February 13, 2026

Spicewood Principal Newsletter

Hello Spicewood Families,

We are so grateful to our amazing parent community for the delicious Chinese New Year lunch that was shared with our staff this week — it was such a thoughtful treat and truly appreciated by everyone! We also had a wonderful time celebrating with our small Valentine’s class parties and card sharing. It was so much fun seeing the smiles and sweet moments across campus. As a reminder, students will enjoy an upcoming four-day weekend. We hope your family has a safe, restful, and enjoyable break together!

Earlier this week, I sent an email about the opportunity to donate coffee for our teachers — thank you to the many families who have already contributed! We truly appreciate your generosity. If you would still like to participate, the flyer is included below in the newsletter. On Tuesday, our teachers will be engaged in professional development and required compliance training, and a little extra coffee will certainly help keep everyone energized and focused. Thank you for supporting our amazing staff!

As we continue working together to keep our students safe, we kindly ask all families to drive slowly and carefully in the school zones around our campus. Our children’s safety is always our top priority, and reduced speeds help ensure everyone arrives and leaves safely each day. We also ask that drivers refrain from using cell phones while in the car rider line so that everyone can remain alert and attentive to students, staff, and traffic flow. Thank you for partnering with us to create a safe and secure environment for all of our Spicewood Elementary students.

Sincerely,

Melanie Solis

Principal

Spicewood Elementary

Upcoming Important Dates:

2/16- Student & Staff Holiday- No School

2/17- Staff Development Day- No School for students

2/21- Spicewood Annual Auction & Gala

3/6- Marathon Kids Finale (see info below)

3/11- PTA Meeting

3/13- STEAM Day

3/16-3/20- Spring Break

In the PYP, we have a carefully designed, intention concept-based curriculum. Concepts are powerful, broad and abstract organizing ideas that build understandings across, between and beyond subjects. How can you extend these at home?

A Huge Thank You for our Lunar New Year Luncheon!

Our hearts (and stomachs!) are so full! A massive THANK YOU to the incredible Spicewood parents and our generous sponsors for hosting such a spectacular Chinese New Year luncheon for our staff.

We are so grateful for the delicious flavors and support provided by:

ACES

H-E-B plus! (Anderson Mill)

Spicy House

Asian Cafe

Breakfast Cafe

From the delicious food to the festive atmosphere, it was a wonderful way to celebrate the Year of the Horse and honor the rich traditions within our community. We are so lucky to have such a supportive community and local partners who go above and beyond to make our educators feel appreciated and celebrated.

We are truly grateful for your time, your support, and the wonderful meal!

We are excited to share that through the 2024 Bond – Proposition C, our campus received four brand-new xylophones for our music program! Last Friday, some of Ms. Brown’s 5th grade music students had the special opportunity to help unbox them, and their excitement was contagious. We are so grateful for the continued support of our school community and cannot wait to hear these instruments in action for many years to come! 🎶

Each year students and kindergarten celebrate the 100th Day of School.  Some students dress up as their 100 year old selves while others wear 100 things. In class they do many activities that involve counting and sorting to the number 101!

Our first grade students celebrate the 101st Day of School and dress up like 101 Dalmations. They also connect this to math concepts as they enjoy the day.

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as we enjoyed our students dressing up to celebrate!

Congratulations to the Spicewood Superstars (FLL 5th grade team) for earning 1st place and winning the coveted Champions Award—out of 22 teams—at the competition held on January 31st in Comfort, TX.

Team members Arjun S., Gautham B., Heer K., and Rasika B. led the way to this fantastic achievement.

The Champions Award recognizes the team with the highest overall performance across four categories: Robot Design, Core Values, Research Project, and Robot Competition.

The team’s next stop is the Central Texas Regional in February.

Congratulations, Spicewood Superstars!

Last week I shared information about our students who participated in the Westwood Learning Community UIL Meet. At that time I did not have a picture but now I do!  Here are our students who participated and some of our coaches!  Thank you everyone!

Next Tuesday is a Professional Development Day for our teachers, and we’re excited to have a coffee truck on campus to keep the learning (and energy!) flowing! If you’d like to help fuel our amazing staff, you can click the link or scan the QR code below to donate toward a cup of coffee for a teacher. As we all know, educators run on passion, dedication… and just a little bit of caffeine! ☕ Your support is such a fun and thoughtful way to show appreciation for the hard work our teachers do every day. Thank you for helping us keep them energized and feeling loved!

Here is the link to donate!

After a few chilly weeks that kept us indoors, we’re excited to be back on the track to wrap up our Marathon Kids running season! Join us for the Finale during your child’s Specials class — lace up and run alongside them or come cheer them on for the last 20 minutes of class as they finish strong.

Our students have done an incredible job setting mini SMART goals, staying committed to their progress, and building their endurance and stamina all season long. We are so proud of their hard work and perseverance! 

Kindergarten 8:45-9:35

1st grade 10:35-11:25

2nd grade 7:50-8:40

3rd grade 9:40-10:30

4th grade 12:50-1:40

5th grade 11:55-12:45

If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP by March 2nd so we can pre-print badges.  Here is the link to RSVP.

Mark your calendars for Friday, March 13, 2026! It’s time to spark some curiosity! We are thrilled to announce our annual STEAM Day, sponsored by the PTA. This high-energy day is dedicated to exposing our students to the wonders of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics/Music through immersive, hands-on discovery.
Instead of a typical school day, our classrooms and halls will transform into a hub of innovation. Students will rotate through various engaging experiences, including:

Interactive Inquiry Stations: A "children’s museum" style setup for self-led exploration.

Idea Lab Demonstrations: Professional-grade experiments to wow our learners.

Engineering Design Challenges: Creative problem-solving right in the classroom.

Robotic Play: Hands-on activities to build computational thinking and early coding skills.

Creative Arts: Integrated projects that prove science and art go hand-in-hand.

🤝 We Need Your Help!
To make this day a success, we need parent volunteers to help monitor stations and assist students with their activities. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to help—just bring your enthusiasm!

Want to be part of the magic? Click Here to see available volunteer shifts and other STEAM Day needs while you help our students explore their world.

We will be administering the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) next week to evaluate the English proficiency of our Emerging Bilingual (EB) students. Students' language proficiency is assessed upon enrolling in a Texas public school if a student speaks a language other than English at home (as indicated on their Home Language Survey). If a student scores below proficient, a counselor or administrator will notify parents, and we will begin evaluating their language progress every year through TELPAS. Kindergarten and 1st grade students are rated holistically using a TELPAS rubric, completed by their teachers. 2nd-5th graders take TELPAS online, which we divide over two days (Reading & Writing will be 2/18, Listening & Speaking will be 2/25 for 2nd and 3rd, and 2/26 for 4th and 5th). Tests typically take around an hour to complete. We had grade level specific sessions this week reviewing strategies using the released test from last year, and giving students some time to practice. You can find released and practice TELPAS materials here if you would like to learn more about the content and structure of these assessments. TELPAS does not count as a class grade and does not affect grade promotion or class placement. Once a student scores an average of Advanced High, they will no longer be assessed with TELPAS. Results are sent through the parent portal over the summer. Please reach out to Mrs. Kentopp if you have any other questions!

Starting January 8, 2026, families can complete returning student forms for the 2026–27 school year. You’ll receive an email with your student’s Snapcode. Follow the instructions to quickly and securely complete the forms. If you don’t see your Snapcode, check your spam/junk folder or contact our enrollment team for help. https://www.k12insight.com/Form/Dialogue/DialogueFormDefault?k=PK4Y21G8T6LT@WT4F1KLT@DY8R8F2LT

Dear Spicewood PTA Families,

It’s time to begin planning for the upcoming school year, and we’re excited to open nominations for the Spicewood PTA Board. Applications are due Feb 20th! 

Serving on the PTA Board is a meaningful way to support our students, strengthen our school community, and help shape the programs and events that make Spicewood special. We encourage everyone to apply for any position — whether you’re a longtime volunteer or just looking for a new way to get involved.

At this time, we do not yet have expressed interest in the following key leadership roles:

• President-Elect
• Vice President of Fundraising
• Vice President of Membership & Clubs
• Vice President of Programs

These positions play an essential role in supporting our teachers, engaging families, coordinating events, and helping our PTA thrive. If you’ve ever considered stepping into leadership — this is your moment.

If you’re curious but unsure, we’re happy to answer questions about responsibilities, time commitments, or what serving on the board looks like. You don’t need prior PTA experience — just a heart for our school community.

 Please submit your interest here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScfnlbMxZuTGV6xkwlimlFvIVuKUYM2Xeo9HQmL4sArLCSbRQ/viewform?usp=header

We truly believe our PTA is strongest when many voices are at the table. Thank you for considering how you can help lead Spicewood forward.

With appreciation,

Spicewood PTA Board

LAST CHANCE! There are fewer than 20 tickets left for the 2026 Gala. Ticket sales close Feb 13th or when sold out. Get your tickets today!

The Panther Patrol is a parent volunteer group that coordinates with Principal and Teachers to identify volunteer opportunites that engage the community in student mentorship and campus improvements.

Parents can sign up at any of our monthly days to spend the day at Spicewood helping teachers and administrators behind the scenes with anything ranging from landscaping, preparing activities for teachers, and much more!

The dates for the school year are listed on the form so plan ahead, take the day off and join us at Spicewood! Here is the link to sign up if interested: https://forms.gle/GQUx1F2cSPZqoGwL9