November

BSE website: www.nisd.net/braunstation

Tomorrow, November 3, is Election Day. Because many Northside ISD campuses serve as polling locations, November 3 is also a student holiday. This allows our schools to accommodate voters while maintaining a safe and secure environment for our students.

I want to thank everyone who came out to Wagon Wheel Day! The turnout was fantastic, and we all had a wonderful time. It was great to see so many of our Bobcat families enjoying the day together.

Bike Rodeo Rescheduled

Our Bike Rodeo has been rescheduled for February 19. This was the earliest available date for the San Antonio Police Department to assist us with the event. By then, we should be enjoying some warmer weather, too!

Calling All Parent Volunteers!

We need your help! We are looking for parent volunteers to assist with our Staff Thanksgiving Luncheon on November 10, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. If you are available to lend a hand, please call the school office at 210-397-1550. We would love to have your help as we show our appreciation for our wonderful staff.

We are also looking for volunteers to support our Book Fair during the week of November 16–20. If you can spare some time, please contact the office for more information.

A Season of Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I want to take a moment to thank all of you.

The community support we receive at Braun Station is second to none. Year after year, our families demonstrate incredible generosity through their support of our PTA, Bobcat Bucks, and other campus initiatives. Every year, you help us surpass our goals. More importantly, you stand behind our teachers and our school through both the good times and the challenging ones. The work we do in education is not always easy, but your involvement and support make a tremendous difference in our success.

I am also incredibly grateful for the teachers and staff at Braun Station. They genuinely love our students and continually strive to do what is best for them. Their dedication, compassion, and willingness to go above and beyond are what make Braun Station such a special place.

You know how much I love and care about our kids. I still believe I have one of the best jobs anyone could ask for. I get to work with wonderful children, dedicated educators, and a community that truly cares about its school.

Thank you for everything you do to make Braun Station a place where children can learn, grow, and succeed.

Remember, Bobcat Pride is Deep Inside!

Jack Funkhouser

Principal, Braun Station Elementary

The 2026-27 Student Council us up and running! We have 16 grade level representatives from fourth and fifth grade, many of whom are now running and campaigning for one of three offices: Secretary, Vice President, and President. As part of their campaign, interested Student Council members have designed posters and read speeches on BSN using a catchy slogan. We are anxiously waiting to see how their fourth and fifth grade peers will vote on Friday, Nov. 6. All of the candidates have shown hard work and dedication throughout this process, and any one of them would make a great officer! Also in November, Student Council will begin its first school event of the year, the Turkey Feather Fundraiser. Student Council members will sell turkey feathers before Thanksgiving Break to raise money for our club. Feathers will be on sale in the morning before school for 50 cents each. Each grade level class that buys the most turkey feathers will receive extra recess. The class in the school with the most feathers overall will receive a special class surprise! Please be on the lookout for more information on the fundraiser closer to the event. And remember... Bobcat Pride is Deep Inside!

Tara Safoutin, M. Ed.

4th Grade Team Leader

Alisha B. Thomas

Math Staff Development & Instructional Coach

Braun Station Elementary & Carson Elementary
Email: Alisha.Thomas@nisd.net

🐺 Leaders of the Pack

A special thank-you to these teachers for setting a great example with model classrooms and for earning recognition with their classes in the hallways:

• 5th Grade: Mrs. McBee, Mr. Rodriguez, and Ms. Malloy

• 4th Grade: Miss Sosa, Ms. Safoutin, and Ms. Olvera

• 3rd Grade: Mrs. Garza

• 2nd Grade: Mrs. Terry

• 1st Grade: Mrs. L. Rodriguez, Mrs. Moorhead-Gravitt, and Mrs. Jablonski

• Pre-K: Mrs. Baker

Our Leaders of the Pack also include Mrs. Daily, ToDHH; Miss Hutchinson, paraprofessional; and Mrs. Marrufo, substitute teacher. Thank you for all you do for our Bobcats!

🏡 Parent Corner: October Reminders

Parents, you can recognize your child, too! Has your Bobcat shown kindness, taken responsibility, helped someone, or kept trying through a challenge? Ask for a P.R.I.D.E. card at the front office and share what makes you proud. We’d love to celebrate those moments on our P.R.I.D.E. Wall!

• At home, keep the conversation going by asking, “What did you do today that made you proud?” or “Who did you help today?”

Thank you, Bobcat families, for helping kindness, respect, and responsibility grow at school and at home.

🦃 Bobcat P.R.I.D.E., Deep Inside! 🐾

Thankful, Grateful & STEM-full!

I am so very grateful for our Bobcats and their creativity in STEM! It is such a joy to watch our students explore new ideas, tackle challenges, and discover just how much they are capable of accomplishing. We have so many exciting things happening in STEM this November, and I am thankful for the opportunity to help our Bobcats learn, create, and grow!

An Important Note About 3D Design

As our 4th and 5th grade Bobcats continue exploring 3D design and printing, I want to share an important message from our district so we can continue offering these exciting opportunities in STEM.

Dear Parents,

Tinkercad is integrated into our STEM curriculum as a tool for student learning and creativity. Students will access Tinkercad only through a class setup managed by their teacher, ensuring a safe and controlled learning environment. Students will not create personal accounts to use Tinkercad. This approach allows us to utilize this valuable 3D design tool while adhering to our student data protection guidelines.

This November, our Bobcats are diving into exciting STEM adventures as we explore how science, technology, engineering, and math connect to the world around us!

• Kindergarten has wrapped up an exciting health careers study, and our little learners did an AMAZING job! Next, they are gearing up to explore civil engineering, where they will discover how engineers design and build strong, stable structures.

• 1st Grade is becoming a team of environmental engineers! Students are testing water, observing soil, and investigating water samples to look for signs of life, including the tiny things we might not notice at first glance. It is an exciting unit that helps students discover how engineers and scientists work together to care for our environment.

• 2nd & 3rd Grade are exploring the world of coding and robotics! Students are learning how to give robots clear, step-by-step directions, solve problems, and debug their code. Their creativity and persistence are helping bring their coding adventures to life!

• 4th Grade is diving into manufacturing and production by designing their very first 3D prints! Students are discovering how a digital idea can become a real-world creation through design, technology, and engineering.

• 5th Grade is exploring cybersecurity, learning how to protect information and make safe choices in our digital world. Soon, they will also begin exploring health careers, connecting STEM learning to the many ways science and technology help people.

As we celebrate this season of gratitude, I am especially thankful for the curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm our Bobcats bring into the STEM lab every day. Watching students discover something new and realize, “I made that!” is one of the best parts of what we do.

And 5th grade is NOT the end of the STEM adventure! Be on the lookout for more information about our district's magnet programs. NISD offers incredible opportunities for students to continue exploring their interests, discovering new passions, and preparing for exciting futures. There are so many amazing possibilities waiting for our Bobcats!

Wishing all of our Bobcat families a November filled with gratitude, creativity, and discovery. We are so thankful to learn and grow together!

What a joyful and creative month it has been in the art room! Our students have been busy exploring mixed media to bring fantastical garden artworks to life. Our kindergarten artists had an absolute blast painting pumpkins while learning all about color mixing, eagerly using primary colors to discover rich new secondary shades. Meanwhile, our other young artists celebrated the autumn season with lovely fall tree paintings, using the letter "Y" as a guide to draw branching trunks before adding warm-toned paints for the leaves. Time flies when we are having this much fun! Soon, we will begin creating special pieces to share with you at our school-wide annual art show in early February. Stay tuned for more details soon!

Susan Ranjel, Art Teacher

Northside Independent School District

email: susan.ranjel@nisd.net

Braun Station Elementary 210-397-1550

Oak Hills Terrace Elementary 210-397-0550

Happy November Bobcats!

We want to invite all of our Bobcats to our annual student-led Veterans Day Ceremony on Wednesday, November 11th at 8:30 a.m. Our ceremony will center around the unknown heroes, the animals who served alongside our military forces in combat, reconnaissance, and rescue operations. At the conclusion of our ceremony, our fabulous Kinder students will be parading around our campus with their Veterans floats.

We hope that you will be able to join us as we honor our Veterans. We also encourage you to fill out the invitation form letter that was sent with your child so our office staff can be prepared for your arrival. If you need an additional form, please let us know and we will gladly send it to you.

Our Fifth Grade Patrols are showing great responsibility each and every day at their stations in the mornings and afternoons. Please help them by pulling all the way to the front of the drop off and pick up lines, and using our designated crosswalks.

Have a wonderful day!!

Robert Klekar

Music Educator

Braun Station Elementary / Oak Hills Terrace

(210) 397-1550 / (210) 397-0550

Make sure that you select Braun Station Elementary, so that you will be on our cleared volunteer list. Background checks can take several weeks, don't wait until it's too late.