Kids Hope USA

In May, T. J. Austin Elementary School launched a partnership between the school and Kids Hope USA.

Kids Hope USA engages with at-risk children in supportive, mentoring relationships that provide one-on-one, positive attention from a responsible, caring adult. Mentors, provided by First Baptist Church in Tyler, spend one hour per week, reading, talking, playing with, and listening to a child at school in order to help the child learn, grow, and succeed.

Many families leave the TV on for hours, playing in the background even when no-one is watching. But a recent scientific study suggests that background TV is linked to problems with learning and reading among young children.

According to the study, which looked at children up to eight years of age, many children are exposed to close to four hours of background TV every day. The child may be playing or eating in the room while the TV plays in the background. This constant background distraction can be especially harmful to young children because it disrupts the mental tasks needed for learning.

Children aged two or under should not watch any TV because it can interfere with language development. Even older children should watch no more than one to two hours of age-appropriate TV per day.

Recommendation to parents: Turn off the TV and tune in to your children by reading to them every day, beginning when they are babies.

Student of the Month

Austin Elementary 5^th-grader Zhane Beard has been selected as TISD Student of the Month for April. She was recognized at the TISD school board meeting held on April 19. A short film clip of Zhane, shot at the school, was shown at the meeting.

Principal Turner commented: “We are very proud of Zhane’s accomplishments, her character, and her enthusiasm for learning.”

Congratulations, Zhane!

Latest school newsletter now available

Austin Elementary’s latest newsletter is now available on Principal Turner’s page here. Scroll down and click on “newsletter” under “files” (available in both English and Spanish).

Jazz at Café Austin

Tyler ISD Director of Fine Arts George Faber presented a special music performance to Austin Elementary students in the school cafeteria recently. Mr. Faber at the keyboard was accompanied by two other professional musicians: Eli Love on saxophone and trumpet; and Theo Weston on bass.

Mr. Faber’s 30-minute program introduced jazz to Austin students. He explained that jazz, “America’s classical music,” found its roots in the African-American slavery experience and developed through the early days of ragtime into swing, bop, and progressive jazz. Mr. Faber’s band played compositions by Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Stevie Wonder.

The concert represented the culmination of a unit taught by Austin Elementary music teacher Thana Parker focusing on African-American music. Ms. Parker asked Mr. Faber to visit Austin as an extension of the unit.

Mr. Faber told students how his interest in music developed and its influence on his life and career. He brought along the first musical instrument he played in the fifth grade and used it in one of the show pieces.

“This was music at its best,” said Ms. Parker. “I appreciate Mr. Faber’s turning the event into a music lesson on jazz and incorporating his own experience into the story. All the students I spoke to afterwards enjoyed the program very much. We will read Duke Ellington’s story next week and hear more of his music,” she added.

Teacher of the Year

Principal Carolyn Turner has announced that Rhona Meads is Austin Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year for 2011-2012. Ms. Meads teaches fourth-grade math and science and has been a teacher for 19 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Texas A&M University–Commerce and a master’s degree from the University of North Texas in Denton.

Ms. Meads was inspired to become a teacher by her eighth-grade science teacher and her goal is to be that kind of inspirational teacher – one who makes every student feel important and successful and, above all, helps every student love to learn. “I am honored to have been selected as Teacher of the Year,” said Ms. Meads. “I believe that to teach is to touch a heart forever, and my heart has been touched by hundreds of students over the years.”

Principal Turner described Ms. Meads as a teacher who exemplifies excellence in her craft and dedication to her students. “We congratulate Ms. Meads and we are delighted to honor her hard work on behalf of our students,” she said.

Austin faculty and administration hosted a special Teacher of the Year Reception to honor Ms. Meads in the school library on Wednesday, April 18^th.

Campus Report Card

T.J. Austin Elementary School’s campus report card for 2010-11 is now available from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). For details, click here to go to our AEIS page. Then, click on “Austin Campus Report Card” under the options listed on the right.

(AEIS or Academic Excellence Indicator System reports provide performance information about every public school and district in the state.)

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