Bothwell Buzz

Hello Bothwell Families!

We had a wonderful first full week of school! Our students are settling into their routines, diving into learning, and building meaningful relationships with their classmates and teachers. The energy in our classrooms and hallways has been so positive, and we are excited about all that this year holds for them.We look forward to seeing the growth, accomplishments, and celebrations that come in the weeks ahead. Thank you for your continued support as we partner together to make this a fantastic year at Bothwell!

Tardies started last week. This means your child needs to be in their classroom ready for the day at 7:45 AM. Teachers start their instruction at 7:45; and we do not want the students to miss valuable learning experiences. If students are not in the building at 7:45, we are going to ask parents to park their car and walk the child into the front office. Students will be marked tardy if they are not in their classroom at 7:45.

Dismissal is at 3:05 p.m. The car line is moving more quickly each day, so please plan to pick up your child promptly at dismissal. Late pickups will be recorded as a tardy.

Parents will be able to eat lunch with their child starting Tuesday, September 1st.

Have the great weekend!

All the BESt,

Kristen Aune

Principal

Bothwell ES

Spirit Days are extra fun! At Bothwell, we love joining in on district dress-up days.

Spirit days are never required, but it’s always a blast when our Bobcats get creative, show their spirit, and make fun memories together. If you don’t have the items for the designated day, you can always wear your favorite orange and white. We never want families to spend money on dress-up days; get creative and use what you can find at home!

Here is a tentative list of Dress Up Days based on district and campus events:

• Friday, August 28th - Beach Day/House Meeting Day
• Friday, September 4th - Neon Day
• Friday, September 11th - Patriotic Day/House Meeting Day
• Thursday, September 17th - Western Day
• Friday, September 25th - Camo Day
• Friday, October 2nd - Pink Day/House Meeting Day
• Thursday, October 8th - Red, White and Blue Day
• Friday, October 16th - Orange and White
• Friday, October 23rd - Superhero Day
• Friday, October 30th - White Out Day
• Thursday, November 5th - Red, White and Blue Day
• Friday, November 6th - Jersey Day/House Meeting Day

House Reveal Day is Thursday, August 27th. On Friday, August 28th we will celebrate our first house day! If your student has a house shirt from a previous year, encourage them to wear it. If they do not have a house shirt, they can wear anything with their house color!

We are also supporting the high school’s dress-up days, and the first Friday is Beach Theme Day! Think sunglasses, Hawaiian leis, fun flip-flops (sneakers for PE), and other beach-themed accessories. Please remember that swimsuits are not appropriate for school, so leave those at home. We can’t wait to see everyone showing their House spirit and having some fun with our beach theme!

To our bus families: I want to sincerely thank you for your patience and understanding as we've worked through transportation challenges this first week of school. As with any new school year, we experience some delays and route adjustments while things settle into place, and this year has brought added challenges with driver shortages and ongoing construction in our area. The district is actively hiring drivers, and we’re confident that route delays will lessen in the coming days and weeks.

We're grateful for your flexibility during this time, and we know these disruptions can be stressful, especially when it affects your child's day. Please continue checking your Skyward Family account regularly for the most up-to-date route information. If you have specific concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Celina ISD is partnering with the Celina Police Department and our campus School Resource Officers (SROs) to host the Celina PD Bicycle Rodeo! This interactive, hands-on safety event is designed exclusively for 3rd and 4th grade students.

Parents, enjoy your Saturday while your child spends a fun, educational day learning how to ride safely and confidently under the direct supervision of our local officers and SROs.

What to Expect

• Hands-on Safety Training: Proper helmet fitting, understanding traffic rules, and navigating town streets safely.

• Perks & Prizes: Every student receives a free gift, plus attendance automatically enters your child into a raffle to win a FREE E-Bike! ( EKIDS24 1.0 / $899 value)

• Parent Drop-Off: Enjoy a free Saturday while your child participates in an engaging, officer-led experience.

Dates & Locations (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM)

• Lykins Elementary Students: Saturday, September 26th

• Vasquez Elementary Students: Saturday, October 10th

How to Sign Up Spots are limited!

Please click on Counselor's Corner for a message from our counselor, Mrs. Ragland.

A new state law, House Bill 1481, went into effect starting with the 2025-2026 school year, mandating that Texas school districts implement a comprehensive ban on personal communication devices during the instructional school day. This legislation is intended to reduce classroom distractions, protect student privacy, and encourage a stronger focus on learning.

In accordance with this law, all student personal electronic devices must be left at home or turned off and put away in their backpacks while on campus during the instructional school day.

Our administrative teams are working to develop clear guidelines and procedures to ensure a smooth transition.

We appreciate your partnership and understanding as we work to implement this significant change for some of our students and families, especially our high school students. However, we feel this presents a strong opportunity for us to work together to enhance the Learner Experience by providing a focused, distraction-free environment for all students.

We have a new process this year for dismissal changes. All dismissal changes must go through the front office. Once the request is received, the office will notify your child’s teacher.

Please complete the transportation change form if you need to make a change to your student’s transportation.

Arrival Procedures: 7:25-7:40

The doors will open at 7:25. Students will go straight to their classroom.

If students need to eat breakfast on campus, they can go straight to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Students will be marked tardy if they are not in their classroom at 7:45.

CAR RIDERS

Car riders will be dropped off at the front of the school on Coventry Dr., the west-side of the school building, as noted on the Arrival and Dismissal Map. Staff members will supervise students as they get out of their car. We will run a single line in the mornings to ensure students are stepping up on the curb with an adult. Please encourage your child to take off his/her seat belt and open the car door. We want to encourage independence. Students will exit on the passenger side of the car. A staff member will be available to help open the car door if needed. Parents should not exit their car in the carpool line. For your child's safety, never allow your child out of the car without a staff member present.

Do not pass any cars in the parking lot that might still be unloading. We will motion to you when it is clear to move forward. This allows the staff to ensure the driveway is clear. When leaving campus, cars will turn right on Coventry Drive.

WALKERS AND BIKE RIDERS

Students will enter through the west-side of the building as noted on the Arrival and Dismissal Map. All walkers and bikers MUST cross ONLY at the school entry on Coventry Drive. Please remind your child to look for passing cars. When the bike riders are on campus, they need to walk their bike. All bikes need to be placed on the bike racks in the front of the school.

BUS RIDERS

Bus riders will be dropped off at the back of the school on Huddleston, the east side of the school building, as noted on the Arrival and Dismissal Map. Staff members will supervise students as they get off of the bus and enter the school building.

Dismissal Procedures - 3:05

All students will exit through the assigned locations as designated on the Arrival and Dismissal Map. All dismissal changes must be communicated to the teacher prior to 2:00 PM.

CAR RIDERS

Car riders will be picked up in the front of the school on Coventry Dr., the west side of the school building, as noted on the Arrival and Dismissal Map. We will run a double line in the afternoons. Staff members will walk students to their car. Parents should not exit their car in the carpool line. When leaving campus, cars will need to turn right on Coventry Drive.

If your child needs assistance buckling their car seat, please pull forward to the Buckle Zone by the gate before helping them. We ask that you make this a quick stop so we can keep the car line moving safely and efficiently for all families.

WALKERS AND BIKE RIDERS

Walkers will exit the front of the school on Coventry Dr. Bike riders will leave from the front of the school on Coventry Dr as noted on the Arrival and Dismissal Map. When the bike riders are on campus, they need to walk their bike. Please remind your child to use the crosswalk and look for passing cars.

If you are meeting your walkers/bike riders, please meet them off campus. Staff members will walk the students to the corner of Coventry and across the street to the gazebo. If you are on the Bothwell Side of Coventry, please stand near the fence that runs along Coventry. If you are on the opposite side of Coventry, please meet your child at the gazebo.

BUS RIDERS

Bus riders will be picked up at the back of the school on Huddleston, the east side of the school building, as noted on the Arrival and Dismissal Map. Staff members will supervise students as they exit the building and load the bus.

Bus route details, including pick-up and drop-off times and locations, will be available beginning August 10th in Skyward Family Access under the Transportation tile.

Please visit the Celina ISD Transportation Department's web page to help answer all questions regarding the school bus riding experience at this website address: https://www.celinaisd.com/our-departments/transportation

Please complete your free and reduced applications in School Cafe.

https://www.schoolcafe.com/CELINAISD

Applications will start being processed and approved in August. The grace period will end September 20, 2026.

If you had a balance last year, the balance will roll over to this year, so please add funds to your child's account before the first day of school. If your student is new and does not have a school cafe account, please have them bring lunch or lunch money with them to school or set up an account prior to the first day of school.

You can monitor your students' accounts and place restrictions on their meal accounts in the school cafe.

Bothwell Elementary School is enrolled into the Kroger Community Rewards Program.

To Use the Kroger Community Rewards Program:
Simply visit http://www.kroger.com. Once logged into your Kroger account you can search for BOTHWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL either by name or DU641 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card.

*Customers must have a registered Kroger rewards card account to link to your organization.
*If a member does not yet have a Kroger rewards card, please let them know they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger

REMEMBER, purchases will not count for Bothwell until after register your rewards card.
Participants must swipe their registered Kroger rewards card or use the phone number that is related to their registered Kroger rewards card when shopping for each purchase to count.