PAWPRINTS
BARBARA BUSH ELEMENTARY BOBCATS – SEPTEMBER 17, 2014
Houston Independent School District
www.houstonisd.org/bushelem
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR
September 17
September 19
September 24
12:20 p.m.
October 1
Individual Picture Day
Holiday – No School
October 3
October 9
8:45 a.m.
October 10
October 20-24
October 21
TONIGHT IS BUSH
NIGHT AT MARCO’S
PIZZA
Students Today, Leaders
Tomorrow Day for all
Students, Faculty, & Staff
Early Dismissal
4th Grade - Museum of
Natural Science
1st Grade – Main Street
Theater
Book Fair Week
5:30-7:00 p.m.
Book Fair Night & Dinner
October 29
12:20 p.m.
3rd Grade – Museum of
Fine Arts
EARLY DISMISSAL
October 31
2:50 p.m.
Report Cards Go Home
November 6
6:00-7:30 p.m.
4th Grade Writing Night
October 22
HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHTS
CONFERENCES
Parent/teacher conferences are a valuable tool to be used in helping
children to be happy and successful at school. Be sure to take
advantage of this, tool! Because it is so important, please follow these
guidelines to ensure that you have the best possible conference with
your child’s teacher.
To arrange for a conference:
1. Make an appointment: write a note to the teacher, leave a message
on the teacher’s voicemail, or e-mail the teacher to arrange an
appointment time. Please give teachers 24 hours to respond since they
are teaching during the instructional day.
2. Plan to come to school: teachers can share work samples, clarify
assignments, etc. when personal rather than telephone conferences are
held.
3. Be “tuned in” to your child so you know when to request a
conference. Watch test papers, progress reports, etc. that signal trouble
areas.
4. Please do not drop in for just a minute at the beginning or end of the
day. These are especially crucial times when the class needs and
deserves the teacher’s full attention.
5. Please do not ask to have teachers called out of the class for a
conference. Instructional time belongs to all the students.
The entire handbook is available at:
www.bushelementary.org
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SPECTACULAR SCIENCE
The Spectacular Science Words for the week of September 15 are
mass/weight.
**
BOBCAT NEWS
GREAT PARENTS’ NIGHT
Thank you to all the parents who attended Parents’ Night.
The teachers shared a lot of valuable information about
their classroom policies and curriculum. The key to Bush
Elementary’s success is the incredibly strong partnership
between parents, teachers, and students. All Bush bobcats
are working hard at being Students Today, so that they can
be Leaders Tomorrow!
CELL PHONES MAY NOT BE ON OR USED BY
STUDENTS DURING THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAY
(7:35 A.M. – 2:50 P.M.)
On January 23, 2014, the Bush Excellence Committee
(BEC) approved our new cell phone policy.
Students are allowed to have a cell phone in their
backpack to use only to communicate with parents
after school starting at 2:50 p.m. Cell phones are not
allowed to be on or used during the school day. The
first time a cell phone is visible (seen or heard) during
the school day, it will be confiscated and turned in to
the office. The teacher will notify the parent to pick up
the phone from the office. At the time of pick up, the
parent will sign an acknowledgement that he/she is
aware of a $15.00 administrative fee for any
subsequent times the phone is confiscated thereafter.
If the phone is not picked up within 30 days, the office
will no longer be responsible for the phone. Multiple
confiscations will result in a discipline referral. This cell
phone policy has been effective since February 6,
2014.
PARENTS, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!
We have had several complaints from local
residents about parents blocking driveways in the
neighborhoods around Bush. Please be respectful
of our neighbors when dropping off or picking-up
your child, coming for lunch, or visiting the school
for any reason.
STUDENTS TODAY,
LEADERS TOMORROW DAY!
Friday, September 19, is Students Today, Leaders
Tomorrow day at Bush Elementary. All students are
encouraged to wear a university shirt or a Bush shirt on
Friday.
MEAL APPLICATIONS
Students who are part of the free or reduced-price meals program must have a
current 2014-15 application on file or be Direct Certified for 2014-15. If you have
not already completed the application, it is very important that you do so by
October 7, 2014. Lunch applications are available in the school office or you can
apply on line at www.mealapps.houstonisd.org.
PROSPECTIVE PARENT INFORMATION SESSIONS
Do you have a child coming to Bush next year? Then come and join a
prospective parent information session that will answer all your
questions about Bush Elementary programs and curriculum. We will
tour the school and discuss all of the wonderful things Bush has to
offer. If you know a neighbor or friend who would like to attend one
of these information sessions, please pass the invitation on to them.
The first session for this school year will take place at 9:00 a.m. on
Wednesday, October 15.
VISITORS TO THE BUILDING
ALL parents, grandparents, and visitors who wish to enter the school will
need to have a valid state-issued driver’s license or a valid state-issued
picture ID. These may be attained at the Texas Department of
Transportation Driver License offices. The license or the ID will be scanned,
a background check performed, and if approved, a visitor’s badge will be
printed. The badge will have your picture, name, time, and visit location.
Please make sure you bring your driver’s license/state ID if you wish to go
past the office. Grandparents and other visitors who come for lunch must be
accompanied by the parent or have the parent’s approval (in the form of a
note or the person is listed on the enrollment card). Please be advised all IDs
will be checked at the office before going into the building. Thank you for
making Bush a safe and secure campus.
BOBCAT WEAR
Students may wear solid navy, red or white polo-type shirts (with or
without the official Bush logo) or turtlenecks in the same three solid
colors. Official Bush t-shirts may be worn on any school day. White
Oxford cloth shirts with long or short sleeves are also acceptable. Shorts,
pants, dresses, skirts, or skorts must be solid khaki or navy blue. Shorts,
dresses, skirts and skorts must be below fingertips. The guidelines will
continue to include PLAIN blue jeans. Jeans may not have embroidery,
colored stitching, decals, logos, glitter, or any other type of decoration.
Girls may wear “Bush plaid” items purchased from Academy Uniforms,
located at 14520 Memorial Drive.
EARLY PICK UPS
Please do not plan to pick up your child between 2:25 p.m. and
2:50 p.m. The doors will be locked at 2:25 p.m. every day to get
ready for dismissal. To ensure a safe dismissal, students will not
be called after 2:25 p.m. Thank you for helping to make
dismissal safe for all our students.
BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION
We are collecting Box Tops again this year. Please clip them and send them to
your child’s teacher! You will find them on cereal, zip lock bags, snacks, baking
mixes, and hundreds of other products you may already have at home! Last year
we collected over $2,000.00 which went to the teachers to buy supplies and
materials for their classes!
RAINY DAY PLAN
Make a plan for rainy or “bad” days. Be sure you have a rainy day plan for your child.
Make sure that your child knows what he or she is to do if it is raining at dismissal time.
Please do not call the school office with instructions and messages. This should be
handled in advance. As the weather in Houston is very unpredictable, it is highly
recommended that parents purchase an inexpensive fold-up rain poncho and place it in
their child’s backpack. This poncho can be “saved for a rainy day.” We can load more
students into cars if they can walk further down the driveway to enter waiting cars.
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PTO NEWS
U N D E R W R I T I N G C A M P A I G N
N E W S !
HELP
US
BUILD THE
PRIZES
RAFFLE
Do you have a gift certificate or a new item to
donate? Please drop it at the front desk with
Mrs. Helen Wood. If you have any questions email
us at
donatetobush@gmail.com
SHOW YOU CARE,DONATE!
PTO MEMBERSHIP
Thank you to the 330 families that have joined the PTO, which is almost 50% of
our student body. If you have not already joined, please consider doing so as
the PTO funds provide financial support to enhance all Bush students´
education. The PTO form was sent home in your child´s red communication
folder, and it is also posted on the school web site. If 70% of the students join,
everyone will have a popsicle party, and the class in each grade with the most
members will get a pizza party!! Every family that joins will receive a Bush
directory. Please send the form as soon as possible because the due date is
this Friday September 19. Thank you for your support!
OUCH!
The Texas Vaccine Institute is going to be at Bush on Monday, September 22
from 4:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. to administer flu shots to anyone who wants to get
a flu shot. The vaccination is targeted for adults and children six months and
older. Children under eighteen must be accompanied by a parent. The
vaccine is not recommended for people allergic to egg products, with a fever,
or pregnant in the first trimester. The cost of the flu shot is $25 and the cost
of the nasal spray is $30. Payment can be made by cash or check. The
vaccine is given on a first-come, first-served basis.
BUSH SPIRIT NIGHT AT MARCO’S PIZZA!
Marco's pizza is back every 3rd Wednesday of the month
starting TONIGHT. Order your pizza and support your
school.
EARLY DISMISSAL DAY FUN
Monkey Joe’s is holding a BBE spirit day on Wednesday,
September 24th from Noon - 8pm. 10% of all purchases in
terms of entry fee, food, and merchandise purchased by BBE
parents/family/friends will be given to the Bush PTO. Please
join us at Monkey Joe’s next Wednesday for a fun-filled
afternoon.
BUSH BOBCATS - STUDENTS TODAY, LEADERS TOMORROW - 2014-15
It is the policy of the Houston Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, handicap or disability, ancestry, national
origin, marital status, race, religion, sex, veteran status, or political affiliation in its educational or employment programs and activities.