The Serene Scoop

Hello SHE Families!

Today's the day! Students are finding out who their teacher will be this year, and there's so much joy and anticipation in the air. This moment marks the start of a wonderful new adventure with new friendships, new discoveries, and a caring guide ready to help your child grow, learn, and thrive.

At Serene Hills, one of our goals is that every child is safe and seen. From the moment your child walks through our doors, we want them to feel known, cared for, and celebrated for exactly who they are. We strive to be a steady, familiar presence dedicated to making sure each Sailor feels secure, supported, and valued every single day.

We're so excited for the journey ahead and can't wait to see all the wonderful things this year will bring.

Together we are Sailor Strong.

Kara Reeh

Principal

Serene Hills Elementary School

Aug. 10th: Meet the Teacher Day: Stop by Classroom and Cafe (Details below)

Aug. 12th: First Day of School / Kinder Koffee

Aug. 27th: PTO Back to School Bash

Sept. 7th: Student and Staff Holiday

Sept. 8th: Curriculum Night, PTO Open Meeting 5:45

Sept. 11th-18th: Sailor Sprint

• Bring your student's school supplies to their classroom during Meet the Teacher.
• Be sure to stop by the cafe for your one-stop-shop for back to school logistics.
• You will be issued a new car tag this year. Please dispose of any old car tags.
• PTO is upgrading the spirit wear shop this year! All items will be print-on-demand and ship to your house. Visit the link to order your Sailor gear today! https://sheptospiritstore.printify.me/
• Medication can be left with Nurse Taylor in the cafeteria if this applies to your student.

Over the next few weeks, we are busy learning our SAIL Expectations for the cafe. The cafe will be closed to visitors until September 1.

As we begin a new school year, the health and safety of our students remain our top

priority. To help us provide the best possible care, we ask that you notify the school

nurse of any medical conditions, allergies, or health concerns your child may have.

Please inform the school nurse if your child has:

● Food, medication, insect, or environmental allergies

● Asthma or breathing conditions

● Diabetes

● Seizure disorders

● Any chronic medical condition

● A need for emergency medication (such as an EpiPen, inhaler, or other

prescribed medication)

● Any other health concern that may affect your child's school day

If your child requires medication or emergency treatment while at school, please ensure

that all required medical forms are completed and returned to the school, along with any

necessary medications in their original, properly labeled containers.

Keeping your child's health information up to date allows us to respond quickly and

appropriately in the event of an emergency and helps us provide a safe learning

environment for all students.

If your child's medical condition or allergy changes during the school year, please notify

the school nurse as soon as possible.

Thank you for your partnership and for helping us keep our students healthy and safe. If

you have any questions or need additional forms, please contact the school nurse.

Sincerely,

Taylor Ramsey

Serene Hills Elementary

Phone: 512-533-7402

Email: ramseyt@ltisdschools.org

Every school day matters. Research shows that students who are chronically absent in the early elementary years are much less likely to read at grade level. Missing just 2 days of school each month adds up to chronic absenteeism. Every day in school is a chance to learn, grow, and belong. Thank you for partnering with us to make every day count at WCHE!

IMPORTANT ATTENDANCE INFORMATION

Official attendance is taken at 10 a.m.!!

Students who are not in the building by 7:40 a.m. must check in at the front office and will be considered tardy.

To receive a final grade in a class, a student in kindergarten-grade 12 must attend at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered.

Students may miss no more than 17 school days to meet the 90% attendance requirement.

Pre-K students are subject to compulsory attendance requirements as well as long as they are enrolled.

Walk-ups for student checkouts are not accepted 30 minutes before dismissal.

**Attendance affects our state accountability rating**

ENTERING ABSENCES

Absences should be reported in the district’s SMART Tag absence management system.

Notes from parents may be emailed from the parent’s email address to the school’s campus attendance office.

Notes signed by students, even with the parent’s permissions, will not be accepted unless the student is age 18 or older or is an emancipated minor under state law.

Acceptable documentation must be provided to the campus within 3 days after the absence.

7:20am: Doors open for students to arrive

7:35am: 5 minute warning bell rings

7:40am: School starts! Instruction begins!

Any student who arrives after 7:40 will enter through the front office to receive a tardy pass.

3:00pm: School ends

3:15pm: Students must be picked up by this time

Kinder-Second Grader Car Riders

Kindergarteners, first graders and second graders are to be dropped off in front of school in a single file car-line and will enter the main front doors. Once your child has safely exited in your vehicle, stay in the far right lane and merge into one lane to exit closer to the crosswalk by the main entrance.

Third-Fifth Grader Car Riders

Third graders, fourth graders, and fifth graders will be dropped off in the parking lot adjacent to the playground and enter the side doors by the playground/gym/cafeteria.

Carpools or cars with siblings should drop off in the lot of the youngest rider in the car.

Additional Information

•Please have your child/children ready to exit the car prior to entering the drive.

•Pull all the way up to the sign that says, “Pull Up to Here” in a single line near the sidewalk to drop off your child/children.

•Allow your child to exit anywhere on the sidewalk, rather than waiting until you are directly in front of the doors.

•Stay in your vehicle once you enter either drive, just as you would at the airport.

•Please allow enough time for morning traffic (especially on rainy days).

•All car riders should be dropped off from the car rider lane only.

•For the safety of your child, do not let your child exit your car and walk between parked vehicles, as this is not a safe option.

•The car loops are one way at all times, both morning and afternoon.

•Please avoid the lot near Trophy Drive and the back drive (except PreK/ECSE families)

•PreK / ECSE Parents - Please pull into the parking lot of trophy drive and park only on the left side of the parking lot. If the lot is full, please park on Trophy Drive. You will park and walk your child to the PreK doors.

•Being on time allows your child to begin their school day without feeling rushed. It is also important to model being on time.

Other Transportation Options

•Walkers and bicycle riders will enter the building through the main front doors. Per the LTISD Student Handbook, to ensure the safety of all students, bicycles must be walked rather than ridden while on campus.

• Bus riders will be dropped off at the back entrance.

Parents will indicate how students will go home using Smart Tag. Changes to mode of transportation need to be entered by 2:00 p.m. each day. If you have trouble accessing the system or miss the deadline, please call our receptionist, Lei Johnson at (512) 533-7400.

There are 5 dismissal options:

•School Bus Riders,

•Car Riders,

•Escorted Walkers and Daycare Bus Riders,

•Unescorted Walkers, Bike Riders

*Extended Care/Enrichment Class Participants.

Bus Riders

ONLY buses pick up at the back of the school building. Please do not enter the bus lane at the back of the school. Bus riders will exit the back doors of the main hallway. Buses will transport ONLY eligible riders. They will no longer transport additional students for sleepovers, scouts, parties, etc. due to lack of available seats.

Car Riders

Due to minimal parking area on the streets surrounding Serene Hills and concern for student safety, parents are discouraged from parking to pick up students. If you choose to park, you will need to do so on Trophy Lane or in the parking lot adjacent to the playground.

•If your child will be riding home in a car please make arrangements to classify your child as a car-rider and pick him/her up in one of the two drives, Kinder through 2nd in the front drive and 3rd through 5th graders in the lot adjacent to the playground.

Carpools or cars with siblings should picked up in the lot of the youngest rider in the car.

Kinder-2nd Grade Car Riders

•Please have your numbered car tag hanging from your rear view mirror when you enter the drive.

•Please remember that cell phones at pick-up are a violation of law and a distraction that could be harmful or deadly.

•As soon as you veer right, form two lines.

•Please remain in your vehicle at all times.

•Your car will be loaded once you arrive at the loading zone.

•If you are picking up children who are not outside, pull forward to the far right and wait near the bike racks.

Third through Fifth Grade Car Riders

•Enter the parking lot adjacent to the playground and form three car lines. Fourth & Fifth graders will be picked up from either the middle of the lot OR the left lane and load on the driver's side. Third graders will be picked up from the right lane and loaded on the passenger side.

•Please move all the way forward to the sign that says, “Pull Up to Here.” This is where students will load.

•Please remain in your vehicle at all times.

•Please do not park in the lot and call your child to your car for the safety of your child. You must enter the line. Once your child is in your vehicle, stay in the far right lane and circle around until you reach the exit to the street.

Escorted Walkers, Bike Riders, and Daycare Bus Riders

•Parents who walk or ride their bike to campus to pick up their child/children may pick up outside the North side (facing Trophy Dr.) of the building, which is where the students exit. Please walk all the way up to the doors.

•Students will wait inside the school until we release them to a parent. Please have a picture of your kid's ID tag ready to show our staff to call for your child. Please do not call a child to cross the street when the parent is on one side and the child is on the other.

•Crossing guards are stationed at the corner of Trophy and Highlands Drive and again at Highlands Drive and Lakeway Blvd.

•All pedestrian and bicycle traffic should take these routes to and from school. Please do NOT pull into the teachers parking lot and wait for their children to come down to their car at the far end of the parking lot, nor pull up close where kiddos are walking and call them to your car.

Unescorted Walkers/Bike Riders

Students in grades 3-5 with this dismissal designation will be walked to the tree near the bus lane to be released to walk or bike ride home alone or to meet parents at the Lakeway Swim Center.

Extended Care/Enrichment Class Participants

Students enrolled in these programs will be escorted to the location designated on campus for the program in which the student is enrolled.

Parents will indicate how students will go home using Smart Tag. Changes to mode of transportation need to be entered by 2:00 p.m. each day. If you have trouble accessing the system or miss the deadline, please call our receptionist, Lei Johnson at (512) 533-7400.

There are 5 dismissal options:

•School Bus Riders,

•Car Riders,

•Escorted Walkers and Daycare Bus Riders,

•Unescorted Walkers, Bike Riders

*Extended Care/Enrichment Class Participants.

Bus Riders

ONLY buses pick up at the back of the school building. Please do not enter the bus lane at the back of the school. Bus riders will exit the back doors of the main hallway. Buses will transport ONLY eligible riders. They will no longer transport additional students for sleepovers, scouts, parties, etc. due to lack of available seats.

Car Riders

Due to minimal parking area on the streets surrounding Serene Hills and concern for student safety, parents are discouraged from parking to pick up students. If you choose to park, you will need to do so on Trophy Lane or in the parking lot adjacent to the playground.

•If your child will be riding home in a car please make arrangements to classify your child as a car-rider and pick him/her up in one of the two drives, Kinder through 2nd in the front drive and 3rd through 5th graders in the lot adjacent to the playground.

Carpools or cars with siblings should picked up in the lot of the youngest rider in the car.

Kinder-2nd Grade Car Riders

•Please have your numbered car tag hanging from your rear view mirror when you enter the drive.

•Please remember that cell phones at pick-up are a violation of law and a distraction that could be harmful or deadly.

•As soon as you veer right, form two lines.

•Please remain in your vehicle at all times.

•Your car will be loaded once you arrive at the loading zone.

•If you are picking up children who are not outside, pull forward to the far right and wait near the bike racks.

Third through Fifth Grade Car Riders

•Enter the parking lot adjacent to the playground and form three car lines. Fourth & Fifth graders will be picked up from either the middle of the lot OR the left lane and load on the driver's side. Third graders will be picked up from the right lane and loaded on the passenger side.

•Please move all the way forward to the sign that says, “Pull Up to Here.” This is where students will load.

•Please remain in your vehicle at all times.

•Please do not park in the lot and call your child to your car for the safety of your child. You must enter the line. Once your child is in your vehicle, stay in the far right lane and circle around until you reach the exit to the street.

Escorted Walkers, Bike Riders, and Daycare Bus Riders

•Parents who walk or ride their bike to campus to pick up their child/children may pick up outside the North side (facing Trophy Dr.) of the building, which is where the students exit. Please walk all the way up to the doors.

•Students will wait inside the school until we release them to a parent. Please have a picture of your kid's ID tag ready to show our staff to call for your child. Please do not call a child to cross the street when the parent is on one side and the child is on the other.

•Crossing guards are stationed at the corner of Trophy and Highlands Drive and again at Highlands Drive and Lakeway Blvd.

•All pedestrian and bicycle traffic should take these routes to and from school. Please do NOT pull into the teachers parking lot and wait for their children to come down to their car at the far end of the parking lot, nor pull up close where kiddos are walking and call them to your car.

Unescorted Walkers/Bike Riders

Students in grades 3-5 with this dismissal designation will be walked to the tree near the bus lane to be released to walk or bike ride home alone or to meet parents at the Lakeway Swim Center.

Extended Care/Enrichment Class Participants

Students enrolled in these programs will be escorted to the location designated on campus for the program in which the student is enrolled.

Students in PK-12 grade will not be permitted to use smart devices during the school day. Smart devices include cell phones and wearable technology such as smartwatches, earbuds, personal laptops, and other personal devices. The school day is defined as the period from when students enter the building in the morning until dismissal time at the end of the day. During the school day, smart devices must be turned off and stored securely in their backpacks.

Family Contact Information
We recognize that smart devices are often used by parents and students for important communication. In the event that you need to contact your student, parents can always reach the school office, and we will ensure that messages are relayed to your child.

We Appreciate Your Support
This policy regarding smart device usage by students will have a positive impact on our school community. Together, we can create an environment that fosters learning, personal growth, and well-being for all students. If you have any questions or concerns about this new protocol, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s campus.

This year we encourage all students, staff, and parents to join us in showing our pride in our school and our Lake Travis Community.

Mondays will be Serene Spirit Days. Wear your Serene shirts or any combination of red/white/blue to show your school spirit!

Fridays are for our LT Cavalier Pride! Wear your favorite LT gear or red/black to cheer on the best district in the state!

• Doors open at 7:20 AM.
• School day 7:40-3:00

2) Walkers- Most students will also come home with a Smart Tag attached to their backpacks after the first day. Please take a picture of each students' Smart Tag on your phone. If you are picking your student up from the Walker Porch, you will need to show a picture of your Smart Tag to the staff member on duty for your student to be released to you. Is a neighbor picking up your child? Update this change as an exception in the Smart Tag system and send your neighbor the picture of your child's Smart Tag to show our staff when they arrive to pick up your child.

3) Your students' teachers will communicate to you when your students will have PE. Please remember to have your students wear tennis shoes on those days.

4) We are excited for our families to join our Serene Hills community. It is such a wonderful place to be! My staff is completely understanding of the nerves the students will be feeling, especially for new to campus students, and will meet them with kindness and compassion. We will have numerous adults available to help navigate the students to their classrooms. The teachers will be waiting outside their classroom doors to greet them.

It is our priority to keep students and staff safe and focused on high quality education. Therefore, we respectfully request that all visitors sign-in at the office upon entering through the front doors and wear a visitor’s badge while in the building. The badge verifies that you have checked in the office, presented proper identification and made clear the purpose for your visit. In addition, you must have a pre-scheduled meeting with your child's teacher in order to have a parent-teacher conference.

For the first few weeks of school, we will not have visitors for lunch. This allows students time to adjust to school procedures as well as build relationships with classmates. The cafe will be open for visitor lunch guests on September 1.

Deliveries of forgotten items to students should be limited to emergencies only so that important instructional time is not interrupted. Parents needing to drop off a lunch or other school items to their child(ren) will be able to do so by dropping the labeled item(s) in the drop box located outside the office area.

Labels should include:

NAME:

GRADE:

TEACHER:

Items will be delivered to the students as soon as possible.

• For the 2026-2027 school year, elementary school breakfast and lunch meals will increase to $2.05 and $3.45 respectively. For more information, please visit our Menus & Meal Prices webpage.
• Households can access Free & Reduced Meal Program applications online starting August 1, 2026. Information about the program and applications are located on our website at Free and Reduced Meal Program.
• Online Menus
• You can find school menus, nutrition facts, and allergen information on our online menu platform, My School Menus.
• Based on student feedback, the My School Menus app has been added to LT1 ClassLink, making it easy for students to view school menus during the school day.
• Lunch Accounts
• To add funds to your student’s meal account, MySchoolBucks will be available starting August 3, 2026. For SY 26-27, the MySchoolBucks service charge is $3.75 for all credit card transactions and $2.75 for all electronic checking account transactions. There is a $240.00 maximum deposit per transaction. Please visit MySchoolBucks for more information.
• To avoid service fees, FREE prepayments are accepted via cash or check in all FANS cafes. Checks should be made out to LTISD FANS. For proper account credit, cash or check prepayments must be in a labeled envelope with the student ID# and full name.
• Deposits to accounts made in person will be available for use immediately. Deposits made via MySchoolBucks, including deposits that are established via the MySchoolBucks auto-replenish service, could take up to 24 hours to process.
• Students will not be allowed to purchase snacks or a la carte items (anything besides a CLASSIC MEAL) without a positive balance on their meal account.
• You may sign up for MySchoolBucks or download the free app to make payments, view transaction history, and utilize other features.
• If you would like to limit purchases on your student’s meal account, Lunch Account Restriction Forms are available on the Food & Nutrition Service webpage.
• Lunch account restrictions roll over from year to year. If your child already has restrictions in place, there’s no need to submit a new request unless you want to make a change. To modify or remove restrictions, please contact your campus cafeteria manager.
• Meal Accommodations and Special Dietary Needs
• Information regarding Special Diets and Meal Accommodations can be found on the Food & Nutrition Service Special Diets page

Things we are proud to offer this year in the FANS Café!

• Unlimited fruits and vegetables with every complete meal (more info linked here)
• Fresh for Less initiative! We use strategic pricing and menu placement to promote full meals, healthy snacks, fruits, vegetables, and nutrient-rich options.
• Clean Label initiatives! We prioritize products free from artificial dyes, high-fructose corn syrup, and MSG.
• A continued commitment to increase fresh, locally-sourced, and scratch-cooked meals.
• Participation in the Good Food Purchasing Program! We make thoughtful food purchases that support local economies, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, a valued workforce, and community health!

• Online meal pre-payments can take up to 24 hours to process.
• The My School Bucks service charges a convenience fee of $3.75 for all credit card transactions and $2.75 for all electronic checking account transactions up to $240.00 (as of 7/16/2021).
• The overall convenience fee for the max credit card deposit is 1%. LTISD Food and Nutrition Services does not receive any revenue from this fee. Heartland School Solutions funds their service via this transaction fee.
• Due to the volume of transactions, any discrepancies in charges or deposits must be reported within five operating business days.
• Please allow up to 10 operating business days for resolution of a discrepancy.
• In all instances, students will not be allowed to purchase snacks or a la carte items without a positive balance in their lunch account!
• For lunch account refunds and adjustments, please fill out a Refund/Transfer Request Form located in the Forms section of our website.
• You may sign up for My School Bucks to utilize transaction history and other features for free. There is only a charge when using the online credit card deposit service.
• Cash and Check Information: To avoid a service fee, prepayments are accepted in cash or check at your campus Cafe. For proper account credit, cash or check prepayments must be in a labeled envelope with student ID# and full name. Checks should be made payable to "LTISD". If you deposit money at your school Cafe, the money is immediately available for students at the campus only. It is available district-wide the following business day.

For more information, call 512-533-7990 or email foodservice@ltisdschools.org.

Useful Links:

Serene Hills:

Serene Hills Elementary Homepage

Transportation:

LTISD Transportation

Transfinder

SmartTag

Food and Nutrition Services (FANS):

LTISD FANS

My School Bucks

Menus

Lake Travis ISD Mobile App

LTISD Extended Care Program

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/
Twitter: @SHEsailors