Howdy Trailblazers
Aug. 29 - Sept. 9, 2022
It's GLOW Time Trailblazers!
Greetings from Principal Bueno
Week one was a tremendous success for our Trailblazers! Big kudos to our students, staff and all of our parents for supporting our campus through our back to school week. By the end of the week dismissal was down to 18 minutes, with the exception of rainy day dismissal on Friday. Big gains from day one, thank you again for supporting our campus!
The safety and security of our students and staff is the top priority for our school. We have been implementing a number of measures as part of a comprehensive plan aimed at ensuring our school remains a safe place for our students to learn. Just as we prepare our students to properly respond to a fire drill, they also need to be aware of proper response during a lockdown drill. We want students and staff members to know their important roles in these unique situations. Lockdown drills are conducted periodically to ensure safety and heighten student and teacher preparedness in the event of a real lockdown.
This past Friday our Trailblazers did an Ott-standing job of experiencing a "practice" lockdown drill. District police officers were present for the drill and were able to made a quick check to ensure all classrooms and exterior doors were locked and secured. After the entire campus was cleared, students resumed their normal schedules and activities in their classrooms. Our teachers and staff were very strategic in preparation for this practice drill and processed with students every step along the way. Even our tiny Trailblazers were amazing through the entire process. Now that we have experienced practicing, we will conduct our first "real" lockdown drill within the next couple of weeks and as always, an email of notification will be sent to all of our families through School Messenger.
Again for safety, parents visiting the campus for breakfast or lunch will be asked to dine in an alternative location rather than our school cafeteria. We apologize in advance for the inconvenience, but sincerely appreciate the cooperation.
Our teachers will be hard at work in the next few weeks capturing student baseline data in reading, writing, and math. Data collected will assist our teachers in developing academic plans to better support our students this year. Our hopes is that we will begin to close academic deficits quickly and also better support our students who would benefit from enrichment in the classrooms.
I want to thank those who came by to chat and introduce themselves to me last week, especially our new families. I will be publishing an Ott Family Newsletter bi-weekly this year and not weekly. Needed communication will be published through School Messenger. You can contact our Attendance Secretary, Mrs. Willis at 210-397-5550 if you need to update your email address and contact information to receive School Messenger notifications.
Lastly, our campus will be closed next Monday in observance of Labor Day. Parent Orientation will follow our first PTA meeting this year on Sept. 6th. Please see below for times. We hope to see you there!
Make it an Ott-some week Trailblazers! #GLOWatOtt #NISDIgnited #backtoschool2022
Principal Bueno
Ott Little Free Library
Show Your GLOW Spirit Rally - Sept. 9
Celebrate Freedom Week Sept 12-16, 2022
Ott G.L.O.W. Spirit Shirts for Sale in the Office - $15
Lockdown Drill Read Aloud for our Tiny Trailblazers
Safety is Top Priority at Northside ISD
In Northside, the safety of our students and staff is one of our top priorities. We regularly review and revise our safety plans and procedures to enhance security. Keeping our schools safe requires continuous work and communication with our students, staff, and families. Our approach to safety focuses on three areas – our people, our facilities and technology, and our procedures.
Below, Dr. Brian Woods, explains what NISD is doing regarding safety in our schools. Visit Northside ISD's safety website for more information.
Meet our Ott Crossing Guard - Mr. Guieb
Furthermore, Mr. Guieb, is a father to six awesome children whom he has the privilege of raising and mentoring along with his wonderful significant other. Two of his older boys graduated from Brennan High School and are now serving in the United States Air Force. His other four children who are currently attending Brennan HS, Jones Magnet MS and OTT ES are keeping him busy with JROTC activities, swim, and piano lessons.
Mr. Guieb is an active member of Ott Elementary Watch D.O.G.S. program for the past 7+ years. He also enjoys spending his time volunteering to assist with OTT’s PTA events. Additionally, he was an Assistant Coach with the Westcreek Community Soccer League.
Last, but not least, Mr. Guieb enjoys hiking, cycling, fishing, eating, and hanging out with his family.
2022-2023 Ott Elementary School Supply Lists
Please click here to find the Ott School Supply List for this year.
2022-2023 Free & Reduced-Price Meal Information
Your child(ren) may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Households interested in the meal program must apply for the program every school year.
Click below to apply online!
Volunteer Background Check - Required
1) All volunteers must complete a background check form each school year. All information is deleted each year in May.
2) Background checks are completed online only. No paper forms are accepted.
3)Please contact the main office of your campus to find out if you are cleared to volunteer. All campus administrators (principals, vice-principals, assistant principals…etc.) have access to the cleared list.
4) It takes one to two weeks for the results of checks to be returned from the date of submission.
Background Check Link
From the Superintendent Dr. Woods
Attendance Matters
Northside continues to ask you to make your child's attendance a priority. Research shows that school attendance leads to future success and brings numerous benefits to students, including higher academic achievements.
Texas Education Code states that the students must be present in class 90% of the time in order to earn course credit or be promoted to the next grade level.
When students are tardy to school, they are missing valuable morning time with their class. Morning meetings begin promptly at 7:45 and this time allows for students to get ready for a successful day. We will begin recording tardies to school (arriving after 7:45 am).
As a reminder, not only do absences lead to learning loss, they can also lead to social-emotional deficiencies. We encourage all parents and students to make school attendance a top priority except for time when the student is sill. Be sure to send a note upon your student's return to school.
University Health Drive Through Flu Vaccine Clinics
University Health and Bexar County Commissioners will host two FREE flu vaccine clinics for the community in support of the Northside community in September. The first on Saturday, Sept 10 at the Farris Athletic Complex and the second at Gus Stadium on Saturday, Sept 24, each clinic will operate from 9 am till noon. Individuals or families may register at: https://www.universityhealthsystem.com/pediatrics/events/flu-drive
Attendance Matters! - September is “National Attendance Awareness Month”
Staff + Students + Attendance = Success
September is “National Attendance Awareness Month,” a national event recognizing the connection between school attendance and academic achievement.
“The first step toward educational success is showing up to school,” says Dr. Brian Woods, superintendent. “And that also means having a teacher in the classroom to teach them, a bus driver to drive them, a child nutrition worker to feed them, a nurse to care for them, etc.”
While COVID has not completely left us as a community, we must return to the expectation that attending school is an everyday event. This is the only way that talented, professional educators can have the maximum impact for learning. Please prioritize daily attendance. If you are having challenges with attendance, please communicate with your child's school quickly.
Stay Connected with NISD
While one-on-one communication is the best, in a district as large as Northside ISD it is sometimes difficult. Because we want our parents to stay informed, NISD has several ways that parents and other interested citizens can stay informed about the successes and challenges of San Antonio’s premier school district of choice, as well as find out news about their children’s schools.
Follow Ott on Social Media
Please don’t forget to stay connected by following and "Liking” Ott Elementary and Ott PTA on:
- Facebook @ottelementary and @OttElemPTA
- Twitter @NISDott and @ott_pta
- Instagram @nisd_ott and @ottelementarypta
Thank you to those who have joined us this year, we appreciate your support. We encourage everyone to follow us on these social media arenas. #GLOWatOtt #NISDIgnited
NISD Hiring Child Nutrition Workers
San Antonio Food Bank Mega Distribution
Need Service Hours or Just Want to Help?
NISD hosts a Mega Food Bank distribution twice a month at Gus Stadium from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Volunteers are needed. If you are a high school club sponsor or a parent of a high school student needing service hours, this is a great opportunity for students to volunteer and give back to their community. Dates for upcoming Mega Food Bank distributions are: Sept. 2, Sept. 16, Oct. 7, Oct. 21, Nov. 4, Nov. 18, and Dec. 2.
Volunteers may register here (at the top under Volunteer Job Location, select Gustafson Stadium.) The Food Bank also has some Saturday opportunities for students to earn NHS volunteer hours.
2022 - 2023 NISD Online Tutoring
Ott Spirit Night - Burger Boy - Sept. 20
GT Awareness Meeting - Sept. 28
2022-2023 Ott Elementary PTA
Please click here to view the first edition of the Ott Elementary PTA Round-Up (August 2022) edition!!!
Ott Counselors Care
Important Dates
9/5 - 9/9
- National Substitute Appreciation Week
- Teacher & Student Holiday
- GT Parent Night for students already in the Ott GT program @ 4:30
- PTA Membership Meeting @ 5:55 pm
- Parent Orientation Session I from 6:00 - 6:25
- Parent Orientation Session II from 6:30 - 6:55
- Choir Rehearsal @ 3:15
9/12 - 9/16
- Celebrate Freedom Week
- National Arts in Education Week
- Boy Scouts Recruitment Night from 6:00 - 7:30 in the cafeteria
- Strings Parent Meeting (5th grade) in the cafeteria from 6:00-6:30
- Burger Boy Family Night (Kinder) from 4-8
9/21
- Student Early Dismissal
- PTA Back-to School Membership Movie Night 6-8
- OCCB Day
- GT Awareness Night for Non-GT Parents from 5-6
- WatchD.O.G. Pizza Night from 6-7