Panda Parent Newsletter
Back To School Welcome Anita Uphaus ECC Vol. 4 #2 Nov. 2026
Dear Uphaus Families,
Welcome to November! As autumn comes to a close at the end of the month, we are entering one of our favorite seasons of the year—a time for reflection, gratitude, and community.
Here is what is coming up this month across our school:
Cooler Fall Weather: Crisp autumn temperatures have officially begun to arrive! Please ensure your child comes to school dressed in layers, including warm coats, hats, and gloves, as we will continue to head outside for daily outdoor recess whenever the weather permits. Please remember to label all jackets and outer gear with your child's name.
Thanksgiving Luncheon: We warmly invite families to join us for our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon! It is a wonderful tradition where our school community comes together to share a warm meal and celebrate everything we are thankful for. Please see our flyer with all of the details and deadlines for tickets.
Upcoming Holiday Break: In observance of Thanksgiving, there will be no school from Monday, November 23rd through Friday, November 27th. Classes will resume on Monday, November 30th. We hope this time allows your family to rest, recharge, and enjoy quality time together.
Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. We wish all of our families a joyful, warm, and restful Thanksgiving season!
Warm regards,
Mrs. Dimas
Parent Support Specialist
Parent Support Specialist Information
Linda C. Perez, Parent Support Specialist
Find our school information at www.uphaus.austinschools.org
You can contact me at (512) 414-5538 or by email at linda.c.perez@austinisd.org
As your Parent Support Specialist, I can assist you in several ways. In working together, I can:
- Find resources you may need- I can help find assistance when needed.
Learn new things about school and how to help your child succeed. Look for workshops for parents throughout the year!
- Become leaders in our school! Your input and participation in the Parent/Teacher Association (PTA) and other school committees such as Campus Advisory Council (CAC)
- Become a Parent Volunteer! Volunteers are welcomed and needed!
Everyone who volunteers will need to attend a volunteer orientation and complete a successful background check.
- Doors open: 7:10 am
- Arrival Time: 7:10 thru 7:40 am
- Tardy Bell: Rings at 7:40 am (Scholars must be in class)
- Dismissal Time: 3:10 pm
Arrival & Dismissal
As the school year begins, here are a few reminders that will assist with our arrival/dismissal procedures. Attached you will find our map for Arrival & Dismissal. Please assist us in following traffic rules. We thank you in advance for helping to keep our staff, scholars, and parents safe.
During morning drop off, parents and parent guardians will be allowed to:
- walk their child(ren) up to the designated campus entrances at the school.
- If you are walking them to the designated drop off areas, please make sure you cross at the student crosswalk for your safety. Parents must park in a designated parking spot and walk your child across.
- Go through the designated drive-thru entrances at the school
During after school pick up, parents and parent guardians will be allowed to:
- pick up their child(ren) at the designated campus pick-up areas at the school
- Go through the designated drive-thru exits at the school
Please do not:
Block the flow of traffic in and out of school premises.
Speed in a school zone.
Use cell phone in school zone.
Due to safety reasons, parents and parent guardians will NOT be allowed to walk children to their classrooms.
REMINDERS: Please be mindful of your speed during pick up & drop off. Speed limit should not exceed 10 mph.
NO CELL PHONE use in an active school zone. Please put your cell phones down.
You will need to bring your student pick up card daily for dismissal. Guardian or designated person must be listed on the child's pick-up roster in the system. If you do not have your card, you will have to present your ID for pick up in the front office.
Pickup Reminder for Panda Families
To help keep dismissal safe and efficient for all students, a physical pickup card is required for quick pickup.
- Have the physical card visible and ready for staff to see.
- Photos or screenshots of pickup cards cannot be accepted.
Forgot your card?
Staff will need to check additional identification and verify pickup information. This process takes extra time and may delay your pickup.
Thank you for helping us keep our Panda Cubs safe and make dismissal run smoothly for everyone!
Recordatorio para las Familias Panda
Para mantener la salida segura y eficiente para todos nuestros estudiantes, es necesario presentar la tarjeta física de recogida para usar la fila de recogida rápida.
- Muestre la tarjeta física al personal.
- No se aceptan fotos ni capturas de pantalla.
¿Olvidó su tarjeta?
El personal deberá solicitar una identificación adicional y verificar la información de recogida. Este proceso toma más tiempo y puede causar demoras.
¡Gracias por ayudarnos a mantener seguros a nuestros Ositos Panda y a que la salida sea más rápida y eficiente para todos!
2026-2027 Bus information
We recommend families whose students are eligible for General Education transportation to check their bus information by checking the district’s “Bus Stop Finder''. Families whose students have special needs will receive their information in person from their bus teams. *Please keep in mind routes and stops may change periodically.
“Where's TheBus” App for Families
AISD’s transportation team offers families the “WheresTheBus” app, which provides timely information about the location of their student’s assigned bus only, including when it will arrive at their stop. Please promote the app to your school communities.
The free app is available on any device with internet access (smartphone, tablet, personal computer, iPad)—and takes less than five minutes to install. Instructions are available at https://www.austinisd.org/transportation.
Every Day Counts!
Attendance/Grades: Regular attendance in all classes is an expectation of all Austin ISD students. State law and District policy state that students must be in attendance for 90% of the instructional days for a class to receive credit. A student who misses more days than allowed by AISD policy, excused or unexcused, may not be given credit for that class unless time and/or work is made up for the absences. Students will work with the grade level administrator to complete the appropriate steps to reach compliance.
Parents: Making sure your student is in school and on time every day is the law. For more information visit the district's attendance page.
Tardies
● If a student arrives after 7:40a.m., they must report to the front office to sign in & receive a tardy pass to class.
If you need to pick your child up for a doctor's appointment, do so by 2:30pm.
No pick ups after 2:30pm due to preparation for end of day dismissal. Thank you!
Notify your child's teacher in advance. Parents cannot call in advance to have students retrieved from class, so plan to arrive early.
Parents need to be prepared to provide driver’s license when signing a student out from school.
Make sure you get a school note from the doctor’s office. The doctor’s note must be reported to
School Absence Note / Nota sobra la ausencia | Austin ISD .
If you have any questions, please contact our Attendance Specialist Martha Salinas @ martha.salinas@austinisd.org.
🦕Library News & Updates!🦖
Roar Into Reading: Dinovember is Here!
Get ready for some prehistoric fun! November is here, so that means it's time for Dinovember and Dinocember in the library!
During this special time of year, our plastic toy dinosaurs mysteriously come to life when no one is looking. Each night, after the school lights go down, they get into all kinds of funny adventures and silly mischief!
Our students look forward to this tradition all year long and anxiously await the dinosaurs' arrival every November. Be sure to ask your child about what the dinos have been up to and follow Uphaus ECC Library on Facebook to see the photographic evidence!
Counselor News
Hello Panda Families!
We are welcoming the month of November by focusing on our Character Strong Trait for the month, Gratitude. Please see the information below regarding different ways you can talk to you child about the meaning of practicing gratitude as well as different activities you can engage in as a family.
November is also the month our Kinder students who have been referred for GT services will be tested. I have contacted the families of students who have been referred and will reach out once testing is completed and scores have been calculated. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
I wish you all a wonderful month and a restful fall break!
Instructional Coach Corner
Thank you to everyone who attended parent-teacher conferences! It was wonderful celebrating your child's growth. Your teamwork creates a safe, predictable world that helps your little one feel confident and ready to learn.
Home Connections: Building Strong Communicators
This month, our teachers are focusing on helping children become confident talkers, proud writers, and expert vocabulary learners. Here is how you can practice these same skills at home in quick, easy ways:
Use "Big" Words: Don't shy away from mature words. Instead of saying a toy tower is "big," try enormous or gigantic. Instead of saying an animal is "getting ready for winter," use the word hibernating or migrating. Kids love learning "expert" words!
Have Back-and-Forth Conversations: Stretch your child's thinking with open-ended questions during dinner or car rides. Ask: "What was the most exciting part of your day?" or "How should we solve this problem?" Prompt them to explain by saying: "Tell me more!"
Practice "Writing" Everywhere: Early writing starts with scribbles, shapes, and drawings. Encourage your child to write during daily routines. Have them write a grocery list alongside yours, draw the weather on a calendar, or sketch a plan before building with blocks.
Monday is Uphaus T-shirt day (if your scholar has one).
Friday is Colleget T-shirt day (if your scholar has one).
Our campus participates in Monthly Safety Drills.
- We are required to do 1-2 safety drills every month to help us all be prepared in case of various emergencies. These drills are very calm and are announced as practice drills.
- The first step is to register here: https://austinisd.voly.org/
Please note: if you are planning to volunteer for any event at school you must go through a
background check.
- You can also contact our Parent Support Specialist, Ms. Linda Pérez, at 512-414-5520, Ext. 58514 or linda.c.perez@austinisd.org
Please support the Uphaus PTA
PTA is an organization of parents and teachers coming together to advocate for our children and students. Your membership alone will give us a BIGGER voice in our school and community!
Membership is for the year $10.00. This money goes towards student events, teacher appreciation and much more. PTA membership flyer going out soon!
