News for the Nest

THIS WEEK

Sunday, Jan 19 🎂Happy Birthday Ms. Lu, 1st Grade Teacher!🎂

Monday, Jan 20 🎂Happy Birthday Ms. Gump, PK Teacher!🎂

• NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, Jan 21

• 3:30 Dr. Dru Robinett Retirement AISD Celebration in Library (founding Clayton principal)

Wednesday, Jan 22

Thursday, Jan 23

Friday, Jan 24

• Wear your Clayton spirit wear

Looking Ahead

Jan 20 - No School, Dr. Martin Luther Jr.'s Birthday

Jan 29 - No School, Lunar New Year

Jan 31 - 5th Grade Field Trip to visit Gorzycki Middle School

Feb 6 - Evening Choir Performance

Dr. Dru Robinett is our founding Clayton Principal and currently serves as the Director of the AISD Special Education Department. She is retiring at the end of the month, and we are honoring her with a celebration next week. All are welcome. Please RSVP below if you plan to attend. Thank you

Our cafeteria got a significant upgrade recently with the installation of new sound absorbing panels. The project was sponsored by our generous PTA and positively affects all students and staff.

Our front flower beds are looking spiffy after a good clear-out two weeks ago. Thanks a bunch to our families and staff who pitched in!

Ms. Connie Murphy, Art Teacher, is our 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Anne Galdo, Special Education Teacher, is our 2024-2025 Teacher of Promise.

Summary: Clayton will continue to have a Pre-Kindergarten program for four-year-olds for the 2025-26 school year. Families can apply for PreK earlier this year, compared to past years. Enrollment for PreK opens February 5. A significant change to be aware of is that parents across AISD will be able to rank their top three schools, and seats will be allocated based on a random lottery system. There will be no waitlist or priority selection. Families will be notified of the lottery outcomes on March 14, 2025.

Further Information: In February 2025, Austin ISD is launching an Early Bird Tuition-Based Pre-K4 enrollment period for families that do not qualify for free Pre-K4. This initiative will provide families the opportunity to enter a randomized selection process for a limited number of Pre-K4 seats in order to better plan for their child care needs.

Please note that families who qualify for free Pre-K are guaranteed a seat for their child. These spots have been reserved and will open for applications on April 1, 2025. Learn about the qualifications for free Pre-K >

Austin ISD families interested in an Early Bird Tuition-Based Pre-K4 seat can apply to up to three (3) Pre-K4 campuses from February 5 – March 7, 2025. Seats will be allocated based on a random lottery system, and there will be no waitlist or priority selection. Families will be notified of the lottery outcomes on March 14, 2025.

2025–26 Early Bird Pre-K4 Guidelines

• Students must be four years of age on or before September 1, 2025 to apply
• Students must live within Austin ISD boundaries (i.e. no out-of-district transfers)
• Pre-K4 Dual Language programs and Winn Montessori are excluded from Early Bird Pre-K4
• Programs follow the Austin ISD School Year calendar
• Full-day curriculum runs from 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Monthly tuition for full-day Pre-K4 is $550
• Families selected for Early Bird Pre-K4 will be required to submit a deposit to secure their seat, which will be applied to the first month’s tuition

Early Bird Tuition-Based Pre-K4 FAQs

Zones of Regulation

This week we continue our series on the Zones of Regulation!

It’s time to talk about the fourth and final zone in our Zones of Regulation series, the Red Zone!

The red zone is where we experience our highest levels of energy, activation & alertness. Oftentimes the red zone is used to describe a ‘dysregulated’ or ‘out of control’ state, with intense & heightened emotions that might make it more challenging (or near impossible!) to think clearly and make logical/rational choices. That being said, the red zone does serve an important purpose: to protect us and keep us safe! Having an elevated level of energy & alertness can be helpful in times of danger by allowing us to act & react quickly. The red zone may be less helpful in situations and environments that require calm and focused brains & bodies, like the classroom.

Some feelings commonly experienced in the red zone are elated/overjoyed, very angry, terrified, devastated, or panicked. Body sensations that accompany the red zone include tense limbs and muscles, flushed skin, a fast heart rate or breathing, and feeling hot/sweaty.

Strategies to try when in the red zone:

• If you can, get up & get moving, physically leave the activating space. Sometimes a shift in our environment = a shift in our feelings.

• Co-regulation is often needed. Accessing the parts of our brain that help us use skills on our own is very difficult in the red zone, so your young ones will likely need your help! What this may look like: offering a gentle touch, modeling slow steady breathing, demonstrating your self-regulation skills in the moment!

• Breathing exercises - slowing down and focusing on our breath will work to calm and regulate the nervous system.

• Large body movements (jumping jacks, planks, wall pushes)

Click on above image to access flyers/registration links.

We welcome all players in the southwest Austin area in 1st through 8th grades. The SWAG Lacrosse team is the primary feeder program for the Bowie HS Girls Lacrosse club. At the youth level, the emphasis is on fundamentals and having fun. The program is designed to introduce young players to the competitive side of the sport while enjoying the game. We are hosting open practices in January for any girls wanting to try it out! QUESTIONS: admin@bowielax.com

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Cardinal Corner: Clayton Elementary Parents Page Facebook Group