Principal's Newsletter

Hello Spicewood Families,

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful winter break, although it seems that the winter weather waited for us to come back to school before showing up! It was great to see our students this week and they have done such a great job getting back in school mode.

The City of Austin is hiring a crossing guard for one of our designated spots. If you know someone who is interested in working a few hours a day, please see the flyer further down the newsletter for more information!

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Melanie Solis

Principal

Spicewood Elementary

Upcoming Important Dates

Jan. 13th- Spelling Bee

Jan. 14-17- Science Fair (Evening Event Jan. 17th 5:00pm-7:00pm)

Jan. 15th- Mustang Express for 5th Grade Students

Jan. 17- Marathon Kids Finale Extended- (New Date!)

Jan. 20th- Student and Staff Holiday

Jan. 29th- Student Holiday/Staff Development

Feb. 11th- Spring Photos (Individual and Class)

We talk about being knowledgeable, caring, balanced, thinkers, inquirers, risk-takers, communicators, open-minded, reflective, and principled. All the attributes we believe are important to being globally-minded citizens. What does it mean to you to be a globally-minded citizen?

We practice the skills that support our development and abilities to thrive in this world: our thinking skills, research and communication skills, social skills, as well as our self-management skills.

But truly, I think what makes IB special is the value we put on student inquiry. What are our students curious about? What do they need? How can we teach in a way that sparks interest and views learning as transdisciplinary? How can we expand our horizons and learn from others within and outside of our school community?

As these next few weeks unfold, I encourage you to learn more about the IB Primary Years Program and what makes Spicewood special. What questions do you have? What connections do you make? How can you bring this framework of thinking into your own life? Here’s a good place to start.

Spicewood Families, the Art Department is currently collecting clean plastic bottle caps and buttons for an upcoming art project. A drop off box will be located near the front office and these items can be placed in the container at any point in time. Please be sure to clean your plastic bottle caps before donating them. We thank you so much for your help in this effort!

Mrs. Castelain and Mrs. Jones

The Science Fair team has created a website with lots of helpful information about participating in the Science Fair.

Last year we had an amazing turnout with over 100 projects! It is always so amazing to see our students interests and thoughts come to life through their projects!

Science Fair Website: https://sites.google.com/roundrockisd.org/spicewoodsciencefair/home

In order to make this year's science fair a success, we need volunteers! Please visit this link to sign up to help.

In preparation for STEAM Day, our committee has created a website of information and to gather volunteers. It takes help in all different ways to facilitate this fun day of learning for our students. We would love to have your help on this day!

Please click on this link to visit the website for more information.

Calling all strategic thinkers, puzzles & games enthusiasts. Please fill out the following interest form if you wish to participate in the Math Pentathlon Tournament in 2025. We need 3 parent volunteers trained as game leaders, for each division, to start SWES Math Pentathlon Club.

More information on Math Pentathlon can be found at https://www.mathpentath.org/austin-area/

and the attached flyer. You can send your queries to the club chair at mathpentathlon@spicewoodpta.org