Monday/Lunes
MAY 14th/14 DE MAYO

Kinder – 2nd 8:30 – 11:00;
PreK, 3rd-5th 12:20 – 2:30

Monday, May 14th, come join your child in the gardens! Classes will rotate among stations around the school. Volunteers are also needed in the front courtyard, in the butterfly garden behind the school, and in the bird garden by the chicken coop. Please contact Ms. Ayala if you can help!

Thanks to all who volunteered their time over the past two Saturdays to smash tile and add stucco to the raised bed so that it’s ready for the mosaic. The project is coming along! (See the Garden page or Ridgetop Elementary PTA’s facebook page for photos.)

Today marks the 100th Day of School! Students will be marking the occasion with a parade, festive clothing and lots of math with 100s! That’s a lot of days under their belts.

If you are interested in the dual language program at Ridgetop for 2012-2013 (and Ridgetop is your neighborhood school or you have already completed the Transfer Application), the next step is to fill out the Dual Language Application form and Commitment Letter from the AISD website by February 24th. Then come to our Kindergarten Round-up later this Spring! (Details will be posted on the Ridgetop website.) Please stop by the office or call if you have questions or need any more info.

AISD website: http://archive.austinisd.org/academics/curriculum/dl/index.phtml
Ridgetop Office: (512) 414-4469

Ridgetop’s 2nd Annual Holiday Bazaar will feature beautiful, unique handcrafted gifts by students and local artisans and yummy homemade goodies. Stop in on Saturday, Dec. 3rd, from 10:00-2:00 in the school gymnasium. It’s the perfect place to do your holiday shopping!

http://ridgetoprattlers.com/HolidayBazaar/

Please come to the School Board meeting at 7:00 on Monday, 10/24, and to a Public Hearing on the Facilities Master Plan on Oct. 25th at 6:00 (both at the Caruth Administrative Offices on W. 6th). Voice your support of Ridgetop and let the Board know that we don’t want to move. We love our little school!

What’s happening: AISD is having a meeting tomorrow at Dobie MS, 1200 E. Rundberg, from 10 am – noon (childcare provided). They will be asking us to respond to their ideas to help overcrowded schools north of Ridgetop. Several of their ideas may change Ridgetop and the dual language program.

What’s needed: Ridgetop parent voices to tell the district that while we want all kids to be in schools that are not overcrowded, we also want recognition that the dual language program has helped Ridgetop grow quickly, from 180 students to almost 300 in under two years, and we expect that growth to continue. Moreover, this is a pilot program for the district – it is too soon to make changes to it, when the first group has not even gotten to 3rd grade yet. We need a united, strong message!

IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO CHANGE RIDGETOP WHEN THE DISTRICT’S PLANS FOR DUAL LANGUAGE AND THE SCHOOL ARE WORKING!

On Oct. 6th Ridgetop joined schools around the country in reading Llama Llama Red Pajama. Jumpstart’s Read for the Record program is giving a free library to the school whose photo of the event wins the most votes by Oct. 17th. Please go to and “like” the photo posted by parent Monica Rivera of her reading to our children.

Thank you to all of the families who contributed to make the Amigos de Ridgetop Fundraiser such a huge success. We raised $6,744 during the three-week campaign! We are so excited about all of the great things that will come from it – field trips, classroom supplies, library books, gardening and habitat programs, after school programming for parents and students, just to name a few of this year’s goals. Thank you, Ridgetop families! Please join us for a Celebration Breakfast on Friday, Sept. 30th at 7:30 a.m.

Please join us for Garden Day on Friday, Sept. 30th! All are welcome to come get their hands dirty with the students as they plant seeds, mulch their gardens, enrich the soil and learn about the drought and purple martins.

Volunteers are needed to help with stations from 8:30-10:45 (am shift) or 12:15-2:30 (pm shift). Please contact Ms. Ayala at cayala@austinisd.org if you can donate some time. It is much appreciated!