If you did not receive a mobile WiFi hotspot or Chromebook during the LTISD initial device deployment last week, our Technology and Information Systems Services Department has scheduled a second pickup. Between 2:00 and 5:00 pm, Wednesday, April 1 and Thursday, April 2, we will distribute hotspots and Chromebooks to parents who previously completed a Google form for technology assistance. Please note, there is a limit of one (1) mobile WiFi hotspot per family.

The distribution will occur via drive-thru method at the Lake Travis ISD Technology/Distribution Center located at 16101 W. Highway 71, Building B, adjacent to our Transportation Department.

A parent/guardian signature will be required in order to receive any device(s). You will be asked to provide your child’s student ID number, per device. Devices will not be released without your child’s student ID number.

Questions or concerns should be directed to our LTISD HelpDesk at helpdesk@ltisdschools.org.

Through this communication, LTISD Learning & Teaching Services hopes to give you the tools and guidance necessary to ensure that profound learning experiences take place as in LTISD Online Learning. We also want to assure you that LTISD understands the circumstances many of our families are going through right now, including the fact that many of our students may be responsible for watching their younger siblings. We pledge to be flexible and work with our families to ensure the exceptional education we are known for still takes place during this time. We encourage you to keep in touch with your child(ren)’s educator(s) throughout our Online Learning process to let them know how learning is happening in your home. Here is some information about Online Learning our families should know:

What is LTISD Online Learning?

LTISD Online Learning is an educational learning experience in which there is a physical separation of educators and learners during instruction. These learning experiences include the facilitation of educator to learner, as well as learner to learner communication opportunities.

What does Online Learning mean for my child?

This means your child will be working through daily learning experience in order to support all areas of their learning. Educators will design the self-paced experiences using online resources. Schoology (linked below) is the district adopted learning management platform which integrates with state-adopted online textbooks.

What will be taught during LTISD Online Learning?

We are working to ensure consistency within instruction across the district and adhering to our Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). We will be continuing with our 2019-2020 scope and sequence of coursework; however, the delivery will now be virtual. We will be prioritizing core classes (Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies) initially, and will begin incorporating electives into the weekly online learning experiences.

What if my learner receives specialized services through Special Education, 504, Dyslexia, English Language Learner, Dual Language or Gifted and Talented?

We are working to ensure access to instruction for learners with a variety of needs. We are continuing to take guidance from the state and federal government in meeting these needs. While the main instruction will be guided by the general education teacher, specialized services and support will be provided to each learner based on their individual needs. Along with instructional activities, we are designing ways to continue to provide therapies in Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) such as speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social skills, behavior consultation, parent training, and counseling as a related service. Each individual program will work in collaboration with educators and families to be sure that learning plans meet the needs of our learners in light of the current circumstances.

Course Assessments and Grading

These circumstances will require a modification in how assessments are designed and delivered. The type of assignments, the number of assignments, as well as the number of quizzes/tests and how they are delivered and assessed will necessarily be reduced to limit the amount of time required for students to prepare for and to complete them. We are striving to ensure a healthy balance of 1.) online and offline learning experiences, 2.) physical activities and mindfulness brain breaks, and 3.) academic and social-emotional needs of your child.

Online Learning Considerations

• Accessibility - It will be important for you to assist, as needed, logging into your devices and ensuring your child is accessing the learning provided. Younger learners may need more support with logging into and navigating through the various applications for learning as they get started.

• Monitoring and Discussing the Learning - It will be important for you to monitor your child’s learning as well as monitor them when they are using their devices.

• Reading Communication from Educators and Reaching Out - It will be very important for you and your child to be knowledgeable of the communication happening with emails to parents as well as daily messages or agenda items for learners within their schedules. We are asking that you please reach out to your educator if you are having issues with accessing the learning experiences as well as to submit a LTISD Helpdesk Ticket if you are having issues with your device or wireless access.

Schoology How To’s and Access, Log-in, Navigation to Online Resources

To ensure we have given all of our families and learners the time to get acclimated with this new type of online learning, we encourage you to review the help resources to access the learning management system Schoology, as well as the online resources through our student learning portal necessary to help support their overall learning. If you need assistance logging in or working with Schoology, please email Schoology@ltisdschools.org, and we will assist you as soon as possible.

• Schoology

• Parent Guides to Learning Technologies

• LTISD Student Learning Portal

For information on additional topics including wireless accessibility/free internet access, library resources, updates from the Texas Education Agency, State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®), AP® courses and testing, UT OnRamps and Austin Community College Dual Credit, visit the Online Learning section at www.ltisdschools.org/covid19.

We ask for your patience, flexibility and support as we introduce a new era of learning and the exciting opportunities ahead for our teachers, students and families!

Monday, March 23, Lake Travis ISD staff began providing free meals to children 0-18 years of age. Packaged breakfast and lunch are available for pickup together between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. at each of our three middle school campuses:

• Bee Cave Middle School - 5400 Vail Divide, Austin, 78738
• Hudson Bend Middle School -15600 Lariat Trail, Austin, 78734
• Lake Travis Middle School - 4932 Bee Creek Road, Spicewood, 78669

1. Official letter/email/electronic school application from the school listing the indiviudal child's current enrollment
2. Report card for each individual child
3. Attendance record from parent portal of the school website, printed or electronic, for each individual child
4. School ID of each individual child

While some of you may be eager to volunteer your time and services during our meal pickup, we must keep in mind and adhere to local and state restrictions limiting public gatherings. Our outstanding food service department has this under control. We sincerely appreciate your concern and willingness to help.

For more information, visit the Coronavirus section on the Lake Travis ISD website, or email foodservice@ltisdschools.org.

Teachers will have “office hours” twice daily, Mondays through Thursdays. Office Hours (shown below) are scheduled according to grade level. The purpose of these office hours is to connect with students, reteach content, and answer students' questions. These must be done using Google Hangout. Teachers will be in a live Hangout for the duration of the hour and respond to emails that have come in from students. Parents are welcome to send an email to the teacher in the event that the parent has questions or concerns. The teacher will respond as soon as possible. Parents and students will access office hours through a permanent Google Hangout/Meets link posted in your Schoology Course. Calendar invites will not be used to facilitate office hours.

Teachers will use Fridays to provide feedback to students and hold private conferences, as needed.

Things to consider when participating in a Google Hangout:

• We will follow these Video Conferencing Etiquette Rules.

• Quick tip #1: Ctrl-D will mute your microphone. You can also turn off your camera. Students should mute their microphones unless they are talking.

• Quick tip #2: You can turn on “captions” at the bottom of the screen. This helps when the internet cuts a bit and you miss what folks are saying for some reason. “Captions” captures it!

• Quick tip #3: Students should use the chat feature to post questions. This helps the teacher to see when similar questions keep popping up that need to be addressed, to control the order in which questions are asked, and to control the amount of potential talking over each other that can happen in an online meeting format. Meeting on a laptop or Chromebook will allow students to use the chat feature.

• Be sure that you are on time.

More information about our online learning is available here.

Thanks to our fabulous PTO, supplies can be ordered online from schoolkidz at your convenience! The online prepackaged grade level supplies can be ordered until June 12, 2020. If you purchase your student school supplies online, the supplies will be delivered to the school before the first day of school. Grade appropriate kits are available to order online now. Click here and use account #79519 to view the kits.

We also have lists of the school supplies for 2020-2021 so that, if you prefer, you can purchase the supplies on your own from any source convenient to you. Feel free to drop off the school supplies that you've purchased at our Meet the Teacher event in August.

*3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Students also need to have student planners for the 2020-2021 school year. These are sold separately from the prepackaged supply kits. Planners cost $6 each. We can accept cash or checks payable to WCHE. Planners can be purchased at the school during the Meet the Teacher Event or from the front desk any time on or after the first day of school.

By 06/12/20..........2020-2021 School Supply Kits Available for Order Online

03/01 - 03/31/20......Celebrating Music in our Schools Month

03/01 - 03/31/20......Celebrating Women's History Month

04/06 - 04/10/29......Celebrating National Assistant Principals' Week

04/09/20..................Six Flags Reading Program Ends Today

04/19 - 04/25/20......National Library Week & Public School Volunteer Week

04/22/20..................Administrative Professionals' Day

05/01/20..................School Lunch Hero Day

05/01 - 05/31/20......National PE & Sports Month

05/04 - 05/08/20......Teacher Appreciation Week & School Nutrition Employee Week

05/04/20..................Tigers Return to School

05/04/20..................Student Council End of the Year Party

05/06/20..................National School Nurses' Day

05/06/20..................Public School Paraprofessional Day

05/08/20..................Wear Tiger Spirit Wear to KG -2nd Grade Assembly @ 7:40 am RSVP

05/08/20..................5th Grade Field Trip to Camp Buckner

05/15/20..................Wear Tiger Spirit Wear to 3rd - 5th Grade Assembly @ 7:40 am RSVP

05/15/20..................2nd Grade Field Trip to Johnson City Science Mill

05/20/20..................Minute to Win It

05/21/20..................End of Year Classroom Parties

05/22/20..................Last Day of School - Early Release @ Noon - No Extended Care Today

Extended Care

Student Online Lunch Accounts

WCH Menus

WCH PTO

WCH Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students)