What a fun Dot Day today! We love all the creativity students bring everyday and this is an especially fun way to celebrate!

Sunday begins the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month! The district is inviting our students to "Join the Fiesta" a virtual talent show for Hispanic Heritage Month! All submissions are due by September 30th and you can find more details in the For Your Information section below. I would love to have Barton Hills represented in this vibrant celebration!

We are happy to share the new and updated process to be a volunteer with Barton Hills. AISD changed the system for volunteer registration and background checks so it has taken us a little longer than usual to get the information out to you. All BHE volunteers who will be in contact with children must complete a background check. Background checks are good for one year. If you’re a new volunteer or haven’t done a background check in the current school year, please click the link and follow the directions below. It’s quick and easy!

To begin the volunteer approval process, please click on the link below.

Austin ISD Volunteers

Questions? Contact our Administrative Assistant, Kathy Carr, at mary.k.carr@austinisd.org.

This week our P2 trait is Being present and giving others my attention. This means when we are with other people, we are present and give them our full attention.

As always, thank you for your support of our school and community.

Kati Achtermann, Principal

September 15: Hispanic Heritage Month Begins

September 16: Freedom Week

September 17: Constitution Day

September 27: American Indian Heritage Day

September 30: Custodian and Groundskeeping Appreciation Week

October 3 - Student Holiday/ Professional Development Day

October 4 - Staff and Student Holiday

October 14 - Student Holiday/ Parent Teacher Conference Day

October 20 - CARNIVAL 1 - 4

We invite all students and staff to participate in the 2024 Join the Fiesta! Talent Show. Submissions are due by September 30. We have nearly $4,000 in prizes to distribute amongst the winners. The awards ceremony will take place at the Performing Arts Center on October 12.

Please encourage your students and teachers to participate! 🎨💃🎵🎤

Video - YouTube (2023 Awards ceremony)

2024 submission form

The School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) is a school board-appointed advisory group of individuals representing different community segments. By law, most of the members must be parents of students enrolled in the district who are not employed by the district. The AISD SHAC comprises parents, community members, students, and school staff working together to improve the health of all students and families through coordinated school health programs. Texas law requires all school districts to have a SHAC, and that notice must be posted at least 72 hours before each SHAC meeting “on a bulletin board in the central administrative office of each campus in the school district” (TEC Section 28.004).

• September 18, 2024 SHAC Agenda

The SHAC typically holds monthly meetings on the third Wednesday of every month, with the exception of December and July. The meetings are from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM and are held on the 2nd floor of the AISD Headquarters Building located at 4000 S. I-H 35 Frontage Rd. Austin, TX 78704 or virtually.

SHAC Meeting Dates and Locations

Thank you for supporting this committee. If you have any questions, please contact Francina Hollingsworth at francina.hollingsworth@austinisd.org.

We are excited to share the details of our upcoming Family Empower Hour sessions which provide valuable information and support to our students' families. The Family Empower Hour schedule is also available on the external AISD Special Education website. Families can also access recordings from previous offerings, as well.

Thank you for your support!

O. Henry Middle School Round Up 2024!

Round Up is O. Henry Middle School’s annual school carnival featuring inflatables, booths, games, food, raffles and a middle school dance. Proceeds from Round Up enhance the learning experience for every student during this school year. Neighbors, friends, and future students are invited to support OHMS at this fun family event on Friday, September 27th from 3:30-6:30p.m. on the school grounds. For more information please click here.

If you're thinking about purchasing a new mattress or two or three, consider supporting the Austin High Band at the same time. Sunday, September 29th will be their 3rd annual mattress fundraiser at Palmer Events Center. Use the flyer above and support the Austin HS Band Boosters.

LASA Dance invites K-8 students to a Junior Clinic on Saturday, September 28, 2024. Visit tinyurl.com/LASADanceJunior

The Responsible Use Policy is now in place. Acknowledgement and adherence to the RUP is applicable each time anyone uses an AISD device, logs into our network and/or accesses the AISD portal and related applications. Please take time to review the K-5 Responsible Use Policy

The Annual Fund is Barton Hills Elementary PTA’s hassle-free yearly fundraising campaign. Donating helps support our wonderful students, teachers, staff, and programs. When you make a donation, you automatically become a PTA member! The PTA is budgeted to spend over $400 per student this school year. Annual Fund contributions guarantee our students and teachers get the resources they need. Whether a family or a business, your gift goes a long way to support the PTA initiatives. The suggested amount is $200 per student to meet our goal, but we understand not all families can contribute at these levels. The minimum required to join the PTA is $15 per family and $5 for teachers and staff. Please visit the annual fund website for more information and thank you for your support! bit.ly/BHEAnnualFund24-25

The AISD Gifted and Talented Referral process has opened for the 24-25 school year. The referral window will be open until October 7th. AISD screens all second graders so there is no need to submit a referral for any second grader. If a child is already identified as GT (through the AISD process) there is no need to submit another referral.

For more information please see the flyer.

Advanced Academics will host 2 virtual information sessions: one on Tuesday, September 24 at 6 PM and one on Wednesday, September 25 at 12 PM via this zoom link. Information can also be found on the Advanced Academics website.

Please see information below on the AISD Student Success Guide for the 24-25 School Year:

Education in this community represents a significant commitment of financial and human resources. The benefits a student derives from this investment depend very much on the student's attitude toward learning and the student's adherence to high standards of behavior.

The Student Code of Conduct that follows is the district's specific response to requirements of Chapter 37: Discipline; Law And Order of the Texas Education Code. The law requires the district to define misconduct that may or must result in a range of specific disciplinary consequences.

This code is an outgrowth of collaboration among district and campus staff, parents, and other community members and was adopted by the AISD Board of Trustees. It provides information and direction to students and parents regarding standards of behavior as well as consequences of misconduct. In the case of conflict between the Student Code of Conduct and board policy, the Student Code of Conduct will prevail.

We'll be holding our first safety drill of the year this week - a lock down drill. We follow the Standard Response Protocol from the i love you guys organization. Below you will find a handy two-page document that explains each of the five types of drills we run along with a guide for parents explaining what to do in the event of a true emergency.

• BHE Eagle Ultimate Frisbee Team
• Thursday, 3:15pm-4:30pm
• September 26-November 14 (8 weeks)
• Barton Hills Sports Field
• Sliding Scale Registration Options
• More information and registration at www.tusculti.com

• Please send in documentation of student absences using the School Absence Form on the AISD website or complete a paper form (pick up in Front Office).
• We, DO NOT accept phone calls or voicemail messages as documentation for a student's absence.
• Please have medical offices submit documentation of your student’s visit to “bartonhills@austinisd.org”.
• Please allow up to 72 hours (3 business days) for attendance to be corrected.
• Set up notifications for your student’s attendance and grades via Parent Self Serve.
• Students attending family trips during scheduled school days will remain coded as an unexcused absence. Car problems, traffic, or oversleeping will not be considered as an excused absence or excused tardy.

A student is tardy if he/she is not with their homeroom teacher when the 7:40 bell rings. If you arrive late to school, your student will be required to come to the office for a tardy slip before going to class.

What to do if your student must leave school early:

• When you arrive to Barton Hills to pick up your student, please be prepared with your photo I.D. Your student will be called to the attendance office to leave campus.

• Please do not plan to pick up your student from school 30 minutes prior to dismissal (ie 2:40 PM).

• You must sign the student out in the office. Leaving for any part of the day will result in an unexcused tardy. Students leaving for a medical appointment must bring a note from the doctor to excuse the absence/tardy.

For more information visit the district's attendance page.

AISD is launching a new App. Please see the flyer for QR Code

Maintaining a safe and positive learning environment for our students is our top priority. It is important to us that our safety protocols are in place AND that our students, families, and staff continue to feel a positive and welcoming environment each day. Please help us keep everyone safe.

Arrival:

• We will continue to have a secure morning arrival with families/caregivers saying goodbye before students enter the building. Parents/Caregivers may walk students to the front walkway during car drop off/walking drop off. Staff members will be outside and inside ready to greet, welcome, and support our students as they enter the building at 7:30. Parents will not be allowed to walk students to the classrooms and portables.
• The front doors will open for breakfast at 7:15 am. At 7:30 am, all students will enter the building.
• The first week our Kinder students will meet their teachers in the cafeteria before going to class. The teachers will be there to meet them and then walk together to the classroom.
• IMPORTANT: There is NO parking in the drive in front of the school between 7:00 - 8:00 am. This lane is reserved for drop off only. If you'd like to walk your child to the front door, please park in the neighborhood and walk to school together. Thank you!
• If you need to bring something to your child after they have entered the building, please leave it on the labeled cart outside the front doors with a clearly marked label. Please call the front office to let us know you are leaving an item (lunch, water bottle, device, etc.) and we will get it to your child.

Exterior Doors:

• All exterior doors will remain locked at all times during the school day. Portable classroom doors will also remain fully locked all day.
• Staff will check each exterior door weekly to ensure they close and lock as intended.

Dismissal:

• All kindergarten students will be dismissed with their homeroom teacher at 3:05pm.

• 1st- 5th grade car riders, walkers, and bikers will be dismissed from specific outdoor locations with their homeroom teacher at 3:10pm.

• Older siblings may join younger siblings at the younger sibling location.

• Third Base After School Care students will go to the cafeteria.

• *See map below for dismissal locations by grade level.

• Students must leave by 3:20 at the latest.

• Please see map below and note that areas in RED are NO Parking Zones - even for drop off and pick up.

Visitors:

• Visitors are welcome at Barton Hills for the purposes of student support. This may include scheduled parent teacher conferences and meetings, registration, pre-arranged volunteer opportunities, and other scheduled events.
• Lunch Visitors: You may come have lunch with your child. You must sign in at the office prior to going to the cafeteria. Please note that if you plan to have lunch with your students, you will need to plan to eat outside or at a separate designated table. Provide lunch only for your child. Do not arrange to purchase lunch for a group of students and then have your child pass it out. You may only have lunch with your own child - please do not invite other students to join you. *No lunch visitors for the first three weeks of school so we can work on routines and expectations.
• The main front doors are the only entry doors to the campus for visitors. The door buzzer/office communicator is on the right side wall by the front doors. Please push the button to communicate with the office and, once verified, we will buzz you in to the building.
• All visitors MUST sign in at the front office upon arrival AND sign out at the front office when leaving. Please remember to bring your photo ID with you when visiting campus. We will be using the 360 system to scan licenses and print out Visitor tags.
• IMPORTANT: Families, please do not ask a staff member to hold a side or back door open for you to enter the building. All students, parents, and visitors must enter through the front entry doors. Thank you!

Staff Training, Campus Drills, and Threat Assessment

• Our staff will be trained on safety prior to students entering the building.
• We will review safety plans and practices throughout the year.
• We will continue to hold all required safety drills with our students. Most of the drills will be announced drills so our students aren't surprised or alarmed by them.
• Barton Hills has an established threat assessment team comprised of administration, counseling and teaching staff. All members of the team have received Threat Assessment training from Texas State. Licensed Mental Health Providers and School Resource Officers are on call to assist when needed.

Phew! I know that's a lot to digest, but wanted everyone to know we're prepared for a strong, safe, and productive year.

AISD Weather Guidelines

• Temperature guidelines have been established in order to provide a safe and healthy environment for students participating in outdoor activities at Austin ISD.

• The listed temperatures, heat indexes, and wind-chill factors are designated figures for terminating and/or modifying outdoor activities including: Athletics, Fine Arts, PE, and recess.

• AISD_Temperature Weather Guidelines

Website: bartonhills.austinschools.org/schoool
Location: 2108 Barton Hills Drive, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-414-2013
Facebook: facebook.com/BartonhillsPTA
Twitter: @bheeagles

Instagram: bheeagles