Eagle Update

Happy Friday! We definitely got some rainy day dismissal practice in this week! Thank you for your extra patience and understanding as we pivoted dismissal to try to keep students and staff as dry and out of the mud as possible.

We hope you were able to attend our Wellness Fair this evening. We had a great time and a big shout out to Coach Williams for her organization and leadership.

Looking back and looking ahead:

• We completed STAAR testing this week for our 3rd - 5th graders.
• Ninja Nation is coming on Wednesday - make sure you have completed the waiver form - students will not be able to participate without it.
• Kindergarten Rodeo is Thursday - always a fun tradition for our Kinders and 5th grade helpers

I've added some additional summer camp flyers/opportunities to the Summer Camp smore linked down below - be sure to check it out.

Thank you as always for your amazing support of our school.

Kati Achtermann

April 27 - Morning assembly leaders - Alvarez and Arab American Heritage Month School-Wide Read Aloud presentation

April 29 - Ninja Course for all students (a signed waiver will be required)

April 30 - BHE Kinder Rodeo

May 4 - 8 Teacher Appreciation Week

May 4 - 4:00 Prospective Parent Tour

May 11 - June Birthdays recognized at Monday Assembly

May 14 - 3:30 CAC

May 18 - July/August Birthdays recognized at Monday Assembly

May 19 - Student Talent Show

May 22 - 6:00 Teacher/Staff Talent Show

May 26 - Graduating Seniors BHE Alumni leading the Assembly :)

May 27 - Color Run (Times TBD but it will be in the afternoon)

May 28 - Students Last Day of School

Ninja Nation is coming back to BHE on Wednesday, April 29. Please take a couple of minutes to preview their activities and complete their waiver TODAY as students without a signed waiver will have an alternate activity.
We are so excited to offer this program. Students love this event and we are excited to have them come back!
Step 1: Watch the 2023 BHE Ninja Nation Video if you want to see what to expect
BHE Ninja Day March 30 2023.mov (dropbox.com)
Step 2: Complete a waiver for your child by selecting "adult and child":
WaiverFile | Online Waiver Form Entry
For the actual event, students should wear closed toed shoes with socks - NO CROCS or SANDALS!

Happy Friday, families!

Today was especially exciting as we hosted our annual Health and Wellness Fair! Students collaborated with Ms. Willow, our Ready, Set, Teach intern from Austin High School, to create vibrant painted banners for the event. A big thank you to Coach Williams and Coach Matson for organizing such a wonderful evening—we loved partnering with them on this project.

Ms. Willow also taught her second art lesson, this time with Ms. Alvarez’s 4th grade class. Mrs. Eckhardt from the AHS program stopped by to observe and even joined in the fun. Inspired by comics, zines (short for magazines), and graphic novels, Ms. Willow led a fantastic lesson that had students creating their own funny and imaginative comic strips.

In celebration of Earth Week, students in grades 1–4 explored recycled art after finishing their ceramic pieces. Using materials like cardboard, felt scraps, yarn, plastic bags, and more, they designed creative wearable art. It’s always exciting to see how students take a simple prompt—like reusing and recycling—and turn it into something truly original.

Kindergartners are learning about climate change and ways to reduce pollution, with a focus on protecting our oceans. Meanwhile, 5th graders are wrapping up their special projects, and we’re looking forward to celebrating their work with an upcoming animation viewing party.

Below are videos showing a how-to breakdown of completing registration for families. They explain and show how to add new (not current AISD students), choose campus, complete required forms, and where to click to SUBMIT all forms.

English Registration Video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QZM-4SH-fe0VNOqdducggCDlxFvGgMva/view

Spanish Registration Video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nmAnVAC7qx6efk79FS9yWLZUxWlQPprQ/view?t=0.980039

The Elementary Curriculum Parents’ Newsletters for Humanities and STEM are designed to keep families informed, engaged, and supported in their child’s learning. Please click on the button below to access the newsletters:

Did you know that 9:45 a.m. is our official attendance time each day? This is earlier than last year when the official time was 10:30 am. According to the State of Texas Attendance Policy, students must be present at school at 9:45 a.m. to be counted for the day. Any student who is not on campus at that time will be marked absent, even if they arrive later.

Whenever possible, we kindly ask that you schedule medical or other appointments to ensure your child is in school at 9:45 am so your child is counted present and their learning time is maximized.

Attendance not only supports your child’s success in the classroom but also directly affects our school’s state funding. Thank you for your partnership in helping every student shine!

Want a smoother check-in when you come to school?

Download the Raptor App to save time at check-in and ensure your ID is in our system and ready to go!!

1. Download the app

2. Snap a picture of your ID

3. Creates your QR code

We are required to have monthly safety drills - an evacuation drill every month and then one other type of drill. We will have our first safety drill this week and it will be a lockdown drill. To learn more about our AISD drill procedures please see the link below.

We've had a great first week and I wanted to highlight some arrival and dismissal procedure reminders:

• When dropping students off in the front circle drive (morning) or picking up in the afternoon, do not get out of your car. Please have students exit and enter on the passenger side of the car. We will have 5th grade Safety Patrol and staff to assist with car doors.
• Students should have everything they need when they exit the car.
• Please make sure students can buckle/ unbuckle their seatbelt and are ready to exit! We work hard to keep that car line moving so everyone makes it to class on time.
• Do not park in the staff parking lot at arrival or at dismissal.
• Keep all dogs/pets at home.
• Do not go around cars in the front drive.
• Do not use the front drive as a turn around zone! It is one way only.
• Do not use the back parking lot as a drop off zone. It is for staff parking only.
• Adhere to the NO PARKING zones - even when there are no orange cones to remind you.
• Stay off cell phones/devices in school zones (and yes, our front drive is included). No conversation/call is more important than our students safety.
• Always cross at crosswalks

We love volunteers and have many volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Every volunteer must complete a volunteer application which much be renewed each year. To get started, volunteers must fill out the application. Once the application is processed and background check is completed (you will receive an email notification) you will present your photo ID.

Volunteer Requirements and Application Process

To ensure student safety and maintain a secure environment, all volunteers must meet the following requirements:

• Complete a Volunteer Application, which must be renewed each school year.
  • The application takes approximately five minutes to complete and should be submitted as early as possible.
  • Applications can take up to five business days to process.
• Pass a background check as part of the Volunteer Application process.
• Present your photo ID at the campus to be scanned into Raptor.
• Represent yourself and Austin ISD in a professional manner and treat students, staff, and other volunteers with respect.

Additional Information:

The Volunteer Application is separate from the campus Raptor check-in process, which ensures all names are screened for safety and security purposes. All campus visitors are required to sign in and print either a visitor or volunteer badge.

How to Become a Volunteer

1. Create an Account: Visit austinisd.voly.org to sign up.
2. Complete the Application: Fill out your profile, select the schools you’d like to volunteer with, and submit the required information, including:
   • Full name
   • Email address
   • Address
   • Confidentiality agreement
   • Volunteer guidelines acknowledgment
   • Background check consent form
3. Pass the Background Check: Background checks typically take 2 hours to 5 days to process.
   • You must wait until your background check is cleared before volunteering.
   • Once cleared, you will receive a notification email confirming your approval.
4. Find Opportunities: After receiving your clearance, explore and sign up for volunteer opportunities that match your interests.

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

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

Instagram: bheeagles