Beginning in November, our students and staff will review/learn about Habit 3: Put First Things First.  We explain to the students that good leaders prioritize their time.  We schedule our Big Rocks first.  The things that are the most important to us.  Dr. Covery states, “ The key is not to prioritize what is on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.” Here is a short article for how your family can practice putting first things first.

1. See you at Cypress Sprinters tomorrow morning at 7:15!

2.  Friday, October 29th is our first Annual CSES Character Parade (tied into Healthy Habits Week).  Our parade will take place outside at 8:30 am.  Students are asked to dress up as their favorite book character based on a book they have read.  Please have the children bring their books and leave masks or scary dress at home.  Families are welcome to attend and will spread out outside. 

3. Monday, November 1, is a Student Holiday.  This day is designated as a parent/teacher conference day, however, many teachers created a variety of scheduling options.  Thank you for your support!

4. LAST CALL FOR VETERAN PICTURES- please help as we have received 2 pictures! Help us honor our Veterans by sending in pictures of family members that are Veterans.  Click here for information.

5. Traffic Reminders:  CSES opens at 7 am and school begins promptly at 7:45 am.  Please try to arrive prior to 7:35 am to ensure your student is on time for school.  We begin promptly at 7:45 am with morning announcements and morning meetings.

   1.  At dismissal, we load 7 cones and then dismiss all 7 vehicles at once.  This is so that cars are not moving while children are also moving towards their called cone.  Thank you for your support!

6. Beginning next week, families may eat lunch outside in the front entry area with their students if they would like.  Families will sign their students out and eat lunch, then sign their students back in.  If you elect to visit and have lunch, please bring your own lunch as our cafeteria is not accessible to visitors at this time.  THANK YOU! 

7. ANNOUNCEMENT FROM SSMS:  My name is Dr. Kira Dyer and I run the PALs Middle School program at SSMS. We have been an active group for the past three years. What my middle school PALs do is amazing! They help students with homework, they help build relationships, and they provide social and emotional support for elementary-aged students. Each of my PALs has undergone an intensive 9 weeks training program that has helped them increase their own self-awareness so that they can begin to help others. The ultimate goal of our program is to not only help bridge the gap between RSES, SSES, CSES and SSMS, but help elementary students learn problem-solving skills, increased social and emotional learning, increased skills to help build positive and healthy relationships among peers, as well as to help provide academic support. The PALs program also participates in community services such as a canned food drive, buying gifts for children on our school Christmas tree, and singing Christmas Carols at the nursing home. We would LOVE to have your child participate in this incredible program. If you would like to nominate your child (my own child will be a palee this year), please let Mrs. Smart know! If you have any questions about the program, you can also email me: kira.dyer@dsisdtx.us. Thank you for your time!

8. Our Campus Advisory Council’s next meeting is Nov 3, 2021at 3:45 pm in the Center for Learning & Innovation.  This meeting is a public meeting and others are invited to attend. 

   1. Role of CAC: Campus Advisory Councils are committees of parents, students, business and community representatives, teachers, principals, and other campus staff. The formation of CACs is required by state law (Texas Education Code, §11.251). Specific functions of CACs include providing review and comment on: Campus Educational Program, Campus Performance, Campus Improvement Plan, Campus Staff Development Plan, Campus-Level Waiver Requests to the State, Campus Budget 

9. Activity Fees are due for PK-4th grade on October 31, 2021.  Please visit the District Webstore.  Click on Cypress Springs Elementary, select Activity Fees, and choose your child (ren) grade levels to pay.  These fees cover field trips.  5th Grade families, please use the same process to pay for Camp Champions by October 15, 2021.  THANK YOU!

10. CSE PTA Updates

• We can’t wait to see and connect with you at our first Cypress Fun Fest tonight, October 28 from 5:30 pm-8 pm!!! Park in the main lot to the left of the school and come enjoy all that we have planned. All the food, games, and activities are free thanks to our sponsors, but you may want to spend some money on Silent Auction and Dressing Up The Principal!

•  Book Fair closes on Friday, October 29, but there’s still time to shop at Cypress Fun Fest as well as at school on Friday. E-Wallet and credit cards accepted.

• All PTA Reflections submissions are due November 5! Our 2021 theme is “I will change the world by…” and we’d love to see your child’s creations in dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, or visual arts.

• Check out Family Fun Fridays on our PTA Facebook Group for more opportunities to meet and connect with our Cypress Family! 

• Follow us on our PTA website and Social Media: Facebook Instagram Twitter

October is flying by and we are quickly approaching the holiday season.  This time of year is a great time to reflect on what we are grateful for.  Dr. Tudor and I are beyond grateful for our learning community here at Cypress Springs Elementary.  Our staff is top-notch.  Our students are stellar.  And our families are splendiferous!   It takes a village to raise up positive contributors and life-long learners and we are thankful for our village.  Thank you for your continued support!  

1. See you at Cypress Sprinters tomorrow morning at 7:15!

2. Thursday, October 21, Term 1 Grades will post to Family Access.  Please log in to view your child’s progress. We promote and encourage the best effort and a growth mindset for our children.  

3. CSES Healthy Habits Week is October 25- 29.  We are excited for this week!  Click here for information regarding the dress-up days. Friday, October 29th is our first Annual CSES Character Parade (tied into Healthy Habits Week).  Our parade will take place outside at 8:30 am.  Students are asked to dress up as their favorite book character based on a book they have read.  Please have the children bring their books and leave masks or scary dress at home.  Families are welcome to attend and will spread out outside. 

4. For families that are interested, we will meet in January, February, and April for a book study based on the book The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson.  If you would like to participate, please purchase your copy and mark your calendars for January 11 (discuss intro, chapters 1 and 2), February 8 (chapters 3 and 4), and April 12 (chapters 5, 6, and closing).  We will learn more about 12 strategies to nurture our children’s developing minds. 

5. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, also known as IDEA, is a federal law that gives eligible students with disabilities the right to receive special education services and assistance in school. To be eligible for special education services, a student with a disability must need instruction that is specially designed to meet the student’s unique needs based on that disability. If you suspect that your child may have a disability, you may request a special education evaluation.  Please see the below link and/or attachment for more information.  Updates in Special Education  Updates in Special Education -Spanish 

6. The Bookfair is in process!  Click here for more information.

7. Please support our DSHS Toys for Tots Campaign

8. Click here for information for K-5 about upcoming holiday camps.  Here is camp information for 3-5-year-olds.

9. Help us honor our Veterans by sending in pictures of family members that are Veterans.  Click here for information.

10. Our Campus Advisory Council’s next meeting is Nov 3, 2021 at 3:45 pm in the Center for Learning & Innovation.  This meeting is a public meeting and others are invited to attend. 

    1. Role of CAC: Campus Advisory Councils are committees of parents, students, business and community representatives, teachers, principals, and other campus staff. The formation of CACs is required by state law (Texas Education Code, §11.251). Specific functions of CACs include providing review and comment on: Campus Educational Program, Campus Performance, Campus Improvement Plan, Campus Staff Development Plan, Campus-Level Waiver Requests to the State, Campus Budget 

11.  The DSISD Dyslexia team will be hosting our Annual Dyslexia Parent Information night on Wednesday, Oct. 27 from 5:30 to 7. This will be a virtual event for anyone interested in learning more about dyslexia and tips for supporting their children with dyslexia at home. Everyone is welcome to attend and no registration is required. Click here for information.

12. Activity Fees are due for PK-4th grade on October 31, 2021.  Please visit the District Webstore.  Click on Cypress Springs Elementary, select Activity Fees, and choose your child (ren) grade levels to pay.  These fees cover field trips.  5th Grade families, please use the same process to pay for Camp Champions by October 15, 2021.  THANK YOU!

13. CSE PTA Updates

• Book Fair Preview Week is almost complete, but it’s not too late to sign up to volunteer as a Shopping Helper or Cashier at the Book Fair on October 26-29. In addition, if your child plans to shop at the Book Fair, you can add money to their eWallet Here! Parents are also welcome to come shop with their students during their assigned shopping time or during Fun Fest 5:30-7:30 pm on Thursday 10/28. Families are also invited to donate to your teacher’s eWallet, so they can purchase books from their wishlist.

• Cypress Fun Fest is next Thursday, October 28 from 5:30 pm-8 pm! Make sure to follow us on Social Media to get more information about Food, Activities, Silent Auctions, Teacher Buy A Spots, and more! Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter. Also please see this message from the PTA President about this fun community event and fundraiser.  

• Check out our PTA Facebook Group for a chance to show off your family and get to know other families at CSE with Family Fun Friday!

Last month we learned about HABIT ONE and this month we are learning about HABIT TWO.  Here are some principles and key phrases that support the habits.  

1. Cypress Sprinters is canceled tomorrow morning due to the wet conditions. 

2. The Cypress Spirit Store is online! https://bitsofcourageaustin.myshopify.com/ Order your limited edition CSES Tiger Spirit Wear today! All items are available in a full array of adult and youth sizes so that the entire family can show their Tiger Pride. The deadline for orders is FRIDAY, October 15, in order to provide a quick turnaround on the delivery of items by early November. If you have any questions please contact fundraising@csepta.org.  ORDER YOUR INAUGURAL CYPRESS SHIRT TODAY! 

3. We had such a great turnout at the Parent Coffee yesterday as we dove into supporting learning at home. Our focus was on the power of modeling a growth mindset. Carol Dweck is the author of Mindset, an excellent book that focuses on the driving forces of motivation and achievement. Here is an excerpt taken directly from her site. "Dweck coined the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset to describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence. When students believe they can get smarter, they understand that effort makes them stronger. Therefore they put in extra time and effort, and that leads to higher achievement." 

   1. If you weren't able to attend yesterday's parent coffee, you can still access the TedTalk video we watched and all of the resources and ideas for supporting learning at home. These include fun games, book clubs, cooking activities, journaling, websites, etc. To access these parent resources, please visit our school website and click on the link below the Parent and Students section titled "CSE Community Hub". This will take you to our parent page. Click on the Parent Resources button to review activities and ideas for supporting learning at home. Please let us know if you have any questions or great ideas to add to our page. 

   2. We would love to highlight families learning and growing together. If you complete a fun family learning activity, please take a picture and send it to us so we can share with other families all of the fun ways learning continues outside of school. 

4. For families that are interested, we will meet in January, February, and April for a book study based on the book The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson.  If you would like to participate, please purchase your copy and mark your calendars for January 11 (discuss intro, chapters 1 and 2), February 8 (chapters 3 and 4), and April 12 (chapters 5, 6, and closing).  We will learn more about 12 strategies to nurture our children’s developing mind. 

5. Book fair kicks off next week!  Click here for more information.

6. Help us honor our Veterans by sending in pictures of family members that are Veterans.  Click here for information.

7. Special thanks to all that supported our Leave a Legacy campaign!

8.  The DSISD Dyslexia team will be hosting our Annual Dyslexia Parent Information night on Wednesday, Oct. 27 from 5:30 to 7. This will be a virtual event for anyone interested in learning more about dyslexia and tips for supporting their children with dyslexia at home. Everyone is welcome to attend and no registration is required. Click here for information.

9. Coming soon is CSES Healthy Habits Week.  We are excited for this week!  Click here for information regarding the dress-up days.

10. Friday, October 29th is our first Annual CSES Character Parade (tied into Healthy Habits Week).  Our parade will take place outside at 8:30 am.  Students are asked to dress up as their favorite book character based on a book they have read.  Please have the children bring their book and leave masks or scary dress at home.  Families are welcome to attend and will spread out outside.  

11. DSHS Wrestling Team is hosting a Shred Day on Saturday, October 23rd, 9 am-Noon at DSHS.  Drive-thru professional document shredding for cash or online donations will benefit our DSHS Wrestling Team. Please see the flyer for details. 
12. Activity Fees are due for PK-4th grade on October 31, 2021.  Please visit the District Webstore.  Click on Cypress Springs Elementary, select Activity Fees, and choose your child (ren) grade levels to pay.  These fees cover field trips.  5th Grade families, please use the same process to pay for Camp Champions by October 15, 2021.  THANK YOU!

13. DSHS students are collecting gently used or new stuffed animals for Comfort for Care!  A collection box will be available in the CSES foyer beginning Friday, October 1st.

14. Tiger Dad of the Day program began this week and we would love you to join us! Our goal is to have 1-2 dads or dads-at-heart on campus DAILY. Click here to find out how to join this exciting program. 

15. CSE PTA Updates

• The Cypress Spirit Store is online!  For our inaugural year, order your limited edition CSES Tiger Spirit Wear by Friday, October 15. These items would also make a great gift for teachers/staff! Contact fundraising@csepta.org with questions

• If you are interested in helping with the upcoming Fall Scholastic Book Fair October 18-29, please Sign Up Here! We will need volunteers for decorating on October 14-15, helpers during preview week October 19-22 and helpers during shopping week October 26-29

• Cypress Fun Fest is just around the corner on Thursday, October 28 from 5:30-8pm. Check-in with your room parent for any last-minute Auction Basket needs.

• Check out our CSE PTA Facebook for a chance to show off your family and get to know other families at CSE with Family Fun Friday!

• Tiger Dads kicked off on Monday 10/4. Our goal is to have 1-2 dads or dads-at-heart on campus DAILY. Click here to find out how to join this exciting program.

• Send a Sign Gypsies BOO in October, and CSE PTA will get a portion of sales back

• We’d love to see you at our next PTA General Meeting on Thursday, October 21 at 8am! 

It is hard to believe that we are in the midst of October.  Thank you for the support in the opening of this fabulous campus!  We could not do it without you all!

1. Monday, October 11 is a student and staff holiday.  Sharpen the saw!

2. See you at Cypress Sprinters tomorrow morning from 7:15-7:35 am.  PK-1 must have an adult jog with them.

3. Help us honor our Veterans by sending in pictures of family members that are Veterans.  Click here for information. 

4. Mark your calendars to attend the Principal Coffee Talk in the cafeteria on Tuesday, October 12th at 8 am  We look forward to seeing you there!

5.  The DSISD Dyslexia team will be hosting our Annual Dyslexia Parent Information night on Wednesday, Oct. 27 from 5:30 to 7. This will be a virtual event for anyone interested in learning more about dyslexia and tips for supporting their children with dyslexia at home. Everyone is welcome to attend and no registration is required. Click here for information.

6. During the first few weeks of school, your child took a MAP® Growth™ test. MAP® Growth tests are computer-adaptive tests created by NWEA® that students take two to three times per school year to determine their instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year (and from year to year) in math (K-8th) and reading (3rd-8th).  The scores report is available to you through Family Access. To view the report, log in to Skyward Family Access and click on Report Card/Portfolio. The attachment is titled Fall 2021 NWEA-MAP Scores. Included in this attachment is a letter of explanation, a sample report, and your students' scores. Please reach out to your campus principal if you have any questions about NWEA® MAP® testing.

7. Coming soon is CSES Healthy Habits Week.  We are excited for this week!  Click here for information regarding the dress-up days. 

8. Friday, October 29th is our first Annual CSES Character Parade (tied into Healthy Habits Week).  Our parade will take place outside at 8:30 am.  Students are asked to dress up as their favorite book character based on a book they have read.  Please have the children bring their book and leave masks or scary dress at home.  Families are welcome to attend and will spread out outside.  

9. Activity Fees are due for PK-4th grade on October 31, 2021.  Please visit the District Webstore.  Click on Cypress Springs Elementary, select Activity Fees, and choose your child (ren) grade levels to pay.  These fees cover field trips.  5th Grade families, please use the same process to pay for Camp Champions by October 15, 2021.  THANK YOU!

10. DSHS students are collecting gently used or new stuffed animals for Comfort for Care!  A collection box will be available in the CSES foyer beginning Friday, October 1st.

11. Tiger Dad of the Day program began this week and we would love you to join us! Our goal is to have 1-2 dads or dads-at-heart on campus DAILY. Click here to find out how to join this exciting program. 

12. PTA Updates

• - Thank you for helping us stock our POWER Store, where students redeem their Cypress Cash for prizes. If you didn’t have a chance to donate and want to, you have one more day to donate an item from our Wishlist for it to be included in our October POWER Store.

• - Tiger Dads kicked off on Monday 10/4. Our goal is to have 1-2 dads or dads-at-heart on campus DAILY. Click here to find out how to join this exciting program.

• - If you are interested in helping with the upcoming Fall Scholastic Book Fair October 18-29, please contact enrichments@csepta.org! We will need volunteers for decorating on October 14-15, as well as helpers during preview week October 19-22 and shopping week October 26-29.

• - Save the Date for the Cypress FUN Fest on Thursday, October 28, 5:30-8:00pm, featuring games, food, and fun for the whole family!

• - Send a Sign Gypsies BOO in October, and CSE PTA will get a portion of sales back!

• - Check out our latest October Newsletter for more detailed info and updates from PTA!