The Titan Times: Week 4
The River Place Elementary (RPE) Campus Newsletter
IN THIS EDITION:
- Message from Principal Sharp
- Mark Your Calendars and Info Links
- #1LISD Community News
- #RPEtitans Community News
- Nurse Emma's Nook
- Counselor's Corner
- PTA Announcements
- Growing a Titan Mindset and Connection Every Day!
Welcome to the 1st FULL Week of School!
Titan Families,
Welcoming back our Titan Community was a wonderful time last week and today! There is nothing like the first few days of school. The hope, optimism, and promise beams from every corner of our building and into the community. Let's keep this energy and excitement up throughout the year by partnering together as a staff with your family.
This week, we will have school for a full week. That could mean your Titan(s) will experience some stamina woes. Getting back into a routine can be a challenge for our minds and bodies. Our staff is prepared to support your Titan(s) with the adjustment in partnership with you. It's sure to be a great one when we all work together with routines at home and school. Thanks in advance for your efforts alongside ours to ensure we have the best week!
Please be sure to read this newsletter to know all about what's ahead, and as always, if you have any questions or need support feel free to call the front office at 512-570-6900 or reach out to your Titan(s) classroom teacher. We are here to serve!
Take care and be well,
Dr. Amy Sharp
Proud RPE Principal
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
August:
- 29th Kindergarten Curriculum Night from 5:30- 6:30 PM
- 30th Grades 1st & 2nd Curriculum Night from 5:30- 6:30 PM
- 31st Grades 3rd, 4th, & 5th Curriculum Night from 5:30- 6:30 PM
September:
- 3rd: Deadline to order a C2 T-Shirt- more info in the counselor's corner below
- 4th: Staff and Student Holiday
- 5th: Visitors are now permitted on campus for lunch & volunteering
- 8th: Grandparents Day Luncheon (RSVP here)
- 12th: APEX starts at River Place ES (See more info below)
- 13th: PTA General Meeting at 6 PM in the cafeteria
- 21st: APEX Fun Run (More Info Coming Soon)
Curriculum Night: Kindergarten Aug. 29th @ 5:30 PM
Curriculum Night: 1st & 2nd Grades Aug. 30th @ 5:30 PM
Curriculum Night: 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grades Aug. 31st @ 5:30 PM
2023-24 School Lunch Schedule
Sept. 5th Volunteers & Lunch Visitors Permitted on Campus
Titan Communication & Celebration
#1LISD COMMUNITY NEWS
Information from the Leander Educational Excellence Foundation (LEEF)
LEEF is Blue Corn Harvest Bar and Grill's Green Chile Fest 2023 nonprofit recipient! From August 15th – September 12th Blue Corn Harvest will donate $1 from every item ordered off the Green Chile menu to LEEF, and there are some delicious options! Make sure to tag LEEF and let us know your favorite green chile item next time you dine at Blue Corn Harvest!
District Gifted and Talented Advisory - Call for Applicants
The application for the 23-24 GT District Advisory is now open. All GT parents, GT teachers, GT students, GT Counselors, and GT administrators interested in serving this important role should complete the LISD GT Advisory Interest Form 23-24 by Friday, September 29, 2023. Those selected for service on the committee will be notified by October 6, 2023. Please share the parent information session and call for applicants with your community.
Contact Shirley Bachus with questions.
GT Parent Information Session - September 11, 2023 - Online
The district will host an online information session to review GT services, screening, and identification processes. At this meeting, we will also explain the purpose of the 23-24 District Gifted and Talented Advisory.
Monday, September 11 · 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ejh-cdrj-uga
Or dial: (US) +1 419-540-8536 PIN: 124 777 977#
Contact Shirley Bachus with questions.
After School Enrichment
We will have four 6-week sessions throughout the 23-24 school year, with Session 1 starting the week of September 4, 2023. Registration will close the week prior. Please use the link to see what course offerings are at your student's campus. Register today!
Reach out to Megan Liles with questions.
TITAN COMMUNITY NEWS
Snaps Around Campus
5th Grade Lunch
PE Doorway Welcoming Our Students
PLEASE HAVE YOUR TITAN(S) BRING WATER BOTTLES TO STAY COOL IN THIS HEAT- THANKS!
School Dismissal Information- This is a Must Do
Setting Up School Dismissal Manager:
Step 1: Please be on the lookout for an email that will be sent to you and please LOGIN to the system. You should have received an email about the School Dismissal Manager (SDM) system that RPE uses to support our campus dismiss process. PLEASE check your junk mail/spam folder by searching School Dismissal Manager.
You will find your log in credentials at the top of the email and you will be prompted to set up a password for your account. Next, you will set your child’s dismissal information. If you are having trouble, please reach out to Natasha Lewis at natasha.lewis@leanderisd.org
Step 2: Please download the School Dismissal Manager App or save the School Dismissal Manager website, on your phone or your computer, so you can always have it handy.
**If you already have the app, from last year, when you open the application, it will prompt your to update your version. It is very easy to do so! This application is a one stop shop where you can set your child’s permanent mode of transportation and also make changes as needed to their dismissal selection. The application will be used by parents who wish to make a transportation change for their child. Please note that all transportation changes must be made in the system by 1:30 PM on normal school days.
LASTLY, early check out cut off time is 2:15 PM.
Step 3: If your child is a car rider, you will need to fill out a Car Tag. We will have Car Tags available on the 1st day of school at the front office and in the car rider line. You will need to show your card tag in the pick up line each day.
You should include the following information:
- First and Last name of student(s) (if you have multiple students please list all names)
- Student grade level and teacher's name
SDM website: https://www.schooldismissalmanager.com/mobile/login.html
- Login: parent email address
- Password: sent in original SDM email, then parent will be forced to re-set new password
Car Rider Drop Off & Pick Up Information
Please remember that the street in front of our school becomes ONE WAY during arrival (7:05 - 8:00am) & dismissal times (2:20-3:00pm). During this time the traffic in front of our school on Sitio Del Rio Blvd should flow one way ONLY--traffic entering from River Place Blvd. and driving towards FM 2222. If parking in the parking lot in front of our school for drop off or pick up during these times, you should follow the flow of traffic, making a LEFT turn as you exit the parking area.
Car Rider Dismissal Update
In order to speed up the line and distance students more effectively, we have a 2-lane pick-up system.
- Kinder - 2nd (and families who have a K-2 student and a 3-5 student) Enter car rider via River Place Blvd & stay in the left lane. These children will be picked up under the awning. If they have a sibling in an older grade, the older sibling will also get picked up here. After pick up, they will turn left and exit out the back of the school. A staff member will be posted to help you merge.
- 3rd - 5th Graders Enter car rider via Sitio Del Rio stay & stay in the right lane. Your students will be picked up on the field side of the blacktop (passenger side of the car). You will then continue straight and exit out the back of the school.
This allows for a smooth process. Again, staff members will be placed along the route directing and helping merge as well.
Front and Back Walker Information
If your Titan(s) walk home and live in the cul-de-sac apartments, your family is dismissing at the back of the building. Your child will be walked to the street by an educator, so there is no need to walk up to our building, so they are a "Back Walker".
Bus Routing Information
Leander ISD’s TransFinder’s InfoFinder software allows LISD parents to get information on their students’ bus stop locations and times by simply entering their street address and the student’s grade level. TransFinder will then give you a map showing your child’s assigned elementary or secondary bus stop.
- If you are unsure if your address receives bus service, please click on the TransFinder link above and enter in your home address.
- If your child does qualify for bussing services, please see the SMART Tag registration information below to set up their account.
SMART Tag (Bus Riders only)
The Leander ISD Transportation Department uses SMART Tag – a system that provides accurate, near real-time monitoring of where and when students load onto and unload off of their school bus – to help promote student safety and security, keeping parents, school administrators and the district’s transportation department more informed. Bus riders are issued a SMART card, which they scan as they get on and off the bus.
SMART Tag Parent Portal
Parents and guardians can go to the SMART Tag Parent Portal and select Register to begin the registration process. Once registered, parents and guardians can sign up for SMART Alerts to receive a text message notification 10 to 15 minutes before the bus arrives at their child’s bus stop. While on the bus, the Parent Portal also provides a live map to see bus’ location in near real time.
To complete the registration, you will need the following:
- The campus name of your child
- Your child’s student ID number
- Your child’s date of birth
For additional information, please visit the LISD Transportation Website.
CAMPUS VISITORS INFORMATION
For the safety of those within the school setting, all visitors are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of courtesy and conduct. All visitors must immediately report to the Receptionist at the main entrance to sign in and receive a visitor pass to wear while on campus.
Raptor Visitor Management System
For the safety and security of our students, Leander ISD has implemented the Raptor Visitor Management System at all campuses. Raptor is the nation's leading provider of integrated school safety technologies and is designed to ensure that adult visitors on campus are identified and do not pose a threat to any students or staff.
Upon entering a Leander ISD campus, visitors will present one of the following forms of identification:
- Valid Driver’s License (any state)
- Passport State-Issued Identification
- Card Work Visa Green Card
Licenses or identification cards will be scanned and returned. Once cleared, visitors will be issued a visitor's badge, which must be worn at all times while on campus. Upon departure, the visitor's badge must be returned to the Receptionist.
Once your photo ID has been scanned into the Raptor Visitor Management System, the system should save your information. As a reminder, disruptive behavior or actions will not be tolerated by any visitors. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our front office.
RSVP & PRE- REGISTER FOR THE GRANDPARENTS DAY LUNCHEON HERE
Titan Parents, you may fill out this form for your grandparents or you are welcome to forward the link to them to complete themselves.
Please remember, all visitors will need to check in with the receptionist at the front office to scan your ID into our Raptor system and be issued a visitor's badge before you are able to go and have lunch with your student in the café.
Please fill out a response for EACH visitor that will be attending.
Please respond by Wednesday, September 6th at 3:00 P.M.
**This response form will close at 3:00 P.M. on Wednesday, September 6th **
Lunch Schedules are below:
•Kindergarten: 10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
•First Grade: 11:50 - 112:20 p.m.
•Second Grade: 11:15 - 11:45 a.m.
•Third Grade: 12:25 - 12:55 p.m.
•Fourth Grade: 10:50 - 11:20 a.m.
•Fifth Grade: 11:30 - 12:00 p.m.
NURSE EMMA'S NOOK
Immunization Records Notice
Hello Titans!
We are still searching for immunization records from many families. Be sure to check your emails to determine if you have received an email from emma.hoff@leanderisd.org. A first round of emails was sent out last week, with another round beginning this week. In order for your child to remain compliant and continue to attend school, up-to-date vaccination records or a notarized "Exemption for Reasons of Conscious" affidavit from the State of Texas must be submitted before September 14th. In the interest of time, we are requesting families submit their records by September 1st so they can be properly filed. Please see attached links for further clarification and a list of Immunization requirements for the State of Texas.
Reminders About the Heat
An additional note for our students as we return to school. These Texas summers are no joke, and neither is heat exhaustion! In order to keep your student safe while out at recess, encourage them to drink lots of water throughout their day, take breaks in the shade while outside, and eat a solid breakfast and lunch in order to keep their blood sugar up. We've got this!
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
C2 T-Shirt Information
Hey Titan Families!
Help us show support in promoting a culture of kindness and caring at River Place Elementary!
Use the link below to order your C2 shirt designed by one of RPE's own students for the 23-24 school year.
The Deadline to order is Sunday, September 3, 2023.
PTA ANNOUNCEMENTS
JOIN PTA TODAY!
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
Incentive:
August Paid PTA Membership Sign Ups will be in a raffle with a chance to win a HEB, Target, Oz. Tap House gift cards, or Titan Shirts or water bottles. Our 10 lucky winners will be announced the first week of September!
Order Your Yearbook TODAY!
Leander ISD #1LISD Community News
River Place Elementary Titan Community
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: 512-570-6900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiverPlaceElementaryPTA/
Twitter: @RiverPlaceTitan