Cougar PRIDE Families,
It’s going to be another great week at Casis! The majority of Parent Conferences have been completed and last week’s Fall Picture Day was a success. We’re so excited that ‘Carnival Week’ is finally here. This highly anticipated annual event will get kicked off with daily raffle ticket sales, a cake decorating contest, and even a Parade. Wow! And then of course, we’ll conclude the week with our ‘Deep Blue Casis’ Carnival. Learning will continue to be our primary focus, along with having fun and maintaining a safe school environment for all. Please see important information for the week below.
Mr. Tinnon
NEWS FROM THE PRINCIPAL
AISD TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEES APPRECIATION WEEK
Monday, October 21 – Friday, October 25 is set aside to appreciate the work of all district Transportation Workers in AISD. Our bus drivers ensure that students go between home and school safely every day. These employees get very little recognition for transporting our most precious cargo – our children. We publicly thank and recognize these wonderful individuals for their service and commitment to students. They are a very important member of our school district and learning communities. We are so appreciative of our AISD Transportation Workers!
FIELD TRIP FEES DUE
Parents are asked to pay a bulk one-time ‘Field Trip Fee’ to cover the costs of planned educational outings by each Grade Level during the school year. 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 were asked to pay this fee by Friday, October 18. If additional time is needed to pay these fees or if there are other extenuating circumstances, please reach out to your classroom teacher(s). While we are hoping to get full participation from all of our families, please know that no student will be excluded from any of the year’s field trip events.
BULLYING PREVENTION MONTH IN AISD
October is Bullying Prevention Month in Austin ISD. We believe that every student has the right to feel safe and supported in their school environment. This month, our schools will focus on raising awareness about bullying, educating students on its various forms, and promoting kindness and inclusion within our community. Here is a Parent Letter that informs families about this month’s initiative. Additionally, here’s a visual graphic about the difference between Conflict & Bullying.
DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH EVENTS
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month and AISD will sponsor a special free event for both staff and families. Beginning, Thursday, October 10 – Thursday, October 31, the Central Texas Dyslexia Conference will take place. A YouTube channel link will be available to watch any and all of the presentations throughout the month on this AISD page. See flyer HERE for more information. We hope that our learning community will join AISD in recognizing Dyslexia Awareness Month and consider participating in the annual conference.
SCHOOL-WIDE ‘CRAZY HAT DAY’ AT CASIS
We’ll celebrate ‘Crazy Hat Day’ on Thursday, October 31. In lieu of costumes, all grades (students and staff) are invited to wear a fun, unusual, or unique (purchased or home-made) hat of their choice. Please see ‘hat wearing’ guidelines: (1) Must be appropriate in nature (no violent or inappropriate depictions/words), (2) No halloween-type masks are allowed, and (3) Teacher discretion as to when worn during the class time. We look forward to seeing all of the wonderfully interesting ‘crazy hats’ in the hallways of our school. And Mr. Tinnon will be giving away a hat to staff members every hour on the hour throughout the whole day. Hope that everyone joins in on this fun annual event!
NOVEMBER SCHOOL HOLIDAY
Friday, November 1 will be a School Holiday for the observance of Diwali. Diwali is known as the Festival of Lights. Diwali is a Hindu observance celebrated throughout the world. Festivities include the illumination of lights, candles, firecrackers, and diya (clay lamps) to symbolize the victory of good over evil, inner light over spiritual darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. Diwali is a time for gathering with loved ones, celebrating life, and committing to making the right decisions in life. See additional resources and information about this observance HERE. We hope that all families will enjoy time together during this special observance.
ADMINISTRATIVE COFFEE CHAT FOR OCTOBER
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 next ‘Administrative Chat’ will take place on Friday, October 25 at 8:00a.m. in the Casis Library. We look forward to having some very authentic conversations with our learning community.
REPORT CARDS
Parents can expect ‘1st 9-Weeks Report Cards’ to be available in their AISD Parent Portal by November 6.
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 October is Compassion. When you have empathy for others, you can say or do many things to show your care and concern. Showing care or concern for others is called compassion.
The Equity word for the month of October is Inclusion. Inclusion makes sure each person at Casis feels welcome to be their authentic selves. Look around your class today and find each person’s strengths. Think about how you can include people in your class and community in a way that honors their truest self.
Following is a resources sheet for the month of October that will help support these two important concepts, both at school and at home. OCTOBER RESOURCES SHEET
IMPORTANT DATES
- October – Cybersecurity Awareness Month – Austin ISD Website & Resources
- October – AISD Bullying Prevention Month
- October – Dyslexia Awareness Month
- Mon., Oct. 21 – Fri., Oct. 25 – Love Your Brain Week (formerly Red Ribbon Week)
- Mon., Oct. 21 – Fri., Oct. 25 – AISD Transportation Employees Appreciation Week
- Thurs., Oct. 24 – Casis Carnival Parade at 8:10am (Front Circle Drive)
- Fri., Oct. 25 – Administrators Coffee Chat at 8:00am (Community Room)
- Fri., Oct. 25 – Casis ‘Deep Blue Sea’ Carnival at 5:00pm – 8:00pm
- Thurs., Oct. 31 – School-Wide Crazy Hat Day
- Fri., Nov. 1 – School Holiday (Diwali)
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.