Forest Trail November 9th Newsletter

FTE TRAIL BLAZER

November 9th, 2017

Forest Trail Elementary

PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING

The results are in and voters have approved the Eanes TRE! Before you view the video message from Dr. Leonard, I wanted to thank the FTE community for going to the polls, encouraging others to do the same and taking an active role in shaping the future of our district. While they are golden, the pennies are not magic. As is the case with other districts in Texas, challenges still exist; however, you have helped place Eanes in a better position to face them.

Last week concluded with an amazing event at FTE. Our annual STEAM Fest was held on Friday, and our students benefited from 100 presenters, 39 different presentations and over 100 volunteers. It was a wonderful day of learning, engagement and application. Special thanks to Leslie Odom for overseeing this monumental task, as well as Hedwig Wenniger, Erin Ludwig, Laura Boone, Andrea Romero, and Kelley Inmon who make up our Science Committee. One last and BIG thank you to Elizabeth Hooks and Shannon Harvey for going above and beyond the call of duty by stepping in and becoming presenters at the last moment.

Spread those good vibes!

I'm hoping you will partner with me in this initiative by taking a moment to recognize a FTE staff member. Is there someone that you would like to praise? I would love to hear about it. Please click below the "Good Vibes Only" image to share your thoughts, and I will make sure that the deserving staff member receives your positive message.

Please Click Here

SCHOOL NEWS

Kindergarten Gifted and Talented

On Monday, November 6th, the Kindergarten GT Assessment Information meeting was held at Valley View Elementary. If you did not get a chance to attend, the link to the slides from the meeting are on Mrs. Harvey's website. Here you can also find the link to give consent for your child to be assessed. November 21st is the deadline to give consent. Please contact Shannon Harvey at sharvey@eanesisd.net if you have any questions.

SAVE THE DATE:

SCHOLASTIC HOLIDAY BOOK FAIR BEGINS SUNDAY, DEC. 3RD, FROM 12:00 - 4:00 PM in the FTE Library. The BOOK FAIR will be open on Monday the 4th, and Tuesday the 5th, from 7:30AM - 4:00PM. Take advantage of One - Stop shopping for Teacher Gifts and Stocking Stuffers!

Forest Trail Yearbooks

Reserve your copy of the Forest Trail Elementary School ALL COLOR yearbook. For a limited time, the yearbooks are on sale for $25. The price will increase on December 23rd. Make sure your student has their very own yearbook so the memories of this year will not be forgotten. BOOKS ALWAYS SELL OUT AND CAN ONLY BE ORDERED ONLINE!

Personalize your yearbook with your child's name on the cover for $5

until March 1st.

Go to www.balfour.com Type Forest Trail Elementary to order.

Attention 5th grade parents....Pridelines are back this year! Parents must go online (www.balfour.com -- Yearbook Ads) to design your ad and pay for it. The 1/8 page ad is $15.00 and only available to 5th grade parents or family members! The hard deadline is February 16th so don't delay as no exceptions can be made to this. There are only a certain number of spots in the yearbook for these so they are on a first come, first serve basis.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Forest Trail's Veterans Day Assembly

Invite your Veterans to our special Forest Trail Elementary Veterans Day Festivities on Monday, November 13th, at 8:45am in the Forest Trail Elementary Cafeteria.

Activities include:
Photo Booth with photographer for our Veterans and their families in the FTE art foyer
Preferred seating for our Veterans in the assembly (front and center)
Special song tributes to our veterans
Special speaker at the assembly: Stephen D. Wiehe Author and Former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Forward Observer with the 101st Airborne Division
Hallways adorned with special patriotic artwork
Hallways lined with pictures of our veterans

EISD NEWS

Community Approves Penny Swap & Drop/TRE
Eanes ISD voters overwhelmingly passed the proposed tax ratification, or Penny Swap & Drop proposition by 89 percent in the November 7 election. The TRE approval lowers the overall Eanes ISD tax rate by more than a penny to $1.20 and adds an estimated $3 million of non-recapturable funds to the district's operating budget. Read More...

BOOSTER CLUB CORNER

Mark Your Calendars - This Friday, November 10th, at 8:45 in the FTE library, Coffee with Principal Spraberry followed by presentation by Brain Balance and FTE's RTI team.

Please join us on Friday, November 10th, at 8:45 for coffee and conversation with Principal Spraberry followed by a presentation featuring Brain Balance Achievement Center and our own RTI team. Coffee talk is a great time to hear about campus initiatives that you won't read about on the website or in newsletters. Also, it is a great time for some one on one interaction with staff and parents. After coffee talk, our presenters will focus on early detection of a range of social/academic and developmental issues, along with different avenues parents can take in navigating these waters. As parents we are always wanting to ensure we are giving our children the tools to succeed in both school and life – come hear what these experts have to say about a wide spectrum of social/emotional/educational issues. To learn more about Brain Balance Achievement Centers visit https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/.

Friday, November 10th, is MOVIE NIGHT at FTE! NEW TIME!! Join us at 5:45 for 6pm Start!!!

The Booster would like to invite all Forest Trail families and Staff to Movie Night on the FTE Field on Friday, November 10th, with set movie starting at 6pm. We will be showing SING. Bring your family, lawn chairs, flashlights, blankets, snacks and beverages to the FTE Field at 5:45pm to set up for a fun outdoor screening of the movie Sing at 6pm.

Calling All Kindergarten Parents - There is Still Time to Purchase Your Parent Social Tickets, but it is Running Out!

Keep Kinder Weird!! Friday, November 17th, at 6:30pm at the Odom home.

1st Grade Hippies & Hipsters! Friday, November 17th, at 7:30pm (Only 2 Tickets Left) at the Pike Home. Tickets only $45 each. Purchase them today on the HUB:

https://sites.google.com/a/eanesisd.net/fte/booster-club/the-hub-online-store

Thank You to our Core STEAMfest Chairs, Amazing Presenters and Everyone that Contributed to Making 2017 FTE STEAMfest the Best One Yet!

Our children had a full, fun day of learning and activities. Thank you to our STEAMfest Chair Leslie Odom and her core team: Kelley Inmon, Laura Boone, Hedwig Wenninger, Andrea Romero and Teri Smart.

IT'S COMING……Look for website updates later week on how you can snag a ticket to the BEST FTE Party of the Year…VIP Style and how you can advertise your business as a sponsor! You WILL NOT want to miss this one!

Digital Birthday Cards (November orders still accepted.)

Purchase a digital birthday card for your child and have the image run on the FTE communication screens in the foyer and the cafeteria the month of his/her birthday! Fun way to celebrate a special day all month long. Digital cards can be purchased on the HUB and are $10 each. Cards can be purchased at: https://www.studentinfohub.net/fte/default.taf?process=&logout=now