The Titan Times: Week 24

Titan Families,

As the school year progresses, Ms. Olmstead and I are incredibly proud of our students' dedication to learning and growth. We are committed to providing a supportive and enriching environment where every Titan can thrive, and we are incredibly thankful to the many people who partner with us to make everything come to life for our student body. From our Superintendent and School Board to our dedicated volunteers and community partners, our students are making strides in academics as well as their social and emotional development.

To ensure our staff are best supporting each student's individual needs, we will be utilizing data from iStation and NWEA MAP assessments. This valuable information will help us:

• Tailor instruction: Our staff and students will use the data to identify areas of strength and areas where students may need extra support. This will allow us to provide targeted instruction, both in whole-group and small-group settings.
• Set personalized goals: Our staff will work with students to set individual learning goals based on their assessment data.

We look forward to celebrating that progress in Titan Time and at our student led showcases in May!

Lastly, January is Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) School Board Recognition Month. To acknowledge the work of school trustees, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation designating January as School Board Recognition Month. “School board members play an integral role in promoting a lifelong love of learning in the next generation,” the proclamation states. To read the full proclamation, visit tasb.org. This year's theme, "Leaders for Tomorrow's Texas," emphasizes the crucial role that school board members play in shaping the future of public education.

Therefore, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to our dedicated Leander ISD Board of Trustees:

• Board President Gloria Gonzales-Dholakia, Ph.D.
• Board Vice President Anna Smith
• Board Secretary Sade Fashokun
• Board Member Trish Bode
• Board Member Paul Gauthier
• Board Member Nekosi Nelson
• Board Member Francesca Romans

These individuals are elected at-large and serve our community tirelessly as volunteers. Their commitment to student success is invaluable. Please join us in sharing a note of appreciation by sending them an email at governance.team@leanderisd.org

We are excited to continue our journey of learning and growth together! As always, should you need anything, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are here to serve.

Take care and lead well,

Dr. Amy Sharp, RPE Principal

Ms. Lacy Olmstead, RPE Assistant Principal

• 23rd: Chick-fil-a Spirit Night (see info below)
• 25th: LEEF Gala (Info Below)

February: Black History Month

• 1st: Viper Parade at 10 AM (see info below)
• 3rd-7th National School Counselor Appreciation Week
• 10th-14th Kindness Week
• 14th: River Place Business Fair Hosted by 5th Grade (see info below)
• 17th Presidents' Day- No School for Students

SAVE THE DATE:

• March 26, 2025 STEAM Night at 5:30 PM
• April 12, 2025 PTA Spring Fundraiser Gala at 7 PM at River Place Country Club
• May 22, 2025 5th Grade Crossing Over Ceremony at 8 AM

The Texas Rising Stars concert is a fantastic way to celebrate the talent of young musicians, showcasing the winners of the Butler School of Music’s String Concerto Competition. With the Austin Civic Orchestra and the string department at the University of Texas at Austin collaborating for the 11th time, it’s sure to be a memorable evening.

Key details:

• When: Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 at 7:30 pm.
• Where: Bates Recital Hall, the University of Texas at Austin.
• Tickets: Free but reserving in advance is recommended. Tickets will also be available at the door.

This concert reflects a commitment to making classical music accessible and supporting rising talent.

• The Abduction from the Seraglio: Overture by W.A. Mozart
• Violin Concerto in A Major, Op. 8, Allegro Moderato by Mieczysław Karłowicz, Zichuan (Kevin) Wang, Violin
• Guitar Concerto No. 1, Allegretto by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Aytahn Benavi, Guitar
• Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 26, Allegro con fermezza by Aram Khachaturian, Yida An, Violin
• Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, Andante comodo (1962 version) by William Walton, Jason Sheng-Chieh Lan, Viola
• Symphony No. 2, op. 17 by Piotr IIyich Tchaikovsky
  • Andante sostenuto – Allegro vivo
  • Andantino marziale, quasi moderato
  • Scherzo: Allegro molto vivace
  • Finale: Moderato assai – Allegro vivo

As our Titans start to add layers of clothing, please be sure you are labeling jackets and all other winter gear. Our collection of coats from December is already large, and we want to be sure our Titans stay warm with the winter clothing you purchased for them. Thank you!

Ms. Olmstead and I hope you are all staying warm as the weather cools. As a reminder, we have a collection of lost and found items, including jackets, lunch boxes, and water bottles. Please check with your child to see if they are missing anything.

Join us on January 25, 2025, for LEEF’s 10th annual Gala at The Crossover, where we'll journey into the universe of A Wrinkle in Time to celebrate and support public education in #1LISD! Enjoy an inspiring evening filled with live and silent auctions, a student art gallery, dinner, drinks, and more, all in support of Leander ISD students and teachers.

Date: January 25, 2025
Location: The Crossover
Tickets and sponsorships available now!

Come be part of a magical night that will leave a lasting impact on education!

Tickets & Sponsorships: https://buff.ly/3Yzfe2q

Ms. Zoë Ashton from Four Points Middle School's Falcon Theatre department is looking to get more involvement from our feeder pattern's elementary schools with our middle school theatre program! To do so, she's reaching out to get some elementary students casted in the Four Points spring musical: Shrek JR! Auditions will be at the end of January and performances will be April 10th, 11th, and 12th.

Check out the links below:

Here is a video with more information.

Here is some information about auditions!

Here is the audition form for elementary students and their parents/guardians!

Did you know there are valuable resources available for families in Special Programs? Check out the Special Programs Parent Advisory Council Resources to find this month’s family socials, learning opportunities, and more. It’s a quick way to stay connected, informed, and supported. Thank you!

Consider becoming a:

• Volunteer: https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/MTc6ZW4tVVM=#
• Substitute: https://www.applitrack.com/leander/onlineapp/jobpostings/view.asp?internaltransferform.Url&category=&category=11+-+Substitute

We are so excited to combine two excellent programs into one great focus for our Titans. We are using Leander ISD's Ethical Principles (Culture of Caring) and Leander ISD’s Graduate Profile to make our Titan Community leadership and learning focus come to life.

What are we doing as a campus community?

Each month, we will have a new focus and will introduce Titan Excellence during our Titan Time Assembly. Then at the end of each month our teachers will choose two students from their homeroom that have exemplified these qualities through learning and leading. We will celebrate these students at our end of the month, Titan Time Assembly.

Why the change?

We want to effectively integrate important values into our school culture and provide students with regular opportunities to be celebrated for their achievements. This approach should encourage positive behavior and a strong sense of community among our Titans. Our hope is that the monthly focus and the recognition at the end of each month will help keep students engaged and motivated throughout the year.

How can you help?

We encourage you to support this effort by talking about these things at home with your Titan(s), too.

Parent Referral window for 2025/2026 QUEST is open now through March 1st.

QUEST is Leander ISD Gifted and Talented Program. QUEST is a pull out program where students have the opportunity to investigate topics of interest to them in greater depth and complexity. Students expand their academic abilities to apply critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, and research skills through individual and group projects, studies and problem-solving units.

For more information please visit the QUEST/Allison Solberg and here.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Dr. Amy Sharp at amy.sharp@leanderisd.org Thank you!

Join PTA TODAY because increasing our membership, even by one, makes it possible to:

• Get funds to teachers to supplement classroom needs.
• Connect with teachers, parents, and administration to voice needs for our school and our Titans.
• Fund library technology, guest speakers, playground equipment.
• Help plan community activities such as Fall Fest, Apex Fun Run, Book Fair, Mentoring
• programs, Field Day, Career Day & STEAM Night.
• Support Teacher and Staff Appreciation.

Myths Debunked!

• PTA does NOT require mandatory meetings or volunteer hours.
• PTA is NOT just for stay-at-home parents or for those who want to take on a large leadership role.

PTA is-

• for ANYONE who wants to be a bit more connected to teachers, principals and the Titan community. In sum, there is no wrong or right way to be in PTA!
• something that takes 5 minutes to join and if you join now your $10 membership will enter you in a monthly raffle for gift cards, free water bottles, and MORE!
• easy to join! ----------> https://riverplacepta.membershiptoolkit.com

While we deeply appreciate your effort in ensuring your Titan's SDM is updated throughout the school year to include exceptions, we kindly ask that you contact the office via email to get a bus pass written for any Titan that doesn't typically ride the bus to ensure that your Titan is able to safely board the bus with no issue when their SDM exception is Bus Rider. Best practice would be to register your Titan for the bus using this link if these exceptions are planned for an occurrence of at least once a week. For your Titans who do typically ride the bus, please ensure that you have registered your Titan for the bus using this link. Moving forward, students will not be allowed to ride the bus in any capacity unless they've been registered or have contacted the office for a bus pass. If you have any questions, please contact the front office. Thank you!

Families interested in being a part of the Free/Reduced lunch Program need to reapply each year. Please use this link to apply for the 24-25 school year if you haven't already done so. Also, if you are needing assistance with food for your student(s) for the weekend, you may use this google form to sign up for the Backpack Program. Your Titan(s) would receive a bag of food/snacks that they can put in their backpacks to take home each Friday. Please reach out to our school counselor if you have any questions.

Administration was informed that families cannot put a limit on a student's account through My School Bucks as thought. Families will need to fill out this form to detail the snack limit and return it to the cafeteria manager, valorie.rameriez@leanderisd.org at your earliest convenience. Please let us know if you need this in print form, and we will work with you to provide it.

Here are our Titan Community Communication Tools-

• River Place Elementary School Website
• Twitter Account
• PTA Facebook Page
• Remind App for River Place Insiders

Email: ContactTeacher@leanderisd.org
Website: https://riverplace.leanderisd.org/
Location: 6500 Sitio Del Rio Blvd, Austin, TX 78730, USA
Phone: 512-570-6911
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiverPlaceElementaryPTA/
X (formally known as Twitter): @RiverPlaceTitan

Instagram: @riverplace_elem