Originally delivered on 10/18/2020 7:20 pm

SUBJECT: RH Pony Posts: Sunday, Oct.18, 2020

Sunday, October 18, 2020
A Message From Principal Cotton

We look forward to our last but not least, 1st day of school for in-person learning for our 4-5th students on tomorrow.  We can’t wait to have all of our students present with us at RHE.  I ask that parents pay close attention to the new entrance and exits for certain grade levels.  4-5th grade will enter & exit near their classrooms.  Parents can drive past the front entrance on Cumberland and drop their students off on Stonedale near the park.  Teachers and staff will be on duty to support and welcome back our students. I also want to thank our Mustang Muscle for their help and support as we transition our students safely into the building.  Please ensure all students have a mask on before they enter the building.  

AirHugs!

Mrs. Cotton

WALKATHON 2020

Walkathon kicks off tomorrow, October 19, 2020! 


Dear Ridglea Hills Family & Friends,

 

We are so excited to FINALLY kickoff Walkathon 2020.  This is our 16th year!   What is Walkathon?   Walkathon is the school’s biggest fundraiser, with money raised directly helping the students and campus in impactful ways.   It’s also a wonderful tradition – a day at the end of our fundraising drive where the walk through the neighborhood making memories and taking pictures.  Obviously this year Walkathon will have to look a lot different, but it was important for us to try to hold onto this tradition, even in a very modified form, for our students and staff.  This year’s event will take place on Friday, October 30th and Saturday October 31st.     

 

Our theme this year is in support of our everyday Ridglea SupeRHEroes – our teachers and our students!   Ridglea Hills is an amazing elementary school because of those that fill the classroom and halls everyday (in person and on the screen).   Every year all staff and students receive a free Walkathon shirt, and this year is no different – except they will be long-sleeve.   Wear your shirts and show your Mustang Pride!

 

So what is different in 2020?    This year we have just two weeks to raise as much money as we possibly can trying to get every student and staff member sponsored for the year.   See the sponsorship forms and calendar for details or scan the QR code.   The Walkathon Day itself will also look a different – it’s actually 2 days this year and has gone “virtual”.   On Friday Oct 30th In Person students will still be walking with their teachers, but we can not have families or volunteers join them.   They will remain in their class groups and will not walk as a large school.  Each class will be walking separate in accordance with all the school’s safety protocols.   On Saturday October 31st we will have a Virtual Walkathon for all our Mustang Families and those students who are virtual learners.    We’re encouraging all families to take a walk with their families, wear your walkathon shirt and take lots of pictures!   (Don’t forget to buy extra shirts for the whole family) We will have the sponsorship signs up along the traditional route from 8am-2pm if you’d like to come walk the neighborhood by the school.    Or you can walk anywhere you’d like!    Tag us in your pictures on Facebook or Instagram!  Please be safe, keep socially distant and have a good time!        

 

Did you know that last year your efforts allowed the PTA to partner with our school to provide campus enhancements, technological upgrades, Fine Arts Day, literacy outreach, and extended learning opportunities.    Although some of the year’s activities might look a little different, the PTA and the school will be working hard to make sure our students and our teachers have a great year!  If you’re able to sponsor or make a donation this year we would greatly appreciate it!

 

You can make a difference and support Walkathon’s fundraising efforts in 3 simple ways:

 

  1. Sponsor – check out what works for your family or business, if you can’t sponsor consider a donation  
  2. Donations – help us by asking family, friends, and neighbors if they would help sponsor or donate  
  3. Participate – see the calendar for events, buy out of dress code, t-shirts for the family, etc.   

 

Thank you for your support and commitment to making our school such a special place! Keep up with the calendar and follow us on Facebook, and scan the QR code often for the most up to date information.  

 

Sincerely,

Walkathon Committee 2020

Links to Walkathon Forms

Walkathon Shirts
Walkathon Donations
Walkathon Family Letter
Walkathon Calendar
Family & Friends Sponsorships
Business Sponsorships
Business Letter
New Arrival, Dismissal, and Carpool Procedures

As we welcome students back to campus for “In-Person” learning, we have adjusted our arrival and dismissal procedures to help with students' safety and limit contact tracing as much as possible. Students will have designated arrival and dismissal locations based on grade level. Families with multiple siblings will be dropped off at their specified location.

Please refer to the information as well as the new carpool map.

Carpool will flow from Angus to the back parking lot and then back to

Cumberland Rd. Please note the following arrival/dismissal locations per grade level. 


They are listed in the order of traffic flow:

  • PreK, Kindergarten, 1 st Grade, ECSE (Library/Back Parking

Lot)

All Prek, Kindergarten and 1 st grade students will be dropped off and picked up in the back parking lot. Students will be directed to enter and check-in at the door by the library.

  • 3rd Grade

All 3rd grade students will be dropped off and picked up at the west end of the bus lane. Students will be dropped off and directed to enter through the 3 rd grade hallway door, located next to the faculty parking lot.

  • 2nd Grade

All 2nd grade students will be dropped off and picked up at the main entrance doors.

  • 4th Grade, 5th Grade

All 4th and 5th grade students will be dropped off and picked up at the daycare lane, close to the corner of Cumberland and Stonedale. 5th Grade students will enter through the doors at the end of the 5th grade hallway. 4th Grade students will be directed to walk to the 4th grade hallway entrance from the interior parking lot. These are the doors located close to the girls’ restroom on the 4th grade hallway.


There will be a check-in table at every entrance location. Students will have their temperature checked before they are allowed to enter their classrooms. Parents are encouraged to complete a prescreening at home to check for fever. Students are considered to have a fever if their temperature is above 100 degrees.

Breakfast & Lunch Menus for October

Breakfast and lunch will be provided for those children who need it.

Calling All Dads! Mustang Muscle Needs Your Help!

Hey Muscle & Dads!
Help is needed for AM & PM carpool next week. If able please meet in the back parking lot @ 7:30 or 2:45 for assignments. Mon-Fri. (October 19 - 23)

Contact Mustang Muscle Chair, Russell Lasiter: rlasiter1980@sbcglobal.net

Volunteer Hours

Please click the following link to enter all PTA volunteer hours since school started. If you'd previously entered hours this school year, please re-enter your hours in this new form. Apologies for the inconvenience! Thank you! 


https://forms.gle/89qHfYGfS6Xn4wY16

Supply Needs by Grade Level

Looking for a way to help our teachers & staff this school year? Please consider purchasing an item from their grade-level supply lists!


Supply Needs by Grade Level


PreK

ï‚· Wipes – cleaning and baby

ï‚· Play-Doh

ï‚· Dry erase markers

ï‚· Sidewalk chalk

ï‚· Hand soap


Kindergarten

ï‚· Clip Boards

ï‚· Dry-erase boards – small

ï‚· Colored pencils

ï‚· Disinfectant aerosol spray

ï‚· Disinfectant wipes

ï‚· Copy paper

ï‚· Wet Ones

ï‚· Hand soap

ï‚· Dry Erase markers

ï‚· Elmer glue sticks

ï‚· Individual laminating sheets

 

First Grade

ï‚· Legos for math centers

ï‚· Crayons

ï‚· Zipper baggies of various sizes

ï‚· Clorox wipes

ï‚· Dry erase markers


Second Grade

ï‚· Crayons – 24-count

ï‚· Markers – 10-count

ï‚· Acrylic clipboards

ï‚· Erasers for tops of pencils

ï‚· Baby wipes – for mealtimes

ï‚· Mrs. Sketch markers

ï‚· Scissors – kid size

ï‚· Packing tape

ï‚· Disinfecting wipes

ï‚· Dry erase markers

ï‚· Pencil bags

ï‚· Chisel tip Sharpies

ï‚· Gallon-size zip loc baggies

ï‚· Plastic solid-colored folders with brads

 

Third Grade

ï‚· Resolve Professional Strength Spot and Stain Carpet Cleaner

ï‚· Better Life Natural all-purpose cleaner

ï‚· Disposable masks

ï‚· Disposable gloves

ï‚· Lysol Disinfecting Wipes

ï‚· Paper Towels

 

Fourth Grade

ï‚· Paper Towels

ï‚· Pencil Boxes 

ï‚· Individual pencil sharpeners

ï‚· Pencils

ï‚· Erasers

ï‚· Colored pencils

ï‚· Glue sticks


Fifth Grade

ï‚· Paper towels

ï‚· Plastic Gloves

ï‚· Spray cleaner – Clorox or Lysol type

ï‚· Paper Kid Masks

ï‚· Spray Liquid Hand Sanitizer

ï‚· Mini bottles of water

ï‚· Individual cereal boxes

ï‚· 12 golf umbrellas – red and white if possible

ï‚· 20 transparent desk dividers

Final Mustang Mall Sale! Ends TONIGHT, 10/18/2020!

UPDATE! The third round of Mustang Mall is open. This will be the FINAL MM sale for the 2020 calendar year. See details below. Also see additional information in the comments.

Dear Mustang families, the 2020 Mustang Mall is open! We are excited to announce that this year’s mall includes spirit t-shirts, uniform wear, after-school and school-from-home items, accessories and non-medical grade face coverings. Many items are available in adult sizes. This THIRD AND FINAL phase of the mall will close Sunday October 18th 11:59pm. When you place your order, you may choose shipping to your home with shipping charges, or curbside pickup without charge. Orders will ship approx October 29th with priority delivery estimated by October 31st. Curbside pickup will be at the school on/about Thursday October 29th. Exact pickup times will be published closer to the date.

Parents are to ensure the appropriate wear is worn at appropriate times, such as uniforms on uniform days, spirits t-shirts only on advertised days, etc. As always follow FWISD dress guidelines and any additional Ridglea Hills campus communication about special dress or out-of-dress code days.

Parents are to ensure proper fit of uniform items, ensuring each uniform item fits their child according to FWISD dress code. https://www.fwisd.org/Page/5532

Face coverings are not medical grade. Parents are solely responsible for selecting appropriately sized masks for their children. The manufacturer, vendor, district, school, staff and PTA make no warranties as to the effectiveness of the masks to prevent or contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Mustang Mall is an RHPTA fundraiser, all profits go to the general fund to support our amazing school and our wonderful programs.

ORDER NOW!

https://rhespiritshop.itemorder.com/sale


Secret Buddy Drop Off Info!

RH SECRET BUDDYdrop-off bin now out by school front doors. Please leave gifts there, & ONLY buzz the office if it’s FOOD! Thanks all! 

Contact RH Buddies Chair, Beth Wertman: beth_and_markwertman@yahoo.com

FORT WORTH ISD TRUSTEES APPROVE RETURN TO CAMPUS PHASE-IN SCHEDULE

The Fort Worth ISD Board of Education has voted to extend virtual learning by an additional two weeks to October 19 with in-person instruction phased in beginning October 5 for various and special student groups.  All details at: 

https://www.fwisd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=1326&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=74037&PageID=1 

The Library is Missing Books!

The school library is missing 600 books! Please check your homes to see if your student brought any library books home before Spring Break. Thanks for helping us wrangle them!

PTA Membership Perks!

New decal $2 with PTA membership!  Email ivy.ellis@sbcglobal.net for delivery and payment info!

3 Cheers for Our 1st Staff Magnificent Mustang, Ms. Gillaspy!


"Ms. Gillaspy has worked above and beyond with putting together materials so that the students can have to go along with her lessons during virtual learning. My son enjoyed completing the art activities that targeted the objectives taught in class. All the materials for the different activities were given to the students in advance. It was also beneficial to have the lesson plans in advance so that we could pull out the materials needed for the next day the night before. Ms. Gillaspy even went out of her way on two different occasions to deliver materials to my house."  


Ms. Gillaspy is a #supeRHEro! 

Magnificent Mustang - Teacher & Staff

Our teachers and staff are going above and beyond during this time and much of their hard work is behind the scenes. We want to recognize our RHE teachers and staff for all the wonderful ways they're helping us "Keep Our Stride"! We are asking YOU (parents, friends, other teachers, and staff) to help us nominate Magnificent Mustangs - Teacher & Staff Version where they'll be highlighted in the Pony Post and PTA Facebook group! Please submit nominations to brooke@safecarepartners.net 

Happy 2020-21 School Year!

Parents,

Welcome to the start of the 2020-21 school year at Ridglea Hills Elementary! During these challenging times, we have been inspired by the heroic efforts shown by people in our community. Now more than ever we need heroes everywhere, including Ridglea Hills Elementary. Together, we accomplish great things and are a powerful force for good, so this year our theme is: Be SupeRHEroes!

 

We are looking forward to a special school year ahead. We want to help you and your student feel connected to our magnificent Mustang family. Included here is a quick overview of ways to get involved with our stellar school. 

The best way to stay informed about everything going on is by signing up for our different email and social media updates and visiting/bookmarking our RHPTA website. In addition, please have your FWISD background check completed so that you are able to volunteer when interested and available. Finally, please join our PTA – your membership helps provide a voice to all of our students.

 

We are excited to have you in our Mustang family!

 

Rachel Harris

RHPTA President

r.harris@tcu.edu

Virtual Learning Support

The Virtual Learning Support page is the go-to resource for students and parents. Whether you're getting started using a digital device or online application for the first time or need to learn more about how to use a resource, you'll find the support you need here. Our Quick Reference Guides (QRGs) were designed to give you clear, step-by-step directions for completing common tasks within various applications.  In addition to our QRGs, you will find helpful videos that walk you through the applications used for virtual learning.  On this page, we've compiled information and resources specifically for students and parents to help with common learning tools like Google Classroom, Google Meet, Seesaw, ClassLink, and much more. For students who have received a district-issued device, we have several resources available to help parents and students with technical issues. Our goal is to ensure that parents and students have the knowledge and technology skills needed for success during virtual learning. 

Click Here for FWISD Virtual Learning Support
Click Here for RHE COVID-19 Updates
Click Here for Virtual Schedules
Click Here for 2020-21 School Supply Lists
Click Here for Virtual Learning FAQs
Click Here for FWISD Virtual Attendance Guidelines
MESSAGE FROM LIBRARIAN, MS. RICK

AR is now available! Over the summer, AR was moved to a new platform, and the old link will not work. The new link is:

 

https://global-zone53.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/227565

  

Please use the following link for Destiny:

 

https://fwisd.follettdestiny.com/

 

When you click on that link, it will take you to a list of FWISD schools. Click on Ridglea Hills and then catalog to search for a book. When your child has found the book they want, send me an email with the request. My email is: renee.rick@fwisd.org 

 

I will pull the book and set up a time for it to be picked up. 

 

Contact: Ms. Rick at Renee.Rick@fwisd.org  

JOIN THE PTA and RHPTA DIRECTORY!

Many of you have reached out and asked what you can do after you are registered for school. Here are some options!

Contacts:

VP of Volunteers: Jenn Nevitt, jnevitt@sbcglobal.net 

VP of Membership: Ivy Ellis, ivy.ellis@sbcglobal.net 

MUSTANG STAMPEDE is back when we need it most!

Follow the link below to schedule:

https://calendly.com/ridgleahills

Thank you for supporting 5th Grade Fundraising! 

  • Celebrate your RH student with a stampede of mustangs in your front yard! Contact Naomi Gelineau at naomi0617@gmail.com with any questions. 

  • Follow the link below to schedule:

Contact:

5th Grade Fundraising Chair: Naomi Gelineau, naomi0617@gmail.com 

Click Here for Mustang Stampede Calendar!
Upcoming Dates to Know
  • Sunday, Oct. 18 THIRD AND FINAL phase of the mall will close at 11:59 pm
  • Monday, Oct. 19 In-person or Virtual Learning Choice Full Schedule (see table & link above for details) 
  • Monday, Oct. 19WALKATHON 2020 KICKOFF!
  • Thursday, Oct. 22 Mama's Pizza Night! Camp Bowie Blvd. Dine-in or Take Out 2 - 9 pm *Mention Ridglea Hills when you pay
  • Friday, Oct. 23 Walkathon Family & Business Sponsorships Due! Extra Shirt Orders Due!
  • Monday, Oct. 26 - Thursday, Oct. 29 Out of Uniform $2
  • Wednesday, Oct. 28 - Teacher & Friends of RHE Sponsorships Due! 
  • Thursday, Oct. 29 Shirt & Pennant Pick up 8-9:30 am or 3-6 pm
  • Friday, Oct. 30 WALKATHON! In-person only
  • Saturday, Oct. 31 VIRTUAL WALKATHON for ALL 8 am - 2 pm 
Additional Resources
  • General information regarding Ridglea Hills Elementary School is available online at our PTA-sponsored website – www.rhpta.com. Please get familiar with this website and bookmark it on your browser.

  • For specific questions regarding school-administered matters not addressed on www.rhpta.com, including but not limited to academic affairs, school registration, testing, campus security, school programs, Fort Worth ISD policies and procedures, etc., please contact the school office at 817-815-1700.

  • For non-PTA-related posts (i.e., selling uniforms, looking for a carpool group to join, etc.), please head over to the Ridglea Hills Elementary Parents Facebook group.

  • Other helpful Ridglea Hills Elementary School-related Facebook pages include the following:

    • Ridglea Hills Elementary

    • Ridglea Hills Elementary School’s Counselor

    • Ridglea Hills Mustang Muscle (for those RHE dads interested in getting involved with school service projects)

    • RHE Run Club

 

RH Pony Posts Contact: Brooke Mooty, brooke@safecarepartners.net

#BeSupeRHEroes