Bush Elementary is celebrating college and career awareness week from January 23 - 27. Students will learn about different colleges and universities and the type of programs that can be studied. Students will create a pennant for a college they're interested in attending and share their future career aspiration. The pennants will be displayed in the hallways. On Friday, January 27, students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to wear their college shirt, a college shirt someone in their family attended, or a shirt from a university that interests them.

Please make sure your child is following Bush Elementary's dress code guidelines. Bush Elementary's colors are red, navy, and white. Khaki pants, shorts, and skirts may also be worn. If a jacket, sweater, or sweatshirt are worn in the building throughout the day, then those items must follow dress code.

Please contact our Wrap Around Specialist, Maria Quevedo, if you're in need of dress code items. maria.quevedo@houstonisd.org

All classes will have a class picture taken on this day and this picture can be purchased using the link above.

Only students who have an individual picture preorder will be individually photographed on this day.

A letter with more detailed information about Picture Day will be sent home on January 18. Students will be in dress code on this day.

We are planning a big party to celebrate every student who has perfect attendance for the fourth six-week marking period! Students will be invited to this party if they are at school every day between Monday, January 9th through Friday, February 24th. Let’s see how many Bush Bobcats we will have at our party! It is so important to be at school each and every day and we want to recognize our students who come to school every day and have perfect attendance.

HISD runs all pre-kindergarten lotteries through their School Choice site on the HISD portal at https://www.houstonisd.org/Page/177890

Parents are able to submit applications online for their child to attend PK at Bush Elementary through February 2, 2023. Parents will be notified if their child received a place in the lottery on April 5, 2023. Then, if the space is accepted, the student needs to be tested and paperwork checked to ensure the student qualifies for pre-kindergarten. Applications are only completed online and the Bush front office does not have any part in the PK lottery application process.

The pre-kindergarten program at Bush Elementary consists of one class of 22 students. Students must qualify for the program via a variety of means such as Limited English and Economically Disadvantaged. Students must also be 4 years old on or before September 1, 2023.

Lottery priority is given to siblings of students currently enrolled at Bush Elementary. Next, the students living in our school zone will be included in the lottery. Due to the limited space in our pre-kindergarten program, we are unable to have any students out of our school zone apply. Those applications will be removed from the Bush Elementary PK lottery.

We will be conducting GT testing beginning this week for first through fifth graders whose parents have turned in an application.

The GT testing window this year runs from January 10th – February 11th. Students will be taking an abilities test and academic tests over several days. All testing will be on paper this year and will be administered during the school day. Results of this testing will be sent home sometime in late spring. If your child qualifies for the GT program, they will be placed in a GT homeroom for next school year.

All kindergarteners were tested for GT in November.

22-23 GT APPLICATION

HISD is doing on-campus COVID testing for faculty, staff, and students.

Our testing dates and times are:

Monday, January 23 at 9:00

Pre-registration is required.

Complete the consent process by visiting this website: www.houstonisd.org/COVIDTesting

Here’s HISD’s information.

Our goal at Houston Independent School District is to foster a caring, joyful, and challenging learning experience for every student, every day. That’s why your school is providing free COVID-19 testing to all students in partnership with the Houston Health Department Testing is completely voluntary and requires parent/guardian consent first. You can be confident our school is safe, and free COVID-19 testing adds another layer of protection to our safety strategy. Free testing puts our student’s health first, it allows us to maximize learning in school and promotes equity by ensuring every student has access to testing if they want it and if you, as their parent/guardian, provide consent.

● Who will be tested? We will offer testing to everyone who consents - all students and staff - even if they don’t have symptoms of COVID-19.

● How is the testing done? The COVID-19 testing is free, quick, and easy. Trained medical professionals will conduct testing with a short, shallow nasal swab.

● Where and when is the testing done? Our school’s testing site will be in a room or area large enough to accommodate an organized flow to testers in and out of the space. Testing will take place every two weeks. Test results will be available within 24-48 hours.

● How can I be sure that my student’s information will be protected? Sharing of information about your student will only be done for public health purposes and in accordance with applicable law and policies protecting student privacy and the security of your student’s data. We are asking you to:

● Learn more about testing at www.HoustonISD.org/COVIDTestingFAQ

● Complete the consent process by visiting this website: www.houstonisd.org/COVIDTesting

Labels help us categorize, arrange, identify, and find things. Applying labels to objects is quite useful. It’s less so when we use them to describe people. It's easy to label our children – stubborn, shy, lazy, messy, picky, bossy, sensitive, wild, demanding, loud, weird, slow, etc. – as if these traits are who they are. We know our children are so much more than those labels.

Unfortunately, even if we don't label our children, others will. And most labels do more damage than good. Labels become your idea about that whole person (or yourself).

Sometimes if we experience one act, we tend to label someone based on one indiscretion, but it does not define who they are. We must dive a little deeper into our own habits of using labels. Awareness is the first step. We must notice when we use labels, observe without judgement, and know that we are all perfectly imperfect!

It encourages children to think about how they've been labeled in the past and reframe those labels with more empowering statements.

For example, this project guides a child who has been labeled as "quiet" to reframe that label with the positive statement, "I choose my words with care."

This self-portrait craft is a powerful mindset-changing art project for a small group, classroom, or even the whole family. Check it out.😍👇

This week's Printable: Reframing Labels: Self-Portrait Flip Art

By Big Life Journal

The Spectacular Science Word for the week of January 16 is motion.

Ms. Rose would like to wish a very special birthday to:

Julia A. who turned 9 years old on January 22 and is a third grader in Ms. Baber's class.

Joy K. who turned 8 years old on January 19 and is a second grader in Ms. Carlin's class.

Happy Birthday and Welcome to the Bush Birthday Book Club!

West Briar Middle School is offering campus tours for interested parents and guardians on the following dates:

February 21st at 10am

No registration is required; please check in at the front office.

The PTO now has a new website! The URL is still the same: www.BBEpto.com. This website has a lot more to offer and it is where you will go to purchase school supplies, uniforms, event tickets and everything else! There is also an online Directory available to dues-paying PTO members. Each family will need to make an account on the site in order to purchase items, but this does not mean that you are required to become a PTO member. For more details on how to create an account, go to our homepage at www.BBEpto.com

How do you spell fun? B-I-N-G-O!

Bring your family and friends to the 2023 BUSH BINGO BASH on

Saturday, February 11th, 2:00-5:00pm (doors open at 1:30pm).

Join us for an afternoon of BINGO fun! Come win some fantastic prizes, like a STEM basket, Lego basket, Spa basket and much more! Also enjoy a photo booth, face painting, and delicious concessions all while raising funds for our Barbara Bush Elementary School PTO.

BY STATE LAW, ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN TO ATTEND BINGO BASH.

Pre-purchase your tickets on our brand new website and receive bonus tickets!

www.bbepto.com

Package #1: Buy 10 tickets/ get 1 ticket free!

Package #2: Buy 20 tickets/ get 3 tickets free!

$1/ticket: Tickets can be used to buy bingo cards ($2/card), food & drinks (1-5 tickets), and other entertainment (2-4 tickets)

Mark your calendar for a Spirit Night at iCode on Memorial on Friday, January 27th from 6:00 to 9:00pm! Your kids will have a blast playing their favorite games with friends in their decked-out gaming hub– they have Minecraft, Roblox, Vex Robotics, Drones, and VR! All students in grades 1 through 5 are welcome (no need to be currently enrolled in iCode).

CLICK HERE to sign up!

Cost is $35 per child – includes pizza and drinks,

and 40% of the event proceeds will benefit the BBE PTO

We are beginning our preparations to fill positions for the 2023-2024 BBE PTO Board, and our first step is to put together a Nominating Committee whose function will be to review eligible nominee applications and prepare a slate of nominees for next year’s PTO Board. The Nominating Committee is composed of General Members of the PTO, PTO Board members, and BBE administration. Members of the Nominating Committee are not barred from being nominees themselves, though they are required to recuse themselves from any discussion and voting for any positions for which they are nominees.

If you would like to join the Nominating Committee, please fill out this form on or before February 8th. Thank you for your interest!

School Store On the Go will Resume this week, Friday, January 20th. We will be combining the grades so the students have more opportunities to participate. See below for the schedule.

Prices range from $0.10- $5. Please help teach your child how to be responsible with their money and to also be kind to students who did not bring money.

1/20 - 4th and 5th Grades

1/27 - 2nd and 3rd Grades

2/3 - 1st Grade, Kinder, and Pre-K

2/10 - 4th and 5th Grades

2/17 - 2nd and 3rd Grades

3/3 - 1st Grade, Kinder, and Pre-K

The School Store has a new product for PRE-ORDER. Crew neck sweatshirts with a small paw logo on the upper left side will be $25, and will be available in red or navy in both youth and adult sizes. Product will be delivered approximately mid-February. Purchase on our new website: www.BBEpto.com. You must create an account on the website before ordering, but as always, you are not required to be a PTO member to purchase.

If you'd prefer to shop in person, the School Store is open for families on Wednesdays from 7:30-8:30 am. You must be VIPS approved to enter the school.

Be sure to follow @bbepto on Facebook or Instagram for the latest updates when we get new stock!

Please contact mybushstore@gmail.com with any questions about the School Store.

Bobcat Families, order your 2022-2023 Yearbook now and enjoy the memories of this year at BBE. Please visit the BBE PTO website to purchase your yearbook at a discount of $30. On March 11th, the price will increase to $35, and yearbook sales will close on March 24th, so don’t delay!

Join the Birthday Book Club and make your student’s day extra special! Your student will receive a personal birthday greeting from Ms. Rose during the morning announcements, and have their name printed in the weekly Paw Prints newsletter, in a book for the library, AND on the electronic marquee during the week of their birthday.

We would love for families to send in any photos that are school-related, such as photos you snapped at the Let’s Glow Wild Party on Friday, Pajama Day, Astros day, or any grade-specific event/project that we can include in the yearbook!

Please send no more than 3 photos to bushptoyearbook@gmail.com and label the pictures with your child's grade.

For the month of January 2023, First Fridays and Second Saturdays with PTO will be taking a break. Our bi-monthly social hours will resume in February – we hope to see you then!

22-23 Faculty and Staff

COUNSELOR

Jewell Quinonez

(P) 281-368-2150 (ext: 275212)

Jewell.Quinonez@houstonisd.org

Click here to visit the BBE Counselor Corner

FOR RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH -

Wraparound - Maria Quevedo

(P) 281-368-2150 (ext. 275105)

maria.quevedo@houstonisd.org

FOR ATTENDANCE -

Registrar - Adriana Rosales

(P) 281-368-2150 (ext. 275104)

arosale3@houstonisd.org