Stay In-the-Know: This Week’s Top News You Can’t Miss
- Smile! Picture day is this Thursday!
- This Friday is the last day to pay field trip dues. Links by grade level below
- No school next Monday, October 20th
- Parent-Teacher conference day is Monday, October 20th. Make sure to look for communication from your teacher to schedule your conference
- Get excited for Carnival on October 24th! Links below to sponsor, volunteer, buy wristbands, and join the parade
Cougar PRIDE Families,
It’s going to be another great week at Casis! It was just awesome to see so many Casis families participating in ‘National Walk, Bike, & Roll To School Day’ last week. And we’re so happy to share that our annual ‘Vision and Hearing Screening’ activities went very well, with the help of our wonderful parent volunteers and School Nurse. This week will be ‘Picture Day’ and the planning for our ‘Enchanted Casis’ Carnival extravaganza is in full swing. You won’t want to miss it, so everyone should mark their calendars for Friday, October 24. It will be magical! Fall Parent Conferences are also underway, so families should have heard from your teachers about that. And while learning certainly remains to be our top focus, we’re going to have a lot of fun too. Please see important information for the week below.
Mr. Tinnon
NEWS FROM THE PRINCIPAL
STAFF NEWS
We’d like to welcome Giselle Mayorga Avila to our Casis Child Development Center (CCDC) and the Casis Learning Community. Ms. Mayorga Avila has some great early childhood experience as a Pre-School Teacher and Teacher Assistant, as well as some school experience as a Teacher Assistant Intern at one of our AISD Schools. The Casis CDC Director and Staff are so very excited to have Giselle to join their team, as this is a much needed additional position that she is filling. The addition of this position will allow our Childcare Program to provide even more exceptional care, service, and learning experiences for each of our classes (Infants, Toddlers, and Pre-School). We happily welcome Ms. Giselle Mayorga Avila to the Casis Cougar PRIDE Community!
CASIS VILLAGE PARKING REQUEST
The Casis Village Tenants and Property Management Team have reached out to the school to make us aware that there has been an observable increase in Casis Families parking in the Casis Village parking lot during our morning arrival and afternoon dismissal times. Parking in the lot across from the school creates several issues for both families and the school community. First, it often leads to congestion and unsafe traffic patterns, increasing the risk of accidents. Additionally, it blocks access for local businesses or residents who rely on those parking spaces, causing frustration and potential conflicts. Finally, unauthorized parking can result in tickets or towing, which is inconvenient and disruptive for families. While the Casis Village Team understands the proximity and convenience of being able to park in their lot, we ask that everyone discontinue this practice and work very hard to be good neighbors. Your compliance and cooperation with this request would be greatly appreciated.
MY THANKS AND GRATITUDE
I want to personally thank Casis staff, students, and families for all of the wonderful gestures that were done for me during ‘AISD Principal Appreciation Week’ last week. During the month of National Principals Month, the fact of how fortunate I am does not elude me. I feel so blessed to be able to lead such an exceptionally generous and supportive learning community like Casis Elementary. I don’t take my position as the Casis Principal lightly and it is an honor to work beside such dedicated and talented people like each of you every day. The many kind messages, food, gifts, cards, posters, and other items of appreciation were simply amazing. Each act of kindness showed me just how much you care and definitely helped to affirm that my daily work with each of you, while not always easy, is absolutely worth it. Each of you makes me a better leader, person, and professional. Please know that your kindness and thoughtfulness was truly appreciated. It’s just an honor to serve. You have all made me so ‘Cougar Proud’!
FALL INDIVIDUAL PICTURE DAY
Thursday, October 16 will be Fall Individual Picture Day at Casis Elementary. All students will have their individual pictures taken and families will have the opportunity to purchase picture packages. Families may pre-order pictures by visiting www.mylifetouch.com (use either your Student ID or Picture Day ID: EVT994N4J). For more information and questions, visit www.lifetouch.com/support-us. The scheduled date for ‘Picture Re-Takes’ will be Tuesday, December 2. Note: This information does not apply to any families who have indicated, during enrollment, that their child is not to be photographed.
GIFTED & TALENTED REFERRAL WINDOW
The Gifted & Talented referral window is now open and will remain open until Friday, October 17. To learn more about GT services in AISD and to submit a referral, click here for the English link. Additional languages can be found here. Prior to submitting a referral, it is recommended that parents notify their child’s classroom teacher. For additional information, you may reach out to our campus GT Advocates and Classroom Teachers, Primary Grades K-2: Lauren Vienne (K) and Intermediate Grades 3-5: Vickie Price (3rd).
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: Pre-K, 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 17. 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.
FALL PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Elementary Parent Fall Conference Day is scheduled on the AISD School Calendar to take place on Monday, October 20. This day will be a Student Holiday. At Casis Elementary, these important meetings will be scheduled within a ‘window of days’ during the month of October. Teachers will be scheduling times during the day and/or after school. During these meetings, Teachers will share information about your child(ren)’s academic and emotional well-being, with a specific focus on individual learning growth, as well as discussing any factors that might hinder that growth this year (learning needs, attendance, behavior, etc.). Parents can then expect ‘1st 9-Weeks Report Cards’ to be available in their AISD Parent Portal by November 4.
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. Beckham, and Ms. Davis 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 24 at 8:00a.m. in the Casis Library. We look forward to having some very authentic conversations with our learning community.
STUDENT HANDBOOK & STUDENT SUCCESS GUIDE
Please see the most updated editions of our campus Student-Parent Handbook and 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 25 – 26 school year.
CHARACTER STRONG IMPLEMENTATION & PRACTICES
This year, AISD and Casis Elementary are implementing a new Character Education and Behavioral Support program called Character Strong. This program is meant to provide students with the necessary skills and strategies to be the very best humans that they can be in the world. Students will hear morning messages and receive lessons from their teachers about topics like respect, gratitude, honesty, courage and more. Teachers will be providing weekly lessons and sending home monthly information to families about the different program topics learned each month. The lessons derive from a program called, “Purposefull People”. Here’s a Family Introductory Letter about Purposefull People. Each month we will cover a different Character Strong topic and resources will be shared to help families have meaningful conversations at home about the learned trait. Here’s an Overview of the monthly topics that will be taught. The Character Strong trait for the month of October is Responsibility. Here’s the Family Connection Newsletter – Responsibility for this month’s theme. We are so excited to be ‘Character Strong’ at Casis Elementary!
IMPORTANT DATES
Mon.,Sept.15 – Wed.,October 15 – National Hispanic American Heritage Month 2025
October – National Principals Month
Mon., Oct. 13 – School Holiday (Indigenous Peoples Day)
Thurs., Oct. 16 – Fall Individual Picture Day
Mon., Oct. 20 – Fall Parent Conference Day / Student Holiday (Diwali)
Mon., Oct. 20 – Fri., Oct. 24 – AISD Transportation Employee Appreciation Week
Thurs., Oct. 23 – Casis Carnival Parade at 8:10am (Front Circle Drive)
Fri., Oct. 24 – Administrators’ Coffee Chat at 8:00am (Library)
Fri., Oct. 24 – ‘Enchanted Casis’ Carnival Event at 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Fri., Oct. 31 – Annual School-Wide Crazy Hat 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.