The Titan Times: Week 8

• Message from the Principal
• Mark Your Calendars and Links to District and Lunch Calendars
• APEX Fundraiser Stats
• Growing a Titan Mindset and Connection Every Day!
• Leander ISD Opportunities & Upcoming Election Information: Leander ISD Props A & B
• Destination Imagination Information- Due Friday!
• Counselor's Connection Info
• Ways to Stay Engaged & Volunteer

Titan Families,

Isn't it "batty" that we are in the month of October already!?!?! The time is flying by! This week we are putting the spotlight on our custodial crew. Millie and Manuel (and soon Elizabeth) are our staff who take care of our surroundings by keeping them clean and organized. We extend a warm thanks to them and hope you will spend this week getting to know them more and find ways to show gratitude for their service to our community.

For a recap on our APEX fundraiser, please read further down in this newsletter. Again, thank you very much for your generosity over the last few weeks. This week you will see the Chick-fil-A cow on campus to promote our first Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, October 5th from 5-8 PM. Come on out, Titans, for some food and fun as we continue to support our campus. You can drive thru or dine-in; either way, be sure to say you're there for River Place Elementary!

Last week we launched our Run/Read club and with that comes a lot of planning to support our campus. Our PTA is organizing a volunteer effort to support the functions of our campus so that we can provide this time for our Titans. Please consider volunteering any time your schedule allows. We'd love to have you on campus! If you are a volunteer, many thanks and a reminder to please be sure to check-in at the front office for a badge.

We are here to serve, and we are blessed to a part of your child's development and growth. Thanks in advance for your consideration in service. Here's to another lively week of striving and thriving in our community!

Thank you,

Dr. Amy Sharp

Proud RPE Principal

October: Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month/ National Principal Month

• 3rd- 7th Custodial Appreciation Week
• 5th: Chick-fil-A Spirit Night (Four Points) 5-8 PM/ World Teachers' Day
• 10-14th National School Lunch Week/ Child Nutrition Appreciation Week
• 10th Staff Development Day- No School for Students
• 11th Staff Development Day- No School for Students
• 12th: VHS Feeder Pattern: Coffee Chat to Learn about Prop A & B (See flyer)
• 13th Fall Picture Day
• 17th First Day of the 2nd Nine Weeks/ National School Bus Safety Week
• 18th Vandegrift High School Trunk or Treat (See flyer)
• 19th Unity Day- Wear Orange!
• 21st PTA Hosts River Place Elementary's Fall Fest 5:30- 7:30 PM
• 22nd Vandegrift High School Little Diggers (See flyer)
• 24th- 28th Red Ribbon Week. (See flyer)
• 31st 5th Grade Performance for Parents 8 AM (more details to come)

Does your 3rd-5th grade child like to build, design, invent, create, perform, and work with a team to solve challenges? If so, he or she might be interested in participating in Destination Imagination (DI). DI is an extracurricular, school- sponsored program that fosters creativity, team-based problem-solving skills and life skills for students. Leander ISD DI is open to all students in third through twelfth grades. The goal of DI is to cultivate the creative problem-solving process and make it an unconscious part of students’ everyday lives.

If your child is interested in participating in DI, you will need to submit a registration form. There are two ways to submit this form. One way is to print a copy of the 2022-2023 DI Student Registration Form, fill it out, and either scan and email it to your campus rep at jason.tutone@leanderisd.org or return it to your campus. All registration forms are due by Friday, October 7th.

• High Schools
• Middle Schools
• Elementary Schools
• Technology
• Ancillary Services
• Security

The ballot for this November’s elections will include two Leander ISD propositions.

Proposition A is an Attendance Credit Election. Due to an increase in local property values, the state is removing about $31.2 million from our district through a mechanism that is often called Robin Hood. If LISD voters approve Proposition A, the district will make its required recapture payment to the state. If Proposition A fails, the state could remove dollars from our schools by forcing some taxpayers to start paying taxes to a different district instead of LISD.

Proposition B is a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election. By approving Proposition B, voters would ratify the tax rate set by the LISD Board of Trustees and generate an additional $32 million for academics in LISD, including teacher pay and the continuity of programs.

For much more information about these propositions, please visit LeanderISD.org/elections.

Let’s Learn with Bruce: Elections

In an effort to create educational awareness about the November ballot, Leander ISD is hosting a series of conversations. Superintendent Bruce Gearing, Ed.D., will lead a discussion about Propositions A & B over the next several weeks ahead of the November 8 election.

Due to sizable recent increases in property appraisals across our region, the district’s property values have reached a point that has triggered two elections: an Attendance Credit Election (ACE) and a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE).

We encourage the community at-large to learn more about these ballot issues during the following opportunities:

• Wednesday, Oct. 5 – 12pm, virtual Zoom webinar (link coming soon
  

• Wednesday, Oct. 19 – 6:30pm, Facebook LIVE

• Friday, Oct. 21 – 12pm at LISD LEO Conference Center

• Wednesday, Oct. 26 – 6:30pm, virtual Zoom webinar (link coming soon)

Please use this link Let’s Learn with Bruce: Elections to let us know you’re attending. While sign-up is not required, it helps us plan for how many participants to expect. We have provided a number of Prop A & B resources as well as voting information.

What is River Place Run/Read Club:

• A morning walk or jog is a great way to start the day and a healthy habit to form. Encourage your kids by volunteering for this event!
• It is also a great way to see your kids interact with friends in their grade level.
• We need parent support to keep this program going strong. Your words of encouragement as they run laps go a long way to encourage the students.
• Students will either run around the track and earn prizes, OR they may read silently to self in the gym.
• Volunteers and teachers will help set up the tables, help students get their badges, log laps run, motivate kids, give out rewards for laps run, and collect badges and take down tables when Run Club is finished.
• After Run Club, at 7:50, Mr. Grace will pick up the students and take them to the cafeteria. Students who have not had breakfast yet will do so then.

Time: 7:10-7:50

Place: Check in at the front receptionist desk and then head to the MPR (Multi-Purpose Room across from the cafeteria)

Questions: please contact/text Tracey Schalscha at 602-558-0248

YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED LISD VOLUNTEER. Read below this Monday Memo for more info on how to register. Watch for the "Click Here for LISD Volunteer Registration" button.

Run or Read Club Schedule:

(May dates may change due to STAAR testing)

Here are our Titan Community Communication Tools-

• River Place Elementary School Website
• Twitter Account
• PTA Facebook Page
• Remind App for River Place Insiders

Email: ContactTeacher@leanderisd.org
Website: https://riverplace.leanderisd.org/
Location: 6500 Sitio Del Rio Blvd, Austin, TX 78730, USA
Phone: 512-570-6911
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiverPlaceElementaryPTA/
Twitter: @RiverPlaceTitan