Pioneer Press

Welcome to the "Back to School" edition of the Pioneer Press. There are LOTS of bites of information in here, as well as several links that will be helpful to you. Please take a moment to read the blurbs in this newsletter so that you have the most up to date information and are ready to go for Day 1 on Tuesday, August 12. We can't wait to see everyone!!

Safety is our priority, and to that end, smooth arrival and dismissal are paramount to ensuring safety. I am sharing our CURRENT Arrival/Dismissal procedures with you so that everyone understands what our procedures look like from August 12-15. We will be implementing new procedures starting August 18, which are shared further down in this newsletter. FOR THIS WEEK, OUR ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL PROCEDURES ARE HERE.

** NOTE: Traffic patterns for cars will not change with the new plan.

Hello to our KIndergarten families! We have LOTS of Kinder news to share, and I will try to do so in bite sized pieces. At PSE we do what we call "Kinder Camp" for the first week of school. Please read this Kinder Camp letter for updated information on the first day of Kindergarten. We will hold our Kindergarten Open House/Supply Drop Off on Monday, August 18, from 4-5 pm. There is more information in the Kinder Camp letter about Open House as well. We are so excited about our new Pioneers, and cannot wait to start our time together!

It was SO great to see everyone who made it to open house! We saw lots of taller kiddos, new haircuts, and many with lost teeth! We loved all the smiles and anticipation, and seeing the hugs and high fives warmed all of our hearts. For those who were not able to attend our open house event, please bring your supplies on the first day of school. We can't wait to see you all on August 12!

We have a new registrar, and she has been added to our NEW STAFF Presentation. Stop by the office when you're here and please say hello to Ms. Nicole. We are so excited to have her here!!

Over the summer the State of Texas passed several legislative itesm in regards to public school in Texas. One of those laws centers on the use of personal technology devices in schools. I am sharing the updated law with you here, so that we are all informed as we begin on Tuesday.

HB 1481–Communication Device

Items that must now be put away on Round Rock ISD campuses from arrival through dismissal:

• Personal cell phones

• Tablets

• Gaming devices

• Smart watches

• Bluetooth headphones or earbuds

• Fitness trackers that can send or receive messages

• Personal (non-district-issued) computers

• Two-way radios

• Pagers

• Any other device capable of digital communication.

What this means for Round Rock ISD:

• Devices must be stored out of sight and not in use during school hours

• Consequences will be progressive in nature and follow the RRISD Code of Conduct.

The law is designed to support student learning, reduce distractions, and limit the potential for cyberbullying. To help students adjust, families are encouraged to speak with their students about this change and perhaps consider practicing being device-free at home. We are no longer onboarding student personal devices in Round Rock ISD.

We will be implementing a new dismissal system starting Monday, August 18. Many other RRISD schools (and schools across the nation) use this system for safe and efficient dismissal. The benefits to the system are: not having students or staff stand outside in hot or inclement weather while waiting for guardians to pick up, more tailored supervision during dismissal, and efficiency of exiting the building. Please read THIS DOCUMENT to learn a little about iDismiss, and expect more communication on 8/15 and 8/17 about this system. We're excited to see this roll out!

5th Graders last year created a Little Lending Library for our Atrium/outdoor learning area. Mrs. McBrearty has installed it, and we can't wait for our students and teacher sto begin using it. SO CUTE!! Thanks to last year's fifth graders and to Mrs. McB!

Save the date for August 26 to learn all about your child's curriculum for the 2025-26 school year. We have set aside 5-6 pm for families to come and learn about the upcoming learning for the year, see the new curriculum, and gain a better understanding of learning expectations for your child. There will be two half hour sessions so that families can attend more than one grade level presentation if needed. We are excited to share the learning updates for this year with you!

You can find A LOT of updated information about school events on our PTA website. We appreciate our PTA support SO much! They do a great job of ensuring that our updated information is included on their website, and advertising their upcoming events. PTA's website is HERE, and is updated frequently. Enjoy!

The nurse is back on campus, and will be accepting medications that are needed to be administered during the school day for the 2025-2026 school year. If you have questions about medication administration, immunizations, or other health services procedures please feel free to contact Nurse Bethany by phone, email, or in person from 8am to 4pm, during supply drop off on 8/7 from 4:30pm to 6pm, and on 8/8 from 2:30pm to 4pm. You can also refer to the Round Rock ISD's Health Services website for needed forms, health guidelines, information about immunizations, screenings, and other resources. Looking forward to a great year!

August 11: PTA Staff breakfast food drop off at 7:15 am (THANK YOU!!)

August 12: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS!!!

August 12-15: Kindergarten Camp

August 18: Open House/Supply Drop Off for Kindergarten (4-5 pm)

August 18: Start of iDismiss as our dismissal system

August 25-September 12: RRISD Beginning of Year (BOY) Assessment window

August 26: Curriculum Night from 5-6 pm

September 1: Labor Day Holiday (No School)

Principal: Sjoukje Brown, x4204

Asst. Principal: Tanya Richardson x4205

Main Office: Laura Wessels, x4299

Registrar/Attendance: Nicole Long, x4202

Office Specialist: Shemeka Riley-Fairconeture, x4201

Counselor: Karen Collins, x4203

Nurse: Bethany Taylor, x4206