Tiger Talk
10/27/20
APEX MIGHTY
Thanks to all of our WCHE Tiger families, our APEX MIGHTY fundraiser was a HUGE success. Thank you, everyone, for your support!
Our in-person and remote learners enjoyed daily, MIGHTY lessons from the APEX Leadership Team. The lessons were a fun and engaging way for the students to learn leadership qualities.
The funds raised through our APEX REMIX Event will be used to fund digital resources and other materials to support Tiger learning. We appreciate the special efforts our PTO and the APEX Leadership Team put into making the REMIX such a great learning experience for our Tigers.
GO, TIGERS! GO, APEX! GO MIGHTY!!!!!
Remote Learner Prizes
Any prizes due our remote learners that have not already been picked up will be available for pick up at the school. Please contact us to arrange a day and time convenient for you to pick up the prizes.
Friday, October 30, is Storybook Character Costume Day!
For the safety of all, the costumes should not include toy weapons or items that might be mistaken for a weapon, and there should be no plastic or rubber masks covering faces.
We're looking forward to seeing who YOUR favorite storybook character is!
Staff Shout Outs
WCH Families,
If you would like to send a Shout Out to a WCHE staff member or teacher, I will gladly pass it along. It can be anonymous or signed. Thank you for lifting up our hard working teachers and faculty. We love what we do and appreciate your partnership.
Thanks for taking a minute to say thanks!
Melanie
Wall of Fame for Shoe Tying
Our Wall of Fame for Shoe Tying is dedicated to Kinder, 1st, 2nd, and/or 3rd Grade Tigers who have just learned to tie their shoes AND for Kinder, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade Tigers who know how to tie their shoes and have not already been honored on our Wall of Fame for Shoe Tying in prior years.
The honor is extended to in-person learners and remote learners. Contact our PE coaches if you have questions or need a paper or electronic shoe sent to your Tiger(s.)
News from Nurse Hensel
Tiger Masks
To keep all in-person Tigers safe, please be sure to send your in-person learner(s) to school each day wearing freshly laundered cloth face masks or new, clean disposable face masks.
Tiger Artists Ava Evans & Ella Poehlmann Display Beautiful Ceramic Pumpkins
We are very proud of the fine work they do!
Photo Retake Day is Friday, November 6
In-person and remote learners are invited to have photos taken by Lifetouch in our school Library on Friday, November 6. Tigers will wear masks and practice social distancing during the photo shoot. Masks will be removed just long enough for the photos to be taken by the Lifetouch professional photographers.
In-person learners will have photographs made between 10 and 11:30 am on Friday, November 6. If you would like for your in-person learner(s) to have photos made on our photo retake day, please contact us here by November 2. We'll coordinate the time for the photo shoot with the classroom teacher so that it works well with your Tiger(s) class schedule.
Remote learners are invited to come to the school between noon and 2 pm on Friday, November 6. If you would like for your remote learner(s) to have photos made on our photo retake day, please sign up here by November 2 for the time that is most convenient for you and your Tiger(s.) Remote learners will enter the Library from the exterior entrance (between the flagpole and main, front entrance of the school.) In order to enter the building, remote learners must be wearing a facemask and sanitize his/her hands at the entrance.
It's a great day to be HAIR at West Cypress Hills Elementary!
In-Person Learner Replacement Transportation and ID Badges
- $3 - Transportation ID scan badge
- $5 - Retractable transportation badge reel
- $2 - Transportation lanyard and plastic sleeve
- $1 - Campus student ID badge, holder, and lanyard.
Our WCHE Receptionist, Mrs. Michelle Harper, will be happy to assist you in the event replacement badges are needed.
Tiger 5th Grade Studies & Creates Beautiful Weaving in Art Class!
On-line Learning Available ONLY Through Your Child's LTISD Account
To gain entry to student learning, students should use the LTISD LT1 Classlink to enter and access all classroom google links. This ensures secure and safe learning.
If students/parents attempt to access class meetings or documents without using the student's credentials in LT1 (for example, logging in to the browser from a parent's personal or work account instead of the student's LTISD account) access is restricted. To prevent unauthorized people from accessing our classrooms, only appropriate LT1 Classlink logins with the student's credentials can gain access. Access attempts by any other accounts will be denied.
PLEASE be sure to access all google links through our LT1Classlink using the appropriate LTISD student's credentials.
District Assisting With Technology to Support Remote Learning
The Lake Travis Independent School District (LTISD) will lend Chromebooks and WiFi hotspots to students in grades K-12 who have limited or no access to a device at home and who do not already have a device from our initial deployment this past spring. Our district has had a high volume of requests. Thank you for your patience.
Families who meet the above criteria may request a Chromebook and/or WiFi hotspot through the Skyward "Technology Device Request" form by linking to Skyward through a browser. Link to Skyward here. Please complete 1 request form per student. When the LTISD has the student's Chromebook and/or hotspot ready for pick up, they will notify you.
Also, there is a known issue affecting the login credentials of some of our families with district-issued Chromebooks, and we have developed a solution to help you establish credentials for login. If you are unable to log in, please follow the steps outlined here, and if you need additional assistance, please feel free to contact us. We appreciate your patience.
Remote Learner Lifetouch Photo Packages Ready for Pickup
We received from Lifetouch the photo packages for remote learners who had photos taken by Lifetouch on October 8. If you have not already picked up your Lifetouch photos, please contact us to arrange a day and time convenient for you to pick up your photo package.
You may recall that remote learner families also have the option to submit their own headshots of their Tiger(s) for yearbook publication. The headshot needs to be taken with a plain background and forwarded by email to us by October 31, 2020. Please be sure to include the Tiger(s) name, teacher, and grade in your email.
The Lifetouch photo retake day will be Friday, November 6. Remote learners are invited to sign up for photo retakes by November 2. Photo appointments are available from noon until 2 pm that day. Photos will be taken in the school Library. To sign up for Remote Learner Photos:
- sign up for your photo appointment here by November 2
- make sure your Tigers wear a face mask to the school on November 6
The remote learners will enter the Library from the exterior Library entrance located between the flagpole and the main, front entrance to the school.
And here's news about the LTC Library Resources!
Our Neighborhood Bookmobile is Back!
The Lake Travis Community Library Bookmobile comes to our neighborhood amenity center for contactless reserve pick up service, take and make crafts, and free Wi-Fi.
Our favorite Bookmobile will be a the West Cypress Hills neighborhood pool on alternating Thursdays from 3 to 4 pm, beginning Thursday, October 8.
Visit the Lake Travis Community Library website for more information.
Changing Instructional Status
A change from in-person learning to remote learning can be made at any time. To request this change, complete the LTISD Instructional Change Form. The completed form should be forwarded to our Registrar, Becky Wright.
A change from remote learning to in-person learning can also be requested on the LTISD Instructional Change Form. The completed form should be forwarded to our Registrar, Becky Wright no later than 2 weeks prior to the start of the next grading period, as shown below:
- Form Due Date is 12/4/20 for the grading period beginning 1/5/21
- Form Due Date is 2/19/21 for the grading period beginning 3/8/21.
LTISD Chromebooks to Remain Checked Out to Students While on Campus
Students who checked out a District-issued Chromebook for remote learning at home and will be returning to in-person learning on campus should retain the device and bring it to school for use in the classroom as needed, much like an assigned textbook.
Chromebooks will remain checked out to the student until a date to be later determined or at the end of the 2020–2021 school year, whichever comes first.
Meals for Remote Learners
Students in remote learning at home may purchase a meal for pickup from our school cafeteria. Learn more here.
Please note, menu options may be limited. If a parent or child in remote learning at home wishes to pick up a meal at school, accommodations must be made via email directly with the café manager, Mrs. Corinne Stewart, before 10:00 a.m. daily. All meals for remote learners must be picked up at the school’s front office during the regular meal schedule.
Yes, Students Withdrawn from LTISD May Re-enroll Later for In-Person Learning
Students can be re-enrolled for in-person learning after having been withdrawn as students of the LTISD. The re-enrollment process is the same as the enrollment process for any new LTISD student. The re-enrolled student will, initially, be scheduled for in-person learning at the school building.
Once the re-enrolled student is attending school in person, remote learning, if desired, may be selected when the district next extends an invitation to select a preferred learning option.
Follow Principal Beninga on Twitter
Melanie Beninga provides info, photos, and updates via Twitter, too. If not already following Melanie Beninga in Twitter, you can follow her @principalwch and @mbeninga.
Counselor's Corner
Second Step: This week, along with our grade-level Second Step lesson, we also reflected on our school-wide topic of the week. This week, we reflected on how to focus our attention.
Learning happens every day at our school. An important skill for learning is focusing attention. When we focus our attention we use our ears, our eyes, and our brain! This week, put on your "attent-o-scopes" and notice how they help you listen and learn.
Do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. We are one team, one family.
Daylight Saving Time Ends November 1 - Turn clocks back 1 hour Sunday, November 1
Upcoming Events
10/01 - 10/31/20....National Bullying Prevention Month
10/01 - 10/31/20....Principals' Month
10/30/20................Storybook Character Dress Up Day!
10/31/20................Last Day for Early Bird LTEF Virtual Turkey Trot Sign Up!
11/01/20................Daylight Saving Time Ends. Set clocks back 1 hour.
11/02/20................Deadline for Photo Retake Day Appointments!
11/06/20................In-Person Learner Photo Retake Day 8 - 11 am Contact Us if Interested
11/06/20................Remote Learner Photo Retake Day 12 - 2 pm Sign Up Here
11/11/20................Veterans' Day Celebrated (not a school holiday)
11/23 - 11/27/20....Thanksgiving Holiday - No School!
12/04/20................Instructional Status Change Form Due - Grading Period January 5 +
12/07 - 12/11/20....WCHE Book Fair! More Information Coming Soon!
12/21 - 01/04/21....Winter Holiday - No School for Students
01/05/21................In-person Learning Begins for the Grading Period That Begins January 5
02/19/21................Instructional Status Change Form Due - Grading Period March 8 +
03/08/21................In-person Learning Begins for the Grading Period That Begins March 8
More Information about WCH
West Cypress Hills Elementary
Email: wchprincipal@ltisdschools.org
Website: https://www.ltisdschools.org/WCHE
Location: 6112 Cypress Ranch Boulevard, Travis County, TX, United States
Phone: 512-533-7500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltisdschools
Twitter: @principalwch