Aledo ISD is celebrating impressive academic achievements of several Aledo High School seniors as nine students were recently recognized as either National Merit Semifinalists, National Merit Commended Scholars or AP Capstone Diploma recipients.

“We are extremely proud of these incredible academic achievements by our Aledo High School seniors,” AHS-DNG principal Michael Martinak said. “This kind of recognition is the result of many years of hard work by the students and the reflection of dozens of teachers and staff members and their unwavering support. These students are set up for a very successful future.”

Learn more about our amazing scholars here!

Many of our schools are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month through art!

At Stuard Elementary, students in 2nd and 3rd grade learned about the guitar capitol of the world, Paracho, Mexico. Luthiers from this Mexican city learn how to handcraft fine, quality guitars by watching older members of their family from a young age. This craft has been perfected for over 200 years! Students were inspired by Paracho, Mexico guitars and added Mexican motifs as their designs.

And at Walsh Elementary, students learned about Mexican folk art, creating Amate Bark "paintings" (oil pastels), construction paper tapestries and pinatas!

Attendance Matters in Aledo ISD! We know about this time every year, students and staff alike are ready for a break, so two years ago, we worked this awesome long Fall Break weekend into our instructional calendar! When you’re planning for upcoming vacations and appointments, these built-in days off are the best time to do so so that you don’t miss instruction time!

Students will be off Thursday-Tuesday, Oct. 10-15; Aledo ISD staff is off Friday-Monday, Oct. 11-14.

We can’t wait to see you back, refreshed and ready to tackle the second nine-week grading period on Wednesday, Oct. 16!

Reminder: We have streamlined attendance reporting for ALL campuses - go to www.aledoisd.org/attendancematters to report absences!

Holiday graphic by AHS senior and communications graphic design intern Kiara B.

We are excited to inform you about an upcoming Stop the Bleed training session that we will be offering to our students in middle and high school. This valuable training program teaches participants how to effectively respond to bleeding emergencies, equipping them with life-saving skills that can make a critical difference in emergency situations.

During the session, students will learn how to:

• Recognize life-threatening bleeding.

• Apply direct pressure to wounds.

• Use a tourniquet effectively.

We believe this training is an important opportunity for students to gain practical skills that can help them stay safe and assist others in times of need.

We would like to invite you to attend the training alongside your child to learn these valuable skills together. We are hoping you see this as a valuable opportunity that our students and community are better prepared for emergencies.

Training Date & Time:
Thursday, October 24, 2024 5:30-6 p.m.

Monday, October 28, 2024 5:30-6 p.m.

Location:
Daniel Ninth Grade Campus Cafeteria

If you’re interested in attending, please RSVP by October 22, 2024, to Kimberly Raymond, Deputy Superintendent, at Kraymond@aledoisd.org so we can plan accordingly.

Thank you for your continued support in making our school community a safer place.

Student Ambassadors from all Aledo ISD campuses gathered for lunch on Thursday to meet and share ideas with fellow ambassadors and to grow as leaders on their campuses. School counselors joined these impressive students as they discussed things like perseverance, grit and leadership. We are grateful for this group of students committed to connecting with students on their campuses and helping new students find their way at school!

Aledo ISD has a Clear Bag Policy for varsity football games at Tim Buchanan Stadium. Please make sure that you have read through and understand what is and is not permitted. Learn more about our policies here!

• Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and not exceeding 12” x 6” x 12”
• One-gallon clear plastic freezer bag (Ziploc bag or similar)
• Small clutch bag that is approximately the size of a hand (4.5”X6.5”) with or without a handle or strap
• Diaper bags are allowed as long as they are accompanied by an infant/small child
• Simple seat cushions (with or without a back) without pockets, zippers, compartments or covers
• Binoculars, phones or cameras can be carried into the stadium as long as they are not in an unapproved bag.
• Exceptions will be made for medically necessary items

• Purses larger than a clutch bag, coolers, backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, computer bags, camera bags or any bag larger than the permissible size.
• No outside food or drink allowed. This includes water, soda or sports drink bottles or cans; Yeti/Stanley or similar cups or fast food drink cups; or paper or plastic coffee cups. If you come to the gates with any of these items, you will be required to return them to your car or throw them away.
• Airhorns, bullhorns, whistles, other other artificial noisemakers, footballs, soccer balls or other sports equipment, boom boxes/portable speakers, bubble guns, laser pointers, baby powder, streamers, confetti, silly string or similar items. No animals, skateboards, frisbees or rollerblades allowed in the stadium.
• Absolutely no alcohol, drugs, smoking, vaping, tobacco, or firearms on school property at any time, including before, during and after football games in the stadium and parking lots. These things are prohibited by law at all times for anyone, no matter their age, on school property.

Bearcats Vote! The deadline to register to vote in the November 2024 General Election is Monday, October 7, 2024. Save these upcoming dates in your calendar and make a plan to vote this November. Learn more about the upcoming election and check your voter registration status on the Texas Secretary of State's website - www.votetexas.gov.

• Oct. 7 - Last Day to Register to Vote
• Oct. 21 - First Day of Early Voting
• Oct. 25 - Last Day to Apply for Mail-In Ballot
• Nov. 1 - Last Day of Early Voting
• Nov. 5 - Election Day

Broccoli is a fantastic super food - fiber-rich and low in calories. Did you know that only 1 serving of broccoli meets your daily Vitamin C requirements? Come try some Texas grown, farm fresh broccoli in your cafeteria this month!

We are so grateful for the support of the Aledo Education Foundation!

Last year, the AEF board came to Aledo ISD district administration with a strong desire to support the safety initiatives in the district. Knowing that there was new legislation pertaining to safety - much the district already did - but that not enough additional state funding was given to cover these requirements, AEF wanted to help take care of some of those necessary costs ($560,000 out of our general fund this year to cover what is not provided by state funding and one-time grants).

We know there are many groups and organizations that you support in Aledo ISD, and we are grateful for your love of and passion for our Bearcats and community. We hope today you will consider a donation to AEF, as well!

Results from the beginning-of-year reading and math district assessments will be available according to the details below. Data from these assessments provide baseline data points for tracking and monitoring student progress/growth throughout the school year. Once you receive your student's report, feel free to reach out to your student's teacher with any specific questions or concerns.

Pre-Kindergarten:

CIRCLE Progress Monitoring results will be sent home with your student the week of October 21-25th. Click here to access the CIRCLE Progress Monitoring webpage.

K-2nd Grade:

• mCLASS Texas reading results will be sent home with your student the week of September 30th-October 4th. Click here to access the mCLASS Parent Information Guide. Haga clic aquí para obtener más información en español.
• Parents may access the IXL LevelUp math summary report by following the instructions below. Please contact your student's teacher if you have any trouble accessing this report.
• Parent Guide for Accessing IXL Reports
• Guía para padres para acceder a informes IXL
  

3rd-8th Grade:

MAP Growth results will be sent home with your student the week of September 30th-October 4th. Click here to learn more about MAP Growth including how it works, what it measures and common questions. Haga clic aquí para obtener más información en español.

The first nine-week report card grades will be accessible in Ascender Parent Portal on the afternoon of Friday, October 18. Paper report cards will not be sent home.

• Click here for instructions for accessing report card grades in Parent Portal.
• Click here for information regarding K-2 standards-based report cards.

Thank you for your continued support and for your partnership! Please reach out to your child's teacher if you have any specific questions related to grades.

Aledo Tennis dominates Chisholm Trail (13-6) ending district play undefeated! Winning this competitive match was a great way to celebrate our seniors during Senior Appreciation Night. Varsity Seniors: Eleanor Jack, Elli Kate Bussmeir, Jacob Heckathorn, Francois Britz, Patrice Loftin, Gracie Heydman. The team will face Birdville High School in bi-district playoffs early next week, location and time TBD.

(Side note: If you make it to the end, they report that the campus has 900 students... that's the capacity; the school currently has closer to 540 students with room to grow!)

We know our Bearcat Community is #AllinAledo on Friday nights, but this year we're taking a closer look at all that goes into the Friday Night Magic in and around Tim Buchanan Stadium and even on the road during football season.

Student Media is the voice of Aledo High School. These dedicated journalism students are on the sidelines, capturing the Friday Night Lights experience from a student’s perspective. They don’t just take photos and videos — they conduct interviews, write stories, and package everything into dynamic media pieces each week for social media and the yearbook.

There’s far more than just football happening at Aledo High School. Student Media captures moments from the entire Aledo community, presenting them from a student’s point of view. Whether it’s homecoming, a volleyball tournament or a theater performance, AHS Student Media is "All in Aledo," giving their all to the athletes and student groups who give their all.

Say hello to your new favorite accessories! Flip the script on your style with the NEW upside-down ALEDO hat. Plus, the Pink Bearcats Hat is set to be the cutest addition to the Bearcat Store, perfect for PINK OUT games! Stay tuned—it’ll all be available soon.

You can find the Bearcat Store in the Aledo ISD Admin Building, open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

IYKYK (If you know, you know!): For those students and families who have spent any amount of time in the former McAnally Intermediate/current Vandagriff Elementary gym, you know that the acoustics made having a conversation - much less a class! - difficult. So we were thrilled to be able to add sound panels and acoustical ceiling spray for the Vandagriff Elementary gym to the list of Aledo Bond 2023 projects. This was complete before school started this year, and it has made a huge difference!

Aledo ISD and the Aledo Education Foundation are partnering once again for the Bearcat Backer program, and we'd love your support!

As our district is #GrowingGreatness through exceptional experiences that empower learners for life, we are committed to fostering relationships and partnerships with our outstanding businesses and organizations to help support our Bearcats. Your partnership provides a direct investment and benefit to our Bearcatstudents and staff.

If your business is interested in joining our Bearcat Backers program, please visit our Bearcat Backers webpage that includes sponsorship levels as well as a commitment form to fill out.

Platinum Sponsors

Canvas at Willow Park

EECU Credit Union

First Bank Texas

K&M Elevator, LLC

Myser Orthodontics

United Educators Association

Gold Level Sponsors

First Financial Bank
Impact Athletic Training Center

Redwood Financial

Stroud Pediatric Dentistry
TFWG Insurance Services

Silver Level Sponsors

Brookshire's

Kisselburgh Law Firm

Bronze Level Sponsors

A2Z Promotions, Inc.

BigFoot Ink

First Bank

Kinnear Child Psychology

Olympus Willow Park

Paradigm Wealth Management

Turquant Business Services

In Aledo ISD, parents, students, community members, fellow staff members - ANYONE - can nominate ANY staff member to be recognized in this way! Take the time today to nominate someone who you've seen going above and beyond and being All in Aledo for Circle of Greatness!

The Bearcat Blast E-Newletter is managed by the Aledo ISD Communications Department. To submit news items, email communications@aledoisd.org.

https://www.aledoisd.org/
1008 Bailey Ranch Road, Aledo, TX • Phone: 817-441-8327
Facebook: facebook.com/AledoISD • Twitter: @AledoISD