White Rock Elementary
Principal Update 3/18/19
5th Grade Science STAAR Simulation Testing
March
19 - 5th grade Science STAAR Sim Testing
Tuesday, Mar 19, 2019, 07:30 AM
9229 Chiswell Road, Dallas, TX, USA
Spring & Club Picture Day
Thursday, Mar 21, 2019, 08:00 AM
9229 Chiswell Road, Dallas, TX, USA
2019-20 Enrollment: February 28 - May 17, 2019
All students who will be new or returning to RISD for the 2019-2020 school year will be able to enroll online beginning Thursday, February 28 at 5:00 p.m.
Like last year, returning students will need a unique "snapcode" to enroll. Snapcodes will be sent home to parents on 2/19 on bright blue paper. If you need an additional copy of your childs' snapcode, you must come up to the WRE front office in person.
RISD schools will be open on February 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. for parents who would like assistance enrolling their student online from a school computer or device.
Please visit the online enrollment page to learn more, including the information parents will need in order to enroll online.
Online enrollment for new and returning students will close May 17, 2019.
Online Safety Awareness
In the past few days, there has been significant media attention regarding concerns with an online game dubbed “Momo Challenge.” Reportedly, Momo targets young children through various online apps—including Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube Kids, Fortnite, and Minecraft—and encourages them to complete a series of increasingly dangerous tasks.
Although the Momo Challenge appears to be more fear than fact, it is important for parents to talk to their children about it. Additionally, given the growing national media attention regarding the Momo Challenge, experts on mental health caution that such frenzied news coverage could potentially increase interest to participate. It can also cause some students to be fearful or anxious.
Richardson ISD would like to offer some tips for navigating this potentially harmful topic:
- Ask your child whether they have seen anything online that has made them upset or worried.
- Explain that sometimes things online can be misleading and are designed to gain attention.
- Encourage them to tell a parent, counselor, or principal if they see something upsetting on a cell phone, tablet, or computer.
- Make sure your student knows that it is not okay to communicate with nor follow directions from strangers online.
Remember that curiosity is a natural part of growing up and children are often drawn to this sort of digital drama. Try to listen, keep calm, and help your child recognize the possible dangers.
We are unaware of any cases in Richardson ISD involving a child engaging in the Momo Challenge, but we feel it is necessary to let you know so we all can be diligent in protecting our children. Student safety is our top priority and to help our families, we have included some parent resources regarding online safety.
Three-Minute Briefing on Momo Challenge
https://parentzone.org.uk/article/three-minute-briefing-momo-challenge
CommonSense.org
https://www.commonsense.org/
Internet Safety Tips
https://www.netsmartz.org/internetsafety
Please contact your school counselor, or the counseling department, if you have any questions.
Thank you for partnering with RISD to keep students safe.
Response to Intervention
Tiered Instruction/Intervention
- Tier 1
- Tier 2
- Tier 3
TEKS Resource System Parent Portal
Each curriculum area and grade level has a designated framework for instruction at WRE. WRE's curriculum is the State of Texas’ Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The TEKS are bundled into units of study for each core content subject area and grade level.
Interactive Math Glossary
The state has also provided a tool for parents and teachers to called the Interactive Math Glossary. (An app is also available at the Apple Store.)
Each glossary word is displayed in a four-quadrant Frayer Model and includes the following:
- My Definition
- Key Characteristics
- Example
- Non-example
Instructional Models: Flexible Grouping
The District’s goal is for all students to be on grade level as well as to provide opportunities to students to extend their skills as quickly as possible. In order to meet this goal, we must assess students and know exactly what their skill needs are so that we can build on their strengths to master the necessary skills. Flexible Grouping will assist teachers in meeting this goal. Flexible grouping makes it possible for teachers to present alternative activities that enrich the curriculum, promote cognitive growth, and are based on student interests. Regular use of flexible grouping will benefit all students and provide challenging opportunities for the entire class.
When should schools use Flexible Grouping?
Flexible Grouping often time is adjusted after each assessment (formal/informal classroom, district benchmarks progress monitoring). Flexible Grouping is used to re-teach, reinforce, and enrich skills.
• Flexible Grouping:
- Places students in groups by skill(s) needed;
- Eliminates labeling of groups within the classroom;
- Provides students the freedom to move among groups; and
- Provides opportunities for students to change groups depending on the skill or objective which the student needs work on.
• Flexible Grouping is not the same as ability grouping.
• Flexible Grouping is not heterogeneous grouping which can be used for concept introduction and development.
When does the teacher know Flexible Grouping is appropriate? Flexible Grouping is appropriate when the teacher:
- Has pre-assessed the classroom students to determine what needs to be taught;
- Has introduced and taught a lesson(s) which includes interactive, guided, and independent practice time;
- Has formally or informally assessed students and identified those who need additional support or enrichment; and
- Has regrouped the students within the class and re-taught the objective/skill to those who needed re-teaching or provided extensions of the learning for those who need enrichment.
Homework Tips for Parents
- Encourage your child to read 30 minutes daily in addition to homework assignments
- Contact the teacher to clear up any misunderstandings and troubleshoot problems
- Ask the teacher about parent workshops and/or online tutorials available to help you and your child understand the skill being taught to better assist your child with homework assignments
Event/ Guests/ Volunteer Policy Change
Dear Seahawk Families -
We recognize the important component of the home-school connection. The more you know about what takes place during the school day, the more you can continue and expand upon the learning at home. Your involvement helps us to maintain a safe, secure and nurturing learning environment for all of our students and staff. To ensure we are fostering this type of environment a committee consisting of staff and parents met to review and modify our sibling policy. Please read the attached documents for information about changes to our policy. The policy will be added to our Student/ Parent Handbook that can be found on our school website.
The change in the policy will be in effect beginning Monday, February 4, 2019.
Yours in partnership,
Lee Walker
Principal
Walk To School Safety Tips
I want to bring your attention to basic safety practices while walking to school. After returning from the break, we have had two RISD students struck by passing vehicles. We are very fortunate that those students are recovering. With that being said, I have included some tips on Walking to and from School Safely. We hope you will discuss this with your child.
Safety Tips
Walking to school is a fun, easy way to add exercise to the day, but it’s important to stay safe on your way there.
Safety tips to follow on a walk to school include:
- Parents should plan a safe route
- Don’t take shortcuts
- Young children should walk with an adult
- Older students should walk with a friend
- Don’t push, shove, or chase each other when near the street
- Don’t take rides from people if it wasn’t arranged by a parent
- Wear bright-colored clothes
- Watch for cars at every driveway and intersection
Crossing the street
With cars turning the corner to drivers not paying close attention, it can be hard for children to cross the street. The best rules to follow:
- Stop at the curb or edge of the street.
- Look left, right, left, behind you, and in front of you for traffic, and don’t cross until the coast is clear.
- Keep looking for traffic until you are done crossing.
Live Wise Live Healthy
The liveWiseliveHealty focus area for March is Cultural Competence. The diversity of the world around us is something RISD values and appreciates. Understanding and respecting people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and beliefs is a must for adults and the students they teach. March will be a month of activities dedicated to celebrating and understanding the diversity that is RISD!
Up to 50 students from each high school will have the opportunity to opt-in and participate in the “Young Leaders Strong City” program on March 8th. This is the second year for this event, and we are looking forward to another amazing day for the students. All campuses will be supplied with “Culture Kits” provided by the Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion that include various school-wide student activities.
All community members will be invited to the “#Elements of Me” kick off at Apollo Junior High on March 1st from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. There will be student performance groups and food trucks on site! This should be an awesome inaugural event! The flyer is posted on the liveWiseliveHealthy Schoology page. Selected community stakeholders will also be invited to a viewing of the documentary “ America to Me” during the first week of March.
"You Art What You Eat" Statewide Student Art Contest
The Texas Department of Agriculture's (TDA) annual You Art What You Eat statewide student art contest is here! The student art contest offers Texas students a chance to earn statewide recognition for themselves and their school. Student winners receive a custom prize package, and their artwork will inspire the design for TDA's National School Lunch Week and School Breakfast Week campaigns!
Winning artwork will be featured in schools across Texas during National School Lunch Week and School Breakfast Week.
To enter the art contest, students will create artwork highlighting good nutrition and TDA's theme for National School Lunch Week 2019 / School Breakfast Week 2020. The new theme is "Save the Day with a Healthy School Lunch/ Breakfast" This year TDA provides teachers with a new, easy way to upload and submit student entries. The Submission Packet and Guidelines can be found online at www.SquareMeals.org/artcontest. The submissions deadline is April 12, 2019.
WREck the Night
WREck the Night is the WRE Dads Club’s signature event. This year, we have the privilege of hosting the event on March 30-31, 2019, at the Lake Highlands High School “B” football field (9449 Church Road, Dallas, TX 75238). Get ready for bounce-houses, obstacle courses, a rock wall, gaga ball, sports, a DJ, dancing, and more. We’ll cap off the night with popcorn and a movie projected on the field goal posts. And best of all, we camp out in tents on the football field!
REGISTRATION
To register, on or before March 15, 2019, you must (1) fill out and sign the Consent and Waiver form included with this flyer; (2) return the Consent and Waiver form to your child’s teacher; and (3) sign up and pay for the event through the Dads Club website (http://wredadsclub.com/product/wreck-the-night/).[1] To ensure your child gets a t-shirt and WREck the Night swag-bag, you must register timely. We will make orders based only on timely registrations.
WHEN
Check-in begins on Saturday, March 30 at 4:00 p.m. and will close at 5:30 p.m. The check-in tables will be located at the home entrance to the football field. The event ends after breakfast Sunday morning (apx. 8:00 a.m.). Please contact president@wredadsclub.com if you need to make arrangements for a late check-in due to a pre-existing conflict.
TENTS
Set up your tent on the “street” assigned to your child’s grade. Grade-level signs will be posted.
SECURITY
At check-in, each child and chaperone will receive wristbands with unique identifiers that must be worn at all times. Off-duty Dallas Police Department officers will be working security for the duration of the event; however, each parent/chaperone is responsible for their child.
FOOD
Burgers, hot dogs, chips, dessert, and water will be served starting at 6:00 p.m. Donuts, juice, and coffee will be served for breakfast at 7:00 a.m.
WHAT TO BRING AND NOT TO BRING
DO – Tent, sleeping bag, pillow, flashlight/headlamp, water, snacks, balls, washer boards, etc.
DON’T – Alcohol, flammable items, glass.
[1] Scholarships are available upon request. Please contact president@wredadsclub.com with questions.
North Texas Helpful Honda | Teacher Appreciation Awards ($5,000 donation!) | Deadline: April 1, 2019
Teacher Appreciation Awards May 6th-May 10th, 2019 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Deadline: April 1, 2019
Do you know of, work with, or have heard the story of a North Texas teacher whose efforts in the classroom have greatly impacted their students, community, or school? To celebrate Teacher Appreciation week, May 6th -10th, 2019, the North Texas Helpful Honda people will be honoring and surprising three deserving teachers with a new class room makeover (approximately $5,000 of supplies/needs per teacher)! We want to identify teachers in schools across the North Texas area who have gone above and beyond to give their students a memorable and unmatched educational experience – and we need your help! We want to make this recognition a surprise, so we rely on colleagues, parents or friends, etc. to help make this happen – and not to tell the nominee in advance – this way, it’s a true surprise. HOW TO SUBMIT A DESERVING TEACHER: Please email ntxhondadealers@gmail.com to receive a simple questionnaire about the candidate to be filled by you or someone who works closely with him/ her so they are not privy to the nomination. You are invited to submit more than one teacher (please submit each teacher separately). Please return any submissions via email to ntxhondadealers@gmail.com by Monday, April 1st, 2019. Check out how we’ve surprised deserving teachers in the North Texas area: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EYYwrXZ6R4&list=PLlQWZsOLVnTZdEm_HZRs2VksTb2W0nKEo
Lake Highlands High School Band & The Harlem Wizard event on April 22nd!
Inclement Weather Procedures
Please send your child to school with a jacket so that they may go outside at recess time, PE time and Walk & Talk. The following information is part of the guidelines we follow during cold weather situations. Our key degree factor for cold weather is 36* Fahrenheit.
COLD WEATHER
During times of excessively cold weather, the following precautions will be taken for all outdoor physical activity including, but not limited to: recess, physical education classes, walk and talk, and/or outdoor field trips.
Teachers and coaching staffs should be aware of the wind chill factor and take appropriate precautions during cold weather.
If a student does not have adequate warm clothing to participate in the outdoor activity, such clothing should be provided or the student excused from the activity.
Students should not have recess or Physical Education classes outside when temperature or wind chill factor drops below 36 degrees.
On days when the temperature is unseasonably cold, outside recess should be restricted to no more than 15 minutes.
Guidelines for determining cold weather conditions:
Temperature and humidity data may be obtained from
http://www.weather.com. Details specific to the school should be accessed as follows: Enter school zip code; select “hour-by-hour” tab (it is suggested that the site be bookmarked at this point for easy daily access); the lowest estimated temperature and the “feels like temperature” (wind chill) during school hours should be used.
The National Weather Bureau will provide local forecast and advisories.
Call - 817-429-2631, and then dial 511.
Weather Notification in RISD
Safety of our students and staff is a priority if severe weather is predicted or occurs during the school day. Several RISD departments (transportation, facilities, grounds) stand ready to assess the condition of the roads, and school facilities should ice and/or snow makes travel to or from RISD schools hazardous. Based on their assessment of the road conditions and consultation with surrounding districts, RISD's Superintendent will determine if schools in Richardson ISD will be delayed or closed for the safety of students and staff.
In the event of inclement weather that may require classes be delayed or canceled, parents and employees will be notified by telephone message before 6:30 a.m.
Also, patrons can call the district's inclement weather line at 469-593-SNOW, check the RISD homepage at risd.org, the district Facebook page at facebook.com/richardsonisd or the district Twitter feed at twitter.com/richardsonisd. The district also notifies local media outlets of closures or delays.
Parents, employees, and students should assume a regular school day unless a telephone message is received or the RISD website or SNOW line indicates closure or delay.
Photo Identification ~ Entrance To Our Campus
All visitors must follow RISD's, and WRE's, building entry procedures and must sign in at the front office upon arrival and provide proper identification to receive authorization to enter the school. If you do not provide adequate identification, you will not be allowed to enter the building.
Your child's safety is our number one priority! We want to thank you for adhering to our guidelines and rules and helping keep our school safe.
2018 Parent Volunteer Registration - Voly
If you or a family member would like to volunteer, you will have to complete an online background check. Please note, it takes two weeks to process.
All volunteers must submit a form annually, even if you are a returning volunteer and had one the prior year.
Each year volunteers are required to re-register to serve at RISD schools. This year, RISD is implementing a new volunteer management system, Voly, which will allow campuses, parents, and volunteers to connect much more easily. Voly also conducts and expedites a thorough background check on all prospective school volunteers.
Here is the link: https://risd.voly.org/
Volunteer Policy
There are many opportunities for volunteering at White Rock. Your help is needed and valued. Here are some policy guidelines to help you as you get acquainted with school procedures. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please bring them to the teacher or staff person with whom you are working.
Dress Code: Please remember to be modest and to always present a good example to the students and others in appearance, conduct, and conversation.
Children: Please do not bring younger siblings to school with you when you volunteer. This will allow you to focus on your volunteer duties and give special attention to the area you are volunteering. Also, for liability reasons, the school simply cannot permit the younger siblings to be here.
Sign In: Please sign in and out in the office and wear a printed volunteer ID badge each time you come to volunteer. Remember to return your badge when you sign out. If you have valuables, please lock them in your car, or if necessary, ask about keeping them in the office while you are here.
Work Areas: Please do all projects in areas as requested/suggested by the teacher/ staff member.
Confidentiality: Please remember to keep all personal information about students, families, and faculty that you that may learn while doing volunteer duties should be kept confidential.
School Rules: Please be familiar with the guidelines for conduct in the White Rock Elementary Student and Parent Handbook, so you know what is expected of students. You may remind them of these rules when needed. If a student does not respond promptly and appropriately, please report the situation to his/her teacher.
Absences: As a courtesy to others, please call the school before 8:00 am if you cannot come in as scheduled. We will notify the teacher or staff person who was expecting you. If signed up through SignUpGenius.com, please cancel so someone else can sign up.
Training: Certain volunteers are required to attend a training session. This session will explain the responsibilities of the specific position.
Become a Volunteer
To volunteer at White Rock Elementary, we ask that you take care of a few important things first:
Complete a Volunteer Application and Background Check Form (Please note, it takes two weeks to process.) Volunteer services cannot begin until after the background check has been verified.
Read and comply with our volunteer policy and dress code.
Sign in at the office and get your name tag (must be worn at all times while on campus)
Sign out in the office when you are done volunteering
All volunteers must submit a form annually, even if you are a returning volunteer and had one the prior year.
CLASSLINK
RISD has adopted ClassLink, a single sign-on platform that allows students to use one username and password to access everything they need, including the library resources. These free resources can also be used at home.
Here is how to get started:
Log in to the Google RISD student account at https://accounts.google.com/ The username and password are listed below. RISD Google and Classlink accounts use the same username and password.
Go to the ClassLink login page at https://launchpad.classlink.com/risd/ Again enter the username and password listed below.
Enter risd in the Code field. Select “G Sign in with Google.”
**You can load the ClassLink app to your devices at home by downloading the Richardson ISD ClassLink app at the App Store.
ClassLink is a safe, secure way for students to connect with applications and files. By selecting the Library Resources application on ClassLink, your student has free access to Pebble Go, TumbleBooks, Destiny Discover (eBooks), World Book and much more! The software does not collect or share any personal student information.
You can learn more about ClassLink at www.classlink.com. If you have questions, you can email me at susan.mcginnis@risd.org.
Susan McGinnis
WRE Librarian
FOCUS
Get up-to-date information on your child's grades. If you don't have a Focus account, we encourage you to sign up. Please visit the RISD website site to sign up for a Focus account.
http://www.risd.org/Group/Parents/Focus/focusforparents.html
Do we have your current email and phone number?
If it has changed over the summer, please call the front office, 469-593-2700, or come by the WRE Office.
Quote of the Week
Dates to Remember
March 19 - 5th Science STAAR SIM (No visitors in the building)
March 21 - Individual Spring and Class Pictures
March 25-29 - PTA Staff Appreciation Week
March 29 - WREvue Talent Show
March 30 - WREck the Night
April 1 - April Fools
April 3 - Early Release Day @ 1:00 pm
April 4 - Local School Council Meeting @ 5:00 pm & PTA Meeting @ 6:30 pm
April 6 - Hoops in Lake Highlands
April 8-11 - No Primary or Intermediate GT Services
April 9 - STAAR Testing 4th Writing & 5th Math (No visitors in the building)
April 10 - STAAR Testing 5th Reading (No visitors in the building)
April 11 - STAAR Testing Make-ups (No visitors in the building)
April 12 - Primary or Intermediate GT Services Resume & "You Art What You Eat" Contest Deadline
How to get connected
We desire to keep you informed of all that is taking place at school. Up-to-date and additional information will be sent to you through the weekly “Red Folder” and will appear on our school web page. Please save these websites to your favorite bar, like our page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. By doing this, you will be up to date on all the latest and greatest things happening around WRE!
Campus Schoolwires page: https://schools.risd.org/WhiteRockES
PTA website: http://www.wrepta.org
Dad's Club website: http://wredadsclub.com
Facebook: Search for - Sammy Seahawk (https://www.facebook.com/sammy.seahawk.35)
Twitter: You can follow us - @WreHappenings
White Rock Elementary
“If you have a child’s heart, you have his head.”™ - Flip Flippen
Email: lee.walker@risd.org
Website: http://www.edline.net/pages/White_Rock_Elementary
Location: 9229 Chiswell Road, Dallas, TX, United States
Phone: 4695932700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sammy.seahawk.35
Twitter: @WreHappenings