The Serene Scoop

Hello!

In the month of September, we had 162 students that participated in the KG-3rd Reading Challenge through the library! We are so excited to have such avid readers, and so thankful to Ms. Stella, our superb librarian, for encouraging reading to our students. Check out the October Reading Challenges for KG-3rd below!

Please take note of the following Trophy Drive Parking Lot Reminders:

Dropping off during Arrival:

• Trophy Drive parking lot is NOT for a drop and go.
• Parents MUST park in an appropriate parking spot and fully escort their students to the doors.
• Please ONLY use the crosswalk on Trophy Drive to cross the road, if you're driving and parking to drop off your student. However, we would recommend hopping in the car line as an even better option.

Dismissal:

Parents waiting to park in the lot must remain in their cars and wait until a parking spot is available as space is limited. Do not just hop out of your car and create a loss of flow traffic system.

Escorted Walkers:

Please keep your students physically near you in the parking lot and along Trophy Drive. We had a very close call of a little one this week, and we want all our students and parents to be safe.

Next Friday is a student holiday, and teachers will be using the day for Parent/Teacher Conferences.

Go Cavs and have a wonderful weekend. We sure do love our Sailors!

Warmly,

Keegan Luedecke

Principal

Oct. 6: National Instructional Coaches Day

Oct. 10: Student Holiday / Teacher Work Day: Parent / Teacher Conferences

Oct. 13: Student & Staff Holiday

Oct. 15: Student Flu Shots

Oct. 22: Unity Day / Early Release @ 11:40

Oct. 23: Around the World Multi-Cultural Event 5PM-7PM

Nov. 3rd- Talent Show Applications available on Konstella

Nov. 7: Family Movie Night

Nov. 14th- Talent Show Applications due by 5pm

Nov. 15 : PTO: Once Upon a Time in Mexico Parent Gala

Nov. 17th-21st: Book Fair Sales

Nov. 24-28: Fall Break

Dec. 8-12: Holiday Shop for students

Dec. 10th- Talent Show Tryouts! 4-6pm

January 14th - Talent Show Dress Rehearsal 5-7pm

January 23rd- Talent Show 5-7pm

Feb. 6: Daughter Dance

Mar. 27: Carnival on the Hill

Apr. 30: Mother Son Kickball

This month, our schoolwide theme is skills for learning: listening, focusing attention, using self-talk to stay on-task, and being assertive when asking for help with a learning task. In our morning announcements and school assembly, we’ll be reminding students of these skills, which help students be successful learners.

Second Step lessons teach skills for learning.

Please tell your child’s teacher if you’d like more suggestions about supporting skills for learning at home.

Our school can earn distinctions with the help of attendance? Last year, the rate for helping schools to earn distinctions was 96.3% ADA (Average Daily Attendance). You can help by:

• Keeping your student in school until at least 10AM if you have an appointment.
• Don't take an extra day or two of vacay just because we have a long weekend.
• Take longer trips over the longer breaks, Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring, Summer instead of being absent on school days.

***However, if your student has a fever or is very sick, please keep them home until they are not contagious anymore.

I know if we all do our part, we can help Serene Hills and our Sailors get the recognitions they deserve!

Squirrel, a speedy competitor, is not excited when she hears she must be part of a team for this year's Golden Nut Hunt race. She has won the race for 8 years in a row and doesn't think she needs a team. Will Squirrel's competitive spirit prevent her from learning the values of teamwork, friendship and forgiveness?

Join us for our open PTO meeting on Wednesday, October 16 at 8:00 AM in the Serene Hills PLC Room!

We’re excited to welcome LTISD Superintendent Dr. Curtis Null as our special guest. He’ll share district updates and be available for Q&A with parents.

All Serene Hills parents are encouraged to attend — we’d love to see you there!

Join us for our Serene Hills parent gala on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 6-11pm at Lopez Hill in Spicewood. This year's theme is Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and it promises to be our most memorable event yet!

Enjoy an evening filled with dinner, cocktails, auctions, music and dancing, along with special surprises throughout the night. Tickets will go fast — don’t miss it!

👉 Get yours today: Once Upon a Time in Mexico tickets

✨Sponsor our Once Upon a Night in Mexico parent gala and showcase your business or personal support while giving back to Serene Hills!

Remaining sponsorships:

• Main Event Sponsor

• Mariachi Band Sponsor

• Silent Auction Sponsor

• Unlimited “Friends of Serene” Sponsors

Interested? Secure your spot today and help make this unforgettable night possible!

👉 Parent Gala Sponsorships

Thank you to the parents who have already signed up to help us keep our beautiful Serene Harbor garden in top shape! We need help from two volunteers every week, which keeps the maintenance work minimal each time. Monthly and quarterly upkeep options are also available. Read more about what's needed and sign up here on Konstella.

We welcome community volunteers too! The garden is a great place for grandparents who want to be involved, and older children who need community service hours. Share this link with people who are not registered on Konstella: https://forms.gle/x2qWrrrzuVVXomeeA

In response to Senate Bill 13, our Board of Trustees has established the Lake

Travis ISD School Library Advisory Council (SLAC). The purpose of the SLAC is to

formalize a collaborative process between librarians, parents, and community

members in the ongoing development of strong library collections that support

student achievement and meet state standards. This process helps ensure

transparency, parent involvement, and a strong library program that strengthens

student achievement while nurturing a lifelong appreciation, habit, and love of

reading.

The SLAC works with librarians and district staff to develop a recommended list of

library materials for procurement, including donated titles. At least 30 days before

the Board’s vote, the proposed procurement list will be made publicly available for

parents and community members to review and provide feedback. The Board will

review these recommendations, consider any proposed changes, and make the

final decision to approve or reject the materials. The SLAC will also recommend

procedures for handling challenges to library materials and review challenges

according to law before making recommendations to the Board.

Visit the SLAC webpage to access the Proposed Titles for Library Procurement

List, Proposed Titles for Library Procurement List Feedback Form, and the Library

Materials Challenge Form.

For questions or additional information regarding SLAC reviews or library material

challenges, please contact Tasha Barker at watersbarkert@ltisdschools.org, or at

512-533-6036.

• Did you know you can subscribe to Konstella calendars? When calendar sync is set up, posts added and modified on your Konstella account will automatically sync to your personal Google/Apple/Live/Yahoo/etc. calendars.

  
  

  There are two options: the Participation Calendar and the Event Calendar.

  1) Event Calendar (recommended): Every event that's loaded into the Konstella calendar will automatically integrate with your calendar. Subscribe once and you're done!

  2) Participation Calendar: Sync only the jobs you signed up for and the events you RSVP'd for.

  
  

  Details here: konstella.com/app/settings/calendar

  
  

Ever wondered what you can do with your old eyeglasses when you receive a new perscription? Well, our local Lions Club is collecting them, for both adults and children. Please send in any glasses that you no longer need to Nurse Hilderbrand in the Health Clinic.

Lake Travis ISD has partnered with Lake Hills Pharmacy to provide flu vaccines to students in grades PK-8 on October 14-16 as follows:

October 14:
● Lake Pointe Elementary
● West Cypress Hills Elementary
● Lake Travis Middle School

October 15:
● Serene Hills Elementary
● Bee Cave Elementary
● Rough Hollow Elementary
● Lake Travis Elementary

October 16:
● Bee Cave Middle School
● Hudson Bend Middle School
● Lakeway Elementary

Please note, the flu shots are optional, and they will only be administered with written parental
consent. Consent forms (linked here) must be filled out completely, signed, and returned to your
child’s school by Tuesday, September 30th. You may write in your prescription insurance information
or submit a copy of your insurance card. Individuals who do not have prescription insurance coverage must provide $20 cash with the consent form.

Students who do not submit a form with cash payment or insurance information by Tuesday, September 30th, will not receive a flu shot at school.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the flu vaccine is the best defense against the influenza virus. For more information about the seasonal influenza vaccine and a copy of the most current Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS), please CLICK HERE. If you would like for your child to receive the flu vaccine prior to these in-school flu shot clinics, please contact your local pharmacy or pediatrician. Also, children older than six months who are uninsured or underinsured can receive flu shots at the Shots for Tots/Big Shots clinics provided by Austin Public Health. To make an appointment, please call 512-972-5520.

Should you have any questions, you may reach me via email at ennisj@ltisdschools.org, or by phone at 512-533-6015.

Sincerely,
Jamie Ennis, RN

Lead Nurse, Lake Travis ISD

Attention LTISD Parents and Guardians:

The Discovery Program, otherwise known as Gifted and Talented, is now accepting parent referrals for GT Screening via the following two forms:

• LTISD Elementary G/T Referral Form

Transfer students, who were already identified as GT in their previous district, should submit their Google form as soon as possible, as the transfer student screening will be set within 30 days of the first day of school. Parents should send proof of their child's selection/participation in the previous GT program directly to the campus GT coordinator. See below for a campus contact list.

Parents can submit referrals for screening through the entire first 9-weeks, with a deadline of October 16, 2025. Students in Grades 1-5 will be tested during the 2nd 9 weeks of instruction. If the referral and permission forms are not submitted by the deadline (October 16th), the student will have to wait until the next year's screening opportunity, as the spring screening session is only for students who have transferred to the district after the fall testing window is closed.

Kindergarten students can be referred for GT testing beginning in January 2026. More details will be shared regarding this process at the beginning of the 2nd semester.

The forms and further information about the program can be found here. Once the request is submitted through the appropriate Google form, the campus GT coordinator will contact parents via email after October 16th to share pertinent information.

The district will host a virtual parent meeting on September 19th at 11:30 am to share information regarding the program and the elementary G/T referral process. Join the meeting HERE. You are also welcome to contact your campus GT coordinator at any time with questions.

Serene Hills Campus G/T Coordinator: Stephanie Cardarella

We hope you’ll join us on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 27, 2025, for our 9th Annual 5K Hill Country Turkey Trot and 1-Mile Puffin’ for Stuffin’! More than 2,300 participants will kick off their holiday with a healthy and fun tradition. Run, walk, or jog with family and friends while raising funds to support Lake Travis schools.

Your impact: Proceeds provide classroom enrichment grants and directly fund campus positions for teachers.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, November 27, 2025 (Thanksgiving morning)
• Location: Hills Country Club –- Signature Event Course
• Options: 5K or 1-Mile Puffin’ for Stuffin’
• Promo Code: EARLYBIRD → Save $5 on each registration!

Register online today (best option) or in person at Packet Pick-Up:

• HCI Sports & Fitness
• Wednesday, November 26 | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Shirt sizes first come, first served

What to Expect

• Chipped 5K timing & awards (timed runners must provide age/sex in advance)
• Staggered starts for safety - open to all ages & abilities
• Strollers & leashed dogs welcome!
• Lively music, great snacks & festive photo backdrops
• Finisher medals for all participants!

Prefer to give the gift of time? We need volunteers! Students can earn service hours by volunteering!

Don’t miss your spot at the starting line - register today!

With gratitude,

Lake Travis Education Foundation

The Serene Hills Elementary community commits to engaging every student in innovative, collaborative learning focused on growth and to igniting a passion for learning in which everyone is valued.

Website: https://www.ltisdschools.org/SHE
Location: 3301 Serene Hills Drive, Lakeway, TX, United States
Phone: 512-533-7400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/serenehillspto/
Instagram: shesailors