Volume 3 , Issue 2
October 2016
PTSA President’s Pen
Happy Fall!
David Lee “Tex” Hill Middle School
Alan Rochkus, Principal
21314 Bulverde Rd
San Antonio, TX 78259
210-356-8000
It’s hard to believe it is already October - we have a very busy month planned
for PTSA. This newsletter is filled with articles about the many activities going on like our
Membership Drive, Reflections contest, PTSA Lunch N’ Learn, and Red Ribbon Week. I hope
you will take the time to read through the newsletter and discover that these activities
provide many opportunities for parents and students to get involved at Tex Hill.
If you signed up to help on any of our committees, I hope you have been contacted by the
specific committee chairs, and have learned how you can help out on our committees. It is
not too late to sign up and help! Please contact our Vice President of Volunteers, Tracy
Benavides - [email protected] if you have any questions about volunteering.
We are always looking for help in our Learning Commons/Library so if you are interested in
helping Ms. Diaz the school librarian has created a sign up genius stating when she needs
help. Please contact Tracy Benavides at [email protected] if you are interested in
looking at the times and days help is needed.
We are still accepting PTSA memberships and would love for you and your students to join.
Please consider joining PTSA for $7.00. By joining, you are becoming a member of the
largest child advocacy group in the state of Texas and believe in supporting the education,
health and welfare of children and youth. New this year all student members get 5
homework passes. These passes may be used one per class per 9 weeks, and it must be a
homework assignment not classwork. Please visit our website at www.texhilllptsa.org to find
out more about PTSA membership or contact our Membership chair, Beth Rheney, at
[email protected].
Spirit shirts are still available while supplies last. We are already out of some of the sizes,
but we should be able to accommodate most. The plain TH window decals are in and ready
for purchase. All spirit items should be delivered by the end of the second week of
October. Thank you for patience. If you have any questions regarding a spirit order please
contact Stacey Powers, Tiger Spirit Chair, at [email protected].
Yard signs, fence signs, and windows decals are still coming in. Yard signs must be picked up
in the front office. They cannot be sent home on the bus. You should receive a phone call
when your order is ready for pick up. Window decals will be sent home with your student.
Fence signs are being placed on the fence of Tex Hill as they arrive.
At any time, if you have questions and/or concerns please email me at
[email protected]. Again, thank you for your support of the Tex Hill PTSA. Your
donations of money and time are greatly appreciated.
Christie Busenlehner
2016-17 Tex Hill PTSA President
In This
Issue
PTSA President’s
Pen
Red Ribbon
Week
Lunch n Learn
What’s Behind
the Garden
Gate?
8th Grade
Cotillion
PVSA
Membership
Update
Bulletin Board
Upcoming
Events
Volunteering at
Tex Hill
PTSA Mission
Statement
PTSA Directory
www.texhillptsa.org
www.neisd.net/hill
“Be Drug Free, You Only Live Once!”
Tex Hill will celebrate Red Ribbon Week October 24-28.
October 24-28
Daily Themes:
Monday - "Surf away from drugs" (Beach)
Tuesday - "Don't let drugs be your Kryptonite" (Superhero)
Wednesday - Turn your back against drugs"
(Twisted/Tacky)
Thursday - "Put drugs to sleep" (Pajamas)
Friday - "These paws don't touch drugs!" (Spirit) Fun Prizes
Awesome Pep Rally
October 11th Tex Hill PTSA general meeting is
a Lunch'n Learn with Mr. Rochkus. PTSA
business will be prior to Mr. Rochkus speaking.
Join us to hear about Tex Hill, and learn what
every parent wants to know. We hope you can
join us.
If you would like to order a lunch please fill out
the order form and send it in with payment by
October 9th. If you would like to come, and you
do not want a lunch that is great, too, but please
still return the form so that we know how many
people are attending and can plan accordingly.
We would love to have you join us.
If you have any questions please contact
Christie Busenlehner
at [email protected].
Behind the garden gates
We get all sorts of visitors to the
garden....lizards, birds, butterflies, ladybugs,
frogs and Ned.
Ned comes all the way from Australia and
he stopped by with his Auntie Mel to check
on the cantaloupe in our Tiger garden. In
Australia, cantaloupe is called rock melon
and it is one of Ned's favorite things to eat.
Ned helped water and pick green
beans. Thanks for stopping by the garden Ned and helping take care of
our garden.
The Hill garden and Tiger PTSA love our volunteers. Thank you to the
students and families who spend time on the weekend helping to care for
the garden.
How to Log Your Hours for PVSA at Tex Hill MS
FOR FIRST TIME USERS:
Go to www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.
Hover your mouse over “Get Involved” and select “Volunteers” from the drop-down selection.
On this page, click the blue box that says “REGISTER”
OR the direct link to registration is: https://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/register-vo
Complete the application form with Name, Email, Address etc. Please enter a valid e-mail address for the parent and
the student. Click on SUBMIT APPLICATION and wait for the confirmation email. Make sure you LOGOUT after
submitting the application.
First, the parent will have to select that they authorize setting up the volunteer account.
Next, once you receive a confirmation email to the student e-mail with your log-in and password you may log back
into the system at http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/
Now click on the “Profile” box after you log-in. Fill in any missing information, but most of this should have been
completed at registration.
VERY IMPORTANT STEP!!! At the bottom of the page under profile information, make sure you click ADD next to
the Record of Service Key. Our key for Tex Hill Middle School is TQC‐74636. Capitalization does matter. Ensuring
the correct Service Key will allow the Tex Hill PTSA to access your records and order your proper award at the end
of the school year.
Now you are registered in the PVSA database and your hours will be credited to Tex Hill.
TO RECORD YOUR SERVICE HOURS:
Once you are logged in, click on the ‘My Service’ box under ‘My Profile’ in the middle of the page. This will take you
to the page labeled ‘My Service’ (NOTE - At any time you may click on your name at the top of the page to take you
back to your ‘Welcome Page.’)
Click on the blue box labeled ‘Add Activity’
Fill in the Service Activity, Organization Name (e.g. help maintain animal facilities, San Antonio Humane Society,
etc.) as well as Area of Service from the drop-down menu.
Put in the date of service using the pop-up calendar and enter the number of hours of service for this event.
Remember to click ‘Save’ if you are only entering one activity. If you have more to add, click ‘Save and New’
After you are done adding your hours, remember to ‘logout.’
If you have any questions please contact the Tex Hill Middle School PVSA coordinator, Erin Blake at
[email protected].
Membership Update
Thanks for helping Tex Hill PTSA get off
to a great start to the 2016-2017 school
year. We currently have 537 total members
(169 students!) and we would love to see
our numbers go even higher. By signing up
you are helping provide a voice for every
child. Remember that by joining the PTSA
you are not only advocating for your child,
you are also helping us bring enrichment
programs to the school. As a member
there is no obligation to volunteer, but
there are opportunities if you are able. It
is not too late to join. Use the Form on
the next page or sign up online at
www.joinpta.org! In addition, you can
find a membership form at
www.texhillptsa.org.
Any questions, email Beth Rheney at
[email protected].
We Recycle to Earn $!
Help Tex Hill stay green and raise green by donating
your empty printer cartridges! All donations can be
dropped off at the main entrance to Tex Hill MS, or to
the Learning Commons.
Know a business or organization that may want to
donate their cartridges? It’s very easy for them to
donate their printer cartridges on behalf of our
campus, directly from their location!
How to Get Started:
 If you work for a company or know of one that may be interested in supporting us, please
contact FundingFactory toll-free at 888-883-8237 - OR - go to their website
 Use our school identification number - 357495 - to earmark donations for our campus
when setting up the business' account
 FREE prepaid shipping labels will be sent, free of charge, directly to any business,
organization or other facility within the continental United States
 Business supporters simply need to load boxes, apply a FREE prepaid shipping label and
leave them for the next UPS pickup!
See this link for more information
or contact
Librarian Ms. Diaz: [email protected]
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
THE WORKROOM IS LOOKING FOR 2 MORE
THURSDAY OR FRIDAY VOLUNTEERS. IF
INTERESTED CONTACT PAM BARRON FOR
MORE INFORMATION 210-865-9299
Follow
The
Learning Commons
on
Twitter!
The Learning Commons now has its own Twitter account. Follow @TexHillLC to stay
informed about great resources, events and activities happening 24/7.
You can also view the latest Twitter feed on the
Learning Commons’ Homepage
Choir Fall Concert
Tex Hill
Cafetorium
5 Oct 2016
Choir Holiday
Concert
Tex Hill
Cafetorium
6 Dec 2016
Dance Performance
8th Grade Football
Game
Text Hill
12 Oct 2016
YOLO
Tex Hill
October 24-28
Performance at the
Red Ribbon Week Pep
Rally
Tex Hill
28 Oct 2016
Theatre Arts
Performance: Much
Ado About Middle
School
Tex Hill
Cafetorium
4 Nov 2016
6:30
6:30
Game Starts 4:30
Performance at
Halftime
Be Drug Free, You
RED RIBBON WEEK
4:00pm and 6:30pm
How can I sign-up to volunteer?
Please come and be a part of the Tex Hill Community! We are always in need of volunteers
throughout the school year! My name is Amy Staley and I am your PTSA VP of Volunteers.
There are multiple ways to volunteer.
1. You can always contact me at [email protected] or at (210)391-7497
2. Logging into our volunteer website called PTAvenue.
www.ptavenue.com
Organization code: TexHillMiddleSchool
Every parent/member can view Tex Hill PTSA’s on-line calendar of volunteer opportunities,
signup to volunteer, and read news and announcements. Volunteering at Tex Hill includes
helping at special events happening throughout the year, for certain committees with
specific areas of interest, and/or helping with on-going needs on a daily basis, such as the
workroom, library, and Tiger Watch. Click on the link below and enter the code in the
PARENT LOG IN section of the home page.
What do I have to do to Volunteer?
In order to volunteer at Tex Hill, you must be DPS cleared through the NEISD Volunteer
Program. If you have been a regular volunteer at another school, you do not need to be
DPS cleared again to volunteer at Tex Hill. However, if you have not been a regular
volunteer in the district, you may have to go through the clearance again. To become DPS
cleared or to check to see if your clearance is current, click to visit the NEISD Volunteer
Criminal History Record Check. As you go through this quick process, it will ask you where
you will volunteer - our school is listed as D.L. Tex Hill Middle School. Once you hit “submit
release,” it will either send your information through or it will state that you are already a
cleared volunteer. We look forward to welcoming and working with new volunteers as well
as those who have volunteered in the past.
Logging Volunteer Hours
PVSA
What is PVSA? The Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) is an annual award,
given in May, that recognizes volunteer service to help improve our community.
Information on how to log your hours and receive recognition at Tex Hill can be
found in the Tex Hill PVSA
V-Volunteer
Tex Hill PTSA member volunteers, check your Tex Hill volunteer hours at V-Volunteer. If
you volunteer at Tex Hill, your time should be logged via the sign-in and sign-out log
at Tex Hill, but the hours may not be accurate and may need to be adjusted at the
V-Volunteer site. If you complete Tex Hill volunteer activities outside of Tex Hill, you
should log your hours manually. Log into NEISD’s V-Volunteer site. New to VVolunteer? Check out the V-Volunteer site.
What are other ways my child can volunteer in our community?
20 Ways Ways for Teenagers to Help Others by Volunteering
Tex Hill PTSA Mission Statement
Our Slogan
We are united. We are Tex Hill. Our Vision Every child’s potential is a reality.
Our Mission
To create and foster opportunities that enrich and support our children, parents, school
and community
Our Goals
 Encourage parent involvement and ensure all parents feel welcome to volunteer at Tex
Hill and to become an active member of the PTSA
 Strive to provide accurate information to our parents regarding our PTSA and to
communicate effectively within our school community
 Lend volunteer support to our teachers and staff at Tex Hill
 Encourage students to make healthy choices in all aspects of their everyday lives both
at school and at home
 Promote PTSA to students and empower them to be self-reliant, compassionate and
leaders of their school by becoming involved in the PTSA programs and activities
offered at Tex Hill Tex Hill.
What is a PTSA?
PTSA is an organization made up of parent, teachers and students whose objective is to
create and foster opportunities that enrich and support our children, parents, school and
community. It involves student participation, insight and perspective as they pertain to
program development which aids in building student leadership. It also provides adult
members with a better understanding of today’s youth.
Why Join Tex Hill PTSA?
PTSA will sponsor programs that support parents, teachers and student. These programs will
help enrich the education of the students, enhance the efforts of the staff and will become
invaluable to our school overall. As a member, you and your child(ren) will have the
opportunity to help establish the foundation for what Tex Hill can become.
What is required of me as a member?
You are ONLY required to sign up and pay the membership dues. You are ALWAYS
welcome to volunteer your time and your talents by serving on or chairing a committee.
There a many ways to get involved. However, we know not everyone’s schedule allows
them this opportunity. You can help by providing a voice of care and concern by
attending the general meetings, which are typically scheduled in the evenings.
Annual Tex Hill PTSA dues are $7.50. You are able to join at the first of the year through the
Welcome Packet your student receives on the first day of school. Anytime after that,
contact Sallie Garza, Membership chair at [email protected]. PTSA membership dues
help sponsor programs and more:
Reflections Art Program
Red Ribbon Week
Staff Appreciation
Website/Newsletter
8th Grade Activities
Tigers Taking Care of Campus & Community service programs
Tiger Watch (this is our version of Watch DOGs!)
Presidential Volunteer Service
Principal
Alan Rochkus
President
Christie Busenlehner
Watch DOGS/Tiger Watch - Open
Council Delegate - Jennifer Scheel
2nd VP Ways and Means
Council Delegate - Shannon Underwood
Founder's Day Life Member - Stacy Husted
Legislative Action (Special Committee) - Kim Barnes
Newsletter - Sue Engle
Website - Leigh Anne Roeber
Band Liaison - Sally Garza
Girls Athletics Liaison - Mary Stevens
Boys Athletics Liaison - Steve Blake
Fine Arts Liaison - Debbie Stegman
Student Representative (NJHS) - OPEN
Student Representative (PALS) - OPEN
Liana Benavides
Spirit Items - Stacey Powers
Used Book Sale - Missy McKie
3rd VP Volunteers
Tracy Benavides
Book Fair - Jeanette Coons
Hospitality - Leah Imperial
PVSA (special committee) - Erin Blake
Staff Appreciation - Nora Martinez/Nancy Sanchez
Textbooks - Michelle Green
Workroom - Stephania Toney
Treasurer
Student Representative (Student Council) - OPEN
Nicole Mansueto
Tiger Team Rep - OPEN
Membership - Beth Rheney
1st VP Aide & Programs
Monica Pipes
District Lunchroom Liaison- Renee Golobay
8th Grade Activities - Renee Golobay
Secretary
Amy Staley
Healthy Lifestyles- Melinda Cox
Parliamentarian
Red Ribbon Week - Lisa Moll
Cindy Zagrzecki
Reflections - Mina Smith
Historian
Reflections - DeLaine Mowad
Maria Kusenberger