Panther Print

Welcome back! I hope everyone found time to have fun, relax and spend time together as a family over your spring break. Our spring break was filled with many wonderful moments but also great sadness as we continue to experience such turmoil in our world. I want to reiterate the statement in support of our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities put out by the district last week. To read the district letter, click HERE. At BW, we stand in solidarity with our Asian American and Pacific Islander students, families, loved ones, and the greater community.

As we enter our last nine weeks of school, we will continue to work towards creating a safe, anti-racist and inclusive learning environment for all our students and families. We will continue our work around identify and celebrating who we are! Please check out Ms. Gee's current identify project (I Am) that she is incorporating into all K-2 classrooms (see below).

This week we continued to welcome back additional families for in-person learning and will continue to add more students each week. We had an average of 242 students on campus this week (approximately 63% of our current enrollment). There is a survey below for our remote learning families. We would love to know your instructional setting plans for the remainder of the year to help us plan and prepare. If you would like for your student to return to campus, please email me or Ms. Murr.

This is a reminder that we do not have school next Friday. This is a district Professional Learning Day for staff. We'll see you back on Monday.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Peace, Love, Panthers!

Kris Muehling

Proud Principal

Friday, April 2:

• No School/Staff Professional Learning Day

April 6: 4th Grade Writing STAAR

April 6: PTA Meeting (5:00)

April 7: 4th Grade Writing STAAR Make Up Day

April 12: CAC Meeting (3:10)

April 30: No School/DOI Professional Learning Day

May 4: PTA Meeting (5:00)

May 7: Spring Fling

May 10: CAC Meeting (3:10)

May 11: Math STAAR (3rd-5th)

May 12: Reading STAAR (3rd-5th)

May 13: Science STAAR (5th)

May 31: Memorial Day/No School

June 3: Last Day of School

Information from YMCA Greater Austin-

This week’s violence in Georgia, where 6 of the 8 women killed were Asian-American, emphasizes not only the unrelenting hate Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander communities endure, but also the crossroads of racism and misogyny where race- and gender-based violence intersect.

Closer to home and concurrent with this violence, is a myriad of vandalism and threats towards locally-owned Asian businesses, as well as online bullying, and verbal/physical assaults of our AAPI friends and neighbors of all ages.

YWCA Greater Austin stands united with the AAPI community. As we continue our mission to eliminate racism and empower women, we will also continue to support our community’s emotional well-being and resiliency.

• No-cost mental health and care-coordination services for the AAPI community. Please call 512-326-122 for an appointment.

• AAPI support groups: A space for people to connect and process recent violence and racism towards AAPI community and feelings related to year-long rhetoric associated COVID and other racism. Register for groups here.
  • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 12:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 1:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 12:00 p.m.

Last 9 Weeks Instructional Setting Survey

I am so excited about this school wide project we will be working on the month of March. For our final No Place for Hate project, we are going to be creating a presentation celebrating each student and staff member in our Bryker Woods community.

The students are going to be learning about identity this month and reflect on the different aspects of their own identity. We will also work to understand that much of a person's identity is not seen by outward appearance. In doing these lessons and this project, we hope that all students will understand what identity is, explore different aspects of their identity, learn what they value as an individual, and understand that identities can change. This project is going to work in conjunction with our One School, One book this month which is "All Because You Matter" by Tami Charles.

But we need your help. In order to obtain the most authentic responses from each student, we thought it would be best to continue this conversation at home. Each child will have one google slide that will allow them to express who they are and the pieces of their identity that are most important to them. I will share with you a class set of google slides. Your child's name has already been inserted into the slide. If your child prefers to go by another name, you can edit it. The slide with your child's name will be the slide you will submit for the project. If you would help your child fill in the information on their slide by editing it and following the template provided, we would really appreciate it. If you are unsure about how to edit the slide of need help navigating google slides, please reach out. We are asking that all slides be completed no later than March 31st. Thank you in advance for your help in creating this beautiful community project.

After we complete this project, I will share it with families to watch and celebrate the unique and special people that make up our Bryker Woods community. We hope you will continue these important conversations at home.

Online Registration for new and returning students is now available. The online registration system is available only through the Parent Portal at portal.austinisd.org. To create a Parent Portal account, visit portal.austinisd.org.

Visit https://www.austinisd.org/transfer for more information about transfers and applications for transfers.

Current Kinder Through 5th Grade Students

Students who have previously attended an AISD school must be registered as a returning student. The returning student online registration process consists of the same process for new student registration. However, the returning student registration forms will have pre-populated information from the student’s current record. Some data (appears grayed out) will be view-only. Please call the Bryker Woods office to make changes to these fields.

All returning students who have had a recent change of address must submit proof of residency to their campus for the 2021-22 school year.

Note: Use Google Chrome as your web browser.

New Students

For parents registering students new to AISD, a Parent Portal account must be created before you can access the online registration system. To create a Parent Portal account, visit portal.austinisd.org.

Parents registering students new to AISD will need to provide the following documentation at the child’s campus, or upload the documents in online registration:

• Child’s birth certificate
• Child’s social security card (optional)
• Child’s immunization records
• Child’s withdrawal form/last report card (if applicable)
• Parent/Guardian photo ID
• Proof of guardianship (if applicable)
• Proof of residency

Family Support Help Line

512-414-9187

As library classes have started up again it has been easier to see which books are overdue for individual students. If your child has an overdue library book I will send home a report listing the titles. Any assistance I can get finding and returning these books would be greatly appreciated.

If you cannot locate the missing books:

While all books lost in 2020 will ultimately be forgiven at the end of the school year any monetary or book donations I can get would be extremely helpful in replacing the missing books and maintaining our awesome library collection.

Thank you for your support and assistance!

During the last weeks, per the recommendation of the district, we have provided families with the flexibility to participate in remote learning after participating in on-campus learning. The district is now fully re-opened for on-campus learning and we are moving back to the initial requirements set forth by the district for families to choose in-person or remote learning.

What does this mean for our students?

• Remote learning is an option for all students through the end of the school year.
• On-campus learning is an option for all students through the end of the school year.
• Families will only be able to make one change per grading period (9 weeks)
  

Starting February 8th, if your student is learning on-campus, remote instruction will not be an option when your student is off campus. Frequent changes make it very difficult for teachers to offer meaningful instruction to all students. Some teachers are assigned to all in-person instruction, just as some teachers are assigned to all remote instruction.

If you request a change in instructional setting for your student, you will not be able to change back until the next grading period. For example, if your student is learning on campus and you would like to switch to remote instruction, your student cannot return until the next grading period (after Spring Break).

Frequent Questions:

Q: Our family is going on vacation and would like to have our students switch to remote learning for the week and then come back to campus. Can we do this?

A: No. If you would like for your student to learn remotely after being on campus, this would count as a change and your student would not be able to return until the next grading period.

Q: We want to try on-campus learning but not we're not sure if we will want to continue. Can we try it and then switch back to remote?

A: Yes, remote learning is an option for the remainder of the school year. However, if you choose on-campus learning and then move back to remote learning, this will count as a change and your student would not be able to return until the next grading period.

Q: My child isn't feeling well enough to come to school today, can we just log on to Zoom and do remote learning?

A: No. If your child needs to be at home for illness, please have your child rest and get well! As always, if your child is out for more than two days, your child's teacher will work with you on make-up assignments.

Q: My family needs to change our instructional setting; will my child stay in the same class?

A: Possibly. If your child is learning with a remote only teacher and requests to come to campus, your child will be placed with an in-person teacher. Likewise, if a teacher is assigned to in-person learners and you choose to go remote, your student will move to a teacher that provides remote instruction.

Current Staff/Instructional Setting

Kinder:

Ms. Noid- Remote Only

Ms. Ruiz- In-Person Only

Ms. Reyes- In-Person Only

1st:

Ms. DiGaetano/Ms. Olle- Remote Only

Ms. Leifeste- In-Person Only

Ms. Morton- In-Person Only

2nd:

Ms. Rustgi- Remote Only

Ms. Doga- Hybrid

Ms. Loney- In-Person Only

Ms. Holloway- In-Person Only

3rd:

Ms. St. Germain- Remote

Ms. Eichner- Hybrid

Ms. Fairbrother- Hybrid

Ms. Rodgers- Hybrid

4th:

Mr. Dowell- Remote Only

Ms. Moss- In-Person Only

Ms. Morris- In-Person Only

5th:

Ms. Cross- Remote Only

Ms. Shirey- Hybrid

Ms. Vincent- Hybrid

If you have questions or would like to change your student's instructional setting, please email admin at kristina.muehling@austinisd.org and emily.murr@austinisd.org.

If you need to request a device, please reach out to Ms. Kettler.

carly.kettler@austinisd.org

Video Tutorial: How to Request Technology on the Parent Portal

Family Technology Q&A

iPad Home Screen/Layout Settings by The Time of Day

Beginning Friday, September 25, Austin ISD iPads have settings restrictions that vary by time of day. From 7:00 am-4:00 pm, Monday to Friday, apps will appear in the current pushed layout. Outside of those hours, the apps will revert to any customized layout caregivers have set, AND they will be able to delete apps they have added. (Note that the iPads have 32GB of storage, and currently 13GB is taken up by District-required content.)

Lost/Stolen student devices:

Families should follow the procedures outlined here.

Student devices in need of repair:

Families can take iPads, Chromebooks, and hotspots in need of repair to either your school or to one of the Curbside locations, where they can be swapped out as long as supplies allow.

“Power wash” Chromebooks to Update Zoom:

Students may notice that Zoom is out of date on their Chromebooks. Students and caregivers that Chromebooks must be “power washed” (restored to Austin ISD default settings) for Zoom to update automatically. Here is a step set as well as a link to a video.

MackinVia and Dreambox added to iPads:

The MackinVia and Dreambox apps have been added to iPads. Apps on the student iPads will soon be organized into logical folders to streamline student access and hide infrequently used apps and system apps.

Students use the Canvas Student app to access BLEND (and then Seesaw)

A video in English demonstrating this process can be seen here. A video in Spanish is in progress and a link will be provided as soon as it is available.

Student iPad Security and Student Safety

Please note: District-wide safety restrictions can be seen on the iPads under Settings> General > Device Management > JamfSchool MDM Management Profile > Restrictions. Families may see other options under Screen Time, but despite appearances, no Screen Time setting can be less restrictive than the General Restrictions pushed by the District. A flyer for distribution is available here.

Handbook for BLEND/Seesaw

• Sign up for a PTA Committee- BW PTA Committee Signup Sheet
• Reach out to our PTA president for additional information- jennrustgi@gmail.com

• AISD Covid-19 Updates
• AISD Summer Meals Sites
• BW Website
• AISD Asbestos Letter (see attachment below)

Email: kristina.muehling@austinisd.org
Website: byrkerwoods.austinschools.org
Location: 3309 Kerbey Lane, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-414-2054