Bush Banner
July 17, 2020
A Message from Dr. Lambert
I hope this edition of the Bush Banner finds you and your family well. The teachers and staff at Bush are hard at work (virtually) making plans for the coming school year. In normal times, many of the decisions that need to be made for a school year are made by now. We would normally have dates for various events posted and classroom placements nearly finished. These are not normal times, and I thank you for your patience as we move toward the 2020-2021 school year.
Thank you, too, for the many emails we have received from our community sharing encouragement and support as we prepare for the start of school. I would like to say a particular thank you to the Bush Elementary PTO. That group, that represents so many of you, has had to adjust as well. From changes to Teddy Bear Tea, to the delivery of school supplies and spirit wear, and the coordination of the first teacher and staff appreciation lunch, the PTO has had to change with the changing conditions. Thank you for all of your support!
As you all know, the situation related to COVID-19 changes almost daily. I encourage to view the District's Roadmap to Reopening web page regularly. Also, please take some time to watch Dr. Null's most recent YouTube live presentation if you haven't had the chance. It is online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tsT1XxutiY.
As we get closer to the start of school, I want to share information on a few topics. More information will be forthcoming on these and other topics.
Meet the Teacher and Parent Information Nights
Meet the Teacher and Parent Information Night will be virtual events this year. We do not have specific information to share at this point, but we are working on additional details. For our incoming kindergarten families, please see the information later in the Banner about Teddy Bear Tea.
Class Placement
We would normally be very close to finishing class placement at this point in the summer. That is not the case this year. One of the main factors in determining class placement for the 2020-2021 school year is the number of families who choose on-campus and online instruction. Once we have this information, we can determine how many of our teachers will be teaching online and how many will be teaching students on campus.
Many of you have emailed thoughts about placement and specific teacher requests. Please know that we do not take requests for specific teachers at Bush. I greatly appreciate, though, information you share with me about your children. The more we know, the better able we are to make the best placement decisions.
For our Bobcats who choose on-campus instruction, please know that we anticipate delays in our arrival and dismissal processes. We are currently working on plans to meet the guidance provided by the State and the operational protocols being developing by the District. It is important for you to know that there will be changes to our arrival and dismissal procedures. This may include changes to the entrance and exit doors for some students, changes with regard to where where students are met by adults picking them up, changes to car rider line, and changes to the beginning time for dismissal. These details have not yet been finalized, and more information will be shared closer to the start of school.
These are unprecedented times—at least in our lifetimes. Your patience and good humor as we work to provide the safest and most engaging experience for our Bobcats is most appreciated.
Thank you to the many of you who continue to reach out. Thank you for your confidence in the teachers and staff at Bush. They are a truly remarkable group of people. We love your children, and we cannot wait to start the new school year with them—online or in person.
Take good care,
Dr. Jarod Lambert
Principal
Selecting an Instructional Format
If your child is currently registered at Bush, and you have an email on file, you should have received an email from the district registration system asking you to select in-person or online instruction as we begin the 2020-2021 school year. Please complete that selection process as soon as possible. The deadline for submission is July 28. Knowing everyone's selection as early as possible will allow us to finalize class placement and to determine how many teachers will be needed to teach our online classes.
If you did not receive an email regarding selection of online or traditional instruction for the 2020-2021 school year, please visit the Roadmap to Re-opening web site (link below) for additional information.
Teddy Bear Tea
As we continue to plan for the 2020-2021 school year, we are able to share some preliminary information regarding Teddy Bear Tea.
Teddy Bear Tea is our kindergarten meet the teacher event. It will be a virtual event this year, but will occur in real time. Once kindergarten class placements are finalized, teachers will email parents to provide information on accessing Teddy Bear Tea for their specific classes.
Teddy Bear Tea is currently scheduled for August 10, 2020 at 1:00. Teachers will create virtual meetings to introduce kindergarten to the our youngest Bobcats. There will also be an opportunity for teachers to meet briefly with individual families through videoconferencing.
We would like to thank the Bush Elementary PTO for its continued support of Teddy Bear Tea. Each year incoming kindergarten students receive a welcome package from the PTO. This year, in-person students will receive their packages on the first day of school. Our online kindergarten students will have their packets delivered to them by school staff.
Conroe ISD is offering both Traditional In-Person and Remote/Online Instruction. Both programs will follow Conroe ISD’s TEKS-based curriculum. Families will be asked to select one of these options when they complete their enrollment or information review in Enrollment Online (formerly known as InfoSnap). Should a family want to change their child’s selection, changes must be requested by midnight on July 28, 2020, by emailing or calling their child’s campus using the contact information at the top of the campus website. Changes to the selection can also be made at the end of the nine-week grading period.
Kindergarten Registration & New Student
If you have kindergarten age children or a new student who will be attending Bush next year, please register them. Kindergarten is always the most difficult grade for which to predict enrollment, and accurate numbers are helpful in the planning process for the coming school year.
To enter the Kindergarten program in Conroe ISD, a child must be five years old on or before September 1 of the current school year. Below is a list of documents that can be provided to establish identity and age for registration:
- birth certificate,
- passport
- school ID card
- military ID
- hospital birth record
- adoption record
- or other legal document that establishes identity
Should you have any questions please contact our Mrs. Hooker at bhooker@conroeisd.net she will be back in the building on July 22nd.
Please also encourage friends and neighbors with kindergarten age children who do not currently have children at Bush to complete the registration process.
Bush Elementary Summer Hours
Bush Familes:
Here are some books on managing worries for children. Many of these books are read online and may be found on YouTube.
How Big Are Your Worries Little Bear?
by Jayneen Sanders
Hey Warrior!
by Karen Young
The Huge Bag of Worries
by Virginia Ironside
When My Worries Get too Big
by Kari Dunn Buron
What to Do When You Worry Too Much
by Dawn Huebner
When Lions Roar
By Robbie H. Harris
The Worry Box
By Suzanne Chiew
Below are some books on resilience and perseverance for children.
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
By James Dean, Eric Litwin
The Most Magnificent Thing
By Ashley Spires
Salt in His Shoes
By Deloris Jordan & Roslyn M. Jordan
A Chair for My Mother
By Vera B. Williams
The Curious Garden
By Peter Brown
The Carrot Seed
By Ruth Krauss
Brave Irene
By William Steig
Please remember to check out my Counselor’s Corner on the Bush webpage for a list of community resources. https://bush.conroeisd.net/department/studentparent-resources/counselors-corner/
You can also find resources related to coronavirus online here. This page is updated as additional resources are identified.
Thank you and have a wonderful summer!
Mrs. McGhee
A Student Health Information Form should be completed online at the beginning of each school year. This form will give you an opportunity to list any medical conditions, allergies, medications and concerns you may have. It also includes emergency information for the clinic staff. This information is used to contact you or a person you designate if needed for your child. If a student has a medical emergency at school or a school-related activity when the parent cannot be reached, the school may have to rely on previously provided parental consent to obtain emergency medical treatment and information about allergies to medications, foods, insect bites, etc. Therefore, parents are asked each year to complete an emergency care consent form as part of the Student Health Information Form.
When your child is ill, please contact the school to let us know he or she won’t be attending that day. It is important to remember that schools must exclude students with certain illnesses for periods of time as identified in state rules. For example, if your child has a fever over 100 degrees, he or she must stay out of school until they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications.
In addition, students with diarrheal illnesses must stay home until they are diarrhea free without diarrhea-suppressing medications for at least 24 hours. Illness at school is evaluated by the health service staff in the clinic area. A child who demonstrates the following symptoms should be sent home from school.
- Fever of 100 degrees or more
- Suspected contagious condition or disease
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Severe stomachache, headache, or earache
- A child who is too ill to function in the classroom
Stay Healthy,
Nurse Cheryl Kirchner
936-709-1609
clkirchner@conroeisd.net
All SMS messages received from the Conroe ISD District Office and your child's campus will begin with "Conroe ISD:" and come from the subscribe code 67587. If you have not yet opted-in to receive SMS messages, you can do so at any time throughout the school year by texting "Y" to 67587.
This year's newest Bush Basics Gear ON SALE NOW!
A Few Yearbooks Are Still Available for $40
Forget to buy a yearbook? Email Rene at rene.murphy2010@gmail.com to buy a copy, first come, first serve.
If you already purchased a yearbook and were unable to pick up it up during distribution days in June, email Rene at rene.murphy2010@gmail.com to arrange pick up/delivery.
PTO Volunteer Opportunities for Next School Yea
Yearbook Assistant: Assist yearbook lead in organization, design, layout and distribution of yearbook.
Directory: Solicit advertisements from established contacts. Coordinate the layout of the directory and work with printer to publish (needs some excel experience)
Environmental - Flower Bed/Pots: Rresponsible for adding some color to our flower beds and the front of the school a few times a year.
If interested, please contact Caitlin Reeves at president@bushpto.com
Movie Night support team: This team creates a family movie night in January. This position can be done at any time day, night or weekends. You will be working under an experienced leader who will help you accomplish tasks. Commitment time is approximately 25 hours for the year plus 7 hours on the day on movie event.
If interested, please contact Nancy Sheely at nancysheely@gmail.com
PTO Feedback Survey
Please complete the survey found at the link below to provide your feedback about PTO.
Campus Information
Bush Elementary: A nurturing and inclusive community where students become empowered citizens and life-long learners. Every student, every day!
Our school hours are officially 8:00-3:10. Early morning programs (Movable Minutes, Art Club, Library and Tech Lab) open at 7:30 and students are allowed to move to classrooms at 7:48.
Email: bush@conroeisd.net
Website: http://bush.conroeisd.net/
Location: 7420 Crownridge Drive, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 936-709-1600
The Conroe Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding these non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator, 3205 W. Davis, Conroe, Texas 77304; (936)-709-7700 and the Section 504/ADA Coordinator, 3205 W. Davis, Conroe, Texas 77304; (936) 709-7670.