Titan Times: Week 26
The River Place Elementary (RPE) Campus Newsletter
Message from Principal Sharp
Titan Families,
Last week we had a team of educators attend the Texas Computer Educational Association (TCEA) Conference at the Austin Convention Center. It was a joy to hear about our staff's learning and how they plan to use it in the coming weeks and years to come in their practice and with our staff. We also had several students send me or post in the hallways their persuasive letters detailing their hopes for changes in the school and in the world. I am thankful our Titan Community (staff and students) is striving and thriving in their learning.
We had great representation at the Destination Imagination (DI) competition last weekend, too. The team was awarded the Spirit of DI Award at the tournament. We were thrilled to earn such a rare award and are appreciative of Ms. Solberg, our teacher sponsor, and Ms. McCollister, our parent manager. Check out the pictures below!
This week is also Kindness Week and Volunteer Appreciation Week. Ms. Zepeda has created a wonderful week of engaging activities paired with dress up days to support our efforts in spreading and growing kindness in our Titan Community. The Leander ISD Graduate Profile has the goal that we grow skilled communicators and collaborators who listen and understand, express ideas with empathy, and work collectedly toward shared outcomes. Special times like this week are when we highlight and further support our students in these skills: listening and self-expression, teamwork, perspective seeking, empathy and inclusivity, and contributing. We encourage you to engage in some discussions at home with your Titan(s) about what kindness means to you as a skillset utilized in your everyday life.
It takes a village, and we are thrilled to have you in it! So much so, we have a celebration gift to grab all week for those of you serving as volunteers on our campus. This includes our Watch Dogs, Heroes, Vandegrift PALS, Literacy Partners, Classroom Helpers and our amazing PTA. If you are interested in becoming a campus volunteer please check out the volunteer tab at the top of our website for ways you can sign up.
Please be sure to read through the information here to stay knowledgeable of our campus and district happenings. AND check out all of the lovely pictures of things that happened over the last week. This is truly a great community!
As always, should you need anything, please reach out. Let's make it a great week of building and showing PRIDE in all we do!
Take care and lead well,
Dr. Amy Sharp
Proud RPE Principal
Writing in 3rd Grade
Class letter in 1st Grade
Ms. Waldron Meeting Moby at TCEA!
Thank you for supporting our Book Fair that's run through PTA!
Check out all of the things our teachers were able to purchase because of your support!
Mark Your Calendars
February: Black History Month
- 12-16th: Kindness Week (See Info Below)
- 12-16th: #1LISD Volunteer Appreciation Week (See Info Below)
- 19th Staff Development Day- No School for Students
- 20th: FPMS Parent Night for 5th Grade Families (See Flyer Below)
- 20th: FPMS Band-5th Grade only Meet the Instruments 7:45-8:35 AM
- 22nd: Campus Impact Meeting at 3:15-4:15 PM in the library
- 23rd: 4th Grade Parents Performance (RSVP in teacher emails)/ 5th Grade Field Trip to FPMS
- 24th: Celebrate #UTGirlDay- Check it out!
- 26th: Titan Time 4th Grade Performance
March: Women's History Month and Texas History Month
- 5th: River Place is Polling Location- more information coming soon
- 5th: Spring individual and class pictures- more information coming soon
- 11th-15th Spring Break- no school for students and staff/ building is closed to the public
- 18th: Staff Development Day- no school for students/ building is open to the public
- 26th: Kindergarten "Graduation" Pictures- more information coming soon
- 27th: Career Day- See Info Below and Volunteer!
#RPEtitan Community News
Kindness Week is THIS WEEK
Check out our dress up days and themes below. Questions? Ask your Titan(s)'s classroom teacher or our school counselor, Ms. Zepeda.
Volunteer Appreciation Week is THIS WEEK
Come on by the front vestible to get a treat as a thanks for all you do as a volunteer on our campus through Watch DOGS, PALS, PTA, Literacy Partners, and every thing in between.
Thank You, Student Leadership Team (SLT)!
Our Student Leadership Team (SLT) has been busy with Ms. Salzillo, the SLT Lead Teacher! Thanks to our generous PTA Board, they were given a budget to maximize and dream big with regarding their service projects and aims to bring joy and service to our Titan Community. In January, they set up a winter photo booth for classes to take pictures and talk things winter and celebrate. Check it out below! This month, they set up a table for buddy classes to design cards during Kindness Week. Stay tuned for other great things they are leading in our learning community!
Buss Pass Process
We have had an uptick in requests to ride with someone on the bus. Though this is permitted, there are a few guidelines to follow and be aware of. When deciding to have your Titan(s) ride the bus home with another family, the dismissal change needs to be made in SDM and in an email to Ms. Natasha at natasha.lewis@leanderisd.org with Dr. Sharp copied at amy.sharp@leanderisd.org
Please know that this DOES NOT guarantee a spot on the bus if the bus is at capacity. If that is the case, registered bus riders are permitted to ride and not the additional ones. If you have any questions, please call our front office at 512-570-6900.
Cafeteria Lunch Purchases for Families
We are thrilled that many of you are coming to campus to have lunch with your Titan(s). Some families bring food in from neighboring restaurants to enjoy and some families are choosing to purchase food form our cafeteria. Be sure to bring cash or check for those purchases in the cafeteria. If you have questions about that, please feel free to reach out to the front office. Thank you!
The Leander ISD School Board Approved the 2024-2025 School Year Calendar
Check out the calendar for next school year and plan ahead.
Highlights include the following:
- The first day of school is August 14th.
- Winter Break is December 23rd- January 3rd 2025
- Spring Break 2025 is March 17-21st
- The last day of school is May 23rd, 2025
Cedar Park High School's award-winning broadcast program is hosting an elementary broadcast camp on Monday, Feb. 19 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Broadcast students will lead and help the kids make a newscast by the end of the day!
Details:
- Monday, Feb. 19 (Staff PD Day) 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- 3rd-5th graders
- Snacks & Lunch Included
- Cost is $60
Parents can click here to register their child.
Questions? Contact Anthony Garcia, CPHS News & Timberwolf Agency Adviser, at anthony.garcia@leanderisd.org
Shine Some Light On Our Staff
Many families take time out of their day to let our office and administration team know how much they value our Titan Staff. We share with our staff in our staff newsletter and at staff meetings moments of "shine" from you, and we encourage you to consider filling out this form whenever you believe our district should celebrate a staff member publicly, too. If you have any questions, please let Dr. Sharp know.
Counselor Corner
Nurse Emma's Nook
Hello, Titan Families!
Some of you have reached out recently concerned about lice reports coming from classrooms, so I wanted to remind everyone of the CDC and Texas Department of Health Service's policies and procedures surrounding lice at school. If you discover that your child has lice, please notify me at emma.hoff@leanderisd.org as soon as possible. I will be in contact with you to answer any questions you have and provide recommendations for treatment options, including how to best treat your home from further exposure. We have learned that lice do not pose a health risk to the public therefore do not exclude any students from school due to lice, but do require the student to be treated on the day of discovery. Treatments can include a visit to the pediatrician, using drugstore products, utilizing a business like Fairy Lice Mothers, etc. Additionally, when lice is found in school or reported by a parent, I will notify the homeroom teacher who will then send a letter notifying all families in that classroom at the end of the week. We follow this guideline of notification at the end of the week, so as not to disrupt the educational process of our students.
Per district policy, I am not able to do mass classroom lice screenings, but I am able to check as many students as needed if there is a concern brought to me by the parent or teacher. There is a classroom cleaning protocol that teachers follow when lice has been reported in their classroom. We encourage our students never to share headphones, blankets, hats, etc. We also encourage all parents to share any case of lice so we can take the appropriate action and make all necessary families aware.
If you have any questions or concerns, please never hesitate to reach out at (512) 570-6928. Thank you for everything you do to support the health and safety of our students and staff!
Thank you,
Nurse Emma
#1LISD Community News
Leander ISD Instructional Materials Selection
All LISD parents and students have the opportunity to provide input on the adoption of primary instructional resources. A list of the courses adopting new resources this year, opportunities to view the resources, and opportunities to ask questions are provided on the Leander ISD Instructional Materials Selection website.
PTA Announcements
Many Thanks to Optometrist and Signature Eye Care!
For our April 8th Eclipse viewing, Dr. Oliver Lou, Optometrist and Signature Eye Care are sponsoring PTA's goal for every student to have a pair of eclipse glasses for the Total Eclipse on April 8th! We are so thankful for this sponsorship and Dr.Lou working with our RPE community to make sure the kids can have fun and be safe that day.
PTA Celebrates Ms. Zepeda!
We're so thankful to have you at RPE! You make a tremendous impact on our students, and we are very grateful for ALL you do! Mrs. Zepeda was working on a sign for Kindness Week when her gift from the PTA was delivered!
Watch D.O.G.S. Sign- Up Today!
WATCH D.O.G.S. is a national program focusing on the prevention of violence in our children’s schools by using the positive influence of fathers and father-figures to be a positive role model for all students. The change this year is that you don't need to volunteer for an entire day; we will have hourly opportunities available should you prefer that. Anything to keep your involvement on campus!
While on campus, WATCH D.O.G.S may-
work in small groups with kids,
support staff out at recess,
support lunch room clean up and etiquette eat lunch,
monitor the school entrances and hallways,
assist with arrival and dismissal,
mentor students, and much more!
How to get Involved-
Read through the expectations and sample schedule
Register as a Leander ISD Volunteer
Fill out the RPE Watch Dogs Registration Form
After confirming volunteer status, our assistant principal, Lacy Olmstead, will reach out with more information and schedule.
Information Quick Links
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