Parents,

Some of our staff members are having difficulty with the new email system. They have not been able to receive and/or respond to some of their emails. I apprecaite your patience as we work with technology today to resolve this problem. If you need to get a message to them ASAP, please leave one in the front office. They will return your call as soon as they are not instructing students. Again, my apologies for the inconvenience.

Thank you,
Tara Bailey

Wednesday, September 4th:
HEB has given us an opportunity to earn up to $1000 for our school if we show up and visit sample food stations. Attached is a flyer for the event. We will be using this as a fall fundraiser replacement for the Papa John's Night this year. Each Tuscany Heights guest will get a passport and be asked to visit about 6 stations to sample food. For each station, they get a stamp. All passports returned will equal $10 for our campus...up to $1000. Each of our school organizations that attend will receive a $100 gift card in addition. We are thrilled to have this opportunity!

Click here to see the attachment.

Parents,

My intent was to update you guys these first three days of school on happenings and what to expect as we move through the week, yet my notification system was down last night.  My apologies!  Therefore, I will take a moment to update you in regards to today and expectations for Thursday and Friday!

It has been a fabulous three days with your kids!  We are thrilled with the progress of dismissal as we work toward decreasing the time it takes to load all cars.  We continue to shave off a few minutes each day while still loading 150-160 cars each day!  Thank you for your patience! 

Thursday and Friday and throughout the remainder of the year, parents will not be allowed to walk their children to class without a RAPTOR Badge.  If you plan to walk your child to class, please be aware that you will be asked to get a RAPTOR Badge from the front office in order to do so!  It is at this point we start asking our students to demonstrate leadership and walk themselves to class and/or help younger students find their way through the hallways.  We will have staff members all along the building assisting with all children.  If you are uncomfortable letting your child out of the car by themselves, please tell one of the safety patrol students when they open the door.  They will safely walk them into the building and to their designated area.  We appreciate your support in building leadership and allowing us to move into our instructional day quickly!

DROP-OFF in the back parking lot -- We ask that all parents use the front car rider system to drop-off children.  The back parking lot is for buses only!  It is not a safe area for students to be exiting cars.  We will enforce this after the first week of school.  This helps us maintain a safe campus and not have visitors entering in all areas of the building.  Please help respect the safety of our campus and our children. 

Tuesday, September 3rd:
PTA Mtg/WatchDOGS Night
We are excited to kick off the first PTA Mtg of the year honoring our WatchDOGS program that continues to grow. Please join us for fun, food, and family!

Wednesday, September 4th:
HEB has given us an opportunity to earn up to $1000 for our school if we show up and visit sample food stations. Attached is a flyer for the event. We will be using this as a fall fundraiser replacement for the Papa John's Night this year. Each Tuscany Heights guest will get a passport and be asked to visit about 6 stations to sample food. For each station, they get a stamp. All passports returned will equal $10 for our campus...up to $1000. Each of our school organziations that attend will receive a $100 gift card in addition. We are thrilled to have this opportunity!

Friday, September 6th:
We will be celebrating GRANDPARENTS DAY! Please take time to ensure that your grandparents are signed up for a RAPTOR Badge before the big day. If your grandparents have visited Tuscany Heights before, they will be in the system. If not and they are in town, swing by before next Friday to pre-scan for the event. We will have all badges printed and ready for the event Friday, September 6th. If you have out of town grandparents, please do not worry! We will handle everyone with care and ensure they are properly signed in to visit their grandchildren. This is a very special day!

Thank you for a great day with your children!  The first day is always very exciting and scary for most.  Here at school we are thrilled to meet each and every family, but also nervous about being sure our students return to you safely.  My staff did a great job!

Be sure to review the beginning of the year information that comes today. Return all signature pages this week!

Buff Cards/Emergency Cards are due this Friday, August 30th!

Just a few reflections as we move forward with the year and our new car rider process...

CAR RIDER
We dismissed 184 cars today in 45-50 minutes.  We appreciate our families using the car rider line.  At first, it will not be a fast process as we are working through all of beginning of the year details with staff, students, and parents; however, we know it is the safest. So, thank you for utilizing the car rider line!  At the traffic light, please remember to take turns with the traffic coming from both directions!  Our car rider staff met after school today to debrief and we are prepared for tomorrow.  We will have all students seated by car rider color tomorrow to assist siblings.  Parents need to watch for the staff to direct the flow of traffic.  Do not pull out of the line so that we can keep a steady flow of 10 cars at a time.  All students will be seated by color instead of grade level.  Talk to your child(ren) and ensure that your oldest siblings know to find their little brothers/sisters when preparing for dismissal out front.  My staff will help them. Also, talk to your child(ren) about their color and number.  It helps if they know it when we call for them in the afternoon. We will be ready for tomorrow!  I can't say enough, THANK YOU, for helping keep our students SAFE.

PARENT PARK-N-PICK-UP
If you parked in the back for pick-up, this is not the most convenient means of obtaining your child or the coolest (because it is too hot).  Therefore, we recommend you use the car rider line, bus, daycare, KINS, walker, or biker as a dismissal procedure for your child(ren).  I have arranged for staff to assist you.  Since we are doing more with less, we have two people at the rotunda door and one office staff member that can help.  A line will be formed to verify you are the parent/guardian of the child if you failed to bring the car rider tag matching the student.  I do ask that you TRY our car rider line, because it will be much cooler and faster in the long run. 
We would love to put your child(ren) in your air conditioned vehicle when you pull up, so please give it a try!

Again, thank you for a GREAT first day!

Thank you,
Tara Bailey

Tuscany Heights Elementary School
August 25, 2013

Parents,

What fabulous Meet the Teacher Events!  We are so happy to get the opportunity to greet our parents one grade level at a time so that we can introduce ourselves, answer questions, and catch up on summer activities.  My staff has worked hard to make the beginning of school special for each of our students.  I am thrilled to have all of them on my Tuscany Team, thank you teachers!  Our teachers spent Friday completing last minute touches on their rooms for our students, too!  So, let’s begin school!!!!!

I want to take a moment to say thank you to our amazing PTA for their countless hours of help preparing everything from bulletin boards to helping design our Meet the Teacher.  Not to mention, running all of the gym tables, thank you!  We couldn't do it without all of you.  Also, we were so grateful for all of our student leaders.  We had elementary, middle school, and high school helpers for both of our events, thank you!

Thank you,
Tara Bailey

Upcoming Events:

August 26th - First Day of School & Kindergarten Parent(s) Yahoo/Boohoo Event

Please see the attached information and maps regarding this week's Meet the Teacher Nights.

2013-2014 Meet the Teacher Night eBlast
1st Floor Map 2013-2014
2nd Floor Map 2013-2014

Tuscany Heights Elementary School
August 19, 2013

Parents,
 
Teachers returned today and we are thrilled to get the year started! We will be working diligently this week to prepare our classrooms and finalize our beginning of the year trainings. We will be excited to welcome our students on August 26th!

Teachers received rosters late this afternoon and began making some phone calls. They will finish making calls by noon tomorrow to welcome their students to the 2013-14 school year. Unfortunately, we still have students to place and will be adding them to classrooms as quickly as possible. Your patience is appreciated during this time as it can be hectic. Please expect a call this evening or by noon tomorrow. If not, give us a call tomorrow afternoon and we will assist you with class placement questions.

Thank you,
Tara Bailey

Upcoming Events
Teacher Announcements/Phone Calls: August 19th (afternoon/evening) or August 20th by noon
To find out your child’s teacher, you will receive a phone call from the teacher on the evening of August 19th or by noon August 20th. 

Special Education Orientation: August 21st
4:30-5:00 pm in T.H.E.’s Library 

Meet the Teacher: August 21st 
5:00 pm- 3rd Grade
6:00 pm- 4th Grade
7:00 pm- 5th Grade

Meet the Teacher: August 22nd
5:00 pm- Kinder
6:00 pm- 1st Grade
7:00 pm- 2nd Grade

 PTA News

Order your 2013-2014 new Tiger Spirit Shirt by Monday, 8/19, & receive a Tiger Bag Tag FREE!: Our PTA website, tuscanyheightspta.org, is ready for your family to complete your online Welcome Back registration. You can join T.H.E. PTA, give a Campin' for Cash donation, order a directory, and purchase new 2013-2014 spirit shirts and other spirit items!Complete your online Welcome Back registration by Monday, August 19th, and receive one free Tiger Bag Tag! Your order will be ready for pick up in the gym on Meet the Teacher nights. 

[www.tuscanyheightspta.org] Click here to begin your Welcome Back Registration 
 
Sister School School Uniform Drive, August 21st-Sept. 6th-  Donate new or gently used bottoms (khaki, black, or navy blue pants, skirts, or  shorts) and tops (short or long-sleeved polos in white, kelly/hunter green, and navy blue) for our Sister School, East Terrell Hills. Drop off the clothing in the bins located in the school's front entrance. Bring your donations on Meet the Teacher nights and receive a special spirt stick!

 T.H.E.  PTA General Meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 5:30 PM-7:30 PM-  Join us for our 2nd annual PTA Family Fun Night and WatchD.O.G.S. Kickoff! Be looking for more information about this fun evening!

 SAVE THE DATE- Grandparent's Day-Friday, September 6th-More info will be sent soon.

Tuscany Heights Elementary School

August 11, 2013

Parents,

It is with great pleasure our teachers have been decorating their classrooms and working on getting things prepared for the new school year. The staff will return on August 19th for workshops and time to finalize their classrooms. At this time, teachers will receive class lists and will be making phone calls to all of their students on August 19th. So, keep your phones class on the evening of August 19th.  

We are still experiencing some difficulty with eBlasts reaching some of our parents; therefore, district personnel have been notified. They are working to help solve the technology issue. Please share this information with T.H.E. families around you.

Update your Parent Portal information so that your child’s new buff card will contain accurate information when printed for August 26th. You will have until Friday, August 16th to make those updates in Parent Portal before the district staff begins printing them.

We hope that everyone enjoys their last few weeks of summer! We anxiously wait to welcome all of our students back on August 26th.

Thank you,
Tara Bailey

Upcoming Events:

Teacher Announcements/Phone Calls:  August 19th (afternoon/evening)
To find out your child’s teacher, you will receive a phone from the teacher on the evening of August 19th.

Special Education Orientation:  August 21st 4:30-5:00 pm in T.H.E.’s Library

Meet the Teacher: August 21st
5:00 pm- 3rd Grade
6:00 pm- 4th Grade
7:00 pm- 5th Grade

Meet the Teacher: August 22nd
5:00 pm- Kinder
6:00 pm- 1st Grade
7:00 pm- 2nd Grade

PTA News:

Welcome Back Online Registration Begins today! - Our PTA website is ready for your family to complete your online Welcome Back registration. You can join T.H.E. PTA, give a Campin' for Cash donation, order a directory, and purchase new 2013-2014 spirit shirts!  Complete your online Welcome Back registration by Monday, August 19th, and receive one free Tiger Bag Tag! Your order will be ready for pick up in the gym on Meet the Teacher nights. 

Sister School School Uniform Drive, August 21st-Sept. 6th - Donate new or gently used bottoms (khaki, black, or navy blue pants, skirts, or shorts) and tops (short or long-sleeved polos in white, kelly/hunter green, and navy blue) for our Sister School, East Terrell Hills. Drop off the clothing in the bins located in the school's front entrance. Bring your donations on Meet the Teacher nights and receive a special spirt stick!

T.H.E. PTA General Meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 3rd, 5:30 PM-7:30 PM - Join us for our 2nd annual PTA Family Fun Night and WatchD.O.G.S. Kickoff! Be looking for more information about this fun evening!

SAVE THE DATE- Grandparent's Day-Friday, September 6th - More info will be sent soon.

Parents,

We hope that our students are enjoying their last few weeks of summer vacation! We miss them and are anxiously awaiting August 26th! We will begin our weekly eBlasts starting this Sunday night, August 11th. Until then and periodically, we may have a few eBlasts that are sent as reminders with important information. Please see important information in this email listed below:

New BUFF Cards will be printed and issued to all students on the first day of school for parents to update information. In order to save time on the amount of corrections needed when you receive these, please take a moment to visit Parent Portal and update all of your child's information by Friday, August 16th. Then, the new information will already be on the printed buff cards for your child August 26th.

We are experiencing some trouble with our parent email notification system. I have heard from many parents that they are not receiving the eBlasts. Therefore, I am working closely with the district office to correct this problem. In the meantime, please share with your neighbors any T.H.E. eBlasts if it applies to their families. 

Thank you and be sure to tell our students "Hello" from our staff!
Tara Bailey