Stay In-the-Know: This Week’s Top News You Can’t Miss
- PTA Meeting & Volunteer Breakfast this Friday at 8am in the Community Room
- This week is School Librarian Appreciation Week. Thank you Ms. Ewing!
- This week is Administrative Professionals Appreciation Week. Thank you to Shelly Guerrero, Mary Hernandez, and Sammy Huffaker!
- STAAR Testing continues this week. The campus will be closed to visitors on testing days. Check the dates below
- Make sure to read Mr. Tinnon’s message below about providing feedback regarding class placements next year
- 26-27 Enrollment is open. Make sure to enroll your child(ren) for school next year
Cougar PRIDE Families,
It’s going to be another great week at Casis! Last week, our second round of the STAAR test with our 5th grade students was another successful happening. We know they did their best. And the 3rd Grade Choir Concert was a delightful performance that families highly enjoyed. Kudos to Nicole Stevens, Samantha Salazar, and the student performers! ‘Spirit Week’ Activities (Decorated Doors, Dress Up Days, and Spirit Rally) were also a lot of fun for our students and staff. And a good time was had by all at the adult ‘Celebrate Casis’ event as well. We do have so much to celebrate about our school and we are so very thankful to the Parent Coordinators and Volunteers for making every event activity so special. This week will be the third and final round of the STAAR test (Math) for our 3rd – 5th graders. We know that they are going to finish strong. We’ll also be celebrating our Administrative Office Team, School Librarian, and Parent Volunteers this week. And it’s also Earth Week, which will be celebrated for the next two weeks. Whew! A lot of upcoming happenings in the months of April and May will bring closure to this school year, as we also plan for the next school year. We will also continue to focus on student learning growth and enrichment opportunities, as well as on safe and secure practices. Please see important information for the week below.
Mr. Tinnon
NEWS FROM THE PRINCIPAL
LIBRARIAN APPRECIATION
April is ‘School Library Month’ and this week is ‘AISD School Librarian Appreciation Week’ and ‘National Library Week’. These times are set aside to appreciate the work of the School Librarian. And at Casis, we are so very fortunate to have Courtney Ewing serve as our Librarian. Ms. Ewing’s passion and love for literacy is conveyed to all students and the whole school community. She is a strong collaborator with both staff and families, in ensuring that students have a strong literacy foundation and develop a genuine love for reading. In addition to providing regular Library lessons, Ms. Ewing also partners with our parents in some of our most beloved literacy events and campus traditions, like the ‘Book Fair’ and ‘Author Visit’ events. Both of these events were great successes again this year. This year is also extra special because Courtney Ewing is an AISD Salute Award Finalist for the Librarian of the Year. We salute her during this time of recognition across the country and in our school district! We love you Ms. Ewing and are so very ‘Cougar Proud’ of you!
ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS’ APPRECIATION WEEK
Monday, April 20 – Friday, April 24 is Administrative Professionals’ Appreciation Week. Join me in acknowledging the work of our Clerical Team – Shelly Guerrero: Book Keeper/Principal Secretary, Mary Hernandez: Registrar/Attendance Clerk, and Sammy Huffaker: Office Clerk. These individuals are the central nerve system of our school and help to hold us all together. They are the front line, face, and voice of Casis, as they assist, take calls, answer questions, purchase school items, order supplies, register children, and perform countless other tasks that help our school to run smoothly. Throughout this week, we want to appreciate them and the important role that they play in our learning community. We appreciate our Clerical Team and recognize their hard work during this week and everyday!
SCHOOL VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION WEEK
Monday, April 20 – Friday, April 24 is School Volunteer Appreciation Week. It is important that we recognize the creative, tireless, and heartfelt work of our parent volunteers, during this appreciation and recognition week. The educational work of staff is very challenging, but is made that much easier, with the helping hands of our parent volunteers. Our Casis community is enriched and enhanced, hugely due to the selfless support and generous contributions of our parent community. We take our hats off to all of our Casis Parent Volunteers! We will recognize all of our wonderful parent volunteers on Friday, April 24 at 8:00 a.m., following the General PTA Meeting, in the Community Room. Hope to see you there!
25-26 STAAR TESTING DATES
The following dates will be designated for STAAR Training and Testing:
Wed., Apr. 8 – STAAR Testing (3rd – 5th Reading/Lang. Arts)Thurs., Apr. 9 – Make-Up Day
Tues., Apr. 14 – STAAR Testing (5th Science)Wed., Apr. 15 – Make-Up Day
- Tues., Apr. 21 – STAAR Testing (3rd – 5th Math)
- Wed., Apr. 22 – Make-Up Day
Please mark your calendars for these dates. The campus will be closed on Testing Dates. Also, please see a letter from our Campus Testing Coordinator and Assistant Principal, Catherine Davis, with specific guidelines for our 3rd – 5th Grade Families. See here: STAAR Test Letter.
PARENT FEEDBACK FOR YOUR NEXT YEAR CLASS PLACEMENT (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY)
In an effort to create balanced classes for next year and to foster a positive school-home partnership, parent input is taken under consideration. And while not guaranteed, parental feedback about placement is strictly based on input letters, not verbal interactions or promises between parents and staff. Know that Administration does not keep placement input from previous years, therefore, if there is important student information to be considered, please provide that information in the current year’s parent input process. Feedback is due by Friday, April 24.
A letter regarding placement for next year is not required, however, if parents have extenuating circumstances or significant concerns, please see the following guidelines: (1) A separate letter (email attachment OR hard copy) MUST be submitted. Limit to one-page (10-12 font size). Due to the amount of input received every year, general email communications WILL NOT be accepted. (2) Specific teachers or classmates CANNOT be requested. All teachers on our teams are skilled and competent individuals. (3) Share traits and characteristics of your child(ren) that describe their learning styles/needs. (4) Share the type of educational setting and class dynamic that you feel will best meet your child(ren)’s needs. (5) Email attachment OR hard copy MUST be sent to the Principal, NOT the Classroom Teacher.
Lastly, please note that I DO NOT schedule meetings to discuss next year placement. Thanks for all of your support, as we strive to make the best placement decisions for your child(ren).
HUMAN SEXUALITY & RESPONSIBILITY (HSR) CURRICULUM
In accordance with Austin ISD Board Policy EHAA, the Human Sexuality and Responsibility (HSR) curriculum will be taught between April 2 – May 15 during science class for K – 5 students. There are 3 – 5 available lessons at each grade level. This curriculum has been established to provide information and skill development for students, so that they may reach their highest potential for physical, emotional, mental and social health. All information regarding the HSR policy, grade level lesson overviews, family resources, and more can be found on the HSR website: HERE. Note: Permission letters for parents to Opt-In/Opt-Out of any and/or all of these lessons should be returned, prior to the instruction. It’s very important that all letters are returned to your classroom teacher(s), to ensure that there is ample time to plan and accommodate for all students, whether they will be receiving the HSR lessons or participating in alternative lessons. Lastly, Mr. Tinnon will host a HSR Orientation Session for parents on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 8am – 9am in the Casis Community Room. Families are invited to attend this HSR overview presentation.
CASIS CAMPUS ADVISORY COUNCIL 2026-2027 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
There will be some parent openings on our Campus Advisory Council (CAC) for the next school year. The membership term is for two years. If you’re interested in serving on this Principal advisory organization, please consider applying. The campus CAC meets on the first Tuesdays of each month after school. Please visit the district website for more information about CAC (CAC in AISD) and if interested, please submit an application (CAC Membership Application). The deadline for application submittal is Friday, April 24. New members will be notified in May and the two-year term will officially begin in the 2026 – 2027 school year.
EARTH WEEK ACTIVITIES
AISD and Casis Elementary will celebrate Earth Week, Monday, April 20 – Friday, May 1 (Earth Day will be on Wednesday, April 22). Austin ISD embraces sustainability, not only as a way to help our planet, but as an educational tool to provide challenging and inspiring learning experiences to our students. See the following campus/district activities and resources for this special week: (1) Earth Week Activities and (2) AISD Earth Week Web Page. We are so excited to celebrate another Earth Week at Casis and in our district.
AISD ONLINE TRAINING SESSIONS FOR FAMILIES
Austin ISD is once again offering families a refreshed format of Spring Tools for Success. These empowering online sessions for families will cover topics including: Austin ISD Parent Portal, a family guide to STAAR and MAP testing, and Digital Safety 101. Please see the Tools for Success Website, as well as a flyer with the schedule of February – April sessions HERE.
NEXT PROSPECTIVE PARENT TOUR
Prospective Parent Tours are great opportunities for families to get to learn about our school culture and programming, as well as take a tour of our new facility and amazing outdoor learning spaces. School Administration and PTA Leadership will lead these adult only tours. We look forward to sharing and showing all of the things that make Casis Elementary such a stellar educational choice for their children. The next tour of this school year will take place on Tuesday, April 28 at 9am – 10am. Can’t wait to show these potential new families our amazing school community!
AISD VIRTUAL & IN-PERSON FAMILY ENROLLMENT SESSIONS
AISD is hosting both virtual and in-person sessions to support families interested in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten in the 2026-2027 school year. These sessions will provide families with essential program information and enrollment guidance to support informed application decisions. To register for the virtual sessions, which will take place on March 12 & 30, please see the following flyer here: PK & Kinder Enrollment Information Flyer. There will also be two in-person sessions for PK Enrollment and Eligibility ONLY on April 11 (9am – 1pm @ TA Brown Elementary) and May 2 (9am – 1pm @ St. Elmo Elementary).
2026 – 2027 ENROLLMENT DATES & DEADLINES
Enrollment for the 2026 – 2027 school year is about to begin. Austin ISD’s goal is to re-register all 64,000+ PK-11th grade students who are currently enrolled students, as well as to register all new students by the end of May, 2026. Please see the following enrollment windows, by rounds/programs:
- Round 1 (Special Programs Enrollment): 1/12/26 – 2/6/26
- Round 2 (General Registration & Transfers): 2/16/26 – 4/10/26
- PK3 & PK4 (Pre-Kinder Registration): 4/1/26 – 5/22/26
- Round 3 (General Registration): 4/13/26 – 5/27/26
Following are some other enrollment support resources that families might find helpful: (1) Enroll Austin Family Support Manual and (2) Enrollment 101 Slide Deck. If families have additional questions, you may also go to the enrollment website (Enroll Austin Website).
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 April is Courage. Here’s the Family Connection Newsletter – Courage for this month’s theme. We are so excited to be ‘Character Strong’ at Casis Elementary!
IMPORTANT DATES
April – Arab American Heritage Month
Mon., Apr. 20 – Fri., Apr. 24 – School Librarian Appreciation Week
Mon., Apr. 20 – Fri., Apr. 24 – Administrative Professional Appreciation Week
Mon., Apr. 20 – Fri., Apr. 24 – Public School Volunteer Appreciation Week
Tues., Apr. 21 – STAAR Testing – Math (3rd – 5th) **CAMPUS CLOSED**
Fri., Apr. 24 – Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast at 8am (Community Room)
Tues., Apr. 28 – Prospective Parent Tour at 9am
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.