TeSA Weekly Newsletter

11-1-2024

Dance-A-Thon Update

TeSA Families,

Dance-A-Thon is off to a great start! We hit $5,000, so Mrs. May and Goose spent Thursday dressed as hot dogs and Ms. DeLuna delighted everyone with her inflatable costume at dismissal. When we get to $10,000, Ms. Bransford will be taped to the building during dismissal! The students are excited about the upcoming prize drawings. For only a $5 donation, your child can be entered to win.

Click HERE or use the QR code below to donate. Thank you for sharing this link with any of your friends and family who want to help us reach our $25,000 goal!

Artistically & Academically Yours,

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

Principal

Texas School of the Arts

Dress Code

This week, all students should be back to wearing their regular uniforms. Our next dress-up day is our Free Dress for Paper on November 22nd. Until then, please make sure your student is wearing the correct attire.

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 from Flynn O'Hara. (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.

Immunizations & Upcoming Health Screenings

In compliance with state law, each student must be immunized against the following diseases and provide an updated immunization record to the school every year. Please review the list below and send your child's documentation to edna.robinson@mytesa.org or bring a paper copy to the front office.

• Diphtheria/ Tetanus

• Rubella/Measles/Mumps

• Varicella (or documentation of having chicken pox disease)

• Poliomyelitis

• Meningitis * for students on or after 11th birthday

• Hepatitis B

• Hepatitis A

The Texas State Board of Health requires vision, hearing, and spinal screenings for students in specific grade levels. Nurse Edna will contact the families of any students who show concerns. If your child recently completed vision, hearing, and spinal curvature exams at a doctor's office, you can send the documentation to edna.robinson@mytesa.org or bring a paper copy to the front office to exempt your child from the school process.

You can read more about these policies in the Student Handbook on the Resources tab of the website.

Illness at School

Although our reported COVID and flu cases have dropped considerably, we are still seeing quite a few students coming to school with cold and virus symptoms. If your child has any symptoms, please stay home at least 24 hours. If you have any questions, you can reference our Health Clinic policy on page 30 of the Student Handbook or email Nurse Edna at edna.robinson@mytesa.org

REPEATED INFORMATION

COWTOWN Candy Cane

Candy Cane 5K Run/Walk

Saturday, December 7th at 5 PM.

Cowtown Marathon Headquarters

Westcliff Shopping Center

3584 South Hills Avenue, Unit 21

Ft. Worth, TX 76109

The race will take your family through the Westcliff neighborhood, enjoying the festive Holiday lights!

5k race participants = Candy Cane medal that can be used as a holiday ornament!

One mile walkers = Candy Cane

At the finish line, the Cowtown office will be open with Holiday music, a photo booth, snacks and hot chocolate, plus a visitor from the North Pole!

PROMO code for $5.00 off registration = "TESA5".

Click HERE to register and join the "TeSA" team, so Coach B can pick up your registration packet and T-Shirt BEFORE race day and send them home from school.

Sign up by midnight on November 2nd for the best pricing. Due to the location, the race has a LIMITED number of spots open, so don't wait to sign up if your family is interested in participating!

If you have any questions, please email page.burkhalter@mytesa.org

Front Parking Lot

TeSA offers the walk-up option at both arrival and dismissal as an additional service to our families. This has only been allowed in the last few years, and in order to continue this privilege, we need all drivers to follow our TeSA procedures. Please share these reminders with anyone who may drop off or pick up your child:

The front parking lot is one way only. Drivers must enter the south entrance and exit at the north end.
Drivers must utilize a parking space when picking up or dropping off. Students may not enter or exit the vehicle unless the car is fully parked between designated parking lines.
Drivers must be patient! The parking lot can sometimes take longer than the driveline due to the need for cars to safely back out and clear the way for the next vehicle.
We expect our TeSA adults to follow the same expectations as our students. There should be no yelling, cussing, or threatening hand gestures at our officer or other drivers.

Thank you to everyone following these procedures and setting a good example for our students!

Dismissal Time

As a reminder, our school day ends at 3:15 for K-1st grade and at 3:30 for 2nd-5th. If you need to check out your child early, our cut-off time is 3:00. Our teachers and staff are officially dismissed at 3:45, so thank you for picking up your child prior to 3:45 through the driveline or walk-up area. If you are struggling to pick up your child on time, please make arrangements for your student to stay after school through our TCA+A Conservatory classes or Clayton Youth program. You can learn more about both options through our TeSA Resources tab of the website.

We understand unexpected delays will occasionally occur. If you're late to pick up your child, please come to the front office. Parents who are late more than three times may be charged a late pick-up fee. Thank you for your help getting our students home safely and on time!

3rd-5th Grade Progress Reports & Parent Portal

3rd-5th Grade Progress Reports were published in the Parent Portal last week. Progress Reports are a snapshot of students' grades at that specific time, so it's possible your child's grades have already changed. We encourage all parents to check the Parent Portal frequently and reach out to the teachers with questions about specific grades or assignments.

If you are struggling to access the Parent Portal, read our How To View My Student's Grades document with directions and screenshots.

Due to the nature of standards-based grading, K-2nd grades do not have published progress reports. Families should email their child's teacher(s) if there are concerns about progress.

Report cards for all K-5th students will be published on November 11th.