Bransford Blast
September 5, 2016
Safety First
Thank you, family members, for being wonderful role models of safety while at Bransford. We appreciate you for taking part in safety drills, if you are on campus during one. Thank you for refraining from using your cell phone for any purpose while in the school zone, this includes the parking lots. Thank you for your patience with drop off and dismissal as we ensure all of our Texans are unloaded and loaded safely.
We thank you for putting safety first as we continue to build an excellent school together!
Celebrations
- We hope you each enjoyed a fun and relaxing three day weekend!
- Wonderful turnout at our annual Dad's Club breakfast on Friday morning! If you were unable to attend and would like more information about how to get involved with our Dad's Club, please let us know and we will get you in communication with our Dad's Club president!
- Thank you for attending BES information night on Thursday! It was a wonderful event that provided lots of information specific to grade-levels and classrooms. If you were unable to attend, check with your Texan's teacher to see what you missed.
- We broke the Menchie's school fundraising record on Tuesday for the most attendance! Thank you for stopping over for some delicious frozen yogurt while supporting Bransford. Check out other upcoming spirit events listed further below in this newsletter!
Yearly Volunteer Requirements
In order to volunteer at BES this year in classrooms, during school-wide event, or as a field trip chaperone, please review the new volunteer handbook and complete the required background check. Thank you for understanding that this process must be repeated each school year. Now is a good time to complete this process and encourage all family members who might want to volunteer to complete it, too. For the protection of students and staff, all volunteer applicants must read the Volunteer Handbook and complete the online form authorizing the district to obtain a criminal history background check.
Literacy Symposium
Bransford PTA
- Join PTA: Please log on to Joinpta.org. 1.) Select Grapevine Colleyville ISD 2.) Select Bransford Elementary 3.) Pay membership dues. Becoming a member of the BES PTA is the best way to support our school, and this year we made it even easier! Every Bransford family who has at least one PTA membership will receive a Bransford paper directory and online access to our digital directory. Check out Bransfordpta.com to keep you up to date on all the fun things happening at our school.
- Website: Check out Bransfordpta.com to keep you up to date on all the fun things happening at our school.
- Watch DOGS: Watch DOGS will host an orientation meting on Saturday, September 17 at 4:00 p.m. at BES.
- Garden Club: Garden Club starts NEXT week! Students in grades 1-5 will meet in the garden with Mrs. Hickson.
- Laps for Learning: Excitement is building for the annual Laps for Learning event! Save the date for the Laps pep rally on Friday, September 16. Get your sneakers ready for Laps for Learning on Friday, September 30. We will all be walking, jogging, and cheering on our terrific Texans as we raise funds for our campus.
- CELEBRATION: 100% of staff joined PTA!!!!
School Hours
- School starts at 7:40 a.m. each morning.
- Students are dismissed starting at 2:55 p.m.
BES Spirit Events
- Spring Creek BBQ on September 20 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Snuffer's on October 3 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Kendra Scott on October 20 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Garden Club
Students grades 1-5 are invited to join the garden club. We will meet at 7 am on the first Wednesdays of the month: September 7th, October 5th, and November 2nd.
Students will learn about plants while helping weed, fertilize, plant and finally harvesting the fruits of their labors in the school garden. This fall we will try our hands at growing lettuce, radishes, and marigolds.
If you have any questions or would be interested in volunteering in the Bransford garden please contact: Andrea Hickson at andreahickson@sbcglobal.net
Device Agreement
We wanted to make you aware of the new GCISD Device Agreement for 2016-2017. Every parent needs to sign the Parent Device Agreement and pay a one-time elementary fee of $50 regardless of whether their student will take home their iPad. Even if a student is not taking the device home, parents still must sign the agreement and pay the $50.
If you did not complete the Device Agreements at meet the teacher night, you can pick one up in the front office or sign it at BES information night on Thursday, September 1. A link to the Device Agreement is provided below.
BES Goals 2016-2017
We are now 5 years into our district strategic plan, LEAD 2021. As we as a campus continue to strive towards meeting the objectives set forth in LEAD 2021, we set goals for ourselves and our students. Below, please find the overarching goals we have for Bransford for the 2016-2017 school year to assist in our journey towards reaching the goals outlined in LEAD 2021. We will continue to talk about and update you on our progress towards these goals throughout the school year.
Creating a positive welcoming environment for our students and staff where risk taking is encouraged and embraced
Using student voice to influence decisions in our classrooms, hallways, and building
Using the Units of Study in each grade level to create a systematic approach to writing
Starting CORE visits to learn from the experts on our staff
Taking time to build relationships with staff, students, and families
Celebrating the GCISD reading challenge with our students and staff
Use the new Learning Platform Rubric and T-TESS with staff to assist us in our growth toward a learning platform
Develop students and staff who are skilled problem solvers, collaborative workers, effective communicators, global citizens, and self-regulated learners
Dismissal Procedures
Student safety is our top priority. Thank you for your patience and understanding during dismissal.
Please call the front office, 817-305-4920, by 2:00 p.m. if there is a change in how your student(s) will go home.
Students leaving early for the day will need to be signed out by 2:30 p.m.
Dismissal begins at 2:55 p.m. with students exiting their classrooms.
Bus and Day Care Vans
Meet in the cafeteria and walk out to the back bus lane.
The back drive is only for buses, day care vans, and Pre-K. Thank you for not parking or driving through the bus lane.
Walkers and Bike Riders
Meet in the cafeteria and walk out to the crosswalk and bike rack together.
Pre-K
- All pre-k students will be dismissed in the bus lane beginning at 3:00 p.m. once the buses have left Bransford.
- Thank you for staying in your vehicles until the buses have departed campus.
- Older siblings will meet pre-k students in the caferia to be dismissed together.
Car Riders
1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade car riders will sit by grade-level outside the main entrance of BES.
Kinder and 2nd grade car riders will wait inside their hallways during dismissal.
Cars are to use the entrance on Bransford Road and form two lanes once they enter the parking lot. Cars are not allowed in the pick-up line before 2:35 pm. If you arrive before 2:35 p.m., please park in the parking lot.
If you choose to park, please walk to meet your child at their designated dismissal spot. Students will not be walking to the parking lot by themselves.
Thank you for modeling safety for our students by using the crosswalk.
Cars pull up all the way to allow for loading of multiple cars at once.
Display the car tag sign in the front window with student name(s) and grade level(s). If you did not receive a car tag at meet the teacher, please let us know.
Any person picking up a child without a car tag sign will have to park and walk to pick up their student(s)
Staff will call the names displayed on your car tag(s) to inform students of where to meet their ride.
Cars exit on Glade Road. If you are in the right lane, you will exit right. If you are in the left lane, you will exit left. Thank you for not switching lanes in the front drive.
Thank you for refraining from utilizing your cell phones in the school zone.
If you arrive after 3:05 p.m., you must park and sign your child out from KidzU.
Dates to Know
- September 5: Labor Day Holiday
- September 8: Picture Day
- September 9: BES Spirit Day ~ Wear a Bransford shirt or red, white, and blue
- September 15: Dot Day & PTA Meeting 6:30 p.m.
- September 16: Laps for Learning Pep Rally & BES Spirit Day
- September 20: Spring Creek BBQ Spirit Night
- September 23: BES Spirit Day
- September 28: Talk with Texans 12:00 p.m.
- September 30: Laps for Learning
- October 3: CEC 3:10 p.m. & Snuffer's Spirit Night
- October 6: GT LEAD Curriculum Night
- October 10: Student Holiday/Staff Professional Learning
- October 14: End of 1st 9 Weeks & Dad's Club Movie Night
- October 20: BES Spirit Night at Kendra Scott
Bransford Elementary
Email: jamie.halliburton@gcisd.net
Website: http://www.gcisd-k12.org/Domain/1354
Location: 601 Glade Road, Colleyville, TX, United States
Phone: 8173054920
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bransford-Elementary-School-353295401423635/
Twitter: @BESTexans