Happy October, Brentwood families!
Read on for the latest and greatest going on this month…
Let’s Boo This!
The frightfully fun Brentwood Halloween Carnival fundraiser is almost here… This year’s special event will be held Saturday, October 19 from 3–6 p.m. There will be something for everyone—a bounce house, games with prizes, delicious treats, flashlight box mazes, a haunted house… Can we wear our costumes, you ask? But, of course! Come on out for a great time and support our school. Here are your other questions answered:
Where can I get tickets?
Advanced ticket sales will be available online through October 17—buy your carnival tickets now and save 20 percent! (Pick up your tickets on October 18, before or after school—7:15–8 a.m. and 3–4 p.m.—at the Yates entrance. We recommend picking up your tickets early to avoid longer lines at the carnival.) In-person sales will take place October 15–18, from 7:15–8 a.m. at both the Yates and Arroyo Seco entrances. You can also pick up your tickets at the event, Saturday October 19, 3 - 5:30pm
How can I help make the carnival a success?
~Donate gently used stuffed animals and small toys! You can drop these off in the community room through Friday, October 11.
~Volunteer to help out at the carnival!
To run this big event smoothly and safely, we need volunteers. PLEASE, please consider donating an hour of your time at the carnival; you’ll meet other parents and people in your community and be a hero to your kids! See you there!
Advocacy Matters
This August, the Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted to place a tax rate election on the Nov. 5 ballot. It will appear on the ballot as Prop A.
Prop A gives the community the option to vote for increased funding to pay for teacher and staff raises and additional support positions for campuses. If approved, Austin ISD would gain an estimated $41 million in funding annually. Austin ISD plans to spend about $17.8 million on a compensation plan that includes market adjustments for most teachers and staff with the highest increases going to our most experienced teachers.
School Funding will continue to be a dire issue for districts across our state until our Texas government raises the Basic Allotment, which is the minimum amount of money allocated per pupil. Despite Texas’s $33 billion budget surplus, virtually no additional per-student funding was approved during the last 88th Legislative Session. Austin ISD has also seen new state mandates without sufficient funding, such as legal requirements for school resource officers at every campus and accelerated instruction for students.
If Austin voters were to approve Prop A, Austin ISD would receive additional funding to provide competitive salaries for teachers and staff while reducing our deficit.
Please join us at our next PTA General Body Meeting (Thursday October 10 at 6:30 p.m.), where we will vote on whether to formally support Prop A as a PTA (Zoom option available with registration). The outcome of our PTA vote will determine our on-campus advocacy for this funding plan. A "yes" vote will support the Austin Council of PTAs' further on-campus advocacy at many campuses across the district.
Still have questions on School Funding? Don't miss our November general body meeting (Thursday November 14 at 6:30 p.m.). Our speaker will be Chandra Kring Villanueva, the Director of Policy and Advocacy at Every Texan. She focuses on school finance and education policy ranging from early education to higher education access success. If you'd like to learn more about Prop A, visit https://www.austinisd.org/propa#collapse1
Principal’s Message
Next up, a message from Principal Saenz-Hosack along with updates from the Art and P.E. teachers, librarians, as well as the district at large. Also included are important dates related to registration and enrollment.
General Brentwood Volunteer Group
We are creating a large pool of parents that are available for ongoing and miscellaneous volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Please join this group if you are interested in receiving these notifications as a need arises. Volunteers can sign up through Konstella beginning on October 7. Please reach out to Erin Clever at erinanddayoung@gmail.com with any questions.
Birthday Book Club Is Back
Celebrate your child's birthday by donating a book to our beloved library in their honor! So how does it work? During their birthday month, your child will choose from a special batch of brand-new books to become their “Birthday Book,” in which a bookplate will be placed, complete with their name and birth date. They will be the first person to check it out; the book will then become part of our library collection. A photo of your child and their special book will be displayed in the library and emailed to you. Click here to participate!
Works of Art
Once again, Brentwood PTA is participating in Reflections (a National PTA arts program). and the theme this year is “Accepting Imperfection.” This year entries will be accepted in 6 categories including dance choreography, photography, visual arts, literature, music composition, and film production.Click here for rules, complete an entry form, and then start creating! Note that a PTA membership is required for participation. Questions? Contact Maria Seaver: maria.g.seaver@gmail.com.
Check the Calendar
October 7–18: Music in the Morning
October 7–11: Principal Appreciation Week
October 8: CAC & PTA Board Meetings
October 10: PTA General Body Meeting
October 14: No school for students (Parent -Teacher Conferences); Indigenous Peoples' Day
October 21–25: Transportation Employee Appreciation Week
October 25: Reflections Entries Due
November 1: No School; Diwali
November 4–8: School Psychologist Appreciation Week
November 5: Staff Development/No school for students; Election Day
Subscribe to our Brentwood Elementary Google Calendar as well as the Konstella calendar to stay up on upcoming school events, holidays, and PTA activities.
Much Obliged
Ms. Tigelaar and Ms. Slaten would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who came out to the BookPeople Book Fair, in September. In just five days, they raised more than $3,000 for the library to purchase new library books! The many volunteers who helped throughout the week and special guest readers who gave up part of their Saturdays to join us on Loved Ones Day are so appreciated. Happy reading, Bulldogs!
Thank you, Brentwood Carnival Sponsors!
We could not put on this amazing event without these amazing supporters:
Bulldog Buddies
Event Sponsor
Top Dogs
Leaders of the Pack
The Bulldog Fund
Brentwood PTA runs an annual, one-time per year, no-hassle fundraiser we call the Bulldog Fund. The donations collected in the fund are used for essential programming like literacy and math software, library books, music, art, and more. Donate HERE!
Get the Word Out
Have a program, event, or volunteer need that you want published in the Bulldog Bark, PTA website, or social channels? Email communications@brentwoodpta.com.
PTA Website: http://brentwoodpta.com
PTA Facebook: Brentwood Elementary PTA
Twitter: @BrentwoodAISD
Instagram/Threads: @BrentwoodBulldogs_AISD
Brentwood Website: http://brentwood.austinschools.org/