August 2013
A Note from the Principal   

Welcome back! 
 
The Casis Crew is UNDER NEW CONSTRUCTION!  No, there's not a major facilities remodel going on, but change is definitely in the air.  I am so very proud and excited to be the new principal of Casis Elementary School. Casis has such a rich history of excellence and innovation. From being named after those wonderful Casis Sisters, to gaining a stellar reputation as a learning center for special education, Casis has enjoyed being a model school for collaboration since its opening in 1951.  The theme for our staff this 2013 - 2014 school year is, "The New Casis Crew: Developing Our Team and Examining Our Practices."  It's really important that the professional learners of Casis be able to continually review how we work together for students and how our practices either increase or decrease their chances for success. 

In this 21st century, there are still new opportunities for learning.  I love the following quote: "Consistency gives us roots, but change gives us branches."  The change I'm thinking of is not just a change in administrative leadership, but an ever changing ability of a learning community to grow to a higher level of achievement.  And as we approach change, let's all try extra hard to treat each other with patience and understanding.  I know I'll need a lot of it! 

It's going to take all of us - students, staff, parents and even our community friends, to work together to help our children grow and succeed in this new learning environment.  In my introduction letter, my principalship goals were shared. I will continually refer to them throughout this school year as I engage in conversations with the Casis Learning Community.  Our current mission statement is a very solid one, but I also want to begin conversations about developing a 'Vision' statement.  A vision statement will help us all think about where we want Casis to go in the future and how we can all help in getting there.  We'll have ongoing conversations to help develop a shared vision for Casis Elementary throughout the school year. 

Casis Elementary will continue to be a model for effective collaboration.  Collaboration is simply working together to realize our shared goals.  Collaboration is a leading factor in helping schools succeed, and helping already successful schools, like Casis, exceed even our current levels of achievement.  My hope for the Casis learning community is that we will continue to challenge ourselves, by examining our practices, building relationships, and always supporting our students in becoming life-long learners.   And while we all have our respective roles in helping our children to grow, we must function as a collaborative body of people to be the most effective for them. 

Here's to a great new school year of living, laughing, loving, and learning! 
 
Sam Tinnon  
Principal    
 

 

Important August Dates

  • Wed. Aug. 21 - Class Lists Posted at 4pm 
  • Thurs. Aug. 22 - Kinder Parent Information Day at 8-9am 
  • Thurs. Aug. 22 - 1st & 2nd Grade Parent Information Night at 6-7pm 
  • Fri. Aug. 23 - Open House at 9:30 - 10:30am 
    • School Supply Pick-Up in Gym
    • Yearbook Pre-sell ($25) and T-Shirts Available ($10) in Cafeteria
  • Mon. Aug. 26 - 1st Day of School 
  • Thurs.Aug. 29 - 3rd - 5th Grade Parent Information Night at 6-7pm 

Note: Please visit the Organic Garden Open House on the north side of the school by the teacher parking lot during the Parent Information Day/Night events.
 

Staff Updates

 
At the end of last year and over the summer, exceptional new staff members have been added to the Casis Learning Community , as well as changes in some current staffing roles that have taken place. 

New Staff Additions 

 

Administration 

  • Samuel Tinnon (Principal) -  15 years of teaching and administrative experience within AISD (Pecan Springs EL, Sims EL & Mills EL). 
  • Tracy Post (Asst. Principal) - 11 years of teaching and administrative experience within AISD (Blanton EL).  Most recently completed a doctorate of education in curriculum and instruction. Congratulations Dr. Post! 
  • Kelly Meshell (Asst. Principal) - 15 years of experience as teacher and curriculum/instruction supervision; Done extensive work as an Academic Dean and Instructional Specialist for Middle School - Most recently at Dobie Middle School. 

Kinder 

  • Heather Lewis - Great Kindergarten experience from Round Rock ISD 

1st  

  • Hana Hong - Wonderful primary experience from Houston ISD 
  • Andrea Rieck - Exceptional new teacher who student taught at Casis and impressed all. 

3rd  

  • Christina Newberry - Energetic teacher with experience from Killeen ISD 

Special Education  

  • Leigh Umstaadt - Former Casis Cougar student who has gained special education experience from private schools in Houston, Tx. 
  • Marci Solomon - Experienced special education teacher from New York. 
  • Susan Schlee -New Teaching Assistant with experience from Becker EL & Wooten EL 

Music  

  • Nicole Stevens - 14 years of educational experience in special education, music, and math/science instruction. Recently taught music and science in Bogota, Colombia; Past experience as a Middle School/High School Band Director. 

Head Custodian  

  • Alba Rubio - New to AISD, but not to housekeeping management, having experience as a housekeeping manager most recently at the Hilton Hotel, as well as having had the experience of owning her own cleaning business for many years in El Paso, Texas. 

Clerical  

  • Jennifer Stratton - A wonderful Casis parent with many years of professional experience who will be utilizing those skills  with the Clerical Team in the main office. 

Current Staff Changes  

  • Stacey Ross - Moved from 1st Grade to 2nd Grade 
  • Marissa Rosenstein - Came in the middle of last year as a long-term substitute for 4th grade and is now a regular member of the 4th grade team  
LivingTree: New Communication Platform

This year, in collaboration with our wonderful PTA, Casis will engage in a new electronic platform called LivingTree. This electronic media environment was created by a Casis parent, Cullen Childress, and will help bridge the connections between home and school.  LivingTree will allow teachers and parents to communicate easily about homework, upcoming projects, field trips, and other things related to school.  LivingTree will allow parents within a classroom to coordinate and communicate events amongst each other.  LivingTree can also be used to coordinate school and home schedules.  Casis PTA will also be incorporating this year's "Volunteer Sign-Up" process through this new platform.  More information will be communicated about best practices, use expectations, and operating support for participating in LivingTree.  An email invitation will be arriving soon.  Please accept the invitation to join your classroom and other relevant groups within LivingTree.  This will be our primary communication mode for the 2013-2014 school year.  We're very excited to be a launching environment for this new innovation. 
School Security Update-New Check-in Procedure 

Casis will have a new check-in procedure for the 2013-14 school year. Beginning in August, all doors will remain locked during the school day. All visitors will be required to buzz in at the front door. A newly installed system will allow office staff to see who is at the door and make verbal contact before allowing the visitor to enter the school. Once in the building, all visitors will go to the office and sign in for an ID badge. Adjusting to this new system will take time and patience from the Casis community, but it is for the safety and security of our children and staff. 
PTA Save the Dates

Put these dates on your calendar for 2013-2014 School Year
Book Fair -- Tuesday, September 17th
Carnival - Friday, October 18
Cultivating Casis Adult Party - Friday, April 4
Cultivating Casis Fun Run - Sunday, April 6
Go to www.casiselementary.com for more Casis news!