Dear Parents,

Stay warm and safe with these bonus days with your kiddos. We will be happy to welcome back our Rattlers as soon as the school reopens and resume school as usual. Have a great day and rest of the week!

With Joy,

Shelley Roberts

• February 10th: Career Day
• February 16th: Battle of the Bluebonnets at River Ridge @ 4:00
• Thursday, February 16th: Fifth-grade students will visit Canyon Ridge starting at 9:30.
• February 20th: Staff Development/Student Holiday
• February 22nd: Volunteer Appreciation Pep Rally at 8:00
• February 22: CRMS course selection at River Ridge (8:45-9:45)

DISTRICT CALENDAR

Dear River Ridge Parents,
We need your help! We have a big trend that we need to reverse in a positive direction. Each day since we returned this semester, we have over 50 students coming in after the bell. We have such a steady stream of students rushing in after 7:30. Waiting in line for a tardy pass causes another delay for your child. When your child comes in late, he/she skips the morning procedures of unpacking and getting settled, misses the announcements, and disrupts the flow of instruction. The importance of being punctual is a great life skill to reinforce at an early age. We please ask that you get your child to school before 7:30. Our front door opens at 7:10 so students have plenty of time to get to class and get ready for the day. Thank you in advance for partnering with us.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmgLv3BmhEMEXGkDmAeu9WtDXoQlKr-HTcHo9D-NmE8-HPHg/viewform?usp=sf_link

We have safety concerns with students/parents not using crosswalks. If you choose to park your car, it is very important that you use the designated crosswalks. We have had many close calls with students/parents running between cars. The crosswalk on the 2nd-5th grade side is by the third-grade door. The crosswalk by the K-1 side is by the first-grade door. Thank you in advance!

We are looking for candidates to fill our open positions on the PTA Board for the 2023-24 school year. Time commitment and duties vary, but all board members are expected to attend a monthly board meeting and monthly general meeting. Descriptions for each position can be found here. (http://riverridge.my-pta.org/content.asp?PageID=3&NavigationID=16&Sequence=0&Directive=Navigate)

If you are interested in being considered for a position or positions, fill out this form and a member of our Nominating Committee will reach out to you!

Please reach out to Emily Burgy with any questions! emilyburgy@gmail.com

Deadline is FEBRUARY 6th!

LEANDER INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Senate Bill 530 requires school districts annually assess the physical fitness in grades 3 or higher in a course that satisfies the curriculum requirements for physical education. The adopted instrument by Leander ISD will be the FITNESSGRAM assessment. FITNESSGRAM is a health-related fitness assessment developed by The Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research and is a research-based criterion-referenced test.

LISD considers FITNESSGRAM a quality assessment for three reasons:

1. FITNESSGRAM establishes a baseline of a healthy fitness zone from which students can set goals and check their progress (non-competitive) to plan for lifelong physical activity and to maintain and improve their fitness level. Health-related fitness assessment measures students’ aerobic capacity, muscular strength/endurance, flexibility and body composition.

2. FITNESSGRAM provides recommended activity program options that will help students reach healthy fitness zones in those areas where they need to improve.

3. FITNESSGRAM does not place an emphasis on skill or sports-related fitness such as speed

measured by an individual’s 40 yard dash time. It does not compare students to other students.

FITNESSGRAM tests all students regardless of age, gender, or ability. Students are encouraged to be self-aware of health-related fitness and take responsibility by setting personal fitness goals. When students focus on the process of doing their personal best, a more positive lifelong impact is achieved.

On your child’s test day, he/she should bring or wear athletic type clothing to take the test. If your child forgets proper testing attire, he/she will proceed with the fitness test in standardized dress. You may request a copy of your child’s physical fitness assessment from the school. LISD believes by providing you and your child with this health-related fitness information, you can lead your child toward a healthy lifestyle. A healthy student is better prepared to learn and perform in all aspects of life.If you have any questions about the FITNESSGRAM Assessment, go to our website:

http://classroom.leanderisd.org/webs/lisd.health_pe/fitnessgram.htm

You can also contact Tammie Guthrie @ Tammie.Guthrie@leanderisd.org

Thanks,

LISD HPE

Day 1: List 10 things that you love about yourself!

Day 2: Take Time to do something you love to do!

Day 3: Wear RED to show that you love and care for your healthy heart!

Day 4: Write down 3 things that you are grateful for!

Day 5: Play with someone that brings you joy!

Day 6: Write a love letter to yourself!

Day 7: Write yourself at least 5 compliments on post-it notes. Stick them wherever you

can see them often! (Ex: Bathroom mirror, in your room, in your lunchbox, etc..)

Day 8: Wear something that makes you feel good & confident about yourself!

Day 9: Try a new healthy food or snack!

Day 10: Write a note to a teacher or a friend telling them what you love about them!

Day 11: Tell a friend something you have done that you are proud of!

Day 12: Drink at least 2 water bottles full of water in one day!

Day 13: Give yourself a HUG!

Day 14: Give someone a compliment!

Important information for the Future Chef Event

• A flyer about this information is below. Recipes cards are available by request in the cafeteria should the student need that instead.

• A distinguished panel of administrators will evaluate recipe submissions and narrow the number of finalists down to 1 to 2 students per school.

• Those finalists will be formally invited to a Culinary Competition “Cook-Off” on March 21st tentatively scheduled for 3pm to 6pm at Running Brushy Middle School Cafeteria.

• Transportation of the students will not be provided for the competition. Students will need to be dropped off and picked up at Running Brushy Middle School Cafeteria. Each group of kids will have a kitchen staff member assigned to help them to ensure that there are no safety issues. This will ensure safe food and preparation practices are followed and no one gets harmed.

• All Finalists will receive a certificate, recipe book of all finalists’ recipes, Future Chef T-shirt, apron, and hat.

• Judging will be based on the following criteria, Originality, Kid Friendly, Ease of Preparation, Healthy Attributes, Plate Presentation, Taste, and Student Chef Presentation to Judges. We will be inviting Leander ISD communication to take pictures of the kid’s creations and parents and teachers can view (and taste!) the final product during the reception portion of the event.

As an added bonus, our competition is just one of many that are having local competitions that Sodexo will be orchestrating across the country between February and March 2023. The winning recipe from each event will be entered to win a national competition in April 2023.

This spring, Leander ISD will consider/adopt new instructional resources for six courses: American Sign Language I-IV, Chinese I-IV, AP US History, AP Calculus AB and BC, African-American Studies, & Mexican-American Studies. Members of our LISD community have opportunities and are encouraged to provide feedback on these resources from January 17 - February 17 through in-person viewing at Central Office and Cedar Park High School or by viewing the materials virtually on the district website. We will host three Q&A Zoom meetings with district curriculum experts that allow community members to explore the options, ask questions and provide feedback. For questions about the instructional materials selection process, please reach out to Matt Bentz, Chief Academic Officer.