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👋 Hello Bush Families!

It was an exciting week on campus as we officially opened the new piece of the playground equipment on Monday, and welcomed parents of 1st - 4th graders on Tuesday and Thursday night! Our teachers did a great job of sharing important curriculum pieces and information with the parents and will continue to keep you informed throughout the year of instructional needs and progress in your student!

I wanted to share a bit of news with the Bush community. Our new counselor, Samantha Tomasek, has had to resign from her position. She is a dedicated professional whose family has been asked to carry a heavy load right now. If you are a praying person, I would ask that you keep her and her family in your prayers. There is nothing more important than our families, so she is doing exactly what she needs to do.

Our interview committee will be coming together to find just the right fit for our campus. I am confident that we will do just that. In the meantime, Jennifer Garcia, a retired school counselor will be assisting our campus. She has already made connections with several parents and students. Welcome Jennifer!

Lots of exciting events coming up around the district in the month! Make sure to read the banner to stay in tune with all the CISD happenings!

Have a restful weekend!

Sarah Howard

Students should be in their classroom ready for instruction at 7:55.

Breakfast for our Bobcats starts at 7:30 and ends at 7:55. Please be advised that students who arrive by car or biker/walker at 7:55 are sent directly to the classroom. We do not want to deny a student breakfast but need your help in getting them here to eat before 7:55.

THE ARRIVAL CAR RIDER LINE ENTERS FROM ALDEN BRIDGE- EAST SIDE OF THE SCHOOL. After dropping your students off at the teacher assisted cones at the front of the school, you will be DIRECTED to exit the AM school car rider line TO THE RIGHT onto Crownridge. This ensures a continuous pattern of traffic and less congestion at the crosswalk.

DISMISSAL CAR RIDER LINE BEGINS THE SAME DIRECTION AS AM CAR RIDER LINE. You will also be DIRECTED to exit the PM school car rider line TO THE RIGHT onto Crownridge.

PLEASE KEEP YOUR CAR RIDER SIGN ON THE DASH UNTIL YOU HAVE YOUR STUDENT.

We appreciate your help in this process. Thank you to all of our crosswalk helpers who make sure our students get across the road safely.

Please make sure that all car seats/boosters are on the RIGHT SIDE of your vehicle to allow your student to exit the vehicle safely and with assistance.

Your student may need assistance buckling up before you head on your way from car rider line. Please welcome your student into your car and proceed to the "Buckle Zone" at the furthest point of the circle drive. It will be marked with Buckle Zone signs. This will give you the freedom to exit your vehicle and assist your young student with buckling up while allowing the car rider line to continue efficiently.

We appreciate your help in the process!

The addition of a safety fence/gate for the Bush playground is in the process of being added to the campus grounds. This will ensure that all students remain within the confined area for recess and teachers are able to watch and monitor one gate for entrance/exit at recess. The safety of our students remains a priority for our campus and this addition is one more level of security.

Once the gate has been added, this will mean that the playground will no longer be open at dismissal. I do realize that this tradition of Bush Elementary is a hard one to let go. Thank you for understanding this security measure and support for the safety of our students.

Bush Families,

Our PTO Membership Drive is underway, and I would love to encourage all of our Bush families to join and support the incredible work our PTO does for our students, staff, and school community.

This year, there is a little friendly competition involved! The grade with the highest percentage of PTO memberships by the end of the day Monday will celebrate with a Popsicle Party at Recess!

PTO membership is a simple way to support the many programs, events, campus improvements, teacher appreciation efforts, and special experiences our PTO helps make possible throughout the year. There is no volunteer requirement to become a member, and parents, grandparents, family members, and other supporters are all welcome to join.

If you have not joined yet, there is still time to help your child's grade take the lead!

Join the Bush PTO here:
https://bushpto.membershiptoolkit.com/home

Thank you for supporting our PTO and helping make Bush such a special place for our Bobcats!

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/34YVU2AR33EK7?ref_=wl_share

Please sign up at the link below if you are planning on having lunch with your bobcat! This ensures that we have the space for parents/visitors to attend!

Just a few helpful tips to make the most of your visit with your child:

• Please be sure your visitor’s badge is visibly worn.
• Please be sure to find the visitors’ table in the lunchroom to share this time with your child(ren). Student tables are for students only.
• We know what a special time this is for you and your child. We do kindly ask that you only sit with your child.
• Once lunch is over for your child(ren), please be sure to return to the front office to sign out with our office staff using the same hall you walked to get to the cafeteria. Please do not roam the halls.
• Parents should refrain from walking their children back to class or recess once lunch is over.
• PLEASE NO PICTURES OR VIDEOS

Per district policy, anyone picking up a child other than their own should have a note signed by the child's parent or guardian giving them permission to do so. A picture ID will be requested when picking up a student.

Throughout the school year, community organizations may reach out to Bush Elementary with opportunities to support our students and families with school supplies, clothing, holiday assistance, and other needs. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Before we provide support with an outside organization for these assistance programs, we must have your permission. If your family would be interested in receiving information about or being considered for these types of assistance programs, please complete the electronic form linked below. All information submitted through the form will be sent directly to Mrs. Howard and will be handled confidentially.

Please keep in mind that available assistance programs vary from year to year. Completing this form does not guarantee that your family will receive assistance. Instead, it lets us know that your family is interested in available opportunities and gives us permission to share the information identified on the form with participating organizations when appropriate. A new consent form must be completed for each school year. To complete the form, please use the link below. If you have any questions about the form or available assistance programs, please contact Mrs. Howard. Thank you for allowing us to help connect our Bush families with resources and support available within our community.

Please review the attendance protocols for the district and campus attendance goals! We want to make you aware of changes in coding for absences and timelines for reporting a student absence. Please review this document paying close attention to unexcused absence protocol. The school must be notified within 48 hours of an absence to be coded Absent with Parent Contact. After 48 hours, the absence is marked Unexcused and will not be changed.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kZ007ZkdKjakNoG7lwR2eExKJIweg5PX/view?usp=sharing

Please review with your child the Woodlands Township rules (listed below) for the pathways in our neighborhoods. We are having lots of students riding on pathways and not following all the safety rules. Thank you for your attention to this!

STAYING SAFE ON THE PATHWAYS- RESPECT THE PATH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B31u1kat2I4

Parents,

We want our community to be the safest place possible for our students, parents, and neighbors.

Students must dismount all e bikes/scooters etc. when they arrive on school property. Students will walk their e-bikes and e-scooters to the bike racks to park their bikes.

Key Safety Reminders

• Motorized vehicles prohibited – E-bikes, e-scooters, and other motorized devices are not allowed on pathways. They can reach dangerous speeds of 15–30 mph on trails designed for pedestrians.

• Keep speeds under 10 mph – Bicycles and other riders must slow down, especially around curves, intersections, and areas with low visibility.

• Use proper etiquette – Always pass on the left, alert others when passing, and stop at all posted stop signs.

• Wear helmets – Serious injuries have occurred because riders of all ages weren’t wearing helmets. Helmets save lives.

• Be aware of vehicles – Pathways often intersect with roads. Even if you have the right of way, check carefully for turning cars.

• Respect other users – Pathways are for everyone, from age 9 to 99. Slow down and be courteous so all residents feel safe.

Debra Anderson, Tracy Moffitt, Sarah Howard, Emily Maier, Christen Cannamore

Tracee Nettuno, Sara Courser, Cynthia Pilkenton, Sarah Ellis, Stephanie Exley, Sally Clements, Kandace Ritter

Nashid Kamal, Laura Davies, Lauren Lenfant, Melony Lease, Carly Rone

Jen Bruno, Chloe Weemes, Lien Garcia, Ashley Garza, Veronica Reyna

Lanette Landry, Sylvia Valderas, Julie Martinez, Kayla DeKraker, Katherine Muirhead, Kim Everett

Alison Dougherty, Hannah Lanningham, Kemper Charbonnet, Katie Abshire, Stephanie Sunseri, Elizabeth Miller

Katie Haugen, Sarah Sadlowski, Ashley McDonald, Laura Milo, Madelyn Holle, Nariel Olsen

Kim Hake, Sonia Caridad

Krista Babich, Ellin Rue, Lisa Scott, Kim McGilvrey, Lauren Allen, Idoya Redrado, Kinsey Tansley, Veronica Merino, Chryssa Fedick, Bonnie Farinella, Emily Osteen

Meagen Tiblier, Kris Renetzsky, Angela Beardsley, Julio Bedolla- Lopez, Andrea Wilson

https://schools.mealviewer.com/district/conroe

For Child nutrition information please follow the link:

https://www.conroeisd.net/page/child-nutrition-home

PLEASE NOTE THAT PER DISTRICT POLICY THE SCHOOL CANNOT ACCEPT DOOR DASH OR UBER EATS ORDERS FOR STUDENTS

• PLEASE do not drop off any students on Crownridge in the morning.
• PLEASE refrain from cell phone use while in car rider line and in school zones.
• PLEASE refrain from walking across Crownridge outside of a crosswalk, this is jaywalking and cars have the right of way.

These are citable offenses and we do not want to start or end anyone's day with that! Mornings and afternoons can be hectic, but the students' safety has to be a priority.

Thank you to Officer Melchor in assisting with our arrival and dismissal!

Please remember that all transportation changes should be made through the Bush Transportation changes email.

Please use this address:

bushtransportationchanges@conroeisd.net

The Bush staff selected four Guidelines for Success that we want all of our students and staff to strive to demonstrate.

These guidelines serve as a framework for behavioral expectations in all settings. These are the foundation for lessons that teach students how to be successful. The staff references these guidelines when encouraging positive behavior and correcting irresponsible behavior.

The guidelines for success also serve as a guide for staff and students in evaluating their own behavior. Teachers will teach one related lesson to our guidelines for success each week in Morning Meetings.

Parents please sign up for the SMART tag™ Parent App, as the transportation department is no longer providing Bus Hubs to notify parents of bus delays. This app offers real-time updates on your child’s school bus, including arrival alerts, and notifications for delays or route changes.

It's a reliable and convenient way to stay informed about your child's transportation. Please download the app, register, and link your child’s student ID to start receiving updates. The following link will provide you with instructions on how to register.

SMART tag Parent App Instructions

Your student will have a tag placed on their backpack on the first day of school. It is vital that they keep the SMART tags attached to their backpacks. Please help make sure that they stay attached to their backpacks at all times. We utilize the bar code for all dismissal types. Car riders, bikers, walkers, daycare, and bus ALL are scanned out with this card.

Please do not punch holes in the the actual SMART tag. This makes them inactive.

When a student loses their tag, there is a $5 charge for replacement. Bush will email you a link to School cash to submit your payment!

Thank you for your help with this process and keeping our students safe!

Parents, have you logged into the Parent Portal? Once you have created your account you are able to login to see your child's grades, manage your student's lunch account, complete a volunteer form for CISD. Please see the information below about how to create an account and login.

To access the documents above click here.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WMWZSW2LzOukmEi7GfvXXN9dHheC0nxg/view?usp=sharing

Our school hours are 7:55-3:10. Students may arrive as early as 7:30 and will go to their homeroom beginning at that time.

Website: http://bush.conroeisd.net/
Location: 7420 Crownridge Drive, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 936-709-1600

Sarah Howard, Principal

Christen Cannamore, Assistant Principal

Emily Maier, Assistant Principal

Samantha Tomasek, Counselor

The Conroe Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding these non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator, 3205 W. Davis, Conroe, Texas 77304; (936)-709-7700 and the Section 504/ADA Coordinator, 3205 W. Davis, Conroe, Texas 77304; (936) 709-7670.