BW Parent Newsletter

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Wednesday to celebrate Congressman Lloyd Doggett’s homecoming and the presentation of our alumni achievement award. Your presence made the day meaningful for our students and staff. During the ceremony, Mayor Kirk Watson presented Bryker Woods Elementary with an official City of Austin Proclamation declaring August 27, 2025 as “Bryker Woods Elementary Day.” We will display the proclamation on campus and share photos and media coverage with you.

This school year is off to a strong start. We have completed our first full week of school, and students are doing well. Classrooms are engaged, routines are settling in, and new friendships are blossoming.

Lost and Found:

A quick Lost and Found request: please label your child’s water bottles, lunch boxes, and jackets with first and last name. It is only the second week of school and several items have already landed in Lost and Found. I have a personal goal of keeping that corner as empty as possible this year, and your labeling will help us get there.

Tardies:

We have already seen a significant number of tardies. The tardy bell rings at 7:40 a.m. Students must be in their classrooms by that time or they will be marked tardy. When students arrive late, they miss Bryker Woods News and the classroom morning meeting, which sets a positive tone for the day. Please plan for morning traffic and aim to arrive on campus by 7:35 a.m. Consistent on-time arrival supports learning for your child and for the entire class. Thank you for partnering with us to make mornings smooth and focused.

Dogs on Campus:

As someone who has two dogs at home, I understand how much they are part of the family. I will even admit there are days when they feel like the easiest members of my household! However, for the comfort and safety of all students, dogs are not permitted on campus during the school day, even if leashed. If you walk your child to school with a dog, please remain on the sidewalk across the street and say goodbye from there. Some students feel fearful around dogs, and arrival and dismissal must feel calm and safe for everyone. Thank you for helping us keep the experience fair for all students.

And. thank you for your continued support of the best school in our town!

During the most recent legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1481, banning student use of personal communications devices on school campuses during school hours. Now, the Austin ISD Board of Trustees approved a clear set of disciplinary measures for violations.

The law aims to boost focus, reduce distractions, and curb cyberbullying. The policy and disciplinary measures for infractions will go into effect, Monday, August 25th.

In case you missed it:

• Devices affected: Cell phones, tablets, gaming devices, smart watches, Bluetooth earbuds, fitness trackers with messaging, personal laptops/Chromebooks, two-way radios, pagers, and it also includes any wearable technology that is capable of digital communication or telecommunication.
• Devices must be turned off and put away for the day, including during lunch.
• Exceptions will be allowed for a student who has a documented need to use a personal communication device in an individualized education program (IEP), Section 504 accommodation plan, individualized health plan, or other similar program or plan.

For all Offenses:

• Campus personnel will direct students to give them the device.
• Students are required to comply with directives.
• Campus personnel will take possession of the device and store it in a designated location.
• Parents/Guardians will be notified.
• The offense will be documented.
• If a student refuses to turn over the device, the action is considered insubordination and is a violation of the Student Success Guide. An administrator will be informed and additional disciplinary action may be taken.

1st offense

• Student may pick up device at the end of the day.

2nd offense

• Parent/guardian must pick up device.
• Student may be referred for supportive intervention.

3rd offense

• Parent may pick up the device on the next school day or schedule a conference to pick it up earlier.
• Additional consequences are possible at the discretion of the campus administrator. All consequences will be in alignment with the Student Success Guide

4th+ offense

• Device held for 48 hours unless a parent conference is arranged.
• Additional consequences are possible at the discretion of the campus administrator. All consequences will be in alignment with the Student Success Guide

What’s next:

• Each campus will have a secure location for confiscated devices and a system to track ownership.
• All staff can confiscate devices in violation of the policy and deliver them to the storage site.
• Schools will take reasonable care to keep devices safe, but are not liable if a device is lost or damaged while in school possession.

Exciting News for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Graders at Bryker Woods! Join the LEGO League Robotics Club and unleash your inner engineer! This club offers a fantastic opportunity for students to design, build, and program robots using LEGO Explore and Prime kits, fostering creativity and teamwork.

We can accept up to 6 students from 3rd grade and a combined total of 6 students from 4th and 5th grades, with spots being filled through a lottery process.

Please note that anyone applying to be on the team must be able to attend all of the after-school practice dates and agree to participate in at least three after-school or weekend competitions. Practice times are from 3:15-4:15 and dates are:

September 8th, 15th, and 29th

October 6th and 27th

November 6th, 10th, and 17th

December 1st, 8th, and 15th

Applications, which includes a student section, parent section, and teacher recommendation, are due on September 5th and can be turned in at the front office. Get ready to build, program, and compete

The IB Learner Profile aims to develop students who are inquirers. Students who are inquirers nurture their curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. They know how to learn independently and with others. Inquirers learn with enthusiasm and sustain their love of learning throughout life.

• Visit places that spark inquiry like a museum, park or nature preserve.
• Explore the areas of your child's interest by visiting the library to borrow books.
• Develop an understanding of the Internet. Work with your son or daughter when the Internet is being used and try to instill the understanding that some internet sites are not reputable.
• Model being an inquirer. Ask questions and wonder!
• Praise your child for asking a question
• Have your child jot down their wonders in a journal. Spend time researching these wonders!

Here are three sites that make screen time a learning time:

• The Tinkering Studio: Experiments with science, art, technology, and other delightful ideas.
• How Stuff Works: Articles broken down by subject areas to answer those difficult questions
• The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids: Features riddles, puzzles, a question of the day, a timeline of interesting history facts, sky events and weather conditions to track at home with your children

Please click on the button below to access the 2025-26 AISD Student Success Guide (Code of Conduct).

The District is mandated by the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) to provide written notification to all parents, teachers, and employee organizations regarding the availability of asbestos management plans for District facilities. This notification is required even if your facility does not have any asbestos-containing building materials.

The District is mandated by the Texas Structural Pest Control Act that requires chief administrators of schools, educational institutions, and daycare centers, to provide written notifications of the types of pesticides used and their scheduled application to parents or guardians of children attending the facility. This information should be available, upon request, in the school office. It will be furnished to you by the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Department prior to each application.

Drills are an essential part of making sure campuses are prepared for the many different hazards they may face. Here at Austin ISD, we conduct five critical incident drills: an evacuation drill, a hold drill, a secure drill, a shelter drill, and an announced lockdown drill. Campus evacuation drills must be conducted at least once per month when students are in class 10 or more days, as required by the State of Texas. Please see the link below for more information about our required drills.

Families whose students are eligible for General Education transportation should confirm their bus details using the district’s Bus Stop Finder. Families of students receiving Special Education services will receive route information directly from their assigned bus teams. Please note that bus routes and stop locations may be adjusted periodically.

To support families, AISD’s Transportation Department provides access to the free WheresTheBus app. This tool offers real-time updates on the location of a student’s assigned bus and its expected arrival time at the stop. The app can be installed on any internet-enabled device, including smartphones, tablets, personal computers, and iPads, and the setup takes less than five minutes.

Step-by-step instructions for downloading and using the app are available at: https://www.austinisd.org/transportation.

The Recognizing All Valuable Employees, or "RAVE" Program, was created to honor those who take the extra steps to provide equitable and exceptional experiences. If you had an exceptional experience interacting with a Bryker Woods teacher or staff member, please nominate that individual by completing the form below.

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 Navigate 360.
• Represent yourself and Austin ISD in a professional manner and treat students, staff, and other volunteers with respect.