Mrs. Dunn's Art Challenge -- Submissions due by May 4!
Draw, paint, or sculpt a picture of your favorite pet or animal. Don’t be afraid to change the color, texture, or shapes. Mrs. Dunn will pick one from each grade level and submit it to Tiger Talk for everyone to see.
Artwork needs to be emailed to Mrs. Dunn by May 4, 2020. Please be sure to include your name, teacher, and grade level in the email. Good luck! Mrs. Dunn cannot wait to see your creations!
Here’s her Grizzly!
Grading, Class Ranking, Promotion/Retention Standards for Online Learning
Dear Lake Travis ISD Parents and Guardians,
On March 25, 2020, the Texas Education Agency provided school districts with guidance on grading during school closures resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, TEA officials noted that districts may temporarily modify grading policies to account for providing instruction in a distance learning format, emphasizing that evaluation of student work, assignment of grades and award of credit be applied fairly and consistently. Furthermore, the agency indicated that modified policies must focus on students’ demonstrated proficiency in the essential knowledge and skills for each course.
The following day, we officially launched our LTISD Online Learning platform for all students in grades PK-12. We will continue to provide online instruction until the date in which our district resumes normal operations or until the end of the 2019-2020 school year, whichever is earlier. To support this unprecedented endeavor, certain temporary modifications to the District’s current instructional grading and promotion/retention requirements were needed in order to alleviate academic pressure on students and facilitate the most equitable transition to online learning. During tonight’s school board meeting, our trustees authorized me to make these temporary modifications, specifically to board policies EI(LOCAL), EIA(LOCAL), EIC(LOCAL), and EIE(LOCAL).
The modifications to these board policies allow me to implement administrative guidelines that address grading, calculation of class rank, and promotion/retention standards. These guidelines will remain in effect until the completion of the 2019-2020 school year, whether or not we resume normal operations. I ask that you take a moment to review the guidelines which are attached to this correspondence. The guidelines are also posted under the ‘Online Learning’ section of our LTISD website at www.ltisdschools.org/covid19.
Thank you for your patience, understanding, and support during this time as we work to best meet the needs of our students. Should you have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to contact your child’s teacher or school principal directly.
Sincerely,
Brad Lancaster, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
LTISD Operations, LTHS Graduation Ceremony, Retrieving Personal Belongings
Dear Lake Travis ISD Staff, Parents and Guardians,
As you may already know, Governor Greg Abbott earlier today announced the “opening of Texas” will begin to occur in various stages. However, he also indicated all public and private schools will remain closed through the remainder of the current school year. Please note, the current school year will not be extended into the summer.
While LTISD buildings and facilities will remain closed, we will continue to engage our students through our online learning platform. We will also continue to provide essential operations as needed including grab and go meals, cleaning and custodial services, and other critical functions. As we have done throughout the closure, all district employees will continue to be paid, and I fully expect our employees to continue to be paid next year as well.
Additionally, the governor’s order results in the cancellation of all LTISD events scheduled through Friday, May 22, our final day of instruction for the current school year. These cancelled events include our Lake Travis High School graduation ceremony originally scheduled to be held Friday, May 22 at Cavalier Stadium. Instead, LTHS staff will provide a virtual ceremony for our seniors and their families on Friday, May 22, and plans are in progress for an alternate graduation event to be held in person on Saturday, August 1 at the HEB Center at Cedar Park.
I know you have many questions regarding the return of school-issued items such as books, uniforms, technology devices and other materials, the pickup of personal belongings, and the status of summer school, camps and other such programs. I will be hosting another Facebook Live event late next week where I will attempt to answer these and other questions. Additional details for the event will be shared with you next week.
In the meantime, I ask for your continued patience, flexibility and support. Please know I will keep you updated with any developments. I wish you and your family much health during this time.
Sincerely,
Brad Lancaster, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
To 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.
More News from Sheila White, WCHE School Counselor!
As our students continue to do a tremendous job in remote learning, and our teachers continue to engage and interact with their classes virtually, please know that I am also available to support families during this time. Should your family need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me by email or by phone at (512) 533-7589.
Please explore the following counseling resources for students and parents.
Resources For Students: Resources for Parents: 24/7 Helpline 512-472- (HELP) - Integral Care’s 24/7 Helpline provides around the clock crisis support as well as access to all of our programs and services for adults and children, including appointments and billing. Our team is here to help. We’ll listen to you and care about you, support you without judgment, and provide immediate support in a mental health crisis.
Resources from our Librarians
Our school Librarian, Cathy Seidenberger, with other LTISD elementary district librarians have created a Schoology group which contains books, stories, resources, links, and more in every subject area. Your child has been added as a member of this group.
To reach the library group, after logging into Schoology using your child's login, please click the "GROUPS" tab at the top of the page and select "LTISD Elementary Libraries Online.
Yearbooks are a great way to remember the school year.
The 2019-2020 edition of the WCHE yearbook is still available for purchase through May 1.
Order at your convenience at Balfour on line. Once in the Balfour site, enter "West Cypress Hills" as the school name and then select "yearbook." Orders may be be placed by phone, too, at 1-800-944-5930.
And, if you are wondering if you have already purchased our 2019-2020 yearbook, please contact Ms. Brymer. She will be happy to respond by email to let you know.
West Cypress Hills Elementary
