Monthly Memo from the Principal

I know it does not always feel like it, but it is officially FALL. Seems just like yesterday we were welcoming all of our new PK students to Family Fun Day, Kindergarteners to Kinder Camp, and showing the second graders how to find their rooms upstairs. And now we are hosting parent/teacher conferences and preparing for report cards to be shared in your Home Access Center. Let us know if you need help scheduling your parent/teacher conference and we can connect you to your child's teacher. Many of them shared this information recently with their weekly updates. You may also double-check that you are able to log into your child's HAC (Home Access Center). Report cards will be posted by October 18.

If you are looking for resources you can use at home, please check out the Leander ISD LaunchPad for online apps your child can use from home for practice, reinforcement, or fun! You can also reach out to your child's teacher if you need ideas on how to support your child at home. Our number one recommendation is to have your husky READ, READ, READ!!!

This month holds so many fun times and events for our community! Most are listed below. Please let us know if you have any questions about any of the events happening in October. Remember that most of these events and the calendar are also shared on our PHE website, Facebook page, and Twitter.

As always, we are here to help!

Heather Robbins

heather.robbins@leanderisd.org

National Night Out (NNO) is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, and more caring places to live. It provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. NNO is celebrated in Texas on the first Tuesday in October.

Locally, we celebrate our police and community partnerships with a number of individual neighborhood gatherings. These gatherings are our opportunity to strengthen relationships by getting to know your neighbors, Leander police, emergency personnel, and volunteers. It is an opportunity to discuss neighborhood issues with each other as well as Leander Police Department officers and leadership. NNO is also an opportunity to pass on information about anti-crime programs or projects that can help build healthy neighborhoods.

Our custodians do an amazing job of keeping our school clean and orderly. Please take a moment to say thank you to Ms. Maria and Ms. Sonia for all of their hard work. We appreciate them very much!

To all of our veterans and active service members: we will be celebrating Veteran's Day on Friday, November 8, where you are welcome to join us for breakfast at 7:10 AM (adult prices apply) and a special Veteran's Day Husky Huddle in the gym at 7:30 AM. We will also be playing a very special slide show in our front foyer hallway.

If you know a veteran or active service member, please email us a picture (jpg) to be used in our slideshow. Send pictures to Melissa Thoreson at melissa.thoreson@leanderisd.org.

In order to be included in this year's slideshow, we will need all pictures emailed by Friday, November 1. If you have submitted a picture in the past, it will already be included.

Please call if you have any questions! A HUGE thank you to our community who have served!

Nominate them for our Leader of the Pack: Staff Edition recognition. Please fill out this PHE staff recognition form and tell us why this staff member should be recognized. We will choose one-two teachers/staff members per week and they will be recognized at our Husky Huddle and receive a certificate and treat!

You can also use this link to find out what your staff members "favorite things" are and grab them a snack or treat to say "thank you" for all of their hard work and efforts!

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 and encourages members to fill 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.

Cedar Park High School's award-winning broadcast program is hosting an elementary broadcast camp on Monday, Oct. 14 from 8 AM to 1 PM. Broadcast students will lead and help the kids make a newscast by the end of the day!

Details:

• Monday, Oct. 14 (Staff PD Day) from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
• 3rd-5th graders
• Snacks & Lunch Included
• Cost is $60

Parents can click here to register their child.

Please go to https://www.leanderisd.org/volunteering/ to fill out an LISD volunteer form. You must be approved to volunteer for any PHE event or activity (field trips, performing arts events, lunch monitoring, Watch DOGS, Super MOMS, etc.). You can also join our amazing Husky Helpers group. Please see their newsletter below.
Are you already an LISD volunteer? Please consider signing up to help the LISD PTA Clothes Closet- Leander Location. Can you spare a few hours? If so, find more information about volunteering here.

Held during the third full week of October each year, National School Bus Safety Week is an active and evolving public education program and an excellent way for parents, students, teachers, motorists, school bus operators, school administrators, and other interested parties - to join forces and address the importance of school bus safety. Designed to promote school bus safety, school districts throughout the country observe School Bus Safety Week.

Thank you to our amazing bus drivers! Interested in driving for Leander ISD...go to this link and apply today!

In the month of October, all students will receive the annual student bullying training from our amazing assistant principal, Mrs. Houser. She will present the training and focus on what the term “bullying” means and how to respond. There will also be conversation regarding “mean” and “rude” behavior and how, at times, those behaviors can be mistaken for bullying. We thought that it would be helpful to share those meanings with parents, as well, so that you can support your child at home with these understandings. As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. You can also check out the Leander ISD site on bully prevention.

PHE will be hosting a night of fun and learning for all of our families! Tuesday, October 29 from 5:30-7:00PM students can wear their school-appropriate Halloween costumes and bring their family to PHE. We are working with our amazing Husky Helpers to create a fun night for your husky! More information to come!

Please go to the Leander ISD CNS site to learn more about My School Bucks accounts and how to add money to your child's breakfast/lunch account. Online is the only way to use a credit/debit card. You can make payments with check or cash before school from 7:10-7:45 AM or during your child's lunch on Fridays.

LISD provides free and reduced-price (F&R) meals for children approved for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). To apply for this program, submit an application online.

Check out more info: LISD Child Nutrition Services website → Forms & applications

Please contact our cafeteria manager Tara Ramaley at tara.ralaley@leanderisd.org for more information.

If needed, PHE has a sensory time and room at all PHE events. If your child would like to attend events early (30 minutes prior to the posted start time) for transition purposes or if you would like to have access to our sensory room during PHE events, please contact Mrs. Robbins at heather.robbins@leanderisd.org or Beth Lee (special education team leader) at beth.lee@leanderisd.org at least 1-2 days before the posted event. An instructional assistant may be available as well. Please let us know what your student needs!

We invite our entire community out for this event, and our kids love it! We will also be collecting non-perishable food for a community food drive.

When: 10/30/24 from 6:00-8:00 PM

Where: Front parking lot of Rouse High School

Who: Open to the community

Each campus within Leander ISD has a Site-Based Planning Committee (SBPC). The aim of this committee is improving the achievement of all students. These committees are composed of district employees, community members, business representatives and parents. The committee members provide input to the principal on a wide variety of subjects, including planning, curriculum, budgeting, staff development, staffing patterns, school organization, and school improvements. Should you wish to nominate either yourself or someone else for a position on the SBPC, please fill out the form linked below. Should there be a need, an election will be held to appoint positions to this invaluable team. Our PHE SBP Committee will hold its first meeting once we have secured enough members, but by the end of October. EXTENDED DATE- please complete your nomination form by Friday, October 11 to be considered. We will send out an information email and invite to those that will participate.

PHE SBDMC Interest Form 2024