October 15, 2024
Dear Davis Families,
This week is off to a great start. It was wonderful to see so many parents on campus yesterday for parent/teacher conferences. Looking ahead this week, we are celebrating Unity Day tomorrow and looking forward to our annual BOO! Fest this Friday evening. I’ll be enjoying the festivities the whole time, and am most looking forward to my time at the dunk booth toward the end of the evening. I hope to see everyone there!
Wear Orange for Unity Day on Wednesday: This Wednesday, as part of National Bullying Prevention Month, we will celebrate Unity Day. This is a day to build on our commitment to kindness, acceptance and inclusivity at Davis. All students are encouraged to wear orange in support of Unity Day. Our 5th grade No Place for Hate student coalition will make special announcements on Tuesday and Wednesday about Unity Day, deliver orange bracelets for students to wear, and challenge every class to sign and post their No Place for Hate Pledge in their classroom.
Picking Up Students During the School Day: In the past, we have allowed parents to call ahead, when they are on their way to campus, to get a child out of class and have them waiting in the office for when they arrive. This practice has resulted in students missing more instructional time than necessary and we will no longer be able to accommodate these parent requests. Going forward, if you are coming to campus to pick up your child any time during the school day, make sure to come early enough to allow time for school staff to get your child from the classroom and bring them to the office. This can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes, so please plan accordingly.
Principal Coffee Topics and Dates: I will be hosting several coffee talks in the upcoming months (and yes, coffee is always provided). These are informal meetings where I will share information on a variety of topics. While each coffee talk has a designated topic, time is always allowed for questions and discussion on other topics of interest to parents in attendance. Mark your calendars for the following dates and topics:
Wednesday, October 30, 7:45-8:45am: Grading & Report Cards- Learn more about how teachers assign grades for student work in class and how these grades are calculated for report cards each nine-weeks grading period. Note: There are two report card information sessions scheduled for 10/24 and those sessions will focus on a different aspect of report cards- teaching parents how to access student grades/report cards online.
Wednesday, November 13, 7:45-8:45am: Human Sexuality & Responsibility (HSR) Lessons- Each year in December, HSR lessons are taught in all K-5th classrooms. This session will review the HSR lessons, along with the process for parents to opt-in or opt-out of these lessons for their students.
Wednesday, December 4, 7:45-8:45am: Special Guest- Murchison Middle School (MMS) Principal- Join MMS Principal Chara Harris and her team to learn about about the variety of courses and programs offered at MMS and the process for choosing courses for 6th grade. While this session is geared for parents of 5th grade students, all parents are welcome to attend.
Tuesday, January 14, 7:45-8:45am: STAAR Testing- The STAAR test is a required assessment for all students in 3rd-5th grade. Come get a preview of sample test questions and question types. Information will also be shared about what the test scores mean and how they are used to assign state accountability ratings for campuses.
5th Grade Outdoor Challenge Field Trip: All of our 5th grade students will trek over to McKinney Roughs nature park this week for a unique outdoor challenge field trip. Students will participate in a variety of outdoor activities, some that are physical challenges and others that are teambuilding activities. This is a special bonding experience for our 5th grade students that develops their leadership and collaboration skills and we are so glad to provide them with this opportunity as student leaders at Davis.
AISD Advanced Opportunities Night: This virtual information session will highlight multiple advanced pathways and opportunities in Austin ISD. See this flyer for more information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1botJSMMS1gbEpODpbUsJxXjc_61l2zcq/view?usp=sharing
Upcoming Events
10/15 & 10/16, 8am-1pm: McKinney Roughs Field Trip (5th)
10/16: Unity Day- wear orange
10/18, 5:30-8:00pm: Dolphin BOO! Fest
10/22, 9:15am-12:30pm: Thinkery Field Trip (1st)
10/22, 11am-1:30pm: Bob Bullock Field Trip (2nd)
10/23, 9:15am-12:30pm: Capitol Field Trip (4th)
10/23, 4-8pm: Dine with Davis @ Sonic, Jollyville
10/24: Safety Drills- Evacuation (fire, bomb)
10/24, 7:45-8:15am & 5:45-6:15pm: Report Card Parent Info Session (English)
10/24, 8:15-8:45am & 6:15-6:45pm: Report Card Parent Info Session (Spanish)
10/25: Reflections student entries due
10/25, 9:30-10:00am: School Wide Assembly (K-5th)- David Rush 4STEM
Thank you for being a part of Davis!
Jenny Daniels
Principal, Davis Elementary