
England School News
February 17, 2025
Principal's Update
Hello England Families-
We hope you’ve had a wonderful long weekend! Last Friday’s Valentine's celebrations were a huge success, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped make the day special for our students. Your support and involvement truly make a difference!
As we head back into the week, please continue to send students to school with jackets.
With the ups and downs of our Texas weather, it’s always best to be prepared for changing temperatures.
We’re also looking forward to Cultural Heritage Night this Friday at 5:00 PM! It’s always a joy to see our community come together to celebrate and learn from one another. We hope to see you there!
Thank you for being a community that lifts up and supports every Leopard—we can’t wait to see everyone back at school tomorrow!
With gratitude,
Krystall Williams, Principal
Your Voice Matters: Please share your feedback and/or questions here!
PTA Update:
Our PTA is hard at work preparing for our upcoming Cultural Heritage Night! Be sure to check out the flyer below for all the details. We’re so grateful for our dedicated volunteers who put in countless hours to create meaningful experiences for our students and staff. Their efforts not only enrich our school but also provide wonderful opportunities for families to come together and celebrate our diverse community. Stay tuned for more exciting events ahead!
It’s not too late to purchase your PTA membership! Your support makes a meaningful difference for our students and staff by funding important programs and initiatives.
Join today by visiting: PTA Membership
To learn more about our amazing PTA and the exciting opportunities available for our England Community, please visit their website!
Climate Survey: Share Your Voice!
Your feedback is invaluable! We read every response and use the survey results to guide our decisions and refine our systems and processes. Right now, 20.1% of our community has submitted the survey, and we’d love to see that number reach at least 80% to ensure we have a well-rounded picture of our strengths and areas for growth. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey—you’ll find the link in your inbox (and be sure to check your spam folder). The survey closes on March 2nd, so don’t miss this opportunity to share your voice!
England Exceptional Experiences: It's BACK!
We are thrilled to kick off our next round of England Exceptional Experiences! This five-week session takes place on Fridays from 7:45-8:30 AM, providing students with another opportunity to explore their interests and learn in exciting new ways. Our fall session was a huge success, with each student placed in a class within their top three choices, and this round is even more special—we have sessions led by community members and even high school volunteers! It’s incredible to see this program continue to grow!
For this to be successful, we need your help! Please consider volunteering to assist students in getting to and from their enrichment classes and supporting teachers in the classrooms. Here is the sign-up link with all the details.
A huge shoutout to our amazing teachers who make this a student favorite—we’re looking forward to another great session!
Join Us for Our First-Ever England Family Trivia Night! 🎉
Think you’ve got what it takes to be the ultimate trivia champs? Bring the whole family for a night of fun, laughter, and friendly competition at our Family Trivia Night! Test your knowledge, enjoy quality time together, and connect with other families in our community.
📅 Date: March 3rd
⏰ Arrival: 5:45 PM | Event Time: 6:00-7:00 PM
📍 Location: England Cafeteria
This is our pilot event, and we’re excited to gather feedback from participants so we can expand and open it up to even more families next year! Spots are limited, so be sure to sign up early. Click here to reserve your spot today. (There will not be on-site registration.)
We can’t wait to see you there! 🏆✨
Cafeteria/MySchoolBucks:
Did you know that our online lunch account system, MySchoolBucks, does more than just allow you to add funds? It also provides a convenient way to view what your child has been purchasing—whether it’s the daily lunch or additional snacks and drinks. If you’d like to place any restrictions on what your child can purchase, our cafeteria manager, Jihee Park, is happy to assist.
You can reach her at:
📧 Email: england_cafeteria@roundrockisd.org | ji_park2@roundrockisd.org
📞 Phone: (512) 704-1228
We hope this helps make managing lunch accounts and purchases a little easier for your family!
Volunteer Opportunities:
We truly appreciate the collaboration and partnership as we offer these opportunities for our Leopards. Your support makes all the difference!
We’re thrilled to highlight our Weekly Workroom Volunteers this month! A huge thank you to our PTA Homeroom Coordinator for organizing this wonderful opportunity that supports our classroom teachers. Tasks include prepping materials, making copies, laminating, and more—helping to take a little something off our teachers’ plates so they can focus their energy on other priorities. You’re welcome to sign up for a day outside of your child’s grade level, and our goal is to provide this support for teachers each week. It’s also a great way to connect with other parents and contribute in a meaningful way to our school community. For more details, check out this document outlining the role. Keep an eye out for sign-ups each month!
We’re also looking for Kindergarten Recess Monitors to help our younger Leopards learn, grow, and, of course, have fun! You don’t have to be a kindergarten parent to join the fun—it’s a wonderful opportunity to engage with our students and brighten their day. Plus, it’s so rewarding to see their smiles as they enjoy this time to play and explore. If you’re available, we’d love to have you join us.
Additional Volunteer Opportunities:
England Exceptional Experiences
Thank you for helping us create a supportive and connected school community!
To volunteer, you must be approved through RRISD. You can apply using this link.
Career Day:
Please check out the flyer below for details on our need for volunteers for Careers on Wheels! Our counselors are working hard to prepare for this exciting event, and your support plays a vital role in making it a success. Thank you for helping create meaningful learning experiences for our students!
Keeping Our Leopards Healthy:
As we work together to keep our students and staff healthy, we kindly remind families to keep students home when they are sick. Students should be fever-free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.
This helps prevent the spread of illness, allows your child to rest and recover fully, and protects the well-being of classmates and staff. We understand that students may not want to miss a special activity they’ve been looking forward to, but their health—and the health of others—must come first.
If your child has the flu, we kindly ask that you notify our nurse, Caitlin Weisel, at caitlin_weisel@roundrockisd.org. This information helps us take proactive steps to monitor classrooms for additional cleaning and potential symptoms, ensuring a healthier environment for all our students and staff. Thank you for your cooperation!
Thank you for helping us maintain a healthy learning environment for everyone!
Tardies and Absences:
Starting the school day on time is crucial for helping students feel prepared, connected, and ready to learn. The early minutes of the day are dedicated to routines, social-emotional learning activities, and building relationships with teachers and peers—key moments that set the tone for the rest of the day.
To help avoid tardies, we encourage families to arrive as early as possible. Doors open at 7:15 a.m., and we typically see minimal traffic at that time. You have the option to drop off at either the front or the back of the school. Please note that the doors at the back close promptly at 7:35 a.m. Teachers in the back will return to their classrooms at that time, so if it’s close to 7:35, we ask that you plan to drop off at the front of the school instead.
With colder weather upon us—bringing more walkers into cars and adding to traffic—families may want to plan for a slightly earlier departure to account for the additional vehicles. With over 1,000 students, arriving early helps ensure a smooth drop-off and allows your child to begin their day on time.
If your child is absent, please complete our Absence Reporting Form to ensure their absence is recorded accurately. Attendance is taken at 9:00 a.m., so students not in the classroom by that time will be marked absent.
For any questions regarding attendance or tardies, feel free to reach out to our registrar, Shannon Chambless, at Shannon_Chambless@roundrockisd.org. Thank you for your cooperation in helping us support every student’s success by fostering punctuality and good routines!
Congratulations to our Teacher and Paraprofessional of the Year!
Please join us in celebrating Ms. Rekha Shirtekar (5th Grade Teacher) and Renata Penha Martins (FCC Educational Assistant) as our Teacher and Paraprofessional of the Year!
Both of these incredible educators embody passion, dedication, and a deep commitment to student success. They are fierce advocates for their students, always going the extra mile to ensure each child feels supported, challenged, and valued. Beyond the classroom, they are caring, collaborative colleagues who bring positivity and encouragement to those around them.
We are so grateful for all they do to make England Elementary an exceptional place for learning and growth. Congratulations, Ms. Shirtekar and Ms. Penha Martins! 🎉💙🐆
PDF with Links:
Celebrating Kindness Week! 💙
A huge thank you to our amazing counselors for organizing such an impactful Kindness Week! Their efforts helped create meaningful opportunities for students to spread kindness in our school and beyond.
Throughout the week, students decorated coffee sleeves with uplifting messages to share with local coffee shops, contributed to our Kindness Tree by writing ways they can show kindness, and participated in daily Random Acts of Kindness challenges. They also watched videos on ENN to explore the “why” behind kindness and had access to a Choice Board filled with read-alouds, art projects, and creative activities. Teachers also led thoughtful classroom discussions about how kindness can shape our school community.
Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make Kindness Week such a success! Let’s keep the kindness going all year long! 💕
Love, Laughter, & Leopard Smiles!
Registration for the 2025-2026 School Year
- K-12 New Student Enrollment begins on January 8.
- Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4, and K-5 Transfer Applications open on April 1.
Find detailed information about the enrollment process from RRISD here.
Calendar
Important Dates for Students/Families:
- February 21st: PTA Sponsored Cultural Heritage Night @ 5:00
- February 21st: First Round of England Exceptional Experiences (Sign up to volunteer)
- February 27th: PTA Meeting @ 6:30
- February 28th: Second Round of England Exceptional Experiences (Sign up to volunteer)
- March 3rd-7th: SEL Week
- March 3rd: England Family Trivia Night (RSVP only)
- March 7th: Third Round of England Exceptional Experiences (Sign up to volunteer)
- March 8th: PTA Sponsored Community Picnic (Details coming soon!)
- March 10th-14th: College and Career Week
- March 11th: 2025 RRISD Virtual Battle of the Bluebonnets
- March 12th: Third Grade Economics Fair
- March 13th: Career Day
- March 14th: Fourth Round of England Exceptional Experiences (Sign up to volunteer)
- March 17th-21st: Spring Break- Student and Staff Holiday
- March 25th: Third Grade Field Trip to Meadows Center
- March 27th: 5th Grade Music Performance (Student Arrival: 5:15, Doors Open: 5:45, Performance 6:00-6:30)
- March 28th Final Round of England Exceptional Experiences (Sign up to volunteer)
- March 28th: Kindergarten Field Trip to Crowe's Nest Farm
- March 31st: Student Holiday/Staff Development
Looking Ahead/Save the Date:
- April 1st: Early Learning Day (Incoming Kinder/PreK Tours)
- April 3rd: 4th Grade Music Performance
- April 4th: Field Day
- April 8th: RLA STAAR (3rd, 4th, 5th)
- April 10th: 3rd Grade Music Performance
- April 15th: Science STAAR (5th)
- April 22nd: Math STAAR (3rd, 4th, 5th)
- May 8th: England SPOTlight Night
Character Education
LEOPARDS: Loyalty Empathy Open-Mindedness Perseverance Appreciation Resourcefulness Discipline Service
Support Staff
Shannon Chambless, Attendance Specialist
Jude Eaton, Counselor
Helen Frink, Counselor
Stephanie Johnson, Counselor
Emily Kupersztoch, Librarian
Taryn Ostendorf, Assistant Principal, Administrative Special Education Contact
Erik Weiler, Instructional Technology Specialist
Virginia Wilder, Assistant Principal, Administrative 504 Contact
Krystall Williams, Principal
Email: krystall_williams@roundrockisd.org
Website: england.roundrockisd.org
Location: 8801 Pearson Ranch Road, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-704-1200
Twitter: @kwilliamsEEE