News from the Creek
Hippo Nation...Better Together! August 2019
A Note from your CCE Principal
Dear CCES Families--
Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year! We are excited about serving your children and Hippo Nation! Our theme for this school year is “Around the World” as we celebrate our campus’ diversity reflected in our staff, students, families and growing community! We hope you enjoy some of our improvements to the campus environment!
Thank you for an amazing Meet the Teacher Night turn-out! Our staff enjoyed having our families and students come to support our school as we begin the new school year! Along those same lines, if you are just returning from your summer vacation, please remember to complete your returning student registration prior to Tuesday, our first day of school. Returning Students can complete that process online. Additionally, only 3rd grade students at our campus will be required to provide proof of residence, which can also be done online or by emailing our registrar, Estella Alvarado, at estella.alvarado@huttoisd.net. More information and online registration directions can be found here on the HISD website.
Class teacher assignments have been sent out to all students who are completed with their registration. If you have not received your teacher assignment, please verify that your registration is complete online. Reach out to our registrar, Estella Alvarado, at 512-759-5430 if you have any questions about the process. Thank you in advance for taking care of registration here so that your child is all set for the 2019-20 school year.
I am excited about all of the new staff that has joined our Cottonwood Creek Elementary Family! Please check out the "Meet Your Administrative Team" section below to get to know our administrators.
Cottonwood Creek Elementary has the BEST Staff, Students, and Families! We truly are "Better Together"! We know our students will have a wonderful experience at Cottonwood Creek Elementary!
With Hippo Nation in Mind,
Linda Pachicano
Principal, Cottonwood Creek Elementary
Meet Your Administrative Team
Linda Pachicano, Principal
My name is Linda Pachicano and I am excited to work alongside staff, parents, students, and the community as Principal at the Legendary Cottonwood Creek Elementary. I have had the pleasure working the last 4 and 1/2 years as Assistant Principal at both Veterans' Hill Elementary and Ray Elementary. I joined the CCE campus in January 2019 and have been blessed to be part of this legendary campus ever since! Previously, I was a bilingual classroom teacher in Taylor ISD for 11 years and taught 3rd grade through 5th grade. Then, I served as Taylor ISD Bilingual/ESL Programs Coordinator and was a part of the District Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Team for 4 years, where I was blessed to work with principals, teachers, staff, and the community. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts in 1999 and Master of Arts in Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Bilingual and Bicultural Education in 2010. All things education is my passion!
As a staff, we are excited about another year in serving our children and Hippo Nation. Our theme for this school year is “Around the World” as we celebrate our campus’ diversity reflected in our staff, students, families and growing community!
I love to read a variety of books, spend time with my sons, and enjoy hiking, camping, jogging, and volunteering! I believe that all students CAN learn and that ALL bring a wealth of resources to our school via their culture/language and experiences. Students deserve the very best from teachers, school, and each other! I am excited and blessed to be a small part of the Hippo Nation here at CCES! I look forward to celebrating all the great things that make CCE a special place to be. Cottonwood Creek Elementary welcomes all students, families, and community!
¡Gracias!
Email: linda.pachicano@huttoisd.net
Location: 3160 Limmer Loop, Hutto, TX, USA
Phone: 512-759-5430
Gregory Althoff, Assistant Principal
My name is Greg Althoff and I am excited to be a part of Hutto Nation. From the moment I stepped foot on campus, it was obvious to me why Cottonwood Creek Elementary is “legendary.” The dedicated staff works hard to create a safe, positive, and innovative learning environment for our students. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to collaborate with our talented teachers and supportive parents, as we work together to inspire a diverse community of learners.
Education has always been a part of my life. I grew up in a family of educators. I have fond memories of helping out my mom in her classroom. Now, as an adult, I find myself helping my wife out in her classroom. I am sure our 1 year old son will have many of the same experiences I had as a child.
Over the past 12 years, I have had the pleasure of working with spectacular teachers and students in the communities of El Paso and Del Valle,Texas. During that time, I served as a fourth and fifth grade teacher, an instructional coach, and an assistant principal.
In 2006, I graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. After a few years in the classroom, I graduated with a Master of Arts in Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education in 2015 from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Curriculum and Instruction is my passion. Students deserve to have teachers that take the time to inspire critical thought and promote social & emotional learning. The teachers at CCES have a reputation for motivating and pushing students forward. Words cannot express how excited I am to be a part of the “Legendary” Cottonwood Creek community.
Email: gregory.althoff@huttoisd.net
Location: 3160 Limmer Loop, Hutto, TX, USA
Phone: 512-759-5430
Valerie Kozak, Counselor
I am so thrilled and honored to be Cottonwood Creek Elementary’s school counselor this year! I grew up in El Paso, TX and moved to Georgetown with my husband almost 7 seven years ago. We have two beautiful girls, one five and the other almost 3 months old. This will be my 7th year serving the Hutto ISD community, and 11th year as an educator. I have taught at Ray Elementary and Veterans Hill Elementary as well, but CCE was my first home and where my heart is, so making my way back 3 years ago was truly a blessing. I have taught grades pre-k through 2nd, 4th grade, and special education, with majority of my teaching years as a kindergarten teacher. I completed my counseling internship at CCE and have been actively involved in many ways stepping outside of my classroom practicing in the role as school counselor the past two years. I am eager to continue to develop our students’ academic, career, personal, and social emotional abilities with my guidance as the school counselor.
Email: valerie.kozak@huttoisd.net
Location: 3160 Limmer Loop, Hutto, TX, USA
Phone: 512-759-5430
Billie Duncan-Smith, Principal's Secretary
Estella Alvarado, Registrar/PEIMS/Attendance
Nicole Baker, Campus Receptionist
Rodney Mcelyea, Nurse
What's Happening at the Creek...
- August 20th- First Day of School 7:40 AM- 3:00 PM (Free Student Breakfast starting at 7:10 AM)
- August 22nd- School Board Meeting @ 6:00 PM/ District Board Room
- September 2nd- Labor Day Holiday (No School- Staff & Students)
- September 9th-13th- Grandparent's Week Lunch/Welcome Grandparents! Grandparents are invited to join their CCES grandchildren any day this week. There will be additional seating on the stage and in the Science Lab. Grandparents may purchase a tray from the cafeteria or bring a lunch from an outside restaurant. An RSVP will be available soon!
- September 12th- CCES Open Gym Night 6:30 PM- 7:30 PM
- September 19th- CCES Open House/Booth Fair/Title 1 Info (More PTA Information here)
- September 25th- School Board Meeting @ 6:00 PM/ District Board Room
Cottonwood Creek Elementary has Spirit! Yes, we do!
Campus Mission, Vision, and Staff Belief Statements
CCE Mission:
Fostering Growth, Strengthening Relationships, Inspiring Excellence
CCE Vision:
Cottonwood Creek aspires to be a safe, positive, and innovative learning environment in which each unique individual is accepted, respected, encouraged, challenged and supported.
Cottonwood Creek Elementary Staff Core Belief Statements
We believe in creating a diverse school and classroom environment where emotional and physical safety and security is a top priority for all students and staff.
We believe that taking into consideration that every students’ educational needs are important, every decision should be made in the best interest of all students and their individual success.
We believe parents/guardians and community involvement are vital to the success of our students.
We believe character and social/emotional well-being is as important as academic achievement.
We believe communication is a two-way process for the school-home learning connection as well as for delivery of information.
We believe in enriching academics and the social-emotional environment by providing various innovative learning opportunities to prepare students for their individual pathways towards success.
Bus Transportation Updates
Our Hutto ISD transportation staff has been working hard to make the first few days run as smoothly as possible, but we all know there are likely to be delays and other challenges that arise as people encounter school zones, construction, traffic, and trains. Leave yourself plenty of time for unexpected delays, especially the first couple of weeks of school.
This year, the Transportation Department is utilizing a new routing system called EZ Routing. The purpose of switching to EZ Routing is to create a safer and more secure transportation system for parents. Parents have access to their route information by creating a parent account at https://www.ezrouting.com/huttotx.
Once you log into the EZ Routing program, you can click the "Help" button to watch tutorial videos. You will be directed to input detailed information relating to transportation for each student(s). Once this information is entered, it will be sent to the Transportation Department. Requests for bus scheduling will be reviewed and approved or denied as soon as possible. Parents will be notified by transportation via email and/or text of your student(s) bus number, stop location, and a.m. pick-up time. Many of you have already done this, thank you! With this account, you should update contact and other critical information as it changes (i.e. cell phone number(s), email address, additional contacts, transportation-related health information, or provide a change of address for the transportation department if moving).
We ask for your patience as we roll out this new system. Thank you to all for your support!
If your student rides a bus, please take a few minutes to become familiar with the information on the Transportation page of the Hutto ISD website. You may find that page by clicking this link: TRANSPORTATION.
SAFETY is the number one priority for our transportation department and school district!
Remember to watch for children, observe school zones and speed limits, stay off cell phones in school zones, and please don't text and drive! Patience is needed from everyone, whether your student rides a bus, walks or whether you drive them to school.
Thank you for partnering with us to be respectful, responsible and safe!