New Parent Orientation and Back to School Information

Last updated: 6/5/09

Welcome New

Parents & Students!Important Information for Families Joining

Eanes Elementary


Table of Contents

• Principal’s Welcome

• Preparing for the First Week of School

• How it All Works

• Please Participate in our School & Community

• Important Dates & Links

Eanes Elementary, Austin TX


Meet the Principal

Welcome to our school!

It’s a privilege to serve as the principal of Eanes Elementary.

You have joined an extraordinary learning

community where our teachers, staff, students and families are

actively engaged in making excellence happen every day.

I look forward to meeting you and to a wonderful school year!

-- Cindy Acosta

Choose Your AttitudeMake Their Day

Be TherePlay!!!



Ingredients for Excellence

• Eanes Elementary provides a loving environment for our students and a world‐class elementary education. We have earned many top honors thanks to the devotion of our talented teachers, the enthusiasm and effort of our students, and involvement and interest of our parents and community.– U.S. Dept. of Education Blue Ribbon School 1999, 2005

– State of Texas Exemplary School – every year since 1996

– Texas Successful Schools Award for Outstanding Performance

– See our consistently outstanding TAKS scores

– Highest tenured teachers in the district

– Texas' most historic campus Eanes Elementary, Austin TX

http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/aeis/2008/campus.srch.html


Cool Happenings• Many traditions and offerings make our campus

special and our school year memorable:

– Daily class‐televised news reports by the 5th graders

– Fully‐staffed library ‐ all classes attend the library at least once a week

– Integrated computer curriculum

• Dedicated COWs (Computer LaptopLab on Wheels) for grades 3‐5

• All classes have access to the computer lab (at least) weekly

• Desktop and/or laptop computers in all rooms

– The Science Center provides on‐site educational experiences

– Special events like Holiday Happening, Evening at Eanes, Mustang Mania Sports Day, Multi‐Cultural Assemblies and Science Day build our community and inspire our children



Cool Happenings (continued)

– Digital Camera Lab used by all grades

– Some grades maintain gardens on campus, and activities are integrated with their lessons

– Marathon Kids program available for all students to encourage early fitness

– Special art‐history introduction with parent‐sponsored Gallery Greats program

– Music curriculum includes instruction in keyboard, recorder, drums and guitar (specialized by grade) − youwill be invited to many wonderful performances throughout the year

– 5th graders attend a 3‐day trip to Live Oak for team building and personal development

– All grades attend exciting field trips to Central TX landmarks, historical sites, and museums

Last updated: 6/5/09Eanes Elementary, Austin TX

Preparing for the

First Week of School



Learning About Your Class

• We typically have 3‐5 classes of each grade, enrolling close to 500 students

• Classroom rosters will be posted on Wednesday, August 19 at 4pm – check the website for details

• Find your name (listed by grade) and learn who your teacher and classmates will be

• Join us for Mustang Morning to Meet your new teacher & classmates and pick‐up your school supplies before school starts on Friday, August 21between 10:00 am and noon


http://www.eaneselementary.org/


Mustang Morning/ Meet the Teacher

• Anytime between 10am and noon on Friday, August 21

• Learn your bus route and schedule

• Complete and collect essential paperwork

• Visit the Cafeteria for important happenings:

– Pick‐up your preordered school supply kits (everything you need, packaged by grade and available to purchase online at www.EanesElementary.org beginning 6/1/09 – only a few extras will be available for purchase on Meet the Teacher Day)

– Add funds to your lunch account (cash or check accepted)

– Sign‐up for Scouts and Clubs

– Parents sign‐up to volunteer in the classroom & around campus

– Join our Eanes Elementary Parent Teacher Organization

– Buy a new school t‐shirt to show your pride! Eanes Elementary, Austin TX

http://www.eaneselementary.org/


The First Week of School• Each morning, students in Grades 1‐5 will report to

the playgrounds– 1st‐3rd Graders – Upper Playground

– 4th‐5th Graders – Upper Field

• When the bell rings, students will walk together to their room. Parents do not need to proceed to the classrooms!

• Kindergarten students will meet in their classroomat 7:45 each morning − this provides them with a tranquil introduction to school

• Kindergarten parents are invited to a Welcome Coffee in the Counselor’s office after drop‐off on the first day of school


How it All Works



Getting To/From School• If it is possible for your student(s) to ride the bus, please have them do so

– Riding the bus alleviates traffic congestion on campus– It’s a safe and FUN school experience– Check the district website for bus routes at the start of the school year– If you have a new student, please let our registrar know if your child will be

a bus rider

• If riding the bus isn’t possible, you may pick‐up and drop‐off your student(s) at the Upper or Lower Car‐Rider locations. Traffic safety is an ongoing concern at our school; please follow all traffic rules and instructions by safety staff to keep our drivers and kids safe! Please do not use your cell phone while dropping off or picking up your child(ren).

• 1st – 5th graders arriving on campus between 7:30‐7:40am will go to the playground and be dismissed to their classrooms at 7:40. Kindergarteners will report to the cafeteria after the first week of school for guided music and movement.

• Classes begin at 7:45am and end at 2:45pm


http://www.eanesisd.net/departments/transportation/bus-routes


A Typical School Week• Students arrive in their classrooms by 7:45 amMonday −

Friday

• Students who are tardy (arriving after 7:55 am) must get a tardy slip from the office before joining their class

• In addition to regular classroom activities, all students attend specialized learning opportunities on a rotating schedule

– Art– Computer Lab– Library – Music – P.E. (sneakers mandatory)

• Classroom teachers have posted a daily schedule on their web pages − login to your child’s class to see details



The Cafeteria• All students eat lunch in the cafeteria. Students may bring their lunch or purchase

one. Parents are always welcome!• Free or reduced‐fee lunch is available to families that qualify. Please call

(512)732‐9015 for more information or visit the district website for an application

• Menus are posted each day on the school website or monthly on the district website

• Depositing lunch funds into your child’s account is easy with your child’s account number:

– Visit the district website and pay online with a credit card

– Deposit cash or check during Meet the Teacher Day at the start of school

– Send a check to school with your child in an envelope labeled “LUNCH MONEY” made out to “EISD Nutrition Dept.” and include your child’s account number.

• Kids pay for lunch in the cafeteria by entering their personal lunch code assigned the first week of school

• Want to know what your kids really eat? Who they hang out with? We need Parent Volunteers to supervise students during lunch so their teachers get a well‐deserved break. It’s fun, it’s easy, your kids LOVE seeing you! Volunteer Now by contacting our Cafeteria Volunteer Chair on our PTO web page

http://www.eanesisd.net/departments/childnutrition/forms/add-forms-here/2008-2009-Free-and-Reduced-Lunch-Application.pdf

http://eaneselementary.org/content.php?fcn=pto&sub=9


Special Needs

• At Eanes Elementary, we seek to offer all students the support and services they need to succeed

• Some of the services we offer students with special needs include:

– On‐site Counselor

– On‐site Licensed Specialist in School Psychology

– Reading and Math Specialists

– Gifted and Talented Programs

– Speech and Communication Specialists

– Occupational and Physical Therapists

• Please contact the School Counselor about your child’s special needs. (512)732‐9100



After School

• EasyCare: Safe and fun after‐school care is provided from 2:45–6pm on campus through the Eanes Independent School District (EISD). Visit the EISD website to learn more and register. Drop‐in care is offered on a first‐come, first‐serve basis. Reduced fees are available for families that qualify.

• Enrichment: Eanes Community Education of EISD offers a variety of after school enrichment classes such as Spanish Language Instruction, Art, Gymnastics, Science, Sports, Acting and many others. Class and registration information will be available shortly after school starts. Check the EISD Community Education website for more information. The district offers classes year round.


http://www.eanesisd.net/departments/community-education/easy-care/easy-care-program

http://www.eanesisd.net/departments/community-education/community-education


Visiting Campus

• All visitors to campus during school hours must REGISTER AT THE OFFICE and obtain a visitor badge before entering any building, including classrooms or outside areas on campus. New visitors must bring a driver’s license to the office to be scanned into the system.

• Visitors badges must be worn at all times on campus.

• After obtaining a badge, you do not need to check out at the front office when you are ready to leave.

• Meet students leaving campus early for appointments in the front office − students must sign out (and back in if returning to campus).

• Parents are welcome (and encouraged) to join their students for lunch in the cafeteria. Please get a visitor’s badge from the front office.



Please Participate in our

School & Community



Budget Realities

• You have joined a school in one of the best school districts in Texas. We are proud that ALL our schools in Eanes Independent School District are high‐performing schools. (about Eanes ISD)

• Given the way school finance is structured in the state of Texas, close to 60% of funds for schools that are raised through our property taxes are recaptured by the State and distributed to other districts in Texas

• This system of financing public education leaves our school with a serious gap between the kind of school experience we want for our children and the funds available

• At Eanes Elementary, we bridge this gap in two ways:

– The tremendous involvement and successful fundraising by our Parent Teacher Organization on campus

– The generous support our community gives the Eanes Education Foundation


http://www.eanesisd.net/aboutdistrict


Please Support EEF

• The Eanes Education Foundation (EEF) is a non‐profit organization with the mission of providing and sustaining district‐wide opportunities for educational excellence within the Eanes Independent School District

• They are the ONLY organization that can legally fund additional teacher positions and salaries at our school

• Because of EEF, our school provides a full‐time librarian and an instructional technology coach

• Please support EEF when asked to do so − our teachers and students benefit directly from your participation

• Learn more about EEF


http://www.eaneseducationfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage


Please Join our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)

• The Eanes Elementary PTO provides funds for technology, classroom equipment, field trips, books, teacher training and more. More than $100,000 was gifted by the PTO in each of the past two years; this is more than three‐times the budget provided by the district for purchases. We contribute to our school by:

– Volunteering directly on campus more than 200 hours a week, helping in the classroom, cafeteria, library, and as additional teacher support staff. Parents do the work of five full‐time aides and bridge a $75,000 budget gap. Because of our parents’ generous participation, our teachers have more time to offer students individual attention, prepare lessons, hold conferences with parents, and get a well‐deserved break.

– Celebrating and recognizing our dedicated and talented teachers by funding advanced teacher training and arranging special meals and appreciation gifts.

– Organizing events and fundraisers that build our school community such as Fall Social and Carnival, Book Fair, Bingo Night, Science Day, and the Eanes Elementary website.



ImportantDates & Links



PTO Events

Community Building Events & Fund Raisers– Back‐to‐School Night, Aug. 20

• K‐2 – 4:00‐5:00pm

• 3‐5 – 5:00‐6:00pm

– Meet the Teacher, Aug. 21– Fall Social (Adults only), Oct. 23– Fall Carnival, Oct. 25– Book Fair, Nov. 9‐13– Holiday Happening, Dec. 9 & 10– Bingo Night, Jan. 22 – Science Day, March 11– Mustang Mania, May 7– Evening at Eanes, May 13

PTO Meetings– Sept. 3 − 8:15 am

– Oct. 1 – 8:15 am

– Nov. 5 – 8:15 am

– Dec. 3 – 8:15 am

– Feb. 4 – 8:15 am

– March 4 – 8:15 am

– Apr. 8 – 8:15 am

– May 21 – Brunch – 11:30am

YOU ARE INVITEDPlease Join Us!



How Can You Help?

• PLEASE VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME and TALENTS with the PTO– Kids LOVE seeing their parents involved at school − and in elementary

school, they still publicly enjoy having us around!

– It’s a great way to meet other Eanes families

– We have volunteer positions to accommodate parents with both flexible and extra busy schedules. Please let us know your skills and preferences by completing a Volunteer Interest Form when you login on the school website, we’ll do the rest! Please contact our PTO Board or Committee Chairs with questions

• Attend the fun community‐building events and participate in fundraisers

• Support our Corporate Partners by frequenting the local merchants that support our school

• Shop at Randall’s and enter Good Neighbor code 482. They have donated close to $100,000 to our school!

• Save BoxTops for Education squares from select grocery productsEanes Elementary, Austin TX




Helpful Links

• School Website: EanesElementary.org

• Meet the Teachers

• 2009‐2010 Eanes Elementary School Calendar

• Bus Routes

• Pay Online for Lunch

• Register Online for After School Enrichment Programs and EasyCare

• Meet the PTO Board and Committee Members

• VOLUNTEER NOW: Contact a Committee Chair directly, or complete a Volunteer Interest Form when you login on the Eanes Elementary website

• Campus Map

• Eanes Independent School District (EISD) Website

• Eanes Education Foundation Eanes Elementary, Austin TX

http://eaneselementary.org/index.php

http://eaneselementary.org/content.php?fcn=teachers

http://eaneselementary.org/content.php?fcn=about&sub=3

http://www.eanesisd.net/departments/transportation/bus-routes

http://eanes.revtrak.net/tek9.asp

http://www.eanesisd.net/departments/community-education/community-education



http://eaneselementary.org/content.php?fcn=about&sub=2

http://www.eanesisd.net/

http://www.eaneseducationfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage


Back to School Schedule

• Aug 19: Class Assignments available, 4pm

• Aug 19: Bus Schedule Posted

• Aug 20: Back‐to‐School Night (Parent ONLY)

• Aug 21: Meet the Teacher Day (10am‐Noon)

• Aug 24: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

– Kindergarten Parents’ Coffee (8am‐9am)

• Sept. 3: First PTO Meeting, 8:15 am



THANK YOU!We are so excited to welcome you to EanesElementary! Your PTO plays an active role in our child(ren)’s education and experiences. Your participation in the PTO and school is an integral part of their success. We look forward to having you as a member of the Eanes community and hope you will become an active member of the PTO.

~ Colleen [email protected] President


mailto:[email protected]

New Parent Orientation and Back to School Information

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