Tiger Talk
08/25/20
On Target for a Great Year of Learning and Information regarding the start of the year
I was thrilled to see our Tigers in our remote classrooms!
What an exciting start to the school year!
On behalf of all of the West Cypress Hills Elementary staff members, I want to welcome you to our at-home learning.
We are working hard to make lessons engaging and fun and as close to an at-school experience as we possibly can. Some families initially had difficulty logging in to our remote classrooms. I apologize and very much appreciate your understanding and patience. We appreciate your feedback. This is a learning experience for us, too, and your feedback is helpful.
Thank you for being part of our Tiger Family. Although this year looks and feels different from prior years of learning, our common goal remains to provide a safe learning and working environment for our students and staff.
As we transition to in-person learning on September 8, there is A LOT of information on district and campus safety protocols and procedures that will need to be provided to our families and community. Starting tomorrow, SHORT daily Tiger Talks will be emailed out to our Tiger Families. I apologize in advance for adding to your already full inboxes, but it is important our parents have the most updated information.
Our campus-wide theme for this school year is "One Team. One Family" and all of the staff of West Cypress Hills Elementary are working together to make this a safe and successful year of learning. We invite you to join us and be a part of Team Tiger. Together with you, our students, our community partners, and our staff we are #WCHEStrong.
With warmest regards,
Melanie Beninga
Your Principal at West Cypress Hills Elementary
First day of School Checklist for students
Some things you can do to start to preparing for September 8 include:
Transportation:
-Let us know how your child is getting home: first day, first week, and the usual mode of transportation. Click Here
School Supplies:
Please remind your student that if you purchased supplies in advance through Schoolkidz, their supplies will be in their homeroom classroom. If students are bringing their school supplies from home, pack up their backpacks. For items that do not fit in the backpack, we recommend that you put them in a bag that the student can easily carry or send in supplies over the course of a couple of days.
Morning Drop off:
Because we are not allowing visitors in the building, please begin to prepare your children for their goodbyes whether in the car, at home, or while walking to school. Our staff will be waiting to receive our students with understanding, care, and assist them as needed.
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.
Preparing for the September 8 Shift -- Our First Day of In-Person Learning
September 8 is our second "first day of school," and we are preparing for this shift from all-remote learning to accommodate in-person learning, too.
In order for us to prepare for this upcoming shift, all of our Tigers' learning after 10:00 am on August 28 and on September 4 will be asynchronous. Teachers will be working with Tigers in synchronous learning before 10:00 am on both of these days, and then, while students continue their learning in the asynchronous format, our teachers will be working in the background to prepare for the major shift that will happen on September 8.
After 10:00 am August 28 and September 4, our teachers will be reviewing new class lists for both remote and in-person classes and, where necessary, transferring student information to their new teachers. They will also be completing allergy, epipen and seizure training, reviewing Covid19 protocols, school-wide protocols, arrival and dismissal procedures, and completing other campus and district required training.
This is a dynamic situation. We receive updates and new requirements daily to keep our students and staff safe. Our careful review of this new information and the clear communication of that information to staff, to parents, and students are critical for a smooth and safe return to school.
Please rest assured that we are working around the clock to ensure safe and successful learning for all of our Tigers. Thank you for your continued patience and support.
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. 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.
All Classes on Campus Will be Self-Contained
In prior years, our upper grade students were in departmentalized classrooms so that they received instruction on core subjects by multiple teachers throughout their school day. Through an abundance of caution, however, for this school year, all of our Kindergarten through 5th Grade learners will be assigned to self-contained classrooms.
Thus, our Tigers will have one homeroom teacher in one classroom. Their homeroom teacher will be providing their English/Language Arts, Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Math instruction. Our teachers are collaborating and sharing knowledge and expertise to ensure that our Tigers receive the highest quality instruction.
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.
WCHE PTO Presents Opportunities for Our Families September 2
- Remote learners can pick up their Schoolkidz supply kits
- Families can learn more about the PTO
- Families can join the fun by becoming PTO members, too
- Families can purchase exciting Tiger Spirit Wear
- Families of 3rd, 4th, or 5th graders can purchase student planners @ $6 each
West Cypress can accept $6 cash or a check payable to WCHE for each planner.
Our WCHE PTO can accept exact cash, Venmo, or checks payable to WCHE PTO. The WCHE PTO membership fee is $10, and in exchange for the $10 membership, each member will receive a key chain and Spirit Stick. The WCHE PTO will, also, be giving out free gifts with purchase as well as a free tote bag for the first 50 spirit wear purchases, thanks to the generous support of the Looper Insurance Group. Thank you, Looper Insurance Group!
More About our 2020-21 WCHE School Supplies
If you purchased your WCHE student school supplies online from Schoolkidz before the June 12 deadline, your supply kits will be delivered to West Cypress Hills Elementary before the first day of school. Students learning from home may pick up their supply kits on September 2. Students who are not attending remote or in-person learning at West Cypress may pick up their kits on September 2, as well. Students who will be attending school in person on campus will find their Schoolkidz supply kits in their homeroom classroom on their first day of in-person learning, September 8.
Should a decision be made prior to September 2 to extend remote learning past September 7, our families will be duly notified. In that event, ALL families may pick up their Schoolkidz supply kits on September 2.
If you missed the June 12 deadline, Schoolkidz.com offers a build-a-kit service where you can order school supplies for delivery to your home. Click this link to build your own school supply kit using our school supply lists (see the link below.)
Our grade level supply lists are available here for WCHE 2020-2021 so that you can purchase the supplies on your own from any source convenient to you.
*3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Students also need to have student planners for the 2020-2021 school year. These are sold separately from the prepackaged supply kits. Planners cost $6 each. We are able to accept cash (exact amount) or checks payable to WCHE. Planners can be purchased at the school on September 2 or from the front desk any time on or after the first day of in-school learning.
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
Hello, Tiger Families! As we prepare to both return to campus for in-person learning and continue to engage in remote instruction, please know that I am always available should you or your child need support.
Now more than ever, we value the importance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in our schools, and we will continue to incorporate SEL into our curriculum through school-wide programs, class meetings, and guidance lessons. Second Step will be our campus SEL curriculum. Please click the picture below to access parent information on Second Step, including complementary resources to use at home. By clicking the link, you will reach my website where all of the boxes on the blackboard open to provide to helpful information about Second Step.
Do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. We are one team, one family.
2019-2020 Field Trip Refunds
In order to keep our Tigers sheltered safely at home, all of our spring field trips planned for March through May were canceled. Some of our first and fourth graders' families had already paid for their field trips and may, therefore, be concerned about the funds turned in to teachers before we realized that the field trips could not take place.
Please rest assured that we have deposited your payments, have recorded your payments, and have a record of the resulting credit balance of each family.
And, we have plans to ensure that you receive full credit for your payment(s.)
- For students returning to West Cypress Hills Elementary School for the 2020-2021 school year, the credit balance due your family for West Cypress Hills' canceled field trips will be applied toward the purchase price of West Cypress Hills classroom t-shirts and/or field trips that take place during the 2020-2021 school year.
- For students who are not attending West Cypress Hills Elementary School during the 2020-2021 school year, a refund check will be issued to your family by West Cypress Hills Elementary School by the end of the school year. Please complete the WCHE Field Trip Refund Request Form to request your reimbursement check.
Upcoming Events
08/25/20....................Remote vs In-person Learning Commitment is Due
08/28/20....................All Tigers Have Asynchronous Learning after 10:00 am
09/02/20....................Drive By PTO Tiger Spirit Wear Sales!
09/02/20....................School Supply Pick-Up Day for Students Learning from Home
09/02/20....................3rd, 4th, and 5th Graders Invited to Purchase Planners ($6 ea)
09/02/20....................Join the Fun! Join the WCHE PTO!!! Drive By Sign Up!
09/04/20....................All Tigers Have Asynchronous Learning after 10:00 am
09/08/20.....................1st Day of School on Campus for in-Person Learners
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