Tiger Talk
02/23/21
Boil Water Order Has Been Lifted!
So happy to have potable water again!
Thank you, LTISD, for providing bottled water for us today. Tigers get thirsty, you know!
February is Black History Month -- Celebrating Achievements and Contributions of African Americans
Welcome Back, Tigers!
I am very excited to return to school today. Regardless of whether I had the opportunity to see your smiling faces online or in person, it was wonderful to see you and to confirm with my own eyes that you made it through the frigid weather safely.
As many of you experienced for yourselves, West Cypress Hills Elementary had no water and no internet service for several days. Fortunately, we had only one small leak caused by the freeze, and our school Counselor and friendly neighbor, Sheila White, noticed it and called for repair before any damage occurred. According to Mrs. White, LTISD Maintenance "came in hot" and had things under control in no time. As a matter of fact, Superintendent Norton, Deputy Superintendent Morris-Kuentz, LTISD Maintenance, and the LTISD Technology teams worked throughout our closure to make it possible for us to safely return to our studies today.
I am so proud to be a member of our West Cypress family. It was very heartwarming to be a part of the numerous missions to deliver food, water, and other necessities to our WCHE families in need. It has been proven by ice that we are indeed one team, one family.
With warmest regards,
Principal Melanie Beninga
Spring Picture Day is Now Monday, April 12
On Monday, April 12, we will have photographers from Lifetouch on campus taking our student photos. We are not taking group, class photos this year--individual photos only. Our in-person learners will have photos taken from 8 am until noon. Students will be socially distanced and wearing masks. Students will remove their masks briefly, just long enough to have photos taken.
Remote learners are invited to sign up here and come to the campus to have photos taken between noon and 2 pm on Monday, April 12. Remote learners wearing masks may enter the building via the Library's exterior entrance. Once the photos are taken, they will be returned to parents/guardians waiting at the Library's exterior entrance. We'll post a Lifetouch sign on the fence near that entrance.
To learn more about Lifetouch's safety precautions, click here.
Pictures can be purchased before picture day at mylifetouch.com using our picture day ID #EVTHQKKH4.
News from Nurse Hensel
If you are curious, hesitant, or resistant to the COVID-19 vaccine, here is some great information that was provided by the Mayo Clinic to debunk myths. I think mayoclinic.org is an excellent medical resource, and I highly value the information that they provide.
To help ensure that our Tiger families stay safe, please read the Daily Symptom Screening information that I provided below and keep your Tiger(s) home even if only one symptom is present. Please send your Tiger(s) to school wearing fresh clean face masks. We will help them to sanitize their hands as they enter the school and help them to keep hands sanitized throughout the school day.
We are one team, one family. Let's work together to keep our family healthy.
Please feel free to contact me any time you have questions or concerns.
Is it Allergies......or is it COVID-19?
Are your children exhibiting a cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, headache, sore throat, congestion, or a runny nose? According to information released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these are symptoms common of both COVID-19 and seasonal allergies and should be taken seriously. In fact, Lake Travis ISD health and wellness protocols stipulate students who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, including those common to both COVID-19 and seasonal allergies as depicted above, should be kept home.
Recently, students across our District who have been sent home with common symptoms have tested positive for COVID-19. If your child is exhibiting any of the symptoms of COVID-19, including those common of both COVID-19 and seasonal allergies, please keep him/her home.
Furthermore, I urge everyone to continue the consistent practice of personal hygiene and social distancing so that we can keep our school safe and operational. We are one team, one family.
Staff Shout Outs
WCH Families,
In the last few weeks, families submitted shout outs to our staff. Your words of appreciation were priceless and brought big smiles and tears of joy. Thank you, and please continue to submit your shout outs!
If you would like to send a shout out to a WCHE staff member or teacher, I will gladly pass it along. It can be anonymous or signed. Thank you for lifting up our hardworking teachers and faculty. We love what we do and appreciate your partnership.
Thanks for taking a minute to say thanks!
Melanie
Friday, March 5, is a Student Holiday!
Friday, March 12, School is Dismissed at 12:05 pm!
No extended care offered Friday, March 12
If your Tiger usually reports to Extended Care at the end of the school day, please update SMARTTag to show the alternate way your Tiger will be going home at 12:05 pm on Friday, March 12.
LTISD Extended Care is not provided on early release days. Thank you!
Spring Break is March 15 - 19!
Wall of Fame for Shoe Tying
Our Wall of Fame for Shoe Tying is dedicated to Kinder, 1st, 2nd, and/or 3rd Grade Tigers who have just learned to tie their shoes AND for Kinder, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade Tigers who know how to tie their shoes and have not already been honored on our Wall of Fame for Shoe Tying in prior years.
The honor is extended to in-person learners and remote learners. Contact our PE coaches if you have questions or need a paper or electronic shoe sent to your Tiger(s.)
In-Person Learner Replacement Transportation and ID Badges
- $3 - Transportation ID scan badge
- $5 - Retractable transportation badge reel
- $2 - Transportation lanyard and plastic sleeve
- $1 - Campus student ID badge, holder, and lanyard.
Our WCHE Receptionist, Mrs. Michelle Harper, will be happy to assist you in the event replacement badges are 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.
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 by linking to Skyward through a browser. 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.
Our Neighborhood Bookmobile is Back!
The Lake Travis Community Library Bookmobile comes to our neighborhood amenity center for contactless reserve pick up service, take and make crafts, and free Wi-Fi.
Our favorite Bookmobile will be a the West Cypress Hills neighborhood pool on alternating Thursdays from 3 to 4 pm.
Visit the Lake Travis Community Library website for more information.
Changing Instructional Status
A change from in-person learning to remote learning can be made at any time. To request this change, complete the LTISD Instructional Change Form. The completed form should be forwarded to our Registrar, Becky Wright.
A change from remote learning to in-person learning can also be requested on the LTISD Instructional Change Form. The completed form should be forwarded to our Registrar, Becky Wright no later than 2 weeks prior to the start of the next grading period, as shown below:
- Form Due Date is 2/26/21 for the grading period beginning 3/22/21.
New to In-Person Learning at West Cypress?
LTISD Chromebooks to Remain Checked Out to Students While on Campus
Students who checked out a District-issued Chromebook for remote learning at home and will be returning to in-person learning on campus should retain the device and bring it to school for use in the classroom as needed, much like an assigned textbook.
Chromebooks will remain checked out to the student until a date to be later determined or at the end of the 2020–2021 school year, whichever comes first.
Meals for Remote Learners
Students in remote learning at home may purchase a meal for pickup from our school cafeteria. Learn more here.
Please note, menu options may be limited. If a parent or child in remote learning at home wishes to pick up a meal at school, accommodations must be made via email directly with the café manager, Mrs. Corinne Stewart, before 10:00 a.m. daily. All meals for remote learners must be picked up at the school’s front office during the regular meal schedule.
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.
Counselor's Corner
This week we focus on the following emotion management Calming Down:
When you have a strong feeling, it’s hard for your brain to think. After you use your stop signal and name your feeling, you’re ready to calm down! You can calm down by doing some slow deep belly breathing, counting, or using positive self-talk. Think for a moment about your favorite Way to Calm Down. Remember to use it this week if you need to. Calming down helps you think clearly!
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stated "I have a dream...." I invited our Tigers to share their dreams, too.
This month, we are, also, wrapping up our classroom guidance lessons on cyber responsibility and citizenship. 1st and 2nd grade students will explore what it means to be "online" and how to be safe in the cyber world. They will learn the three rules of being online:
- we only use the internet with adult permission,
- we only talk to people we know when we are online, and
- we only visit websites or play games that are right for us and that our parents or teachers have instructed us to use.
Our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students will be introduced to the "cyber citizens". They remind us that when we are online, we need to balance our time, be kind, stand up to unkind behavior, question what we see, keep our personal information private, and listen to our gut to stay safe. Our 4th and 5th graders will go into more depth about cyberbullying. They will learn what it means to be an active and passive bystander, and they will develop a game plan if they experience cyber bullying. Thank you for continuing these conversations at home with your Tigers!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I am happy to be of assistance. We are one family, one team!
Daylight Saving Time Resumes Sunday, March 14
Upcoming Events
02/01 - 02/28/21....Black History
02/22 - 02/26/21....Texas Public Schools Week
02/27/21.................5th Grade Girls' Kardivas 11 am - 12:15 pm @ WCH Park - Register Here
02/26/21................Instructional Status Change Form Due - Grading Period March 22 +
03/01 - 03/31/21....Music in our Schools Month
03/01 - 03/05/21....National School Breakfast Week
03/05/21................Student Holiday - No School for Tigers!
03/12/21................Student Early Release at 12:05 pm!
03/14/21................Daylight Saving Time Begins! Spring Forward 1 Hour.
03/15 - 03/19/21....Spring Break
03/22/21................In-person Learning Begins for the Grading Period That Begins March 22
03/24 - 04/23.........Virtual PreKinder and Kinder Round Up - Learn More
04/02/21................Staff and Student Holiday
04/05 - 04/09/21....National Assistant Principals' Week
04/12/21................Spring Picture Day! Purchase at mylifetouch.com ID #EVTHQKKH4.
04/19 - 04/23/21....National Library Week & Public School Volunteer Week
04/21/21................Administrative Professionals' Day
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