Rattler News

April 15th

April 23rd

April 24th

On these dates we will be a closed campus as our students are working hard through STAAR testing. We will not be open to volunteers or lunch visitors. Please help us spread the word to grandparents and other family or friends who may want to come have lunch with our sweet Rattlers. This applies to the whole campus, not only testing grades.

After school clubs will continue as scheduled.

It’s hard to believe it’s already time to start planning for the 2025–26 school year! Below, you’ll find links where you can provide input to help guide the placement process for your child.

Please know that we take this process very seriously. Countless hours go into thoughtfully considering each child’s individual needs, personality, and learning style. Our ultimate goal is always to support student growth and ensure every child is set up for success in the classroom.

This survey offers you the opportunity to share insights about your child’s learning preferences, strengths, and personality. While we do not accept specific teacher requests, we do make every effort to place students with at least one familiar peer to help foster a sense of comfort and connection.

Class placements are carefully considered by our experienced staff, who work collaboratively to create balanced, dynamic learning environments. We are proud of the exceptional team of educators we have at every grade level and are confident in their ability to meet the diverse needs of our students.

Projected Staffing for 2025–26 (subject to change)

• Kindergarten – 2 Teachers

• 1st Grade – 2 Teachers

• 2nd Grade – 3 Teachers

• 3rd Grade – 3 Teachers

• 4th Grade – 4 Teachers

• 5th Grade – 5 Teachers (Trio and Duo Model)

There will be some minor shifts with teacher placement. We will share this placement when decisions are finalized.

Please note: Incoming Kindergarteners and outgoing 5th graders do not have a survey link, as placement decisions for these students will be based on the information gathered at the time of registration.

We still have many wonderful moments ahead this school year, and we look forward to enjoying every one of them with your child. Thank you, as always, for your continued support and partnership!

Warmly,

Dr. Sosa

A heartfelt thank you to all the parents who took the time to complete our recent survey! Your insights are incredibly valuable and help guide our continued focus on student growth, engagement, and well-being.Special shoutout to our 4th grade families for having the highest participation—way to go!

We’re thrilled to share that our campus showed growth in every measured dimension:

• Empowered Student Learning – Up 9%

• Meaningful Learning – Up 10%

• Student Experience – Up 5%

• Acceptance and Belonging – Up 7%

Here are some highlights from your feedback that we’re especially proud of:

• “My child has the opportunity to set goals to track their progress.” – Up 10%

• “My child is motivated and encouraged to do their best at school.” – Up 10%

• “My child sees how what they are learning in school relates to the outside world.” – Up 19%

• “My child’s teachers encourage them to take charge of their education.” – Up 15%

• “My child receives support when they are struggling to learn in class.” – Up 16%

• “Classroom activities keep my child actively engaged in their learning.” – Up 8%

• “Classroom activities keep my child challenged in their learning.” – Up 11%

We are so proud of this growth—it reflects the dedication of our staff, the enthusiasm of our students, and the partnership we share with families like yours. These results are not only a direct reflection of this partnership with families but also the passion, commitment, and relentless hard work of our incredible teachers. Day in and day out, they go above and beyond to create meaningful learning experiences, support every student’s unique journey, and foster a classroom culture of curiosity, challenge, and care. Their dedication to continuous growth—both for their students and themselves—is truly inspiring.

Looking Ahead
As we celebrate these achievements, we remain committed to continuous improvement and building a school environment where every student feels inspired, supported, and connected. Thank you for being an essential part of our school community. We look forward to finishing the year strong and carrying this momentum into the future!

Dear Parents,

On behalf of the River Ridge Elementary school community, I want to congratulate you and your scholar(s)! Our school was recently recognized as an Educational Results Partnership (ERP) Honor Roll School for our high academic achievement and student success.

This is the tenth year that ERP has released an Honor Roll schools list. The ERP Honor Roll program, sponsored by the Campaign for Business and Education Excellence (CBEE) and presented in collaboration with the Texas Business Leadership Council, is part of a national effort to identify higher-performing schools and districts that are improving student outcomes and preparing students with the skills employer's value and demand. Our school is one of only 12 percent of the public schools in Texas that made the Honor Roll.

The ERP Honor Roll utilized public school student achievement data from 2022-2024 academic year to identify successful schools and districts. Our school stands above others in the state because of our demonstrated ability to get students to grade-level achievement and beyond.

Schools that receive the ERP Honor Roll distinction have demonstrated consistently high levels of student academic achievement, improvement in achievement levels over time, and a reduction in achievement gaps among student populations.

Here a few important details about the ERP Honor Roll:

· It is the only award given in collaboration with state and local business leaders.

· It establishes a high bar of performance using data from student assessments.

· It is conducted by Educational Results Partnership, a nonprofit organization that developed the nation’s largest database on student achievement.

We did not apply for this award. Our results led them to us! Because of our accomplishment, we will be featured on the ERP Honor Roll website at www.edresults.org/honor-roll.

We are thankful for the hard work of our students and teachers. This recognition is a testament to the sustained focus on academic results and commitment to lifelong student success that our school and parent community have shown over the years.

Again, congratulations and let’s keep up the great work!

Sincerely,

Sally Sosa, Ph.D.

Principal

The district will be sharing information about registering for the Pathway 3 Placement Test with all parents of math 5/6 students early next week by email. We will also share this information with Math 5/6 teachers so they can remind parents to look for this email and support those wishing to register for the exam. The LISD Math Pathway 3 Registration is due by April 17. Testing will occur on campus in May. Additional communication about the testing process will be coming soon.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions:

Heather.woehl@leanderisd.org or Sally.sosa@leanderisd.org

Sign up for Parent Volunteers

Thank you for considering supporting our students during Genius Hour.

During this time you will be helping students as they work on their research and product. You will help them get organized and offer great suggestions to move their project along.

We really just need more helping hands and kids are going to be active in their learning :).

The deadline to refer your child to QUEST this year was March 1st.

A BIG change in process:

Starting next year we are only testing for QUEST placement once a year, in the spring. This March we will look (screen) at all the grades AND any QUEST referrals that we have received. Parents will be notified by April 1st if their child has passed the screening and will be tested for QUEST. Testing will occur in April and May and notices of the results will go out in late May, as soon as we are done.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0844ADAD29A3FD0-56085649-river?useFullSite=true

Calling 5th Grade Parents! Please save the date for graduation on Friday, May 23rd at 8AM. The ceremony will take place in the Multi-Purpose Room at River Ridge. Light refreshments will be served. Please contact Christine Hammond at christineshammond@gmail.com if you have any questions.

5th Grade Starting: 3/31/2025 and Finishing: 4/23/2025

K & 1st Grade Starting: 4/24/2025 and Finishing: 5/21/2025

Update!!🚨

USED Household batteries (AAA, AA, coin cell, button batteries) are also recycled at the Recycling Reuse Drop Off Center. In addition to the plastic bags, you will now find a battery collection box that students can place them in that is inside a red container that all sits on top of a red seated stool. Please see the picture below. Thank you for converging with us on this environmental mission

If you are interested in volunteering at any time during this project, or any projects related to recycling or reusing materials, please contact me at: Tiffany.Horton2@leanderisd.org. Thank you!!

Don’t miss all the exciting updates and opportunities unfolding at our school! 🎉🐍

• PTA NEWSLETTER

• Click here PTA Memberships to join our school’s PTA! Your membership goes toward the events, classrooms enhancements, clubs, and more. By joining, you will receive the PTA newsletter, be able to attend meetings, share ideas, and help your child's school in so many ways. You do not have to volunteer in order to be a member- BUT we will always take a volunteer!
  

• PTA Website
• PTA Store

Get your amazing spirit gear at https://1stplace.sale/94803.

Leander ISD Transportation Registration will open on April 1st. Every year, all eligible riders (general and special education) who will use transportation are required to register to ride.

Please be aware of the following deadlines:

• Registrations received by May 31, 2025, guarantee transportation on the first day of school

• Registrations received after May 31, 2025, do NOT guarantee transportation on the first day of school. These will be processed as quickly as possible on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Student Transportation Registration form is linked here. For more information, please visit the Transportation: Bus Registration page on the district’s website.

Dear Families,

Thank you for your continued support and engagement in your child's education. I wanted to inform you that we will no longer be accepting book drop-offs at the front office. That system has become more of a hindrance than a benefit for our school library operations. Instead, students will need to bring their books back and forth to school to help foster responsibility among them.

Each grade level has a rolling crate that goes back and forth every day. Students will drop off books in the morning to ensure that other students can check out previously checked-out books throughout the day. If your child forgot their book the previous day, have them drop it off in the grade level crate to ensure it's returned.

With our schedule, students come at the same time and day each week, making this process more streamlined. If you haven't already signed up for reminders, please text the following message to 81010 to join our reminders:

Tuesday Library- @rrdglibtu

Wednesday Library- @rrdglibwed

Thursday Library- @rrdglibth

Friday Library- @rrdglibfri

Thank you!

https://sites.google.com/leanderisd.org/katiehaedgescurriculumcorner

May 9th

The week of May 12th

Sign Up to Volunteer!

May 15th

During your child's lunch

Outdoor/Picnic Style - Bring some chairs or a blanket :)

A heartfelt thank you to these incredible women in instructional and behavioral support. They show unwavering love and patience, always there for our students when it's needed most. With consistency and genuine care, they make a profound impact every day. Their passion for their roles shines through because they know just how crucial their work is in shaping the growth of our students. We are truly grateful for everything they do – we couldn’t do it without them!

I know she has an amazing team behind her (shoutout to Dorothy & Sylvia), but this incredible lady truly excels at keeping our school safe and running smoothly. From checking in students and families to guiding kiddos to the right club, to managing every transportation change—she does it all with ease! Even when she gets the occasional eye roll, she stands firm in enforcing district policies (yes, even scanning IDs when she knows you personally!). That’s no small feat, and she does it with grace. We are so lucky to have her on our team, as she genuinely cares for our Rattlers. Thank you, Baker, for everything you do—you are truly appreciated!

A special shoutout to this BIG THINKER! She constantly challenges her students to think outside the box, embrace creativity, and tackle tough challenges. Not only does she hold her students to high standards, but she also leads by example, spearheading amazing initiatives like Genius Hour, which has thrived in her classroom and is now making a campus-wide impact. Her passion for helping students unlock potential they didn’t know they had is truly inspiring—and she does it in the most fun and exciting ways! Thank you, Ms. Arnold, for inspiring our Rattlers to think big, dream big, and achieve big! Your impact is immeasurable!

Registration begins on April 1st.

The Vandegrift Legacies will be performing their 2025 show called Dreamscape on April 24th, 25th and 26th at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are open to the public on April 8th. Please visit http://www.vhslegacies.org to get your tickets.