Parent Newsletter!
October 29, 2021
School Hours - 7:35 a.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Front Doors Open at 7:15 a.m.
Dear Highland Park Families,
We made it through October! We had a wonderful week with all the fun Red Ribbon activities and theme days. The book character costumes were a joy to see! We loved seeing the students and staff happy smiling faces. Make sure to check out our campus Facebook for Red Ribbon Week pictures, Kinder Fairy Tale Parade & 1st 9 Weeks Awards are linked in this newsletter!
We are getting ready to launch our Boosterthon Fundraiser. You will find additional information in this newsletter!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions at all.
Highland Park Bulldogs WOOF!
Warm Regards,
Lizbeth Ruiz
Principal
Highland Park Elementary
Bulldog Dash Fundraiser
Our HPES Bulldog Dance Fit Fundraiser will kick off on November 11th! We’ve asked our friends at Booster to power our fundraiser to make it more profitable, fun, and easy for everyone. We have worked closely together to ensure this event follows the safety and health guidelines of our school, and all communication to students and staff during the fundraising program will be delivered via video instead of in person.
Here’s what all students can get excited about:
Fun, engaging character development lesson
A high-energy event to give our school a much-needed boost of fun!
If your family feels it’s not in the position to financially support the school, that’s ok. Families can actually support our school by also SHARING about our fundraiser with friends and family online. Sharing IS supporting.
Key dates to remember:
Donating Opens – 10/28
Register on FUNRUN.COM, SHARE, & GIVE!
Fundraiser Kick Off – 11/11
Bulldog Dance Fit- 11/19 SAVE THE DATE! You’re Invited!
Thank you for supporting Highland Park through the Bulldog Booster Dash program!
ARRIVAL REMINDER
When dropping off your child in the morning, please make sure they have everything ready ( backpack, lunch bag etc). For safety purposes, we are asking that students exit the vehicle from the passengers side as this keeps them away from the traffic.
Campus Upbeat Survey
The window for SEL Survey’s is November 1-12. This process will be the same as last year.
All students will complete the survey during the Nov 1-12 window.
- Grades 3-12 will use this link to access the survey and use their Student ID as the access code surveys.panoramaed.com/pflugerville. The link will be placed as a message on Canvas to make it easier for students to access
- Teachers of K-2 students will receive an individual email from panorama with a link and access code. The email will be sent on 11/1 and again on 11/8---each teacher gets an individual email so you can’t share them with other teachers
Veterans Day Program
This year our 4th and 5th graders will be performing the annual Veterans program here at HPES during the school day on November 11th! In the past, there has always been a presentation showcasing veterans related to our Bulldogs that takes place during the performance – and we would love to keep that tradition alive! If you have anyone in your family, still here or who have passed on that has served in any of our USA military branches, please send Mrs. Hynes (Sophie.solomonson@pfisd.net) pictures with them in uniform or in active duty with their name and include what branch of military they served. If you are having trouble sending pictures through email, you can have your child bring a physical copy to Mrs. Hynes and she will scan a digital copy and return your photo back to make it easier for you. The more people we have send in photos, the better the presentation will be! Thank you!!
DYSLEXIA INFORMATION NIGHT
Our Fall Parent Information Night for Dyslexia will be held on Tuesday, November 2nd, from 6-7 pm in the Boardroom at Central Office. The Dyslexia Team will be available to answer questions and discuss dyslexia in Pflugerville ISD. There will also be a guest speaker, Mr. Tom Walton, who works for Samsung. He was identified with dyslexia early in life. He will share his story of struggle and success in understanding and learning as a student and the impact dyslexia has had on his life.
Elementary UIL A + Academic District Meet
There are up to eight events in which certain grade levels can compete.
- Chess Puzzle - Grades 2, 3, 4 & 5 separate contests (3 students per grade level)
- Creative Writing - Grade 2
- Oral Reading - Grades 4 & 5 combined (3 students)
- Storytelling - Grades 2 & 3 combined (3 students)
- Social Studies - Grade 5
**If your child is interested in practicing and trying out for any of the above events and you will be able to participate in the meet on January 29 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. please complete the form below. Event practices will be in person this year! We plan to start practices very soon in October!
Elementary Dual Language Enrichment District Meet
There will be five events in which certain grade levels can compete.
- Creative Writing - Grade 2 (3 students)
- Oral Reading - Grades 4 & 5 combined (3 students)
- Spelling – Grades 3& 4 combined (3 students) and Grade 5 (3 students)
- Ready Writing – Grades 3&4 combined (3 students) and Grade 5 (3 students)
- Story Telling - Grades 2 & 3 combined (3 students)
**If your child is interested in trying out for any of the above events and you will be able to participate in the meet on January 29 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. please complete the form sent home by classroom teachers. Try-Outs will be held during school on October 18 to January 29, 2022. Events will be practiced at school and home.
2021-2022 Breakfast & Lunch Menu
Visit pfisd.nutrislice.com for interactive menus, nutritional information, and more!
Beginning Monday, November 2, 2020, all USDA Reimbursable Breakfast and Lunch meals are free! A la carte and seconds are not included. *This program has been extended during the 21-22 school year.
BE SURE YOUR CHILD HAS THE FOLLOWING
Please send your child with at least 2 clean masks (they can wear one, and keep one in their backpack in case they lose it, or something happens to the one they are wearing) We will have extras but we know children feel more comfortable with their own.
Please send your child with a water bottle. Students cannot drink directly from the water fountains. They will be using the water filter system and water fountains to refill their water bottle as needed.
REMEMBER
- Students may wear a college shirt on Wednesdays and a school spirit shirt on Fridays
- Tardy bell rings at 7:35, with announcements starting promptly at 7:35.
- Complete the Free & Reduced Lunch Application this Week!
KUDOS
Have a staff member who really matters and whom you want to recognize? Let’s recognize our HPES Bulldogs, no kudos is too big or too small!
Campus Kudos:
- Ms. Reyes: Kudos to Ms. Reyes for always being flexible and supportive with all campus needs, even with little to no notice from admin! We appreciate you!
- Ms. Vazquez- Kudos to Ms. Vazquez for organizing and planning our Red Ribbon Week activities! She is always looking for ways to make it fun for the kids and staff!
- Sgt. Young: Kudos to Coach Young for always being on time, cheerful, and ready to greet our bulldogs!
- Ms. Hynes; Kudos for juggling multiple events at once such as Veterans Day performance, Choir, and December performance! Thank you for making it fun for our students!
Ms. Rojas; for always being so supportive and positive! Your passion for teaching and your students is inspiring! We love and appreciate you so much!
Mrs. Jorgenson: for taking over Staff Care and loving our babies! We appreciate you!
- Ms. Rojas for always being so supportive and patient with our little ones! You are a phenomenal teacher! We appreciate you so much!
- Ms. Jorgenson for stepping in with Staff Care and watching our babies! We appreciate you so much!
- Mr. T for helping with the Hispanic Heritage board, too. He created the amazing letters for the board.
- Intervention for providing breakfast to Pegasus & Prek. Thank you! ❤️
- Mr. Pablo for always offering to lend a helping hand and for taking the time to make connections with ALL of our students. We’re lucky to have him at HPES!
- Ms. Morales- Being able to witness Ms. Morales with her class is such a joy! She shows love and compassion to her students and is always willing to learn and grow as an educator. She works hard and shows dedication towards understanding the third-grade curriculum to ensure her students are growing right along with her! Thank you for all you do, Ms. Morales!
- Ms. Davis- Miss Davis is phenomenal at her job and is the ultimate “chaos coordinator”! Even when things are hectic, Miss Davis goes above and behind to communicate with staff and continues to show professionalism and respect to everyone she works with. She cares for her students and is always looking out for their well-being. She is one cool cat and we could not be happier with her!
- 2nd grade for sharing their science lab day with me so I could squeeze in the lesson I missed this week!
- Mr. Lubman for being a team player!! He never complains (maybe only to Cesar). He's up for any crazy ideas we plan as a team. :)
- Ms. Berard for supporting HPES welcoming kids in the morning in the main hallway, doing crosswalk after-school duty, helping in the cafeteria in the mornings .... We see you and appreciate all your help!
- Ms. Jimenez for thinking of new ways to make our campus all-inclusive for all of our students!
- The Special Education Team for always being willing to lend a hand in the times where support is most needed.
Superintendent Kudos:
- Highland Park Special Education Team (via anonymous): “Shout out to the HP Special Education department! They are a little busier this year but are handling it with great effort. We appreciate the communication and know that you are working hard. Thank you for focusing on the students.”
If you have any kudos you’d like to share, you can submit them through two different avenues:
Superintendents Mid-Week Message Kudos or HPES Bulldog Weekly News Kudos
Remember, one small positive thought or compliment can change a person's entire day. :)
HPES PTO
We are lucky to have such a wonderful PTO at our school who helps us in so many ways! Please consider joining this wonderful group of parents and join HPES Team!
You can access the October 14th PTO Meeting Recording here: 10.14.21 PTO
Passcode: &Giy70gk
Next PTO Meeting:
Date: October 14, 2021
Time 6:30-7:30p.m.
Location: Via Zoom (login information will be shared by classroom teachers)
Stay connected with the HPES PTO!
Website: https://hpespto.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highlandparkelementarypto/
Instagram: @hpes.pto
Text at @HPESPTO to 81010 to get event info via text!
LET'S TALK PLATFORM FOR PARENT QUESTIONS
Our Let's Talk platform is designed for parents to ask questions or submit comments. It has a submission for questions on the following topics: Payroll, Food Services/Meals, Technology, HR/Benefits/Leaves, Online Learning, Google Classroom, and General Coronavirus Questions. Additionally, there is a section for each campus to direct any questions or comments directly to the principal and the senior administrative associate a the campus. Click here to learn more about the system.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Oct. 30- Campus will be treated with BioProtect
Nov. 2- Hawk Feeder Pattern Principal PLC at HPES
Nov. 2- Dyslexia Parent Information Session at District (See details above)
Nov. 11- PTO Virtual Meeting
Nov. 11- Nov. 19- Boosterthon Fundraiser
Nov. 15- Fall Picture Make-Up Day
Nov. 17- Progress Reports go home to parents.
Nov. 22- Nov. 26- Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 7- Dec. 10- 3rd Grade Bazaar
Dec. 13- Dec. 17- HPES Reindeer Days (Theme Dress Up Days for Students)
Dec. 16- 2nd 9 weeks AR deadline
Dec. 17- Winter Class Parties
Dec. 17- Early Release at noon
Dec. 18- Jan. 2- Winter Break
Jan. 3- Professional Learning Day for Staff
Jan. 4- Staff Planning and Prep Day
Jan. 4- 2nd 9 Weeks Grades due at noon
Jan. 5- Students return from Winter Break
Jan. 6-7- AR Celebration
Jan. 12- Report Cards go home to parents
Jan. 14- 2nd 9 Weeks Awards during Announcement
Jan. 17- MLK Holiday
Jan. 31- Blue Bonnet Book Voting
HPES MASK PROTOCOLS & EXPECTATIONS
- HPES is following PfISD Covid 19 safety protocols and guidance.
- We are asking all students and staff to wear a mask while at school.
- If a student forgets their mask, they will be provided one upon entering the campus.
HPES MASK PROTOCOLS & EXPECTATIONS
- HPES is following PfISD Covid 19 safety protocols and guidance.
- We are asking all students and staff to wear a mask while at school.
- If a student forgets their mask, they will be provided one upon entering the campus.
- We thank you for your support, as we continue to have the student's health and safety at the forefront.
- Information on our current protocols and practices is available on our Return to Learn plan at: HPES Return to Learn Guidelines
STAY INFORMED
VISITORS
Only visitors with essential official school business will be allowed on campus. These visitors should seek prior approval before coming to campus.
All campus meetings will be done virtually. If a parent is needing to meet in person, this will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
Parents and family members will not be allowed to enter the building, walk down the hallways, etc.
FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FOR ALL STUDENTS!
As a reminder, all breakfast and lunch meals are free this year, to all PfISD students. This does not include ala carte items.
Despite the complimentary meals, it is imperative for households to complete and submit a free and reduced application for school accountability purposes. Fill out the form here https://www.pfisd.net/Page/500
APPROVED VISITORS ON CAMPUS
Clarification regarding approved visitors on campus:
We are still honoring what was shared at the beginning of the school year:
If a visitor is on campus for educational purposes:
Tutor
Mentor
Reading Buddy
Private Lesson Teacher
Counselor/Social Worker
Social Services
Individual Educational Supports
Providing direct educational services to students...
If they fit the description above, then, yes, they can still be on campus. A volunteer to be on campus for cutting materials, laminating, etc., are not there for direct student learning impact. They will not be allowed on campus.
We are not allowing parents/guests on campus to eat with their children, walk their children to class, etc. If you have any questions, please make sure you reach out. Any approved visitor on campus must honor our social distancing and masking expectations.
HPES PTO UPDATE-2020-2021 YEARBOOK
Dear Families –
To say the last school year was challenging is an understatement, but our teachers and staff did an amazing job navigating through some incredibly difficult circumstances. Our PTO Team, who is also a small group of volunteers, tried their best to continue engaging and supporting our school as best as possible. However, we regret to inform you that we could not put together a yearbook filled with wonderful photos due to limited on-site access and sourcing enough photos to put together a complete yearbook. To that end, after reviewing many options, we will be refunding all monies for purchased yearbooks and advertisements. We know that this may be difficult news to hear (especially if your child was a 5th grader), and it certainly isn’t what we would have liked to happen, but we feel it is the best option at this time. Thank you for understanding.
PfISD COVID-19 UPDATES
- Information on our current COVID-19 protocols and practices is available on our Return to Learn 2021-22 page at https://www.pfisd.net/Page/7853.
DISMISSAL MAP
Beginning Monday, August 23rd, the bus loop will be used for BUSSES & DAYCARE ONLY. We are asking parents to please not drive or park in the bus loop area.
- The only exception is if you have a handicap tag and are handicapped parking is available in this area.
- If you are needing to park and pick up your child, you may park at the front of the school parking area, or on Kingston Lacy.
- If you are parked at the bus loop, one of our staff members will be asking you to move your vehicle.
- If you are driving through the bus loop, one of our staff members will be asking you to turn around and exit the bus loop.
- This is to ensure the safety of students as they are dismissed through the 100 & 300 hallways.
DISMISSAL TAGS
Every time we fail to follow procedures, we are less safe. With increased student enrollment is imperative that we follow procedures. Please continue being consistent with bringing/showing us your child's dismissal tag when picking them up after school. Remember the parent dismissal tag, must match the child’s tag. This goes for car riders also, please ensure that you have a tag displayed on the windshield when picking your child up through the car lane. If you are missing a tag, please let your child's teacher know or call the front office so we can provide you with one.
PfISD Mask Guidance: Non- Compliance with Travis County Mask Mandate
GUEST EDUCATORS NEEDED
PfISD is currently in need of more substitutes and guest educators, and we strive to provide the best possible qualified substitutes to ensure the quality of educators our students have. If you enjoy working with kids and can work on an on-call basis, being a substitute teacher may be for you.
To qualify to serve as a substitute in PfISD, you must be at least 21 years of age and have a high school diploma. If you hold a valid teaching certificate, are bilingual in Spanish or Vietnamese or have extensive skills/background in a high-need area, your qualification consideration is accelerated.
Applicants must complete an application online here.
ARRIVAL PROCESS
All staff will be on duty to support students and assisting them in locating their classrooms. Grades PK-2nd should arrive with a label to indicate their name and teacher.
7:10 a.m Bus students arrive on campus
7:15 a.m Front Doors open for car riders, walkers, and bike riders
7:20 a.m. Teachers will welcome students into their classrooms
7:35 a.m. First Bell- Students dismissed from the cafeteria if eating breakfast
7:40 a.m. Tardy Bell- Students arriving after this time report directly to the office
The building will open at 7:10 a.m. for bus riders and 7:15 a.m. for car riders and walkers.
Parents/Guardians will not be allowed to walk students in.
Bus riders will enter the building through the 100 hallway doors adjacent to the bus loop at 7:10 a.m. If they are eating breakfast they will go directly to the cafeteria, if they are not eating breakfast they will go to the gym and wait. The bus riders in the gym will be sent to class at 7:15.
Car riders and walkers will enter the building through the front entrance at 7:15 a.m.
Walkers and car riders that arrive early will wait outside.
Upon entering the building car riders, walkers, and bike riders will go to either the cafeteria or their classroom.
We are asking all students to wear a face mask. We will have masks available and will offer these to students who forget one.
ARRIVAL DROP OFF REMINDERS
With over 700 students learning on campus we have noticed morning traffic is heavier than usual. Please remember the tardy bell rings at 7:35, instruction begins promptly, and every minute counts. We need your help with a few key things that we think will help with morning drop-off.
- When dropping off your child please make sure they have everything ready, backpack, lunch bag, water bottle, and face mask. Students should exit on the right side of the vehicle as the left side has passing vehicles.
- If you are needing to help your child out of the car or getting their things ready, please pull into our parking lot and park. You will need to then walk your child across the crosswalk to the front door.
- Please do not park and send your child alone across the parking lot, there are many moving vehicles and this is very unsafe.
- When exiting the campus parking lot, please note that there is a "DO NOT TURN LEFT" sign below the stop sign. As you exit, please turn right towards Heatherwilde and not towards the neighborhood. Turning left holds up the drop-off line, may cause students to be late, upset parents behind you, and unnecessary stress to students getting dropped off.
- Finally please be kind to our staff on duty. These staff members are outside at 7:15 a.m. every day to help get our students in the building. We understand at times stress is high, but we need to work together, provide each other grace, and support one another.
- Please know that our number one priority is student safety. We love our students and want to welcome everyone in a happy and safe environment.
We are hoping the key actions above will help everyone get to their destination safely and on time. As always, we thank you for your help and support!
DISMISSAL PROCESS AND REMINDERS
All staff will be on duty to support students and ensure social distancing during dismissal. Please make sure to inform your child's teacher how your child will need to go home.
Students will be dismissed in the following order:
Pre K /Pegasus
100 Hallway
200 Hallway
300 Hallway
400 Hallway
First group to be dismissed: Bus riders will be called over the intercom by bus number. These students will go to the bus area and will line up in their bus line order. Once these students are in the order they will board their bus.
Second group to be dismissed: Bike riders, walkers, parent walk- up and car riders will walk in line order and exit the building through the 200 and 400 hallways.
Bike riders & walkers: Students will walk in line order and be dismissed by the flagpoles. We will have staff on duty that will walk them off school grounds.
Parent walk-up: Students whose parents park and walk-up will be dismissed at the grassy area to the right of the flagpoles. We will have marked locations for parents to maintain social distancing.
Car riders: students will sit at the front of the campus at the assigned grade level area. Students will be asked to sit and wait for their parents while maintaining social distance.
Hand sanitizer stations will be placed at entrances and exits of buildings. Students will sanitize their hands before exiting the building.
COMMUNICATION GUIDE
Every summer, there are staffing changes. Staff members move on to other opportunities, and new staff members join the campus. Before emailing a staff member from last school year, it would be wise to check with our front office staff. It is also a good idea to consider which staff member is your first point of contact for questions before you send your email. You may also call the front office at 512-594-6800 and ask for the person you need to speak with. I hope this information is helpful!
Senior Admin. Associate: Mima Oiesen – miroslava.oiesen@pfisd.net
General campus information.
Registrar: Miriam Ruvalcaba – miriam.ruvalcaba@pfisd.net
Student records, registration, residency questions, attendance, transfers, withdrawal, and student records.
Student Support Clerical Support: Anita Moreno- anita.moreno@pfisd.net
Schedule LPAC and 504 meetings, and gather student grades, relevant classroom, and health data.
Nurse: Christina Henderson – christina.henderson@pfisd.net
Shot records, allergy information, distribution of medication, general student health, Section 504, and SpEd as related to health, etc.
Instructional Coach: Gina Lochner – regina.lochner@pfisd.net
General questions regarding curriculum.
Counselor: Anna Vazquez – anna.vazquez@pfisd.net
Student care and concerns, parent and student support, Credit by Exam, Gifted and Talented information, assessment, and Section 504
Assistant Principal: Jesus Olivas –jesus.olivas@pfisd.net
Primary contact regarding discipline, LPAC, and SpEd. Additionally, virtually everything you would contact Ms. Ruiz for. It is a good idea to copy Mr. Olivas on emails sent to Ms. Ruiz because both of them are able to respond to questions or concerns.
Principal: Lizbeth Ruiz – lizbeth.ruiz@pfisd.net
Any and all topics not covered by the staff members listed above.
Please feel free to email or call us if you are needing support. We look forward to passionately serving the families of Highland Park Elementary!
TECHNOLOGY PASSCODE UPDATES
Please check your email for an important message regarding a password reset for your child's district account, a temporary password & instructions on how to change their password.
Instructions:
ENG: http://ow.ly/CbFi50FKCR3
Highland Park Elementary School
Website: https://www.pfisd.net/site/Default.aspx?PageID=37
Location: 428 Kingston Lacy Blvd, Pflugerville, TX, USA
Phone: 512.594.6800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HighlandParkES/
Twitter: @HighlandPark_ES