academic calendar and finalizes the academic calendar for the following year. Input from the #1LISD community is crucial to ensure that we develop the 2025–2026 school year calendar to best meet the needs of everyone in the district.
There are two different formats for providing feedback. You may choose to engage in both of the options below to provide feedback or choose the one that works best for you. Our goal is to collect as much feedback as possible
Option 1: Online Survey
Complete the Academic Calendar Survey. The survey will close Dec. 3, 2024.'
Option 2: Community Listening Sessions
We will hold two listening sessions, one in person and another via Zoom.
Via Zoom: Monday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. (click to RSVP*)
*After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.In Person: Monday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. (no RSVP needed)
Reed Elementary: 1515 Little Elm Trail, Cedar Park, TX
Whichever way you choose to provide your feedback, please know that we are eagerly anticipating your thoughts. We look forward to hearing from you and working together to shape our academic calendar.
News from Transportation Regarding Bus Ridership
If your student rides the bus in the morning or afternoon and you HAVE NOT registered with Transportation this school year, please do so now to ensure your student has a ride to and from school. You can verify if your student is registered by visiting https://parent.smart-tag.net/Account/Login and viewing your student's assigned route. If there is no assigned route please follow this link to register. As a reminder; any student who is going home with a bus rider or being dropped at an unassigned location must send a bus pass request to melynda.ambriz@leanderisd.org to be approved by Transportation or they will not be allowed on the bus or to be dropped off at a different location. You can reach out to Transportation at 512-570-0716 with any questions or concerns.
#RPETitan Community News
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
October: Persons With Disabilities History and Awareness Month
- 28th- November 1st: Red Ribbon Week- See daily themes below!
- 29th: 5th grade performance for families at 7:45 AM and for students at 2 PM- See Teacher Newsletter for Info
- October 30th: Spirit Night at Chic Fil A 5-8PM. Do not forget to mention RPE when ordering and a portion of sales go directly to our school!
- 31st: 4th Grade Field Trip- See Teacher Newsletter for Info
November: Lung Cancer Awareness Month & Native American Heritage
- 4th and 5th:
- No School for Students/ District Staff Development Day
- It's Election Day on November 5th, and River Place ES is a voting location.
- 4th- 8th:
- Maintenance Appreciation Week
- National School Psychology Week
- 11th: Veterans Day Program for Families 9:30- 10 AM for Students 2:00- 2:30 PM
- 13th: Fall Picture Retakes and Vision and Hearing Screening with Nurse
- 18th- 22nd:
- American Education Week Celebrating Principals, Asst. Principals, & Instructional Coaches
- Book Fair Week
- 20th
- Late Night for Book Fair is From 3:30- 6 PM in the library
- PTA General Meeting at 6 PM in the cafeteria
- 21st: Thanksgiving Luncheon- RSVP here respond by Friday, November 15th at 3:00 P.M.
- 25th- 29th: Thanksgiving Break: No School for Staff and Students
Annual Vision & Hearing Screenings Coming Soon!
Greetings Titan Familiess,
Annual Vision and Hearing Screenings mandated by the Texas Department of Health
will begin now and through November 13 th when we hold the mass screening on
campus at River Place Elementary. Children in 1 st ,3 rd and 5 th grades will be screened.
Also any children new to the district and in any specialty classes will be tested. Please
have your child bring their glasses and hearing devices on this day. Testing will be done
with corrective devices on your child. Should your student encounter any issues when
screening there will be a rescreening done and a referral sent home after that is
performed by trained staff members.
Thank you,
Nurse Rushing
Information from Nurse Roxanna Rushing
Cold, flu, and virus season is upon us. To keep from spreading illnesses we ask that
families and students, please keep in mind the 24 hour policy for fever, diarrhea, and
vomiting. If your student has ANY of these issues they must remain that day and
the following day. They must be free of ANY AND ALL of these issues for 24
hours prior to returning to class.
Here are a few tips to keep from catching these bugs and illnesses and help your
student remain healthy. Washing hands and not touching, eyes, rubbing noses
and covering their mouths and noses should they cough or sneeze. Amp up the
fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet especially those with Vitamin C such as
citrus fruits. Make sure they eat a good balanced breakfast. Clean those water
bottles and encourage fluids. Have your children get plenty of rest and wear
appropriate clothing for the ever changing Texas weather. Keep in mind layers of
clothes are great. Or a light sweater or jacket in their back pack is always a good
idea.
In order for students to avoid interruptions in their class day that occur should
they have an accident or mishap. We ask that students have a full change of
clothes kept in their back packs, please. Currently we are experiencing a shortage
in donations of certain clothing items and cannot always accommodate helping
your student on campus. Soiled clothing will be placed in your child’s back pack
and a teacher or the campus nurse will usually reach out to inform you. Don’t
forget to check those back packs daily. Please keep in mind we want to simplify
the issue for you and your student.
Should you want to donate to the campus nurse we are in need of NEW extra
small and small boys and girls underwear at this time. This includes 4T, 5T, 6, 6X ,
and 7. Many times we access the Clothes Closet, but they are in shortage, as
well.
Book Fair Volunteers Needed
Calling all volunteers! Join us in the library for our Fall Scholastic Book Fair, Monday November 18th through Thursday November 21st.
We’ll need help setting up and taking down the fair after school on Monday and Thursday, as well as volunteers to work the fair during school hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Please note the late shopping hours on Wednesday night, and we’ll be especially busy during Thanksgiving lunches on Thursday!
As a volunteer your duties may include:
- Organizing and restocking items for sale
- Maintaining cleanliness of the fair
- Assisting students with their book selections
- Helping students count change and make payments
- Cashiering (The Scholastic payment system is incredibly easy to use and we’ll provide all training at the start of your volunteer shift!)
Please feel welcome to claim one, or as many shifts as you’d like. This is a really fun way to get to know RPE staff and see your children interact with their friends.
Questions? Please reach out to Kelsey Emerson at kemerson531@gmail.com
**MUST be an approved LISD volunteer to sign up**
Sign up to be a LISD volunteer HERE
Costa Rica: Summer 2025 Tour
Come learn about this incredible opportunity led by Grandview's experienced Group Leader, Jason Tutone! He took students abroad to Italy in Summer 2024 and is excited to offer this opportunity for students to go to Costa Rica in 2025!
Jason is partnering with EF Tours, the largest educational tour company out there. Please register for our info session to be considered for our upcoming travel opportunity. In our session, we'll cover everything from how this opportunity will benefit your child, what's included in the experience, how we'll keep the trip safe and affordable, and much more. Plus, if we haven't met yet, it's a good chance to learn more about me as both an educator and a Group Leader. Registration for this session is mandatory to help organize our meeting, and a parent or guardian must attend. Can't make it? Choose "No, but send info" so you don't miss out.
Organizer
Jason Tutone
Contact meTITAN EXCELLENCE OCTOBER FOCUS
We are so excited to combine two excellent programs into one great focus for our Titans. We are using Leander ISD's Ethical Principles (Culture of Caring) and Leander ISD’s Graduate Profile to make our Titan Community leadership and learning focus come to life.
What are we doing as a campus community?
Each month, we will have a new focus and will introduce Titan Excellence during our Titan Time Assembly. Then at the end of each month our teachers will choose two students from their homeroom that have exemplified these qualities through learning and leading. We will celebrate these students at our end of the month, Titan Time Assembly.
Why the change?
We want to effectively integrate important values into our school culture and provide students with regular opportunities to be celebrated for their achievements. This approach should encourage positive behavior and a strong sense of community among our Titans. Our hope is that the monthly focus and the recognition at the end of each month will help keep students engaged and motivated throughout the year.
How can you help?
We encourage you to support this effort by talking about these things at home with your Titan(s), too.
Pedernales Electric Cooperative invests in an array of educational programs to help brighten classrooms and communities across the Texas Hill Country. For a second school year, PEC will host a Teacher Spotlight Award to recognize the incredible work teachers do in their classrooms and communities. PEC is accepting nominations for the Teacher Spotlight Award through October 25, so please consider filling out the form online.
From the nominations received, PEC will select teachers from across the co-op’s service territory to receive awards. This round’s winners will be announced in November and PEC will visit the teachers at their schools to present them with a thank-you basket of resources and materials to support classroom learning.
Members can learn more details and nominate a teacher by visiting pec.coop/youth-programs.
Families,
Vandegrift High School is hosting a Trunk or Treat on Wednesday, October 30th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Join us for an evening of music, popcorn, games, and plenty of trunks filled with treats for the kids to safely enjoy. There will also be food trucks available. We hope to see you there for some fun at VHS!
The Family and Community Services students will be coming to each elementary school Friday with two posters and flyers for the students to be sent home in their Wednesday/Friday folders. If you have any questions or concerns please let me know.
Thank you for your continued support!
Join the Legacies Dance Team for their 2024 Fall Dance Camp & Workshop
November 5th, 2024 from 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM at Vandegrift High School 9500 McNeil Dr, Building 2
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION NOW OPEN UNTIL October 22!
Counselor's Corner
Parent Teacher Association (PTA) News
JOIN PTA TODAY!
Join PTA TODAY because increasing our membership, even by one, makes it possible to:
- Get funds to teachers to supplement classroom needs.
- Connect with teachers, parents, and administration to voice needs for our school and our Titans.
- Fund library technology, guest speakers, playground equipment.
- Help plan community activities such as Fall Fest, Apex Fun Run, Book Fair, Mentoring
- programs, Field Day, Career Day & STEAM Night.
- Support Teacher and Staff Appreciation.
Myths Debunked!
- PTA does NOT require mandatory meetings or volunteer hours.
- PTA is NOT just for stay-at-home parents or for those who want to take on a large leadership role.
PTA is-
- for ANYONE who wants to be a bit more connected to teachers, principals and the Titan community. In sum, there is no wrong or right way to be in PTA!
- something that takes 5 minutes to join and if you join now your $10 membership will enter you in a monthly raffle for gift cards, free water bottles, and MORE!
- easy to join! ----------> https://riverplacepta.membershiptoolkit.com
SDM & Bus Rider Passes
While we deeply appreciate your effort in ensuring your Titan's SDM is updated throughout the school year to include exceptions, we kindly ask that you contact the office via email to get a bus pass written for any Titan that doesn't typically ride the bus to ensure that your Titan is able to safely board the bus with no issue when their SDM exception is Bus Rider. Best practice would be to register your Titan for the bus using this link if these exceptions are planned for an occurrence of at least once a week. For your Titans who do typically ride the bus, please ensure that you have registered your Titan for the bus using this link. Moving forward, students will not be allowed to ride the bus in any capacity unless they've been registered or have contacted the office for a bus pass. If you have any questions, please contact the front office. Thank you!
Clarifications on School Dismissal Manager (SDM)
What SDM is:
School Dismissal Manager (SDM) is the system that is used to notify teachers which dismissal line they will put their students in at the end of every school day. Teachers are sent their SDM report around 1:40 pm, which is why the cutoff time to change your student's dismissal is 1:30. This gives teachers enough time to review it, notify their students of any changes they may not be aware of and prepare for dismissal. The office team and Teachers rely on this report to know where to send each child at the end of the day which is why it is important you update it when making any changes to how your student will be going home. If you are picking up your student early, it is important that you change it to "Leaving Early" so the dismissal team is not looking for your child at the end of the day. Early check-out ends at 2:15, because at that time, teachers are already preparing for dismissal and it can be difficult to notify a teacher, locate the student and get them down to the office during this very busy time of day. If your student is being picked up by someone other than an authorized person at the end of the school day, SDM is the place to note that.
What SDM is not: SDM is not the place to submit your absent note. Even though you have the ability to change your student's dismissal to Absent you still must submit a note to the teacher or rplattendance@leanderisd.org. It is not the place to request your student ride the bus home with another student. You are able to note that, but you still need to submit a request for a bus pass by emailing Dr. Sharp and Melynda the receptionist. This is a policy set by LISD's Transportation Department. SDM is not how we know to call your student down early for an appointment. We cannot call a student to the office until an authorized person with an ID is here to pick them up and sign them out. SDM is often not reviewed until the end of the day before it is time to send the reports to Teachers, so the office staff may be unaware they are leaving early.
Further Information on Accounts from CNS
Links for CNS
Cost for Lunch
Free and Reduced Lunch Information
Families interested in being a part of the Free/Reduced lunch Program need to reapply each year. Please use this link to apply for the 24-25 school year if you haven't already done so. Also, if you are needing assistance with food for your student(s) for the weekend, you may use this google form to sign up for the Backpack Program. Your Titan(s) would receive a bag of food/snacks that they can put in their backpacks to take home each Friday. Please reach out to our school counselor if you have any questions.
Cafeteria Snack Restriction Requests
Administration was informed that families cannot put a limit on a student's account through My School Bucks as thought. Families will need to fill out this form to detail the snack limit and return it to the cafeteria manager, valorie.rameriez@leanderisd.org at your earliest convenience. Please let us know if you need this in print form, and we will work with you to provide it.
River Place Elementary Titan Community
Here are our Titan Community Communication Tools-
- River Place Elementary School Website
- Twitter Account
- PTA Facebook Page
- Remind App for River Place Insiders
Email: ContactTeacher@leanderisd.org
Website: https://riverplace.leanderisd.org/
Location: 6500 Sitio Del Rio Blvd, Austin, TX 78730, USA
Phone: 512-570-6911
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiverPlaceElementaryPTA/
X (formally known as Twitter): @RiverPlaceTitan
Instagram: @riverplace_elem