August

08/24 - YouTube Live with Dr. Null, Superintendent | 6:00 PM

08/26 - First Day of on Campus Instruction for Face-to-face Students in K and 1st Grade

08/31 - On Campus Instruction for Face-to-face Students (2nd-4th) with Last Names beginning with A - C

September

09/01 - On Campus Instruction for Face-to-face Students (2nd-4th) with Last Names beginning with D - J

09/02 - On Campus Instruction for Face-to-face Students (2nd-4th) with Last Names beginning with K - Q

09/03 - On Campus Instruction for Face-to-face Students (2nd-4th) with Last Names beginning with R - Z

09/04 - Online Instruction for all Students in Second, Third, and Fourth Grades

09/07 - Labor Day Holiday

09/08 - Face-to-face Instruction Begins for Second, Third, and Fourth Grades

09/09 - PTO General Meeting via Zoom | 6:30 PM

October

10/09 - Student Holiday

10/12 - Holiday

10/13 - Second Nine Weeks Begins

It's Friday again, and that means it is time for another edition of the Bush Banner. I hope that you find the Banner informative and that we provide information to you in a timely manner. I have tried over the last few weeks to share updates in a way that is not overwhelming. Like last week, though, there is a lot to share. Please do not hesitate to reach out by email or phone if you need clarification or have questions about anything included in the Banner.

I'd like to pay particular attention to the topic of mitigating COVID-19 as we continue on our Roadmap to Reopening. For our Bobcats that will be on campus soon, it is important to know there are a variety of steps we can take to help protect in-person instruction.

Our parents are valued partners in our Roadmap to Reopening Plan. In addition to wearing cloth face coverings, social distancing, washing hands, and regular cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces, an essential element in helping slow the spread of COVID-19 at school is each parent’s commitment to screening their child daily for symptoms. Parents are also asked to keep any student exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 at home and to notify the campus. Attached is a copy of the current screening process which outlines the symptoms. Please review the information and be sure to keep your children at home if they are exhibiting any of the symptoms described.

Please note that all campuses are closed to visitors at this time to help stop the spread of COVID-19. If you must visit a campus, we ask that you screen yourself prior to leaving your home. All visitors that come on a campus/facility will be required to use the Access Intercom system or call the front office from their vehicle. Once the reception area identifies the person and their need to be on campus, they will be allowed in the building. All visitors will be required to sign in using the visitor program. Each visitor will be asked the screening questions. If a “yes” response is given to one of the questions, the visitor will be asked to leave the campus immediately.

Parent/teacher conferences, ARDS, 504 meetings, and similar meetings will be held virtually or by telephone when possible.

Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe. The staff at Bush Elementary is honored to be able to serve your children and your family.

Take good care,

Dr. Jarod Lambert

Principal

The current mask requirement for students in Conroe ISD: Students in grades 3-12 are required to wear face coverings in all areas, including classrooms, and when social distancing of at least 6 ft. is not possible. Students in grades PreK-2 are asked to wear face coverings. All students (PreK-12) will wear face coverings, as developmentally appropriate and feasible, on buses, during transitions, and in school common areas.

As we begin face-to-face instruction, we ask students in grades K-2 who will attend on campus instruction to wear masks. Wearing masks reduces the chance of being quarantined if a child is exposed to a person who tests positive for COVID-19. Masks protect students and staff, and they protect the school year. By wearing a mask, students increase the chances that in-person instruction can continue.

We know that some of our youngest Bobcats will need help learning to wear a mask, and we will help gradually extend the amount of time they can wear them. Part of what we do each year is help our students develop the skills to meet school expectations. This year is no different. We will work with all of our students to wear masks appropriately.

***New for 2020-2021***

In order to keep our Bobcats safe, we are putting some new arrival and dismissal procedures in place.

ARRIVAL

The school doors will open at 7:30, and students will report to their homeroom classes.
All children will need a transportation tag with their bar code on it. On the first day of in-person instruction (August 26 or September 8), after you drop off your child, please be patient as our staff gets your child’s transportation tag from the stations on the front porch. This tag is needed to pick up your child at the end of the day. If students arrive by bus, the transportation tag will be sent home on first day of in-person instruction.

Bikers and walkers: Bikers and walkers will enter through the gate on Crown Ridge and enter the school through the exterior doors on the playground side of the building. Bikes and scooters will be placed next to the walls of the building (look for the signs for each grade level). Kindergarten students will enter in the building through the exterior door closest to the front of the building. First and third graders will use the second door from the front of the building (the third grade hallway). Second and fourth graders will enter through the door farthest from the front of the building (the fourth grade hallway). All doors will be labeled to assist you. Parents will not be allowed past the playground sidewalk on the third and fourth grade side.

Car Riders: Car riders will enter through the main doors for their side of the building. Parents must stay in their cars if they are dropping off a car rider. Please wait for our staff to retrieve your child’s transportation tag once you have dropped off your child.

DISMISSAL

As we assess our dismissal routines adjusted for COVID-19 and to start the year, we will begin dismissing our bikers and walkers at 2:45. All biker and walker students will exit through the gate on Crownridge Drive, and no parents are permitted inside the gate during dismissal or after school. We will be staggering the dismissal times in order to allow for social distancing and to avoid large groups of people on the sidewalk on Crownridge. Please maintain social distancing as you wait for your children to be dismissed.

• 4th grade | 2:45
• 3rd Grade | 2:50
• 2nd Grade | 2:55
• 1st Grade | 3:00
• Kindergarten | 3:05
  

Kindergarten and first grade parents must have a yellow or blue transportation sign with a bar code to pick up students. Parents of second, third, and fourth grade students are encouraged to have a transportation sign.

Car rider dismissal will look a little different this year. We are asking that parents form a line on Crownridge drive so that all cars turn right into the parking lot. We expect that this will greatly speed the dismissal process as we scan transportation tags for dismissal. (See more information below.) As always, we ask that drivers turn right when leaving the parking lot during dismissal as well. There is a traffic sign indicating that the exit from the parking lot is a right turn only at these times.

All students will be given a transportation sign with a bar code. This tag must be displayed in the passenger side window with the bar code showing. If you are picking up multiple children, layer the signs so that each bar code can be seen. Once your transportation sign is scanned, you will be assigned a number and your child will come to the sign with that number. If you do not have a sign with a bar code, you will be asked to pull into a parking spot so we can locate your child.

Please be patient as we work through the newness of our dismissal process this year. We have put a number of mitigation strategies in place to minimize any potential exposure to COVID-19. We do not have a firm grasps on how many children will arrive or be dismissed through the car line at this time. Our staff is working to ensure that your child goes home safely and as quickly as possible.

If your child is scheduled to attend campus instruction in person and you plan on driving them, we are asking you to please visit our website at https:// www.conroeisd.net/transportation/ and select the Register for Transportation link:

This link will take you to https://apps.conroeisd.net/ AlternativeTransportation/

• Please select "No" for transportation.
• This will make your child inactive for transportation services.
• Parent/Guardians can always go back in and change it to "Yes" at any time if your child needs to start riding the bus again.
• Making your child inactive for transportation services helps us better identify which students will be using buses thus allowing us to be even more efficient with our routes and keeping numbers as small as possible per run.
• Please note in advance to complete any of these online requests please have your child's CISD student I.D. number and birth date available before starting the process.
  
  

Should your child be attending in-person instruction and you plan for them to ride the bus, we are asking you to please visit Register for Transportation and check Yes again to ensure we have your child selected for a route.

For complete information on bus transportation, including bus numbers and stop times, please visit https://www.conroeisd.net/transportation/ .

If your child has borrowed technology from Bush during the ramp-up period and they will be returning to in-person instruction, the Chromebook and charger must be returned to the school on the first day of in-person instruction. We will need these devices to ensure that we have technology on campus for students to use during in-person instruction.

Chromebooks and chargers should be returned to the homeroom teacher. Please tape a piece of paper with your child's name to the Chromebook so that we properly identify who has returned the device.

PTO has been very good to the teachers and staff of Bush Elementary this week. Wednesday, we received 46 web cams from PTO to support online learning. Thursday, the PTO delivered roses donated by Kroger for our teaching staff. The grown-up Bobcats that work at Bush are very appreciative of the PTO. We are always amazed by the work the organization does, but we were blown away this week. Thank you!

For your convenience, we have added call-in service when you need to come to the school. There are three signs along the front porch of the school. Please pull up to a sign and call the school. The phone number is included on the sign. Let us know what you need and which sign you are at, and someone will be outside to give you a hand.

The Bush Library is getting geared up to start checking out books to students. If you have a book checked out from the library, please bring it to school and drop it off in the front office. Thank you!

3rd & 4th Grade Parent Canvas Directions -

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9ZUvVFUDGyfTGpnaV9fbklZTTQ/view

3rd & 4th Graders - Canvas Parent Notifications

Are you receiving too many Canvas email notifications? Watch this video to learn how to manage your account.

https://conroeisd.instructuremedia.com/embed/f394754f-eb78-4c3c-a3f8- cffc5ad55e78

Parent Access Center (PAC)
This is the online gradebook. PAC provides parents and guardians the ability to see how students are doing in class. It shows the current class grade and each assignment grade. It allows families to see if there are any missing assignments, attendance information, bus information, lunch account balances, etc.... Here's a short video to help you!

The district has provided WiFi access points at centrally located campuses so that parents and students can access the Internet from the school's parking lot. The closest schools to Bush are The Woodlands High School, The Woodlands High School-9th grade campus, and McCullough. You can access the Internet using the "cisd-guest" network. Diagrams of the network range on each campus are included below. (Click on an image for a larger view.)

Beginning August 13, curbside food distribution for breakfast and lunch will take place at all CISD campuses on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM. Meals will be distributed this way:

• Tuesday: 2 breakfast meals/2 lunch meals
• Thursday: 3 breakfast meals/3 lunch meals
  

At Bush, curbside distribution will take place on the bus ramp. Meals are no longer free for all students. Please think of this as an additional food service line. Student lunch accounts can be used to purchase meals, and students who receive free or reduced meals will purchase at the same price as they would inside the school.

To purchase meals at curbside, you must use the student meal card for your child. This card is located in parent access center. The card links to your child's account. You may pay with cash in the line, but no change will be made. Any change will be applied to your child's school lunch account. You can also pre-pay online at www.myschoolbucks.com or by sending cash or check to the cafeteria for your child's account.

TWHS feeder shirt can be purchased on the following link.

https://conroeisd.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/20436/195/False/True

The content on the Roadmap to Reopening webpages is designed to provide information relevant for the 2020-2021 school year. The details on this page are subject to change as we receive guidance from the Texas Education Agency, Governor’s Office, and State and local officials. Please check back often for the most up-to-date information.

All Bush students have had my virtual counseling office loaded into their Canvas and Seesaw accounts. I hope they have had a chance to view the many resources available from books to games and coping skills. I have recently added the counseling lessons for August. Students may click on the links under “Counseling Lessons” to “Meet the School Counselor” and learn “What does a School Counselor do?. I will continue to update counselling lessons as the year progresses.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding your student. As we navigate this new way of learning and connecting remotely, I am here to help and support you. In the midst of these unprecedented times, I believe the most important things we can teach our students are kindness, patience and grace for themselves and others. We are stronger when we work together and lean on each other for support.

Click here to visit Mrs. McGhee’s Virtual Counseling Office

Click here to to Meet the School Counselor

Click here to learn What does a School Counselor do?

Angie McGhee

amcghee@conroeisd.net

936-709-1600

Please see this link for Coronavirus resources for parents and students.

WELCOME TO BUSH ELEMENTARY!

Clinic Phone - 936-709-1609

MEDICATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Prescription medication must be in the original container, properly labeled including the student’s name, the name of the medication, directions concerning dosage, the schedule for administration, expiration date, and the date the prescription was filled. No expired prescription medication will be administered. No more than a ninety (90) day supply of a prescription medication may be checked in at one time.

Over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, ibuprofen, cough or cold medicines that could potentially mask COVID-19 symptoms will require a written order from your child’s health care provider.

Special Medication Note: Due to CDC COVID-19 guidelines nebulizer medications cannot be administered at school at this time.

CURB SIDE MEDICATION SIGN IN

Please email or call the clinic if your child will require a scheduled or prescription medication for this school year. A medication permission form will be emailed to you, or let us know if you need to pick up a paper copy.

Medications will be dropped off via curb side delivery Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:30-2:30. Please email clkirchner@conroeisd.net or call 936-709-1600 (front office) or 936-709-1609 (clinic) to let us know that you are here for medication drop off. Nurse Cheryl will come out to your car to collect the signed forms and medication.

CLINIC STUDENT CLOTHING REQUEST

In case of restroom accidents, spills, muddy clothes, please keep a complete change of clothes in your child’s backpack in a zip lock bag to have on hand. The clinic will not have extra clothes in the clinic to provide our students. Parents will be called to bring clothing changes if their child does not have extra clothes available in their backpack. Thank you for your help!

STUDENT ILLNESS

Please contact Nurse Cheryl if your child is absent from school with an illness; fever, sore throat, headache, body aches.

MEDICAL ALERTS

If you indicated a medical diagnosis or medical alert on the health portion of the on-line registration, please contact Nurse Cheryl by email clkirchner@conroeisd.net or call 936-709-1609.

Stay Healthy,

Nurse Cheryl Kirchner, RN

clkirchner@conroeisd.net

Evelin Padilla, Clinic Assistant

epadillaguerrer@conroeisd.net

Our daily announcements are shared in Canvas or Seesaw for each class. In addition, we post the announcements to our Facebook and Twitter accounts. We will also include the week's announcements in each edition of the Bush Banner.

All SMS messages received from the Conroe ISD District Office and your child's campus will begin with "Conroe ISD:" and come from the subscribe code 67587. If you have not yet opted-in to receive SMS messages, you can do so at any time throughout the school year by texting "Y" to 67587.

With the purchase of an annual family membership to the PTO, you get input and voting rights on how the PTO budget is spent, as well as voting rights for executive board members. You will receive a monthly member newsletter which updates you on what is going on with the PTO, including board meeting minutes and it provides you with an opportunity to ask questions and have areas of concerns addressed. A membership is also a direct donation to the PTO. Those funds help us cover our minimal operating expenses, as well as cover funds we give to the school for field trips, student scholarships, recess supplies and campus enhancements. As an added bonus, you get a copy of the student directory when it is published!

Please note, if you purchase a "Bush Basics" package, it includes a membership. For those choosing the a la carte option, the membership is at the bottom of the order page.

Barbara Bush PTO is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Bush PTO General Meeting

Time: Sep 9, 2020 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Login information is included in the Bush Banner email sent directly to parents.

Yearbook Assistant: Assist yearbook lead in organization, design, layout and distribution of yearbook.

Directory: Coordinate the layout of the directory and work with Communications VP to create an electronic publication. (Some excel experience is helpful)

If interested, please contact Caitlin Reeves at president@bushpto.com

Movie Night support team: This team creates a family movie night in January. This position can be done at any time day, night or weekends. You will be working under an experienced leader who will help you accomplish tasks. Commitment time is approximately 25 hours for the year plus 7 hours on the day of the event.

If interested, please contact Nancy Sheely at nancysheely@gmail.com

Spirit Wear Still on Sale at BushPTO.com - Shirts * Hoodies * Baseball Caps * Hair Bows * Backpack Charms * Car Decals * Personalized Lables * Drawstring Bags

Spirit Friday gear is available for purchase at www.bushpto.com. New this year, Bobcat caps, which can be worn to school on Spirit Fridays! Plus, be sure to check out the personalized lables, and pawprint tattoos!

Both in-person and virtual classes will be counted for our monthly spirit contests!

Anything ordered now will be shipped when we place our third and final order, which will not arrive until the end if September.

We have a limited number of school supply packs for Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd and 4th grade available for purchase. Contact Kathy Ritchie at kathy@kathyunleashed.com for availability and purchasing.

Please complete the survey found at the link below to provide your feedback about PTO.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RRSDHXG

Bush Elementary: A nurturing and inclusive community where students become empowered citizens and life-long learners. Every student, every day!

Our school hours are officially 8:00-3:10. Students may arrive as early as 7:30 and will go to their homeroom beginning at that time.

Email: bush@conroeisd.net
Website: http://bush.conroeisd.net/
Location: 7420 Crownridge Drive, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 936-709-1600

The Conroe Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding these non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator, 3205 W. Davis, Conroe, Texas 77304; (936)-709-7700 and the Section 504/ADA Coordinator, 3205 W. Davis, Conroe, Texas 77304; (936) 709-7670.