Old Town Elementary PTA

Treasurer

2012-02-10T13:36:00.000-06:00

In an effort to provide more information regarding our PTA, we wanted to tell you more about the various positions. One of the positions that is going to be open the next school year is the Treasurer.

Old Town Treasurer

Being a PTA Treasurer for an elementary school means taking care of the PTA’s money. An elementary school treasurer is an officer on the board of the school PTA. But it is more than just that.

A treasurer is responsible for helping plan the budget for the PTA and for holding budget. I help all the executive board members keep track of how much money they have spent and help the officers determine where it might best be utilized.

Another very important job of the PTA treasurer is determining the taxes the PTA has to pay. The treasurer makes sure the PTA submits a tax return every year to the US government. Because the PTA is a 501c organization we don’t pay any federal tax but the government needs to see the amount of money we bring in and spend.

As treasurer, it is important that I attend all the meetings and report on money that has been spent and money that has been received. OTE treasurer uses software provided by the state PTA to keep track of our expenditures and receipts.

The treasurer also attends all of the functions the PTA holds that involve money. OTE PTA has 2 very big events one at the beginning of the year called the Texan Round up (where spirit wear is sold and PTA memberships are purchased). The other big event is our Spring Carnival. All the money from these events is counted by PTA members and the Treasurer and is immediately deposited in the bank. OTE PTA holds other events throughout the year such as yearbook sales, Holiday shop and our Donation Drive. The treasurer makes sure this money gets counted by 3 people and deposited in the bank in a timely fashion.

The Treasurer does a lot of different things but it all comes down to helping the PTA track, spend and deposit all the monies of the PTA.

Pictures Needed for the Yearbook!

2012-02-09T16:07:00.001-06:00

Pictures Needed

The yearbook is in need of candid pictures for the yearbook. If you have any pictures from any:

Field Trips
Class Parties
Performances (by students and for the students)
Field Day
Special Events at School
Award Ceremonies
Family Nights (Reading Under the Stars, Math Night, etc.)
Any OTE Events

Please send pictures to OTEYearbook@yahoo.com or drop a CD in the PTA box in the office, by Spring Break. Picture files need to be over 200KB.

Second VP - Fundraising & Services

2012-02-09T13:33:00.000-06:00

2nd Vice President (Fundraising/Services)

The 2nd VP oversees and supports the Fundraising and Services Chairmen which include Donation Drive, Spirit Wear, Advertising, Community Fun Events, Holiday Shop, Blue Santa, Spring Carnival, Clothes Closet, Box Tops, Grants & Scholarships, and Environmental. You will also assist the committees under these chairmen, as needed, in order for them to be successful in meeting our PTA goals for Fundraising and providing services. This may include finding volunteers; assisting with services; providing feedback, guidance and support to the chairmen; and communicating with the chairmen regularly about needs.

First VP - Membership

2012-02-08T13:24:00.002-06:00

The First Vice President is in charge of PTA Membership. This position handles the Fall/Back to School push for PTA Membership. You are actively involved and responsible for building the PTA roster and turning it into the Texas PTA. This drive typically lasts from August through November. There is another small push at the end of the school year over the day of Kindergarten Buddy Day.

Other responsibilities are attending monthly Officer meetings, monthly Board meetings and the monthly Membership meeting.

This role has 8 areas to support. Hospitality, Volunteer Coordinator, Homeroom Coordinator, Site-Based Representative, 5th Grade Level Rep, Inclusiveness Coordinator, RRISD Council Rep and Watch Dog Dads. As their VP, you are asked to reach out and provide assistance & support to their various positions.

OTE First Garden Party

2012-02-07T12:31:00.002-06:00

Thank you to all who came out for the Garden Party on Jan28th. We had an awesome turnout. Parents, teachers, and children were busy weeding the flower beds, building more beds, planting plants, painting cinder block planters, making seed balls and bagel bird feeders, cleaning up the boot area and setting up the new stock pond. We were even able to put the mosquito fish in. They are a great low maintenance type of fish and don’t need a pump if you are looking at building a pond of your own. We were also able to put up some science equipment and the kids enjoyed looking at bugs, worms and snails as we worked. If you get the chance, please come and take a peek in the outdoor classroom and see our hard work. This could not have occurred without the planning of Ms. Kamphaus, a 3^rd grade teacher who won a grant to build more garden beds and is teaching others about sustainable gardening. She is planning on harvesting her crops to donate to the food bank. Thank you Ms. Kamphaus!

Family Math & Science Night Dinner

2012-01-29T15:58:00.000-06:00

FAMILY MATH NIGHT

DINNER

Family Math Night will be held Tuesday, February 7, 2012 from 6:00 to 7:30.

Math night is an Old Town favorite allowing families an opportunity to play various

math games with school staff and view science fair projects.

Prior to playing games, the 5th Grade Fundraising Team will be providing

dinner for $5.00 a meal – proceeds will go toward the 5th Grade Overnight Field

Trip. The meal will consist of a Chick-Fil-A sandwich, chips and a drink. Please use

this form to pre-order your dinner, and a confirmation email will be sent to you

prior to the event. Only a limited number of non pre-paid dinners will be sold

the night of the event, so please pre-order. The dinners will be served from

5:30 – 6:00 pm.

Please return this form to your child’s teacher no later than Friday,

February 3rd. If you have any questions about the meal, contact Debra Craig at

(512) 350-5096 or DebraCraig@aol.com.

OTE Spirit Night!

2012-01-28T15:57:00.000-06:00

Old Town Elementary & Cotton Patch Café

Spirit Day!!

When: Thursday, February 9, 2012

Where: Cotton Patch Café Round Rock

Hwy 79 & AW Grimes

(next to HEB Plus)

Bring the family to Cotton Patch

and Support your Old Town Texans!!

Teacher Appreciation Week!

2012-01-27T15:55:00.000-06:00

Teacher Appreciation Week

Good News! Old Town Elementary PTA has decided to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week early to avoid the end of the year stress of the national celebration! Our dates are February 13 – 17, 2012, and will follow the themes below. Please participate as much as you would like to help pamper our awesome teachers for all they do for our children. Also, don’t forget to include your Specials teachers and any Special Education/Support staff that your child encounters because they would be so pleased to be remembered. Feel free to do whatever you’d like, you don’t have to follow this list. Thanks in advance for your help! Please contact Charlotte Kosse at charkosse@yahoo.com or 512-484-2964 if you have any questions.

Monday – Flowers! “Thanks for helping us bloom this year!” PTA is giving each teacher a vase. Students, please bring in a flower to helpfill it! It can be from your garden or the store.

Tuesday – Appreciation letters to the teachers! Write a note or draw pictures showing how much you appreciate your teacher. Make one for you specials teachers too. Place your notes in the big envelope in your teacher’s room.

Wednesday – Pops! “We’re popping with excitement over what a great teacher you are!” Bring in anything that pops: soda pop, cake pops, popcorn, music, bubble bath, balloons, ring pops, lollipops, etc. Be creative and have fun with this one! Place your item in a gift bag in your teacher’s room.

Thursday – Togetherness! “Thanks for holding it together this year! Please bring in anything that joins things together such as paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands, staples, magnets, tape, etc. PTA will provide a gift bag to hold all the new supplies for the teachers. (We will also provide them with lunch on this day – contact me if you’d like to help out.)

Friday – “You are Scent-sational!” Please bring in anything fragrant to show how sensational your teacher is such as car fresheners, air spray, candles, perfume, soaps, scratch & sniff stickers, spices, hand sanitizer, etc. PTA will provide a bag to collect everything in.

What is "Cultural Arts"?

2012-01-26T15:40:00.001-06:00

Cultural Arts chairperson is responsible for scheduling a cultural experience for each grade level. This involves communicating with team leaders to determine their needs, researching available presenters, and then coordinating the scheduling with Mrs. Mercer and Ms. Ridley in the office.

This year, Kindergarten enjoyed a presentation from Elizabeth Kahura on "A Day in Africa." They enjoyed interacting with her and handling artifacts and musical instruments.

First graders were treated to a special performance of the Nutcracker from Round Rock Repertoire Dance. This was not just a sit and watch...they actually got to participate!

Third graders were impressed with a visit from author /illustrator Cristy Crowder. They were fascinated to get a glimpse of her personal sketchbooks, see how she uses the computer to draw, and listen to her explain her process for illustrating.

And finally, fourth and fifth graders enjoyed a production of "Greek Myths for Children" put on by the Pollyanna Theater Company. This tied in perfectly as they were wrapping up their unit on Greek mythology!

A few other things the Cultural Arts chairperson has done is coordination of the cookie and milk donations for Reading Under the Stars. We also worked with Mrs. Schaack and Mr. Baker to arrange a gallery display of our Reflections entries during a PTA meeting. This served as an activity for our school's No Place for Hate application.

This spring, the Cultural Arts Chair will be offering assistance to the Social Studies vertical team as they begin planning for the Spring Culture Fair.

These events are paid for with a PTA budget, which comes directly from the Donation Round Up. Without the money, our kids would not have these opportunities.

OTE Volunteers Needed!

2012-01-23T16:06:00.000-06:00

Here are our current events that require the help of some of our fantastic Old Town Volunteers. Please point your browser to the following links (or if you do not have access via internet, please call Stacy Dill at 255-4482 for more details and to signup.)

OTE Star Store: Every Wednesday (3 shifts available)

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/star24

OTE Science Fair: Thursday, 1/26/12

Judges needed! No need to have a science background. We provide

each volunteer a very simple matrix to use to evaluate each project.

We ask you and another volunteer to review 15 or so projects and give

us your feedback on how they met the criteria.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4DA8A92F4-oldtown

Kinder Round Up: 3/6/12

OTE will be hosting Kindergarten Round-up on March 6th from 9am-2pm

and would love to have a few veteran parents sign-up to lead tours of the

campus for the new families that will be registering their incoming Kinder

students on that day.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054EAAAF229-kinder

November OTE Volunteers of the Month

2011-12-10T09:06:00.002-06:00

Hello OTE Community,

For November/December, we have two helpers that we'd like to recognize in our Spotlight on Volunteering. Both of these honorees have given their permission to be announced via OTE PTA's various communication channels. Additionally, they've been asked to let us know why volunteering is important to them. I'm pleased to share their responses.

Lisa Bone: Mrs Bone was nominated by Mrs. Mustain for our Spotlight on Volunteering. When told of her nomination Mrs. Bone replied, "I’ve been volunteering and involved with the PTA since 2004, and love being able to spend time with the kids and teachers of OTE! I think part of what makes Old Town such a great school is the strong partnership between the staff and parent volunteers, which benefits us all. Some areas I’ve volunteered in over the years include Room Parent, Grade Level Representative, Math Pentathlon, Art and Choir, Spring Carnival, and Popcorn. I’ve served on the PTA Board as Room Parent Coordinator, 5^th Grade Representative and Art/Music Chairperson. I especially enjoy getting to help out in the classroom and see the learning in progress, while providing some support to the teachers who are so dedicated to our children! I appreciate Mrs. Mustain’s thoughtfulness in nominating me for this honor!!!"

Polly Fields: Mrs. Fields was selected to be included in our Spotlight. Upon hearing of her inclusion, she replied, " I have volunteered in the Star store and as a guest reader and will be helping in the holiday store and other ways as well. I enjoy it because I like knowing what is going on at school and because my son loves to see me up there. It also allows me to get to know other parents and the teachers."

Please join me in honoring these dedicated volunteers as they are indicative of our entire OTE Volunteer community.

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart. ~Elizabeth Andrews

Warmest Regards,

Stacy L Dill

OTE PTA Volunteer Coordinator

Holiday Shoppe

2011-12-05T08:50:00.002-06:00

The annual Holiday Shoppe is a service provided by the PTA which allows Old Town Students the opportunity to purchase holiday gifts for their families. The store is set up in the Science Lab and contains gift items such as key chains, jewelry, bookmarks, coffee mugs, pens, tools, toys, etc. Many items are personalized with "Mom, Dad, Grandmother..."etc. Prices range from $.25 up to $12 with most items between $1 and $4.

Participation in this activity is completely optional and spending budgets (if any) are established within the families. All students will get to "preview" the merchandise for sale on Tuesday (12/6) and then the classes are scheduled to visit the store at a specific time on Weds thru Friday to make their purchases. Although these are very nominal items for sale the kids really love picking out a special gift for their mom/dad/brothers/sisters and giving it to them. Teachers can use the opportunity to teach math concepts, budgeting, spelling, and handwriting, while fostering the spirit of giving.

Parents are welcome to stop by the store at anytime if you would like to see the merchandise for sale. If you have 90 minutes to spare during this busy holiday season please consider signing up to work a shift in the store. We need a lot of volunteers! Please contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Kelly Meek

Holiday Shoppe Chairperson

dmeek@austin.rr.com

512-826-0164

Volunteer Opportunity!

2011-11-27T20:31:00.001-06:00

We have several upcoming events that require the help of some of our

fantastic Old Town Volunteers. Please point your browser to the following links

(or if you do not have access via internet, please call Stacy Dill at 255-4482 for

more details and to signup.)

OTE Star Store: Every Wednesday (3 shifts available)

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/star24

OTE Holiday Shoppe: Dec 7th,8th & 9th—variety of shifts

This event is beloved by our OTE students.
Please help them share their joy and love by staffing this event.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4DA8A82F4- oteholiday

Car Rental Discounts from Hertz

2011-11-14T14:15:00.000-06:00

PTA Members, Get Car Rental Discounts from Hertz

PTA Members Save Up to 20% Off with Hertz!We’re at the Airport and in your Neighborhood. The world's largest airport general use car rental brand, operating from approximately 8,500 locations in 146 countries worldwide, is proud to offer PTA members up to 20% off when you use the PTA member discount code CDP#1929580 every time you reserve. Combine this discount with a Hertz Special Offer like the one below for even more savings!

Act Now on this Hertz Special Offer—$50 Off Weekly RentalsSave $50 on a weekly rental at the Airport when PC# 162820 is included in your reservation of an Economy through Full-size vehicle, or small SUV. Combine this offer with your PTA member discount code CDP# 1929580 to save even more on your rentals. Valid now through December 15, 2011.

Hertz is a Member Benefits Provider of National PTA.

Terms and conditions: Advance reservations required. Subject to availability, this offer is redeemable at participating Hertz locations. Modifying your reservation may result in a change in rate and/or invalidate this offer. This offer has no cash value, may not be used with Pre-paid Rates, Tour Rates or Insurance Replacement Rates and cannot be combined with any other certificate, voucher, offer or promotion. Hertz age, driver, credit and weekly rate qualifications for the renting location apply. Taxes, tax reimbursement, age differential charges, fees and optional service charges, such as refueling, are not included. Discounts apply to time and mileage charges only. Discounts in local currency on redemption. Offer valid for rentals commencing 10/15/11 for vehicle pickup through 12/15/11.

October OTE Volunteers

2011-11-09T14:50:00.001-06:00

Hello OTE Community,

For the month of October, we have two helpers that we'd like to recognize in our Spotlight on Volunteering. Both of these honorees have given their permission to be announced via OTE PTA's various communication channels. Additionally, they've been asked to let us know why volunteering is important to them. I'm pleased to share their wonderful responses. It is touching to see a common thread running through the responses that we receive from our volunteers: helping in the classroom is viewed as most important and most rewarding to them.

Kimberly Brandt: Mrs. Brandt was selected to be in our Spotlight for October. When notified of her selection, she replied, "Thank you. I must say that I'm very humbled to be chosen for the volunteer spotlight. During the 2011-2012 school year, I've volunteered for 2nd grade Math Pentathlon, chaparone for 2nd grade field trip, and helped serve for the Grandparent's lunch in the cafeteria. In years past, I've served on the PTA Executive Board as Kindergarten Representative and PTA Treasurer. I've also served on the RRISD Council of PTA's Scholarship Committee, and Audit Committee. I am working on my sixth year of volunteering to teach Math Pentathlon. I have helped teachers in the classroom with various activities and lessons, served as a science fair judge, and have volunteered in the Old Town Library. I must say that I most enjoy volunteering in the classroom. It is very rewarding to help children, both my own and others, learn to their full potential. I love watching them grow both physically and mentally. Math has always been one of my favorite subjects, and I enjoy getting to share my passion with our kids.
Kelly E. Hobdy: Mrs Hobdy was nominated to be in our Spotlight by Mrs. Mustain. From my own personal experience, I can attest to Mrs. Hobdy's devotion to the OTE community and her willingness to help with anything at the drop of a hat. When told of her nomination she shared the following:
Over the last 9 school years at Old Town Elementary, I have volunteered in many areas…each rewarding in its own way!
I have volunteered…
In the classroom! I enjoy working with the children, learning who they are, how they interact with one another. One of the greatest rewards is the spark in a child’s eye when they “catch on” to the task at hand. Whether it be reading, math, a math pentathlon game and they see a new strategy, learning the ABC’s, or counting to 100 for the first time! I have enjoyed seeing this spark at all grade levels!
Popcorn! It’s great to be out in the community and hear a child whisper…”She’s the Popcorn Lady”! Popcorn seems to make everyone happy at OTE! It’s great to be a part of the team that makes it happen and share in the excitement it brings each time to the children and staff!
Spring Carnival! This is a once a year fun time for the OTE Community! The carnival is so rewarding financially to the school, and a great time working with wonderful parents for a great cause!
I am most inspired to help our teachers at OTE. I appreciate all they do for the children and like to “lighten their load” whenever possible. Teachers give so much of themselves daily while in the classroom, yet have so many other things to do to make each day special. I don’t like for our teachers to work late, or on weekends. I hope that I make myself available to our teachers to help with anything I can to let them enjoy their family time too!

Please join me in honoring these volunteers. Their service to OTE is inspiring and invaluable.

If you are interested in helping out at OTE, there are a variety of opportunities that fit a wide range of interests and time commitments. Please take a look here and here for just a sample of the available events that need helpers.

Stacy Dill
Old Town Volunteer Coordinator

OTE Hosts Artist!

2011-11-02T13:59:00.000-05:00

Reflections Inspiration

Lisa Sopher, our PTA Reflections chair, invited Ahmed Riaz, a Senior Interactive Designer from Frog (an innovative firm in Austin- Riaz also leads an organization called Design Play), to inspire our kids last Friday in their Art Classes. Riaz talked to the kids about how they have the power to influence their surroundings and how kids are changing the world these days. We walked through how kids can become designers by finding ideas, sketching, making it, and sharing those ideas. We focused on how kids could start to design playgrounds of the future. We got a lot of great ideas and those ideas are now on the main bulletin board as well in the cafeteria hallway. Thank you Riaz & Lisa!!!

This was done in conjunction with our ongoing Reflections contest. The last day to turn your child's entry in is on Friday, November 4th. We are looking forward to seeing all those amazing OTE artists.

Butterfly Habitat

2011-11-02T13:50:00.000-05:00

Butterfly Habitat

This week, we had a special group of "visitors" on the playground - a Butterfly Habitat!! Carol Peeples, the PTA Environmental Chair, arranged for the Butterfly Man to visit for a few hours - all Kinder-3rd grade classes were able to spend time in the habitat. They learned that 1 in 100 butterfly eggs will become butterflies in the wild, 2 in 100 will in captivity. There has been a 30% decline in the butterfly population since the 1960's. What an incredible experience for our kiddos!!

Volunteers of the Month - September

2011-10-20T15:16:00.002-05:00

Hello OTE Community,

In order to expand and evolve our volunteer recognition initiative that was reinstated last year, I have enlisted the help of OTE's faculty and staff to provide nominations of volunteers whom they would like to see recognized. Throughout the year, we will be highlighting the work of a sample of our incredible corp of volunteers at OTE drawn both from these nominations, as well as, from our traditional sources.

For the month of September, we have two helpers that we'd like to recognize in our Spotlight on Volunteering. Both of these ladies have given their permission to be announced via OTE PTA's various communication channels. Additionally, they've been asked to let us know why volunteering is important to them. I'm pleased to share that each of the ladies were genuinely surprised and honored to be selected. I found their thoughts about volunteering to be indicative of the true heart of volunteerism - active examples of a willingness to cooperate and help others with no expectation of extrinsic rewards.

Natalie Gulley: Mrs. Gulley reports that she has volunteered in the classrooms of her daughters, has helped with the carnival, and with Math Pentathlon. However, much of her volunteering efforts have been focused on mentoring. When asked about her volunteer activities, she had this to say, " I have been mentoring at Old Town for 6 years. It is the most rewarding experience. I feel so fortunate to be able to give back and help the children that need it the most and see their progress throughout the year. Seeing me help others has inspired my girls to help other children as well." In addition to her selection as a VIP for September, Mrs. Gulley was also nominated by OTE Counselor, Amanda Embry.
Keri Kilgore: Mrs.Kilgore was nominated by Mrs. Long and Mrs. Thrift for her weekly help with the KTEX newscasts. When informed of her nomination, Mrs. Kilgore replied, "Wow! I would be honored. I have been privileged to volunteer in various areas in the past few years at OTE. I joined the PTA when Colton was in Kindergarten, and have worked as the Volunteer Coordinator and the Box Tops Chair. I've enjoyed both, but my favorite is volunteering in the classroom. Our teachers have such a heavy work load, and I really enjoy being able to do something to help, plus I love kids! I've helped with classroom workstations, led Math Pentathlon, stuffed Tuesday folders, and helped out in the Library in the past. I've gone back to work full time now, so my time is limited, but I still enjoy helping out with KTEX a couple of mornings a week. There are so many opportunities to help out--even if you only have a few minutes to spare!"

Please join me in honoring these volunteers. Their service to OTE is invaluable.

Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well. ~Voltaire

Warmest Regards,
Stacy L Dill
OTE PTA Volunteer Coordinator

OTE PTA Extra Funds Survey

2011-10-19T20:57:00.002-05:00

Extra Funds Survey

Last Spring, we had an AMAZING Spring Carnival! Thanks to that success, we have a sizable amount of money that we would like to use at Old Town. On Tuesday, November 8, at the PTA Meeting, the Texan Touch Committee will be bringing forth a recommendation to the PTA and will be voting on it.

Before doing so, we will be seeking the PTA Membership’s opinion on several ideas of what we should purchase. The committee is asking you to fill out this simple survey to let us know what your opinions are on several options.

The Survey can be accessed here.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V36VDSN

Before taking the survey, please read the following information to understand more about this purchase.

To provide you with as much information as possible, we anted to give you some background information:

Texan Touch Committee Guiding Principles:

1. To assess the needs of Old Town through several channels (Principal, Teachers/Staff, Parents)

2. To make purchases that touch every child

3. To make long-lasting purchases (versus short-term/consumables)

OTE PTA Annual Budget:

Every year, the OTE PTA adds several line items to the budget that impact our school:

• $14,600 - One Field Trip per grade

• $6000-9600 - OTE Excellence Fund (20% of Donation Round Up)

• $100 per teacher/$900 per Specials

• $500 - Field Day ($1500 last few years)

• $4500 - Cultural Arts Programs (1 program per grade plus extras)

• $350-750 – Math Pentathlon

• $2000 – Hospitality

• $2000 – Science Lab (years past)

• $2000 – Library (years past)

• $1000-2000 – Outdoor Classroom

• $500 – Literacy Library ($1000 year past)

OTE PTA Extra Funds:

Within the last 3 years, here are a few things that your donations have helped to purchase:

• Handwriting Without Tears ($1800)

• 7 Dell Latitude Netbooks ($5000)

• Library Makeover ($2129)

• Sciencesaurus for 5th Grade ($1000)

• Literacy Library Makeover ($4900)

• Science Lab Makeover ($1500)

• Outdoor Classroom ($10,000)

• Math Manipulatives ($470)

• Playground Equipment ($600)

• Printer Cartridges ($1300)

• STAR Texans ($500)

Please take a few moments to provide your thoughts with the following survey. We ask that this survey be completed by PTA Members. The survey will be active until Wednesday, October 26, 11:59 p.m.

Coffee with the Principal!

2011-10-19T15:24:00.000-05:00

Our first Coffee with the Principals session will take place on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 from 8:00am until 9:00am in our library. During this time you will have the unique opportunity to learn more about campus and district initiatives, goals, and dreams, provide input/feedback, and ask questions! It's another great way to get involved at Old Town!

Please RSVPShannon_Ridley@roundrockisd.org by Friday, October 21st to let us know you are coming! Coffee and donuts will be provided. Hope to see you here!

Cyber Bullying Meeting at Walsh Middle School

2011-10-17T14:16:00.001-05:00

CYBER-BULLYING

Please join us for an informative discussion on ways to combat cyber-bullying. Barbara Paris will host the program on Thursday, October 27th at 6:30pm (immediately following the PTA meeting) in the WMS cafeteria.

Here are a few questions that Ms. Paris will be addressing along with possible solutions:

Why do you think bullying has gone electronic and what are the most commonly used modes of cyberbullying?
How does cyberbullying usually come to light?
What are the best practices for schools in terms of acknowledging the problem and encouraging kids to come forward?
What do you have in place on your campus to avert, watch out for, or deal with cyberbullying?
What should parents do?

“Most importantly, we must ensure that students are in a safe, secure and productive environment that protects them from all forms of bullying and harassment, so they can do their best,” says Principal Barbara-Jane Paris.

Texan Touch Committee Meeting

2011-10-13T16:04:00.002-05:00

The Texan Touch Committee will hold a planning meeting on Tuesday, Oct 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the OTE Library. This will be a 30 minute meeting to discuss a plan and construct a survey. OTE PTA Members are invited to join the committee.

Please email Andrea Jagodzinski at jealsjag@gmail.com if you can attend.

OTE Deal of the Month

2011-10-11T12:01:00.002-05:00

OLD TOWN PTA DEAL OF THE MONTH

1890 Ranch Shopping Center
1335 E. Whitestone Blvd, Suite D135
Cedar Park, TX 78613 MAP IT
Phone: 512.259.4353
Hours: Mon – Sat 10am – 6pm, Sundays 12pm-5pm

For the month of October, Pigtails and Crewcuts Cedar Park will be partnering with local schools and donating to their PTAs!

You will notice a column called "School Name" on the sign-in sheet for October. Please make sure that when you sign in, you note OLD TOWN ELEMENTARY. For every haircut that is signed in with the school name, they will donate 5% of the cost of the haircut to our school. This includes mom cuts and dad cuts as well, as long as OLD TOWN ELEMENTARY is noted next to the sign-in.

The numbers quickly add up - PLEASE help us get the word out, and let parents, teachers, PTA members and friends know! It's an easy way to get funds for our school. There's nothing else required - simply come get a haircut and we will take care of the rest! As an added incentive Pigtails & Crewcuts will reward a $100 donation to the school who raises the most money through haircuts during the month of October! It’s that simple...whoever spreads the word the most and raises the most money will get an additional $100.

Yearbook Cover Art Contest

2011-09-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yearbook Cover Art Contest

2011-2012

Deadline for submissions is October 14, 2011.

It’s time again to show us how creative you are!!

We need YOU to design the cover of the 2011-2012 Yearbook!!

Be creative! Be colorful!

Contest Rules:

Original STUDENT hand drawn artwork*

Art must be on 8 ½ x 11 white paper*

Theme must be Old Town Elementary

All entries will be judged on creativity, color and theme.

*Artwork must be hand drawn by student and not computer generated. No templates please!

8 ½ x 11 paper, can be found in the office.

Reflections!

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

The 2011 Reflections Contest is starting very soon! This year's theme is:

Diversity means.....

We re looking for all types of artistic entries:

Literature

Photography

Musical Composition

Dance Choreography

Film Production

Visual Arts

Key Dates:

10/14/11: Students can begin to turn in their entries

11/4/11: Last day to submit entries

Mid November: Reflections Winners announced

Please click here for more details.

Watch D.O.G.S. Pizza Kickoff Party

2011-09-26T15:41:00.002-05:00

Old Town Dads!!!

We Need You!!

Become a Watch D.O.G.S.

(Dads of Great Students)

We invite fathers, grandfathers, uncles, or other father figures to

spend a morning, half-day, or full-day volunteering at Old Town

Join us at our

Watch D.O.G.S. Kick-off Pizza Party

to learn more!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

6:30 p.m.

Old Town Elementary Cafeteria

Contact Stephen Bone for more information (Stephen_Bone@Dell.com)

Take Your Dad to School Lunch!

2011-09-26T15:34:00.000-05:00

Let's Celebrate

Take Your Dad to School Day

by bringing Dad to lunch!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Dads bring your own special lunch to school and join your Old Town Texan!

Donation Round Up: Week 2 Results

2011-09-26T15:20:00.002-05:00

Week 2 Results

We are already halfway to our goal of $35,000 in just 2 weeks time!!

WOW! Thank you so much for all of your generous donations! We have hit the halfway mark with $16,810 in donations! Click here to see how your child's classroom is doing.

If you have not yet had a chance to donate, please consider the following:

For every $10 that you donate, your child's name will have a ticket in the raffle. The tickets remain in the pot week after week, so it is beneficial to get it in as soon as you can for more chances to win prizes, including the grand prize:an iPad!!
Please check if your employer matches your charitable giving - so many do!! Most of the time, the employee needs to initiate the process, but we are happy to help with whatever requirements are needed. It is easier to do that you think!
Dell Employees: Please send in your printed reciept of your matching form (last screen). Your child WILL be entered in the raffle for the amount that you donate (not the matching portion)when we receive the form. Please do not send in checks, as we can not complete the matching.

Thank you again, we are so excited with how successful of a Donation Drive we are having.

We can't wait to hit our goal!!

Make Mr. Baker Do the Chicken Dance!!

2011-09-12T19:11:00.000-05:00

Our Box Tops Fall Contest is in FULL SWING! We are working hard to earn

TEN THOUSAND Box Tops by Friday, October 21! Box Tops can be sent in

taped to the HEB contest flyer or loose in a sealed plastic baggie or envelope.

EVERY BOX TOP YOU SEND IN GOES TOWARD OUR CHANCE AT

WINNING $10,000 IN THE HEB BONUS BOX TOPS CONTEST!

We are working towards this goal together, as a school, so you do not need to label

your Box Tops or even count them. You can send them in as often as you like, no

need to wait until the end of the contest. Just send them in to your child’s teacher,

or drop them in the PTA box in the front office—I’ll take care of the rest!

Remember to keep asking your friends, neighbors, grandparents, aunts, uncles and

Facebook friends for Box Tops—we’ll have Mr. Baker dancing in a chicken suit in

no time! 

Thank you for your efforts!

Keri Kilgore

PTA Box Tops Chair

Family Engagement Month

2011-09-09T16:47:00.000-05:00

Texas Governor Rick Perry signed a proclamation declaring September, 2011 as PTA Family Engagement Month in Texas!

Here at Old Town, we are holding several events to encourage our OTE Families to become more involved at school:

Friday, September 9th: Grandparent's Day Luncheon

Tuesday, September 13th: OTE Curriculum Night & PTA Membership Meeting

Tuesday, September 13th: Donation Drive Kick off fun with a Special Movie Premiere at the OTE PTA Membership Meeting

Friday, September 16th: OTE Spirit Afternoon with Kona Ice

Monday, September 19th - Friday, September 23rd: OTE Spirit Week with Firehouse Subs

TBA: Watch Dog Dads Pizza Party

Thursday, September 29th: "Take Your Dad to School Day"

Also, be on the lookout for the creation of the "What's Happening at Old Town" Bulletin Board in the front lobby, a new PTA Email Distribution, and several articles on increasing Family Engagement at School on here.

Help Needed at the STAR Store

2011-09-05T19:23:00.000-05:00

Howdy Partner,

During this second year of the STAR Texan behavior system, OTE administration is opening a STAR store where children can visit to "purchase" items using the tickets that they earn by making great behavior choices throughout the campus.

Mrs. Mercer and Mr. Baker would love to have the store open every Wednesday. The students would be able to choose to visit the store during their recess period. Your help is needed to staff this store while students visit, make selections, and "pay" for their items.

Please view the opportunities and sign-up where you are able, and as often as you are able. It would be fabulous if you're able to make a regular weekly or biweekly sign-up, but if not, please sign up for whatever you are able to manage.

You can access the sign up here. Feel free to forward this sign-up to any of your OTE friends as well.

Thank you for your time and commitment to OTE. This can't happen without your help.

Last Call

2011-09-05T19:20:00.000-05:00

Just a quick reminder to please turn in the following forms:

PTA Membership

We ask that you please consider signing up both you & your spouse for the Old Town PTA this year. A strong membership shows how powerful we can be for our children at Old Town. We ask that you become a part of your child's education by partnering with us this year. Your membership helps us make the best decisions for the school when it comes to budgeting, volunteering, and fun events. Join us this year and participate in fun events at school, such as "Coffee with Mrs. Mercer", "Spring Carnival", and Parent Education Nights.

Click here for the PTA Membership Form

OTE Spirit Wear

Place your orders for this year's awesome Spirit Wear. We have 2 designs! Get one of each! Also, we are sold out of water bottles - sorry!

Click here for the Spirit Wear Form

PTA Directory

Please turn in the following form and check YES if you would like to have your information listed in this year's Old Town Directory. If we do not receive this form, you will NOT be in the directory. Additionally, if you would like a copy of the Directory, they are $2. Please fill out the above Spirit Wear form to order one.

Click here for the Directory Form

Calling ALL Parents - Volunteering & 2 Cafeteria Opportunities

2011-09-05T19:06:00.000-05:00

Ready to pitch in and make a difference this year at Old Town? Are you looking for a place to help out at school?? Want to work in your child's classroom but don't have a ton of time to do so?

We can help!!

Stacy Dill, our Volunteer Coordinator, is still collecting the pink Volunteer Forms that were in the Welcome Walk packets - if you misplaced yours, here it is online! - we need volunteers for all sorts of positions like helping on picture day, cooking for teacher luncheons, weekly Math Pentathlon leaders, and sorting papers at home. There is a job for everyone! Please get your forms in soon, so we can start staffing the many open positions with volunteers. By filling out the form, you get the inside scoop on all volunteering opportunities that come out through the year!

Here are 2 Opportunities that need immediate help:

Grandparent's Day Luncheon - Friday, September 9, 2011.

Our cafeteria staff will be serving some very honored guests at OTE's Annual Grandparents' Luncheon on September 9th, 2011. The staff would appreciate your help in serving these guests.

Please view the schedule and sign-up where you are able.

Cafeteria Weekly Ice Cream Help

Our cafeteria staff would love to have some help selling ice cream to our students

during lunch. Each class (1-5) is eligible to buy ice cream on one day each week. We

need someone who would like to help out each week. Maybe you'd be able to help

out during your child's lunch period?

Please take a look at the following schedule and contact Stacy Dill

(sl_dill@yahoo.com or 255-4482) if you'd like to sign on for this brief weekly

volunteer position.

As always, your time and attention are greatly appreciated. Our OTEcommunity

wouldn't be the same without all of the hard-working volunteers!

1st Grade: Mondays - 10:40am to 10:55am

2nd Grade: Tuesdays - 11: 15am to 11 :30am

3rd Grade: Wednesdays - 11 :30am to 11 :45am

4th Grade: Thursdays - 11 :50am to 12:05pm

5th Grade: Fridays - 11 :00am to 11: 15am

Welcome Back!

2011-08-23T20:38:00.003-05:00

Dear Old Town Elementary Family:

Welcome back to school!! My hope is that everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable summer vacation and you are all excited to get back into the swing of things. It is going to be a great 2011-2012 school year because of our top-notched teachers, administrators, and staff that are dedicated to the education of our children at Old Town Elementary.

Old Town Elementary PTA is dedicated to making the best environment for educating your students. Nationally, PTA is the largest volunteer child advocacy organization.

What does Old Town Elementary PTA support?

· Sponsoring and planning Cultural Arts programs for our students including author visits, performers, artists, and historians

· Sponsoring field trips for each grade level to exciting and educational destinations

· Bringing educational programs such as Reflections & Math Pentathlon to our campus and classrooms

· Editing, printing, and distributing OTE Directories and Yearbooks

· Sponsoring and hosting the Science Fair

· Leading community service project drives for Blue Santa and Clothes Closet

· Supporting & maintaining the Outdoor Classroom

· Making grade level monetary contributions to help teachers provide more in their classrooms, including Art, P.E., Music, TAG, & Special Education

· Purchasing books for the OTE Library and supplies for the Science Lab

· Contributing to the 5^th Grade Outdoor Classroom Field Trip

· Sponsoring Watch Dog Dad program

These events and more are not possible without your time and support. I encourage you to get involved in your student’s academic career and become a member of the Old Town Elementary PTA. By joining the PTA, you have a voice in the decisions that affect our children’s education. We would love to see every parent in our school a member!

Our biggest and most successful fundraiser will begin on September 13, 2011. This will be our 4th annual OTE PTA Donation Drive. Currently, the PTA spends over $100 per child at Old Town though the various programs we support. And your child directly benefits from your support. 100% of the funds you give during our donation drive go to the school, and not to support a catalog or cookie-dough fundraiser.

We look forward to seeing you & your family at Texan Round Up, Friday, August 19, 2011. Please take the time to visit the PTA tables in the cafeteria where you can:

ü Purchase NEW OTE T-shirts for Adults & Children (**Tax Free this night only!)

ü Sign up to join the PTA for $5.50/person

ü Learn about all the different Volunteer Opportunities available at OTE (we need YOU!)

ü Learn more about & sign up to be a Watch Dog Dad

ü Complete your child’s contact details for the school directory

Lastly, if you are on Facebook, please become a fan of the “OTE PTA” and receive valuable OTE information. I look forward to meeting and working with you this school year! And thank you for your time and financial help you will be giving to the school. We can’t provide the environment our kids deserve without YOU!

Rebecca Darling

Kindergarten Hugs Goodbye!!

2011-08-17T20:39:00.000-05:00

Kindergarten Parents:

Join us for the annual

Hugs Goodbye!

August 23, 2010

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

OTE Conference room

(main hallway, down the stairs on your left)

Come commiserate (or celebrate) with other Kindergarten parents

Doughnuts & coffee will be served!

Why Should I Join the PTA????

2011-08-16T06:47:00.001-05:00

Old Town Elementary has a very STRONG PTA and we want to keep it strong. But the only we we can do that is with your help!

So what makes it so important that I join? Do you really need me??

YES! And here's why:

1. Our local PTA unit is a child advocacy group that supports the programs at Old Town & in the community.

2. Your membership allows us to fund important programs that our students want & need: a field trip for each grade, monetary donations in each classroom, specials classrooms, Library, Science lab & more, & Cultural arts presentations for every grade.

3. The higher the membership, the more robust our group of parent volunteers become. OTE could not function completely without our wonderful parent volunteers!

4. The PTE PTA provides several parent educational opportunities to enhance your parenting experience.

5. Dads are so very important!! There is NO reason why our children's dads should not be OTE PTA Members. We offer a special program, Watch D.O.G.S., to get our dads in our schools, volunteering where our kid's need them!

WE NEED YOU! Our goal this year is to be 550 members strong by October15th! Will you join us??

Membership is only $5.50 per person. You can join at Texan Round Up and become a part of our amazing association!

Thank you!

OTE Food Drive on Texan Round Up Night!

2011-08-15T18:45:00.001-05:00

Old Town Elementary Food Drive Fun!

Collecting Donations at OTE’s Texan Round Up Night

Benefiting the Round Rock

Area Serving Center

Bring Your Donations to

Mrs. Meyer’s Music room 100

Food Pantry’s Current Needs:

Canned Beans Canned Corn
Ranch Style Tuna
Baked Beans Cereal
Green Beans Tomato Sauce
Black Beans Canned Fruit Cocktail
Pork ‘n Beans Pasta
Peanut Butter
Canned Soups
Top Ramen
Toilet Paper & Diapers

Texan Round Up!

2011-08-12T06:36:00.001-05:00

Yee-Haw!! The Texan Round Up is ONE WEEK AWAY!!

Make plans to come to this year's Round Up! Look at all the wonderful things you can do:

Drop off your child's school supplies in their classroom!

Buy 2011-2012 Spirit Wear!

Join the OTE PTA!

Sign up & register for the OTE Directory!

Learn about & sign up for Volunteer Opportunities at OTE!

Learn your bus route!

Become a Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads)!

Buy a Popcorn Pass (& support 5th grade)!

Buy an OTE Koozie!

Get a cool drink & a snack!

Drop off your canned goods for the Round Rock Serving Center!

Give Mrs. Mercer & Mr. Baker a OTE High Five!!

It is sure to be a fun night and a great way to ensure your child is excited to come back to school!!

Pre-K - 2nd Grade: 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

3rd Grade -5th Grade: 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

2011-2012 OTE Directory

2011-08-11T18:34:00.000-05:00

This year, the 2011-2012 OTE DIrectory will be on sale for $2.00. PLease make sure you fill out the directory form in your Welcome Walk packet and turn in in ASAP. This allows us to include your family information.

The OTE Directory is a great way to stay connected with Old Town teachers, staff, & parents!

2011-2012 Spirit Wear

2011-08-10T18:34:00.000-05:00

Take a look at the TWO choices we have for our 2011-2012 Spirit Wear T-shirts:

Both are available in Adult & Child sizes. Prices are below:

Tie Die Adult T-Shirt = $12.00
STAR Adult T-Shirt = $12.00
STAR Ladies Cut Adult T-Shirt = $12.00
Tie Die Child T-Shirt = $10.00
STAR Child T-Shirt = $10.00

Other Spirit Wear items we have available this fall:
Water Bottle = $3.00
Caps = $12.00
Visors = $12.00
Drawstring Bags = $2.50

****SPECIAL PRICING: All spirit Wear items are available at the Texan Round Up for the tax free price - this night only, so get your order in!! Look for order forms in the Welcome Walk packet.

Kindergarten Kids Need to Get Registered!

2011-08-10T18:28:00.001-05:00

If you know of friends or neighbors in Wood Glen, Hidden Glen, or nearby neighborhoods with a child starting Kindergarten this year, please make sure they have registered. Please spread the word so that we have the appropriate number of teachers when school starts on August 23rd. If we do not get 6-10 more students registered for Kindergarten before school starts, it is highly likjely that one of the current Kindergarten teachers will have to move to another grade level. That would make 5 very full Kindergarten classes!

Parents or caregivers may register their child for Kindergarten by visiting Old Town during office hours and presenting all of the required forms and documentation listed here: https://www.roundrockisd.org/index.aspx?page=141

Introducing Our New Assistant Principal!!

2011-08-01T14:13:00.001-05:00

The Old Town Elementary PTA is very excited to introduce Mr. Minor Baker to OTE as our new Assistant Principal. Please welcome him!!

How do you start a letter where you are going to introduce yourself? “Hello” seems so informal. Maybe I should lead with a “Howdy” because this is Texas, but I am really a kid who grew up in Chicago, so “Howdy” would just seem weird. I have lived here for 9 years and don’t recall ever hearing anybody say “Howdy.” I have also eliminated “Wass Up” and “Yo”, although I am an informal guy – that may be taking it a bit too far for our first introduction.

Let us just skip the introduction for now. I guess at this point of the introduction I should provide a little professional information about myself. My name is Minor Baker. For the last two years, I have worked as the Academic Dean at Bluebonnet Elementary. Before working at Bluebonnet, I was the AP at Cunningham Elementary in South Central Austin for two years. I have also worked as a teacher at Cactus Ranch, Kiker (AISD), and a project based charter school in Minnesota. I am beyond excited to be working at Old Town Elementary. I have heard wonderful things from so many teachers, parents, and students who have a connection to this school community.
This really is starting to turn into my yearly Christmas letter, so I should talk about my family. My better half, Sarah Baker, is currently the Director of Elementary Education at Concordia University, but previously taught Kindergarten and 1^st Grade at Cactus Ranch and Berkman. We have 3 boys under the age of 4. If you want to put the letter down and say a small prayer for my wife I would totally understand. My oldest Sawyer is 3 ½, and is obsessed with Cars (Pixar) and biking. Jack and Finn, also known as, the Twinkies, are 20 months old and a blur of action unless they are sleeping. There are a couple of females that do live in our house, unfortunately they are both dogs, Sabine – aka – crabby old lady, and Como – aka – Lab puppy (goodbye all my good shoes). Aside from school and chasing three kids around, I also have a passion for soccer (my wife would use the word obsession, but she isn’t writing this note), biking (I will bike to work when it is not so darn hot), and theater.

I am completely serious when I say I can’t wait to meet you, and get started on the next school year. Stop by and say hi. If you are having a difficult time figuring out which one I am, I am the tall bald guy with big ears.

What's A Welcome Walk?

2011-07-28T16:02:00.000-05:00

Wow! Summer is almost over and the First Day of School will be upon us soon. One of the most exciting traditions that Old Town Elementary does each school year is our Annual Welcome Walk.

If you are new to Old Town, you might be wondering what exactly is a Welcome Walk? The Welcome Walk is the unique way our Old Town Texans find out who there teachers are going to be for the school year.

Each teacher (with a school helper) travels to each of their classes' individual homes to meet the child and parents face to face. Can you think of a more exciting way for our kids to find out?

The Welcome Walk is on Thursday, August 18 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Please be home by 4:00 pm that day - you never know when your teacher may visit. If you are not there when they visit, they will leave a bag with school information on the doorstep.

Most teachers visit up to 20 homes, so please be mindful of their time.

Mya Mercer named OTE Principal

2011-06-08T07:47:00.001-05:00

District names new Old Town ES principal

Posted Date: 6/7/2011 10:04 AM

Mya Mercer, current assistant principal at Old Town Elementary, has been selected to lead Old Town Elementary. Mercer has spent three years as the assistant principal at Old Town Elementary.

Mercer has 10 years of experience in education and has served as a classroom teacher, a 21st Century Community Learning Center Site Coordinator and assistant principal.

She earned her bachelor of elementary education from Eastern New Mexico University and a master in education administration from Lubbock Christian University.

Special PTA Membership Meeting

2011-05-24T13:42:00.000-05:00

We will be holding a special PTA Membership meeting on Friday, May 27, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. at Old Town (room to be determined). We will be voting on a budget amendment that needs to be made before July. If you can make it, we would appreciate it.

Summer Reading Programs

2011-05-24T13:06:00.001-05:00

Check out all these GREAT summer reading programs!

Barnes and Noble Imagination Destination: earn a free book when you read 8 books.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading/index.asp

Round Rock Library Summer Reading Program: Earn all sorts of great prizes for minutes read.

http://schools.roundrockisd.org/oldtown/ebackpack%202010-2011/Week%20of%20Apr.%2025-29/Round%20Rock%20Library%20Summer%20Reading%20Flyer%20104.pdf

Round Rock High School Summer Reading Programs for Incoming 3^rd graders:

http://schools.roundrockisd.org/oldtown/ebackpack 2010-2011/Week of May 16-20/Round Rock HS Football Literacy Fllyer152.pdf

Half Price Book Feed Your Brain: Kids ages 14 and under can earn a $5 Half Price Books Shopping Card if they read up to 600 minutes from June 1 – July 31.

http://www.hpb.com/community/fyb/

Scholastic Summer Challenge: Offers a chance for kids to log their reading times into their system to compete for the World Record!

http://www.scholastic.com/summer/

Austin American-Statesman Newspapers In Education, A+ Federal Credit Union, & Round Rock Express “Hit A Homerun for Reading”: Win all sorts of prizes and even tickets to a Round Rock Express Game!

http://austinnie.wordpress.com/

Texan Touch!

2011-05-19T16:53:00.000-05:00

Over the past few weeks, the Texan Touch committee has been working hard to freshen up the main hallway of our school. You may have noticed that several things have been rearranged on the walls and moved around. We also implemented a place to highlight our budding OTE artists quarterly in the main hallway.

It is still in process, but we would be remiss to not mention the wonderful volunteers and businesses that have helped us get so far.

Mrs. Shelley Hause

Mrs. Hause, a mom at OTE and owner of Chic Interiors, has spent many hours rearranging and re-hanging pictures & awards to create an organized look to our hallways. Her input has been invaluable and we appreciate her!

Legend Lighting

We cleaned out the awards cabinet earlier this year and added OTE Spirit wear, however we were in need of a new light. Legend Lighting had exactly the light bar we needed and fully donated it to Old Town. Thank you Legend Lighting!

Home Depot ~ Round Rock

Home Depot donated 2 $25 gift cards to the OTE PTA, which we used to purchase lava rocks to re-do the Texan & Longhorn beds out front. We hope to find some dads to help us refresh those in August before school starts. Thank you Home Depot!

Lowe's Garden Department ~ Round Rock

In the Spring, Lowe's Garden Department donated flowers & plants for the pots at the front entrance. Thank you Lowe's!

Ms. Andrea Rummel

Ms. Rummel, OTE Kindergarten teacher, donated a new aquarium & stand for our beloved OTE turtles. She spent many hours preparing the tank and moving the turtles from the main aquarium. They now sit in a great spot for all of Old Town to see. Thank you Ms. Rummel!

Lastly, we couldn't have seen any progress without the help of our Texan Touch Committee and several volunteers: Andrea Jagodzinski, Michelle Quick, Lori Hutson, Shelley Hause, Dr. Rose Villarreal, Mya Mercer, Shannon Ridley, Melissa Kelly, & Shawn Jagodzinski. Thank you for loving our school & our students!!

OTE Town Hall Meeting with Dr. Jesus Chavez

2011-05-16T15:39:00.002-05:00

On Thursday, May 5, 2011, the OTE PTA invited Dr. Jesus Chavez to a Town Hall Meeting with our parents. What follows are the notes that we took that evening. The notes are what we were able to capture and reflect what was presented that evening. They do not reflect any opinions.

Please note all the District Budget Information can be found on the District website at www. roundrockisd.org under the Budget Reduction tab on the left hand side of the districts home page.

Dr. Chavez introduced other district employees also in attendance:

Dr. Matt Matthys - Asst. Superintendent, Instructional Support

Toni Garcia - Deputy Superintendent, Instruction

Ramiro Flores - Deputy Superintendent, Administration

Joylynn Occhiuzzi - Executive Director Community Relations

Carla Amacher - Director Elementary Education

Michele Swain - Director Gifted/Advanced Academic Services

Dr. Chavez began with a presentation http://www.roundrockisd.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=32641discussing the Senate Budget vs. the House Budget and the gaping difference in their two proposed budgets. He then addressed the legislative timeline: If the House and Senate compromise, their will be a state budget by the end of May, if they do not, a Special Session will be called and the two branches would reconvene beginning on July 11th. A state budget must be in place following the Special Session in August.

Round Rock Independent School District Budget goals are to balance the budget by cutting $40 million and using a portion of the districts fund balance ($20 million each year for the next two years) to reduce the overall budget by a total of $60 million. This is hopefully the worst case scenario for the district. Dr. Chavez explained the district’s fund balance is fed with any leftover money from any given year’s budget. This crisis will require $40 million over two years from the total fund balance of $200 million.

Round Rock Independent School District is legally required to approve a budget by the end of June. The district will plan as well as can be expected and if more money is allocated to the district the board will address which items off of a proposed list, http://www.roundrockisd.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=32337,

be restored based on the amount of funds.

Dr. Chavez invited everyone to attend one of the Budget Workshops to hear the Administration and the School Board discuss the proposed budget reduction plan. There are two more meetings, May 16th and May 31st both at 6:30pm at the Round Rock High School Lecture Hall. Also, a Public Hearing and Budget Presentation will be held on June 8th at 7pm in the Round Rock High School Lecture Hall. These meetings are also streamed live online via the district website. (http://207.193.126.115/ Use rrisd for both username and password.)

Questions:

Q: At OTE, the TAG Program will move from 2 teachers to 1/2 teacher. How do you see this playing out at the school level?

A: Michele Swain, Director Gifted/Advanced Academic Services explained the allocation of the 16 TAG teachers for next year. The top four schools with the largest TAG population were allocated one full time TAG teacher and the other 24 campuses were given .5 TAG teachers each. Please see the TAG MODEL PROPOSAL.

Q: With cuts in TAG, Special Education and classrooms, what is the district doing to retain and retrain the teachers?

A: We have the best teachers. Our Principals do a great job hiring them. The reality is cuts are being made everywhere and everyone will need to do a little more. The $200 million in property taxes is still the same, it is the $100 million plus we receive from the state that is being cut. Everything is being cut, every area is being cut to protect the classroom and we are cutting the outside areas even more. The operational budgets and support budgets are being cut up to 18%. Professional Development is exemplary in RRISD. We have lots of support for curriculum and we can be creative in ways to provide for professional development without disrupting the classroom.

Q: With the new TAG Model how will we ensure they are effectively teaching the TAG Model in a regular class?

A: With more training and differentiation.

Q: How were TAG Teachers allocated?

A. Please see the TAG MODEL PROPOSAL. There was a formula used based on who was there the previous year, how many students were tested, and how many accepted services. Then the school is staffed according to the size of the school and the number of students identified. The Board wants to be equitable to all special areas, TAG, Band, the Fine Arts, and Athletics. If the district receives more funds 13 more TAG Teachers will be restored and we will use the same formula to place these teachers in the schools with the most TAG students.

Q: Considering the budget shortfall, why is RRISD funding non-classroom activities like Football and Baseball?

A: We must touch all levels in eliminating dollars from the budget. Every High School lost two coaches and many freshman sports teams were cut. We are trying to have a balanced program and a balanced number of cuts. Fine Arts lost positions at every level, Elementary, Middle and High School. These all allow for fewer cuts to the classrooms.

Q: How will RTI Tier 2 function without Specialists?

A: Interventionists are needed but one teacher can handle the job. Supplementary support makes a great district but we need to cut from everywhere.

Q: How many Interventionists will come back to each campus?

A: This campus had six dyslexic trained specialists and two of them do assessments. The other four are assigned to other campuses with greater needs.

Q: Will Assistant Principals be cut at all the High Schools?

A: Yes. Three have already been cut, one each at McNeil, Westwood and the Round Rock Opportunity Center.

Q: Paraprofessionals without teaching certificates are ineligible to substitute next year. Why?

A: The pool was opened so more certified teachers could apply to be substitutes next year. We will research this and respond to you in writing.

Q: Has there been any progress in finding Old Town a new principal?

A: We are in the process of establishing a timeline to hire three Elementary level principals for Old Town, Union Hill and Bluebonnet Schools. We will have a committee with teachers and parents and they will pick from a suggested pool their top two or three candidates. We want to hire from within the district right now and you must already be in the principal pool to be eligible. This principal pool has been filled with candidates who have already gone through a stringent interview process and mock school scenarios. We welcome your input.

Q: Dr. Villarreal has been great here at Old Town as our Interim Principal, what can we do to keep her here?

A: Dr. Villarreal, as Interim Principal here, and Carla Amacher, as Interim Principal at Bluebonnet, are both eligible to apply.

Q: What does the new model for Special Education look like?

A: We are not restructuring. We are cutting staff. Based on a staffing study done recently, RRISD is overstaffed in special education as compared to its sister districts. Our diagnosticians were only handling 70 cases while other districts’ diagnosticians were handling between 80 and 90 cases.

Q: Why do I see RRISD buses in the evening? Couldn't we use vans to save money?

A: There are tutorial students and the evening program for the Success School that ride buses home in the evenings. By law, we are only allowed to transport students by bus.

Q: Is there a state law that says we must provide busing?

A: No. The district provides busing at their expense. Special Education transportation is federally mandated.

Q. In Middle Schools, why are their no higher level classes other than math?

A: There are higher level programs in TAG and International Baccalaureate programs. These programs started at Westwood and have since been replicated at Stony Point for the East side of the district. There are primary IB programs in the works at Chandler Oaks and Caldwell Heights. Round Rock students are being tested in PSAT's , SAT's and ACT's and they are outscoring all other districts in the state.

Q: Would small donations help our school? What can parents do to help?

A: Yes. Parents can voluntarily make donations. The district will have a list out this summer of areas in which parent donations will be accepted.

Q: Why is there more emphasis on math than language arts in the schools?

A: It is easier to move students along quicker in math because it has a sequential growth pattern to it. In language arts, there is a different pace in reading different literature, questioning it and the strategies used to understand and interpret it. With all the AP courses we offer we have more and more students graduating High School in three years.

Q: Why were there only a few cuts made to curriculum specialists, who don't touch the students, but interventionists who interact with students daily were heavily cut. Why?

A: 30-40 curriculum specialists were cut. We need curriculum specialists to keep on course and especially with the new STARR Test coming next year. Instructional coaches and curriculum specialists are different positions. Please see the district website for more details on department cuts. At the Elementary level, there are 11 instructional coaches, two were let go to surplus. Instructional coaches work in the classroom with the teachers in the fall and in the spring perform interventions.

Q: $81,000 is being spent on a location to hold the High School graduations this year. Why not use the Athletic Facilities to hold graduation ceremonies?

A: This is on the cut list and we may be doing exactly that next year. It is under review.

Q: Is the general plan to move out of pull-out TAG?

A: No. The new TAG model is being used strictly because the budget deems it necessary.

Q: How will the TAG cluster classes get enough specialization for the TAG students?

A: Those teachers will receive more training, they will be monitored more closely and they will receive more support from the schools administration.

Q: How and why did TAG services land at #47 on the return list?

A: The list was created based on priority by central administration and the executive committee which consists of two Elementary Principals, one Middle School Principal and one High school principal among others. This is what the principals said they could do. We have moved it up the list based on the large amount of feedback we have received from parents. In addition, we have added more training for teachers on TAG strategies.

Q: What percent of TAG students are in our district?

A: Eight percent of K-12 is TAG identified students. In Elementary, K-5, 6.5% are identified as TAG students. The state provides funds for up to 5% but 3-10% can be considered TAG students.

Q: Can't we put homogeneous students into classes so we can better serve them?

A: We do not support sprinkling TAG students throughout classrooms. We like to have them clustered together as a group. Dr. Matthys stated that we must be careful when trying to level students. He thinks trying some new strategies and different strategies at different campuses is possible but asks parent and administrators to be flexible in their thinking.

Q: At schools with low numbers of TAG students and a half time TAG Teacher, is TAG Testing part of their job?

A: Yes.

Q: How is my dyslexic child going to learn now that you have taken away all of the wonderful teachers who teach him? My child is just as bright as any other child at this school he just learns differently, but how will he do that next year when all these great teachers aren't here?

A: We will have services for your child. We are planning on pulling the interventionists back of the list and into the schools again.

3rd Grade Scholar Dollar Sale

2011-05-13T16:11:00.001-05:00

The Final 3rd grade Scholar Dollar Sale is scheduled for May 19th (set-up) and May 20th (sale). Help is needed to make it a success.
Please take a look at the available opportunities and sign up for as many shifts as you can attend. Volunteers do not need to be parents of 3rd graders and it is a good opportunity for 2nd grade parents to see what the sale is all about.
The students are really looking forward to being able to reward themselves by purchasing items at the sale.
If you have unwanted treasures at your home, now is the chance to find them a new owner. Please consider donating your gently used, kid oriented items to the sale.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/final99

Carnival Review & Planning Meeting

2011-05-12T14:17:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

Please join us immediately following the Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. The location will be posted next to the sign in desk.

The school year is quickly coming to an end and I would like to get together one last time before summer break while our memories from carnival are still fresh! If you served on the carnival committee this year or are interested in joining the carnival committee for next year, please join us for a wrap-up and planning meeting. We would like to discuss the results and lessons learned and begin planning for our next fabulous carnival!

WE NEED YOU!!! It takes many dedicated volunteers and committee coordinators to make our carnival fun for everyone and a wonderful success every year! Carnival committees include the following responsibilities:

Volunteers

Food

Games and Activities

Ticket sales
Silent Auction
Class Raffle Baskets
Communications
Business Sponsors
Safety (nurse and Watch DOGS)
Set-up and Clean Up

This is an open meeting, so please feel free to invite anyone who might be interested in joining the carnival committee.

DATE: 5/19/2011 (Thu 8:30AM )

LOCATION: Will be listed at check-in desk

RSVP:http://www.signupgenius.com/go/carnival187

End of Year Awards

2011-05-10T14:05:00.000-05:00

OTE End of Year Awards Ceremony

Monday - May 23

1st Grade 8:15

3rd Grade 9:15

Tuesday - May 24

2nd Grade 8:15

4th Grade 9:15

Thursday - May 26

5th Grade 8:15 with Reception

Friday - May 27

Kindergarten 8:15

Budget Workshops

2011-05-04T13:32:00.003-05:00

Board schedules 2 budget workshops in May
May 3, 2011 - The Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees continues to work through the budget process for the 2011-2012 school year and the upcoming budget shortfall.
The Trustees have scheduled two budget workshops to discuss budget reductions recommended by district staff on Monday, May 16 and Tuesday, May 31 at 6:30 p.m. in the Round Rock High School Lecture Hall, 300 Lake Creek Drive in Round Rock. During these meetings, the board will discuss the ranking of reduction items and possibly ask for some items to be moved up or down on the list.
All board meetings and workshops are open to the public; however, the board will not hear citizens’ comments during these budget workshops. Citizens may comment during any regular board meetings or at the budget public hearing to be scheduled for June.
“We welcome all our citizens to attend the budget workshops, as well as the community budget meeting tonight and regular board meeting, in order to learn more about the budget process and the difficult position our district is in,” Superintendent Dr. Jesús H. Chávez said.
The two scheduled budget workshops, and all public meetings which take place in the Round Rock High School Lecture Hall, are streamed live on the district’s Web site, www.roundrockisd.org. Viewers can click on the Board Meetings link under Tools & Resources; then click on the View Board Meetings in real time via streaming video link. Use rrisd as both the login and the password. The video may also be viewed at a later date.

Teacher Appreciation Week!

2011-04-28T14:16:00.000-05:00

Teacher Appreciation Week

May 2-7 is National Teacher Appreciation Week. We are so fortunate to be at Old Town Elementary School and have the best faculty around! Please take a moment this week to let your child’s teacher know he/she is appreciated. Here are some suggestions for how you can accomplish this, but please feel free to pick and choose from the ideas below, or come up with your own original idea! None of this is required, these are only suggestions! Talk to your child…they probably have some fabulous ideas too!

Monday – Start the week off right by showing your teacher some love! Write a letter or poem, draw a picture, make a card…anything that comes from your heart to let your teacher know you appreciate all he/she does for you and your class!

Tuesday – Give the gift of reading! Donate a new or gently used book to your classroom library.

Wednesday – Create a rainbow! Wear your teacher’s favorite color today. Just imagine how bright and colorful our classrooms and hallways would be if behind each teacher was a group of kids all wearing the same color!

Thursday – Don’t forget your Extra Special Specials Teachers! Write them a note, or bring a small surprise for the other people who make OTE run so smoothly. Think about the art, music and PE teachers. Also remember the librarians, the technology teacher, and the office and cafeteria staff. Everyone is a part of the awesome team at OTE!

Friday – Bring a gift card for your teacher. It could be anything from fast food, to a coffee shop, to a movie theater, to a restaurant, store, nail salon or spa…the possibilities are endless. What would your teacher love? There will be a special spot in the classroom to collect them in the morning.

School Supplies Ordered Online!

2011-04-28T14:13:00.002-05:00

EduKit School Supplies for the

2011-2012 school year.

Attention parents – order your

EduKit school supply kit soon!

Everything your student needs for

the school year comes packaged in

one convenient box customized to

your teacher’s requests!

Order online through EduKit's

secure website by May 27th.

Kona Ice Spirit Day!

2011-04-28T14:12:00.002-05:00

We're having a Spirit Day with

KONA ICE!!!

This Friday, April 29, 2011

2:45-5:00 pm

OTE Playground area!!

Our children can celebrate the end of

the week by purchasing a snow cone!!!

25% of sales go back to Old Town

Environmental Club makes an Impact!

2011-04-28T14:10:00.000-05:00

Old Town Elementary Environmental Club

Makes Impact in First Year

The 2010-2011 school year is the inaugural year for the Environmental Club at Old Town Elementary. This after-school club was founded by OTE third grader, Peyton Daniels, and is under the leadership of OTE teachers, Monica Baldini,

Jessica Kamphaus, and Lisa Kungle. The OTE Environmental Club, open to all current third and fourth grade students, has approximately fifty members! This club meets monthly and focuses on various environmental issues.

Activities this year have included making organic bird feeders for our Outdoor Classroom, planting a flower garden in the Outdoor Classroom and monitoring the “Watt Watcher” program throughout our school. At the beginning of the

year, members did presentations and then voted on one animal to sponsor. This year’s animal was the Red Panda.

“Save the Red Panda” bracelets were sold as a fundraiser to accomplish their goal. This fundraiser brought in enough money that our Environmental Club will be a sponsor of the Red Panda at the Houston Zoo. This sponsorship includes a

certificate, information about the Red Panda, stuffed Red Panda and a walking brick. This walking brick will be installed in August 2011 in front of the Houston Zoo and will be inscribed with the following:

“Old Town Elementary Save the Red Panda”

We are very proud of all of our environmentally-conscious members and teachers. We look forward to even more success next year.

Town Hall Discussion

2011-04-26T13:30:00.002-05:00

Old Town Elementary PTA
invites you for a
Town Hall Discussion
with

Dr. Jesus H. Chavez

Round Rock ISD Superintendent

Thursday, May 5^th

6:30 p.m.

Old Town Elementary Cafeteria

2200 Chaparral Drive

Join us for an interactive discussion. You are invited to ask questions about the 2006 and 2008 Bond Programs and learn more about parent involvement opportunities, the upcoming budget reduction, state of the district and district goals.

WANTED!!!!!!!

2011-04-19T08:05:00.004-05:00

WANTED:

A FEW TALENTED PARENTS TO HELP CHAIR SOME AWESOME PTA POSITIONS!!

Have you always wanted to get “more involved” at Old Town, but never knew where to start? Take a look at these “Awesome” PTA Executive Board positions that we are looking to fill for next year!

Donation Drive: Our fundraising event already has parents who have volunteered to work various parts of the committee; we just need an organized individual to head the position. This is a vital position to the success of Old Town and is very needed!

Business/Community Sponsorships: This position seeks Old Town “sponsorships” from the community – must love to talk about OTE!!

Cultural Arts: Love to look for interesting & diverse programming to bring to Old Town? Think Chinese Acrobats, Harlem Globtrotters, etc. Then this position is for you!

Reflections: We need a dynamic individual to lead this exciting Art competition. Everything is pretty laid out; just need someone to run with it. Just think of all the aspiring artists you are helping to create!

Literacy Library: Have a passion for reading and ensuring our kids do as well? We need someone to help maintain & organize the library of books our classrooms can “check out” for reading groups.

Science Fair: Do we have any “Mr. Wizard’s” out there? To keep this awesome academic tradition going at Old Town, we need someone to organize the Science Fair in January. Old Town has tons of future scientists you can help inspire!!

Yearbook: Love to scrapbook? Why not take that talent & passion and help create our OTE Yearbook next year?

If any of these positions have “grabbed” you, or even slightly intrigued you, or you just want to get more involved….please call Rebecca Darling (OTE PTA President) to get more information . Thank you for considering joining the Old Town Elementary Executive Board and helping to make 2011-2012 an exciting year for our kiddos!!

Rebecca Darling

(972) 978-0235

darling729@mac.com

Campus Closed for TAKS

2011-04-14T18:59:00.000-05:00

TAKS Testing for 2011: OTE Campus is closed to all visitors during TAKS testing.

April 26 - 3rd and 4th Grade MathApril 27 - 3rd and 4th Grade ReadingApril 28 - 5th Grade ScienceMay 17 - 5th Grade Math (2nd attempt)May 18 - 5th Grade Reading (2nd attempt)

Good Luck to all our OTE Students taking TAKS!!!

Budget Survey Results

2011-04-14T18:55:00.000-05:00

District publishes results of online budget survey

Posted Date: 4/6/2011

More than 6,400 parents, students, community members and Round Rock ISD staff members participated in the district’s interactive Web survey to provide feedback regarding programs to cut, ways to save taxpayer dollars and generate revenue.

With Round Rock ISD facing a potential $60 million cut in state funding, the district searched for a new, innovative way to solicit qualitative feedback from the public. The survey asked participants to cut up to $40 million in programs and positions. The survey kept a running total of all the cuts to both tally the amount, and to also educate the users on the enormity of cuts needed to close the budget shortfall.

“It is very important for people to see some of the ideas put forth by our stakeholders and how the item ranked among different groups,” Superintendent Dr. Jesús H. Chávez said. “Taxpayers are used to hearing big numbers thrown around by legislators and in the media. It is easy to have the misconception that school districts have enough money to just make a few cuts to close the gap, but that is just not the case. A school district’s primary cost is people - 87 percent of our budget is in salaries, 67 percent of which goes to teachers, and you just can’t close this shortfall without impacting students and employees.”

The budget survey was unveiled during the Feb. 15 Community Meeting which had participants discuss and determine what programs, positions and ancillary items should be cut. The survey was then shared with community members for two weeks. District leaders are using the data collected from the survey to help create the official budget reduction list. In keeping with the district’s budget guiding principles to use data to make decisions, leaders will also use results of a staffing study, financial comparisons to similar districts and professional knowledge to guide all decisions.

In the coming weeks the official list of budget reductions will be released to the public and it will contain a ranking on which items should be eliminated first.

Survey Results [PDF]

Protect Our Classrooms - Write to Senator Ogden TODAY!

2011-04-14T12:16:00.002-05:00

Friends & Neighbors,

Cuts to our School District are happening this week - on Friday, the RRISD budget proposal will be announced. It is not pretty. However, this is a proposal and we can help improve this proposal but taking just a few minutes to tell our Senators that we support them - Both Senator Ogden & Representative Pitts are in support of allocating additional funds for education...BUT they need to hear that their constituents are behind them 100%. THIS IS WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!

Please email the members of the Senate Finance committee RIGHT NOW and let them know you support SB1. It took less than 10 minutes for me to do and to help you even more, I am attaching a recommended letter that you can use.

Please take these extra steps to try to help put additional funds back into education - a 1 Billion $$ increase in education will provide the RRISD $7 Million $$, which would help tremendously. You may not think your voice counts, but I promise you...it does. Pleas take the time today to write to our Senators & Representatives.

Thanks,

Rebecca Darling

Old Town Elementary PTA President

p: 972.978.0235

e: darling729@mac.com

www.otepta.blogspot.com

As you know, yesterday was another day of cuts across the district. The Senate Finance Committee is finalizing their budget to send to the Senate floor for a vote. I have attached a suggested email to send to both Senator Steve Ogden and Representative Jim Pitts and CC the entire Senate Finance Committee. Everyone’s emails are provided at the bottom of the memo – please forward this information to your units, parents, etc and ask them to email these representatives.

Email Senator Ogden and Representative Pitts Today

ASK them to support SB1 and work together to fund education

Dear Senator Ogden and Representative Pitts,

I am writing to you as the leadership of both the Senate Finance and House Appropriations committees. I am aware of the upcoming conference committee process and have been watching very closely the decisions being made regarding public education funding.

Senator Ogden, thank you for your strength in standing up and stating you are holding firm to appropriating additional funds for education in SB1. I encourage and support you in holding firm to that statement. I also encourage you to continue to pursue a long term fix to the way the state funds public education. It is clear to all of us that this system is broken and has been for a long time. Continue to be the statesman that is carrying this message.

Chairman Pitts, I know and appreciate your efforts thus far in dealing with HB1. I understand that the House members want deep cuts; however I want you to continue to voice your concerns as to the level of those cuts. I was extremely disappointed with the version of HB1 that was voted on April 2^nd. I now ask that you lead the House Members in conference committee to increase funding and support the Senate budget.

School districts can and will find efficiencies in the 4 to 6 percent range for cuts. However, when the cuts to public education become more than that, classrooms and ultimately our children and their education will be adversely impacted.

Thank you both for your service we look to your leadership efforts to “Make Education a Priority” and do the right thing for our children.

Sincerely,

Cc: Senate Finance Committee

steve.ogden@senate.state.tx.us

jim.pitts@house.state.tx.us

juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us

bob.deuell@senate.state.tx.us

robert.duncan@senate.state.tx.us

kevin.eltife@senate.state.tx.us

craig.estes@senate.state.tx.us

eddie.lucio@senate.state.tx.us

jane.nelson@senate.state.tx.us

dan.patrick@senate.state.tx.us

kel.seliger@senate.state.tx.us

florence.shapiro@senate.state.tx.us

royce.west@senate.state.tx.us

john.whitmire@senate.state.tx.us

tommy.williams@senate.state.tx.us

judith.zaffirini@senate.state.tx.us

Recycling 101

2011-04-13T18:55:00.000-05:00

Thanks to our PTA Environmental Chair, Carol Peeples, Old Town has a new way to recycle aluminum cans & plastic bottles! A new recycling can specifically for these items were debuted at the Spring Carnival and now resides in the OTE Cafeteria. Please remind your children to throw away their bottles and cans in these new bins!

Thanks Carol for helping keep OTE environmentally friendly!!

Outstanding STAR Texan!!!

2011-04-13T18:52:00.000-05:00

Outstanding student chosen for Leadership Academy

Posted Date: 3/31/2011

Old Town Elementary fourth grader Mohit Nadkarni was one of a select number of Texas students chosen to participate in Education in Action’s Lone Star Leadership Academy during Spring Break in Dallas/Fort Worth. Outstanding 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students were selected based on demonstrated academic success and leadership ability, an educator recommendation, and involvement in school and community activities.

These young leaders joined delegations of other distinguished students for the week long residential Lone Star Leadership Academy program to develop leadership skills while learning about the great state of Texas. Participants experienced what they are learning in school through visits to historically, politically, scientifically, and environmentally significant Texas sites. Dallas/Fort Worth program participants visited the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, and more. Participants in the Austin program experienced bat watching on the Lone Star Riverboat and a Cowboy Cookout, visited the Austin offices of their state legislators and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, and explored many other significant locations. Career speakers on both programs introduced the students to a wide variety of unique career and internship opportunities.

The Lone Star Leadership Academy provides an exceptional opportunity for outstanding students to learn about Texas and enhance their leadership abilities. Participants discuss what they learn, complete problem solving and decision-making simulations, exercise creativity, and practice presentation skills in leadership groups. In addition, participants meet other outstanding students and make new friends while adding to their resume of academic achievements, developing leadership skills, and bringing home a wealth of information to supplement what they are learning in school.

Education in Action is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young people to become informed and active leaders in their communities. Outstanding 4th through 8th grade student leaders are invited to participate in Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston/Galveston Lone Star Leadership Academy programs. Students involved in student government and service organizations are especially good candidates for Lone Star Leadership Academy programs. Facilitator/student ratio is one to 10 and all facilitators are educators. For more information about Education in Action or the Lone Star Leadership Academy, call 817-562-4957 or visitwww.educationinaction.org.

April PTA Newsletter

2011-04-13T18:50:00.002-05:00

Check out the latest edition of the Old Town Elementary PTA Newsletter by clicking here!!

RRISD School Board Candidate Forums

2011-04-13T18:49:00.001-05:00

RRISD Council of PTAs hosts School Board Candidate Forums

Posted Date: 4/11/2011

The RRISD Council of PTAs is sponsoring two candidate forums for the May 14, 2011 School Board Election.

April 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the Round Rock HS Lecture Hall, 300 Lake Creek Dr., Round Rock.
April 26 at 7:00 p.m. in the library at Westwood HS, 12400 Mellow Meadow Dr., Austin.

Five candidates have filed for Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees Places 1, 3, and 6.

Place 1 filings:
Matt Stilwell
Brian Sellers (incumbent)

Place 3 filings: Diane Cox (incumbent)
David Dziadziola

Place 5 filing:
Glen H. Colby (incumbent)

Seven members serve on the Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees, each elected at-large to serve staggered three-year terms. Elections are held annually. The terms of one-third of the Trustees, or as near to one-third as possible, expire each year.

The forums provide an opportunity to meet and ask questions of the candidates.

Board Election website

Box Tops Contest a Success!!!!!

2011-04-13T18:41:00.000-05:00

We had another incredible Box Tops Contest this past month resulting in YOUR pick of the teacher to get the pie in the face at the Spring Carnival. If you were unable to see the actual "throwing", Old Town collected 7275 Box Tops....resulting in $727.50 in CASH back to Old Town!!! Ms. Sullivan received not ONE but TWO pies in the face at the Spring Carnival and was such a great sport.

Please continue to clip your Box Tops over the summer!! Ask all your relatives, friends, and neighbors to as well!! These pink box top add up quick!!! We will have another fun contest in the fall.

Spring Carnival

2011-04-13T18:34:00.000-05:00

I am in **awe** of ALL the volunteers who pitched in and made this one of the BEST Spring Carnivals EVER!!!!! I heard from so many different people how this was the "biggest they'd ever seen it", " such a well run carnival", "so much fun!!" ...and on & on. Thank you to Beena Nadkarni (Spring Carnival Coordinator) and her amazing committee members who have worked tirelessly over the past few months to pull off this fun event. THANK YOU to all the teachers & Parents who volunteered time to work in the booths and donated to the Silent Auction & Raffle Baskets.

As I have mentioned before, the Spring Carnival is a fun family event that everyone enjoys, but the proceeds we earn from it go directly back into making Old Town an amazing school! Because of the generosity of our Old Town Parents & Staff, the OTE PTA will be able to continue funding a field trip for each grade, valuable resources in every classroom, and fun Cultural Events next year. THANK YOU!!!

Texan Tour Day for Incoming Kindergartners!

2011-04-13T18:31:00.000-05:00

Texan Tour Day

Tuesday, April 19th

12:50 p.m. - 1:40 p.m.

Tuesday, April 19th is our Old Town Texan Tour Day for incoming kindergartners and their parents! As your child gets to tour the school with kindergarten teachers, parents will be hearing everything they need to know about having a kindergartner!

Hope you can make it!!

Empty Bowls Festival was a Success!

2011-04-04T07:44:00.000-05:00

MANY THANKS to OTE parents Robbe LeGrant, Keri Kilgore, John Southard, Lori Hutson, Lela Wallis, Olivia Talbot, Jen Johnson, Tracy Karschnik, Stacy Dill, and the Hales for donating their time, energy and talents to help volunteer and contribute to the Empty Bowls Festival! (Hope I’m not missing anyone!) We also had TONS of OTE families attend the event to help support the Serving Center! Thank you so very much to all of you! I am so very proud of our Round Rock community, and especially our wonderful Old Town family : ) The event was a huge success, greater than I could have ever imagined! I am anxious to find out the total that we helped to raise for the Serving Center, but the overall educational experience and the overwhelmingly positive spirit of the community coming together I feel are
just as important!

We are already planning for next year and I expect our success to grow!

Thanks again so much,

Kelly Schafer
Art Teacher
Old Town Elementary

February & March VIPs

2011-03-31T15:09:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

Please join me in honoring these dedicated Old Town Elementary VIPs (Volunteers Inspiring Promise!!). Their comments speak volumes.

February:

Helen Butler: Every year, she has helped with Math Pentathlon, so she has done it since her oldest daughter was in Kindergarten. She is in 4th grade this year and my youngest is in 2nd grade. She states, "it looks like I will be doing this a few more years." "Volunteering is important to me because it is important to my kids. They enjoy seeing me at school. "
Valarie Hollister: Ms. Hollister reports that she has helped Mrs. Mustain with Tuesday Folders and reading with students; assisted Mrs. Shafer with Art to Remember; helped judge Science Fair Projects; assisted with class parties; and try to be helpful wherever she's needed.
"Volunteering is important to me because it helps our students at OTE have a greater school experience! Old Town is a wonderful school and it's always a pleasure to be involved!"
Stephanie Speer: When Ms. Speer was informed of her selection, she replied, "I mainly help my son's teacher each week with whatever tasks she asks me to do. I love volunteering because I get to know my child's teacher, his classmates and the OTE staff. I feel that teaching is a challenging job and hopefully by me giving a little of my time, the teacher is able to focus on her students a little more. I also feel that it is a small payback for everything she does for my child."

March:

Gaby Castro: Ms Castro has helped with Holiday Shoppe, Holiday parties for 1st and 5th grade and the 5th Grade Outdoor School Field Trip. "When I get a chance to volunteer, I do it so I can help out and to be involved with my children."
Natalie Cearley: Ms. Cearley volunteers on a weekly basis for Ms. Sullivan's Kindergarten class (about 1 hour/week) - she assists the children as they rotate through their workstations. She also volunteer on a weekly basis for Ms. Coffin's 3rd grade class - as Ms. Coffin's "photocopier" - she copies all her materials for the week (30 - 45 min./week). She has also helped Ms. Vandiver's 5th grade class - mostly copying projects and an occasional cutting project done at home.Ms. Cearley feels strongly about volunteering to support her children's teachers as "they give so much of their time and energy in the classroom to the kids I feel it's the least I can do to help them with little projects. Hopefully they are able to spend more time planning and interacting with the students with the time saved."
Kerry Gregory: Ms. Gregory has one child at Old Town now as her eldest is now at middle school. She likes to help the school nurse when she is doing the hearing and vision test as she does a lot for her son and the whole school and she is very appreciative of it. Her statements say it best. "I love to help out at the holiday shop and see the children choose gifts for their loved ones, it's very moving. I enjoy being a chaperone on field trips, it helps the teachers but I get a lot out of it too. To see the children learn new things, it's amazing. The memories I have and that my child has of me coming into school will last forever. I love the fact that most of the children know me and that I get to interact with them when volunteering. I think volunteering is very important as our children are in Elementary school for such a short time, it goes so fast. I really wish that when I was at school I would have had all these wonderful volunteers with all the events they put together. I am very proud of Old Town and all that help. Thank you for honoring me but I just play a small part in the wonderful and amazing thing you all do. Keep up the great work Old Town Volunteers!!"

These volunteers, their commitment to OTE's community, and their desire to help out when and where needed makes our campus a better one. As we've done each month, a book will be placed in the OTE library in honor of each month's recipients. Thanks to those who have donated to this award.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." ~Margaret Mead

Warmest Regards,
Stacy L Dill
OTE PTA Volunteer Coordinator

Playground Tidy Up!!

2011-03-31T14:25:00.000-05:00

Spring Carnival is next Friday and we need a few volunteers to help us clean up the playground before the big event. Recently some unsafe items have been found and we would like to ensure it is pristine for our Carnival>

If you can join us next Thursday, April 7 from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm, we would greatly appreciate it - you can sign up by clicking here: Sign Up Genius

Thank you!!!!

Throw a PIE!!!!

2011-03-28T07:45:00.002-05:00

The Spring Box Tops for Education Contest is Here!

One of our beloved OTE Teachers is going to take a

PIE IN THE FACE and YOU get to choose the lucky recipient!

Here are the details:

• Round up all of the box tops you can get your hands on!

• For every 5 box tops you collect, you get one vote for the teacher of your

choice.

• Carefully count your box tops & place in a small Ziploc bag. On the

outside of your bag write: your name, your teacher’s name, the total

number of collected box tops/votes & which teacher YOU think would

look great wearing a huge whipped cream pie!

• Bring your box tops to school no later than Friday, April 1st.

• The OTE student that brings in the most box tops will warm up their

throwing arm & launch a pie at the Staff Member receiving the most

votes.

• The pie tossing event will take place at OTE’s Spring Carnival on Friday,

April 8th. Don’t miss it!

WHO WILL YOU VOTE FOR?

Ms. Sullivan

Ms. Rummel

Ms. Dabbs

Mr. McConnell

Ms. Durham

Ms. Ybarra

Ms. Clifton

Ms. Oliver

Ms. Hooper

Harlem Globetrotter Visits OTE!

2011-03-23T21:56:00.000-05:00

On February 11th, Old Town students were treated to a visit from a Harlem Globetrotter Legend! Motivational speaker, Michael Douglas, taught the children about overcoming obstacles to become successful and how making good choices can lead to wonderful opportunities in life. He talked about being a good friend and of course treated everyone to his ball handling skills. Our favorite saying was, "If its got to be, its up to me!"

Many children seemed interested in his camp coming to the Clay Madsen Recreation Center this summer. You may want to check it out! See the Clay Madsen website for registration details.

Harlem Legends Basketball Camp

Former members of the Harlem Globetrotters teach the

fundamentals of basketball while stressing the importance of

education and a positive lifestyle.

Ages: 7-14 Years. Fee: $115

July 25-29

Times: 9am-1pm *16590

Old Town Elementary PTA

Treasurer

Pictures Needed for the Yearbook!

Second VP - Fundraising & Services

First VP - Membership

OTE First Garden Party

Family Math & Science Night Dinner

OTE Spirit Night!

Teacher Appreciation Week!

What is "Cultural Arts"?

OTE Volunteers Needed!

November OTE Volunteers of the Month

Holiday Shoppe

Volunteer Opportunity!

Car Rental Discounts from Hertz

PTA Members, Get Car Rental Discounts from Hertz

October OTE Volunteers

OTE Hosts Artist!

Butterfly Habitat

Volunteers of the Month - September

OTE PTA Extra Funds Survey

Coffee with the Principal!

Cyber Bullying Meeting at Walsh Middle School

Why do you think bullying has gone electronic and what are the most commonly used modes of cyberbullying?

How does cyberbullying usually come to light?

What are the best practices for schools in terms of acknowledging the problem and encouraging kids to come forward?

What do you have in place on your campus to avert, watch out for, or deal with cyberbullying?

What should parents do?

Texan Touch Committee Meeting

OTE Deal of the Month

Yearbook Cover Art Contest

Reflections!

Watch D.O.G.S. Pizza Kickoff Party

Take Your Dad to School Lunch!

Donation Round Up: Week 2 Results

Make Mr. Baker Do the Chicken Dance!!

Family Engagement Month

Help Needed at the STAR Store

Last Call

Calling ALL Parents - Volunteering & 2 Cafeteria Opportunities

Welcome Back!

Kindergarten Hugs Goodbye!!

Hugs Goodbye!

Why Should I Join the PTA????

OTE Food Drive on Texan Round Up Night!

Texan Round Up!

2011-2012 OTE Directory

2011-2012 Spirit Wear

Kindergarten Kids Need to Get Registered!

Introducing Our New Assistant Principal!!

What's A Welcome Walk?

Mya Mercer named OTE Principal

Special PTA Membership Meeting

Summer Reading Programs

Barnes and Noble Imagination Destination: earn a free book when you read 8 books.

Round Rock Library Summer Reading Program: Earn all sorts of great prizes for minutes read.

Texan Touch!

OTE Town Hall Meeting with Dr. Jesus Chavez

3rd Grade Scholar Dollar Sale

Carnival Review & Planning Meeting

Hello All,

End of Year Awards

Budget Workshops

Teacher Appreciation Week!

School Supplies Ordered Online!

Kona Ice Spirit Day!

Environmental Club makes an Impact!

Town Hall Discussion

Old Town Elementary PTA

invites you for a

Round Rock ISD Superintendent

WANTED!!!!!!!

Campus Closed for TAKS

Budget Survey Results

Protect Our Classrooms - Write to Senator Ogden TODAY!

Recycling 101

Outstanding STAR Texan!!!

April PTA Newsletter

RRISD School Board Candidate Forums

Box Tops Contest a Success!!!!!