Cougar PRIDE Families,
It’s going to be another great week at Casis! Fall has officially arrived and I know that we all can’t wait for cooler weather to arrive as well. We look forward to our first Administrators’ Coffee Chat of the school year this Friday. Both the School and PTA will continue planning school activities, like our ‘Fall Carnival’ and ‘Class Field Trips’, promising to make this school year one that will be full of fun and learning. Please see important information for the week below.
Mr. Tinnon
NEWS FROM THE PRINCIPAL
TEACHING ASSISTANT APPRECIATION WEEK
Monday, September 23 – Friday, September 27 is designated as Teaching Assistant Appreciation Week. In addition to Classroom Teachers, Teaching Assistants assist in strengthening our schools and learning communities. At Casis we have Teaching Assistants in our Special Education, Physical Education, and Pre-Kindergarten programs. We could not do our jobs as educators without the help of other school support staff members like our Teaching Assistants. All of these individuals play a vital role on their education teams and in the lives of students, both inside and outside of the classroom. Together they keep our schools running and our students safe, healthy, and ready to learn every day. We salute all Teaching Assistants in AISD and at Casis Elementary. They are all absolutely fabulous and so well-deserving of this recognition!
VISION, HEARING & SPINAL SCREENINGS
The Casis Health Office will administer vision and hearing screenings for PK, K, 1st, 3rd & ‘New to Casis’ students during the weeks of September 23 – October 18. If your child wears glasses, contacts, or any hearing device, families are asked to ensure that they are worn for the screenings. Additionally, all 5th grade girls will be given a spinal test and should wear light t-shirts for the exam. Classroom Teachers have been provided a screening schedule for their grades. For more information or questions, please contact the Casis Health Office (512-414-7149).
GIFTED & TALENTED REFERRAL WINDOW & INFORMATION SESSIONS
The Gifted & Talented referral window is now open and will remain open until October 7. Parents may submit a referral HERE for the English link. Additional languages can be found here. Note: Prior to submitting a referral, it is recommended that parents notify their child’s classroom teacher. Slides from last week’s Parent Information Meeting and more district-level information can be found HERE. Additionally, the AISD Advanced Academics Team will host two virtual information sessions for families Tuesday, September 24 at 6pm and Wednesday, September 25 at 12Noon via this zoom link.
AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE DAY & ORANGE SHIRT DAY
AISD will recognize Orange Shirt Day on Friday, September 27. In the state of Texas, this day is also American Indian Heritage Day. Orange Shirt Day, also known as National Day of Remembrance for U.S. Indian Boarding Schools, recognizes the impacts of residential schools on Indigenous children, lifeways, and cultures. Orange Shirt Day is a day of mourning for Indigenous people in the U.S. and in Canada. Students and Staff are encouraged to wear orange on this day, as a call to action. Following is an Orange Shirt Day Community Toolkit full of information and resources that can help to create a community that celebrates and honors Indigenous children and communities.
ADMINISTRATIVE COFFEE CHAT FOR SEPTEMBER
Casis Administration will host a series of meetings during the school year, to engage with parents about various school topics and happenings. During these informal meetings, Mr. Tinnon, Ms. Davis, and Ms. Navickas will share school information and dialogue with parents about school topics of their choice. The goal of this platform is to build our shared knowledge and make community connections. Our first ‘Administrative Chat’ will take place on Friday, September 27 at 8:00a.m. in the Casis Community Room. We look forward to having some very authentic conversations with our learning community.
SCHOOL MODERNIZATION SURVEY
Casis Elementary School was modernized, as a result of the 2017 Bond Program. AISD would like to get feedback from our learning community to better understand the impact of our school modernization. Receiving this feedback is also instrumental in ensuring that future bond efforts truly meet the needs of students and staff throughout the school district. Here’s the survey link: 2017 Bond Satisfaction Survey. Families and Staff are asked to complete this survey by Monday, September 30. We hope that many of you will participate by providing this very valuable feedback.
FIELD TRIP INFORMATION
Field trips are wonderful extension experiences for students outside of the classroom learning environment. At Casis Elementary, we will offer a few field trip opportunities for each grade level throughout the school year. Parents will be asked to pay a bulk one-time ‘Field Trip Fee’ to cover the costs of these planned educational outings. Please see the following letters from each grade level, sharing the planned field trips and their associated fees: PreK, Kinder, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, & 5th Grade. Additionally, here’s a flyer that gives guidance on how to process payment: Fee Payment Flyer. All families will be asked to pay this fee by Friday, October 18. We are hopeful to get full participation from all of our families, but regardless, please know that no student will be excluded from any of the year’s field trip events.
WALK, BIKE, & ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY
Wednesday, October 9, is ‘International Walk, Bike, & Roll To School Day’. Join children and adults around the world to celebrate the benefits of walking and bicycling, and in spotlighting the importance of traffic safety. Days like these intend to make routes to school safer for active trips or by encouraging children to be more physically active in their lives. We want to encourage as many Casis families as possible to participate. Get those steps in as much as you can!
2024 – 2035 DISTRICT CALENDAR TASK FORCE
AISD is seeking membership for the District Calendar Task Force. The Calendar Task Force is charged with developing and recommending an instructionally sound calendar for the 2025-2026 and the 2026-2027 school years that focus squarely on the district’s academic mission and Strategic Plan. The Task Force is charged with placing the needs of all students first and foremost, but shall also consider the needs of parents, the community, and district staff. If anyone in our school learning community is interested, please fill out the Standard Membership Application form and select [Other], and type Calendar Task Force.
STUDENT HANDBOOK & SUCCESS GUIDE
Please see the most updated editions of our campus Student-Parent Handbookand the district Student Success Guide for this school year. In alignment with AISD, both of these documents act as guidelines for our school community practices and policies. Please review and reference them throughout the 24 – 25 school year.
FAMILY LEARNING & ENGAGING SESSIONS
AISD’s Special Education, Section 504, and Dyslexia Departments are sponsoring Family Empower Hour Sessions throughout the 2024 – 2025 school year. These one-hour sessions are designed to provide valuable information, resources, and support to families on various topics. These sessions will be recorded and accessible on the AISD Special Education website. We hope that families will avail themselves of these community learning and engagement opportunities throughout this school year.
SEL & EQUITY PRACTICES
In Austin ISD and at Casis Elementary, we believe that Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is at the heart of equity-centered systems and structures. Our goal is to use and grow our social and emotional skills, while creating brave, respectful, collaborative spaces that support all students, staff, families and communities throughout our district and in our learning community. Throughout the school year, we will teach specific skills-building strategies to our students, in order to develop important character traits, like respect, empathy, compassion, and friendships. Mindfulness strategies and principles will also be a common core of this instruction as well. Administration, Teachers, and Support Staff will all be working with students throughout the school year to develop a strong social/emotional foundation, that includes building a lens of fairness and equity for all, no matter the differences among us.
The SEL word for the month of September is Empathy. Empathy is a feeling or understanding of what someone else is feeling. Focusing your attention on a person’s face or body can help you know how they’re feeling. When you have empathy for others, you can say or do many things to show your care or concern.
The Equity word for the month of September is Equity. Equity means that everyone gets what they need. Equality is when everyone gets the same thing. Think about someone that wears glasses. Equality means everyone has to wear the same glasses. Equity means everyone wears the glasses that are just right for them. Everyone has different needs and circumstances. It’s important we recognize each person’s individual needs and honor them.
Following is a resources sheet for the month of September that will help support these two important concepts, both at school and at home. SEPTEMBER RESOURCES SHEET
IMPORTANT DATES
Sun., Sept. 15 – Tues., Oct. 15 – National Hispanic Heritage Month
Mon., Sept. 23 – Fri., Sept. 27 – AISD Teaching Assistant Appreciation Week
Fri., Sept. 27 – Administrators Coffee Chat at 8:00am (Community Room)
Fri., Sept. 27 – American Indian Heritage & Orange Shirt Day
Mon., Sept. 30 – Fri., Oct. 4 – AISD Custodian Appreciation Week
Thurs., Oct. 3 – Student Holiday / Staff Professional Development Day
Fri., Oct. 4 – Student Holiday (Rosh Hashanah) / Staff PLED Day
Mon., Oct. 7 – Fri., Oct. 11 – AISD Principal Appreciation Week
Wed., Oct. 9 – International Walk, Bike, & Roll To School Day
TRAFFIC SAFETY PROCEDURES
Please adhere to the guidelines in your particular arrival/dismissal area (Front Circle Drive or North Parking Lot). See Arrival & Dismissal Plan here. We continually ask for your patience and cooperation in exercising safe practices in your area.
Additionally, please see the following reminders/updates:
- Walkers should use crosswalks at all times.
- Bikers should park bikes at bike racks and walk bikes through crosswalks.
- Drivers should ALWAYS be aware of our foot and bike traffic.
- Drivers should consider TURNING OFF ENGINES when not moving forward.
- Avoid Parking in the Casis Village, if conducting school business.
- Front Circle Drive & Hillview are available for parent parking during the day.
- The North Parking Lot is designated for staff parking only.
- Vehicles using the North Parking Lot during arrival and dismissal (3rd – 5th) should be aware of all walkers who are using the parking lot crosswalks.
- Vehicles cued on Northwood for Circle Drive afternoon pick-up should remain in one moving line to avoid double-parking.
Vehicles who need to enter the North Parking Lot for morning/afternoon drop-offs/pick-ups of 3rd – 5th graders may safely by-pass the ‘Circle Drive’ vehicles to enter the parking lot.