Eagle Update: September 8, 2023

Did you know Barton Hills is part of the Austin High Vertical Team? The Austin High Vertical team comprises the 8 elementary and 2 middle school campuses whose neighborhood students are zoned to attend. This is called a "Feeder Pattern". For students zoned to Barton Hills, they are automatically zoned to attend O. Henry Middle School and then Austin High School. Students at Barton Hills on a transfer can also apply for a tracking transfer to attend the vertical team schools. The two diagrams below show the feeder patterns for Austin High. There are activities throughout the year at our Vertical team schools that we will advertise and support. This week, I've included information on the O. Henry Roundup. And maybe more important is the flyer for the Austin High Future Maroon Night at House Park on Friday, September 15th. This evening, all the Austin High VT Feeder Schools are invited to come to House Park and run through the Austin High Maroon tunnel and down the field before the Austin High Football players come out. tunnel. Friday Night High School Football is exciting and one of my favorite family and community activities. The flyer below has more information.

Last week, we focused on teamwork and building our school community. This week, we're focusing on our mindsets and open-mindedness. Open-mindedness allows us to try new things and consider opinions and ideas that might differ from ours.

Friday is International Dot Day, and we will have a Barton Hills Spirit Day so wear those dots!

Here's to another great week at BHE, considering new ideas and opportunities for growth! Please review the calendar and For Your Information section below for important information about our district, school, and community.

Kati Achtermann

September 15 - International Dot Day - Spirit Day

• 6:30 Austin High Vertical Team Night at House Park (see flyer below)

September 25 - Parent Teacher Conference Day - Student Holiday

October 22 - CARNIVAL 1 - 4 PM

November 4 - It's My Park Day at BHE (Fall Grounds Work Day)

PE ‘s Focus for Next Week:

Monday: Fitness Monday, Focus Strength/Cardio/Flexibility

Tuesday-Wednesday-Thurs: Intro to Throwing and Catching Underhand Rolling, Catching, and Tossing Skills will be taught. Activities and Games to help with skills taught.

Friday: Fun Friday, 2-5th Grades Student Lead activities and games inside and Outside, Kindergarten-1st Grade Inside Activities and Game stations.

Two quick reminders:

1. "7 PE Incentives." PE's core values are Be Responsible, Be Respective, and Be Motivated. Each day, if the class demonstrates those values, they are given a point. Once a class gets 7 points, they receive a free day/activity choices the following day.
2. Students are encouraged to bring water bottles that seal and/or have a secured lid every day to class.

Beginning this week, several student health screenings will be conducted by our Health room staff. These include Vision and Hearing for all Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd and 5th Grade students; Acanthosis screenings for 1st, 3rd and 5th grades and Spinal screening on 5th grade girls only. Parents will only be contacted if there is a concern or need for further follow-up. If you have questions, please reach out to our Health Room Staff at 512-414-3336

Save the Date - Austin ISD Showcase - September 23: Austin ISD is hosting our 2nd annual districtwide Showcase on Saturday, September 23, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Palmer Events Center. This event will include external community partners as exhibitors, internal departments, all schools, community service providers, student performances and interactive activities.

Join the Fiesta again this year! The 2023 Hispanic Heritage Talent Show started today. Please encourage your students to submit your entries by October 5. Please see the link to the flyer: ENG 2023 Join the Fiesta_8.5x11.pdf. Here is the link to participate.

¡Únanse a la fiesta otra vez este año! La Muestra de Talento por la Herencia Hispana 2023 empezó hoy. Por favor animen a sus estudiantes a que envíen sus fotos y videos antes del 5 de octubre. Adjunto la liga con el gráfico ESP 2023 Join the Fiesta_8.5x11.pdf. Este es el enlace para participar.

¡Muchas gracias!

September 25, 2023 marks the first of our Parent Teacher Conferences for the school year. As you may also know this is also Yom Kippur - the “Day of Atonement” - the holiest day in Judaism. AISD families and staff who have religious or personal obligations on September 25th will be offered an alternate time for the conference. Please be watching for communication from your child's teacher(s) about dates and time options for Parent Teacher Conferences.

This week our school community will be focusing on the character strength of Open-Mindedness. Open-mindedness means you like to consider new ideas and try new things. You examine things from all sides and don’t jump to conclusions.

Open-mindedness is the willingness to actively search for evidence that goes against one’s favored opinions, plans, or goals. Open-minded individuals are able to weigh all evidence fairly, when it is available. They see the other side and fight the tendency to have a bias for their own views. And, rather than favoring the socially dominant views, they give attention to those that are less dominant.

Open-minded individuals are often good listeners and called upon to provide a balanced viewpoint. Both listening and the ability to deliver reasonable and practical advice are marks of good friends and confidantes. This strength helps individuals form meaningful and lasting relationships.

To practice and encourage the character strength of open-mindedness with your child, please visit the Positivity Project’s P2 for Families (password: P2), where together you will watch a video, read a quote, and talk about the answers to three questions.

Round Up is O. Henry Middle School’s annual school carnival featuring inflatables, booths, games, food, raffles, and a middle school dance. Proceeds from Round Up enhance the learning experience for every student during this school year. Neighbors, friends, and future students are invited to support OHMS at this fun family event on Friday, September 29th from 3:30-6:30p.m. on the school grounds. For more information please click here.

Please see below for the current COVID protocols for the 23-24 school year:

• People who have tested positive for COVID will need to isolate away from school for five days .
• The day of testing is considered day zero.
• People who have tested positive may return to school on day six IF they are symptom free and fever free without medication for at least 24 hours.
• Upon return to school, people who have tested positive must wear a mask for the next five days.
• The school is responsible for confidentially reporting the positive case to the district health team. Notification letters to the community are now optional.
• Masks continue to remain optional for both students and staff. We do have masks on campus if you would like your child to have one.

The Austin ISD Student Success Guide (Student Code of Conduct) is now available on the Austin ISD District website for students, parents, and guardians to review. One important legislative update is that ALL e-cigarettes (THC and Tobacco) are prohibited. House Bill 114 requires a student to be placed in the District Alternative Education Program (DAEP) if the student possesses, uses, is under the influence, sells, gives, or delivers marijuana, THC, or an e-cigarette (new) while on campus, within 300 feet of school property, or at a school-related event. Under Austin ISD guidelines, this is a 20-day DAEP placement. Parents and guardians are strongly urged to talk to their students about this new policy and review the Student Success Guide to help keep our schools safe for students and staff. For resources to use when talking with your student about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes visit https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/.

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 last year. 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.

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 labeled 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- 5th 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.
• 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. Provide lunch only for your child. Do not arrange to purchase lunch for a group of students and then have your child pass it out. 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.

AISD Weather 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

Website: bartonhills.austinschools.org/schoool
Location: 2108 Barton Hills Drive, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-414-2013