No School on Feb. 22-23, asynchronous classes Feb. 24-26.

As the city warms and clean-up begins, we understand that there is much to do in these upcoming days. For Monday, February 22, and Tuesday, February 23, classes are canceled. Asynchronous learning will continue for February 24-26. No in-person learning will occur next week as our campuses will be closed for repairs and to allow our staff and Harmony families time to recoup.

 

 

Although our campuses will be closed, our food distribution days will continue on Monday, February 22, for our Harmony families.

Monday and Wednesday 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Harmony Science Academy – Austin: 930 East Rundberg Lane Austin, Texas 78753
Harmony Science Academy – Pflugerville: 1421 W. Wells Branch Pkwy Suite #200 Pflugerville, Texas 78660
Harmony School of Innovation – Austin: 2124 East St. Elmo Rd. A, Austin, Texas 78744
Harmony School of Endeavor – Austin: 13415 FM 620 N Austin, Texas 78717

Monday pick-up will be for Monday and Tuesday meals. Wednesday pick-up will be for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday meals.

 

Thank you, and we hope this message finds each of our families safe.

 

No hay escuela el 22-23 de febrero, clases asincrónicas el 24-26 de febrero.

Como la ciudad se calienta y la limpieza comienza, entendemos que hay mucho hacer en estos días próximos. Para el lunes, 22 de febrero, y el martes, 23 de febrero, se cancelan las clases. El aprendizaje asincrónico seguirá el 24-26 de febrero. Ningún aprendizaje en persona ocurrirá la próxima semana. Las escuelas estarán cerrados por reparaciones y para permitir que nuestro personal y las familias de Harmony tengan tiempo para recuperarse.

Aunque nuestras escuelas estarán cerradas, nuestros días de distribución de comidas continuarán el lunes 22 de febrero, para nuestras familias Harmony.

Lunes y Miércoles 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Harmony Science Academy – Austin: 930 East Rundberg Lane Austin, Texas 78753
Harmony Science Academy – Pflugerville: 1421 W. Wells Branch Pkwy Suite #200 Pflugerville, Texas 78660
Harmony School of Innovation – Austin: 2124 East St. Elmo Rd. A, Austin, Texas 78744
Harmony School of Endeavor – Austin: 13415 FM 620 N Austin, Texas 78717

La recogida del lunes será para comidas de lunes y martes. La recogida del miércoles será para comidas de miércoles, jueves y viernes.

Gracias, y esperamos que este mensaje encuentre a cada una de nuestras familias bien.

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Week of February 22 – Curbside Meal Distribution Next Week

Week of February 22 – Curbside Meal Distribution Next Week

As the days become warmer and the sun shines brighter, we hope our communities can have some relief after this week’s historic winter storm crisis. We understand that many families are still without electricity and water, and our staff is working hard to inform all of the available resources in the community.

Beginning Monday, February 22, our food distribution days will continue for our Harmony families.

Monday and Wednesday 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Harmony Science Academy – Austin: 930 East Rundberg Lane Austin, Texas 78753
Harmony Science Academy – Pflugerville: 1421 W. Wells Branch Pkwy Suite #200 Pflugerville, Texas 78660
Harmony School of Innovation – Austin: 2124 East St. Elmo Rd. A, Austin, Texas 78744
Harmony School of Endeavor – Austin: 13415 FM 620 N Austin, Texas 78717

Throughout the weekend, our Harmony staff is working diligently to assess any building damage that may have occurred to our school campuses because of the freezing temperatures and broken pipes. Some campuses currently do not have water or sufficient water pressure. Please bear with HPS staff as they work to evaluate and repair what they can over the weekend to continue learning on campus.

At this time, we do not have an update for the upcoming week as we evaluate the damages. We will continue to communicate to our Harmony families via social media, email, class dojo, and school messenger as soon as a decision has been made. Thank you and stay safe Harmony.

 

 

Como los días se hacen más calientes y los brillos del sol más brillantes, esperamos que nuestras comunidades puedan tener algún alivio después de la crisis tormentosa de invierno histórica de esta semana. Entendemos que muchas familias todavía son sin electricidad y agua, y nuestro personal trabaja mucho para informar todos los recursos disponibles en la comunidad.

Comenzando el lunes, 22 de febrero, nuestros días de distribución de la comida seguirán para nuestras familias de Harmony.

Lunes y Miércoles 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Harmony Science Academy – Austin: 930 East Rundberg Lane Austin, Texas 78753
Harmony Science Academy – Pflugerville: 1421 W. Wells Branch Pkwy Suite #200 Pflugerville, Texas 78660
Harmony School of Innovation – Austin: 2124 East St. Elmo Rd. A, Austin, Texas 78744
Harmony School of Endeavor – Austin: 13415 FM 620 N Austin, Texas 78717

Durante este fin de semana, nuestro personal de Harmony está trabajando diligentemente para evaluar cualquier daños en loss edificios que haya ocurrido en nuestras escuelas debido a las temperaturas de congelación y las tuberías rotas. Algunos escuelas no tienen agua ni suficiente presión de agua. Por favor sea paciente con el personal de HPS mientras trabajan para evaluar y reparar lo que pueden durante este fin de semana para continuar aprendiendo en el campus.

En este momento, no tenemos una actualización para la próxima semana. Evaluaremos los daños y continuaremos comunicándonos con nuestras familias en los redes sociales, correo electrónico, class dojo y mensajero escolar tan pronto como se haya tomado una decisión. Gracias y mantente salvos Harmony.

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School Closure Update

We hope our Harmony families and staff are safe and warm during this unprecedented winter storm. With the current power outage affecting the greater Austin area combined with inclement weather predicted for the rest of the week, HPS Austin campuses will be closed Tuesday, February 16, through Friday, February 19. There will be no in-person or virtual learning for Tuesday, February 16, Wednesday, February 17, Thursday, February 18, and Friday, February 19. Please stay safe and warm during this time.

Classes Cancelled
Tuesday, February 16
Wednesday, February 17
Thursday, February 18
Friday, February 19

Esperamos que nuestras familias Harmony estén seguras durante esta tormenta de invierno. Con el corte de energía que afecta el área de Austin en conjunto con el tiempo inclemente previsto para el resto de la semana, los campus de HPS Austin estarán cerrados desde el martes 16 de febrero hasta el viernes 19 de febrero. No habrá aprendizaje en persona o virtual para el martes, 16 de febrero, miércoles, 17 de febrero,  jueves, 18 de febrero y el viernes 19 de febrero. Por favor, manténgase seguro y calientitos durante este tiempo.

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We're Hiring

We’re Hiring!

Harmony Public Schools is recruiting talented, compassionate bilingual teachers dedicated to helping every student succeed. Harmony offers a competitive salary, excellent benefits and a commitment to excellence in the classroom.

Interested applicants may apply online by clicking here.

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HPS Austin Enrollment Lottery 2021-2022

 

SAVE-THE-DATE

The HPS Austin Enrollment Lottery will be held on February 19th, 2021.

More details to come!

If you still haven’t applied for the 2021-2022 school year for your child, you still have time!

https://harmonytx.org/apply

Apply now!

HOW DOES THE LOTTERY WORK?
If we receive more applications than there are available openings, Harmony will host a ‘blind’ lottery to make sure all applicants have a fair chance to receive a spot. The lottery is conducted by randomized software, supervised by a campus or district leader, and verified by notary public.
SELECTION PROCESS
Q. Are students selected based on a first-come, first-serve process? All eligible applications submitted by the application deadline will be entered into the lottery. Students are selected based on pre-defined, Board-approved criteria (if applicable) such as sibling and staff priorities.
Q. How is the lottery conducted? The lottery is conducted in accordance with pre-approved guidelines. The online system generates the list of applicants that are to be awarded seats and an ordered waitlist.
Q. When will parents be notified if they are selected to participate in a program? Parents will receive notification by email if their child has been selected once the lottery has been completed.
Q. What if my child is not selected for the initial lottery process? Once the initial emails have been sent to those students who are accepted, parents must accept the seat and/or participate in a screening process. Once vacancies become available, students in the waiting pool will be offered seats using the selection process.
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Harmony Public Schools employees receive major benefits upgrade

Teachers and other staff members of Harmony Public Schools will receive a major upgrade to their employer-paid benefits package after the Harmony Public Schools Executive Board unanimously approved a sweeping new benefits expansion.

 

The package will go into effect later this spring with the start of Harmony’s annual benefits enrollment period, and includes new employer-paid benefits related to health care, retirement, and life insurance.

 

“The past year, the world has seen the true value of our teachers and team members in a way they never have before,” Harmony Public Schools CEO Fatih Ay said. “These professionals who take such good care of our students deserve to know that they are being taken care of, as well – both their immediate needs and their long-term needs. So we are excited to be able to offer them an additional set of benefits that saves them money on their health care costs each month, while also helping them prepare for their retirement down the road.”

 

The new benefits include:

 

MATCHING RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTIONS: Exempt employees can receive 100% matching contribution to employee 403(b) and/or 457(b) plan, up to $1,500 annually depending on tenure of service. This is in addition to employee’s TRS Retirement System Benefits.

 

  • Previously: No employer matching contribution. 

 

FREE VISION: Free vision care for employees.

 

  • Previously: Employee-paid supplemental benefit.

 

FREE DENTAL: Free dental care for employees. 

  • Previously: Employee-paid supplemental benefit.

INCREASED FREE LIFE INSURANCE POLICY: Free $100,000 life insurance policy for all Exempt employees.

 

  • Previously: Free $20,000 life insurance policy.

 

The package amounts to a roughly $2.4 million estimated increase in annual expenditure on employer-paid benefits for the Texas-based school system. However, Harmony Public Schools CEO Fatih Ay said the investment was worth it because of the positive impact on employee quality of life, work-life balance, and workplace satisfaction.

 

“The investments with the best returns are always the investment made in people,” Ay said. “We’ll continue to make these kinds of investments on behalf of our employees as often as we can.” 

 

The expansion was the fourth major announcement related to employee benefits made by Harmony in the past year. The school system also announced two employee bonuses last year, as well as a promise to continue independently offering the now-expired federal COVID-19 leave benefits for impacted employees.

 

For a full list of Harmony Public Schools employer-paid and supplemental benefits, please visit https://www.harmonytx.org/benefits.

 

Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with campuses serving PreK-Grade 12 students in 23 cities across the state, including Greater Houston, DFW, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Waco, Lubbock, Odessa, Bryan, Beaumont, and the Rio Grande Valley. Harmony’s curriculum places a heavy focus on STEM skills, Character Education, project-based learning, and college readiness. 

 

Harmony Public Schools is currently accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year for both students and team members.

 

 

About Harmony Public Schools

 

Harmony Public Schools are 58 high performing PreK-12 college preparatory charter schools throughout Texas. Harmony blends the highest standards and expectations, with a rigorous math- and science-centered curriculum and dedicated and engaged teachers and families to cultivate excellence and prepare students to succeed in college, careers and life. At Harmony Public Schools, we believe every child can succeed, and we are committed to helping them realize their full potential. To learn more about Harmony Public Schools and our 58 campuses across Texas, please visit: www.harmonytx.org, and follow us on Twitter at @HarmonyEdu and ‘Like’ us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HarmonyTexas.

 

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Spread the Love Spirit Week – Monday, February 22nd-Friday, February 26th

February represents the month of love and kindness…so let’s do our part with our Spread the Love Spirit Week.  All spirit day attire must still be school appropriate according to our Harmony Free Dress Policy.

Monday – Spread the Love Day:  wear Valentine attire or wear red, pink and/or white and tell someone what they mean to you

Tuesday – Let Kindness Shine Day:  wear anything shiny, with sparkles, bright or neon colors & give someone a “glowing” compliment.

Wednesday – Dreaming of Kindness Day:   wear your pj’s or a shirt with happy emoji’s or other happy thoughts and share your Kindness Dream with your class.

Thursday – Peace, Love & Kindness Day:  wear tie-dye or attire with words of positivity & spread positive words to your your friends, teachers or class.

Friday – Love the Team Spirit Day:  wear your school spirit shirt and appreciate someone on your team.

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Student & Staff Holiday – Monday, February 15th

In honor of President’s Day we will have a Student & Staff Holiday on Monday, February 15th.

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Student Holiday & District Professional Development Day – Friday, February 12th

There will be a Student Holiday due to our District Professional Development Day on Friday, February 12th. Enjoy your long weekend!

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Student Holiday & Parent Teacher Conference Day – Wednesday, February 3rd

There will be a Student Holiday and Parent-Teacher Conference Day on Wednesday, February 3rd. Your student’s teacher will send information home soon with more information for availability.Please review the helpful tips for a successful conference under the Academics section further down in the newsletter.

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ESL Virtual Parent Meeting – Tuesday, January 26th, 5-6pm

Join us for an informational meeting for all parents of our ESL students on Tuesday, January 26th from 5-6pm. The Zoom meeting link will be sent to parents from Mrs. Cox.
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HSS-Austin Virtual Science Fair Awards Ceremony – Monday, January 25th, 5-6pm

HSS-Austin will present its Science Fair Awards Ceremony on Monday, January 25th. We look forward to viewing the wonderful projects that our students have created this year. If you would like to join us to see the amazing projects and support the participants, please log in on Monday at 5pm.

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Scien-tastic Spirit Week – Week of January 25th – 29th

it’s January Scien-tastic Spirit Week! Our January Spirit Week will be dedicated to Science & STEM!  This is a great time to get creative and make your own Scien-tastic shirt, hat, accessory or another design at home.  Don’t forget that all spirit day attire must still be school appropriate according to our Harmony Free Dress Policy.

Monday – Mad Science Day:  dress like a scientist in your lab coat or a well known scientist from real life or from one of your favorite books or TV show characters (Einstein, Bill Nye, Sid the Science Kid, Ms. Frizzle or any other scientist) or wear a shirt with a science theme.

Tuesday – Robot Re-boot:  dress like a robot, make a robot hat or wear a shirt with a robot on it.

Wednesday – Outta This World Day:  wear a NASA shirt, dress like an astronaut or wear a shirt with the sun, moon, stars or any sort of space theme.

Thursday – STEM/Science Freestyle:  get creative and wear anything related to STEM or Science…a shirt, “sun” hat, crazy socks or hair, dress like an engineer, mathematician, science or STEM teacher, doctor or nurse.

Friday – Scien-tastic Tiger Day:  wear your HSS Tiger spirit shirt

 

Don’t forget to post your Spirit Week Photos on our Facebook page or email them to Ms. Williams (Subject Line:  Science Spirit Week – Tiger Talk) to appear in our Tiger Talk newsletter!

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Student & Staff Holiday – Monday, January 18, 2021

In observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday there will be a student and staff holiday on Monday, January 18th. Enjoy your long weekend!

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Classes Cancelled for Monday, January 11th 2021

 

Due to ongoing inclement weather conditions, Harmony Public Schools Austin will cancel both in-person and virtual learning for Monday, January 11th, 2021. We will resume a regular schedule on Tuesday, January 12th, 2021.

Stay safe, and stay warm, Harmony families!

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Debido a las inclemencias climáticas, Harmony Public Schools Austin cancelará el aprendizaje en persona y virtual para el lunes 11 de enero de 2021. Reanudaremos un horario regular el martes 12 de enero de 2021.

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Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Announcement!

In accordance with the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented students, Harmony Public Schools will begin taking referrals for all interested students in grades K-12 for Gifted and Talented (G/T) screening. 

 

Anyone interested in the educational welfare of these students may nominate them for assessment. Students in grades 2 & up who were tested in Fall 2020 are not eligible to test in Spring 2021. Referral forms are available at the front office and on the school’s website.

 

Referral Form (English): Parent GT Referral Form in English

Referral Form (Spanish): Parent GT Referral Form in Spanish

 

The referral forms must be returned to the front office by Monday, February 8, 2021. The Spring GT testing window is set by the campus in February or March. Campuses may elect to use NWEA MAP scores as a prescreening criterion for GT Testing.

 

For more information about the screening and identification process, parents may contact the school’s GT Coach/teacher. 

 

Educación para estudiantes dotados/talentosos (GATE) Anuncio

 

De acuerdo con el Plan Estatal de Texas para la Educación de Estudiantes Dotados / Talentosos, Harmony Public Schools comenzará a tomar referencias para todos los estudiantes interesados en los grados K-12 para la evaluación de estudiantes dotados y talentosos.

 

Cualquier persona interesada en el bienestar educativo de estos estudiantes puede nominarlos para dicha evaluación. Los estudiantes en los grados 2 y superiores que fueron evaluados en el otoño de 2020 no son elegibles para la prueba en la primavera de 2021. Los formularios de referencia están disponibles en la oficina y en el sitio web de la escuela.

 

Forma de nominación: Parent GT Referral Form in Spanish

 

Los formularios de referencia deben devolverse a la oficina de la escuela antes del lunes 8 de febrero del 2021. 

 

Para obtener más información sobre el proceso de selección e identificación, los padres pueden comunicarse con el entrenador / maestro de GT de la escuela.

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Harmony extends expired federal COVID-19 benefits for all employees

 On the first school day after important federal workplace safeguards expired for millions of Americans,  Harmony Public Schools’ Executive Board voted to independently provide the much-needed benefits to its 4,000+ employees.

 

The benefits previously were part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), a federal program which provided American workers a number of workplace safeguards related to COVID-19. Primarily, the benefits included up to 10 Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) days if an employee was unable to work due to COVID-19 diagnosis, symptoms, possible exposure, or required quarantine for themselves, a family member, or child care provider. 

Those federal benefits expired December 31, 2020. However, The Harmony Public Schools’ Executive Board voted at an emergency meeting Monday night, January 4, to independently extend the same benefits to employees throughout the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.

 

“The Harmony board felt this action was not only an important thing to do, but the right thing to do for our staff and their families,” Harmony CEO Fatih Ay said in a letter to employees  Tuesday. “By offering these benefits, our team members can know that their jobs and livelihoods will not be impacted if they need to seek treatment for COVID-19 or stay home with possible symptoms. Additionally, our student families also can know that Harmony is doing all it can to take care of the team members who take care of their students, and reduce potential COVID-19 exposure on campus.”

On the first school day after important federal workplace safeguards expired for millions of Americans, Harmony Public Schools’ Executive Board voted to independently provide the much-needed benefits to its 4,000+ employees.

Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with campuses serving PreK-12 students in 23 cities across the state, including Greater Houston, DFW, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Waco, Lubbock, Odessa, Bryan, Beaumont, and the Rio Grande Valley. Harmony’s curriculum places a heavy focus on STEM skills, Character Education, project-based learning, and college readiness. 

 

The school system has committed to offering both in-person and remote learning options for students throughout the 2020-2021 school year, and is now accepting applications for new students for the 2021-22 school year.

 

About Harmony Public Schools

 

Harmony Public Schools are 58 high performing PreK-12 college preparatory charter schools throughout Texas. Harmony blends the highest standards and expectations, with a rigorous math- and science-centered curriculum and dedicated and engaged teachers and families to cultivate excellence and prepare students to succeed in college, careers and life. At Harmony Public Schools, we believe every child can succeed, and we are committed to helping them realize their full potential. To learn more about Harmony Public Schools and our 58 campuses across Texas, please visit: www.harmonytx.org, and follow us on Twitter at @HarmonyEdu and ‘Like’ us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HarmonyTexas.

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2019–20 School Report Card

The 2019–20 School Report Cards (SRCs) are now available on the Texas Education Agency’s website. The purpose of the SRC is to inform parents and guardians about a campus’ individual characteristics and its academic performance. Due to COVID-19, all campuses and districts received a label of Not Rated: Declared State of Disaster for the 2019–20 school year. Therefore, several data points have not been updated, including STAAR® and academic growth data.
 
If you are unable to access the report electronically and would like a paper copy of the report, please contact your school and ask for a paper copy of the 2019-2020 School Report Card.
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HSS-Austin Virtual Science Fair – Friday, January 22nd

HSS-Austin will present its annual Science Fair on Friday, January 22nd. We look forward to viewing the wonderful projects that our students have created. More details will be released soon.

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Report Cards Will be Mailed Home the Week of January 4, 2021

Parents may access student semester grades in Skyward at this time. Report cards will be mailed to each student’s home mailing address the week of January 4, 2021. Please make sure that we have your current mailing address if you have recently moved.

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Online 2021-2022 Re-Enrollment for Current Harmony Students – January 1st-22nd

It’s Re-Enrollment Season. We ask that our current Harmony families complete the online Re-Enrollment process via Skyward. This re-enrollment process will let us know that our students will be joining us for another great year of academic success for the 2021-2022 school year.

This process also includes our 5th grade students going to middle school…you may re-enroll through this process as well indicating which Harmony Middle School campus your student is planning to attend.

Deadline for online re-enrollment via Skyward (parent log-in):  January 22, 2021

Deadline for current proof of residency:  January 29, 2021

If we do not receive the proof of residency by the January 29th deadline your child will not have a guaranteed spot for the 2021-2022 school year.  Please review the following re-enrollment video for instructions:

2021-2022 Harmony Re-Enrollment Instruction Video

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Winter background with blue sky and snow on the ground. Snowman with Winter Break No School written in black text.

Winter Holiday Break – Monday, December 21st – Tuesday, January 5th

Winter Break is on the way! Winter Break will begin on Monday, December 21st and ends for students on Tuesday, January 5th.  All students return to school (virtual learning & on campus) on Wednesday, January 6, 2021!  Have a wonderful time with your families and enjoy the holiday!

 

*Please note: due to COVID-19 & any updated State of Texas orders, the date of entry to on campus learning is subject to change at any time.  We will send any updates to our parents if there are any changes.

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Virtual Winter Break Coding Camps for Harmony Students!

Looking for an engaging coding activity for your student over the winter break?  Harmony students have an opportunity to attend virtual coding classes and learn a few new skills.  This program is offered by UT Dallas faculty and students for 1st-12th grade Harmony students. The fee is $10 payable via the link on the flyer before December 21st.

 

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Winter “Lot of Lights Drive Thru Event – Wednesday, December 16th, 5:30-6:30pm

We will host a special winter event – “Lot of Lights” next week on Wednesday, December 16th for our students! This event will be a drive thru event only in the back parking lot (dismissal area). Families will drive through similar to a mini trail of lights. You may drive through a second time if you missed something or just want to take another ride around.

We will display a variety of lights, a holiday movie on a large screen, other winter decorations and a few of your teachers may be there to say Happy Holidays as we head into our winter break. We hope you will be able to stop by as we miss all of you & want to see your faces.

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Holiday Cheer Spirit Week – Monday, December 14th – Friday, December 18th

It’s time for our last spirit week of the year…it’s December’s Holiday Cheer Spirit Week! Our December Spirit Week will be dedicated to spreading the holiday cheer!  Don’t forget that all spirit day attire must still be school appropriate according to our Harmony Free Dress Policy.

Monday – Comfy Cozy Monday:  Wear your favorite super comfy, soft & cozy shirt or an entire outfit

Tuesday – Plenty of Plaid Tuesday:  Wear anything plaid or flannel

Wednesday – Holiday Hat Wednesday:  Wear your favorite holiday hat, socks and/or face mask

Thursday – Holiday PJ Thursday:  Wear your favorite warm & fuzzy holiday or red & green pj’s

Friday – Ugly Holiday Sweater Day:  Wear your best or worst holiday sweater or shirt & jeans

 

Don’t forget to post your Spirit Week Photos on our Facebook page to appear in Tiger Talk!

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