Tiger Talk

The Lake Travis Independent School District Board of Trustees has named Paul Norton as the lone finalist in its search for a new superintendent. The action was taken at the regular meeting of the board held via Zoom teleconference Wednesday, June 17. Mr. Norton is expected to succeed Dr. Brad Lancaster who will retire in July.

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Acts of Kindness Leadership Award, Ozan Ingram Iron Mountain Development Corporation (2016)

• Superintendent of the Year, Region VIII Education Service Center (2015)

• Texas Superintendent of the Year State Finalist (2015)

• President's Award, the Greater Texarkana Branch of the NAACP (2014)

• Principal of the Year, Texarkana ISD Volunteers in Public Schools (2006-2007)

• Region VIII High School Principal of the Year, Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (2005)

Mr. Norton is highly active in the Texarkana community presently serving as treasurer for the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is a member of the Wilbur Smith Rotary Club and the Texas A&M University-Texarkana Eagle Athletic Association. He is also a graduate of Leadership Texarkana and currently serves as president. Professionally, Mr. Norton is a member of the Texas Association of School Administrators and a graduate of its Future Ready Superintendent Academy. He serves on the Texas Policy Committee on Public Education Information, the Texas Curriculum Management Program Cooperative Board, the Region VIII Education Service Center Commissioner’s Representative for the TASA Cabinet of Superintendents, and the Lieutenant Governor’s Superintendent Advisory Panel. Mr. Norton is also a member of the National, Texas and Northeast Texas Alliances of Black School Educators, serving as their local president.

Mr. Norton and his wife Jenna, who serves as the Director of Planning and Communication for Boynton Williams & Associates architecture firm in Dallas, have three children: Emily, who will enter her freshman year at Arkansas Tech University this fall; Julia, an incoming high school freshman; and Caleb, a rising fifth grade student. Together, they enjoy being active, attending sporting events, hiking, as well as traveling and experiencing new places.

In January, the Lake Travis school board contracted with Thompson & Horton, LLP as consultants to search for a new superintendent. Specifically, attorney David Thompson and former educator Mike Moses conducted the search, working with the school board and the Lake Travis community. Texas law requires the school board to allow at least 21 days between the time a finalist is announced and an employment contract is offered and accepted.

For more information, contact the Lake Travis ISD Office of Communications at (512) 533-6046.

To celebrate the arrival of summer, and to stay connected as a Tiger Community, we invite you to participate in West Cypress Hills Summer Bingo!

Photograph your family in any of the board selfie challenges and post to Twitter, tag @mbeninga and @leannapestaedd, and add #wchessummerselfiebingo.

Our 2019-2020 yearbooks are scheduled to arrive by mid-July!!!!

Therefore, families who purchased 2019-2020 yearbooks in advance may drive by the front entrance of the school on Thursday, July 23, to pick up their yearbook(s.) Please do not leave your vehicle, for we continue to practice safe-distancing in accordance with the Governor's guidelines. We are offering two pick up times:

1. between 9 am and 11 am on Thursday, July 23.
2. between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm on Thursday, July 23.

To pick up yearbook(s) that you purchased during the school year:

• drive by the main, front entrance of the school building.
• remain in your vehicle. We will deliver your yearbook(s) to your vehicle.
• place a sign in your windshield, in large print, showing the name of the student(s) who purchased the yearbook(s) and the name of his/her classroom teacher(s.)

Families who did not purchase a yearbook in advance can purchase yearbooks on July 23.

To purchase your 2019-2020 yearbook(s.)

• drive by on Thursday, July 23, between 4:30 and 6:30 pm.
  
• have your $40 payment ready for us to pick up from your vehicle.
• we accept cash (exact amount only) or check payable to Balfour.

Forgotten if you bought a yearbook? Contact us by email to confirm.

Have a great summer!

If you purchased your WCHE student school supplies online before the June 12 deadline, your supply kits will be delivered to West Cypress Hills Elementary before the first day of school.

Our grade level supply lists are available here for WCHE 2020-2021 so that you can purchase the supplies on your own from any source convenient to you. Feel free to drop off the school supplies that you've purchased at our Meet the Teacher Event in August.

A limited amount of free district-approved, prepackaged school supplies are available for the 2020-2021 school year for elementary, middle, and high school children. These supplies are funded from charitable grants made available to LTLov. If you would like to apply for a set of free, prepackaged school supplies to be delivered directly to your child's school at the Meet the Teacher Event - please complete this form. You will receive notice by postcard, email, or text towards the end of June to let you know if your application has been successful. Applications must be received by June 30 to be eligible for consideration. As funding is limited, supplies will be awarded on a 'first-come, first served' basis and are NOT guaranteed.

*3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Students also need to have student planners for the 2020-2021 school year. These are sold separately from the prepackaged supply kits. Planners cost $6 each. We can accept cash or checks payable to WCHE. Planners can be purchased at the school during the Meet the Teacher Event or from the front desk any time on or after the first day of school.

Melanie Beninga provides info, photos, and updates via Twitter, too. If not already following Melanie Beninga in Twitter, you can follow her @principalwch and @mbeninga.

As our students continue to do a tremendous job in remote learning, and our teachers continue to engage and interact with their classes virtually, please know that I am also available to support families during this time. Should your family need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me by email or by phone at (512) 533-7589.

Please explore the following counseling resources for students and parents.

Resources For Students:

• First Aid for Feelings: A Workbook to Help Kids Cope During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Our school Librarian, Cathy Seidenberger, with other LTISD elementary district librarians have created a Schoology group which contains books, stories, resources, links, and more in every subject area. Your child has been added as a member of this group.

To reach the library group, after logging into Schoology using your child's login, please click the "GROUPS" tab at the top of the page and select "LTISD Elementary Libraries Online.

Be smarter than ever when you read for fun over the summer!

The best way to become a better reader is to spend time reading.

Did you know that when kids don’t read over the summer they are likely to fall behind when they head back to school? These learning losses are often called the “Summer Slide,” and our school has made it a priority to keep our students’ skills sharp by encouraging them to read all summer long. Spending just 20 minutes of reading time each day will make a dramatic difference in your child’s success in the coming school years.

This summer reading packet contains booklists, activities, community library programs, and even an ice cream recipe! We hope you also visit the elementary librarian Schoology group to find additional resources, books, and activities.

Have a great summer, Tigers!

The Lake Travis Community Library is now accepting returns of library materials.

• We will continue to wave fines and fees for items currently checked out.
• We are not able to accept donations at this time, so please keep your items at home until we can receive them again.

We are continuing to monitor the current crisis and its impact on our community as we plan and prepare for a safe, phased reopening. Click the link below to learn more about our curbside reserve pick up. We appreciate your patience and thank you for your continued support of the library!

Lifetouch has made the individual spring student photos available for viewing and ordering online this year. You can view the instructions here and well as in the snapshot shown below. Individual photo packages ordered from Lifetouch will be delivered to your home directly from Lifetouch.

According to Lifetouch, these are our ID Access Codes:

ID code for individuals is: EVTNW2JGH................ID code for groups is: EVT8CZXSJ

In order to keep our Tigers sheltered safely at home, all of our spring field trips planned for March through May were canceled. Some of our first and fourth graders' families had already paid for their field trips and may, therefore, be concerned about the funds turned in to teachers before we realized that the field trips could not take place.

Please rest assured that we have deposited your payments, have recorded your payments, and have a record of the resulting credit balance of each family.

And, we have plans to ensure that you receive full credit for your payment(s.)

• For students returning to West Cypress Hills Elementary School for the 2020-2021 school year, the credit balance due your family for West Cypress Hills' canceled field trips will be applied toward the purchase price of West Cypress Hills classroom t-shirts and/or field trips that take place during the 2020-2021 school year.
• For students who are not attending West Cypress Hills Elementary School during the 2020-2021 school year, a refund check will be issued to your family by West Cypress Hills Elementary School by the end of the school year. Please complete the WCHE Field Trip Refund Request Form to request your reimbursement check.

By 06/30/20..........Submit Application to LTLov for Free School Supplies Here.

By 07/03/20..........Place Custom Art Orders @ Original Works Code Wcye

By 07/14/20..........Order LTMS 2020-2021 School Supply Kits Here

On 07/23/20..........Pick Up Yearbooks Ordered in Advance from 9 am to 11 am

On 07/23/20..........Pick Up Yearbooks Ordered in Advance from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm

On 07/23/20..........Purchase a 2019-2020 Yearbook for $40 from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

Extended Care

Student Online Lunch Accounts

WCH Menus

WCH PTO

WCH Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students)

Email: wchprincipal@ltisdschools.org
Website: https://www.ltisdschools.org/WCHE
Location: 6112 Cypress Ranch Boulevard, Travis County, TX, United States
Phone: 512-533-7500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltisdschools
Twitter: @principalwch