Kangaroo Connection
Weekly updates for our NCES families
March 22, 2021
Para la versión en español, seleccione "Traducir Newsletter" en el lado derecho de este boletín.
I hope everyone had a great Spring Break! Please review the newsletter for important information about STAAR testing, parent meetings, school events, free dental services and more.
We have quite a few students joining us for in-person learning! If your child has switched from remote to in-person please make sure to send them with a water bottle to school each day. It is also very helpful if you write their name and grade on a tag on their backpack for their first day in-person. We have a new student welcome center set up in the main entrance daily to welcome all our new students and escort them safely to their classroom. Tell your student to look for the "Collins New Student" signs in the main entry way.
**Please note that if you have selected in-person learning, your student's daily attendance AT school is expected. We ask for families to make a commitment to in-person OR remote learning. Parents are not able to switch the method of learning from in-person to remote daily for their students.
Warm regards,
Ashley Fredo
NCES Principal
Important Updates
- March 23rd or 24th, at noon or 5pm: DVISD-Dual Language Program Meeting
March 25th, 5:30 pm: Parent & Principal Meeting
April 1st: Early Release
April 2nd: No School
- Coming Soon: Free Dental Services for students, Fire Drills and more.
IN-SCHOOL FREE Dental Services for Students
The St. David’s Foundation dental vans will be visiting our campus this Spring to provide free dental treatment to students in K to 5 grades. If you want your child/children to be seen by our dentists, you can complete a Dental Consent Paper Form and Patient Acknowledgment Form.
Form Information:
Your child is eligible to receive free dental care with the St. David’s Dental Program. If you sign “yes" on attached Form/Consent, your child will be seen on our dental vans. He/She will receive x-rays to determine the treatment that is needed. If a cavity is found, we will fix it for FREE!
Please see links below and check "YES" or "NO" for this free dental service. Both forms need to be signed and submitted.
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STAAR Testing for 4th Graders Tuesday, April 6th
Each year, all 3rd-5th grade students in Texas participate in the State of Texas Assessment for Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests. These tests measure student proficiency and progress in math, reading, writing, and science. STAAR assessments are an important tool for evaluating how much our students have learned in a given year.
Students in 4th grade at Collins will take the STAAR Writing test on Tuesday, April 6th. Unlike benchmark tests we administered in March, STAAR tests cannot be administered virtually to our remote students. The Texas Education Agency requires us to administer these tests on campus.
All remote students are invited to participate in these tests on campus. Del Valle ISD will provide bus transportation and meals on campus for remote students on these days. All safety measures will be in place for the administration of the test including masks, social distancing, and easily available handwashing and sanitizing stations.
Remote students who do not participate in testing will not be penalized. If you decide that testing on campus is not a viable option for your child, we will continue to provide asynchronous instruction on these testing days for our remote students. Your child’s teacher will be reaching out to you with specific details regarding the STAAR Writing test administration and whether or not your child will be participating.
If you have any questions, or would like to discuss this further, please feel free to contact me. We appreciate your partnership with us this year!
DVISD Two-Way Dual Language Information Meetings
DVISD is excited to provide an opportunity for students to participate in the Two-Way Dual Language program for the 2021-2022 school year, for students enrolled in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten or first grade in a Del Valle ISD school. The two-way dual language program combines English dominant speaking students and Spanish dominant speaking students in the same class, where they learn English and Spanish side-by-side. This program promotes biliteracy, and research shows students in dual language programs outperform their same-age peers by the time they reach middle school. Each year an additional grade level will be added to the two-way dual language program, which will allow your child to continue in the program through 5th grade. The district’s intent is to then scale the program to middle schools once the first two-way dual language cohort reaches middle school. English dominant speaking students must be enrolled in PreK, Kindergarten or first grade for the 2021-2022 school year and in the boundary of the campus. Tuition-based Pre-K students may also access the program. A lottery will be used for English dominant speaking students if there is more interest than available seats in the program; bilingual students will automatically be enrolled as this is their state-mandated bilingual program. Parents interested in enrolling their child in the two-way dual language program at Del Valle ISD are invited to informational meetings on Tuesday, March 23 or Wednesday, March 24 at noon and 5 p.m. each day.
Teacher & Staff Member of the Year!
Water Bottles Reminder
Rent Assistance / Ayuda con la Renta-Alquiler
DSP is partnering w/City to promote their RENT 3.0 program. If qualify, get your RENT paid!
Please read & apply below starting 3/15 at 8am. DSP will also help anyone who lives in 44 fill out application online if you send an email to dovespringsproud@yahoo.com.
Qualifications:
-Live in City limits
-Family of 4-$78,000 income or lower
-Have a lease
-Have documents showing COVID has effected you (unemployment, lost job, had COVID)
For more information visit www.austintexas.gov/RENT. RENT Call Center at 512.488.1397 M-F 8 a.m. – 6 p.m or email AustinRENT@cvrassociates.com.
Thanks, 5th Graders Parents ! / ¡ Gracias Padres de Estudiantes de 5to Grado !
Thanks parent for your participation! If for any reason you couldn't attend the meeting “live”, please review important information for 5th graders with Mrs. Dastrup, NCES Counselor.
Together we can do it!
Just 3 Simple Steps: 1:Take a Book, 2: Read it, 3: Return it to the Box. Have Fun !!
COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL !
Here are the ways that we are communicating with our families at Newton Collins. If you are not receiving emails or need help with Dojo, please contact our front office or your child's teacher. We can help!
- Collins Parent Newsletter-Weekly, via email
- Our campus Twitter: Account: @DVISD_NCES
- Class Dojo / Website Updates at http://nces.dvisd.net/