May 8, 2024

I want to personally express my gratitude to all the parents for your incredible support during Teacher Appreciation Week. Thank you for generously showering our teachers with sweets, treats, flowers, gifts, and more. Despite the challenges we faced this year, our teachers worked tirelessly, staying focused on educating our children with high expectations, quality instruction, and genuine care. It's truly an honor to be part of this journey, making a meaningful impact in the lives of our students at Bush Elementary.

Teacher Appreciation Week isn't over just yet! We still have two more days to show our teachers the love and appreciation they deserve. Please refer to the attached flyer for more details on Teacher Appreciation Week activities. Thank you once again for your continued support!

One way we can send a big thanks to educators is by helping our kids view all teachers with great respect. A powerful strategy for achieving this goal involves allowing our kids to overhear us talking positively about their teachers. You’ve probably noticed your children’s eyes glazing over as you’ve tried to lecture them about some essential truth. In contrast, you’ve seen how closely they listen when they see that you’re trying to have a private conversation! Experiment with this:

At least twice a week intentionally let your children overhear you saying something positive about their teachers. Do this for the rest of the school year.

All dedicated educators want to be appreciated for their hard work and long hours. It’s amazing to realize that teachers can take classrooms full of kids with different needs, abilities, behaviors, and troubles and turn them into high-powered learning teams. Teachers deserve to be appreciated for this miracle!

Another gift we can give them involves our own parenting. The most wonderful display of our appreciation is to send them students truly ready to be respectful, responsible, and eager to learn. No doubt this gift also benefits our children, who will rise to the top when equipped with such character attributes. In addition to letting our kids hearing our positive comments about their teachers, here is list of a few additional things you can do to help teachers help your kids succeed:

· Ensure that they are doing chores without reminders at home, so that they know how to do assignments without reminders at school.

· Allow very little time with technology, including video games, texting, surfing the web, watching videos, television, etc. These activities make it more difficult for our children to remain calm and content at school.

· Have family meals together, where you enjoy each other and talk about all the things you’ve learned during the day.

I am a product of HISD having attended Anderson, Roberts, TH Rogers and Lee (Wisdom)HS. In 1992, after my kids started school, I began teaching first grade at Hayes Grade Center in Ada, Oklahoma. I moved back to Houston in 2002 and began teaching first grade here under Mrs. Susan Benner-Givens, who had been my youngest brother’s Kindergarten teacher at Walnut Bend Elementary many years before. 😊 I have LOVED being here for the past 21 years and will miss this community very much. Thank you for all the love and support you’ve shown me. Retirement…here I come!

We will have Field Day on Friday, May 10, regardless of the weather as Coach Pham has a rainy/wet day plan of exciting events inside the building, if needed. Students should wear their tie dye shirts they made in art on Friday. Starting Friday, May 10 - June 5, the tie dye shirt made in art becomes part of the dress code.

Parent volunteers are still needed to help run the events. Parents must be VIPS approved to volunteer at the event. Please sign up with PTO using this link. Volunteer Link

Please note: Parents will not be able to follow their child around to the activities. Parents who volunteer through the link provided will be assigned to a specific event upon arrival.

Bush Elementary has the pleasure of having our beloved Nurse Santos this school year! As we celebrate Nurse's week, we also thank her for her dedication to our students. Thank you Nurse Santos for all your work with the students, parents, faculty, and staff at Bush Elementary!

On Friday, May 17th, we will be celebrating International Family Day. Bush Elementary students and staff are encouraged to dress up in traditional international outfits from their culture or another culture of choice. The traditional outfits will be worn all day so make sure it's comfortable and safe to wear at recess, lunch, and during enrichment class time.

At 8:00 am, we will have an International Family parade. The parade will start indoors and then exit out the building to the track. All students will walk around the track showcasing the international outfits.

Parents are invited to view the parade at 8:00 a.m. and line the outside or inside of the track, but not on the track so students can safely pass through. The gates will open from 7:20 am - 8:20 am or until the last person on the parade line leaves the track. Parents will enter the track area through the gates located at the end of the bus lane on Parkway Plaza Dr. For the safety of all students, faculty, and staff, parents will not be allowed inside the building for the building portion of the parade, or before or after the parade.

Rainy Day Plan: In the event of bad weather, we will only do the parade indoor. Parents will enter through the cafeteria doors between 7:50 am - 8:05 am. In case we have an overflow of visitors, parents can view the parade virtually from the cafeteria.

Sharpstown High School

May 18, 2024

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Join us to celebrate traditions experiences, and beliefs through the vision of our youth. Come learn from students in HISD as they enrich us with their cultural representations and bring us one step closer to multiculturalism.

Register online to be part of Multicultural Day and showcase your interpretation of culture through any of the five categories listed.

The last day for student checkout is May 9. All books need to be returned by May 17. Please encourage students to turn in their books on time. If a book is lost, please send the replacement cost of the lost book, so the library can order a library-bound replacement with processing. Students can check their library accounts through Clever on Accessit. Thank you for your support of Bush Library.

Our motto for 2024-2025 school year will be “The Paws-ibilities are Endless.” This motto was created by our 5th graders as part of their contribution to Bush before they transitioned to middle school. Thank you 5th grade teachers for coordinating this with your students. I look forward to the wonderful Paws-ibilities that will come to Bush next year.

Next Steps - T-Shirt Design! We would like all students and staff to participate in the T-Shirt Design for the school motto. By May 8th, please submit your design in paper to PTO mailbox or email it electronically to PTO President, Michelle Jackson, at presidentbbepto@gmail.com. On May 8th, we will have an SDMC meeting to vote on the T-shirt design for next school year.

Note: For paper designs, we just want 2D drawings with pencils, pens, crayons, markers, etc. 3D designs will be disqualified. Up to 3 colors max.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we had to reschedule our SDMC meeting to Thursday, May 16th. All SDMC members and participants who had signed up to speak or observe have been notified of the new date.

Kindergarten Registration and Verification for ZONED students who will be 5 on or before September 1, 2024.

May 16 - 8:00 am – 11:00 am & 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm (New Date Added)

Parents who have completed online registration at www.houstonisd.org/enroll and uploaded the required documents will come to in-person registration verification and complete the home language survey form. All parents should bring paper copies of their proof of residency, birth certificate, shot records, and government-issued ID for verification.

K - 5th Grade Registration and Verification for ZONED students

June 10 - 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

June 11 - 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. &12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

August 2 – 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

August 5 – 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Parents should complete the online registration at www.houstonisd.org/enroll and upload all required documents before coming to registration. Please bring your child’s final report card from the 2023-2024 school year and the originals of your uploaded documentation for verification. Computers will be available for those who are unable to complete the registration process at home.

To help us plan for next school year, we need to know if your child (ren) will be returning to Bush Elementary for the 2024-2025 school year. Please scan the QR code or Click on the following link to complete your Intent to Re-Enroll form. https://forms.gle/UbjmDCGUsrbhbJYRA. This form has been extended to May 14th to accommodate families that need an extension.

If you want to re-enroll your child for the 2024- 2025 school year, please check that your child will be re-enrolling on the form, and upload Two (2) proof of residency documents that indicate the parent’s/ legal guardian’s name and address. Examples: gas bill, electric bill, lease agreement, etc.

Note: If you are leasing, one document must be your lease agreement with the student’s name included and the other an electric or gas bill.

IF DOCUMENTATION IS NOT RECEIVED by MAY 14, THEN YOUR CHILD WILL NOT BE ENROLLED FOR THE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR.

Students must be living in Bush Elementary’s zone to register and to attend school throughout the year.

**Even if you’ve recently submitted address verification for the current school year, we still need the documents listed to continue at Bush for next school year.**

Kindergarten Sibling- If you’re zoned to Bush and have a child that will enter Kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year, then please go to www.houstonisd.org/enroll and enroll your child. Additionally, you MUST bring the following documents to school between 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. for enrollment verification:

• Two documents indicating proof of residency (lease, gas bill, electric bill, etc.)
• Birth Certificate
• Immunizations Record
• Social Security (optional) and
• Parent’s ID

If you need assistance with completing this form or uploading your proof of residency documents, you may come to school on the following dates/times for support:

• Friday, April 12 between 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Monday, April 15 between 6:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

Once you submit your file, our Student Information Representative (SIR), Ms. Rosales, will review and verify the documents uploaded. She will follow up with you via email to confirm your enrollment for next school year. If you have any questions, you may email Ms. Rosales at Arosale3@houstonisd.org

Deadline to complete the form is May 14, 2024

In the 2024-2025 school year, the After3 Program will be offered at BBE! Representatives spoke at our Spring PTO Meeting, and here were some of the highlights:

• $315 per month for full time care plus $75 registration fee. Discounts for siblings. (Full time = at least 3 days a week)

• Care is available from dismissal until 6:30 pm

• Enrichment classes available for an additional cost; some options may be sports, art, music, martial arts, STEM, dance and more!

• Enrollment for the fall opens July 1st

• Learn more here or grab a flyer from the front office: https://www.after3asp.com/programoverview

• Contact info:

• 713-269-5936

• enrollment@after3asp.com

Summer school this year will be at Daily Elementary School. Below is some basic information regarding summer school.

Dates: June 17 through July 19 (Monday-Friday)

Holidays: June 19, July 4-5

Hours: 8:00 am -2:45 pm (Building open from 7:00 am – 4:00 pm)

Targeted Student Groups:

Required for all students who did not meet promotion standards for grades or attendance.

Recommended for some students based additional data set by the district and/or campus.

This week and next week are sending home letters to parents of students who are required or recommended for summer school.

We have many jackets and sweaters in Lost and Found. Please stop by our lost and found on Thursdays between 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. to claim your child's missing item.

Our current campus average daily attendance rate is 96.2%. The estimated funding lost due to student absences is $114,924.56 so far.

If your child is healthy, then your child must be at school. If your child is sick, has a fever at or above 100, or is vomiting or other intestinal issues, then your child must be at home. Please send your child to school with a note to excuse the absence for illness.

There are days built into the calendar along with a long summer break for family time and trips. We encourage you to plan your family time around designated district holidays and breaks. Click on the following link to review the district calendar: https://tinyurl.com/34vb2npe

We want to take a moment to emphasize the importance of consistent attendance for your child's academic success. Currently, our campus average daily attendance rate of 96.2%. Upon reviewing the excessive absence report, we have identified a concerning trend among some students. We have observed that some students are accumulating absences at a rate that may hinder their academic progress. As part of our commitment to supporting student success, any student with 17 or more absences will be required to undergo an attendance appeal process by the end of March. This appeal process may entail your child staying after school for a few hours to participate in activities set by the principal. While we understand that unforeseen circumstances may lead to absences, it is essential to ensure that every student has the opportunity to excel in their studies.

If your child is approaching the 17-absence mark, we urge you to take proactive steps to improve their attendance and prevent the need for an appeal. Your cooperation and support in this matter are greatly appreciated. Together, we can work towards ensuring that our students stay on track and realize their full potential. Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

Ensuring safety is our top priority. During morning drop-off from 7:00 a.m. to 7:35 a.m., there is heavy pedestrian traffic in the bus lane. If you typically drop off or pick up your child in this area, please reduce your speed. The maximum speed limit is 10 mph. Thank you for helping keep everyone safe.

Welcome back to our weekly SEL discussions - I'm so happy that we get to explore the topic of growth mindset on my birthday! First, let’s discuss the differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A fixed mindset believes that traits including talent, intelligence, and skill will always remain the same. People with fixed mindsets usually avoid challenges, ignore feedback, and perceive constructive criticism as attacks or insults. However, a growth mindset believes that all traits can be improved by effort and hard work. People with growth mindsets believe that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to, are more open to feedback and criticism, and enjoy overcoming challenges. However, most people aren’t completely one or the other. It’s a spectrum, and people have growth mindsets in one area and fixed mindsets in another.

Now, let’s look at different ways to improve a fixed mindset. Here’s an exercise to help embrace challenges. At the start of the day, list 1-2 challenges you may face. They can be small or big - whatever is most comfortable. This can help you see that you face challenges everyday, and you can improve or change many things through hard work and effort. (Some examples of these are getting through a presentation or finishing a book.) Another exercise you can do is to work on something you may be insecure about. For example, if you feel stressed about writing essays, then try to write in your free time, and don’t give up! Put in time and effort and target things that you might not be the best at. Additionally, you can use the power of “yet”, which we have talked about in previous articles. You can use this when you feel like you may never be able to do something. Instead of saying ‘I can’t do this’, you could say ‘I can’t do this YET.’ Thanks for reading this week’s article! I look forward to seeing you again next week.

SEL Activity Recommendation: Name a few challenges you conquered today - big or small. This can show you that you work hard to accomplish many things throughout your day.

We need volunteers to help supervise and assist students at lunch in the cafeteria on Fridays.

We also need volunteers to help supervise students safety during recess time at the big playground area only everyday during the following slots:

• Slot 1: 10:10 am – 10:55 am (2 volunteers needed)

• Slot 2: 11:10 am – 12:00 pm (2 volunteers needed)

• Slot 3: 12:00 pm – 12:50 pm (2 volunteers needed)
• Slot 4: 12:50 pm – 1:25 pm (2 volunteers needed)

Only the parent (no siblings) may take part in the supervision. Please be mindful that this is an active volunteer opportunity to spread love to all children and not a time to enjoy lunch or recess with your own kiddo.

Parents must complete the following three steps before volunteering:

Step 1: Click Here to register online to get VIPS approved each year.

Step 2: Click Here to sign up to volunteer for the Cafeteria.

Click here to sign up to volunteer for Recess.

Once you're VIPS approved. Please note that this is not just a one-time commitment, but rather we need consistent volunteers showing up on a regular basis at lunch time and recess.

Step 3: Click Here to watch the quick training video before volunteering in the cafeteria.

Click Here to watch the quick training video before volunteering at recess.

Step 4: Bring your driver's license to sign in when you enter the building. Also, be prepared to show a copy of the certificate/email that shows that you're VIPS-approved at your first time volunteering.

We look forward to having cafeteria volunteers at lunch time and during recess!

All adults entering the buildings MUST show a government issued photo identification at the front office every time you enter the building.

If you are coming into the school to volunteer and/or attend field trips. then you must be VIPS approved.

Ms. Hoang would like to wish a very special birthday to:

Venkata D. who turned 7 years old on May 4 and is a first grader in Ms. Fox's class.

Benjamin C. who turned 9 years old on May 5 and is a third grader in Ms. Pucci's class.

Happy Birthday and Welcome to the Bush Birthday Book Club!

May 18th at 9am - 12 pm

We will need help distributing mulch in the courtyard near where we planted flowers for Earth Day and a few other spots around the school. Please bring shovels and or wheel barrels if possible. Below is the link for the sign up or check your dashboard under "Continuation of Earth Day project."

www.BBEpto.com

Volunteers Needed!

5/10 Field Day SIGN UP HERE & Lunch Support

5/13 Lunch Support

5/17 Lunch Support

5/18 Courtyard mulching SIGN UP HERE

5/20 Lunch Support

5/24 Bobcat Bazaar K, 2nd & 4th & Lunch Support

5/31 Lunch Support

6/3 Last Lunch Support Opportunity

As well as daily opportunities to volunteer with Mrs. Miller at the Library.

Sign up here to volunteer.

Our annual Field Day will take place on Friday, May 10th! We need wonderful volunteers to help make it a FUN and special day for the students! Please click the sign up link below for more information! We look forward to having you join us!

Please note: Parents will not be following their child around to the different activities. Volunteers will be assigned to a specific event upon arrival.

https://bbepto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/126109

We are excited to have our 2024-2025 PTO board elected! We have a few positions that we still need amazing volunteers for. We also have a few roles that would benefit from having a second (or third) volunteer. See the positions below and contact Michelle Jackson (presidentbbepto@gmail.com) to join our amazing team to make a difference in our school!

• Staff Hospitality Co-chair

• Bobcat Booklet Chairperson

• IDEA Chairperson

• Treasurer (3rd volunteer)

• Yearbook Co-chairperson

• VIPS Co-Director

• Fundraising Co-Director

Bobcat Bazaar dates:

May 24: Kinder, 2nd, 4th Grade

You can access it by clicking on the button below.

Wrap Around Specialist

Maria Quevedo

maria.quevedo@houstonisd.org

Registrar

Adriana Rosales

arosale3@houstonisd.org

Administrative Assistant

Zonia Flores

zonia.flores@houstonisd.org