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Roadrunner Rundown | 5/28
- 1 day ago
- 16 min read
Table of Contents
Welcome
Fami-Lee HAPPY LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! Thank you for indulging me and reading the Roadrunner Rundown over the last couple of years. This issue of the Rundown is of course informative but also includes some gratitude to our Executive Board and thank you to everyone who has given their time, treasure, and treats to Lee this year. Your thoughtful contributions have made an impact.
Lost & Found Reminder - final call!!
This is one of your final reminders to please check the lost & found rack. Rain or shine, the L&F rack will be outside the building near the Library entrance where it will be protected from possible rain. Find it there the rest of the week.
GiftCrowd - EOY gifting for teachers & staff
As of Monday we had approximately 50 families who had already contributed to the GiftCrowd for teachers and staff, a few more have joined since then. Thank you to everyone who has given and who will give. See current gift estimates here.
What is GiftCrowd?
This free / easy service that helps us gift anonymously to our teachers and staff. Your participation is entirely optional but highly appreciated.
What else do I need to know?
Your contribution amounts are entirely confidential
You can include a personal greeting!
Participation is optional
Join as many pools as you like! Zero fees!!
Teachers/Staff can choose to receive their gift in the format of one or more gift cards from over 400 different brands
Can I give to my teacher or staff member directly?
of course! Give however you see fit.
In response to feedback, we’ve updated the giving categories to allow you to support specific groups rather than a single school-wide gift. This means that teachers and staff working in different areas will receive different gift amounts based on giving. You are encouraged to give who as many groups as you like but be advised that Essential Areas is well funded at this point so you may want to direct your gift elsewhere if you are compelled to do so. Please let me know if you have any questions.
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*
Yearbook Update
by Selena Melancon, PTA Historian
If you ordered a yearbook by May 1st deadline~ then your yearbook should have gone home with your Roadrunner sometime this week! They were distributed to classrooms on 5/27! Big shout out to Clarissa C. Peña & Stephanie Lermer !!
Hope to see y’all at Central Market after the last day of school for celebration & YB signing!! Details here.
You can still order this year’s Yearbook to be shipped to your house this summer:
Chicken Coop Clean Up project
by Dani Monahan
As many of you are aware, the Lee Chicken Coop which was originally built by Eric Hepburn, former Lee caregiver, has been sitting empty for years... Although it was a unique feature of our campus, the coop lost some of it's luster as it sat empty and was quickly becoming an eye sore and sadly a convenient spot for rodents and insects to make a home.
In an effort to maximize the space and beautify the campus, Dani Monahan has been integral to the "replace the chicken coop with a new outdoor classroom" project. Thanks in large part to her dedication, the chicken coop which brought many Lee students and families joy over the years will avoid the landfill. On May 18th, a team of 8-10 people carefully disassembled the chicken coop and then carefully loaded it onto their trucks/trailer so they could re-assemble it on their farm in Tyler, Texas. Thank you to everyone who helped get the word out about the chicken coop! Dani hopes to put together a photo album showcasing some of the fun and educational memories our community made at the chicken coop.
Thank you to everyone involved in this project!
Here are some special heartfelt thank you's from Dani Monahan recognizing several folks who have contributed:
Special thanks goes to our awesome Principal Sileo for creating the digital schedules that allowed me to schedule chicken coop enrichment sessions with classroom teachers that provided enrichment to all students!!
Thank you Ms. Day, our beloved librarian who allowed us to use the library building on May 18th so that the new coop owners had a place to cool down on such a hot day. I provided lunch and Ms. Day donated sparkling water.
Thank you also to everyone who helped spread the word about the chicken coop!
Thank you Clarissa, PTA Vice President of Communications for spreading the word to Lee, Colleen Garland (AISD Sustainability and Outdoor Learning) for spreading the word outside of Lee at AISD, the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association and everyone else who posted about the chicken coop more broadly and/or on social media including my husband who shared about it on Next Door!
Thank you to Eric, the original coop builder for sharing valuable information that helped me create disassembly instructions. We were able to get in touch with Eric thanks to John Hewlett, former Lee principal.
Thank you Veronica, Lee Head Custodian for allowing us to use some tools from her supply!
Finally, thank you to the end of day clean-up crew on May 18th who helped tidy things up and move trash and hazardous items to the dumpsters including, Susana Prince (5th & 2nd grade parent), Hannes Mandel (Kinder parent).
Thank you to our 2024-2025 PTA Executive Board
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
What did the PTA do this year?
It is difficult to put into words everything that the PTA does because so much of our work is not big and shiny, it often cannot be quantified but all of it is necessary and helpful. Below I'll try to highlight some of good work the PTA does by calling to attention the PTA Exec Board but know that this is far from comprehensive. There are many many unsung heroes at Lee. The work of the PTA extends to every volunteer and is done every single day.
If you just want the high level basics here are a few quick bullets to highlight the PTA's efforts
We surpassed our fundraising goals
sponsored and hosted 8+ community events
provided every grade level teacher $500 grants
provided all Essential Areas and the counselor $2,000 grants
provided SPED $2,500 grant
hosted four in school assemblies as well as a parent workshop
We also used our some of our reserve budget for major campus initiatives
Additional $10,000 grant for the Library to purchase new books
hallway painting and rejuvenation project
we've committed funds for the design and construction of the new outdoor classroom
Standing Committees that make yearlong commitments to support Lee:
Copy Cats
Community Cares
Lost & Found
Appreciation
Merchandise
Room Reps
Roadie Work Days
Keep reading if you'd like to learn about the humans that served on the PTA Executive Board this year. I will caveat this by saying I did not run any of the following by the Exec Board members, believe me, if they sat down to make a list of everything they have done for the PTA and Lee, it would be much more accurate and comprehensive than what I can do. The relevant board members did create the slides you'll see here as part of our final PTA meeting agenda though so some of this is a version of their own words.
PTA President
Jessica Hoffman, outgoing PTA President, helped set the tone for the last two+ years. Under her leadership we shifted our meeting cadence to better serve our community, eliminated obstacles to success, and created new sources of support. As the PTA President, Jessica has a hand in every initiative we undertake. She offers strong support, encourages new ideas, applauds initiative and she fosters a sense of community among every group she joins. She has been an ear to bounce ideas off of and a liaison to teachers, Lee administration and families. Jessica somehow knows and balances a seemingly impossible amount of information and she does it with kindness and authority. I often look to her as the voice of reason in any situation. She is well loved and will continue to support Lee as the incoming Parliamentarian where her experience will be a huge benefit to the new board.
Vice President
Jillian De La Torre Copeland has served as VP for the past two years and was elected President for next year. She has served on the Exec board in several roles over the years and brings knowledge, skills, and a wide network of resources to every situation. As VP she put the student first by arranging for several in school assemblies as well as the afterschool speaker for parents. She is decisive, respected, and will be at Lee for years to come where her extensive knowledge will no doubt continue to benefit our community. She was the VP of Communications prior to me and even after two years I continue to measure my success against the extremely high standards that she set.
Fundraising
Wyeth Whiting is our outgoing VP of fundraising. Her efforts to support our school in this role are unmatched. She has worked with a team of volunteers to develop new avenues of fundraising and cultivate new volunteers to help support this school-wide effort. She is agreeable, thoughtful, and a team player with strong leadership skills. I was lucky enough to work with her when we hosted Lee Live a couple of years ago and I can highly recommend her as a partner and friend. Although a lot of our fundraising may seem routine, there is nothing straight forward about signing up for a volunteer position that requires you raise over $142k in less than a full academic year.
Here's a breakdown of our 2024-2025 fundraising: $147,481 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Roadrunner Rally: $54k+
Lee Live: $68k+
Merch Sales: 8k+
Corporate sponsors: $5k (new initiative)
Parking Spots: ~5k (new initiative)
Receipt Sharing: 3k+
Carnival: ~$2k
Membership Dues: $374
PTA Membership Milestones
Sarah Farrell, PTA Vice President for Membership elevated our our community outreach and increased our membership by over 26% this year!! As a result, were recognized by Texas PTA with a few awards. If you attended a PTA meeting this year than you surely enjoyed some of the delicious coffee and treats that Sarah secured often by donors she cultivated for the PTA. Sarah also served as the Copy Cats chair and took a job in the Lee front office. She shows up without needing to be asked, fills in anywhere and brings humor and creativity to everything she does.
PTA Awards
Head Start - August 2024
Early Bird - September 2024
Snappy Increase - October 2024
Shining Star - November 2024
Please renew your membership in August to help the momentum going so we can beat these numbers next year!
Ever wonder where the Membership fee goes?
Total Membership Cost: $9.50
Texas PTA: $2.75
National PTA: $3.25 ($1 increase)
Lee PTA: $2.00
Processing Fee: $1.50
Anyway can join! Parents, caregivers, students, staff, family, community members - everyone is welcome!!
Historian
Our PTA Historian, Selena Melancon has been very active this year! You may have noticed her taking photos at many school events over the last two years. As Historian it was her job to document as many school events as possible and in those rare occasions when she wasn't available, she recruited others in her place! Last year she made it her mission to research and vet various yearbook companies until she found the right one. You can thank her artistic talent for the beautiful yearbook that you may have received this week (if you ordered by May 1). Everyone loved last year's yearbook so much that this year's sales increased by a good amount. I mentioned to Selena that I was so happy with my custom pages last year until I saw the rest of the book and realized I was in over my head so this year I kept her design skill in mind when I put together the custom pages! She leads by example, volunteers as often as possible, and cares deeply about the whole student. Her passionate dedication brought us Fun Friday Lunch Recess volunteer opportunities to ensure our students get that recess.
Vice President of Enrichment
Simone Harlow coordinated and managed the after-school programs offered by the PTA. Making the program happen involves everything from recruiting club leaders, finding them classrooms, coordinating the schedule, and promoting the program. She also managed all aspects of the registration process and caregiver notifications. This is of course an overly simplified version of what Simone does and hardly takes into account the immensely positive impact she has had on Lee through the clubs and on everyone she interacts with through her personality and kindness.
Lee clubs provide students with opportunities to engage with peers in a non-academic environment and to build connections across grade levels. They contribute to fostering a sense of belonging and safety within the school community.
Communications
As the PTA VP of Communications I took on the job of keeping the community informed but Jillian was in this role before me and as I mentioned, I still use her standard as motivation. My goal has always been to provide timely, eye catching, and relevant information to our community. To do this, I took over posting the Roadrunner Rundown on a semi-weekly basis, managed the russellleepta.org website, recruited and supported the Room Reps, and designed more graphics than I can count. I updated the Lee Calendar, created those printed take home calendars you might remember, worked closely with nearly every exec board member, chair, Lee Leadership, and Room Reps to help promote and support their initiatives. I tried to streamline some of the information that comes at me every day and found that flexibility is key when in this role. I am lucky to have worked and been supported by such a strong group of executive board members during my tenure.
Secretary
As the PTA Secretary, Diana Cruz was one of the many unsung heroes on the PTA Board. If you have ever attended a PTA meeting or PTA Exec Board meeting then you know it can be incredibly difficult to follow the thread of the meeting. Yet, Diana makes it look easy. Her notes are always meticulous, well written, and the turnaround is shockingly fast! She is extremely kind when someone (me) is late in my job reviewing the minutes. Diana is another longtime Lee volunteer. she gives of her time, talent, and treasure at every opportunity. I've been lucky to have her as a co-Room Rep for a few years.
Parliamentarian
Kristy Orr knows everything or if she doesn't know it, she will find it out. She is meticulous, thoughtful, and passionate about Lee. As Parliamentarian, it was her job to know the rules and ensure we follow them. She does this well and without fuss. Her job also involves recruiting a new Nominations Committee and helping ensure they are prepared to recruit a new Executive Board. She quietly supports Lee through numerous volunteer positions including a primary role in this year's Carnival. She was always available when I needed someone to put fresh eyes on something or to edit spreadsheets or review complicated information.
Treasurer
Elise Price is going into her 2nd year as PTA Treasurer and we were so extremely lucky that she was available when we needed someone to join the board. She has done a brilliant job at providing timely reports and she keeps well organized records. I cannot emphasize enough that all of these are volunteer positions and yet she takes the role as PTA treasurer seriously. She updated several PTA processes to not only increase efficiency but also to make things more straight forward and easier for the end user.
Thank you also to the Committee chairs
Many of our standing committee chairs are silent heroes. Their roles are year long as opposed to the shorter term or event specific committees we also have. They show up when no one else does, they source materials at cost, treat our Roadrunners with care, make life easier for our teachers, create ways to provide for everyone in our community, recruit others into service, and make sure we're outfitted in style.
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!
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
ADVOCACY UPDATE
by Kelly Griswold, Lee Advocacy
AISD School Consolidations Timeline
Ms. Sileo presented at both the CAC and Principals Coffee this week on AISD’s timeline and process for school consolidations and closures. Right now, the district is targeting October and November of this year for making a final determination on a plan of action - including which schools will close, any boundary changes - however closures will not occur until the 26-27 school year.
In case you missed it or want to see more information from the team who will be leading this work, check out this presentation on AISD’s Youtube page. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=465f4CLiRdc).
Senate Gives Approval to HB 2 (School Funding)
The Senate passed HB2 on Thursday, May 22, after days of negotiations between House and Senate members. The third reading and final passage will take place on Friday, May 23.
In the compromise deal adopted last night, the $55 basic allotment increase remains, in addition to the creation of two new allotments that will provide schools with some funding flexibility.
The major funding provisions of the bill include:
Basic allotment is increased from $6,160 to $6,215. This $55 increase occurs by freezing the current golden penny yield in place and using what was supposed to be an increase in that funding mechanism to fund the basic allotment. This incremental adjustment will occur every biennium.
Teacher pay raises: In districts with 5,000 or fewer students, a $4,000 pay increase for teachers with 3–5 years of experience, and an $8,000 for teachers with 5 or more years of experience. In districts with 5,001 or more students: $2,500 and $5,000 for those same experience bands. These raises are permanent and not one-time bonuses.
Support Staff Allotment: Each district is entitled to $45 per regular program average daily attendance (ADA) to provide salary increases for non-administrative staff (counselors, nurses, librarians, and other support staff).
Allotment for Basic Costs: Provides $1.3 billion for new allotment to relieve budget pressures on certain operational costs (insurance, TRS, utilities, transportation, hiring retired teachers, health insurance). This will provide $106 per enrolled student to each school district or charter.
Other Funding Formulas: $2.2 billion for special education, full-day pre-K, early learning, school safety, and Career & Technical Education (CTE) funding. The school safety allotment will provide $20 per student and $33,540 per campus.
Senate Committee Changes HB4 (Accountability)
House Bill 4 (HB 4) was heard by the Senate Committee Thursday night. The original language was substituted - removing the House’s transition away from STAAR testing to a nationally-normed, referenced assessment instrument for grades 3-8. It also removed the option to move the 8th-grade social studies and high school U.S. History to a local option, and to create new accountability indicators other than the STAAR test for grades K-8.
The Senate version of HB 4 now has the following provisions:
Requires the Texas Education Agency to reduce the length of statewide assessments, improve alignment with classroom instruction, and provide optional interim tests for districts phased in over three years. The test will still be a criterion-referenced test, not a nationally normed-referenced test as the House version requires.
Allows the commissioner to take action if a district sues the state over testing and accountability.
If a district sues, the commissioner may appoint a conservator.
The conservator enforces compliance with funding restrictions.
Failure to comply with the conservator would lead to a board of managers takeover or charter school governance reconstitution.
With 10 days left of the legislative session, any potential changes to the assessment and accountability system will likely be negotiated in a conference committee.
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!
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.
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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