Howdy Trailblazers
Nov. 7 - 18, 2022
Greetings from Principal Bueno
I hope all of our families are enjoying the cooler weather and looking forward to our upcoming Thanksgiving Break! I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank our Ott community Veterans for your dedicated service to the United States Armed Forces. We will forever be grateful for your bravery and sacrifices to protect our country and our freedom. We welcome all Veterans and Ott community members to join us for our annual Veterans Day ceremony on November 11th at 8:00 a.m. in the Ott Gym. There will be a continental breakfast following the ceremony in the cafeteria for all Veterans hosted by our Social Studies Committee. More details can be found below.
Thank you Trailblazers for supporting and celebrating the 50th day of school with us last week. It was a fun day on campus and as always, the students enjoyed the 50's themed event and activities. Of course our Kite Day was also a huge hit for our students and we were so happy the weather held up for kite flying. I want to thank our Ott families for supporting our October campus events. It was a busy month, but seeing so many of you join us for all of the fun made my heart smile. It's wonderful to have our families on campus and I look forward to seeing you at many more events this year.
It's hard to believe we're almost halfway through the 2nd grading quarter. Parents, please register for HAC (Home Access Center) to monitor your child’s current grades and academic progress. Progress reports for this grading cycle for 1st - 5th grade students will post to HAC on Friday, Nov. 18th at 4:00 p.m. Paper copies for PK and Kinder students will be sent home that same afternoon. Additionally, 2nd grading quarter report cards will be posted to HAC on January 6th at 4:00 p.m.
Currently our staff is working diligently with our students to support academic success. Parents, thank you very much for actively participating in your child’s education. It has been wonderful to see many parents attending parent - teacher conferences. It's important that your child sees you being proactive and involved in their education. Our teachers truly appreciate your support and look forward to working closely with you this year.
As a reminder, we highly encourage our students to read daily for at least 15-20 minutes for primary grade levels and 30-50 minutes for our intermediate grade levels. Our Ott-some Librarian, Mrs. Molinar, allows our students unlimited books to be checked out. Please encourage your child to bring books home from our library to read! Parents are also welcome to check out books from our library as well. We also recommend visiting the following link after logging into the NISD Student Portal --> Elementary Digital Resources. Here families will find resources available to support reading, math and various academic subjects for their child from home.
Parents, please be cautious of students and parents walking to and from school while driving during the mornings and afternoons. Erratic driving can cause accidents and injuries. We understand heavy traffic is a concern, but please be patient. Student and parent safety is always a priority! Students should not be dropped off in the faculty parking lot at any time and should not be dropped off in the parking lot to cross the front driveway on their own. This is dangerous and can potentially lead to an accident. Please park your vehicle and cross your child or pull through the front driveway to drop off.
Please join us for this month’s PTA meeting on November 15th at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Kinder Turkey Tango performance at 6:30 p.m. You'll love seeing our Kinder turkeys in action and will want to make sure to bring a camera along to capture the moments. Thank you to all of our families for joining PTA. Your support is truly appreciated.
Thank you again parents for supporting Ott Elementary. Our staff is committed to all of our students’ success and we appreciate your continued assistance. I wish all of our students and families a joyous Thanksgiving this year. May your Thanksgiving be filled with peace, love and happiness. I hope our Trailblazers enjoy their time away from school to recoup from the busy past couple of months. Enjoy the time off with your family; please don’t forget students return back from the break on Monday, November 28th.
Make it an Ott-some few weeks Trailblazers! #GLOWatOtt #NISDIgnited
Principal Bueno
Thanksgiving Break Reading Challenge
October Wrap-Up
Online Tutoring Support - Thanksgiving Break
Toddler Storytime - Nov 30
Kids' Holiday Shop is Back! - Dec. 5 - 9, 2022
Please Support Ott Student Council 2022
November Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed for upcoming November events. Please use the sign-up links below if you're interested in lending a hand!
Nov. 11th - Veterans Day Breakfast/Ceremony: 7:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Volunteers are needed to help set up for the breakfast and ceremony in the gym, and serve breakfast.
Sign- Up Link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4BA4AF2FAAFBCF8-veterans
Nov. 16th - Teacher/Staff Thanksgiving Lunch: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Volunteers are needed for setting up food and serving the staff/ teacher the lunch.
Sign-Up Link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4BA4AF2FAAFBCF8-ottstaff
NISD Joins Global Giving Tuesday Campaign
From the Superintendent Dr. Woods
Attendance Matters
Northside continues to ask you to make your child's attendance a priority. Research shows that school attendance leads to future success and brings numerous benefits to students, including higher academic achievements.
Texas Education Code states that the students must be present in class 90% of the time in order to earn course credit or be promoted to the next grade level.
When students are tardy to school, they are missing valuable morning time with their class. Morning meetings begin promptly at 7:45 and this time allows for students to get ready for a successful day. We will begin recording tardies to school (arriving after 7:45 am).
As a reminder, not only do absences lead to learning loss, they can also lead to social-emotional deficiencies. We encourage all parents and students to make school attendance a top priority except for time when the student is sill. Be sure to send a note upon your student's return to school.
Fun Activities for Thanksgiving Break
From college and professional sports to winter wonderlands, the NISD Partnerships Office has you covered.
The San Antonio Spurs are celebrating their 50th anniversary this season and are hosting an Appreciation Night on Wednesday, Nov. 23, for school employees, friends, and family. Get your tickets here and enjoy exclusive pricing when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans.
The UTSA Roadrunner football team has become bowl eligible for the third consecutive season. The team's last home game is Saturday, Nov. 26 against UTEP. Buy tickets here. Birds up!
Get into the holiday spirit at Six Fags Fiesta Texas' Holiday in the Park and SeaWorld San Antonio's Christmas Celebration opening soon. Single-day tickets for each Park can be purchased over the phone by calling the NISD Partnerships Office at 210-397-8599. Six Flags single-day tickets are only $34 and SeaWorld single-day tickets are only $70.
The Home Access Center for Parents
The Home Access Center (HAC) allows parents to register students, complete data verification, access report cards, and track attendance.
(Your username is your email address and your password is the temporary password you received by email. You will be required to change it the first time you log in.)
2022-2023 Free & Reduced-Price Meal Information
Your child(ren) may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Households interested in the meal program must apply for the program every school year.
Click below to apply online!
Volunteer Background Check - Required
1) All volunteers must complete a background check form each school year. All information is deleted each year in May.
2) Background checks are completed online only. No paper forms are accepted.
3)Please contact the main office of your campus to find out if you are cleared to volunteer. All campus administrators (principals, vice-principals, assistant principals…etc.) have access to the cleared list.
4) It takes one to two weeks for the results of checks to be returned from the date of submission.
Background Check Link
Ott Attendance
Need Service Hours or Just Want to Help?
NISD hosts a Mega Food Bank distribution twice a month at Gus Stadium from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Volunteers are needed. If you are a high school club sponsor or a parent of a high school student needing service hours, this is a great opportunity for students to volunteer and give back to their community. Dates for upcoming Mega Food Bank distributions are: Nov. 18, and Dec. 2.
Volunteers may register here (at the top under Volunteer Job Location, select Gustafson Stadium.) The Food Bank also has some Saturday opportunities for students to earn NHS volunteer hours.
San Antonio Food Bank Workers Needed
The link is now open to register for the next San Antonio Food Bank mega distribution at Gus Stadium, scheduled for Nov. 10. Slots fill up quickly. Sign up here- https://freshtrak.com/register/event/127154.
These distributions are made possible through the help of many wonderful volunteers. Sign up to volunteer at https://safb.secure.force.com/jobcalendar.
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
Northside ISD has COVID-19 vaccine clinics for those that qualify. For qualification requirements, specific clinic details and registration, please visit the link below.
Stay Connected with NISD
While one-on-one communication is the best, in a district as large as Northside ISD it is sometimes difficult. Because we want our parents to stay informed, NISD has several ways that parents and other interested citizens can stay informed about the successes and challenges of San Antonio’s premier school district of choice, as well as find out news about their children’s schools.
Follow Ott on Social Media
Please don’t forget to stay connected by following and "Liking” Ott Elementary and Ott PTA on:
- Facebook @ottelementary and @OttElemPTA
- Twitter @NISDott and @ott_pta
- Instagram @nisd_ott and @ottelementarypta
Thank you to those who have joined us this year, we appreciate your support. We encourage everyone to follow us on these social media arenas. #GLOWatOtt #NISDIgnited
NISD Hiring Child Nutrition Workers
You must apply online at https://ess.nisd.net/ess/employmentopportunities/
NISD Hiring Custodians
Qualified candidates must be able to successfully complete a required physical exam, pre-employment criminal background check, fingerprinting requirements, and any required drug screening.
District benefits include a 40-hour work week; medical, dental, vision, and retirement benefits; paid holidays, uniforms provided, Custodial Learn and Earn Program to continue your education and earn extra pay; and a custodial referral program. For more information or application assistance, call 210-397-4707.
NISD Hiring Speech Language Pathologists
Visit nisd.net/careers for more information.
NISD Hiring Bus Drivers
Our students are going places – help get them there! Northside ISD is hosting a Job Fair next Thursday, Oct. 27 at Rhodes Transportation Station located at 12005 Leslie Rd. in Helotes from 9 am to noon. Join the NISD Family!
2022 - 2023 NISD Online Tutoring
Free Workshops for Parents: "Parenting in the Cyberworld" and more
RESOURCE: MY CHILD JUST RECEIVED A DIAGNOSIS, NOW WHAT?
2022-2023 Ott Elementary PTA
Ott WATCH D.O.G.S.
Thank You Mr. Lamm for Volunteering Your Time!
Ott Counselors Care
Important Dates
November is Military Family Month, National Gratitude Month, National Adoption Month, and Banana Pudding Lovers Month (yum!)
11/07
Children’s Book Week - Get Pumped About Reading - Wear Workout Gear
American Education Week
National School Psychology Week
Strings (5th gr) @ 3:15pm
11/08
Student Holiday/Staff Development
Election Day - voting in library
11/09
Picture Retake Day
Children’s Book Week - Snuggle Up w/a Book - Pajamas
Texas Cheer @ 3:05pm
Choir Rehearsal @ 3:15pm
Student Council @ 3:15pm
Kindness Club @ 3:15pm
11/10
Children’s Book Week - Book Character Parade @ 8am
Girls on the Run @ 3:15pm
Strings (5th gr) @ 3:15pm
Lego Robotics @ 3:15pm
11/11
Professional Dress for Veterans Day Ceremony/GLOW spirit shirt Friday
Veterans Day Ceremony
Children’s Book Week - Veterans Day Read Aloud
StuCo Store @ 7:15am
Strings (5th gr) @ 3:15pm
- Junior Scientist Club @ 3:05pm
- Girls on the Run @ 3:15pm
- Lego Robotics @ 3:15pm
- PTA General Meeting/Kinder Turkey Tango @ 6pm
- Texas Cheer @ 3:05pm
- Choir Rehearsal @ 3:15pm
- Girls on the Run @ 3:15pm
- Lego Robotics @ 3:15pm
- Strings @ 3:15pm
- Have a Great Thanksgiving Break!! (Nov 21-25)
Employee of the Month for Perfect Attendance - Mrs. Sotelo
#OttKiteDay
Cardboard Arcade Showcase
#Ott50thofDayofSchool
#OttMonsterMash2022
Socktober Success!
Thank you to everyone who donated socks for Socktober and congratulations to our TOP classes for all of their efforts. All donated socks will be delivered to the NISD Threads Clothing Closet for families in need.
TOP COLLECTORS:
2nd Grade: Mrs. Quay
4th Grade: Mrs. Marrufo