Table of Contents
Report Cards are online!
Did you know report cards are out? Check out your AISD parent portal and click on "Student Documentation" to view them!
Toys and Shoes! Go shopping this Saturday at TerraToys and KidOShoes
Go shop at Terra Toys and KidOShoes on November 4th (all day) and the school will receive 10% of proceeds. All you need to do is mention LEE ELEMENTARY.
Coats for Kids Drive Starts NOW!
Lee Elementary is participating in the Coats for Kids coat drive!
There are multiple ways to donate to our Coats for Kids Coat Drive. Between now and Dec. 2, you can:
drop off a new or lightly used coat in a collection box located in the school entryway
purchase a coat from the Coats for Kids Gift Registry
donate via text (text GIVEATX to 243725)
or donate online by visiting jlaustin.org/coats and clicking “DONATE.”
Note that just $20 buys a new coat!
Note, we will be offering coats in the donation bin to families at Lee. Please reach out to Mr. Peckham if your child needs a coat!
Sincerely, Lindsey Community Cares Chair
Newest Lost & Found Items
Please label all of your kid's clothing items, water bottles and lunch boxes!
In an effort to keep the hallway free of clutter, the Lost and Found will donate unclaimed items after 2 weeks.
So if you lose something please check out the Lost & Found rack located in the 2nd grade hallway or contact Saundra at lostandfound@russellleepta.org. Thank you!
Square Art - On Sale Now!
Square 1 Art catalogues should have come home in the Friday Folder.
Please do NOT toss these. The front page has free stickers with your child’s artwork. The back has some examples of what can be ordered on the website.
Orders are due 11/10.
This is the main fundraiser hosted by the Lee Fine Arts Program at Lee.
We thank you in advance for your participation! Get those personalized holiday gifts in early for the grandparents! 🎁 💝
Library Lines
by Ms. Day, Lee Librarian
Thank you, so much! Your support with the Book Fair last week, doubled my district budget for the library. In addition to raising the excitement of students for reading, writing and erasing, your support brought in $800 in books and $1400 in cash for library supplies, books, and reading incentives for the students. In the library this month, we will be focusing on the Native American Heritage and Gratitude for all that we have. I especially want to Thank our Library Parent Volunteers, who came in and jumped on the cash register during Book Fair. With 10 seconds of training, they really pulled it off for us to be able to have story time, check out and Book Fair.
Vote on the AISD Calendar!
AISD is looking for community input on the upcoming 2024-2025 academic calendar. Give your input on when the school year starts, ends, goes on break, etc!
OPTIONS: The calendar summary outlines the key differences between option A and option B.
Tell us your preference by completing the calendar survey by Friday, Dec. 1.
Next Steps: The board will consider the results of the survey before voting on the final calendar at their Dec. 14 board voting meeting.
More info at AISD
Middle School Info Sessions
It's that time of year!! There are lots of great info sessions coming up so be sure to keep an eye on Parent Square for these announcements from Lee Administration.
Support MACares
Shop and dine with a purpose. Support MACares. Mention McCallum when ordering in-person, online, or curbside.
Thursday, November 30:
Ten Thousand Villages
4803 Burnet Rd. 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Phil's Icehouse
5620 Burnet Rd. 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Amy's Ice Creams
5624 Burnet Rd.
11:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Funds directly support McCallum HS Vertical Team Families in need
Kealing Choir
4:00 PM @ TTV
5:00 PM @ Amy's/Phil's
Lamar Scottie Singers
7:00 PM @ Amy's/Phil's
Connect with the PTA
It is never too late to join the PTA! There are so many great reasons to join the PTA so don't hesitate! http://www.joinpta.org/
Lee Community News
We've collected links to some of the school-wide newsletters that you may have missed in the last few weeks:
Principal Sileo's Campus Based Updates
Library Lines
PE Newsletter
Studio Times
Lee Calendar
November 4 | Terra Toys + KidOShoes (receipt share)
November 10 | Native American Program
March 2 | Lee Live - Mark your calendar!!
November | Native American Heritage Month
National American Indian Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes the accomplishments of the peoples who were the original inhabitants, explorers, and settlers of the United States.
See how AISD is celebrating Native American Heritage Month online here.
November | Minted (receipt share)
y'all check out this amazing deal!!
Get an early start on those holiday cards!
Receive 20% OFF Minted cards and gifts, and 15% of the proceeds will be given back to the school.
Use code "FUNDRAISERUSSELLLEE"
November 3 | Principal's Coffee
This meeting will focus on the scheduled AISD Human Sexuality and Responsibility Curriculum.
Scheduled for the first Friday of the month, these are informal opportunities to discuss current campus topics with Campus Leadership.
All guests are required to check in with a photo ID at the front office to participate
November 4 | Terra Toys + KidOShoe
You don't want to miss this! Terra Toys and KidOShoes Go shop at Terra Toys and KidOShoes on November 4th (all day) and the school will receive 10% of proceeds.
All you need to do is mention LEE ELEMENTARY.
November 10 | Veterans Day Ceremony
Veterans Day Ceremony
Honoring all who served
November 10 @ 8:30 AM at the Lee flagpole
Caregivers and veterans are welcome to attend.
November 10 | Native American Program
The PTA has arranged for a special in school assembly for our students called Red Voices. The program aims to be culturally authentic, informative, and entertaining.
More info to follow
November 13-17 | Teaching Assistants Week
November 13 | No School / Staff Dev / Diwali
November 14 | CAC Meeting @ 3:30 PM
A total of eight meetings held throughout year, on a variety of topics including school improvement goals and planning. Members may apply to serve on council and all meetings are open to the public.
Membership applications can be found here: https://www.austinisd.org/advisory-bodies/cac/application
Questions can be sent to Principal Sileo caitlin.sileo@austinisd.org
November 16 | AISD Thanksgiving Lunch
November 17 | Fun Run
Come cheer on the kids as we pump them up for physical exercise and moving their bodies before the fall break. The kids will be having fun during their regular PE time with Tug-O-War, track running, exercise circuits and face painting. Parents are invited to attend and volunteer in making the day a success.
November 20-24 | Fall Break
November 27-December 1 | Book People Receipt Share
20% of proceeds (in-person)
15% of proceeds (online)
November 28 | Make-up day for Individual Pictures
November 29 | Book People - Book Fair
Want to go book-shopping? In-store school event Help fulfill our teachers' book wish-lists and stock up for the holiday season. We're having an in-store book fair, with a special Spirit Night for the school on November 29. Ms. Day and other special guest-stars will be reading books for the community!
March 2 - Lee Live
Mark your calendar. Lee Live is happening on March 2, 2024! We're excited to host it at the Austin Public Library downtown location!
Want to Volunteer? email: leelive@russellleepta.org
Weekly Recap
10/28 - Fall Carnival
What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon! Thank you to every single person to helped bring the Fall Carnival to Lee again this year. As always this free event was a huge success. Volunteers truly carried this event over the finish line and brought smiles and joy to so many Roadrunners last weekend.
And Thank you to every member of our Fami-Lee who came out to participate is this wonderful community event.
10/30 - Hey Dude, Nice Shoes
Recap by Jillian DeLaTorre Copeland, Lee PTA Vice President
On Monday, Carolyn Brown from Hey Dude, Nice Shoes spoke to the students of Lee as well as caretakers of Lee students. First, Ms. Brown spoke to the difference between tattling (little stuff) and reporting (BIG STUFF). Little stuff, students can handle on their own…’Billy took my pencil.’ BIG STUFF, students need help with the problem. Next, Ms. Brown identified the difference between ‘rudeness’, ‘meanness’ and ‘bullying. Rudeness is unintentionally hurting someone’s feelings. Meanness is intentionally hurting someone’s feelings. Bullying is intentionally hurting someone repeatedly. Think Nelson from the show The Simpson’s. Rudeness can often be mended with an apology. Meanness means the behavior needs to stop. If the student witnesses another student being mean to another, the observer should say stop to the student being mean and check in student receiving the mean behavior. Bullying requires a grownups attention. In the younger grades assembly, Ms. Brown created a signal with students to choose kindness - the sign was to tap their nose twice while saying ‘chose kindness’.
Ms. Brown gave several examples of what bullying looks like - ask your student if they recall any of the examples.
Why is the program called Hey dude, nice shoes? If you attended the parent workshop on Monday evening, you know it’s because while in high school Ms. Brown helped another student who was crying by herself by capturing her attention by saying Hey dude, nice shoes. She didn’t know how to help the other student so she just sat with her while she wept. Ms. Brown didn’t know why until their 20th high school reunion! The student she supported by just being with her had just lost her grandmother and caretaker.
Sprinkle kindness like it’s confetti!
Be kind!
TAP TAP on the nose
Thank you to the students from the UT Math club who provided childcare activities during the Caregiver Workshop on Monday. our Roadrunners had agreat time! ----------
On a personal note, I didn't quite know what to expect from the Caregiver Workshop. But let me tell you Carolyn, is an extremely engaging and compelling speaker. She mixes humor and personal anecdotes into her impassioned presentation about how we as caregivers can partner with classroom teachers to address any potential concerns we might have, how we can set the tone at home, and how we can empower ourselves and our children. More than a few of us left that room having shed a few tears and glad to have entered it.
11/2 - 3rd Grade Program - HerStory
CONGRATULATIONS to all of the 3rd grade students who worked hard on the 3rd Grade program "HerStory" which they performed on Thursday November 2nd. This inspiring program is one of Lee's wonderful traditions.
Thank you also to all of the Lee Educators who have contributed time and energy toward this program as well.
Principal's Coffee - Human Sexuality & Responsibility
This event takes place on the 1st Friday of each month at 8:00 AM and all Lee caregivers are invited to attend. When available, meeting topics will be shared in advance.
This morning Principal Sileo and Mr. Peckham presented a slide deck on the upcoming Human Sexuality & Responsibility Curriculum which is scheduled for December.
As a reminder, the scope and sequence as well as all teaching materials are all available for parents to review on the AISD website here.
The form to opt-in will be sent out to caregivers after Fall Break . The deadline to return the forms is December 4th.
As a reminder, per the AISD website, "[p]arents/guardians will have the option to opt-in to all lessons, opt-in to individual lessons, or opt-out of all lessons. We ask that all permission letters be returned regardless of the selected option." (AISD HSR)
More information will be provided by the Lee Administration at a later date.
Thanks for reading this week's Roadrunner Rundown. As always feel free to share your comments or feature suggestions with us at communications@russellleepta.org.