in Leander ISD - Leander Independent School District

Leander Independent School District in exclusive partnership with the Leander Ledger and Cedar Park Citizen
Education
Express
Vol. 22 Issue #2
Celebrate Learning
in Leander ISD
Briana Ramsey and Anna Doherty examine
mysterious mixtures in Ms. Brown’s � � h-grade
science class at Whitestone Elementary. � is was
the � nal task in their nine-week performance
assessment.
T E X A S
LEANDER INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Inside this issue -
Superintendent’s message, pg. 2
CPHS Band wins State, pg. 4
Information on STAAR, pg. 5

Community Fliers Advertise Programs
Parents, don’t forget to
check Leander ISD’s
community flier webpage to
view the latest offerings for
students and families. You
may view posted fliers by
visiting the LISD website at
www.leanderisd.org, and selecting
Community Fliers under
the QuickLinks section.
A link may also be found on
each campus website under
Parent Resources.
2011 Demographic Report Available
At the Oct. 20 LISD Board meeting, the 2011 Demographic
Report was presented. To see the complete
report or the presentation, go to www.leanderisd.org.
Cypress ES Receives Wellness Grant
Kudos to Cypress Elementary
for receiving a
$3,000 grant from the Funds
to Fuel Up to Play 60 organization.
The school plans to
2...EdEx
Non-profit organizations
interested in participating
in this program may submit
a copy of their current
501(c)3 to the LISD School/
Community Relations office
and provide their flier in pdf
format. For more information,
please contact Jo Blome
at jo.blome@leanderisd.org.
use the funds to supplement
current physical fitness and
nutrition programs already
in use at the school.
CPMS Art Displayed at State Conference
Congratulations to the
Cedar Park Middle
School art club students
who had their centerpieces
chosen to be displayed at the
Texas Council for the Social
Studies 2011 conference in
Austin. The winners were
selected for creating the best
centerpieces that reflected
the conference theme “Austin
No Limits.” The winners
were - Erin Longford,
first place, Katie Yeatman,
second place, and Jordan
Teliha, third place.
Above: Left to right: Betsy Gonzales, Texas Council for the
Social Studies 2011 Conference meals chair and CPMS social
studies teacher, Katie Yeatman, second place winner, Josie
Giarratano, CPMS art club sponsor, Erin Longford, first place
winner and Jordan Teliha, third place winner.
Superintendent’s Message
LISD rolls out tools to help students own their learning
Leander ISD is a school
district where we celebrate
passion for discovery
and knowledge. Using our
Learning Model as a guide,
our entire system is focused
on student learning.
This year, LISD is
excited to roll out tools that
will be used system-wide to
bring the Graduate Profile to
life and ultimately ensure that
every student graduates with
all options open to them.
Let’s take a closer look
at what we call the Seven
Student Learning Behaviors.
The first student learning
behavior is the ability
to articulate the learning
objective or target for the
lesson being taught. When
this is happening, students
can describe what they are
learning, the meaning of it,
and, importantly, the target’s
relevancy to the “real world.”
Once they know the
target for which they are aiming,
students should be able
to assess their competence
in that objective, which we
call assessment for learning,
our second student learning
behavior. In classrooms, this
comes to life when students
can self-assess and reflect on
what they are doing well and
what they need to improve
upon to achieve the learning
objective.
Should the pre-assessment
indicate that a student
needs more time to learn the
material or that a student
clearly grasps the material,
the third student learning
behavior comes into play:
the planning of opportunities
for intervention and
challenge. This occurs when
students who need more
time seek additional help
from teachers, students or
other resources when they
are struggling to learn. And
conversely, it occurs when
students who have mastered
the learning objective seek
ways to challenge themselves
beyond the lesson at hand.
The fourth student
learning behavior is the
use of high-yield learning
strategies. When students use
such a strategy, they are getting
familiar with skills such
as summarizing, comparing
similarities and differences,
refining note-taking skills
and generating and testing
hypotheses.
The fifth student learning
behavior is student
collaboration and learner
engagement. When students
are interacting with each
other around their learning
they are enhancing their own
understanding because they
are actively seeking knowledge
and supporting one
another. There is a natural
exchange of knowledge.
The sixth student learning
behavior is data analysis
and goal-setting. These skills
encourage students to track
their progress on an on-going
basis and support the other
learning behaviors, including
the seventh, which is
an assessment of learning,
students producing evidence
of learning aligned with the
learning target. When students
are assessing their own
understanding with evidence,
for example with a data notebook,
a creative product, or a
portfolio, they can physically
show what they learned and
how they can use that learning
in the future.
Implementing these
seven critical learning factors
in our classrooms every day,
we believe we will succeed
in ensuring that every LISD
student has the skills they
From the Desk of
Bret A. Champion, Ed.D.
will need to be self-directed
learners.
And we are already seeing
evidence in our classrooms.
When visiting one
of our schools on November
9, one of our Principal-for-a
Day participants accurately
summed it up when he said,
“What a fabulous place for
our children to attend school.
It’s a place where they are
comfortable to learn on their
own.”
I believe that these
Seven Student Learning
Behaviors will empower our
students with the skills to
become life-long learners.
This year, as you interact
with LISD students, look for
the Seven Student Learning
Behaviors. Engage the
students you know and see
if they can identify their
learning objectives and how
they are assessing their own
learning. Support them when
they seek extra help or more
challenge. Encourage them to
collaborate with others and
set academic goals.
As a community, you
can support our efforts to focus
on student learning. This
year I challenge you to join
LISD in our mission -- help
us ensure that every student
graduates with all options
open.

LISD Students Honored By
National Merit Scholarship Program
L eander
ISD officials announced
that six students
were recently named Semifinalists
in the 2012 National
Merit Scholarship Program
based on their performance
on the Preliminary SAT/
National Merit Scholarship
Qualifying Test (PSAT/
NMSQT): Matthew Szostak,
Colin Walker, Jason Noeller,
Joshua Anderson, Keri Lawrence
and Alexander Huynh.
Thirty-three LISD
students were named Commended
Scholars: Samuel
Baldazo, Matthew Broussard,
Cody Cox, Casey Cox, Lauren
Daniels, Jenna Diven,
Zachary Felice, Gregorio
Flores, Sophie Grossman,
Kelsey Hart, Leah Havens,
Jessica Huebschiman, Alexander
Huynh, David Jacobson,
Christopher Jensen,
Chan-Joong Kim, Anthony
Martillotti, Jordan Ng, Jessie
Ostrander, Nathaniel
Pfeiffer, Cole Sawyer, Gretta
Smith, Jessica Stauber, Ryan
Stephenson, Aubrey Swilling,
Andrew Toungate, Kendall
Turner, Oliver Uitz, Guillermo
Vargas, Jeffrey Walker,
Davis Wilkinson, Marshall
Wilson and Manuel Zamora.
In addition, students
honored as Scholars in the
2011- 2012 National Hispanic
Recognition Program are:
from CPHS Noelle Buttery,
Erin Lukow and Guillermo
Vargas; from LHS Gregorio
Flores and Ashley McGowan;
from VHS Maximo Estrella,
Ashley Munoz, Alejandro
Santillana-Fernandez and
Connor Thomas (honorable
mention); and from VRHS
Bethany Vaca and Manuel
Zamora. CPHS’ Ortho
Wilbur was distinguished as
a 2012 Semi-Finalist in the
National Achievement Scholarship
Competition. Students
honored as Outstanding
Participants in the National
Achievement Program are:
from VHS Raine Hoffman
and Jasmine Mobley; and
VRHS Christopher Joshua
and Adam Powell.
Leander ISD is very
proud of all of these highperforming
students. Keep up
the good work!
LHS Student
Aces ACT
Leander High School is
proud to announce that
senior Joshua Wills scored
a perfect composite score
of 36 on the ACT exam.
The ACT consists of tests in
English, mathematics, reading
and science. Each test
is scored on a scale of 1-36,
and a student’s composite
score is the average of the
four test scores. According
to ACT, Inc., 1.6 million
students took the exam, but
only 588 scored a perfect
score, which is .0368 of one
percent.
WMS Honors
Local Veterans
Wiley Middle School
hosted a Veterans Day
breakfast on Friday, Nov. 11.
Students were encouraged to
invite veterans to a breakfast
in the library before school.
During the day’s festivities,
the choir honored the veterans
with a patriotic performance.
Using the Internet
communication tool, Skype,
students were allowed to talk
to relatives who are currently
deployed and were unable to
attend the breakfast.
Left: Summer Gerhart enjoys
breakfast with her grandfather,
Mark Holder.
Above: Clifford the Big Red Dog (guest principal Sheri Mc-
Kim) visited students at Cox Elementary.
Faubion ES Holds Hawaiian Night
Faubion Elementary celebrated their third annual Hawaiian
Culture Night. Emily, Evan and Katie Cirilo
presented items
from Hawaii and
performed a traditional
Hawaiian
Hula for the audience.
The event
invited many
Faubion families
to share their
cultures through
food, dance and
displays for a
fun evening of
learning about the
diverse cultures
that make up the
LISD community.
CRMS Book Fair Gets Students Reading
Canyon Ridge Middle School’s “To the Book Fair… and
Beyond” was a big success! CRMS Library will use the
proceeds from the book fair to buy more audio books. Below:
CRMS students Madelinne Deitrick, Katie Gillespey, Clara
Petit and Elise Sanchez browse the book selections.
EdEx...3

Congratulations to the Timberwolf Band!
Cedar Park High School Band Crowned State Champions!
Leander ISD is proud to announce that the Cedar Park High
School band was crowned State Champion at the UIL Class
4A Marching Contest on Tuesday, Nov. 8 in San Antonio. The 200
member band, under the direction of Steve Wessels (head director),
Roland Chavez (percussion director), Bob Chreste (associate
director), Evan VanDoren (associate director) and Andy Mroczek
(color guard) the band performed selections from Gustav Mahler’s
symphonies.
CPHS Principal Barbara Spelman said, “We are really proud of
these students. They worked so hard for this.”
This win caps off a fantastic season for the CPHS band. In addition
to winning state, the CPHS
Timberwolf band competed
in the Super Regional Bands
of America National Championship
in San Antonio
last month and placed sixth
overall.
4...EdEx
Also giving an outstanding
performance at the state
marching competition was LISD’s Vandegrift High School, who placed ninth.
Congratulations to these hardworking students and their directors for representing their schools and district so well.
Left: CPHS Timberwolf drum major Suzy Dailey was featured on the cover of the program for the 2011 Bands of America
(BOA) Grand Nationals Marching Championships. In 2010, the CPHS band traveled to Indianapolis, Ind., to compete
in the BOA Grand Nationals Marching Championships and placed 10th out of more than 80 bands from around the
country.

District Offers Resources for New State Assessment
Beginning with the 2011-
2012 school year, the
State of Texas Assessment of
Academic Readiness (STA-
AR) will replace the Texas
Assessment of Knowledge
and Skills (TAKS). This new
test is designed for students
in grades 3-11. However,
at the high school level, the
STAAR requirement will
apply to 2011-2012 ninth
graders and subsequently all
students entering high school
hereafter. Students currently
in 10th and 11th grades will
continue to have TAKS as
their graduation requirement.
Here are some frequently
asked questions about
STAAR.
Why is there a new test for
Texas students?
The STAAR test was created
to address legislative mandates
outlined by Senate Bill
1031 in 2007 and House Bill
3 in 2009.
What is different about
STAAR?
The STAAR tests will be
more rigorous and are designed
to measure a student’s
college and career readiness,
starting in the elementary
grades. STAAR will require
a higher level of student
performance.
Who takes STAAR?
The STAAR test is designed
to test all students in grades
3-11. However, at the high
school level, the STAAR
requirement will only apply
to our entering 9th graders
for the 2011-2012 school
year. Our current 10th and
11th grade students will continue
to have TAKS for their
graduation requirement.
How will high school students
be impacted?
STAAR will be a requirement
for new ninth grade
students in 2011-2012 with
12 end-of-course (EOC)
LISD Schools Promote Anti-Bullying Programs
LISD student representatives joined more than 400 other local
middle school students at the state Capitol for the Anti-Defamation
League’s No Place for Hate Youth Summit last month.
The students plan to share what they learned with others on their
campus to encourage a safe and supportive learning environment
for all students. Check out the KXAN story, featuring Kali
Banda (below right), a Running Brushy MS student and Danielle
Gary, a RBMS teacher, by going to kxan.com.
In addition to supporting the No Place for Hate program, more
LISD schools are getting
involved in the C
A Big Send Off and A Wish Granted!
Leander High School student Caleb Moore got a Lions’ style
send-off as he began a fantastic trip, including Moore’s
fi rst plane ride, to meet his favorite football player, Minnesota
Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb. This trip was made
possible through The Make-A-Wish Foundation. Moore and
his family were treated like royalty by the entire Minnesota
Vikings team during a practice and a football game. It was a
trip of a lifetime.
2 Program.
C2 began as a coalition
of clubs at Leander
High School in May 2010.
Its purpose is to promote
a culture of kindness and
caring while bringing
awareness to the issue of
bullying in schools today.
Learn more about C2 at
www.leanderisd.org.
Screen shot taken from Kxan.com.
exams that will count for 15
percent of the course grade
and will be required for graduation.
STAAR EOC exams
will test the content for the
specifi c course.
Will there be STAAR tests
for our Special Populations?
Yes, STAAR includes additional
test formats to accommodate
students served
through 504 special education
and English Language
Learner programs.
Visit www.leanderisd.org for
more information. STAAR
information is rapidly changing.
LISD will update our
information as soon as we
are aware of changes made
by TEA.
Promote the Ethical
Principles at Home
Did you know, each
month Leander ISD focuses
on one of the 10 Ethical
Principles and two the 40
Developmental Assets to
help our students develop
important skills that will
help them become citizens
of good character?
To learn more about
how you can help promote
the Ethical Principles and
developmental assets at
home, visit www.leanderisd.
org and click on the Parents/
Students tab and click the
drug free schools link. The
monthly parent newsletters
are listed on that page.
Below: The offi ce staff at Steiner Ranch Elementary won
the campus fundraiser contest, and as a prize, had to kiss
a pig at the fall PTA carnival. Below, SRE Principal Susan
Fambrough puckers up!
EdEx...5

Hand
Washing
Key to Good
6...EdEx
Health
Help keep your family
healthy by teaching
proper and consistent hand
washing.
• Wash hands with soap
and water for 20 seconds.
Use a paper towel to turn off
the faucet if it is not automatic.
• If soap and water are not
available, use a 62 percent
alcohol hand sanitizer. Apply
to palms and rub hands together
covering all surfaces
until dry.
• Avoid sharing objects. If
an activity requires the passing
around of an object, be
sure to have students wash
their hands afterwards.
• Encourage students to
cover their mouths with a
tissue when coughing
or sneezing and to wash
hands afterwards. If no tissue
is available, use the elbow
or upper arm. Avoid using
hands to cover mouths.
• Ask students to keep
their hands away from their
eyes, noses and mouths to
keep germs from entering
their bodies.
Washing hands should occur:
• Upon arrival at school
• Before and after meals
• After you blow your
nose or cough in your
hand
• After recess or group
activity
• After using the toilet
For tips on how to protect
yourself and your family
from the flu, go to
www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/
preventing.htm.
Principal-for-a-Day
Program Welcomes
Community into Schools
Twenty community
leaders had the opportunity
to step into the shoes of
Leander ISD principals on
Wednesday, Nov. 9, during
the district’s annual Principal-for-a-Day
program.
“This fun and popular
program gives the community
a unique look at what it
takes to run our successful
schools,” says Ruth Hisle,
LISD director of community
services. “We had a wonderful
group of participants
this year. We hope that they
gained a new-found appreciation
for the important roles
that our principals take on
every day,” says Hisle.
Participants spent time
interacting with school
administrators, teachers and
students to learn about the
campus and saw first-hand
what is going on in LISD’s
classrooms. As part of the
day’s activities, the guest
principals were asked to
help with bus duty, read to
students and participate in
various learning activities.
This is the seventh year
for the district’s Principalfor-a-Day
program.
This year’s guest principals
included: Laura Balla
of the Cedar Park Regional
Medical Center; Heather
Bonham of the Cedar Park
Citizen and Leander Ledger;
Alfredo Bouchot; Cory
Dirkson of the Austin Torros;
Misti Dwyer of Dwyer
Realty Companies; Alicia
Fermin; Mitch Fuller of the
Cedar Park City Council;
Dominic Giarratani of the
Texas Association of School
Boards; Trisha Greenway;
Brian Haulotte of Dunn
Construction and the Leander
ISD Educational Excellence
Foundation; Gabriel Hernandez
of Randolph-Brooks
Federal Credit Union; Debbie
Hoffman of Habitat for
Humanity of Williamson
County; Sherry Huffman of
the Huntington School; Chris
Hurta of Hill Country Bible
Church Steiner; Jeff Johnson
of Hill Country Bible Church
Leander; Tim Mattox of Dell;
Sheri McKim of Benchmark
Mortgage; Tammy Morrow
of Chick-fil-A; Chad Onanuga
and Sallie Spradlin Jett
of Spradlin Music.
The participating schools
were Block House Creek Elementary,
Vista Ridge High
School, Faubion Elementary,
Leander High School, River
Ridge Elementary, Wiley
Middle School, Westside Elementary,
Four Points Middle
School, Bagdad Elementary,
Pleasant Hill Elementary,
Steiner Ranch Elementary,
Reagan Elementary, Deer
Creek Elementary, Vandegrift
High School, Leander
Middle School, Cox Elementary,
Rouse High School,
Cedar Park High School,
River Place Elementary and
New Hope High School.
A big thank you to all
of the LISD principals who
made our guests feel so welcome
this year.
Guest principal Chris Hurta talks with children at River Ridge
Elementary.
“What a fabulous place for our children to
attend school. It’s a place where they are
comfortable to learn on their own!“
- 2011 Principal for a Day
VRHS Principal Paul Johnson stands with guest principal Alfredo
Bouchot.
“I really enjoyed seeing that students are
engaged in their own learning.”
- 2011 Principal for a Day
Emma Garcia, a Block House Creek Elementary student, worked
in the hallway with guest principal Gabriel Hernandez.

Three High Schools Receive
College Readiness Award
Cedar Park, Leander and
Vista Ridge high schools
have received the 2011 College
Readiness Award from
the Texas ACT Council for
increasing the number of students
taking the ACT Assessment
over the past five years
and significantly increasing
their level of achievement
and college readiness.
The Texas ACT Council
is comprised of secondary
and postsecondary educators
who advise ACT, Inc. on the
utilization of ACT programs
and services in Texas schools
and colleges. ACT, Inc. is
the not-for-profit organization
that provides assessment,
research, information
and program management
services in the broad areas
of education and workforce
development and is the
publisher of the ACT Assessment.
The ACT Assessment
is the college admissions
test that is used and accepted
by all colleges nationwide
and throughout Texas. In
2011, more than 205,000
Texas students took the ACT
which was an all-time high
and Texas ACT scores have
increased substantially over
the last five years.
According to Karen
L. Pennell, Assistant Vice
President and ACT Southwest
Regional Manager: “The
Texas ACT Council wanted
to recognize those Texas high
schools that have made significant
strides in increasing
the college readiness of their
graduates as demonstrated
by their ACT score increases
over the past five years. This
can only happen as a result
of the high schools’ faculty
and staff efforts and the
dedication of CPHS, LHS and
VRHS students and parents
to focus on college readiness
and raise the level of college
readiness for all students.
Only 10 percent of all high
schools in Texas were honored
for this superior level of
accomplishment. These outstanding
Texas high schools
should be proud of their
faculty, staff, and students.”
Above: Leander Middle School students had a blast at their
school’s recent Family Fun Night sponsored by the LMS
PTA.
LHS Students
Give Back
Students all across LISD
pitched in to help families
impacted by the recent
wildfires. Pictured are Gregorio
Flores (left) and Ryan
Abadie (center) handing
Ron LeFevers, a Red Cross
volunteer, a check for $515.
These two Leander High
School students organized
a coin war between classes
to help raise money for the
victims of wildfires in Central
Texas.
Be a Hero... Mentor a Child
Leander ISD’s Student
Mentoring Program
gives community members
and parents a great opportunity
to make a difference in
the lives of our students by
helping them with academic
achievement, character development,
problem-solving
skills, improving self-esteem,
relationships with adults and
peers and school attendance.
January is National
Mentoring Month and is a
great time to give back and
get involved in the mentor
program. LISD is looking for
individuals who are willing
to give their time and serve
as a positive role model for a
student. Mentors must complete
an online volunteer application
and criminal record
check at www.leanderisd.org,
selecting the Community
Involvement tab and attend
a short training before being
paired up with an LISD
student for the school year.
Mentors meet with their student
for at least 30 minutes a
week on campus during the
school day. Once approved,
mentors will be contacted
with dates, times and locations
for mentor training
sessions.
For more information
about LISD’s mentor
program, contact Community
Services Director Ruth Hisle
at ruth.hisle@leanderisd.org.
George Washington
Stops by Laura
Welch Bush ES
In celebration of Freedom
Week and the 224th birthday
of the U.S. Constitution,
Laura Welch Bush Elementary
students signed the Constitution
on Thursday, Sept. 15.
George Washington made a
special appearance and visited
the school to talk about the
nation’s most important document.
Upcoming LISD Events
Dec. 15 LISD Board Meeting,
6:15 p.m., CPMS
Dec. 19 - 30 No School
January National Mentor Month/
Board Appreciation
Month
Jan. 5 LISD Board
Workshop, 6:15 p.m.
Tech Center
Jan. 16 Student Holiday
Jan. 19 LISD Board Meeting,
6:15 p.m. CPMS
Jan. 25 Early Release
Feb. 2 LISD Board Workshop
6:15 p.m., FPMS
Feb. 6 - 8 Staff Development/
Student Holiday
Feb. 16 LISD Board Meeting,
6:15 p.m., CPMS
Feb. 22 Early Release Day
March 1 LISD Board Workshop
6:15 p.m., Tech Center
March 12-16 No School
March 22 LISD Board Meeting
6:15 p.m., CPMS
For more events, go to
www.leanderisd.org.
EdEx...7

Above: Calvin Barnes, a
former Block House Creek
Elementary student and current
senior at Rouse High
School, played TAPS for the
students of BHC in honor of
Veterans Day.
LISD After-school
Enrichment Program
Gearing Up for Spring
Sessions
Leander ISD community services
department is preparing
for the spring After-school
Enrichment program. These
popular classes offer targeted
learning experiences for
elementary-age students.
Registration will be opening
in mid-December. Visit
LISD’s Web Store to view
class descriptions and to
register. If you have further
questions please contact the
SCR department at 512-570-
0029.
Right: The Grandview Hills
Elementary PTA hosted an
evening of interactive art
where students explored
different art forms, including
portrait painting, computeraided
pet portraits, paper
mosaics and oil and acrylic
paintings. Here, Rowley
Rebtoy mixes sand.
8...EdEx
Above: Mason Elementary students demonstrated the ethical
principle: care and concern for others by participating in a
“Wear a Hat Campaign.” The event raised more than $500 for
the Central Texas Fire Relief Fund. Mason ES students also
donated canned goods to Hill Country Nazarene Church to
help fire victims. Pictured here are Gabrielle McDonald and
Madeline Kawejsza, who both attend Mason.
Right: Eric Reimers, a
third-grade student at Steiner
Ranch Elementary, donated
his birthday gifts to students
who lost their home to the
recent wildfires. Reimers
was presented with a “Kind
Heart Certificate” by ABLE,
an organization that promotes
better living. Kudos to
Reimers for demonstrating
LISD’s ethical principle: care
and concern for others!
LISD Introduces Partnership Perks Coffee
F or
the first time, Leander
ISD is exploring formal
partnership opportunities with
local faith-based organizations
in a new program called
Partnership Perks. This fall,
the district is reaching out to
all area faith-based groups to
potentially form a strategic
alliance focused on meeting
the needs of children in the
community.
At the first Partnership
Perks Coffee, on Friday, Nov.
4, LISD brought faith-based
organizations together to
begin the discussion of how
these organizations can support
the district’s goals and
initiatives.
Feedback gathered from
the first meeting will be
compiled and used to plan the
next meeting scheduled for
Friday, Jan. 6, 2012 at 8 a.m.
The district hopes all
faith-based organizations,
even those that were unable
to attend the first Partnership
Perks Coffee, will join LISD
to ensure that every child can
reach their full potential.
If you are in a leadership
role at a faith-based organization
that serves the LISD
community, you are invited
to be a part of the this important
conversation. Contact
Ruth Hisle, LISD director of
community services, at ruth.
hisle@leanderisd.org for
more information. We look
forward to our next cup of
coffee with you in January!
District Offers Internet Safety Tips
When done safely, socializing online can be a fun way for
students to stay connected with friends. However, some
people online may have bad intentions.
To reduce a student’s exposure to negative conduct,
contact and content on the Internet, experts encourage parents
to talk with their children about the risks. Parents should
monitor their child’s social networking accounts and general
Internet use while at home.
Here are some tips provided by the Department of Education,
in coalition with other government agencies, to help
keep your child safe:
• Never give out any personal information to anyone on the
Internet (including name, address, phone, age, friend’s
names, school location, etc.).
• Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with anyone you
have met on the Internet.
• Parents should closely monitor their child’s social
networking accounts. Make sure your child’s online
“friends” are people they actually know.
• Always maintain access to your child’s online account
and monitor his/her email. Be up front with them about
your access and the reasons why.
• Make sure you understand how your children are using
the computer, what websites they are visiting and who
they are communicating with online.
• Never upload (post) pictures of yourself, or your friends/
family, on the Internet or send to anyone you do not know
personally.
• Periodically monitor your child’s cell phone use and text
messages to see who your child is communicating with.
For additional safety tips, visit www.onguardonline.gov.

LISD Staff Join Students to
Read for the Record
One of the most beneficial
pastimes a student can
do is read a book. Literacy
expands one’s world view,
adds breadth to vocabulary
and is simply fun. While
focusing on student learning,
Leander ISD is demonstrat-
ing that reading is an activity
everyone can enjoy.
To help promote early
literacy, LISD Child Nutrition
Services employees read
Llama, Llama, Red Pajamas
by Anna Dewdney to elementary
classes across the
district on Thursday, Oct. 6
as part of Jumpstart’s Read
for the Record Program. On
that day, hundreds of LISD
students contributed to the
effort to set a record for the
most people reading the
same book at the same time.
Above: CNS employee Jonathan Wilson promotes literacy by reading to students at Knowles
Elementary during the school’s Read for the Record program.
VHS Vipers Give Back to Community
The Vandegrift High
School Vipers, after winning
their first playoff game
in school history, were back
at work on Saturday morning
serving others in the local
community by building ramps
for homebound residents.
For this service project
the team partnered with the
Texas Ramp Project. Since
the team began working with
the local non-profit three
years ago, they have built 10
ramps for residents.
“I’m really proud of my
team. They did a great job,”
says VHS varsity football
coach, Drew Sanders.
“Students can learn the most
important lessons when they
are helping others.”
Below: Winkley Elementary is excited to start its second full
year with Watch D.O.G.S. dads on campus. Each Watch
D.O.G.S. volunteer is able to spend time in their child’s classroom,
in the cafeteria, and on the playground. Here, Christian
and Evan Prater enjoy time with their Watch. D.O.G.S.
volunteer.
Student Costumes Recall Favorite
Stories at Giddens ES
Giddens
Elementary
students wore
festive costumes
in honor of the
school’s 12th annual
Literacy Day.
The event inspires
students to dress
as their favorite
literary characters.
Right: Kindergarten
student Ethan
Liu represents the
book Sheep Trick
or Treat.
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10...EdEx
LISD Thanks Businesses for Supporting our Schools!
Right: Local Target
employees stopped
by to read to students
at Faubion
Elementary when
they awarded the
school’s library a
$500 grant.
Left: Three LISD teachers
were presented with grants
from A+ Federal Credit Union.
Left to right, LISD Board
President Will Streit, Nancy
Santucci from Four Points
Middle School, Deborah Simmons
from Giddens Elementary,
Aline Crompton of the
Self-30 program, Kerry Parker,
CEO/A+ Federal Credit Union
and President/ A+ Education
Foundation and Monica Meredith,
Branch Manager of the
Leander branch.
Districts Asks Parents to Promote Regular School Attendance
Leander ISD is opening
doors to success by
pro-actively working with
students to keep them in
school. The district is assisting
students by ensuring that
they are in compliance with
the attendance laws.
Data shows that regular
and punctual attendance
is the greatest single factor
in a student’s success in
school. Texas Compulsory
Attendance Law requires
students to attend school
regularly, unless otherwise
exempted by law. It is the
responsibility of the parent
and student to cooperate and
communicate with the school
on all attendance matters.
In addition to the negative
impact absences have on
school success, LISD loses
approximately $40 a day for
each student who is absent.
What do parents do when
their child is absent from
school?
Parents must send a note
with their child to school as
soon as he or she returns. All
absences must be verified in
writing by a parent. Written
verification of the absence
must be received by the
school within two (2) days of
a student’s return to school.
It is best to submit a handwritten
note directly to the
attendance office. However,
a faxed copy of a parent’s
note is acceptable. Both faxed
and emailed notes must have
a parent’s original signature
(not a typed, cursive font).
An email note will only be
accepted when received from
the parent’s email address on
file with the registrar.
All notes should include:
• Student’s full legal name
• Student ID #
• Grade
• Date(s) of absences
• Reason for absence
• Parent signature
• Parent phone number
• Current date
What is an excused absence?
Excused absences are not
viewed as days a student
is entitled to take. Excused
absences include, but are not
limited to, personal illness,
funeral/memorial, quarantine
or weather or road
conditions that make travel
dangerous.
What is an unexcused
absence?
An unexcused absence is
any absence that does not
meet the definition of an
Below: Giddens Elementary was chosen by Office Max to
receive $1,000 worth of free supplies as part of the company’s
“A Day Made Better” program! Drew Hallett was the lucky
teacher randomly selected by the campus to receive the prize.
Hallett was surprised on Tuesday, Oct. 4 by representatives
from Office Max who stopped by to congratulate the winner.
excused absence (personal
business, vacation).
The keys to high school
graduation are strong school
attendance and parental
involvement.
So how can parents help
their student stay in
school?
Parents are encouraged to
• Make education a family
priority.
• Build your child’s self
confidence as a student
by recognizing when
he or she does well in
school.
• Help your child develop
good study and work
habits.
• Schedule a daily period
of home study time.
• Help with homework
when needed.
• Help your child develop
and achieve academic
goals.
• Meet your child’s teachers
and other school personnel.
• Get to know your child’s
friends and classmates.
• Find ways to discuss issues,
subject and course
materials being covered
at school.
Contact the attendance
clerk or registrar at your
child’s campus with any
questions you may have
about your child’s attendance.
For information on
LISD’s attendance guidelines,
please see the student and
parent handbooks available
online at www.leanderisd.org.