Eagle Update

Hello BHE Families:

What an awesome Meet the Teacher! No rain could keep the awesome BHE Eagles from showing up :). It was so exciting to see all the students' faces after our summer break (and parents too :). Our first day of school is Tuesday, August 19th. There's a lot of info in this newsletter and I've highlighted a few of the items here:

School starts at 7:40. On the first day we will open the doors at 7:15 and everyone will go straight to their classrooms. Kindergarten will go to the cafeteria. On subsequent days, the doors will open at 7:15 for breakfast and 7:30 for for students to go to their classrooms. Parents will need to say goodbye to students at the front walkway. On the first day we will have a table to collect any school supplies that need delivered to classrooms if students need help carrying them.
We will have Monday Morning assemblies starting the second week of school. Parents will be invited to join on the third week of school.
We ask that parents not come for lunch for the first 3 weeks of school to allow us to make any schedule adjustments and set routines and cafeteria expectations with students.
We will not do any early release after 2:40. If you need your child for an after school appointment please plan to pick them up prior to 2:40. This will ensure our front office staff is able to assist with dismissal and cars are not parked in the front drive at dismissal time.
Dismissal - make sure your child knows where they are going after school and communicate any changes to your child's teacher early in the day.
Please be aware of the new Digital Device Policy. More details about items that must be turned off and put away on AISD campus bell to bell are in the flyer below.
All visitors to the campus much check in at the front office and make sure to bring their driver's license - even if you were a visitor last year, the district has a new check in system and program.

We will see you on Tuesday!

Kati Achtermann, Principal

August 19 - 7:40 First Day of School

August 28 - Parent Information night/Back to School Night (Updated date)

September 1 - School Holiday - Labor Day

Here is a quick outline of some things to expect on the first day of school. This list is not exhaustive but does cover major points you will need to know for the first day of school.

REGISTRATION:

Please do not wait until August 19to register! Our registrar, Ms. Reyes, is on campus from 7:15-3:00 to assist you before August 19th!
If your child is not fully registered, they will not be placed in a classroom until that process is complete. Make sure to turn in all required documents.
On Aug 19, our front office staff will begin helping with new registrants or those that need assistance finishing registration at 8:00 am.
We ask that you wait until 8:00 am so that our staff can help with arrival, we can avoid overcrowding in the office and allow our staff and students to start their day.

ARRIVAL:

In the morning:

NOTE: School starts at 7:40.
We will open our doors at 7:15 am for breakfast.
If your child is being dropped off by car, you will enter into the front drive. Please pull up along the front drive and there will be staff to open doors and welcome your student inside.
There may be tears and that is ok! We promise that your student will be loved and well taken care of and will come home with lots of fun and exciting stories from the day!
We do ask that as parents, if your child is upset, to understand that sometimes it is harder for the student if parents linger. We respectfully ask that you say your goodbye, then allow our teachers and staff to assist to make sure your student has an amazing day!

K Arrival:

Since parents will not be allowed inside the building, K teachers will gathering students in the cafeteria and they will walk to class together. waiting to greet their new learners and parents. We will have multiple staff members ready to escort students to their classrooms to begin their day.

DISMISSAL:

In the afternoon:

Students will have staggered times for dismissal. We will start releasing students around 3:00 at the beginning of the year as it generally takes longer to learn the systems.
Kinder, 1st, 2nd and 5th grades will dismiss in the front. 3rd and 4th grades will dismiss off Briarcrest Drive at the back gate.

We ask for grace and patience as we navigate through the first week or two. In all interactions, staff and parents alike, we are modeling valuable life skills for our students and children. We are always happy to help and assist and we appreciate your understanding and support as well.

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Meet the Teacher Posters_Specials_2025.pdf

Our Special Areas Teachers want you to know all about them! Open this to find out all about them!

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Friday, August 15th, the Texas Education Agency released the accountability ratings for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years. Our campus received the following ratings:

2024: Our overall rating was a B with a score of 89.
2025: Our overall rating was a B with a score of 88.

How we got here: These results come just four months after our campus received an A rating in the 2022–23 accountability report, released in April 2025.

The quick succession of accountability releases for 2023, 2024 and 2025 is due to legal delays that held up accountability ratings in court.
The courts dismissed the efforts to block A-F ratings statewide in April 2025, allowing all campus-based grades to become public for the first time since 2019.

Unpacking our score: Each school’s overall rating is based on performance outcomes in three “domains”. The best outcome of Domain 1 and Domain 2 contribute 70% of the overall rating, while Domain 3 contributes 30%.

Our overall numeric score was 88, for a letter grade of B.

Our Domain 1: Student Achievement score was 93 for a letter grade of A. The Student Achievement grade is based on STAAR results at Approaches Grade Level or Above, Meets Grade Level or Above and Masters Grade Level.
Domain 2: School Progress is made up of two parts:

Academic Growth, which tracks individual student growth on STAAR and
Relative Performance which compares our STAAR and College, Career and Military Readiness scores to the results of similar schools.
The higher of these two scores becomes our overall score for School Progress. Our school received a 79 and a letter grade of C.

Domain 3: Closing the Gaps, evaluates historically low performing student groups in the following four areas:

STAAR Reading and Math at Meets Grade Level,
Growth on STAAR Reading and Math,
Progress on English Language Proficiency and
STAAR Performance in all subjects at Approaching, Meets & Masters proficiency.
Our closing the Gaps score was 77, and our letter grade was C.

Schools that receive an A, B, or C rating may also earn Distinction Designations for outstanding performance in specific areas, compared to similar schools across the state.

We’re proud to share that our school earned distinction(s) in:

Reading/Language Arts
Science

Thank you for your continued support of Barton Hills Elementary.

Maintaining a safe and positive learning environment for our students is our top priority. 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. Please help us keep everyone safe.

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 and Gates:

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.
The playground access and back parking lot gates will be locked at the start of each school day. We will unlock gates after the completion of dismissal The playground and grounds are closed to visitors during the school day.

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.
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 three 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 secure vestibule and then into the office.
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.
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.

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

Create an Account: Visit austinisd.voly.org to sign up.
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
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.
Find Opportunities: After receiving your clearance, explore and sign up for volunteer opportunities that match your interests.

Create A Volunteer Account

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

August 19-October 17

Austin ISD offers Gifted and Talented program services on all campuses. GT Advocates on each campus supports teachers, students, and families with resources and information. All campuses in Austin ISD offer Gifted and Talented identification and placement. Parents and caregivers can submit their child’s name to be evaluated for Gifted and Talented services by opening the link below.

Please be aware, all 2nd graders will be screened this fall therefore parents of 2nd graders do not need to fill out a recommendation form.

Open this link for more information about GT Services:

https://sites.google.com/austinisd.org/gtfamilies/home

Open this link to fill out a form to recommend your child for testing:

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/2d7e6d3b76b145828eb75b7a66f8e1c9