The Vandegrift High School FTC Robotics team, the Viperbots, advanced to the World Championships, April 24-29 in St Louis, Mo, following wins at both the Anderson Regional Qualifier and the Alamo Regional Qualifier. At the FTC World Championships, the VHS FTC Robotics team will compete against 128 teams from around the world. Congratulations to the Viperbots team members: Nelson Fesas, Abby Flickinger, Rand Fredrickson, Harlan Kind, Marcos Lima, Nathan Munoz, David Pedersen, Dylan Phelps, Landon Prewitt, Peter Sarkis, Mitchell Stipek, Benjamin Streber, Hannah von Oldenburg and William Lukas. Good luck!

Deer Creek Elementary was the latest campus to begin the C2 (Coalition of Clubs) Program to combat bullying and prejudice. These distinct yellow shirts are a visual reminder that Deer Creek Elementary is a place where kindness is valued. C2 began at Leander High School in May of 2010 to create a culture of caring and acceptance within the school community.

See bullying prevention webpage to learn more about our programs

The National College Fair is coming to the Austin Convention Center on April 10, from 5:30-8:30 PM. There are almost 300 colleges and universities who will be represented to speak to parents and students. Numerous information sessions provided by local experts will be offered as well. All LISD secondary students are invited to attend. It could be a great evening out as a family!

Register to attend at www.gotomyncf.com. By pre-registering, you will receive a barcode that allows your student to share his or her contact information with the colleges and universities instantaneously. You are also welcome to attend without pre-registering.

At a recent Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Night Out with the Texas Stars, Watch D.O.G.S. National Director Eric Snow praised Leander ISD for its promotion and integration of the school engagement program for fathers.

“Let me say that Leander ISD has one of the most successful Watch D.O.G.S. programs in the country. No other school district has done a better job of incorporating the program into their educational processes,” said Snow.

“The number of men who serve as Watch D.O.G.S. in LISD far exceeds average,” said Snow. To date, LISD’s Watch D.O.G.S. program has nearly 2,600 volunteers and is active at 21 elementary and three middle schools.

“We consider LISD to be the gold standard for the Watch D.O.G.S. program, and we hope other school districts will look to LISD to replicate its success,” said Snow.

LISD has partnered with the Texas Stars Hockey Team to host two events, called Night Out with the Texas Stars, to promote the program. Snow added, “We are very proud of the fact that the two most successful and well-attended Watch D.O.G.S. events ever held took place in LISD.”

Watch D.O.G.S. is the father involvement initiative of the National Center for Fathering that organizes fathers and father figures in order to provide positive male role models for the students and to enhance school security. Watch D.O.G.S. are fathers, grandfathers, uncles and other father-figures who volunteer for at least one day each year at an official Watch D.O.G.S. school.

During the day, Watch D.O.G.S. play games at recess, eat lunch with students, monitor school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow, mentor students or provide support for any other assigned activities where they actively engage with students. Most importantly, fathers who participate have more opportunities to connect with their child and help improve their child’s academic performance, self-esteem and social behavior.

Last year, LISD was nationally recognized for its promotion of the Watch D.O.G.S. program when Reagan Elementary principal Steve Crawford was honored as one of President Barack Obama’s Champions of Change. He was nominated by Snow for his work with the Watch D.O.G.S. program.

On Friday, April 20, 2012, Leander ISD will once again host its popular Connecting U conference at Hill Country Bible Church Northwest from 7:30 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. Connecting U is a day-long workshop that takes a holistic approach to educating our parents and community members to create a happy, healthy and connected support system for our students. Attendees will have the opportunity to select several sessions to attend, presented by subject matter experts from the district, community and local businesses. The sessions cover a range of issues, including developing healthy habits for both children and adults, identifying appropriate district and community programs to get involved with, learning how to prepare for college, addressing physical/emotional changes in kids, etc.

New to the conference this year will be a kick-off session—featuring a catered breakfast and mini-keynote address—time for attendees to mix and mingle during lunch and the chance to win some great door prizes from our local businesses.

Registration is open to anyone interested, whether you’re a parent, community member, business owner or volunteer. Early bird registration by debit or credit card is only $10 and includes a hot breakfast, boxed lunch and conference materials; walk-in registration by cash or check is $15.

Please visit our website at www.leanderisd.org to register, see session topics and additional information. If you are interested in your company or organization supporting this community conference, or if you have any questions, please contact the LISD School/Community Relations Department at 570-0027.

Examination for Acceleration allows students, who without direct instruction have already mastered all content and skills in a particular grade level or course, to advance to the next level or course. These exams are available at no cost to eligible students who test during the district’s testing periods.

Read more for details

Three Cedar Park High School DECA members competed at the State Career Development Conference in March 1-3 and qualified to compete at Internationals in Salt Lake City, Utah, next month. Congratulations to Courtney Norris, Christian Casey and Lauren VanDerBogart!