Stay In-the-Know: This Week’s Top News You Can’t Miss
- It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! Make sure to check sign-ups from your Homeroom Parent and read more about this week’s activities and volunteer opportunities in the PTA section below
- It’s School Nurse Appreciation Week! Thank you Nurse Evington!
- Penny Wars starts today and runs through May 15th. See the rules below
- Wednesday is Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day
- 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, we concluded our celebration of Earth Week. And we also hosted our final Prospective Parent Tour, which was very well-attended once again. Well, April is gone and ‘May Days’ have arrived! In these next few weeks, there will be so many action-packed activities all the way to the last day of school. This week is ‘Teacher Appreciation Week’ and ‘School Nurse Appreciation Week’, which we’re really excited about. The remaining happenings in the month of 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
TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK
Monday, May 4 – Friday, May 8 is Teacher Appreciation Week! This week is set aside to recognize our excellent Teaching Staff, our amazing Teacher Assistants, and our irreplaceable Substitute Teachers. Teachers are responsible for ensuring that the daily instruction of our children takes place at a very high level. Teachers constantly challenge students to be better learners in school and to be better individuals for life. Teacher Assistants and Substitute Teachers are also instrumental in supporting the work of educating students on a daily basis. Some very special activities will be taking place during this week, in honor of the hard work and dedication that all teachers put into educating our children. We salute Teachers, Teacher Assistants, and Substitute Teachers every day, but particularly so, this week!
SCHOOL NURSE APPRECIATION WEEK
Monday, May 4 – Friday, May 8 is School Nurse Appreciation Week. This week celebrates the work of the School Nurses in AISD. This year, we are so very appreciative of our School Nurse, Angela Evington. While new to Casis and AISD this school year, Nurse Evington has done an exceptional job of getting to know and serve our community. Her educational background and strong skills have shown through since she arrived. Angela Evington has supported our campus at a very high level of standards and care. She has ensured that our students are taken care of daily. And she has also provided regular health care, as well as critical aid to our students (and sometimes staff) when needed. The job of the School Health Office is so vital and very important to our school community. Join us in appreciating Ms. Angela Evington, who has truly made a difference in the lives of our students this school year!
NATIONAL WALK, BIKE & ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY
Wednesday, May 6 is National Walk, Bike, & Roll To School Day! In collaboration with the City of Austin ‘Safe Routes To School’ program, Casis Elementary will celebrate this special day as well. We are encouraging as many Casis families as possible to walk or bike to Casis. Our P.E. Team will be emphasizing the importance of days like this and will have some free promotional items to share with students during their classes. Looking forward to this day that promotes the healthy activities of biking and walking, as well as highlighting the importance of families having safe routes to their neighborhood schools. For more information about this day, see link here: https://www.walkbiketoschool.org/.
DONATE BOOKS FOR CASIS’ ANNUAL BOOK SWAP
Please consider donating any unwanted books, regardless of reading level, to the Casis Library. These books will be available for trade in our annual Book Swap event in May. Books that are not selected by students will be donated to classroom libraries and/or local charities. The deadline for these donations is Friday, May 8. If you have additional questions, please contact our School Librarian, Courtney Ewing.
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.
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 – 2/6/26Round 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 May is Creativity. Here’s the Family Connection Newsletter – Creativity for this month’s theme. We are so excited to be ‘Character Strong’ at Casis Elementary!
IMPORTANT DATES
May – Jewish American Heritage Month
May – Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Mon., May 4 – Fri., May 8 – Teacher Appreciation Week
Mon., May 4 – Fri., May 8 – School Nurse Appreciation Week
Tues., May 5 – CAC Meeting at 3:30pm (Community Room)
Wed., May 6 – National Walk, Bike, & Roll To School Day
Tues., May 19 – Wed., May 20 – Track & Field Day Activities
Mon., May 25 – School Holiday (Memorial Day)
Wed., May 27 – 5th Grade Final Walk the Halls at 8:00am
Thurs., May 28 – Last Day of School
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.