Baranoff Buffalo Weekly Bulletin

In observance of Labor Day, all AISD campuses will be closed on Monday, September 2nd.

Please view this very important and informative slide show!

Importance of Attendance

We invite you to check out the Special Education and 504 Family Power Hour.

Please review the calendar HERE.

GT Parent referral is optional. If you feel your family may be nominating your child, we also encourage that you talk with your child's teacher.

For more information on the referral process, please check out this flyer.

*For 2nd graders only*

Austin ISD was awarded the prestigious Javits Grant. With this grant, 2nd graders across the district will undergo the GT screening process using the 3-part nonverbal section of CogAT as the first step in the screening process. If the 2nd grader meets the rubric point score determined by the district, they will be invited to participate in the rest (6 additional parts) of the CogAT test. If students are selected to complete the rest of the test- a parent observation form will be sent to you to be completed at that time.

The window for 2nd grade screening will be Sept. 23-Oct. 14.

For more information regarding the screener, please check out this flyer.

Welcome back to the library! 1st - 5th grade students will start checking out books the week of August 26-30 (Kinder the week of 9/3-6), please review the student handbook for responsibilities of library books, any book(s) lost or damaged will be the obligation of the student. Grade levels will then have an alternating weekly library schedule for A week - Pre K-2nd grade and B week - 3-5th grade. Students are able to come for independent checkout when time permits.

As we start the beginning of the school year, we have put together a wish list for the Baranoff library. If you would like to make a purchase for the library, please use the link below. We appreciate your support!

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/10LZ5LEOOQUAP?ref_=wl_share

All Branoff Summer Reading Challenge logs need to be turned into Mrs. Merriman by August 30th (in the library). We are so proud of our buffaloes and their continuous reading over the summer!

Resources and Information

The Baranoff Counselor's Website is a great place to find informative family resources, a variety of videos, and activities for the whole family. To learn even more about our program check out the Baranoff Counseling Program.

Mini-Meetings

Over the next month Ms. Tackett, Ms. Solis and Ms. Thomas will be focusing on mini-meetings. Mini-meetings help us to build relationships with new students, check in with returning students, and help us design our comprehensive counseling program in collaboration with school administration.

Therapy Dog Visits

Martha the Comfort Dog is a golden retriever and is owned by Bethany Lutheran Church, in Southwest Austin. They are a part of the Lutheran Church Charities Comfort Dog Ministry which has approximately 130 dogs placed nationwide, all golden retrievers. Martha is a trained working dog and began training for this role at the age of eight weeks.

Martha will visit Baranoff every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. She will rotate through all the classes throughout the year providing comfort to reduce stress and anxiety or just spread some joy!

We are looking for cafeteria volunteers to help our students during lunch!

We are asking volunteers to come help open lunch items, provide utensils, and generally watch to make sure students are making safe decisions.

We are asking that parents not address behavior concerns but instead notify a staff member.

We enthusiastically welcome any help and we look forward to seeing you in the cafeteria.

Please sign up for one or more slots below!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904094DA9AF22AAF94-50836583-lunch#/

Please be sure to bring a government issued ID in order to check-in at the front office and complete a background check found here.

Car Rider Dismissal Reminders:

Thank you for your help in ensuring that our dismissal process is safe and efficient for all 800 of our students. To help ensure a smooth dismissal, please see some key safety reminders below.

• For your safety, please remain in your vehicle at all times.

• Students should enter the car from the curb side of the circle drive.

• Due to liability, staff cannot buckle in students.

• If your student needs help being buckled in you can pull up to the front of the circle drive after picking them up or change your dismissal plan to walk up to pick up your student.

Please send your child(ren) to school with athletic shoes on. For more details, please find the highlighted section in the Parent-Student Handbook. Click HERE to review again.

Calling all 4th and 5th grade students! Are you interested in joining our Baranoff Spirit Squad this year?

We are looking for students with skills in cheerleading and dance to join our squad. This year we have 26 spots that are open to students to earn through a tryout process. Check out our Spirit Squad flyer with all the information and the sign up for our clinic on 9/9 and our tryouts on 9/16.

Hello Baranoff families!

We are excited to welcome 4th and 5th grade students to join the choir this year! This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to partake in a musical ensemble, which will present performing opportunities and encourage them to join a musical ensemble when they transition to middle school. We want to open participation to 4th and 5th graders who love to sing!

We know that many students are interested in joining; however, we decided to limit the number of students in our choir program to ensure a safe and positive experience for our students. This year we are capping the choir program to 65 students, and holding auditions to join the program. A smaller group will allow for a stronger and close-knit community of singers which is what we ultimately desire for this ensemble. We are asking for students to tell us WHY they want to be in choir this year because we want the choir to be made of students who are passionate about singing for the school and community.

Important Choir information:

STARTING: Tuesday, September 10th

WHEN – 3:10 – 4:30 pm EVERY TUESDAY AFTERNOON

** In the Spring semester, when we will be rehearsing our school musical, rehearsal times may be extended and extra rehearsals may be called closer to the musical performance dates.**

WHERE – All students will rehearse on Tuesdays in Mr. Richards’ classroom (Room 50) although we may occasionally have sectional rehearsals in Ms. Tijerina’s classroom (Room 100).

Activity fee:

This organization is funded by each participant’s one-time activity fee of $125 for this school year. ALL activity fees will be collected online this year through Webstore (a new online system that the school uses, instructions will be provided at a later date). This cost will be included in the $125 activity fee. This activity fee will be covering the year’s expenses for t-shirts, supplies, sheet music/octavos, licensing fees for the musical, costumes, props, sets/decor for our spring musical, refreshments, a possible December field trip, and funding for the choir directors. Please include your child’s shirt size on the attached choir sign-up sheet. A flier will be sent home with details on how to pay on the first day of choir rehearsal, September 10th.

Tentative performance dates:

Bailey bonfire: November 8th @6:00-7:30pm (Tentatively)

Winter concert: December 5th @ 6:00pm (Tentatively)

Choir Field Trip!: TBD (Tentatively Tuesday, December 17, 2024)

Spring Carnival: April 12th ( Time- TBD)

Spring Musical: May 14th 6:30-8:00pm

May 15th 6:30-8:00pm

How to sign up for an audition to join choir:

Please fill out and submit the google form to let us know if your child is auditioning IN-PERSON or SENDING A VIDEO.

There will be 2 ways that students may audition for choir! Please keep in mind, in addition to their audition, we are also taking into consideration classroom and essential area classroom behavior when determining our final choir roster.

Choice #1: Send a video recording of your student singing a song from music class (see song lists below). In this recording, we also want them to tell us why they would like to be in choir this year.

Please send the recordings to their music teacher’s email or send through Google Drive:

Mr. Richards: andrew.richards@austinisd.org

Ms. Tijerina: victoria.tijerina@austinisd.org

Choice #2: Students may sing their song after school for Mr. Richards or Ms. Tijerina, and they must also tell us in a statement why they would like to join the choir. Please note that these in-person auditions will be recorded as well, so we can view their song and statement later when we finalize our choir roster.

Song choices for students to sing in their audition (choose 1 song):

4th grade:

1. Baranoff school song b. I’ve Lost the Farmer’s Dairy Key c. Riding in the Buggy

5th grade:

1. Baranoff school song b. Lavender’s Blue c. Ah, poor bird

Dates to audition in-person after school (Choice #2):

Time: 3:10-4:15 pm

Dates: September 3rd, 4th, & 5th

Deadline to audition:

ALL AUDITIONS WILL NEED TO BE SENT IN/EMAILED BEFORE 5:00PM ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th. We will need to be strict with this deadline, as we will be having our first choir rehearsal the next week on Tuesday, September 10th.

When will audition results be posted?

We will send an email with audition results by the evening of Friday, September 6th to notify all students and parents REGARDLESS if they have made the choir or not.

We understand that some students may be disappointed that they are not able to join the choir this year.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns over any of this process. We thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to a great year in choir!

Thank you,

Victoria Tijerina victoria.tijerina@austinisd.org

Andrew Richards andrew.richards@austinisd.org

Are you a parent looking to make a meaningful impact at your child’s elementary school? Meet the Buffalo Dads—a dedicated group of parents committed to maintaining and improving our school environment. We roll up our sleeves to tackle projects big and small, from sprucing up playgrounds to organizing fun events and creating a welcoming space for all students.

Our mission is simple: to enhance the educational experience for our kids while fostering a strong, supportive community among parents. Whether you have a knack for DIY projects, enjoy organizing events, or just want to lend a hand, there’s a place for you in the Buffalo Dads.

Join us to:

• Contribute to hands-on school improvement projects
• Help organize exciting events and activities
• Connect with fellow parents who share your passion for our school
• Make a tangible difference in your child’s school life

Get involved and be part of something special. Together, we’re not just fixing things; we’re building a brighter future for our kids. Sign Up today to learn more and become a Buffalo Dad!

Sign up to Volunteer Here

Upcoming Event: September 19th - The Buffalo Dad's Kick Off

Details coming.

PTA Membership is Open!

The PTA is open for membership! Sign up to receive special perks from the school and help out our community. Everyone in your family can become a member. Teachers get $100 toward supplies! Students and family members will be entered to win fun prizes throughout this semester.

Last year we raised over $135,000 to help support our staff and students with new classroom rugs, edumarkings around campus, reading support subscriptions, the Carnival, Fun Run, and more.

Our first General PTA Meeting and event is September 26th at 6pm.

Sign up here and choose TIMY Baranoff Elementary:

https://txpta.my.salesforce-sites.com/JoinPTA

Join the Buffalo Dads: Building a Brighter Future for Our Kids!

Are you a parent looking to make a meaningful impact at your child’s elementary school? Meet the Buffalo Dads—a dedicated group of parents committed to maintaining and improving our school environment. We roll up our sleeves to tackle projects big and small, from sprucing up playgrounds to organizing fun events and creating a welcoming space for all students.

Our mission is simple: to enhance the educational experience for our kids while fostering a strong, supportive community among parents. Whether you have a knack for DIY projects, enjoy organizing events, or just want to lend a hand, there’s a place for you in the Buffalo Dads.

Join us to:

· Contribute to hands-on school improvement projects

· Help organize exciting events and activities

· Connect with fellow parents who share your passion for our school

· Make a tangible difference in your child’s school life

Get involved and be part of something special. Together, we’re not just fixing things; we’re building a brighter future for our kids. Sign Up today to learn more and become a Buffalo Dad!

Sign Up Here:

https://forms.gle/wX3oSZXsU9WCGFxe6

Upcoming Event: September 19th - The Buffalo Dad's Kick Off

Details coming.

Secret Pals

Our support staff members keep the school running. Sign up here to shower them with gifts throughout the year.

https://forms.gle/KAR3JQ8sWFSHpYWY6

Blaze the Mascot

Our goal for this year is to have our beloved mascot, Blaze the buffalo, at as many school events as possible! Send an email to Dann, our Blaze coordinator, to get involved dannallard@yahoo.com.

Executive Board Openings.

Come join our amazing team! We have a few openings. For more info, email baranoffpta@gmail.com

Fun Run - Be our liaison with the Fun Run company, our biggest fundraiser of the semester.

Science Fair - This year we're bringing it back! Work closely with the PTA officers to create a fun experience for students.

Website - Help us keep our website (hosted on Squarespace) looking pretty and up to date.

ACPTA Rep - Be our representative at ACPTA meetings to have a say and know what's happening with AISD. Remember, elections are November 5th and education is always on the ballot.

Become a Sponsor

If you own a business, come be a sponsor! We have several options available for all budgets. Get a banner in front of the school and your logo on our Fun Run t-shirts that over 800 students and staff receive.

https://www.baranoffpta.org/sponsorships

<insert sponsorship image>

New Era

Ann Richard's Marching Stars Present:

LEGO Robotics

After School Dance By Carly

Wicked Workshop

Austin Youth Fitness for Running Club

Join Austin Youth Fitness for running club at Baranoff!

AYF has been making “fitness fun” for 15 years! Our play-based running, biking, and yoga programs help kids develop strong bodies, minds, and spirits. And we hope your child will join us for some “Fitness Fun & Friendship” this spring!

AYF Running Club @ Baranoff

Wednesdays 3:15-4:15

Session 1: September 4 - October 9

Session 2: October 16 - November 20

Register HERE

Baranoff Mighty Buffalo Ultimate Frisbee Team

• Thursdays, 3:15pm-4:30pm
• September 26-November 14 (8 weeks)
• Location: Baranoff Campus Field
• Sliding Scale Registration Options
• Register at www.tusculti.com/tusc365-elementary-afterschool-program-fall-2024