Along with the excitement of returning to school, there may be concern about the rise in COVID cases. On Wednesday, January 5th our district sent out communication about the rise and some changes in the Close Contact/Quarantine protocols. COVID-19 LISD (Review Close Contact/Quarantine) At campus, we will continue the safety protocols for stage yellow that we have followed this year.

However with the change in the district protocols, there will be one external change for our families. Until now, the district and our campus were responsible for contact tracing students Pre-K-6th; due to those students not having the opportunity to be vaccinated. Beginning 1/5/22, the contact tracing efforts were moved to concentrate on our youngest students who do not have the opportunity to be vaccinated.

How might that impact our K-5 families? If your child is in a class with a student or staff member who tests positive, individual notifications will not come to families making them aware of the close contact. At this time, the school notification of the positive case for our campus will go out through Remind. Parents can continue to inform other parents, but as of 1/5/22 our staff will not be able to share that information as we will no longer be contact tracing in grades K-5. This particular protocol has been in effect in grades 7th-12th all school year as those students have had the opportunity for vaccination beginning last spring.

Please let us know if you need anything or have any questions. We are here for you and happy to support your husky in any way we can.

Happy New Year!

Heather Robbins

Principal

Pleasant Hill Elementary

512-570-6400

heather.robbins@leanderisd.org

www.phe.leanderisd.org

Follow us on Twitter: @hrobbinsPHE and @PHEHuskies

We will hold off on opening our campus to visitors for lunches on Fridays, volunteering opportunities, etc. for now. Once we move back into the GREEN stage as a district, we will open these opportunities back up to our families.

Thank you for your understanding!

• Phone Calls/Messages (from teachers and/or administrators)
• Weekly Updates (from your classroom teacher)
• Monthly Updates (from the principal)
• News from the Hill (front office email each Sunday)
• Twitter (follow us @PHEHuskies and @hrobbinsPHE; use the hashtag #get2PHE)
• Facebook (Pleasant Hill Elementary -Leander ISD)
• School Website (http://phe.leanderisd.org)
• Teacher Website (accessible through PHE website)
• District Website (www.leanderisd.org)
• Wednesday Folders (come home in backpacks each week)
• Emails
• Teacher Remind 101 accounts
• PHE Remind 101 accounts
• Leander ISD Remind 101 accounts

Please let us know if you are having difficulty with any of the above-listed modes of communication. We want to make sure you have access and the information needed for your Husky! Please note that the phone numbers/emails on file with us will be used when necessary to communicate. Please update in the front office as needed.

New Year’s resolutions aren’t just for adults. Get the whole family involved!

Help your children start the year off right and teach the importance of goal setting by focusing on these five healthy habits for kids. But just remember, little eyes are watching and ears are listening, so one of the best things you can do to help these habits stick is to lead by example.

1. Get Enough Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is important at any age, but especially for children as they grow and develop.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following:

• Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours each day
• Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours
• Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours
• Preschoolers 10-13 hours
• School-age children 9-11 hours
• Teenagers 8-10 hours

Keep in mind, these are recommendations. Talk to older children about the importance of listening to your body for times when you may need more rest.

2. Spend More Time Outside

Children today spend less time outdoors than any other generation. The average American child is said to spend 4 to 7 minutes a day in unstructured play outdoors, and over 7 hours a day in front of a screen. Spending time outdoors builds confidence, promotes creativity and imagination, and gets kids moving. Not to mention the sunlight helps ensure they’re getting enough vitamin D. Have your kids play outside after school before jumping straight into homework, go for an after-dinner walk as a family, or take a weekend hike. We promise the whole family will benefit from spending more time outside.

3. Read Every Day

When people hear the word health, they often associate it with physical health. But intellectual health is equally important to one’s overall wellness. An easy healthy habit for kids to start right away is to read every day for at least 15-20 minutes. If your child isn’t old enough to read independently, prioritize reading to him or her.

4. Limit Screen Time

If you encourage the health habits mentioned above this one will mostly take care of itself. Consider creating tech-free zones in your home, set a time limit on screen time and have regular conversations with your children about online safety. For more tips and help creating your own family media use plan, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics website.

5. Eat a Well Balanced Diet

Helping your kids understand the nutritional value of food incorporating a range of fruits and vegetables. For older children, teach them how to read and understand food labels to empower them to make healthy choices on their own.

Please research Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (examples could include reading a book or article, watching a video, or listening to a podcast) and share what you learned in your paper, and respond to the following questions.

• How can we be friendly to each other in our schools?
• What can we do to get along, be nice to each other, and make our world a better place?

Submission Requirements

One submission per student. Students must submit a writing sample, either typed or handwritten, not to exceed one side of one page. Writing samples can include illustrations, drawings, or accompanying original artwork. On a separate sheet of paper, we need the student’s name, school, and grade level.

Entries will be judged based on content, voice, and creativity.