News for the Nest

THIS WEEK

Monday, February 17 - NO SCHOOL

🍎Happy Birthday Nan Clayton, school namesake🍎

🎂Happy Birthday Ms. Thomason, Special Education Teacher🎂

• Parent/Teacher conferences, no school for students - President's Day

Tuesday, February 18

🎂Happy Birthday Ms. Kathy, Teaching Assistant🎂

• 6:30 PTA General Member Meeting @ Cafeteria (more info below)

Wednesday, February 19

Thursday, February 20

Friday, February 21

• Students wear red for Nan Clayton 🍎
• 8:00 am School-wide Assembly to celebrate Nan Clayton's 90th birthday and Black History Month

Saturday, February 22 Greater Austin Area Science Fair

Looking Ahead

Feb 28 - Dress up in western wear for TX Independence Day

Mar 1 - PTA Clayton Rock Event Ticket price goes up

Mar 3 - 4th & 5th Grade Field Trip to Symphony

Mar 12 & 13 - Field Days

Mar 14-21 - Spring Break (starts on a Friday this year)

[previously shared]

In order to improve learning conditions at Clayton and reduce distractions for students and staff, Nan Clayton Elementary will have a new policy for device use. The policy will go into effect Monday, September 23, 2024.

Our policy is that should a student bring a personal device to school, including a cell phone or smart watch, the device will need to be powered off upon entering the school building each day. Devices will need to be stored in the child’s backpack during the school day. Students may access devices when exiting the building at the end of the school day.

Reasons for our new device policy:

• Reduce distractions for children, such as alerts, games, sounds, and messages

• Reduce distractions for others, such as pings from a neighbor’s device

• Reduce distractions for teachers, who are trying to teach your child

Caregivers may be wondering:

What if I need to change how my child is going home and the child doesn’t know about the change?

We have a process to take care of this need. Parents/guardians call the front office to notify our staff of the change. Our front office staff notifies your child’s teacher, who lets your child know.

What if my child is sick during the school day and I need to be notified?

We have a process to take care of this need. Children let their teacher know if they are not feeling well. Sick children see our nurse, who will assess your child’s symptoms.

What if there is an emergency at school?

Safety is our #1 priority at Clayton. Our staff is trained to handle emergencies and follow required protocols set by the State of Texas and Austin ISD. In case of an emergency, a device making noise would actually make our school less safe. In the case of an emergency affecting Clayton, school and/or district leadership send out information to families as soon as possible to let everyone know what is going on.

Thank you for your support and help in keeping our school better focus on students’ learning.

Should you have any questions about our policy, please contact Principal Karen McCollum at karen.mccollum@austinisd.org

Classroom Teachers, Special Area Teachers, Principals (and more) are hosting special events that you can sign your student up for. Limited spots- first come, first served. Each spot is $25. All proceeds go directly to the school.

READ EACH EVENT DESCRIPTION CAREFULLY

Most events happen before or after school in March. Movies with treats, Crafting, Nature Hikes, Kickball, Special Breakfasts, Edible Art, and so much more. There are all kinds of fun & creative events that our staff comes up with.

How do I sign up?

You sign up through a Sign Up Genius. At 4pm on Wednesday, February 14 (Valentine's Day) that Sign Up Genius was...

1) Emailed out (same email address that this newsletter goes to)

2) Posted here on the Clayton Website

3) Posted on the Cardinal Corner Facebook Page (this is a non-school facebook page but we posted there bc many families have access to it)

How do I pay?

YOU MUST SIGN UP FIRST.

The preferred method of payment is through the online school payment system: https://nanclayton.myschoolcentral.com

Alternately, you are welcome to send an envelope with cash or check (made out to Clayton Elementary) to the front office. The envelope should include: Student/s full name, amount included & list of B-A-S you are purchasing.

Need to know - Read each event description carefully

*Some spots are open to all students, some are limited to current students, current & past students, only past students.

*Make sure your student is available for that Buy-A-Spot's day and time, we are unable to refund.

*You can only sign up YOUR student, no purchasing for friends.

PURCHASE - A Concessions Combo ticket gets your student a drink and one or two snacks. MUST purchase by March 1

DONATE - Donation drop off will be at the front of the school starting Feb 4 - Mar 4.

VOLUNTEER - Help the day run smoothy and see all our kiddos having a blast!

In class, students learn the Hand Model of the brain, which comes from Dr. Dan Siegel. The hand model helps us illustrate what is going on in the brain as we move through the Zones of Regulation. Have you ever "flipped your lid"?

https://youtu.be/lRmnVmELMn8?si=Hm8jknFyDO1EuXRD

Click on image to access form

After a buzz-worthy inaugural year of the Clayton Caffeination Station, Nan Clayton PTA is teaming up again with community partners this school year to help keep the teachers' lounge stocked with the essentials... caffeine!

Local businesses (or Cardinal families!) can sponsor a month of coffee and tea in the staff lounge, and Clayton PTA will thank you by prominently recognizing your business in a variety of ways. Win/win!

Please see the attached Google form for all the details, or reach out to staffappreciation@nanclaytonpta.org with any questions.

Thank you for your help in supporting our amazing Cardinal staff!

School Website

PTA Website

PTA Facebook

PTA Instagram

Cardinal Corner: Clayton Elementary Parents Page Facebook Group