THURSDAY'S THUNDERWORD

What a great start to a new year! Our Thunderbirds are staying safe and are ready to learn! Good job on getting to school on time – and calling the campus with your questions.

We are looking forward to an amazing year Thunderbirds!

Sincerely,

Michelle Amezquita-Navarro, Principal, Travis Heights Elementary

Ragnar Rowland, Assistant Principal, Travis Heights Elementary

Join your child’s teacher for Back to School Night on August 31st. Teachers will show their classroom learning spaces, discuss schedules, routines, learning targets, and other important information about the school year. Below is the schedule.We will not provide childcare. We ask parents to please make childcare arrangements to allow teachers and parents the opportunity to share and listen to the presentations. Thank you for understanding. We will hold other opportunities where all Thunderbirds are able to attend.

• 4:00-4:30 PM: Staff Introductions & PTA meeting Meeting will be held in the gym.

• Classroom Presentation Rotations

• 1st rotation: 4:30-5:00 PM

• 2nd rotation: 5:00-5:30 PM

• 3rd rotation: 5:30-6:00 PM

Just a reminder the district will be closed in observance of Labor Day on September 4th. Enjoy your time off and stay safe!

Essential Areas & FLEX Schedule

Students will attend P.E. (Physical Education), Art, and Music on a MAP rotation Classes are in 60 min intervals. So please send your children gym shoes and clothes.

FLEX Schedule

Students will participate in a FLEX Schedule weekly for 45 minutes, unless otherwise noted:

• Health and Wellness
  

• Library/STREAM (every other week)

• Counselor (guidance lessons) (every other week)

Morning assemblies are held every 1st Friday of the month for 3rd-5th graders and every 2nd Friday of the month for K-2nd graders. Assemblies are reserved for Thunderbirds only. Morning assemblies begin at 7:30 am, during morning arrival, and AISD district policy (no parents in school during morning arrival) applies. In the event your child is performing or being recognized for an award, the teacher will contact you to attend the assembly. Families please be prepared to check-in at the office with your ID upon arrival if you are contacted to attend the assembly. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to create the safest environment possible for our students and staff.

Our coffee chat topic is Helpful Hints for Busy Parents, GT Information, and Title I Status. We will be sharing ways to start the school year on a positive note. Please join us for coffee and conversation on Friday, September 29th at 8:00 a.m. in the Library. A light breakfast will be served. This is a great opportunity to meet other parents from our school community and get to know some of the wonderful things about our school. We look forward to seeing you!

September 4th - 8th

Next week, all of THES will be celebrating the beginning of the school year with some school spirit! We are looking forward to seeing our Thunderbirds get spirited!

• Tuesday: School Spirit Colors (Wear red and white.)

• Wednesday: Wacky Tacky Day (Wear something wacky and tacky!)

• Thursday: Fancy Pants (Wear something fancy.)

• Friday: Thinking Hats On! (Wear a hat.)

Thunderbird Pride is held every Friday from 1:00-2:00pm. This is another way we recognize and celebrate our students for their academic achievements and for demonstrating SEL/ROCKS (Responsible, Organized, Considerate, Kind, Scholars) skills.

Teachers nominate two students each week. One student is recognized for academic achievement and the other for demonstrating SEL/ROCKS skills. The teacher presents students with the Thunderbird Pride certificate indicating the achievement.

On Fridays, teachers send Thunderbird Pride students to the office to be recognized by our administration team. The admin team celebrates the students by reading their certificates, adding their signature, and inviting students to choose a prize from the table.

Congratulate your Thunderbirds if they come home with a Thunderbird Pride certificate on Friday!

Welcome back Thunderbirds! We are excited to start the 2023-2024 school year. The Austin ISD district-wide GT service model for elementary students is cluster grouping. This means that students who have been identified as GT and/or TE will be placed into a cluster, or small group, with other students who are identified as GT and/or TE with a teacher who completed a GT Foundations Training and annual GT Update training. In addition to district-wide services, our campus received a grant and is working on creating an Innovation lab with a 3-D printer, robotics, and more to serve GT/TE and all THES students.

Gifted and Talented services are implemented at the campus level and are one component of the Advanced Academic department. For additional information and resources, please visit the district Advanced Academics website at https://www.austinisd.org/advanced-academics.

Upcoming dates!

• Virtual Family Workshop – Raising Critical Thinkers, hosted by ThinkLaw and AustinISD Advanced Academics -Note: This workshop is recommended for ALL families, not just families of GT learners.

August 29, 6:00 PM or August 30, 12:00 PM

https://bit.ly/AISDGTINFO

• Virtual Gifted & Talented Information Session:
  September 19, 2023 @6 p.m. or September 20, 2023 @ noon (https://Bit.ly/AISDGTINFO). Contact advancedacademics@austinisd.org with questions or for more information.

• GT Referral Window for 2023-2024: September 18 - October 6

Our campus is looking for two - three parent volunteers who are parents of an Emergent bilingual or English Language Learner to serve on our LPAC committee. If interested please contact our LPAC chair Mr. Ragnar Rowland at ragnar.rowland@austinisd.org or at 512-414-4495. If you are interested there is about an hour training that we would do to get you to be on the LPAC list. After that we would meet once every two- three weeks. Thank you for your willingness to help out Parent volunteer form

Families please click below for information on AISD’s student conduct policies.

Student Success | Austin ISD

Research shows that when parents are involved in schools, students achieve more, attendance is better, grades and test scores are higher and graduation rates increase. Students are also more likely to reach their highest potential for intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth. Family involvement in education is critical for the success of students. To accomplish this, parents, teachers, and students need to work together. We ask that you agree to do this by signing and returning this agreement to your classroom teacher. If you need a paper version please request one from your classroom teacher and one will be provided to you.

Parent Compact

The THES Parent Handbook has tons of great information in making this year a success such as Arrival & Dismissal, Breakfast in Class (BIC), After School Care, Visitors, Volunteers, Birthdays and more!

ParentHandbook 2023-24

THES Climate & Culture Plan outlines expectations for student behavior, dress code, and positive support systems here. This must be signed by a parent and returned to the school. Use the links below to print, sign, and return to your classroom teacher. There will also be an opportunity to sign it at Back to School Night.

Climate and Culture Plan (English)
Climate and Culture Plan (Spanish)

THES Family/Parent Engagement Policy

The faculty, family/parents, staff, and community members of the Travis Heights Elementary shall develop and agree upon a written policy for parental involvement during the development and review of the campus improvement plan. To accomplish this, parents, teachers, and students need to work together. We ask that you please read and review the THES Family/Parent Engagement Policy. If you need a paper version please request one from your classroom teacher and one will be provided to you.

THES Family/Parent Engagement Policy

The District is mandated by the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) to provide written notification to all parents, teachers, and employee organizations regarding the availability of asbestos management plans for District facilities. This notification is required even if your facility does not have any asbestos-containing building materials.

The District is mandated by the Texas Structural Pest Control Act that requires chief administrators of schools, educational institutions, and daycare centers, to provide written notifications of the types of pesticides used and their scheduled application to parents or guardians of children attending the facility. This information should be available, upon request, in the school office. It will be furnished to you by the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Department prior to each application.

Annual Parent Notification Letters

PTA chair positions

Thunderbird Parents do a lot to support the school and all our kids. We are looking to fill our Merchandise and Fundraising chair positions. Please contact volunteers@travisheightselementary.com or sign up on the website if you want to learn more about these roles.

Lunchroom monitors

One of the best ways to volunteer in an ongoing capacity is as a Lunchroom Monitor. You can come once a week (or more!), and sign up month to month or for the semester. Use this form to sign up for a 45 minute slot.

Don’t know what to expect? Take a sneak peak at the instructions and cafeteria procedures here.

Lunchroom monitoring allows the teachers to take a lunch break so your help is greatly appreciated!

Hello, THES community, Thank You for the warm welcome and for the opportunity to serve our community. I’m excited about this new school year to partner with you in the education of our students.

Sincerely,

Ragar Rowland,

Assistant Principal, Travis Heights Elementary

Meet our new Instructional Coach!

Hello! I am Maria Caiseda and I was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I've been a teacher for almost 15 years and have been teaching in Austin for 9 years. I am excited to be joining the Travis Heights community and support THES teachers.

Maria Caiseda Alvarez

Travis Heights Elementary

Instructional Coach

My name is Amy Heath and I have been with the district for 16 years. I am very excited to be working at Travis Heights joining Gloria Cano to help our students know and name their feelings. They always say, if you can name them, you can tame them. Our program will help the students, staff and families work together to explore different topics surrounding Social and emotional learning and the importance of knowing the skills and resources to help us be the best people we can be.

Visitor Safety Protocol- Every school visitor during school hours (7:30 am- 3:10pm) must check in at the front office with a picture ID.

Because of our visitor safety protocol, we were unable to let parents walk their children to their class on the first day of school. We appreciate your understanding! Teachers and staff were ready to welcome your children at the door and ensure they get to their classrooms safely.

School Start Time

• Doors open at 7:10 a.m. for morning drop-off
• Official school start time for students is 7:40 a.m.
• Students are late if they are not in their classrooms at 7:45 a.m.

School End Time

• Doors for dismissal will open at 3:10 p.m. (*For the first week of school, we will begin dismissal at 3:00 p.m. because we know systems running efficiently take some time.)

PK3- Different Schedule

• Morning Session 7:30 am- 11:10 am
• Afternoon session 11:15am- 2:45 pm

We have adjusted our arrival and dismissal procedures to ensure the safety of all our Thunderbirds. Thank you for your patience and we ask that you give us grace to work through the kinks. Everyday it gets better!

PK3, PK4, K,& 3rd Grade-Students will enter through cafeteria doors and wait for their teachers to pick them up. Cafeteria doors close at 7:40 am. If arriving tardy after 7:40 am, students must enter through the main doors.

1st, 2nd, 4th, & 5th Grade-Students will enter through the main doors and walk to the gym where they will wait for their teachers to pick them up.

Teachers will pick-up their students up at 7:30 am from the cafeteria or gym for “Breakfast In The Classroom.”

Parents today at dismissal provided all car-rider parents with YELLOW display papers to fill out and put onto the dash of the car for easier pick up! If you did not get one- please ask a staff member and they will provide you with one. This will facilitate a quick and easy transition from school to car!

Car Riders are considered students whose parents remain in their vehicles in the car line. We ask parents to enter Alameda from Woodward. Please place the dismissal tag with your child’s name on the right side of the windshield (passenger's side). If you walk up to the door we will not dismiss your child. Please help us by deciding how your child will go home and remain constant on the way they are dismissed to help make dismissal run smoothly.

PreK3- Will be dismissed from the portable.

PreK4-5th grade students will be escorted to their family’s vehicle.

Walkers are considered students whose parents walk up to the school to pick up their child. Students will be located in the gym. Parents will use the trail located in the back of the school and line up at the gym's main doors. We ask that parents bring their

dismissal tag when they are picking up their child. We recommend you park within the neighborhood or on the other side of the park walking across the park and entering through the gates in back to get in line to pick up your child.

PreK3- Will be dismissed from the portable.

PreK4-5th grade students will be escorted to their parents.

Independent Walkers are students who have parent/guardian permission to leave campus grounds independently at 3:10 pm. Teachers must have written permission and parents/guardians understand students will not be under school supervision once released.

School Messenger- S'more Newsletter, Email, and Robo Calls

School Messenger is our district system to send mass communication. This is what I use to send the family weekly S'more newsletter, mass emails from THES, or robo calls. The phone number and email you entered when registering your child is where you receive this information. This is why it is very important to keep this information current, provide an email you check often, and a working phone number.

Dojo

Last year, many of you asked for better communication. After looking at different options, we decided to implement an app called Class Dojo campus wide. This free program enables teachers and parents to communicate directly, allows the school to send out campus wide news and reminders, and translates into over 30 languages. The app also compliments Social Emotional Learning, which is a major component of our Whole Child Pillar.

We invite you to download the app to your phone and create an account! If you need help creating a new account or would like instructions on how to do it, please speak with your teacher or come by the office.

AISD Parent Portal

It is very important that if you do not have an AISD Parent Portal account, you set one up as soon as possible. This is where you will find your child's report cards, attendance, bus information, registration, and so much more!

https://portal.austinisd.org/

Next week we will start the process of distributing devices to all students. We will be working with your teachers to make sure every student has a working Chromebook, IPad. Once your student has received the new devices they will be instructed to keep them in class and not take them home unless working on a school project or homework.

There are changes to policies related to devices this year. It is inevitable that some devices will be damaged or lost over time. AISD has a new policy regarding lost or damaged devices.

First lost charger is replaced from campus stock.

• Second and beyond are charged $15/per charger to the campus fund for purchasing stock once district-supplied chargers have been exhausted for the year OR student replaces it.First incidental damage or lost device is replaced from campus stock.

  • Second and beyond are charged $50/per device to the campus fund for purchasing stock once district-supplied devices have been exhausted for the year.

  • Parents- This is a link to the document that students will be signing this year regarding appropriate usage of technology at our school. ( This was created by the district) Student Technology promise of Responsibility

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Any questions regarding this policy can be directed to your school’s device manager Nathan Dalton, nathan.dalton@austinisd.org or you can reach out to the district technology team which can be found here:

• https://www.austinisd.org/technology/family-technology-resources

We appreciate you helping us keep your student’s devices ready for all the exciting things they will accomplish this year.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFA3zvZ3ZQ/gh75hcUO0RwnH94oJ4sKFw/view?utm_content=DAFA3zvZ3ZQ&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

The 2023-24 school year is a pivotal data collection year for many of our schools participating in the CEP program, as we must recertify eligibility for the program every four years. Schools qualify for CEP by the number of students directly certified for free meals, most commonly by receiving state funded benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In addition to sharing the news about free meals, we encourage continued promotion of families applying for SNAP, to help keep your school eligible for CEP and other types of education funding. Learn more about state funded benefits here.

Depending on what time your child has lunch, teachers may offer your child a snack. If so, families may be asked to bring snacks for the whole class. Please ask what snacks are appropriate because some students are dealing with severe food allergies. All snacks should be healthy (fruits/veggies/whole grain crackers, etc). Please avoid sending sugary drinks and snacks high in sugar. Candy and sodas are not permitted.

Breakfast is served from 7:40-8:00 am in the classroom. Lunch times are scheduled by classroom; please check with your teacher for the exact time. Parents may come and eat lunch with their child only (they may not bring other students) on Wednesdays and Fridays only starting the 4th week of school (week of September 5th). Due to limited dining space in the cafeteria, tables reserved for parent/student lunch are located outside the cafeteria doors and under the blue top.

*NOTE for PK Parents: Lunch with PK students will begin OCTOBER 1.

Meal Prices for SY24:

Breakfast:

• Full Price (All Levels): $1.75

• Reduced-Price (All Levels): FREE

• Adult/Guest: $3.25

Lunch:

• Full Price - Elementary Schools: $3.25

• Full Price - Middle & High Schools: $3.50

• Reduced-Price (All Levels): $0.40

• Adult/Guest: $5.00

It is recommended that families whose students are eligible for General Education transportation to check their bus information by checking the district’s “Bus Stop Finder''. Families whose students have special needs will receive their information in person from their bus teams. *Please keep in mind routes and stops may change periodically.

AISD’s transportation team offers families the “WheresTheBus” app, which provides timely information about the location of their student’s assigned bus only, including when it will arrive at their stop. Please promote the app to your school communities.

The free app is available on any device with internet access (smartphone, tablet, personal computer, iPad)—and takes less than five minutes to install. Instructions are available at https://www.austinisd.org/transportation.

Review Guidelines Governing Student Conduct on School Buses

AISD school buses are an extension of the classrooms—and student safety and behavior on buses are a top priority. Please review the duties and responsibilities of students, drivers, parents, and administrators to ensure the safety of our students, which are available at https://www.austinisd.org/transportation

Our safety protocols have been updated and reviewed with faculty and staff. We will now have a staff member in the front lobby to greet and direct or escort parents to the front office. We will continue to run our monthly safety drills for students and staff to prepare in case of inclement weather or an emergency situation. Parents will be welcomed into the school for official school business or volunteer opportunities which require a background check with APIE. We ask that you bring your identification so we can properly check you into our system. You might have noticed we have secured the perimeter of the building with padlocks on our fences. The fence gates will open at 6:30 am and close at 7:45 am. The fence gates will open again at the end of the school day at 3:00 pm for parents to have access to pick up their child and close at 6:00 pm. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact administration.

Visitors are welcomed into the school for official school business or volunteer opportunities which require a background check with APIE https://austinpartners.org/. All visitors are required to check in at the front office with their identification. Meetings with teachers during their planning or volunteering in the classroom requires an appointment with the teacher.

We will be having our evacuation and lockdown drills this week. Part of keeping our students safe is to regularly practice these drills. The evacuation drill is one that we would use in the event of a fire or unsafe conditions inside the building. The lock down drill is one that would be used in the event of an active shooter. Please talk this over with your child/ren so that they’re not surprised or anxious. Thank you for your help with this.

Our safety protocols have been updated and reviewed with faculty and staff. Per AISD policy, families are not allowed in the building when dropping off their child during arrival and when picking up their child during dismissal. All visitors must check in at the front office. In addition, we now have a staff member in the front lobby to greet and direct or escort parents to the front office. Per new TEA requirements, weekly exterior door sweeps are conducted. Our campus now has a secured perimeter with padlocks on our fences. Fence gates open at 6:30 am and close at 7:45 am. Fence gates open again at the end of the school day at 3:00 pm for families to have access to pick up their child and close at 6:00 pm. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact administration. We continue to run our monthly safety drills for students and staff to prepare in case of inclement weather or an emergency situation.

AISD Weather Guidelines

Temperature guidelines have been established in order to provide a safe and healthy environment for students participating in outdoor activities at Austin ISD.

The listed temperatures, heat indexes, and wind-chill factors are designated figures for terminating and/or modifying outdoor activities including: Athletics, Fine Arts, PE, and recess.

AISD_Temperature Weather Guidelines_2022-2023

The AISD Office of Human Capital places high value on Teacher and Employee well-being as essential to our overall success as a district. The benefits of expressing gratitude and recognizing staff are limitless. Please join us in prioritizing our RAVE Employee Recognition program!

What is a RAVE?

The RAVE (Recognizing All Valuable Employees) program helps us honor our AISD employees who take the extra steps to provide equitable and exceptional experiences for our students, families, staff, and community members.

• Each campus Principal will be provided with 12 Silver Rave pins to personally acknowledge a staff member each month. Each Chief and Executive Director will also be provided with a number of pins to acknowledge staff members. Please be on the lookout for this special delivery to your campus/department, and ask your front office staff to share the special Rave envelope with you.

• Additionally, anyone can submit a digital Rave online ! We share all positive Rave submissions with each employee and their Principal or Supervisor. Please spread the word about Raves with your school/department community.

Save the Date - Austin ISD Showcase - September 23: Austin ISD is hosting our 2nd annual district wide Showcase on Saturday, September 23, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Palmer Events Center. This event will include external community partners as exhibitors, internal departments, all schools, community service providers, student performances and interactive activities.

THES is excited to announce that we have spaces available in our Early Childhood programs. Our 3-year-old program is a half-day and it includes dual language and traditional class options. Our PreK 4 program is a full-day and it includes dual language and traditional class options. Classes are FREE to qualified families, and there are a limited number of tuition-based places available. Spread the Thunderbird word – we want you to join our nest

YMCA/EXTEND A CARE

Registration for the 2023-24 school year is open!

23-24 After school Fees information:

• Registration fee: $40

• Monthly fees by district:

• AISD: $280

Financial Assistance is available. Some schools are already receiving a reduced rate option. Refer A Friend: Know someone who needs childcare? Refer a Friend to the EAC YMCA Afterschool Program and you can earn a $25 credit added to your account! All they need to do is mention your name on their application. Refer as many friends as you want!

SIDE BY SIDE KIDS

Founded in 1996, Side by Side Kids (SBSK) is a neighborhood recreational after school program in Austin’s St. Johns community – an area where 97% of families are economically disadvantaged. SBSK provides Austin’s only free faith-based afterschool program (grades Pre-K-5) through a collaboration of 30 partners and 50 volunteers, serving approximately 270 students in 5 elementary schools every week. SBSK's after school program has a 98% success rate. Learn more here.

We journey side by side kids, encouraging and equipping them to reach their highest God-given potential as everyday leaders and heroes of tomorrow.

Registration:https://www.sidebysidekids.org/about/our-program/

Contact Information: 512.371.9393

CREATIVE ACTION

Our high-quality, onsite, licensed after school program engages students in visual art, filmmaking, music, puppetry, creative writing, acting, and more. These programs deepen connections to lessons learned in the classroom, all while expanding the development of social and emotional skills. Students participate in hands-on activities led by professional teaching artists to create projects that improve the community and the world around them.

• After school runs every day of the AISD calendar from the end of the school day until 6 p.m.

• We also offer financial aid for those that qualify.

• All After School programs include snack time, free play, arts programming, and opportunities for homework.

Kids Choice

Kids Choice is a limited afterschool program offered for the first time at Travis Heights. Though you might recognize the head of the program, Hotdog (formerly ran Creative Action on site for six years). Kids Choice is right in the name, the program is a student centered program inspired by and for the kids it serves. The primary basis for the program is visual, digital, and performance art, but we know kids also need to play and build relationships and get homework done, so this program will also include structured time and support to accomplish this. As a new and small club, there is only capacity for sixteen students while we work to build our tenure and add more staff. As of now, enrollment will be first come, first serve. We aim to be a program that serves all and does not discriminate based on income, race, or ability. There are two financial aid spots available based on free/reduced school lunches, if youre unsure if you qualify please reach out. The total cost of the program is $225 per month.

kids.choice.after.school@gmail.com

Last year, many of you asked for better communication. After looking at different options, we decided to implement an app called Class Dojo campus wide. This free program enables teachers and parents to communicate directly, allows the school to send out campus wide news and reminders, and translates into over 30 languages. The app also compliments Social Emotional Learning, which is a major component of our Whole Child Pillar.

We invite you to download the app to your phone and create an account! If you need help creating a new account or would like instructions on how to do it, please speak with your teacher or come by the office.

August- National “Don’t be a Bully Month”

18- Afghanistan Independence Day

31- BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT @4-6 PM

September-Hispanic Heritage Month

7-Thunderboard Meeting @4:15 PM

14- Title I parent meeting @4:30 PM Gym

14- Thunderbird Learning Night 5:00-6:30 PM

21+22- Camp Champions (5th)

25- Parent/Teacher Conference (No school)

29-American Indian Heritage Day

29-Principle Coffee Chat 8 AM

Connect with THES

Email: mnavarr1@austinisd.org
Website: https://www.austinisd.org/schools/travisheights
Location: 2010 Alameda Drive, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-414-4495
Twitter: @THESThunderbird