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Roadrunner Rundown | 5/16
- May 16
- 8 min read
Table of Contents
Welcome
We're down to only 8 days of school remaining!! The final days the most exciting yet so scroll down for all the happenings at Lee!
📙🧡🧶 Don't forget to wear orange on Monday! for Lee Color Days
Reminder to check the Eastwoods schedule! 5th grade is the first group heading out on Monday!
5/20 - Scoop, There it is!
Hey sweet friends! As the school year winds down, let’s sprinkle in some extra fun! Join us at Gelatoro (4500 Duval St) on May 20 for a super sweet treat and our last fundraiser of the year!
Every scoop you (or your family, friends, co-workers) enjoy helps support our school — so bring your sweet tooth and let's send this school year out with a bang! Be sure to mention Lee Elementary when you order!! They're donating 20% of that day's sales back to the school, so tell everyone! RSVP HERE (optional)
6th Grade Service Learning Succes!!
by Medwyn Price, 6th Grade Teacher
Thanks to everyone that helped to support our bake sale to benefit Austin Wildlife Rescue. This all started with our service learning project in the fall , and the students have worked as true young leaders to impact their community; specifically in relation to habitat destruction and wildlife protection. Yesterday, they were able to see the results of their hard work , when we presented Austin Wildlife Rescue with a donation for $635.00!!! This doubled their initial fundraising goal! We are so proud and excited for them!
Thank you to our 2024-2025 PTA Executive Board
It has been a true joy to sit on the PTA Executive board with this group. Next week I hope to highlight some of the work this group has done.
President Jessica Hoffman
Vice President Jillian DeLaTorre Copeland
Vice President of Operations and Communication Clarissa Pena
Vice President of Membership Sarah Farrell
Vice President of Fundraising Wyeth Whiting
Vice President of Educational Enrichment Simone Harlow
Secretary Diana Cruz
Treasurer Elise Price
Thank you also to the Committee chairs
Roadies, John Hewlett
Appreciation, Stephanie Lermer
Lost & Found, Saundra Edwards
Community Cares, Lindsey Engleman
Merch, Kimberly Trott
Copy Cats, Sarah Farrell
Congratulations to our Volunteers of the Year
At the final Lee PTA meeting of the year, outgoing PTA President awarded a few certificates to this year's Volunteers of the Year!
Stephanie Lermer
Jessie Doloresco
Margie Yankeelov
Susana Prince
Emili Krantz
We appreciate every single person who gives any amount of time, treasure, or talent to the Lee community. If your name is not on the list list, please know your efforts are truly valued!
GiftCrowd - EOY gifting for teachers & staff
Fami-Lee, although we just wrapped up Teacher & staff appreciation week we want to take a moment to recognize them through our end of year gifting. So please help us thank the amazing teachers and staff at Lee with a confidential end-of-year contribution. Giving is completely optional but deeply appreciated. If you’d rather give directly to a teacher or staff member, you’re welcome to do so at your convenience.
In response to feedback, we’ve updated the giving categories to allow you to support specific groups rather than a single school-wide gift. Find our GiftCrowd information online here & if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
Calling all Fami-Lee experts...
Help us build the outdoor classroom. Do you know a Roadrunner whose family works in:
structural engineering
architecture
landscape architecture
contracting
carpentry
construction managements
city of Austin, permits, inspections, codes
Our Outdoor Classrooms is entering a critical phase, and we need your help! Let's bring our Fami-Lee talent together to Make this exciting vision a reality for our students.
contact Dani Monahan at Dani.monahan@austinisd.org
Calling for 2025-2026 Volunteers
Seeking to fill Standing Committee chair roles (year long commitment):
Community Cares
Seeking to fill Special Committee chair roles (event long commitment):
Lotería Night
Lee Olympics
Outdoor Movie night
Celebration of Science
Geography Day
Roadrunner Rally
Outdoor Learning Space
If you have interest and have questions, please reach out to me:
Jillian DeLaTorre Copeland, vicepresident@russellleepta.org
5/16-5/29: Lee Color Days
One of our Lee traditions is to close out the year by having the whole school dress in the same color each day. It is, of course, not required, but it helps make the last few days fun and special. Here is the color calendar.
5/16 - Fri - Red ✅
5/19 - Mon - Burnt Orange
5/20 - Tue - Yellow
5/21 - Wed - Green
5/22 - Th - Blue
5/23 - Fri - Purple
5/27 - Tue - Polka Dots
5/28 - Wed - Plaid/stripes
5/29 - Thur - Rainbow
5/19-5/28: Eastwoods Walking trips
Gear up for the annual Eastwoods Park Field trip! Every year our students take a walk to Eastwoods for a bit of fun at the splash pad and playground. Ask your teacher or room rep if they need your help to make this one a success!
5/19 - Mon - 5th @ 9-11 am
5/21 - Wed - Kinder @ 11:30 am
5/23 - Fri - 3rd @ 8:30-11 am
5/27 - Tue - 4th @ 11:30-1:30 pm
5/28 - Wed - 1st @8:30-10:30 am & - 2nd @11-1 pm
5/29: End of Year Party!
Yearbook Signing + Roadrunner Spirit Swap
📅 📓 ✍️ May 29th @ 3:30 PM - RSVP HERE -
Join us on the last day of school @ Central Market playground! Bring your yearbook & invite your classmates for Lee's 2nd annual yearbook signing & end of year celebration!!
Roadrunner Spirit Swap
DROP OFF: NOW-5/25
Drop off your clean, gently used, outgrown Roadrunner merch to the Roadrunner Spirit Swap box in the main office
SPIRIT SWAP: 5/29
We will collect and sort out donations, and set up at Central Market on 5/29.
Open to everyone, regardless of if you donated an item(s) or not. All items will be free at the Spirit Swap on 5/29
Yearbook Update
Yearbooks that were ordered on time will be distributed to students the last week of school!
Did you miss the yearbook deadline?
You can still order one but it will arrive AFTER the school year ends.
ORDER HERE* *yearbook ordering code: 1015066231443557)
Questions? Contact Selena at historian@russellleepta.org | ORDER HERE*
Lost & Found
L&F is still well stocked with your Roadrunner's belongings! There are boots, three bike helmets, several sweaters, zip up hoodies, a few books, and plenty of water bottles, etc... PLEASE PLEASE come by the L&F as soon as possible to claim your property before it is donated.
ADVOCACY UPDATE
by Kelly Griswold, Lee Advocacy
AISD School School Consolidation Survey
AISD is beginning conversations about consolidating schools - surveys were sent out this week to the primary person in the AISD database for each student (e.g. the person who is registered as Contact 1 at registration). Please check your email and complete these surveys by June 6, 2025. While beginning discussions are happening now, any changes will occur for the 2026-27 school year.You can find more about the school consolidation process here (https://www.austinisd.org/consolidate).
If you’re interested in hearing more about this, please come to the CAC meeting on Tuesday, May 20 at 3:30 pm.
You can also reach out to your AISD Board Trustee Members:
Dr. Kevin Foster, kevin.foster@austinisd.org
Fernando Lucas de Urioste, fernando.deurioste@austinisd.org
Arati Singh, arati.singh@austinisd.org
Less than 16 days to fund our schools! Contact your Legislators today.
The Senate’s proposed changes to House Bill 2 reduce the Basic Allotment increase from $395 to just $55 per student, leaving out essential staff and limiting local flexibility. There have been some additional investments made to specific areas, however public school advocates are pushing to restore the funding as it was presented in HB2, prior to Senate revisions. There are less than 16 days for the Senate to pass this bill before the end of the legislative session - please call every day (it takes less than 5 minutes) and register your opinion with these representatives.
Sen. Brandon Creighton, (512) 463-0104, Chair of the Senate K-16 Committee
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, (512) 463-0001
Governor Abbott, (800) 843-5789
SCRIPT OPTION: "Hello, my name is _____ and I am a constituent in zip code _____. I am calling to ask [Creighton/Patrick/Abbott] to, AT A MINIMUM, restore the amount of the basic allotment in HB2 as passed by the house. Our public schools need sufficient funding to educate our children and that requires a long overdue increase to the basic allotment. We know a $1300/student increase is needed just to address inflation. [option to insert brief personal story or relevant talking point about the importance of funding public schools]. Thank you."
You can also use the following resources to reach out via form email - although phone calls are the most effective.
Raise Your Hand Texas: https://www.raiseyourhandtexas.org/payteachersfundschools/
Texas PTA: https://www.txpta.org/take-action
If you want to dive deeper on this matter, you can read more here.
Roadrunner Summer Camp
There are still spots in almost every camp so sign up before they sell out! Get ready for an unforgettable summer at Roadrunner Summer Camp! Our fun-filled, action-packed camp is perfect for kids looking to explore, create, and make memories.
Dates:
Session 1: June 2 - June 6
Session 2: June 9 - June 13
Hours:
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Cost:
$315 - $450 (depending on the camp theme)
Extended Care Options Available:
Before Care: 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM (additional fee)
After Care: 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM (additional fee)
Themes:
Roadies Gone Local
Explore Austin
Camp Playtopia
Harry Potter
Mini Roadies
Artsy Smartsy
Summer Craft Fest with Karen
Mission Impossible
Why Choose Camp Roadrunner?
The money raised from this camp supports our school by funding positions, classroom supplies, professional development, and much more.
Don’t miss out on this fantastic summer opportunity! Sign up today to secure your child’s spot and help support our amazing school. Let’s make this summer one to remember!
Other ways to volunteer at Lee
There are still ways you can volunteer at Lee this year!
Lunch Recess
Volunteer to give our students extra Lunch Recess on Fun Fridays! Review Lunch Recess volunteer guidelines before your shift. Submit background check. Questions? selenamelancon@gmail.com Siblings/younger children may not accompany the Lunch Recess Volunteer Volunteer for Lunch Recess here.
COPY CATS
Would you like to help teachers directly by making copies and doing other tasks in the workroom? The commitment is 1hr/week. No experience necessary. Please email copycats@russellleepta.org if you are interested.
Morning Traffic Monitor Volunteers
This is a 30 minute commitment that can be fun and easy with 2 or more people working together! VOLUNTEER HERE| Questions, email caitlin.sileo@austinisd.org
Lee Calendar
5/5-5/9 - Teacher & Staff Appreciation
5/7 - Lee Sings Concert
5/15 - Lee PTA Meeting
5/16 - Film Kids Film Festival
5/16-5/29 - Lee Color Days Schedule
5/19 - High School Grad Walk
5/19-5/28 - Eastwoods Park Schedule
5/22 - 6th Grade Showcase: Shakespeare
5/23 - Principal's Coffee
5/26 - NO SCHOOL
5/27 - 5th Grade Stepping Up
5/29 - 6th Grade Graduation
5/29 - End of year Celebration @ Central Market
Download a PDF of the May 2025 Calendar below.
Vertical Team News: Summer Camp @ MCCallum
Come join us for 4 days of fun and dancing at our annual Kiddie Clinic Dance Camp sponsored by the McCallum Blue Brigade drill team!
The 2025 Kiddie Clinic Dance Camp is open for registration! Price is $150 per registrant. Please register and pay for each registrant separately.
July 28 - 31 from 1:00 – 5:00pm in the McCallum High School Cafeteria.
5600 Sunshine Dr Austin TX 78756
For Dance Camp questions contact Blue Brigade Director Nancy Honeycutt Searle at nancy.honeycutt@austinisd.org.
Thanks for reading this week's Roadrunner Rundown! Have something to add? Share your comments or feature suggestions with Clarissa at communications@russellleepta.org or online here.
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