Eagle Update: August 26

Thank you so much for all who were able to join at Back to School Night. It was so nice to return to an in person event and have the opportunity to share plans for this upcoming school year. If you were unable to attend, please reach out to your child's teacher so they can share the information. I've kept lots of review information in this weeks newsletter and provided a section on MapGrowth Testing which will happen for all of our students between August 29th and September 9th.

Austin ISD is excited to participate in College Colors Day scheduled for Friday September 2nd, 2022. Staff and students are invited to wear college colors and apparel. Admittedly as both a 2 time UT graduate and the parent of a UT Freshman, I'll have to be rocking the Burnt Orange! Don't have a favorite college t-shirt? Wear a BHE T! And Speaking of spirit, check out the flyer below for all our BHE Student/Staff Spirit Days!

Thank you for your continued support of our fabulous students, staff and community.

Kati Achtermann

Staff made a personalized "mail" box this week. Let's show them lots of love and positive vibes. We'll help students get them in the right boxes.

The window for our beginning of year assessments starts this week. All of our kinder - 6th grade students will take the Map Growth assessment in both reading and math. These assessments are computer-based and individualized as students answer questions. Our teachers will use the data from these assessments to plan for instruction, intervention, and enrichment. Students will also take the Map Growth assessments in reading and math in the middle and end of the year to track their academic progress over time.

For more information, please click the button below for a FAQ from Map Growth.

Our Campus Advisory Council (CAC) will meet the second Thursday of every month at 3:30 pm. Meetings will be held in person. Our first meeting will be held on September 8, 2022.

AISD has published the updated 2022-2023 Student Success Guide (Student Code of Conduct). When you register your student to attend an AISD school, you are acknowledging that you can electronically access this document (linked below) as well as request a hard copy at your student’s school. Even if you do not read this document, your student still must follow the rules in it.

Just a couple friendly reminders:

1) If your child needs to leave early for an appointment, please notify your child's teacher and the front office. When you arrive at the school, you can come to the front door or call from your car and then we will call for your student. We will not call for students until you are here. With our new schedules (and a new phone number system) please leave PLENTY of time (at least 10 minutes) from the time you call us to the time your child is ready to leave. If you have an appointment right after school, it is best to pick up your student no later than 2:45 to avoid the dismissal crunch. **If you have not had your driver's license scanned into our Raptor System in the last year, we will ask you to bring in your driver's license to the office***

2) There are no lunches with students for the first 2 weeks of school. We want to allow the students the opportunity to learn the lunch procedures, systems and rules as well as build community with their class and get to know each other. After the 2 weeks, lunches with PARENTS are allowed. Parents can only eat with their child and must eat at a designated table or if space is not available outside at the picnic tables. You must sign in at the office first before going to the cafeteria. **If you have not had your driver's license scanned into our Raptor System in the last year, we will ask you to bring in your driver's license to the office***

AISD has updated the medication policy. We are now required to have a written physician/provider order for all medications administered on campus. The physician/provider can use their own school medication order form or they can sign the AISD Parent Authorization for Medication Authorization (attached). This policy includes any regular daily medications as well as things like tylenol, motrin or short term antibiotics. For those students who have emergency medications (ie. injectable epinephrine, inhalers, diabetes and seizure rescue medications) the allergy, asthma, diabetes, seizure specific order forms from the physician will be acceptable as a written order. Please know that we will not be able to accept any medications on the first day of school without a physician order. Feel free to call the health room at 512-414-3336 if you have any questions.

Reminder: Meals are no longer free for all AISD students. Students may still qualify for free and reduced-cost meals. Apply at www.School www.SchoolCafe.com/AustinISD. We will also have paper copies available to send home. Please call the front office at 512-414-2013 if you need one.

Maintaining a safe and positive learning environment for our students is our top priority. This means that we'll continue with some of the practices we put in place during the pandemic and change a few as well. 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 see the sections below for more details on safety during the school year.

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 green 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- 6th 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.

• Extend-A-Care/YMCA 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. We will continue to offer curbside services.
• 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. You may only have lunch with your own child - please do not invite other students to join you. *No lunch visitors for the first two 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 RAPTOR 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.

Masks:

With the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, students, staff and visitors are not required to wear face masks when on school properties, unless they have tested positive for COVID-19. Note: Per CDC guidance, individuals with a positive COVID-19 result will be required to wear a mask for five days after returning from quarantine/isolation.

• Masks are not required, but are encouraged at any time of the school day or in any school space.
• Masks are optional at all times.Face masks will continue to be provided for any student, staff, or visitor upon request.

• All students, staff, and visitors will be allowed to make their own choice.
  

Close Contact and Contact Tracing

• Campus administrators will notify all families of positive cases on the campus using a standard notification letter. Individual classroom letters will not be sent home.

• With masking now being optional, all students and staff at the campus may be considered close contacts when there is a positive case identified.

• Campus Administrators will not be required to track close contacts.

• Any asymptomatic individual (except those who have tested positive) may remain at school as long as they are asymptomatic.

Testing Availability

• Testing sites are located at specified district sites and can be found on the COVID-19 district webpage.

• All sites will accept insurance, medicaid, and self-pay.

• Site will be updated whenever vaccines are available.

Temperature 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_2022-2023
  

September 5 - Student and Staff Holiday/Labor Day

September 8 - 3:30 CAC Meeting

Week of September 26 - Parent Teacher Conference Week

October 7 - Early Release Day - students dismissal time is 1:30

October 14 - Student Holiday/ Staff Development Day

October 25 - Fall Individual Picture Day

Our PTA is the best! Please check out the link for the latest PTA Newsletter below and sign up to receive them directly:

http://bheeagles.com/eagle-news/

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