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January
Jack Funkhouser, Principal Braun Station Elementary
BSE website: www.nisd.net/braunstation
Happy New Bobcats!
I hope everyone has enjoyed your winter holidays. I traveled to North Dakota to spend Christmas with my son and his wife. We had a white Christmas. I am grateful that I was spared the super cold days.
I look forward to see you all your smiling faces the Morning of January 7th.
Thank you for your continued support!
Remember, Bobcat Cat Pride is Deep Inside!
Jack Funkhouser
Principal
Student Council
Student Council made December exciting by putting many elves on the wall for students to find each day. Students who found the elves were rewarded with a candy cane! In February, Student Council will be raising money to donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. More details to come!
Attendance Matters
BSE Counselor
January 2025
Happy New Year! Wishing you and your family a great year! This month in guidance we will be learning about the growth mindset and setting goals. We will also celebrate No Name Calling Week January 20-24.
No Name Calling Week is part of National Violence Prevention Week. No Name-Calling Week was inspired by the book “The Misfits” by James Howe. It is a story of 4 best friends who were tired of all the taunts and teases in their school. They came up with the idea of a No Name-calling day in the book, but the idea spread to what it has become today. We have to remember to respect one another, accept our differences, learn from each other and believe in ourselves.
A heartfelt thank you to the Defense Language Institute English Language Center at Lackland Air Force Base for joining us on Multicultural Day! The students thoroughly enjoyed learning about various countries and their unique cultures.
Check out my smore to see more of what’s going on this month: https://secure.smore.com/n/huzvt
Library News
It is time to kick off our BSE Book Tournament.
I have narrowed it down to the "Sweet Sixteen" of children's literature for this year.
Classes will vote on their favorites until there is only 1 winner left.
The reveal will come in early APRIL.
Spread the JOY of READING!
Readers Nook
Math Expressions
Happy New Year, Bobcat Families!
I pray you all had a wonderful Christmas break and had TONS of time with family and friends!
We are at our midway point of this school year and have learned so much already. Here is what your Bobcat(s) is focused on during the month of January.
Kinder: They're building number sense and concepts from 0-20 for the entire month. They are seeing how representations can show relationships among numbers and solidifying how to read, write, and represent numbers to 20.
1st Grade: These Bobcats are discovering how addition and subtraction have an important relationship with each other. They will be joining, separating, comparing, and using part-part-whole situations to add and subtract.
2nd Grade: They're learning flexible representations and understanding addition and subtraction relationships with two digit numbers.
3rd Grade: Our Bobcats have a lot on their plate for this month. They will be exploring geometric attributes to help define two and three dimensional figures as well as developing their understanding of multiplication and division relationships. Lastly, this month they'll learn about the relationships between the whole and the part.
4th Grade: They'll be able to represent proper and improper fractions, add and subtract fractions with equal denominators, and compare fractions.
5th Grade: Our 'big cats' on campus will be finishing up all things with fractions this month and rolling into decimal understandings at the end of this month. The should be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions in all situations using models and algorithms.
Our Kinder and 1st grade students will be taking their Winter Math MAP test the week of January 13th so please encourage your child to do their very best and to show their work.
As always, thank you SO much for your support and for being such an incredible community. It takes a village!
Get Your Math On!
-Alisha Thomas
MSD & Instructional Coach
Bobcat Pride
PBIS January Focus: Setting Goals and Building Momentum
January is a time for fresh starts and new opportunities! This month, our PBIS focus is on setting goals and building positive habits that will carry us through the rest of the school year. Let’s work together to make this month—and year—one of growth and success for every Bobcat.
Recognizing Goal-Setting and Effort
Bobcat P.R.I.D.E. Wall: This month, we’re celebrating students who demonstrate determination, focus, and effort toward their goals. These standout Bobcats will be featured on our P.R.I.D.E. Wall, serving as an inspiration to others as we kick off the new year.
Parent’s Corner: Encouraging Goal-Setting at Home
Thank you, parents, for supporting your children in building positive habits and reaching for their goals. Here are a few ways to help at home this January:
Set Family Goals: Create a list of goals together as a family. Whether big or small, achieving goals as a team can help build motivation and a sense of accomplishment.
Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge and celebrate milestones, no matter how small, to encourage continued effort and a positive mindset.
Celebrating December Successes: Positive Behavior Wins
December was filled with great achievements and positive behavior!
Cafeteria Rewards: Eight classrooms earned the Cafeteria Movie Reward for outstanding behavior, enjoying a fun 30-minute movie with snacks.
Golden Awards: Congratulations to Mrs. McBee’s and Mrs. Grimes’ classes for winning the Golden Broom and Golden Spoon Awards for their exemplary cleanliness and respect in the cafeteria.
Thank you, parents and staff, for helping us start the new year strong with a focus on goals and success. Let’s make January a month to remember—go Bobcats!
STEM Education
Stethoscoop
Art Adventures
Bobcat artists truly had the spirit of giving this holiday season. Our young artists created handmade tree ornaments in the art room which were then placed on trees donated to members of the community. The trees were beautiful and very special! I am so proud of my students for the generosity, love, and care that went into creating each and every ornament.
Coming up next.........................
Our Bobcat artists begin work on projects for our school wide art show in February. Your child will feel brave, be proud, and so excited to share his or her creative process at our unique "walking art show", so please save the date in February for this fun filled night!
SAVE THE DATE: BRAUN STATION ART SHOW February 11, 2025
Open to all students K-5 6:30 pm BSE Cafeteria
Happy New Year Everyone!
Susan Ranjel, Art Teacher
Bobcat Music
December is here and what a joyous time it will be for us with our Bobcats!
Our Bobcat Choir will be making some appearances within our community this month. First will be our campus performance for our Bobcats on Monday, December 9th. That same evening, we will be performing at the Stevenson Middle School Choir concert at Crossroads Baptist Church at 6:00 p.m.
Next, you do not want to not miss Tuesday December 10th at our PTA meeting. You will be so proud of our students! Also, our 5th Grade Strings students will be performing before the PTA meeting!
I hope everyone will have a wonderful Christmas, celebrate the New Year, and be ready for the adventures that 2025 will bring!
Robert Klekar
Music Educator
Gym Shorts
Happy New Year Bobcats, families and friends! 2025 is going to be great! Get ready to start this year moving and exercising as a family! Already scheduled is our Family Fitness Night on Tuesday, Jan. 14th in the school cafeteria from 5:30-7pm. There will be door prizes, healthy snacks and lots of movement. We will have Professor Teejay leading martial arts on the stage. He is a 1st degree black belt in Jiu jitsu at Dominion MMA and leads the kids Jiu jitsu program. Dominion MMA is a mixed martials arts gym located at 9910 W loop 1604 N suite 109, San Antonio, Tx. Dominion MMA is led by Coach Rey Rodriguez, MMA and Muay Thai Coach. They will be demonstrating Jiu jitsu and blade pod challenges for the kids (reaction training). We will also have a nutrition station to learn about different ways to prep healthy foods at home. There will be a station to check your blood pressure as well. Make sure to wear shoes and clothing to exercise and learn about healthy food options. It’ll be tons of fun!!
These 9 weeks I plan to teach about balance, mat stunts and a little tumbling. Then we have jump roping, followed by tennis and badminton. This month we will also kick off our annual Kids Heart Challenge on Jan. 24th! Click to see how your support helps so many people with heart conditions. The students will bring information closer to that date. The students will have a chance to learn and practice the importance of hands only CPR during the time we do the challenge. Thank you in advance for your participation. We can’t do it without you.
Just wanted to send out a huge THANK YOU for those who help raise money by purchasing Speed Stack Cups. A total of $161 was given back to Braun Station P.E. so I can replenish the equipment that needs it. Way to go!!!
Can’t wait to see you all soon! Have a fantastic start of the year!
Your P.E. teacher,
Coach Perez
Volunteer Background Checks
Make sure that you select Braun Station Elementary, so that you will be on our cleared volunteer list. Background checks can take several weeks, don't wait until it's too late.