Tiger Talk
11/17/20
Thankful that we are one team, one family.
At Thanksgiving I find that I am more mindful of the people and things for which I am thankful. I am thankful for my family, my friends, and I am thankful that I belong to such a lovely Tiger family.
We have a beautiful school full of excited and engaged students. We have new opportunities this year to expand our campus to reach the homes of our remote teachers and remote learners. And, in so doing, we have discovered that learning can be fun, creative, effective, and inclusive regardless of where our Tigers happen to be located during the school day. We have the best PTO in the world and are situated in the best school district. How could I not be thankful for my good fortune.
I am extremely thankful for our Tiger family.
I wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
With warmest regards,
Melanie Beninga, Principal
Want to be involved? Be a homeroom parent!
Some of our classrooms do not have a homeroom parent to help organize class events. If you'd like to be more involved in your Tigers' class activities, check in with your Tigers' teachers to see if they are still looking for a homeroom parent. Thanks!
Baby Dino Puppet Art Demonstrated by Artist & Remote Learner Emily Roten
Staff Shout Outs
WCH Families,
In the last two weeks, 28 families submitted a shout out to a staff member. The smiles and tears shed by your words of appreciation in such a difficult time were priceless. 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
Congratulations to our West Cypress Classroom Spelling Bee Champions
Our Third Grade Class Champions are:
- Luke Hatfield
- Scarlett Norris
- Hayden McDaniel
- Saanvi Banerjee
- Harper Gardiner
Our Fourth Grade Class Champions are:
- Lucy Leach
- Declan Andrews
- Chandlyr Pelczar
- Joy McKinney
- Landon White
Our Fifth Grade Class Champions are:
- Raegan Ragland
- Teagan Jatzlau
- Haden Hatfield
- Hailey Burke
- Ryker Sacky
Congratulations to these Tigers for being class champions. We are proud of you and wish you the best in our upcoming December 11 West Cypress Spelling Bee.
Thank you, Mrs. Tara Ali, for being our faculty sponsor for our Spelling Bee.
WCHE Supports LTLOV's Green Santa 2020
With the holidays just a few weeks away, we would like to remind you that many Lake Travis families could use a little help from the rest of us. And, some of us may actually need help, too. So many of our neighbors are struggling financially due to the pandemic this year making it difficult for them to give their kids gifts.
Again this year, West Cypress Hills Elementary School is pleased to support LTLov by collecting new, unwrapped toys for Lake Travis families. We have donation boxes in the foyer, and, this year donations can also be made via PayPal. See the link in the photo below.
If you would like to apply for a Green Santa Gift Box for your family, please fill out this application form or download and print a form to complete manually here. As funding is limited, gifts will be awarded on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis and are not guaranteed. Once your application has been processed, you will receive an email or text with your Family Number. Gifts will be given to each child based on the selections made on the application. Applications will be accepted beginning Sunday, November 1, through Tuesday December 1 – applications must be received before Tuesday, December 1, to be processed.
If you would like to help out, this is where you can step in and be a “Neighbor Helping Neighbors”. Below are several ways you can make a difference during these special times:
- Make a cash donation to Green Santa with all funds going directly to kids in need by using the Donate box on the LTLov website.
- Buy a gift that has been preselected by our Green Santa Elves through Amazon.com by using the Shop Direct box on the LTLov website.
- Read for neighbors in need by participating in the Lake Travis Community Library Holiday Reading Challenge Benefiting Green Santa. If the community collectively reads 100,000 minutes from November 1 to December 31, the library will donate $1,000 to Green Santa. Click here for more information to help us meet that goal!
- Have your school-aged child experience the joy of giving by bringing a new, unwrapped toy for kids, infant through 17 years old, to school to fill our Green Santa Donation Bins, which will be at West Cypress from November 5 through December 3. Most needed items include, sports equipment, art supplies, games, blocks/building toys, trucks, dolls and HEB or Target gift certificates. At Lake Travis Independent School District, it has been a holiday tradition for the students to bring toys for children who may have little or no gifts for the holidays, and in 2020, the students will be experiencing the joy of giving. Teach your child the true meaning of the holidays by giving to others.
- Bring toys to one of our wonderful Green Santa Lake Travis businesses between November 17 and December 7.
- The holidays are just around the corner. Due to the pandemic, you may be looking for a unique way to spread holiday cheer. Consider a Give Back Event and host a Holiday Party Benefiting Green Santa following Covid-19 protocols with guests bringing an unwrapped toy for a needy child, and then drop them off at one of our school or supporting business locations. Use your imagination, events can be virtual or live. Registered children range in age from infant to 17 and live at or under the poverty line. Embrace the spirit of the giving season and throw a party with a higher purpose.
If you have and additional questions, please contact greensanta@ltlov.org.
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.)
Remote Learners Worked Hard for their APEX Prizes! Be sure to pick them up!
Any remaining prizes earned by our remote learners will be available for pick up at the school in the front foyer. The prizes are in clear Apex bags. Student names are written on the bags.
News from Nurse Hensel
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided helpful recommendations for celebrating Thanksgiving safely. I included a link (see the link above) to their recommendations.
I wish you all a safe and happy holiday!
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.
The Lake Travis Community Library Offers Reading Challenges on Beanstack!
Reading Challenges
The Lake Travis Community Library is excited to offer reading challenges on Beanstack all year round! With challenges for everybody, they encourage you and your entire family to sign up and earn badges for different reading activities! Active challenges are listed below.
Beanstack Challenge: Holiday Reading Challenge
Use Beanstack to log your reading minutes from November 1 through December 31. The LTCL challenges you to read 1,000 minutes – that’s just 20 minutes each day! If the community collectively reads 100,000 minutes, the Friends of the Lake Travis Community Library will donate $1,000 to LTLov’s Green Santa. Green Santa assists local children and families in need by providing meals, groceries, and gifts for the holidays. Registered children range in age from infant to 17 years and are living at or below the poverty line. Help us reach our community goal!
Beanstack Challenge: 1000 Books Before Kindergarten
Enjoy reading 1000 books together to help your little one prepare for Kindergarten! Children who are read to from birth have a larger vocabulary, a higher rate of academic success, and are more likely to become lifelong readers and learners. Reading together provides a great opportunity for bonding and will create lifelong memories for both of you. Log each book you and your newborn, infant, or toddler read together (yes, repeats count!) to earn badges to help you reach your goal.
*A reader under 5 years old must be registered to see this challenge in Beanstack.
How it works
- Register yourself and other family members on Beanstack or the Beanstack Tracker app on your mobile device.
- Log your reading and participate in fun reading activities to earn badges for the challenge!
- Happy reading!
And here's more news about the LTC Library Resources!
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, beginning Thursday, October 8.
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 12/4/20 for the grading period beginning 1/5/21
- Form Due Date is 2/19/21 for the grading period beginning 3/8/21.
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.
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.
Counselor's Corner
Our campus Second Step topic for this week is empathy:
Getting along with others helps make our school a happier place. To get along with others, we need to have empathy for each other. Empathy is feeling or understanding what someone else is feeling. This week, be a feelings detective! Try to notice how your classmates are feeling throughout the week. Watch their faces and bodies for clues!
Do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. We are one team, one family.
Join us for the Time Machine Book Fair!
Where: WCHE Library
When: November 26-December 9 (Virtual/Online Shopping)
December 7-11 (On-campus students shop in the library*)
*The Book Fair is not open to outside visitors or guests. Thank you for your understanding.
- Step 1: Students will preview the Book Fair the week of November 30th to create “wish lists” to share with parents.
- Step 2: Parents set up an eWallet account (watch the eWallet video)
- Step 3: Students shop for books the week of December 7th during their designated class time.
- Step 4: Enjoy your books!
*In an effort to keep our Book Fair operating safely, we will be accepting payment through Scholastic eWallet or checks only. Cash is not allowed. (watch the eWallet video)
Online access to all of our Book Fair titles are available in a new and unique format! Shop the fair virtually with a 360 degree tour! All purchases will be shipped directly to your home. All funds raised through the online Book fair directly benefit our school library and library programs. Online shopping opens on November 26th. Happy Reading!
Shop the Scholastic Online Fair Here
Thank you for your continued support of our school!
Cathy Seidenberger, WCHE Librarian
Upcoming Events
11/01 - 12/01/20...Apply for Green Santa Gift Box via LTLov
11/05 - 12/03/20...Donate Toys/Gifts or $ to Support Green Santa via LTLov
11/23 - 11/27/20....Thanksgiving Holiday - No School!
11/26 - 12/09/20....Shop our Virtual Book Fair Here.
12/04/20................Instructional Status Change Form Due - Grading Period January 5 +
12/07 - 12/11/20....WCHE Book Fair! More Information Coming Soon!
12/10/20................3rd Grade Virtual Field Trip to the Nutcracker
12/11/20................WCHE Spelling Bee - 3rd, 4th, and 5th Graders 9 - 10:30 am
12/18/20................Classroom Winter Holiday Party Day. View Party Schedule Here.
12/21 - 01/04/21....Winter Holiday - No School for Students
01/05/21................In-person Learning Begins for the Grading Period That Begins January 5
02/19/21................Instructional Status Change Form Due - Grading Period March 8 +
03/08/21................In-person Learning Begins for the Grading Period That Begins March 8
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