At Spicewood, ALL students are IB students. The mission of the International Baccalaureate® is to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

How do we do that? We focus on the skills, attributes, and attitudes we believe are important to developing global-minded citizens. We support our students’ ideas to take action and make the world a better place. One example from this week is from Ms. Tanguma’s students, Romy and Kiran. They noticed pieces of trash during recess, so they decided to start a clean-up club!

Hello Spicewood Families,

I wanted to share with you a little bit about our Fundraising efforts. At Spicewood, we are fortunate to have a dedicated PTA that works hard to streamline fundraising so that our staff can stay focused on what matters most—teaching and supporting students. Instead of multiple school-based fundraisers, our PTA consolidates efforts and relies on family donations to help sustain the many traditions and extras that make our school special for both students and staff. With rising costs and continued financial challenges in public education, your support of PTA fundraisers is more important than ever. Together, we can ensure that Spicewood continues to thrive and provide meaningful experiences for our children.

We’re excited to share that this year, Spicewood will have three big fundraisers.

- APEX 9/15- 9/26: A two-week, interactive leadership program combined with a fitness-focused event fundraiser that helps schools all over the country raise funds the healthy way. We raised ~$38K during last year's APEX fundraiser! A representative from APEX will be present at Parent Orientation Night to assist with any questions. (see flyer below)

Please see this Google Form for more information about how we will use Apex money and to share ideas you may have for a School Project!

- Spicewood Fall Carnival 11/14: Our beloved annual tradition filled with indoor and outdoor games, a cake walk, a raffle, and much more! We raised ~$8K during last year's carnival! More information to come. 

- Spicewood Gala 02/21/2026: A special night out for all adults that care for our school. This event features silent and live auctions, a raffle and fun surprises galore. Mark your calendars for this not-to-be missed event!  We raised ~$37K during last year's Gala! 

In addition to our big fundraisers, we'll have a few Spirit Nights sprinkled throughout the school year at local restaurants. A portion of the sales from these nights will be donated back to the school.  First up is Torchy's and Handels on September 10, 2025. 

Alright, Spicewood - Let's Get Ready for Some Football! 

Our 4th annual Spicewood Night Lights event kicks off with our in-school pep rally on Wednesday, September 10th, followed by our participation in the Westwood Homecoming parade on Wednesday, 9/17, and the football game on Friday, 9/19. 

The Spicewood Spirit Committee will be selling this year's shirt in the Walker area, directly after dismissal, on the following days for $15 cash or card - 

Friday, September 5th

Monday, September 8th

Tuesday, September 9th

Sizes are limited so be the first to grab your shirt, wear it to the pep rally and help cheer on our very own Westwood Warriors! 

Please copy and paste the link to a new browser to fill out the form!

Calling all strategic thinkers, puzzles & games enthusiasts. Please fill out the following interest form if you wish to participate in the Math Pentathlon Tournament in 2026. We need 3 parent volunteers trained as game leaders, for each division, to start SWES Math Pentathlon Club.

More information on Math Pentathlon can be found at https://www.mathpentath.org/austin-area/

and the attached flyer. You can send your queries to the club chair at mathpentathlon@spicewoodpta.org

One of the things that makes Spicewood so special is our incredible PTA — the Parent Teacher Association. Each year, our goal is to have at least one PTA membership for every Spicewood student, along with 100% participation from our staff. We’re excited to share that 98% of our staff have already joined! Now, we invite our families to partner with us by becoming PTA members and helping us reach our goal.

Our 1st General PTA meeting will be August 20th, at 6:00pm in the Library. We hope to see you there!

Pack your bags and join other Panther families for a fun-filled weekend at Kalahari Resorts! Not only will you enjoy a memorable getaway, but a portion of each room rate will also be donated back to support our school.

For booking assistance, please reach out to Annie Livingston at fundraising@spicewoodpta.org.

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