Eagle Update: January 13, 2023

Hello BHE Families,

Happy New Year! I hope that your winter break was full of happiness and health and that both continue into 2023! The teachers, staff, and I were excited to see our students again on Tuesday. Remember that we do not have school on Monday (MLK Holiday) and we'll see everyone on Tuesday, January 17th at 7:40 a.m.

This week we focused on reconnecting with our students and reviewing not only our routines and procedures but also the learning from the first semester. The kids did a fantastic job of jumping right back into the routines of school and learning.

Please check the calendar sections and Latest News for current updates about our school. I've also included a link to the 2023-2024 AISD School Calendar so you can see that next year's Winter Break is similar to what we just had. Thank you, as always, for all of your support and for being a part of this community.

Hey BHE families! We are off to a great 2023. We are working on teambuilding, communication and listening skills and then we are jumping into parkour and gymnastics.

A few things for 2023:

Big Thank YOU:

Thank you so much for the holiday gifts and treats. We so appreciate it 🙂

Greenbelt Hike Fridays:

On some Fridays, students will have a choice to hike the greenbelt. If your student is interested, please make sure they are in proper shoes.

H2O Bottles:

Please send your student to school with a water bottle. Teachers will be reminding them to bring them to PE.

Shoes:

It is recommended that students where tennis shoes every day since the have PE every day. We start each class walking/jogging on the track for Marathon Kids.

Behavior Notes:

If your student comes home with a behavior note, please sign and send it back with your child to turn in to me.

Fitnessgram:

Students in grades 3-6th will complete the Fitnessgram this spring. This is a state-mandated physical fitness test that measures flexibility, strength and cardiovascular fitness.

Field Day and Color Run:

Stay tuned for more details and volunteer opportunities.

Because of technical issues that directly affect Austin ISD’s online registration and transfer systems, all district registration processes for the 2023-24 school year are being pushed back one week. Those new dates are:

• Priority transfer window: January 16–February 7.

• General transfer window opens February 8.

Families enrolling in the current school year will not have to complete paper registration packets. In addition, out of district families will be able to register online.

Here are the important links for these two activities:

1. Enrollment landing page: https://www.austinisd.org/enroll

2. Important dates and deadlines: https://www.austinisd.org/transfer/dates-deadlines

3. For questions, please use the districts Let’s Talk https://www.austinisd.org/letstalk and click on “Student Services: Enrollment, Records, & Transfers”

As we head into the season of colder temperatures, we want to remind parents that we have limited seating for indoor lunches for visitors and there may not be space available. You may want to hold off on coming for lunch during this period. You are always welcome if you and your child don't mind eating outside. We appreciate your understanding!

As we head into the new semester of school, a few reminders about traffic and safety. It takes all of us to make arrival and dismissal a safe experience for our students. When you have 350 students arriving and leaving at the same time, it's always a good idea to pack your patience or leave earlier if time is a concern.

• The front circle drive is the place for drive-through drop off and pick up. If you need to get out with your child for any reason, please park in the neighborhood and walk up. Please do not use the front parking lot or the back parking lot.
• Do not use the right turn lane on Barton Hills Drive to drop off or pick up students. Parents have been dropping off students in the right turn lane to avoid waiting in line for the circle drive and then either pulling a U-Turn or pulling back out into the driving lane, causing several near-miss accidents. No one wants to start their morning or end their day with that!
• Crosswalks are to be used to cross the street for students and parents.
• When driving, please follow all stop signs and signals from our crossing guards.
• School Zones are hands free zones!
• School grounds are also dog -free zones - at drop off, pick up and during school events.

Together we can ensure our students start and end their day safely! Thank you!

As we prepare for the FY2024 Budget year, please join us in conversations about Austin ISD’s 2023-24 budget. There will be several occurrences between January and May to attend. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the district's priorities, plans for staffing and programming, and how you can get involved in the budgeting process with your campus.

An updated calendar is available at https://www.austinisd.org/budget

Austin Youth Fitness is excited to continue running, biking, and yoga at Barton Hills Elementary this spring!

AYF has been making “fitness fun” for Austin kids and their families since 2009. Our play-based running, biking, and yoga programs help kids develop strong bodies, minds, and spirits. And we hope your child will join us for some “Fitness Fun & Friendship” this spring!

Barton Hills Running Club

Tuesdays 3:15-4:15pm

Dates January 24th to April 18th

Barton Hills Biking Club

Thursdays 3:15-4:45pm

Dates January 26th to April 20th

Barton Hills Yoga Club

Wednesdays 3:15-4:15pm

Dates January 25th to April 19th

Teachers get a 50% discount!

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AYF Spring Programs Kick-Off

Saturday January 21st

10am-12pm

Pease Park

Come to this FREE event and be entered to win a Woom Bike!

RSVP HERE for Fit N' Fun games, family yoga, a guided bike ride, ABC bike checks & more.

January 16 - MLK Day - Student and Staff holiday

January 19 - BHE Science Fair

February 3 - BHE Spirit Day - "BEE" Kind

February 6 - 10 - Counselor Appreciation Week

February 15 - 16 Parent Teacher Conference Week and Evenings

February 17 - 1:30 Early Release Day

February 20 - Student and Staff holiday - Bad Weather Make-Up day

March 13 - 17 - Spring Break

We know parents are excited to support our school through volunteer opportunities - and we're excited to have you! ALL school volunteer opportunities will start with the classroom teacher or sponsoring staff member. For example, volunteer opportunities for the Library will be coordinated through Ms. Ewing; classroom gardening, field trips chaperones, classroom guest readers will be coordinated through the classroom teacher. Once teachers are ready for volunteers the following will happen:

1. We will set up the volunteer opportunity on the APIE website.
2. Teachers/Event Sponsor will email parents the name of the volunteer opportunity and directions for completing the background checks.
3. Mrs Ewing will let you know when the background check is complete
4. You will bring your driver's license to Kathy Carr in the office for verification
5. Once verification is complete, Mrs. Ewing will let you and the classroom teacher know you are cleared to volunteer.

If you have questions about the volunteer opportunities please contact your child's teacher.

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***

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
  

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