Please refrain from picking your child up from school early between 2:30-2:45 PM. It creates several difficult situations for our front office staff and our teachers. Either pick them up before 2:30 PM or please wait for your child to be dismissed at 2:45 PM. We realize emergencies happen and will assist in situations that are beyond your control.

Thank you for your understanding and support!

PHE Husky Families and Community,

Hope you are all doing well and ready to tackle another school year at PHE. We love summer at my house, but we really need the structure of the school year and look forward to it once August rolls around. Now that September has arrived, we are gearing up for all of the things that fall will bring.

Here is a little bit of information about my family. My husband, Tom, is the Associate Principal at Leander High School, so we divide and conquer A LOT! We cover a lot of ground as district administrators and also as parents to four kids who range from college to elementary school.

Our oldest, Emma, graduated from Cedar Park HS and is now a sophomore at Texas State University. She is majoring in Fine Arts with an emphasis on Technical Theater and Stage Management. We miss her, but love seeing her thrive at school.

Next is our sophomore in high school, Reagan. She is already super busy and gearing up for basketball season. She was a freshman on varsity last year, so we know she will accomplish BIG things this year. She is a star in the classroom and on the court!

Our son, Carter, is a freshman at Cedar Park HS. We already knew this was a tough transition, but he seems to be handling it really well. He is settling into a routine with balancing homework, practice, friends, church, and ALL THINGS ninth grade.

Lastly, our baby Reece is in fourth grade here at PHE and couldn't be happier. She loves having two teachers and being a helper upstairs. I have shared this before, but she is a lot like me. Kind of a homebody, loves her PJs, and is always concerned about what we are eating for the next meal. I am so blessed to be able to see her each day in elementary school, but it sure does goes by quick.

On a even more personal note, my mom (picture below), is continuing to fight her tough battle with stage four pancreatic cancer. She was diagnosed in January and was only given 3-6 months to live. Well, here it is September, and we are continuing to see her fight. Any of you who have been through this, know how hard this journey is on the patient and the family. I am continuing to take time off of work to spend with her, so thank you for your grace and patience if you need me and I am unavailable at the time. They live in Longview, which is not close, so I try and take a few days at a time. Thank you to everyone who have asked about her and continue to pray! It means the world to me and my family.

Elementary school is where a lot of AMAZING moments and opportunities begin. In Leander ISD and at Pleasant Hill, one of our goals is to partner with families in order to create a safe and supportive environment to nurture their child's personal growth. That can seem wordy, but we mean every syllable.

At PHE specifically, we have three campus goals that we are continuing to work on this school year:

1. Support the whole child and start with their social-emotional needs. We will work to help each child process through the emotional needs and appreciate others needs as well. We will also focus on how to properly express their emotions.

2. Be laser-focused on our Leander ISD curriculum and resources and then implement with fidelity. We will stick to what we have learned over time and know that we must meet each child where they are in their educational journey. Build on their strengths and identify areas where they may need more support.

3. Communicate effectively with our families utilizing many different modes and resources. We do that with weekly updates about learning and other critical information. Also, we will meet with families to discuss how our students are doing both academically and socially. Please reach out to our staff if you ever need support or more communication!

We feel that these goals are imperative to a successful year at Pleasant Hill and will benefit our students in the future. We have been working on these three areas for the past two years and see growth. If you have questions about our goals or what is happening in school, please do not hesitate to reach out to their teacher or to our office. We are here for you and happy to help. Here's to a great start in 2023!

Happy September...let's go!

Heather Robbins

Principal

Pleasant Hill Elementary

heather.robbins@leanderisd.org

Follow me on Twitter: @hrobbinsPHE and @PHEHuskies

Check out our website at www.phe.leanderisd.org

This week we are accepting nominations for Leader of the Pack amongst our students at PHE. A leader of the pack goes above and beyond to exhibit the ten ethical principles (see below). Teachers or any other staff member can nominate students each week and they will be recognized on our Friday morning announcements. Each student will receive a certificate, spirit stick, and back again this year...a free kids meal at Mighty Fine. Please review the 10 ethical behaviors with your husky and talk about what it means to go "above and beyond". Let us know if you have any questions!

Please check your spam/junk folder for emails from the district or PHE. We have had MANY parents fail to receive vital information due to our Google/Gmail system (specifically parents with Yahoo accounts). You can adjust your account to not "spam" our emails. Let us know if you have any questions!

PHE School Counseling Program

Hi Families!

My name is Lisa Thomas, and I am so excited to be starting my fourth year as PHE's school counselor. The purpose of our school counseling program is to provide students with social emotional learning needed to be successful in school and life. All K-5 students receive monthly counseling lessons from their school counselor and daily Second Step lessons from their classroom teacher. Why is it best practice to teach social emotional learning? Watch this video to learn more.

Our school counseling program also provides responsive services for students that have a specific need for individualized counseling support. This is typically short-term support that addresses a need related to school. If you think your child would benefit from additional school counseling, or if you need help finding outside counseling for your child, please let me know.

Our school-wide kindness club (C²) will be coming soon! This club is open to all students in grades 3-5 that have a passion for spreading kindness at school and in their community. All of our meetings are held during the school day. If you would like your child to join our kindness club, tell them to listen up at the Husky Huddle this Friday!

Excited for ALL the amazing things coming this 2023-2024 school year! Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns!

lisa.thomas@leanderisd.org

counseling request form

PHE School Counseling Website

Tips for Car Riders:

Car Rider can be a fast and efficient way for you to drop off and pick up your child at school. Success is dependent on your attention to these guidelines:

1. Cars enter by the marquee and drive down to and through the south teacher's parking lot (this is the lane to the right). NO LEFT TURNS off of Horizon Park Blvd. into the car rider lane for dismissal. Please do not form two lines in the morning as there is no one to ensure that people are taking turns entering the back drive.

2. If you need to get out of your car to assist your child in or out, car rider may not be for you. Please use the front lot where you can take your time with car seat buckles and walk your child to the crosswalk.

3. Please be ready when you enter the car rider line. Shoes on, backpacks zipped, water bottles tucked in.

4. Think about removing any obstacles, shoes, or toys that may trip your child as they exit your vehicle.

5. If you do not have a student dashboard sign for your car, please ask for one from the front office. These really help speed up the pick up process.

6. Car Rider Dismissal Information: Cars handled on a first-come, first-served basis. We use signs that say "first in line" and "last in line". Staff will begin filling the drive on the right, again heading back to and through the south teacher's parking lot. Once that line is completely full, the last car in line will receive a "last in line" sign. Staff will begin filling the drive lane on the left side, giving the first car in line a "first in line" sign. These signs tell our staff on the back side when to switch from one lane to another - first come, first served accomplished.

Again, once the right side is full the left side will fill. All other arriving cars should line up along Horizon Park from the south. Those will be allowed to enter the school lot first. NO LEFT TURNS off of Horizon Park Blvd. for dismissal.

7. As you leave the car rider line on the north side (onto Crystal Falls) PLEASE DO NOT TURN LEFT. Make a right turn and double back further down the road if you need to. This will help the line clear faster.

8. Lastly, please DO NOT use the bus rider lane, car rider lane, parking lots, or front drive to let your kids out of your vehicle. Letting them "jump out real quick" is not a safe option and will not be allowed.

Tips for our crosswalks:

• Please use them - help us set a safe example for our students.
• Do not make a U-turn in front of the school. It is a hazard for anyone in the crosswalk.
• Anyone riding a bike will need to walk their bike across the crosswalk, as well as walk when there are others on the sidewalk.
• Drivers, please watch for our crosswalk attendants. They are trying to get our students across the street safely. Please stop when they ask you to before the crosswalk.

• Students should ONLY be crossing Crystal Falls at the designated crosswalk at Crystal Falls and Horizon Park Blvd.

Tips for our walkers/bike riders:

• Please go over your expectations with your husky. Explain who they may walk or ride with and review safety concerns.
• Please NO running around or playing in the front lawn area. No climbing our trees. They are over 100 years old and we need to take extra good care of them!
• When school is out, please encourage your husky to leave campus quickly. There are no crossing guards after 3:00 PM.
• If they are to wait for a friend or sibling at the tree, please tell them to wait patiently at the designated area.
• If your younger student is waiting for an older sibling, please encourage your little one to wait by a staff member or the tree.
• Walker/bike rider is NOT the best option for PK or Kindergarten-aged students (without older siblings). We recommend car rider or bus for transportation.
• If you are meeting your child at walker (at the tree), please be at school ready to receive them at 2:45 PM. Teachers will not be on duty after 3:00 PM.

Husky Huddle starts on Fridays at 7:30 AM. All students will go straight to the gym when they enter the building. PK students are not attending our Huddle yet...they will get there. We will have many staff on duty to monitor students and make sure they know where to go. The huddle usually lasts about 15-20 minutes. The first few will be a bit longer due to the newness, but we are excited to bring them back. This is an opportunity for our students and staff to gather and build our PHE community. Our families are invited to attend if you would like. Follow our check-in procedures in the front office. You must have a visitor's sticker on to attend. Please let us know if you have any questions!

Look for more information soon about our PHE picture day on Thursday, September 28. Get those sweet smiles ready!