September 9th-13^th is Education Go Get It Week! We will be sharing information about college, career, and military opportunities and the importance of education in reaching our goals.

On Friday, September 13^th, we will celebrate College Colors Day! We encourage everyone to wear their favorite college T-shirt or college colors.

This week’s Walkathon Event Schedule (see full details below):

Monday, 9/9:

• Spirit Shop at Special Person’s Day

• Pickup Pre-ordered Jason’s Deli Outside the Main Entrance

Tuesday, 9/10:

• Spirit Shop (morning)

Wednesday, 9/11:

• Out of Dress Code ($2)

• Spirit Night: Chicken Salad Chick (6124 Camp Bowie) 10:30am-8pm

Friday, 9/13:

• PERMISSION SLIPS ARE DUE

• Family Sponsorship Forms are due to be considered for the weekly challenge

• Spirit Shop (afternoon)

• Kona Ice 2:15pm - 3:45pm

Walkathon is FINALLY here! Kickoff was a win! We cannot thank Monnig and Arlington Heights drumlines and Monnig cheer enough for their support year after year. It is incredible to see so many former RHE Mustangs return to their stomping grounds and be shining examples for current Mustangs. They stand out as leaders in middle/high school and beyond. That is the legacy of Team RHE.

We hope you have had a chance to look through your Walkathon packets and find ways YOU can take part in the 20th anniversary of of this beloved RHE tradition. This week, our challenge is A Sweet Start to our fundraising efforts! Week one is a Family Sponsorship Drive. The grade level that turns in the most family sponsorships by Friday, September 13th will get to see their teachers pied in the face by Mrs. Cotton. We absolutely adore our teachers but cheering when they get a face full of pie is a completely appropriate (and encouraged) response! So, ask your friends, family and neighbors to invest in Ridglea Hills and help your student’s grade win the prize! Sponsorship forms are available in your Walkathon packet, in the front office, or online at RHPTA.com. Online payments may be submitted athttps://ridglea-hills-elementary-pta.square.sitePlease be sure to include the student(s) name and teacher on all sponsorship forms so each class can receive credit. If you have multiple students, sponsorships will count towards each of their classes. ALL family sponsorships turned in by 9/13/2024 will count towards this challenge.

This week’s Spirit Night is at Chicken Salad Chick (6124 Camp Bowie) on Wednesday, September 11th from 10:30am-8pm. Head to Chicken Salad Chick for lunch or dinner (tell everyone you know, too!), mention Ridglea Hills Elementary, and a portion of all proceeds will be donated to RHE.

We will have four Spirit Shops this week. We have ALL the good stuff, including house-colored items! Items range in price from $0.50-$4.00. See dates and times below. Students may be out of dress code on Wednesday with the purchase of a $2 wrist band. Wrist bands are available for purchase at Spirit Shops and on Wednesdays at drop off. Kona Ice will return Friday afternoon so plan to treat your kids after a busy week!

Walkathon Permission Slips were sent home on Friday. They must be returned to your student’s teacher by Friday, September 13th. Extra copies can be found in the office or at RHPTA.com.

Walkathon T-shirts are an important part of this event. They are given, free of charge, to EVERY student and staff member. They are a symbol of Ridglea Hills pride and display the names of those who invest in our school during this fundraising campaign. They will be worn on Walkathon Day, for field trips, and various other days throughout the year. If you would like to be a part of the sea of blue (SPOILER! The shirts are blue!) that will walk the hills on October 4th, shirts may be purchased for the whole family using the form in your packet (extras are in the office or at RHPTA.com) or athttps://ridglea-hills-elementary-pta.square.site

If you are interested in donating your time to make Walkathon happen, those opportunities can be found here.https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054EAAA62AA5F94-51093412-ridglea?fbclid=IwY2xjawFIUZhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYqcVqkGueEtqKa4RZ5VCyDoj2omeDYKU5YUWzkzgDEPVBx7YpeoACErew_aem_nAnLg0kHkri-I9QtIUnidA#/

Don’t forget to have your child work on their Walkathon Winner’s Bracket worksheet (found in their packets) throughout the month. We know Team RHE is ready to step up to the plate and make this the best Walkathon yet! Join the RHPTA Facebook page to stay up to date with Walkathon information!

https://facebook.com/groups/166389053795/

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.  We only have a few staff members left, so let's work together to 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

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

October

3 - House Day 

4 - WALKATHON

14 - No School

17-18 - Book Fair Preview Days

21-25 - Fall Book Fair

24 - PTA Meeting (6 pm in the Library)

25 - House Day

25 - Carnival (6-8 pm)

29 - 4th Grade Music Program (6:30 in the Auditorium)

31 - Storybook Parade

• 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