As we prepare for the Thanksgiving Holiday, I realize I am thankful for many things: time off to spend with my family, over 760 exemplary students, the incredible and supportive Bush “family”, and a hardworking and dedicated faculty and staff. I hope you enjoy spending time with your families. Please have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. I look forward to seeing everyone rested and ready to resume their excellent ways at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, November 29th.

Thanksgiving break allows for numerous learning opportunities. If you're going to do any cooking, have your child help you measure out ingredients. Take time to read to your child, listen to your child read aloud, or have your child read silently. Have your child write a story about the people in your house. All first - fifth grade students have access to Imagine Language/Literacy and Imagine Math for individualized, online learning. I'm challenging myself to read 2 books next week. Challenge your child to keep learning over the Thanksgiving break by taking part in a learning activity.

COVID-19 vaccines are now available for children ages 5-11. If you choose to vaccinate your child, please email a copy of the vaccination record card to dguider@houstonisd.org or send documentation to Nurse Guider so she can update your child's immunization record.

The Westside feeder pattern of HISD has opened food pantries at two of our neighboring elementary schools. If you are interested in visiting one of these food pantries, please see the dates, times and addresses of the two schools listed in the flyer below. You will need to sign in at the front offices of these schools and ask for their wraparound specialists.

If you would like to request GT testing for your child, please click on the link to the application below to request GT testing for your child. The parent portal is now up and running. The deadline to submit G/T applications is tomorrow, November 18, 2021. HISD and Bush Elementary have already tested all kindergarten and 5th graders who have not been previously identified as being GT through our Universal Screening Process. Kindergarten and 5th grade parents do NOT need to complete an application.

G/T Application

If you do not have access to a computer, please contact Ms. Ayala in the front office to have an application sent home.

If your child is absent from school, please make sure you send in a note explaining the absence date(s) and reason for the absence upon return to school. We will need this note even if you're at home quarantining or a Positive COVID-19 case. Please email your absence excuse note to the homeroom teacher and our registrar, Ms. Rosales at arosale3@houstonisd.org

If a note is not received within 3 days, then the absence is recorded as unexcused.

Houston weather is often unpredictable and we would like everyone to stay prepared for a sudden rain shower. Please make sure your students pack rain protection, i.e., umbrella, rain jackets, and/or poncho in their backpacks, especially if they are walkers!

Cooler temperatures are slowly making their way to Houston! We have many jackets in our lost and found waiting to be picked up by their rightful owners. Parents, please label your child/children's jackets/winter clothing so that we can return their lost jackets to their classrooms. Also, please remember that in school, students need to have dress code jackets in solid red, white or navy. Their outside jackets worn for recess do not need to be in dress code colors, they can be any color.

Please plan to pick up your walkers before 3:15. Our students are dismissed at 3:00 and our walker line has been finishing before 3:10 on most days. If you arrive after 3:15, please come to the front office to sign your child out as a late pick up.

Please abide by the No Parking signs on the streets around our school and our neighboring schools. Several parents have received parking tickets from HPD in the past because they were parking in a No Parking zone. When cars park in No Parking zones, it is difficult for our busses and vans to turn into our bus lane.

We're asking for the parents of walkers that park their cars on the other side of Westerloch across from the school to NOT u-turn by the carpool lane entrance once they've picked up their child(ren) and are heading home.

We have seen many students and some parents walking across the street not using the crosswalks. Parents, this is extremely dangerous and we ask that all walkers and bike riders use the crosswalks. Westerloch Dr. and Parkway Plaza Dr. are very busy streets during morning arrival and dismissal. If you cross between parked cars, ongoing traffic cannot see you.

We are so happy to see so many of our students riding their bikes to school now that the weather has gotten nicer. Please remember that all students are required to wear a bicycle helmet when riding their bikes to and from school. We want to keep all of our Bobcats safe.

On September 10, HISD School Choice opened up the system to apply for the PK lottery for next school year. The Bush PK program is only for families that are already enrolled at Bush Elementary and have another child who will be 4 on or before September 1, 2022. Students must meet PK eligibility requirements such as being economically disadvantaged or qualifying as English as a Second Language.

The site will accept applications from September 10, 2021 - March 10, 2022. Families will be notified by HISD School Choice on April 7, 2022 if their child was accepted into Bush Elementary's PK program or if their child is on the waitlist. Go to HISDChoice.com to apply. Bush Elementary's PK program is only one class with 22 students that must be comprised of siblings of currently enrolled Bush students. The only way to apply for and be part of the lottery for Bush Elementary's PK program is to apply online at the address shared above.

Safety continues to be our top priority, and while we love our furry visitors, we ask that you keep them at home during arrival and dismissal. We have several students, faculty and staff members who are allergic to dogs and cats and students who are very afraid of dogs. Please keep them at home.

Throughout the school year, this section of the newsletter will highlight key points from the Bush Parent Handbook. School begins at 7:30 a.m. Students arriving after 7:40 a.m. are tardy. Students arriving after 9:00 a.m., without a doctor's excuse, are marked absent.

Please do not plan to pick up your child after 2:30 p.m. from the office. To ensure a safe dismissal, students will not be called to the office to be picked up after 2:30 p.m. Thank you for helping to make dismissal safe for all our students.

Help your child celebrate their birthday and support the library and other programs that enhance the educational experience of Bush students by joining the Birthday Book Club.

Your child will be given a personal "Happy Birthday" greeting during the morning announcements and Paw Prints shout out from Ms. Rose! The donation will be recognized with a nameplate in a new book from the library. A group photo of all the other BBC members with the same birth month will also be displayed in the library display case.

It only costs $20 for a Birthday Book Club Membership (Add Electronic Marquee display for $10 more). Please visit www.BBEPTO.com for more details or to make your purchase.

Enrollment Schedule:

February – July Birthdays: Enroll during January/May

As many of you are aware, there are supply chain and shipping issues across the country right now. The school has limits as to where they can purchase from and because of this, right now the school is running very low on a few items. If you have the means to donate paper (20 lb. weight, white printer paper) I’m sure the teachers and staff would appreciate it. If it is easier for you to shop online, the PTO has created a wishlist that you may purchase from and it will be shipped directly to the school. The front office will distribute it as needed. There are a few other items needed on the wishlist- these items are very specific. You can find the wishlist here.

If you would like to join our Business Partnerships, Fundraising or Safety team, we would love to have you! Our Business Partnerships work with local businesses on Spirit Events and donations or sponsorships for our events. The Fundraising team will coordinate the Spring Fundraiser/30th Anniversary event. The Safety team will help keep the roads, sidewalks, and families safe during drop off and dismissal. We also have several committees in need of help such as the School Store and Library. If you are interested please fill out this form. Also make sure you are approved through HISD’s VIPS Program- everyone MUST be approved through HISD before they are allowed to volunteer in the school. VIPS APPLICATION

Did you know teachers spend hundreds of dollars each year using their own money to buy things for their classrooms and our children? The PTO helps by reimbursing expenses up to $300, but teachers usually spend much more than this. Consider helping to offset some of these costs by purchasing items from teachers’ wishlists. Check out teacher wishlists here. If your teacher does not have one listed, ask the room parent if they have received one.

School Store On The Go will be open this Friday, November 19 during lunch times. If you have any unused tickets from Movie Night, you may use these tickets at School Store On The Go.

The Houston Independent School District is closely monitoring COVID-19 pandemic and is in contact with the Centers for Disease Control, Texas Department of State Health Services and Houston Health Department to ensure all students and staff members are safe and updated with the latest information. For more information please visit, https://www.houstonisd.org/healthalerts

HISD's COVID-19 protocol has been updated in regards to terminology use and reporting. At all HISD campuses, this means that when there is a positive case in your child's homeroom class you will be notified in writing by the principal. The message you will receive is below. Please note that this message will be sent after the nurse has worked to identify close contacts, and, is simply for notification and does not require further action (i.e. quarantine). I want to thank you all for your diligence in ensuring that students are wearing their masks and that we are all remaining healthy.

Sample Message: This message is to inform you that an individual in your child's homeroom has reported testing positive for COVID-19. Your child has not been identified as a close contact and there is no action required of you at this time. This notification is for your awareness only. Due to privacy requirements, we cannot release the name of the COVID-positive individual or details that may identify them; however, it is important for you to know this individual is self- isolating until they are cleared to return to our campus. As a reminder, HISD has health and safety protocols in place to help prevent the spread of illness. We are asking our staff and families to do their part by adhering to these protocols, and not reporting to their worksite or sending their student(s) to school when they are ill. We appreciate your continued support as we work together to ensure the safety of our students and staff.