
England School News
February 9, 2025
Principal's Update
Hello England Families-
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are ready for the week ahead!
Last week was full of engaging learning experiences. A highlight was our Science Fair Showcase, where our Leopards impressed us with their creativity, problem-solving, and scientific discoveries. Thank you to all the families who came out to support our students. It was wonderful to see them confidently share their projects and hard work. A huge thank you to Mr. Gribsby, Mr. Rosenfeld, and Navya Maladi (PTA Science Fair Representative) for their dedication to making the Science Fair a success. We also appreciate our amazing teachers who took the time to come out and support our Leopards. It means so much to our students!
Later in the week, we had a PTA-sponsored STEM presentation from UT, where students got to see science come to life through hands-on demonstrations. It was exciting to watch their curiosity spark as they experienced STEM in action! A big thank you to our PTA for making this special opportunity possible.
We also wrapped up another fantastic PTA Movie Night, and what a great turnout! It’s always a joy to see our school community come together, and we appreciate everyone who joined us for a fun evening. Thank you to our PTA for making events like this happen!
Looking ahead, we’re gearing up for Valentine’s Day celebrations on Friday! To help with a smooth check-in, please RSVP using the link sent by your child’s teacher. We encourage parents/caregivers to arrive 10-15 minutes early since the office will be busy. A reminder that each visitor must bring a valid ID, and due to space constraints, we ask that each student have no more than two guests. (Please refrain from bringing siblings.) Thank you for your understanding!
Valentine’s Day Party Schedule
📌 Pre-K: 9:00–9:45
📌 Kinder: 9:30–10:15
📌 1st Grade: 10:10–10:55
📌 2nd Grade: 11:00–11:45
📌 3rd Grade: 1:10–1:55
📌 4th Grade: 10:30–11:15
📌 5th Grade: 12:30–1:15
📌 FCC/FAC: 1:15–2:00
Wishing everyone a great week ahead!
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!
Arrival During Inclement Weather:
With rain in the forecast this week, we wanted to take a moment to share a few important reminders to help ensure a smooth and safe arrival for everyone.
On inclement weather days, we do our best to have extra staff in both the front and back to help ensure a safe and smooth arrival process. To help things run even more efficiently, please keep the following in mind:
Expect Longer Wait Times: More families opt to drive instead of walk, leading to a longer car line. Please plan ahead and extend patience and kindness to our staff, who are working hard to get all Leopards inside safely.
If Arriving in a Vehicle- Stay in the Car Line (No Parking to Walk Up): This is our policy every day, but it is especially crucial for safety on inclement weather days. Parking and walking up slows down the line, keeps staff in the rain longer, and creates safety concerns as reduced visibility makes it harder for drivers to see pedestrians. Please remain in the car line to ensure a smooth and safe arrival for everyone.
Use the Crosswalk If You Must Park: If you absolutely need to park, you must use the crosswalk. Cutting in front of cars is extremely unsafe, especially in rainy conditions.
No Street Drop-Offs: Do NOT drop your child off by the street and have them walk up to campus. This is very dangerous, especially in bad weather.
No Tardies Before 8:00 on Inclement Weather Days: Safety comes first. We do not count tardies before 8:00 on these days, so please stay in the line and do not try to bypass the process.
Pull All the Way to the First Cone: Stopping midway causes delays and results in staff staying outside in the elements longer than necessary. We work quickly to get all students under the awning and inside as efficiently as possible.
We truly appreciate your cooperation in following these guidelines to keep all students, staff, and families safe during arrival. Thank you for your partnership!
Coffee with the Principal – Let’s Connect!:
One of my favorite ways to connect with families is through Coffee with the Principal! This informal gathering gives us a chance to chat about celebrations, concerns, and upcoming events, while also providing an opportunity for families to connect with one another.
We all share the common goal of building a supportive and encouraging community for every Leopard. I’d love for you to join us!
📅 Monday, February 10th (Tomorrow!)
⏰ 9:00–9:45 AM
📌 RSVP here: February Coffee with the Principal
Hope 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:
Coming Soon: 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!
Clothing Donations Needed for Our Clinic:
Our school clinic is in need of children’s clothing for emergency clothing changes. If you have gently used items you’d like to donate, we’d greatly appreciate it! Donations can be dropped off in the front office.
Thank you for your support in helping our students!
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!
PDF with Links:
Exciting Destination Imagination News!
Two of our incredible Elsa England teams excelled at the Heart of Texas Regional Destination Imagination competition yesterday and are heading to the State tournament in March!
🏆 DI-Namic Dogs took 1st place in the Fine Arts Challenge (Elementary Level)! This talented team is managed by Bhavna V. and Anshul Y. and includes:
- 3rd Grade: Avaya Y., Nayva S.
- 4th Grade: Sanvi D., Sakshi P., Aadya R.
🥈 Another 3rd-grade team—Anvika N., Vinishka M., Elisa P., Mysha T., and Shreeya R.—earned 2nd place in the same category and will also advance to State at UT Arlington in March!
We are so proud of these Leopards for their creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Way to go!
Way to Go, Leopards! First Place in the McNeil Learning Community UIL!
Thank you to our PTA for bringing in The Physics Circus for 3rd, 4th, & 5th!
Another Successful PTA Movie Night!
Around the Campus: 100th Day of School and Hands On Math!
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 10th: Coffee with the Principal (9:00-9:45) RSVP Here
- February 11th: England Site Based Committee/CCNA (3:30-4:30)
- February 14th: Valentine's Day Parties!
- February 17th: Student and Staff Holiday
- February 21st: PTA Sponsored Cultural Heritage Night
Looking Ahead/Save the Date:
- March 3rd: England Family Trivia Night (RSVP only)
- March 8th: PTA Sponsored Community Picnic
- March 27th: 5th Grade Music Performance
- 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