Boone Bear Facts
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Remember, No School on Monday, September 23rd!
Notes from the Principal
As September rolls through and October looms, I wanted to yet again thank all of you for the great start to this school year. It has been an exciting, hectic and fun first few weeks. I am so looking forward to the cooler weather of Fall and the joy that the Fall season brings.
A big thanks to all of you who were able to attend our Back to School Nights. We had a wonderful turnout. It is always great to see the tremendous parent involvement at these events. Educating a child is a community effort. Your continued support and involvement in our school will only make us stronger.
Parent Coffee set for October 4th at 8:00 am
Please join us for our first Parent Coffee of the year. It will be held Friday, October 4th, in the Library from 8 – 9am. Our main topic will be the proposed Boundary Changes and how the School Change Scenarios that were recently sent out by the district could potentially effect the Boone community. We will also be discussing the Gifted and Talented identification process and timeline.
No Morning Parking in the Staff Parking Lot
Please remember that the large side parking lot is closed to family use during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal times. The side parking lot is for staff parking. This is not a safe area for children during these times each day. We need to limit the use of this area in order to keep our children safe. There are a lot of moving pieces going on and about the school during arrival and dismissal. Children, parents, teachers, staff, dogs, cars, scooters, bicycles are all vying for space. Safety of the children must always be our primary concern.
Your help in not using the side lot during arrival and dismissal time is greatly appreciated and is just another way that we can make Boone safe for our children.
First Boone Garden Workday!
Boone will have their first garden workday of the year on Saturday, September 28th from 9am-12pm. We are partnering with volunteers from St. Edward's University to get our outdoor spaces ready for the PEAS programming that will be implemented school-wide. Check-in with us at the vegetable gardens by the track. (Located at the back of the school.) Refreshments and snacks will be provided, so bring your family and enjoy a wonderful day of service at our school!
Boone Family Campout - Pedernales Falls State Park, October 25-27, 2019
Join Boone Elementary families for a weekend camping trip at spectacular Pedernales Falls State Park. We'll have guided hikes day and night, fishing, stargazing, a potluck dinner, s'mores around the campfire, Trick or Treating in the campground and much more! Families in Nature and Texas Outdoor Family will provide camping gear to borrow. All This camping trip is free and open to all Boone families, but space is limited. All campers of all abilities are welcome!
If you would like to join us please fill out the form online. https://tinyurl.com/y4w4w4k5
Crawford's Connection
It is hard to believe that September is coming to a close very soon. As we close out this month, teachers are working hard to find out everything they can about each of their students. Finding out your child's strengths and areas of growth will help them provide the most effective instruction they will need to become successful learners. Our first conference day of the year will be Monday, October 14th and this will be a great time to find out how your child's year is getting started. We look forward to seeing you!
As we fall into Autumn, I hope everyone finds some favorite books to fall into, too! One of my favorite children's authors is Patricia Polacco. She writes and illustrates some of the most beautiful stories. One of her quotes I think of often at the beginning of the school year is, "All children have gifts, some open them at different times." This rings true here at Boone Elementary, and we can't wait to see all our students bloom this year!
We strive every day to provide a safe, comfortable, and engaging learning environment for all our Boone Bears. My door is always open if you have questions or concerns about anything. Know you all are a valued partner in our school community, and we appreciate you all very much.
Take care!
Kristy Crawford, Asst. Principal
kristy.crawford@austinisd.org, 512-414-5310
Boone Eco-Club
Eco-Club is starting again this year and it will be bigger and better than ever! We have prepared some lessons to help students deepen their knowledge about the environment and we have some fun events planned too! Information forms titled, Calling all Scientists were sent home in last week's Thursday folders. If you are interested, fill out the green half-sheet and send it in. We would love to have parent volunteers help with classes as well! Please make sure all necessary volunteer documentation has been completed before hand. For more information, please contact me at: jennifer.sladek@austinisd.org or rosalie.patel@austinisd.org
Continue reading below to learn more about this program:
ECO-ACTION Team
Our vision is to create a space where students, teachers, parents, and community can come together to educate, take action and raise awareness about our environmental impact. Our Eco-Action team will consist of: students, parents, teachers, and community members.
Eco-Club
Our school is creating an Eco-Club at Boone Elementary! We are partnering with the National Wildlife Federation to become a Green Flag Eco-School. We currently are at a Bronze Award Level, and are working to complete three pathways to reach our goal. Our focus this year will be on energy, biodiversity, and schoolyard habitats. This club will be open to students from Kinder through 5th Grade and meetings will take place after school. (Students 3rd grade and under need to be accompanied by an adult.) Meetings will be held once a month on Wednesdays. Our first meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 25th from 3-4:30 p.m in Room E7. If your child is attending, please make arrangements to pick them up outside of school at this time or indicate if they will be walking/riding home.
Counselor's Corner
K-2 Classroom Lessons
K-2 is learning and reviewing Kelso's Choices. We are talking about the difference between "small" and "big" problems. Students are learning simple choices that empower them to solve their own small problems.
I’ve included a copy of Kelso’s Choices (see image below) for you to review and use at home if you think it would be helpful. The idea is that when children are having a small problem, the ones that can be frustrating and take up a chunk of your time (tattling, not sharing, etc.) you can refer them to the wheel and pick 2 choices, two ways of handling the problem. The big problems involving danger, physical violence, bullying, etc. are always taken to an adult. Kelso’s Choice believes that all children are capable of becoming peacemakers. It empowers children to be responsible for their behavior. It reduces tattling through a proactive, preventative approach that keeps small problems from escalating.
Interested in mentoring a Boone student?
We are in need of mentors for our students. This requires a once a week commitment during their lunch time throughout the school year. If you’re interested, please contact me at Nicole.lozo@austinisd.org or 512-841-5376.
Reminder GT/Talent Explore Nominations Deadline
Students in 3rd-5th grade are eligible to be screened for Gifted and Talented (GT) and Talent Explore (TE) in Austin ISD through a nomination and screening process. All campuses in Austin ISD provide screening, identification, and services for Gifted and Talented students. Additionally, students screened for Gifted and Talented who are not identified for GT services are automatically considered for Talent Explore. Talent Explore identification is for high ability students who do not qualify for Gifted and Talented but demonstrate potential to perform at high levels when grouped with Gifted and Talented students. Students may be identified through the screening process in one or more of the following areas:
- GT STEM (science and mathematics),
- GT Humanities (language arts and social studies),
- Talent Explore STEM (science and mathematics), or
- Talent Explore Humanities (language arts and social studies).
If you would like to nominate your child for the gifted and talented program, please email or turn in the Elementary Parent Nomination Form & Survey to the school counselor or your child’s teacher by Friday, September 20.
The Elementary Parent Nomination Form & Survey can be found on AISD’s Gifted and Talented Program website. Copies are also available in the main office.
https://www.austinisd.org/advanced-academics/gifted
PTA News
Mark Your Calendars
Tue Sept. 24: Spirit Night at Bush's Chicken, 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Thu Sept. 26: Room Parents Blast Off Meeting, 7:50 am
Thu Sept. 26: General Meeting, 5:30 pm + Family Night/Dance Party, 6:30 pm
Fri Oct. 11: Box Tops & Dimes Collection due
Sat Oct.19: Fall Carnival, 4-8pm
First General Meeting, Thursday Sept. 26 at 5:30 pm in the Boone Cafeteria
Please join us for the first General Meeting of the 2019-2020 school year! Your voice within the Boone PTA is important in lifting the school community to our greatest potential. We'll talk about updates and plans for the year, budget amendments for student enrichment, updates from the treasurer, and school upgrades. We need to hear from YOU to better serve the community.
Following the meeting, stay for FAMILY NIGHT! Rockin’ Through the Ages dance party will include music from the ’50s through the present day. Teachers, parents, and students are encouraged to wear costumes from their favorite decades. Our dance party will be from 6:30 -7:30 pm. There will be pizza, a costume contest, and of course, quality time!
Box Tops & Dime Collection
We are still collecting Box Tops and Dimes! We have about 3 weeks left in our first collection drive of the year, which ends October 11! If you do not have Box Tops, you can send in dimes. Dimes and Box Tops can be attached to a collection sheet or put in ziploc baggies. Please remember expiration dates on Clippable Box Tops must be clearly legible and expired Box Tops can't be accepted. Thanks to everyone that has already turned in Box Tops or dimes. Y'all are doing a great job!
The top 3 earning classes will win a Popsicle party. Current classes in the lead: McCarter, Johnson, and Pacheco. Keep sending in those Box Tops & Dimes!
Room Parent Blast Off Meeting
Calling all interested room parents! Please plan to attend our room parents welcome breakfast on Thursday September 26, at 7:50 am in M2. We will discuss what to expect as a room parent and the activities and duties of volunteers. Room parents, co-room parents, occasional volunteers and all others interested are invited to attend.
Coffee and bagels will be provided! If you have signed up as a room parent, expect to see an email from Meghan Patterson, our room parent coordinator, with more information. If you are unable to attend on Thursday, please send an email to
PTA Membership
A big thank you to all of our Boone Teachers, Staff and Families for helping the Boone PTA meet our membership goal for the year! If you have not already signed up, you can do so at any time during the school year by visiting the Boone SquareUp store at https://squareup.com/store/BoonePTA. The more members that we have sign up, the more Texas PTA Membership Awards we become eligible for!
Fall Carnival
It's that time of the year to celebrate the fall season. On Saturday, October 19, 2019 from 4p-8p, Boone Elementary will be having our annual carnival. This is a big fundraising event for our school to help support the students at our school. We would love for you to come and join us.
We are asking local businesses and community members to participate in a trick-or-treat for our Boone Bear Cubs and sponsor our school by passing out candy and/or other treats (stickers, pencils, etc.). If you are able to participate, please contact Crystal Brothwell Hernandez president@boonepta.com.
We will also need VOLUNTEERS for the Fall Carnival!
- Help us construct an epic Haunted House!
- Do you have a tractor and trailer we could borrow for the hay ride?
- Of course, we'll need lots of help with set up, break down, and helping to man the games!
Presales for wristbands will start Monday, September 30 through Wednesday, October 16. Hope to see you there.
Back the Future
The Austin Council PTA is hosting this FREE event to get resources for families and PTA from businesses that help schools,Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 am to 1 pm at the AISD Performing Arts Center. Please see the flyer below.
Math Pentathlon Club Registration is Open!
Does your child like board games? In Math Pentathlon Club, you can play fun games made for players of any math level and develop your math skills!
Math Pentathlon uses problem-solving games to make math enjoyable for all! It is a highly motivational way for students to gain math fluency in computational, spatial and logical reasoning. It strengthens basic math concepts and skills, and stimulates creative thinking while developing their problem-solving abilities. But most importantly, it’s FUN!
Boone Math Pentathlon will meet weekly after school on Tuesdays, beginning October 8th. Meetings are from 3:00 -4:00pm for grades K-1, 3:00-4:15pm for grades 2-5. It is a parent run club, so parents are required to volunteer at a set number of practices per semester. Parent involvement is crucial to the success of this program!
Register at this link: https://forms.gle/bAUNHH1uMiMWCeHf9 or contact boonempclub@gmail.com for more information. Spaces are limited, please register soon. We are accepting applications until Friday September 27th. We cannot accept applications after that date. Registration by cash or check: $50 per student or $80 per family for the year.
Make checks payable to Crystal Brothwell-Hernandez. Forms and registration fees can be dropped off in the Math Pentathlon envelope in the school office.
Calendar of Events
Sept 23 - Student Holiday
Sept 24 - Spirit Night at Bush's Chicken 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Sept 27 - 4th Grade to Bob Bullock Museum 9:00 - 1:30
Sept 28 - Garden Workday 9:00 - 12:00
Oct 1 - Klataske & Benavides to Science Center 9:00 - 12:30
Oct 2 - McCarter & Wardlaw to Science Center 9:00 - 12:30
Oct 3 - 2nd Grade Musical 5:00 - 5:30 p.m.
Oct 4 - 2nd Grade Musical 7:45 - 8:15 a.m.
Oct 5 - Sharp Fitness Family Workout - 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.