It's almost GAME TIME! On September 6th, we will "kickoff" the 20th annual Ridglea Hills Elementary Walkathon with a celebration of Team RHE during morning drop-off. You won't want to miss the fun!  Students will be sent home that day with all of the Walkahon-related information you need. 

What is Walkathon? Walkathon is a month-long campaign to strengthen our community and raise money for our school. To celebrate the end of our fundraising efforts, on Friday, October 4th at 8am, the entire school community will walk a 1-mile loop around our neighborhood. Please plan to join us!

Before kickoff, join us for a pre-game meal! On Wednesday, September 4th, after you meet your teachers at Open House, let us do the cooking! Gepetto Pizzas, La Bandida Street Food, and Frios Gourmet Pops will be parked outside RHE and a portion of all sales will benefit the Walkathon fundraiser!

We have some exciting things planned throughout September! Mark your calendars for these events taking place THIS WEEK!

• Wednesday, September 4th

• Food Trucks at Open House 4:30-7:00
• Jason’s Deli orders are due for Special Person’s Day

• Friday, September 6th

• Walkathon Kickoff at Drop-off
• Kona Ice after school
• Spirit Shop – next to Kona Ice

Any questions? Please reach out to Bonnie Gipson at walkathon@rhpta.com

Calling All RHE Volunteers...

RHPTA's Volunteer Interest Form went home with your child last week. If you haven't already, please fill it out and return it to your child’s teacher or email it to volunteers@rhpta.com. You can also submit the form online at the link below.

FWISD requires an online background check for all school volunteers. Background checks must be completed every year for volunteers; they do not carry over to the next school year. To complete your mandatory application and background check to volunteer through Fort Worth ISD, visit www.fwisd.org/volunteers. We encourage you to complete your application and get your approval as soon as possible, so you are ready to volunteer when an opportunity comes up.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Megan Powers, VP of Volunteers at volunteers@rhpta.com or 817.240.6525.

Join the Secret Buddy Program and Show Your Appreciation!

We're excited to launch our Secret Buddy Program for the school year, designed to celebrate and thank our incredible staff members who pour their hearts into our kids every day.  Each staff member will be paired with a "secret buddy," who will surprise them with treats once a month throughout the year.  Treats can range from a candy bar to a Starbucks drink or even a restaurant gift card - whatever you think will bring a smile!

To make this easier, staff members will fill out a form detailing their favorite things.  This way, your surprises will be tailored to their tastes!  

Interested in becoming a secret buddy?

Please e-mail Lauren Simpson at RHBUDDIES@rhpta.com.  If you have a preference for a specific staff member or grade level be sure to mention it in your e-mail.

Let's come together and show our appreciation and make this year extra special for our amazing team!

Thank you for your support!

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered during lunch so far; your help has been GREATLY appreciated by the teachers and staff! 

We are still building out our team - if you are looking for a place to serve at RHE, sign up for lunch!

“The process” itself hasn’t changed - we are just helping to expedite the process. The early dismissal sign-out is in the office and will still be used as needed. We have created a google doc that parents may complete in advance for early dismissals. This is an effort to alleviate parents having to reach out to teachers directly during instruction time and eliminate a long wait for your student to come up to the office, especially when time is critical. We will call the student(s) a few minutes before the requested dismissal time and have them wait for pick up. If the students have not been picked up within 5 minutes of the requested dismissal time, we will return them to class. The form is available below, or on the PTA website - rhpta.com

Here are answers to a few FAQs:

Q: Who can submit the early dismissal request form?
A: Only contacts listed in FOCUS can request an early dismissal.

Q: Are IDs required?
A: Yes. Authorized contacts MUST present a valid, government issued ID before the student will be released.

Q: What’s the earliest I can request an early dismissal?
A: Electronic requests can be made as early as parents would like for the same day. Students will be marked absent if they are not in class at 10am.

Q: What’s the latest time for early dismissals?
A: 2:45  

If there are any other questions, please contact the main office (817) 815-1700.

September

4 - PTA General Meeting (5:15) and Open House (5:30-6:30)

6 - House Day and Walkathon Kick-Off

9 - Special Person’s Day (Guests are invited for lunch)

20 - End of 1st Six Weeks and Popcorn Friday

26 - PTA Meeting (12pm in the Library) - all are welcome

• If you're not signed up to receive our weekly Pony Post, email ponypost@rhpta.com with your child's name, grade and teacher and we'll get you signed up!  

• Also, stay connected with us on Facebook by joining our Ridglea Hills Elementary School PTA group. 

• Get involved by joining the PTA! We have many jobs, large and small, and all make a huge difference in helping to show our Mustang Pride! 

• 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

Sign up to receive the weekly e-newsletter by emailing Julie Grimsley at  PonyPost@RHPTA.com