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Table of Contents
Lee Calendar (Jan & Feb)
This issue includes the February calendar (two versions) and info on upcoming events like STEM Girl day at UT Austin & Lee Live 2024. Next week though the Black History Laser Tribute will give caregivers the chance to participate in a student assembly after attending the Principal's Coffee that morning. There are also lots of opportunities for you to get involved at Lee in small or large ways this week via Lost & Found or Lee Live but if you don't see anything in the newsletter, just reach out because I'm sure we can help you help Lee. I also included the dates for the final PTA meetings of the year. It would be great to see the community come out and participate or just listen in.
Science Fair Congratulations!!
We want to send a hearty congratulations to the Roadrunners to participated in Celebration of Science this year! These students explored and presented a scientific topic of interest.
Congratulations to each of the winners who were recognized for their superior efforts!
3rd Grade
1st) Nethra Gopal
2nd) Olympia Snyder
3rd) Maple Norwood
4th) Rose Boshuslav
4th) Quinn Stanley
4th Grade:
1st) Juni Virostko
2nd) Joseph Monahan
3rd) Dani Cruz
4th) Gigi Hayner
5th Grade
1st) Juni Martin and Charlotte Rosenthal
2nd) Jacob Richardson
3rd) Esther Clulow and Lili Aaronson
4th) Buckley Valdez
Thank you Celebration of Science Team!
Science Fair is a huge undertaking and many people gave their time and energy to ensure our Roadrunners had a fair and fun educational experience. Thank you to the Science Fair Chairs, Medwyn Price & Esti Ukar for supporting our students. Thank you also to Jenny Day for opening the school on a Saturday and helping our students as they researched and built their ideas during Science Fair Saturday.
Thank you also goes out to the group of judges: Shaun Pola, Aditya Chopra, Chris Saschse, and Adrienne Dula for spending their morning with our budding young scientists.
See some of our Roadrunner scientist in the photo gallery from the event. And feel free to send us your photos to be included!
Yearbooks for Sale! + Call for Art!
Place your order for this year’s Lee Elementary Yearbook here! Yearbooks will arrive to Lee in May. If you’d like your child’s artwork to be a part of this year’s book, please submit a high res image to our historian’s email. historian@russellleepta.org
Nominate Lee Staff for Salute Awards!
Submit your Salute Awards Nominations today!
Salute is AISD’s annual celebration to recognize some of the district’s outstanding team members for their continued dedication to student excellence and achievement in our schools.
Big news! For 2024, we're expanding our Salute Awards and recognizing campus staff in TEN categories! District employees, students, families, and the community are invited to submit a nomination for staff members they believe represent the very best of AISD in the following categories:
Campus Clerical/Office Staff of the Year
Teaching Assistant of the Year
Custodian of the Year
Bus Driver of the Year
Food Service Staff of the Year
Campus Safety & Security Staff of the Year
Librarian of the Year
Counselor of the Year
Assistant Principal of the Year
Principal of the Year
Your nominees will have the option to continue in the award process! The winners will be celebrated at our Salute Awards ceremony on May 8th, where we will also honor Teachers of Promise and Teachers of the Year.
Nominations will close Friday, February 9 at 5pm.
Lost & Found Weekly Photos
Please help the Lost and Found team reunite your belongings with your children by labeling all their clothing, water bottles and lunchboxes.
Lost & Found will donate any unclaimed items every 2 weeks!
Email lostandfound@russellleepta.org. with questions.
REMINDER: L&F items are posted in the Lee Facebook group frequently.
Saturday Enrollment Clinic!
AISD will have staff onsite to help you enroll.
Saturday, January 27
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
LOCATION: Austin ISD Central, 4000 S. I-H 35 Frontage Rd., Austin, TX 78704
Priority Registration closes on Feb. 6.
Every student must be registered for the 2024-2025 school year! There is a new system, Enroll Austin, which can be found in your Parent Portal Account.
Registering early also helps the school begin to plan for staffing and facilities needs.
Register Today! QUESTIONS about the process? Email Kerry Hull Kerry.Hull@austinisd.org
New AISD Superintendent
Austin ISD Board appoints Matias Segura as first homegrown superintendent
STAAR Testing Info
See upcoming STAAR testing information below. Details and updates will be provided by the Lee Administration & Teachers as needed.
TEA Required Stand-Alone Field Test:
Monday February 5th: 4th and 6th grade only, ELA
STAAR Interim Assessments: Practice Test Opportunities
Wednesday: February 7th 5th/6th ELA
Thursday: February 8th 3rd/4th ELA
Tuesday: February 13th 3rd/4th Math, 5th Science
Tuesday: February 20th 5th/6th Math
Make-Up: dates as needed
STAAR Exams: No Outside Visitors on Campus
Tuesday: April 9th: 5th/6th ELA
Tuesday: April 16th: 3rd/4th ELA
Wednesday: April 17th: 5th Science, ELA Make-Ups
Thursday: April 18th 5th Science Make-Ups, Add’l 5th ELA Make-Ups (if needed)
Tuesday: April 23rd: 3rd/4th Math
Wednesday: April 24th: 5th/6th Math
Thursday: April 25th: Math Make-Ups
Call for Volunteers! We Need your help!
Lost & Found
The Lost & Found team is seeking a few more volunteers to help keep up with the demand. You would come in 1-2 times per week and spend 15-30 minutes sorting and labeling items so that students and caregivers can easily find them on the clothing racks.
Depending on availability, you would also help set up the Lost & Found rack outside and/or deliver items to be donated.
Lee Live Art Projects for Auction
We are currently looking for volunteers to help us create the stunning class and grade-level Lee Live Art that we will auction as part of our annual fundraiser. K-2 will create similar pieces for each class and grades 3-6 will create one piece per grade level.
Time commitments on this can be as little as an hour (more for the lead, though the level of effort/complexity of the project is up to you!). We have a small budget for each class/grade for supplies and framing. Lee Live will be March 2nd this year and it would be wonderful to have all of the art ready for the auction by February 23rd. If you're interested, please contact Emma Woelk at arts@russellleepta.org. Thank you!
Seeking volunteers to support our Lee Live committee solicit donations from the community. We will provide you with all of the resources you will need- we just need your time and willingness to reach out behalf of our Lee community! email leelive@russellleepta.org.
Lee Live: A Clue-Inspired Night of Elegance and Enigma | March 2nd
Lee Live 2024 is around the corner. We know you guys do so much already, but if you have it in you to donate a grade-level, teacher, PTA, caregiver, or staff experience, we would be incredibly appreciative. Our goal this year is to raise 70K (yikes!) so anything goes a long way. If you are inclined to donate an experience (e.g., mini-field trip, Airbnb weekend, etc.), please fill out the survey below so we can put it on the auction website and get this party started. Auction bidding begins Saturday, March 2nd for Lee Live 2024 (Austin Public Library). The theme is vintage Clue (no murders, though; just the mystery of whether or not we will raise the funds – which we will, in the library, as a group!).
Also, other info in case you like having info in advance ;) Lee Live 2024 website for tickets and auction website.
Grade-Level Clue Colors:
Kindergarten: Noir
1st Grade: Peacock Blue
2nd Grade: Mustard Yellow
3rd Grade: Scarlet Red
4th Grade: Verde
5th Grade: Plum Purple
Lee Calendar
Swipe for February Calendar! (Note, there are two versions for folks who do or do not want to see the STAAR practice dates on the monthly calendar)
Feb 5-9 | School Counselor Appreciation Wk
Feb 8 | 5th Grade Program ***NEW DATE***
Feb 9 | NO SCHOOL - Spring Conference Date
Feb 14 | Valentine's Day Parties
Feb 19 | NO SCHOOL
Feb 20 | CAC Meeting
Feb 22 | 1st Grade Program
Feb 26-Mar1 | Food Service Appreciation Wk
Feb 27 | Symphony Day (4th & 5th)
Mar 2 | Lee Live
Mar 7 | 4th Grade Program - Texas History
Mar 19 - PTA Membership Meeting (Nomination Committee Formation)
Apr 16 - PTA Membership Meeting (Elections PTA Exec Board)
May 14 - PTA Membership Meeting (PTA 24-25 Budget Vote)
January 31 | 6th Grade Info Session
6PM @ Zoom
6th Grade Leadership Institute information session plus a Q&A
February 1 | 5th Grade Program
Percussion based ensemble show
February 1 | Webinar Russell Lee Photography
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Author Mary Jane Appel will present a free webinar for the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission titled “One of the Best States of All: Russell Lee’s Photographs of Texas, 1939-1959.” Please register in advance. The webinar will be recorded and all are invited to attend.
Feb 2 | Principal's Coffee
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
February 2 | Black History Laser Tribute
This event is sponsored by the PTA in honor of Black history month
9:00 - 9:40 AM (K-2)
10:30 AM - 11:10 AM (3-6)
Caregivers welcome to attend! More details to come!
February 2 | Dragon Dance for Lunar New year
Students only
Feb 5-9 | School Counselor Appreciation Wk
Feb 8 | 5th Grade Program ***NEW DATE***
February 9 | NO SCHOOL - Spring Conference Date
Teachers will begin sending information about this soon.
Feb 14 | Valentine's Day Parties
Keep an eye out for communication from Room Reps about Valentine's Day Parties. Caregivers will be asked to help contribute by bringing in snacks or volunteering at the event.
March 2 | Lee Live
Lee Live: A Clue-Inspired Night of Elegance and Enigma
Saturday, March 2, 2024 @ the Austin Public Library (Central Branch)
Step into a world of vintage glamour based on the classic board game and film Clue. Our annual spring fundraiser, Lee Live, invites you to delve into a night filled with thrilling twists and turns as you engage in a live auction, sway to live music that echoes through the library walls, and savor sumptuous food that would delight even the most discerning guests of Mr. Boddy.
As a member of our esteemed Lee community—current, future, and past caregivers, and ardent supporters—you are key to helping us meet our fundraising goals. The mystery lies in whether or not we will collaboratively succeed. Which we will! In the library as a group!
So join us! Let’s mingle and conspire over cocktails, ponder over silent auction items, and engage in spirited bidding. Funds raised are instrumental in providing our students with the essentials for academic success—classroom supplies, instructional materials, classroom enhancements, and enriching programs that foster creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking. So, don your detective hats, choose your favorite Clue character to emulate, dress in a grade-level color, or simply come as you are.
Local Community Events
Jan 27 | MLK Community Festival
11:00 AM - 3:30 PM @ Huston-Tillotson University
Details: https://mlkcelebration.com/
The festival will include all types of vendors and local musical artists to make this year’s celebration the best ever! A vendor application can be downloaded for those interested in purchasing booth space. For questions and information, please contact Carol Wright by email at carol_wright@att.net.
Feb 1-Feb 3 | High School Musical Jr. by Lamar Middle School
Show location: McCallum Arts Center
Disney's smash hit movie musical comes to life on the Lamar Middle School's stage. Troy, Gabriella, and the students of East Elm High must deal with issues of first love, friends and family while balancing the classes & extracurricular activities.
Feb 24 | STEM Girl Day At UT Austin
Elementary and middle school students, families, and educators are invited to join us for FREE hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fun on Saturday, February 24, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. CT on The University of Texas at Austin campus.
K-8 Participant Registration is now OPEN!
All participants must be registered and must be accompanied by an adult throughout the event. Registration remains open throughout the event date.
Event Recap: Russell Lee Photography Community Day
by Emily Hermans
Last Saturday, over 200 people came to Lee to see the exhibit of Russell Lee’s photography, on loan from Humanities Texas. We are fortunate to have over three dozen photos by Russell Lee permanently on view, and this exhibit doubles the number of photos on display in the halls of our school.
Russell Lee was a renowned documentary photographer who used photography to impact change in the world. He produced stunning images, focusing on topics such as politics, travel, industry, and the human condition. He spent his later years in Austin, becoming the first photography professor at the University of Texas. In 2016, our school was renamed in his honor.
At Saturday’s event, visitors explored the halls of the school to view and discuss the photos, using a gallery guide with activities for families to complete together. Ms. Day and Ms. Wilborn had lots of engaging photography activities set up in the cafeteria, including collages, board games, and cameras.
This exhibit and programs were funded through a grant from Humanities Texas. Teachers have been provided with resources on teaching with photography and are incorporating them into their lessons this month. Are you interested in learning more about Russell Lee’s photography in Texas too? Join the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission for a free online presentation on Thursday, February 1 at 6:00 p.m. Russell Lee biographer Mary Jane Appel will be sharing stories about his travels around the state.
A BIG thank you to all of the parent volunteers who helped to install the exhibit and who worked to make Saturday’s event such a success, and an extra thank you to Ms. Sileo, Ms. Day, Ms. Wilborn, and Ms. Monahan for spending their Saturday afternoon up at the school.
Russell Lee Photography will be on view through February 8. If you are at the school in the next couple of weeks, take some time to view the photos, on display both downstairs and upstairs. Once asked what he wanted his legacy to be, Russell Lee replied, “Just say that I made people go out and look!” We hope that this exhibit will inspire our school community to do just that.
Thank you to the Lee Photography Project Leader!!
I want to send an additional thank you to Emily Hermans for putting Lee first and creating a relevant, fun, and educational opportunity for our Roadrunners. This entire project stemmed from an idea that she was motivated to bring to fruition.
Thanks for reading this week's Roadrunner Rundown. As always feel free to share your comments or feature suggestions with Clarissa at communications@russellleepta.org.
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