England School News

Hello England Families-

We had a wonderful week, even with the unexpected winter weather day. I hope you all had a chance to enjoy some family time and create special memories over the weekend.

This newsletter is packed with important updates, so please take a moment to read it in its entirety. Be sure to check out the volunteer section—our spring semester is full of exciting events, and we need parent and caregiver partnerships to make them a success.

Thank you for your continued support, and here’s to another great week ahead!

With gratitude,

Krystall Williams, Principal

Your Voice Matters: Please share your feedback and/or questions here!

PTA Update:

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the PTA meeting this past Thursday! We truly value our partnership and are excited to continue working together for an incredible second semester filled with collaboration and shared success.

Our PTA is excited to offer the opportunity to purchase school sweatshirts! The ordering window is open now and will close on January 31, 2025, at the end of the day.

Place your order here: Order Sweatshirts

Please save the date for Friday, February 7, as our PTA is planning the second movie night of the school year! More details will be shared soon, so stay tuned.

Please also mark your calendar for February 21 and join us for our Cultural Heritage Night. Stay tuned—all details coming soon!

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!

Share Your Talents with England Exceptional Experiences!

We are so excited to invite you to be part of our England Exceptional Experiences this spring! This program gives students the chance to dive into exciting, hands-on learning opportunities, and we’d love to include YOU in making it even more extraordinary.

Program Details:

• Dates: February 21st, February 28th, March 7th, March 14th, March 28th
• Time: 7:45–8:30 AM (Volunteers arrive by 7:15–7:30 AM to check in and set up)
• Location: Elsa England Elementary
• Duration: 5-week session

What We’re Looking For:

We’re looking for ten parent or community volunteers (five for kinder-2nd grade classes and five for 3rd-5th grade classes) to lead hands-on, engaging sessions for our students. Whether it’s related to your job, a hobby, or a skill you’re passionate about, we know you have something special to share! Examples of past sessions include:

• Origami
• Yoga
• Sketching
• Coding
• Cross stitch
• Cardboard arcade
• Future teachers
• Travel

Volunteers will create and lead the sessions, with staff members available to assist as needed.

What You Need to Know:

• Background Check: All volunteers must have an approved background check on file. If you haven’t completed one yet, you can submit it now to be cleared in time.
• Sign Up: Please complete this form by EOD Monday, January 27th so we can include your session in the course catalog for students.

Why Volunteer?

This is a fantastic way to share your talents and inspire our Leopards to explore new ideas and skills. Last semester, every student got to participate in one of their top three choices led by staff members, and we’re excited to make this round even better with your involvement!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. We can’t wait to partner with you to create another round of amazing experiences for our students.

Mid-Year Screeners:

Our dedicated teachers have been diligently administering mid-year assessments to monitor and support the academic progress of each Leopard. Here's an overview of the tools we're utilizing:

Kindergarten–2nd Grade:

• mCLASS: This assessment focuses on early literacy skills, including phonemic awareness, decoding, and fluency, to guide targeted reading instruction.

• AIMSweb (Math): AIMSweb evaluates foundational math skills, such as number sense, computation, and problem-solving abilities, providing insights to tailor instruction effectively.

3rd–5th Grade:

• i-Ready (Math and Reading): i-Ready is an adaptive diagnostic tool that assesses students' proficiency in reading and mathematics. It identifies individual strengths and areas for growth, enabling personalized learning paths.

Families will receive detailed reports from these assessments, offering valuable insights into each child's learning journey and ensuring consistent progress monitoring.

Additionally, over the next two weeks, students in 3rd–5th grades will participate in STAAR Interim/T-TAPP Assessments. These evaluations help inform our instruction and further support each student's academic development.

Thank you for your continued partnership in fostering our students' success!

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 and January’s sign-up sheet. 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:

Artsonia Sign-Up

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:

Our amazing counselors are in the process of planning Career Day, which is set for Thursday, March 13th. This event will offer students the opportunity to explore different careers by interacting with professionals from various fields. If you are available and would like to participate, please fill out this Google Form . We would be thrilled to hear from you.

Presenters will present for about 25 minutes (including time for questions and answers), starting at 8:30 A.M. We will have three sessions, and you have the option to do one, two, or all three sessions. Props and slides are welcomed to help showcase your career in a fun and engaging manner. This is a great opportunity for you to get involved at England Elementary and make an impact on our students' future.

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!

A big thank you to our PTA for providing the opportunity to order these amazing sweatshirts! Don’t miss out—place your order here: Order Sweatshirts.

Our fifth grade students did an incredible job showcasing their creativity and knowledge at the Science Fair on January 16th. A heartfelt thank you to our amazing England parents, staff members, and district staff who volunteered as judges. Our Leopards truly shined bright! 🌟

A special shoutout to Mr. Grigsby, who coordinated this fantastic event and is working tirelessly to prepare our students for Regionals. Thank you for your dedication!

• 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.

Important Dates for Students/Families:

• January 28th: Rising 6th Grade Parent Orientation (PRMS) 5:30-6:30
• January 28th: Math Interim (4th and 5th), Math T-TAPP (3rd Grade)
• January 29th: Student Holiday/Staff Development
• January 31st: Science Interim (5th)
• February: England Hosting McNeil Learning Community UIL Meet
• February 3rd-7th: School Counselor Appreciation Week
• February 3rd: Battle of the Bluebonnets (3rd-5th)
• February 3rd: Reading Interim (3rd, 4th, 5th)
• February 4th: England Site Based Committee/CCNA (rescheduled from 1/21)
• February 4th: PRMS Elective Night (5th Grade @ PRMS)
• February 5th/6th: Spring Individual and Class Pictures
• February 6th: Science Fair Showcase Night
• February 7th: PTA Sponsored Movie Night!
• February 10th: Coffee with the Principal (9:00-9:45)
• 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
• April 8th: RLA STAAR (3rd, 4th, 5th)
• April 15th: Science STAAR (5th)
• April 22nd: Math STAAR (3rd, 4th, 5th)
• May 8th: England SPOTlight Night

LEOPARDS: Loyalty Empathy Open-Mindedness Perseverance Appreciation Resourcefulness Discipline Service

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

Email: krystall_williams@roundrockisd.org
Website: england.roundrockisd.org
Location: 8801 Pearson Ranch Road, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-704-1200
Twitter: @kwilliamsEEE