TeSA Weekly Newsletter

9-13-2024

Snack Attack

TeSA Families,

Our first Snack Attack of the year is this Friday. Snack Attack is a 4th grade tradition at TeSA. The 4th grade students will develop their math skills as they organize and sell snacks to all of the other grade levels. The money raised will help us pay for their big Texas history field trip at the end of the year. Your child can participate in two ways:

1. You can bring any individually wrapped snacks or individual drinks to donate to the fundraiser.

2. Your child can bring cash to purchase snacks for $1 each on Friday.

4th Grade Families,

We are still waiting on the final itinerary and information from our travel company. They've stated everything will be finalized by January, but we're hoping to work with them to provide a tentative plan sooner. Thank you for your patience as we work to make this the best trip yet!

Artistically & Academically Yours,

Betsy Compton, M.A., M.A.T., M.Ed.

Principal

Texas School of the Arts

Dress Code

Our TeSA uniform is mix and match, giving families a lot of daily options. As you plan your child's outfits, please note the following:

Polos should ONLY be red and blue. (NO white)
Polos must have the TeSA logo.
The light blue button-up shirt can be purchased from any location, but must match the Flynn O'Hara color.
Jumpers must be plaid #36. (NO khaki)
ONLY TeSA jackets and sweaters are allowed in the building. When the weather turns cold, students may bring thicker jackets to wear during recess. For now, leave other hoodies and jackets at home.
No hats are allowed unless it is a dress up day.

North Texas Giving Day

This year, on Thursday, September 19, 2024, Texas Center for Arts + Academics is participating in Communities Foundation of Texas' North Texas Giving Day, an online giving extravaganza for our whole region. We're raising funds to support our mission of fostering academics and artistic expression in children as a worthy endeavor that produces empathic, well-rounded adults and creative thinkers, your gift helps make this possible! You can make your gift online at https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/donate/artsacademics

REPEATED INFORMATION

Personally Owned Devices

Our official policy, as published in the Student Handbook, is included on the TeSA Resources tab of the website and copied below. If your child needs to have a personal device at school to communicate with you after dismissal, it should be kept in their backpack until the end of the school day. If students need to communicate with their families during the school day, they should come to the front office to use the TeSA phone. Thank you for reviewing this rule with your child to help us maintain the safety and privacy of all students.

Handbook Excerpt:

"Personally owned laptops, tablets, cell phones, and smartwatches may be used only with permission of the classroom teacher as part of the student’s assignment or class project when the student is working in the classroom of the teacher who has granted such permission. Such permission does not extend beyond the teacher’s classroom or to other times of the day, e.g., lunch, etc. Use of personal devices must adhere to the Technology and Internet Use Policy. The school will not be liable for personally owned devices brought on campus."

NEW Health Policies

Due to updated CDC guidelines, our TCA+A COVID Health Policy has changed. Although we are still required to report all positive cases, we will no longer have a 5-day waiting period to return. Instead, students may return when they are fever-free and have a reduction of symptoms. Masks are not mandatory, but are highly encouraged if your child is recovering from COVID or any other contagious disease. If your child tests positive for COVID, send an email to cynthia.rey@mytesa.org with the date of the onset of symptoms and the date tested.

COWTOWN C.A.L.F. Run

The COWTOWN Race in February is a fun TeSA tradition! This year, we are also looking for families to join us at the COWTOWN C.A.L.F. Run October 5th. The deadline to participate is September 20th. Coach B will pick up the race packets for all TeSA participants and bring them to school on Friday, October 4th.

For our special school discount, use the access code "TESA" by clicking the “Register” button on the CALF registration page (HERE) and entering TESA in the access code box in the right column. Then open the “School Teams” drop down options and select the appropriate event (1K, 5K or 10K).

This race includes a T-shirt and cool finisher medal (5K & 10K or bandana for 1 mile) AND it's at the Coyote Drive in with extra optional family activities. This is not a drop-off event, so please plan to run, or walk, with your child.

PTO Membership Drive

The PTO will be conducting a membership drive from September 6th to September 20th. The class with the highest participation will have the opportunity to choose between a pizza lunch party or a stuffy sleepover on September 26th. To sign up, please visit www.tesapto.org. Once you have created an account, navigate to the "store" section and select "Membership." If you have already purchased a membership, it will contribute to your child's class total.