Dear families -

I hope all is well as we finish up week ten of the school year. We had our PTA/CAC meeting where our parents shared workshops they would be interesed in attending, including starting your own business, how to de-stress , and strategies for helping our middle years students. Our parent support specialist will be working with outside providers to help facilitate these conversations. Stay tuned for dates and times. Sorry if we missed you- we meet every third Thursday starting at 4:30 PM. Our eighth graders worked hard on there PSAT exams this week and spent most of Tuesday morning completing this test.

Our students looked amazing for picture day ! For those who were not here, there will make-ups/re-takes in January.

We will have Red Ribbon Week dress up days for drug safety awareness. See flyer below.

Next week our students are invited to dress up on Thursday, October 31st . We ask that students adhere to AISD dresscode, do not wear masks and do not bring toy weapons. PTA will be here to color students' hair with temporary hair color spray for $1.00 during lunches.

Technology is housed on campus, so no need to worry about chargers or bringing in chromebooks. Students pick up their chromebook during BIC (8:00- 8:20) Thank you in advance for getting students to campus on time so they can pick up their devices.

Thank you for supporting the cell phone free-zone initiative and for your continued partnership in creating a positive learning environment. If you need to contact your student, please call 512-841-6800 and the front office can assist you.

Parents can drop off is at the east parking lot and pick up is at the north parking lot. The buses drop off at the north parking lot and pick up at the east parking lot. Thank you for adhering to these routes for the safety of all students and staff members.

Athletics information:

Basketball and soccer tryout have begun at Paredes. Athletes, make sure to complete online rank one forms and get a physical if you haven’t done so already to play your sport. If you have any questions about athletics, reach out to Coach Anderson.

Below you will find links to the physical.

To find your bus:

1. Where's the Bus? for Families

To Sign Up:

1. Go to https://portal.austinisd.org. Log into your AISD Portal account. If you don’t have an account, select ‘Click here to create your parent account’. You will not be able to access Where's the Bus without a AISD Portal account.
   Note: For assistance setting up your account, please contact the Parent Technology Support Help Line at 512-414-9187.
2. Use the search bar at the top of the page, or just start typing to search for the WheresTheBus application. To launch, click on the bus icon.
3. A new tab will open showing the ETA, bus location, school location and home location.
4. You can access WheresTheBus through the AISD Portal or through the app.

To Install the Where's the Bus App

1. Download the app from the App Store (iOS/Apple) or Google Play (Android). When you open the app, you will be asked if your child rides an Austin ISD bus. Select "Yes."
2. After logging in using your AISD Portal credentials, you will be able to access bus arrival information. You will not be able to access Where's the Bus without an AISD Portal account.
3. Once your credentials are validated, you will receive real-time bus arrival information as soon as you open the app (no login required / one touch access). For technical issues, please call 512-414-8324 (HELP).

Where's the Bus Screen Overview

• Arrival Status: Estimated time of arrival (ETA) is displayed when bus arrival time can be predicted. When a prediction is unavailable (“no eta”), use the bus location and distance from your stop.
• Last Message: “Current” is displayed when bus data has been received in the last minute. If updates are not received, the bus is likely stopped at a school or layover or inactive (no messages in the last 15 minutes).
• Your House: Represented by home icon.
• Your School: Represented by school icon.
• Your Bus Stop: represented by stop sign icon.
• 10-minute Marker: Location when the bus is 10 minutes away.
• Bus Location & Distance: Represented by bus icon and distance.
• Bus #: Click on the bus number to switch between buses, if multiple.
• Substitute buses: If bus 1400 were subbing for bus 1423, for example, it would be displayed as 1423(1400).

Upcoming Events:

Red Ribbon Week Ocotober 28th - October 31st

November 1st - Student /Staff Holiday

November 5th - Student Holiday

Website for school menu: SchoolCafé - AUSTIN ISD (schoolcafe.com)

Respectfully,

Erica Ramirez

Principal, Paredes Middle School