• Out of consideration for families who cannot attend Buc Bash, we will host an Open House of families on the evening of August 15th.
• Families can walk around the school on a self-guided tour.
• Walk your student's schedule and locate his/her locker.
• Student schedules will be available in Skyward. Printed copies of schedules will not be provided.
• Staff will not be available during this time. It is simply an opportunity for families and students to walk schedules and tour the campus.

We will provide an exceptional educational experience for your child, but he/she must be here on time and stay all day for us to do so. The entire school day is needed to deliver the full instructional program. HBMS teachers and staff will regularly monitor students' attendance to ensure students are continuing to grow academically and be instructed on course TEKS.

Attendance letters will be sent out via Skyward Family Access. In order to have letters sent to a parent's email address, go into Skyward Family Access and click on MY MESSAGES. Once in my MY MESSAGES click on Settings. Under Attendance, you can click on Send a Copy to My Email.

Students arrive before 8:50 and stay until 4:10 every day. If your student is arriving late or leaving early, they may only do so through the Main Office.

However, they can’t learn if they are ill, and others will miss learning opportunities if your child is contagious. Do not send your child to school if he/she:

• Is under doctor’s orders to stay home.
• Has had fever over 100 degrees within the last 24 hours.
• Has had diarrhea in the last 24 hours.
• Has pink eye.

Otherwise, we encourage you to send your child to school. If he/she is not well enough to stay the entire day, the nurse will send him/her home.

When you take your student to the doctor, please provide a doctor’s or dentist's note stating they had an appointment. Please submit all doctor's notes or reports of illness to our Attendance Clerk.

Notes from parents may be emailed from the parent’s email address to the school’s campus attendance office. Notes signed by students, even with the parent’s permission, will not be accepted unless the student is age 18 or older or is an emancipated minor under state law.

Phone calls cannot be accepted as appropriate documentation for any absence.

In the event that a student knows in advance that he/she must be absent for 3 or more days, the parent or student should notify the attendance office so that the attendance clerk can notify the student’s teacher(s).

Failure to present acceptable documentation of an absence will result in the absence being counted as unexcused.

An absence from school with consent of the parent for any reason other than those listed above may be considered an unexcused absence.

Prescription and Non-Prescription Drugs

• Must be dropped off and picked up by a parent/guardian in the health office.
• Must be in the original container, unexpired..
• Parent or guardian must complete and sign the “Request for Medication Administration” form, found HERE
• Physician signature required for: prescription given more than 10 school days; nonprescription given more than 5 consecutive days or at a higher than labeled dose.
• Must remain in the health office, not with the student (except for asthma medication and epi-pens with written permission signed by the physician).

Immunization Information

• Texas Law requires all students to be current with their immunizations or have an up-to-date exemption form on file with the school nurse prior to the first day of school. These records must be in the nurse’s office by August 10th to ensure your student will receive their schedule of classes. Any student whose immunization records are incomplete or who does not have an exemption on file with the school nurse will not be allowed to attend classes on the first day of school.
• Entry into 7th grade requires proof that your student has received the Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines.
• All new students enrolling must complete registration with all required documents and immunizations. This must be submitted before the first day of school. Nurse Meyerhofer will contact you for any missing immunizations.

Special Health Conditions

• If your child has a severe allergy, asthma, other chronic medical condition, or requires medication at school please notify Nurse Meyerhofer, so she can create a plan before school begins.
• Immunization records and emergency care plans may be faxed to 512-533-6414, or scanned and attached to email at meyerhofers@ltisdschools.org.

People with COVID-19 have a wide range of reported symptoms - from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. For individuals with chronic conditions, a positive self-screening should represent a change from their typical health status.

Self screening with the following questions can help assess the risk that an individual has been exposed to COVID-19 and help determine when symptoms are more likely to be from COVID-19.

Have you recently begun experiencing any of the following symptoms in a way that is not normal for you?

• Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit
• Loss of taste or smell
• Cough
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Headache
• Chills
• Sore throat
• Muscle or body aches
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting

Have you been tested for COVID-19 and are currently awaiting test results?

LTISD will separate any individual who shows one or more COVID-19 symptoms while at a campus or a district facility until the individual can be screened by school staff and it can be determined whether the individual needs to go home.

COVID-19 is a disease requiring exclusion from school under 25 Tex. Admin. Code § 97.7. As required by the Department of State and Health Services, students, staff and visitors may not attend school or school-related events if they are experiencing symptoms and suspected of having COVID-19. The individual may not return to school or school-related events until the readmission criteria are met.

• At least 5 calendar days have passed since symptom onset;
• 24 hours fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication; and
• Improved symptoms.

If the individual has symptoms and is suspected of having COVID-19 but wants to return to school or work before completing the above stay at home period, the individual may return early by either :

(1) obtaining a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis, though for health privacy reasons the note does not need to indicate what the alternative diagnosis is; or

(2) obtaining an acute infection test that comes back negative for COVID-19. A negative rapid antigen test is not sufficient to rule out COVID-19 infection. Upon reentry, individuals are highly encouraged to follow the CDC guidance on ending isolation for days 6 - 10 following a symptomatic case of COVID-19.

A student, parent or other visitor must report a test-confirmed positive result to the campus nurse and/or campus administrator.

• 5 calendar days have passed since symptoms first appeared or, for asymptomatic people, the date of the positive test result; and
• 24 hours fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication; and
• Improved symptoms.

Upon reentry, individuals are highly encouraged to follow the CDC guidance on ending isolation for days 6 - 10 following a symptomatic case of COVID-19.

In accordance with UIL rules, in addition to the criteria above, a student who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 must receive clearance from a physician prior to returning to participation in UIL marching band or athletic activities.

LTISD visual arts has been asked to collaborate with the Engage and Heal Foundation. You will find more information here. This is not an assignment or project, rather a chance for enrichment and an opportunity for students to experience an art call, be part of an exhibition and possibly a money making opportunity with their artistic response to a specific prompt/theme.

This art call is open to grades 5th - 12th in LTISD. Again, this is an optional opportunity for any student to participate.

Car Rider Drop Off

• All HBMS students (grades 6-8) are to be dropped off at the Main Entrance in the front of the school illustrated by the Green route on the map.
• The Primary entrance is best for cars entering from 620.
• The Secondary entrance is best for cars entering from the Apache Shores area, as they cannot turn left into the primary entrance from General Williamson.
• Parents, as you curb at the front entrance, please pull as far forward as possible in order to allow as many vehicles into the front loop at one time.

We have learned that groups of cars arrive in groups due to the light, so pulling forward prevents a backup of cars. Please, DO NOT drop your student off in the faculty and visitor parking lot. HBMS does not have staff available in the morning to monitor the crosswalk for safety.

Thank you for your cooperation in this process and keeping students safe in the morning.

Additional Information:

• Please have your child/children ready to exit the car prior to entering the drive.
• Pull all the way up to the cone that is furthest forward in a single line near the sidewalk to drop off your child/children.
• Allow your child to exit anywhere on the sidewalk, rather than waiting until you are directly in front of the doors.
• Stay in your vehicle once you enter either drive, just as your would at the airport.
• Please allow enough time for morning traffic (especially on rainy days).
• All car riders should be dropped off from the car rider lane only.
• For the safety of your child, do not let your child exit your car and walk between parked vehicles, as this is not a safe option.
• The car loops are one way at all times, both morning and afternoon.
• Being on time allows your child to begin their school day without feeling rushed. It is also important to model being on time.

Other Transportation Options

• Walkers and bicycle riders will enter the building through the back doors across from the tennis courts.
• Bus riders will be dropped off at the back entrance by the café.

There are 4 dismissal options:

• Bus Riders
• Car Riders
• Walkers
• Bike Riders

Bus Riders

• ONLY buses pick up at the back of the school building.
• Please do not enter the bus lane at the back of the school.
• Bus riders will exit the back doors of the main hallway.
• Buses will transport ONLY eligible riders with SMART tags ready upon entry.

Car Riders

• All car riders will be picked up at the main front entrance.
• The Primary and Secondary entrances for cars are the same as morning drop-off.
• The Primary entrance is best for cars entering from 620.
• The Secondary entrance is best for cars entering from the Apache Shores area, as they cannot turn left into the primary entrance from General Williamson.

• Cars will be directed into both lanes of the loading zone.
• Please pull as far forward as possible to the furthest forward cone and do not leave a large gap between you and the vehicle in front. This will allow us room to get many cars in each lane at a time.
• The car zones are designated as “Inner” and “Outer”, and will fill in simultaneously, but be released one at a time by supervising staff members.

• Students are to watch for their car and move down the sidewalk anticipating where they will stop.
• When given the “load up” direction by staff members, because all cars in the Loading Zones have stopped and are in Park, students can then load up.
• When all cars are loaded and the staff gives the “thumbs up”, the zones will be released one at a time.
• Shortly after these zones are released, staff members will let the next set of cars enter the Loading Zones and we will do it all again.
• The first group of cars is usually released about 4 minutes after the dismissal bell (4:14pm) and each group after that takes about 1 minute.
• Working together with the number of cars that are coming through, we should be sending the last group out at approximately 4:25pm.

Please communicate with your students to make sure that they are watching for you in order to move to where you will stop. This way we do not have to call out names which slows up the process. We will send groups without students if all other cars are loaded.

Thanks for your cooperation in making this process safe and efficient.

Walkers and Bike Riders

• Exit out of the back doors. Please be aware of cars and buses, as there is no crossing guard.

Principal

Laura Keogh

6th Grade

Assistant Principal: Matt Holley

Counselor: Dana Page

7th Grade

Assistant Principal: Brian Gill

Counselor: JoAnn Bryan

8th Grade

Assistant Principal: Cristy Castanares

Counselor: Surita Scholla

Please note that The Buccaneer Bulletin is sent to the email addresses you have listed in Skyward Family Access. If you are not receiving weekly newsletters, please verify that your information is correct in Skyward.