September 27, 2023

Greetings! My name is Jennifer Moreno Calix and I am so excited to join the Bush Elementary team as the new school counselor! My goal as a counselor this year is to support the learning environment of our students and help them as they develop their social-emotional skills so that they can be successful. Some of the things that I will be doing as counselor this year include teaching the guidance curriculum, academic advising, and supporting students overcome challenges that may be interfering with their academic success. I look forward to meeting you and working alongside our community to support our students and make this a great school year!

Thank you for your patience in waiting for the new parent handbook to be posted. You can access it by clicking on the button below.

I am so excited to announce that we will have a new Pre-K Partnership class that will be opening soon at Computer Kids, a building that is about 2.7 miles away from Bush Elementary. In an effort to increase Pre-K enrollment in HISD, the Early Childhood team is initiating Pre-K Partnerships (TEA initiative) with childcare centers closest to HISD schools with a high-demand and limited classroom space. Bush Elementary has been identified as having a waitlist of PK 3- and 4-year-old children. Before these students enroll in a charter school or parents decide not to send them to PK this school year, we want to enroll them in HISD at a satellite location called Computer Kids. This facility has one Pre-K classroom we can utilize to enroll these students for 2023 - 2024 school year. For more information about this PreK class, you can reach out to:

Marisol Castruita

Director, Early Childhood

Specialized Learning

713-556-6873 (office) | 713-556-6898 (fax)

mcastrui@HoustonISD.org

Kimberly Guinn

CTM, Early Childhood Education

kguinn@HoustonISD.org

Picture Day is Tuesday, October 3. On Individual Picture Day, students do not need to follow dress code guidelines. However, students do need to be dressed appropriately for a regular school day. Ball gowns, party shoes, and suits are not practical for children to wear to school.

Order your school pictures here!

Code: 78754JF

Thursday, October 12

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Bush students will cheer on Westside HS as they celebrate Homecoming with a neighborhood parade. Streets leading from Westside HS to Bush ES will be inaccessible before and during their route to Bush. Please do not plan on picking up your child between 12:45 p.m. and 2:50 p.m.

We ask for your support by not blocking our students' view.

Please do not park along Westerloch Dr. or arrive for dismissal before 2:30 p.m.

Mark your calendars for our annual Scholastic Book Fair from October 16-October 20th. This is such a wonderful way to support the school and purchase books for your family! Check out the useful information sent home in students' red folders or the following link: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/barbarabushelementaryschool

No event is possible without volunteers. Please see the Book Fair sign up link below. www.BBEpto.com

Join us October 17th from 5:00-6:30pm for our Italian Book Fair dinner! Bush families will enjoy a meal from Lasagna House in the cafeteria. Purchase tickets online ONLY at www.BBEpto.com.

This is also a great time to shop at our Book Fair located in the multipurpose room. We look forward to seeing you there!

The window for the NWEA Measure of Academic Progress, or MAP assessment ends this week.

Once we have reports for parents, we will send them home! You can also find more information by going to the NWEA Family Toolkit.

Time to register your child(ren) for UIL! Please use this link to sign up your child: UIL Sign Up.

The information below was shared in last week’s Paw Prints and contains information about the change in UIL sign ups.

Parents and Caregivers,

The 2023-2024 school year is ramping up and you know what that means? UIL EVENTS START SOON!

For those of you wondering about what UIL is, please click this link for a brief overview: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dtq6Y5FkEIA7fRhYkbGAURyAexTUZDme/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=114183581637946068085&rtpof=true&sd=true

Returning UIL families, please read this document to see the new procedures that will be put in place to increase equity of access for all students. This is slightly different than how things have been done in the past.

Bush competes in 5 out of 6 possible events. For the schedule and competition listings, please click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ffgj3ryBe0WyWQ41JOuBhckKHvWR5htn/view?usp=drive_link

To check out examples of the various competitions and reference any additional information, please click here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_JbEQi5zfQNiAg141Stu8s1vZP85mfIJ?usp=sharing

Gifted and Talented

Testing Information

2023-2024 School Year

All second-grade students who are not already identified as Gifted and Talented (GT) will take part in the universal GT screener this school year. This is a change from years past when the universal screener occurred in Kindergarten. Having the screener in 2nd grade allows students more time to develop the executive function skills necessary to take part in a long, multi-part test. If your child has already been identified as GT, he/she will not retest.

If you have a child who is not already identified as Gifted and Talented in grades Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 4th or 5th, and would like to have him/her tested, you have until December 8, 2023, to submit an application. The instructions for submitting your application via PowerSchool can be found here.

If you are interested, the sooner you submit your application, the better. When the majority of a grade level is being tested, it has an instructional impact. We’d like to keep that impact as minimal as possible and are able to do so with your help and timely submittals of your request.

Once you have submitted your request via PowerSchool, please notify the school that you have done so. PowerSchool does not automatically send updates so letting us know of your submittal via this Google Form will allow us to make sure that your child is tested.

**CLARIFICATION** You must apply to the School of Choice lottery before you can register your Entering Kinder child for GT testing. The School of Choice office has not released the date of when that will open. I will update you as soon as more information becomes available. **

Entering Kindergarteners (EK) are allowed to test if you have applied to a Vanguard Magnet school. Additionally, the child had to have turned 4 years old by September 1st of this school year to qualify for testing. The same process applies to EK students as it does for all other grade levels. Official requests are made through PowerSchool.

Wondering if you should have your child tested for giftedness? Check out this chart with distinctions for High Achievers, Gifted Learners and Creative Thinkers: High Achiever, Gifted Learner & Creative Thinker Comparison Chart.

Any questions? Do not hesitate to reach out to Saundra Mouton: Saundra.Mouton@houstonisd.org

Students who read at least five books over the summer need to submit summer reading lists to teachers by September 29 to receive a reward. This numbered list of books read during the summer (June 1-August 27) can be handwritten on plain paper. Printouts from HPL and other eBook platforms are acceptable. Please include the student and homeroom teacher’s names and write the total number of books on the top of the page.

Name That Book is a 6 person competition team where students read a list of 25

books and recognize quotes/details from each book. One team is K-2nd; one is 2nd-5th. Book

lists are available in the library and online. Applications will be available September 15 for

students who want to try out by taking a test the first week of October over the 25 books.

Students must request a form from the library. Notes will not be sent home with all students.

Applications are due by September 29. Once teams are formed, they meet after school to prepare

for the March district competition. Read about the contest on the Houston ISD Library Resources page.

The estimated funding lost due to student absences is $8,819.33 so far.

If your child is healthy, then your child must be at school. If your child is sick, has a fever at or above 100, or is vomiting or other intestinal issues, then your child must be at home. Please send your child to school with a note to excuse the absence for illness.

There are days built into the calendar along with a long summer break for family time and trips. We encourage you to plan your family time around designated district holidays and breaks. Click on the following link to review the district calendar: https://tinyurl.com/34vb2npe

Remember to complete the yellow sheet called Report an Absence that we sent out last week to notify the school in advance of your child's absence.

Our goal is to dismiss all students by 3:05 p.m. Starting tomorrow, we will stop inputting dismissal numbers into our system at 3:05 p.m. If your dismissal number has not been entered into our system, please go through the double doors on Westerloch Dr. to pick up your child.

Safety is our number one priority. When picking up your child(ren) please use the crosswalks and refrain from cutting through the bus driveway.

In the event that the weather forecast predicts that it is likely to rain at the time of dismissal, the school will send you a notification around 2 p.m. to let you know that we will be implementing a rainy-day dismissal plan. This means that parents of students in PreK and Kinder will have the option to pick up their child(ren) at the regular location or at the carpool lane on Westerloch Dr.

Bus riders, daycare buses, and safety patrols will continue to be picked up at the same location regardless of the rainy day plan. You must present your dismissal tag at the time of pick up in order for your child(ren) to be released to you. Please be patient as we anticipate the dismissal process to last longer than usual on days that we have to implement the rainy day dismissal plan.

Parents are welcomed to go through the items in our Lost and Found every Wednesday from 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Please have a valid form of identification to enter the building.

Volunteers are needed to help supervise and assist students in the cafeteria at lunch. This is an active volunteer time and not a time to sit with or stand by your child. Parents will be supervising and helping all students in the cafeteria. Only the parent, and no younger or older siblings, may take part in the cafeteria supervision.

There are 2 requirements that must occur before parents may volunteer in the cafeteria.

1. VIPS approved - online approval process

2. Attend training that happens on Mondays at 10:30 a.m.

Please use the link below to sign up to volunteer once you're VIPS approved. This is not a once a month time to volunteer, but rather we need consistent volunteers showing up on a a regular basis at lunch time.

Please make sure you bring your driver's license to sign in to enter the building. Also, be prepared to show a copy of the certificate/email that shows that you're VIPS approved at your first time volunteering.

We look forward to having cafeteria volunteers at lunch time!

https://bbepto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/116988

All adults entering the buildings MUST show a government issued photo identification at the front office every time you enter the building.

If you are coming into the school to volunteer and/or attend field trips. then you must be VIPS approved.

Last week we discussed some signs that your child may be struggling with perfectionism. This week we’ll discuss how to help a child struggling with perfectionism. If you would like to help a child struggling with perfectionism, there are several things to consider. You can read and learn more about perfectionism. No one is perfect; everyone deserves to make mistakes - including you. You can role model healthy self-talk and actively listen to your child. For example, when your child tried their very hardest but failed in their goals, you can try to cheer them up helping them understand they did their best. But remember don’t be positive in a toxic way or invalidate their emotions. You can also try to identify potential triggers. It might be things you say or do, so be aware of what your child assumes you expect from them. Patience is a significant factor. Remember you are human too, so whenever it’s too much for you, ask for a break.

Thank you for reading. See you next week!

SEL Activity Recommendation: Build sportsmanship skills by playing board games!

You are welcome to come eat with your child on his or her birthday. However, sharing food with other children is not allowed because we have students on campus who have allergic reactions to certain foods. You are welcome to bring non-edible party favors for your child's class. Party favors will be passed out after 2:00 pm.

Starting Wednesday, we will announce all student's names on the morning announcements for their birthday. However, if you Join the Birthday Book Club, it will make your child’s day extra special! Your child will have their name printed in the Paw Prints newsletter, choose a book to donate in their name for the school library with a framed group photo posted outside the library AND have their name on the electronic marquee during the week of their birthday (if option selected). See www.BBEpto.com for details.

Please follow us on Facebook or Instagram for the latest updates @bbep

When: Saturday, September 30

Where: BBE campus

Time: 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM

Bike or walk up to school to enjoy a morning with family and friends. Children can partake in an obstacle course, visit the big playground or play a game of soccer or frisbee!

Hope to see you all there!

This is a free event and the school will NOT be open during this time

This is your chance to show off your artistic talents. WINNERS WILL BE PROMINENTLY FEATURED ON A MONTH OF THE BBE CALENDAR.

Two winning pieces of art will be chosen from each grade!

Entries are due by 3 PM on Friday, October 6, 2023 to Ms. Bui in the box outside of Ms. Bui's room or via email to BUSHDIRECTORY@GMAIL.COM.

Check the flyer sent home today for guidelines, or click here: www.BBEpto.com

Each year, the general PTO Membership is asked to vote on the PTO Budget for this year. Please take a look at the budget and vote to approve, not approve or Abstain from voting. The voting is only open to paid PTO Members. (Click here for more information on becoming a PTO Member)

Click HERE to see the proposed 2023-2024 BBE PTO Budget and then VOTE at this link. Voting will close tomorrow at midnight.

CHANGE IN LOCATION!

When: Friday, October 6, 4:30 pm

NEW Location: RAY MILLER PARK

1800 Eldridge Pkwy

Due to pending construction on the Briarhills Playground, we have moved the event to Ray Miller Park.

Join us every first Friday of the month for some casual fun and activities at Ray Miller Park! Bring your own snacks and drinks or just come to play and socialize. This event is 100% free, and it is meant to help us build community! Wear a BBE Spirit Shirt so we can recognize each other!

October 6th - Scavenger Hunt

November 3rd - Origami Paper Folding

December 1st - Make Fake Snow

Please help us to continue improving everything we do to give back to our students, school and teachers, by completing this quick survey. If you complete the survey you can choose to be entered in a drawing for a $25 gift card! This survey will close on September 29th.

Calling all Bobcat Families! Help us earn a FREE DRESS DAY AND MORE!

By joining PTO you will also be able to enjoy event perks.

Join by October 13, 2023 to help us reach our goal-

40% of our families join: Free dress day for all

50% join our Admin staff will have a special surprise

If we beat that goal, Principal Hoang will have a surprise!

Save the date for the Bobcat Bonanza!

Saturday, November 4, 11:30- 2:30

More information about the Bonanza to come!

We have now opened the Pre Sale for the Bobcat Bonanza T Shirts! These will only be sold for a limited time and will be distributed to the children the week of October 30th, just in time for the event. Shirts may be worn to school and will be considered part of School Dress Code, so do not miss out! www.BBEpto.com

Bobcat Boosters is one of our most simple Fundraisers! We simply ask you to make a one-time donation to our PTO, and we will not ask for donations for the rest of the year.

Many companies, such as Shell Oil, offer a matching system, and will match your donation. Ask your company if they Match! Donate at www.BBEpto.com and if you have any questions reach out to bbebobcatboosters@gmail.com.

Wrap Around Specialist

Maria Quevedo

maria.quevedo@houstonisd.org

Registrar

Adriana Rosales

arosale3@houstonisd.org

Administrative Assistant

Zonia Flores

zonia.flores@houstonisd.org