Happy Monday, Brentwood families!

We hope you are enjoying your week so far with this return to a bit more wintrylike weather. February is a time for honoring histories, celebrating love in all its forms, and embracing the power of kindness and justice. Read on as we shine a light on our efforts surrounding diversity, advocacy, and lifting up others at our precious school.

With February in full swing, our Brentwood community is busy celebrating Black History Month. Students are learning about important figures and events in Black history, and we’re excited to share some opportunities to experience Black heritage right here in Austin. 

Lace up your sneakers (or fire up your laptops) and check out these local tours to learn more about Austin’s Black history: 

• Take a Racial Geography Tour of the University of Texas at Austin, exploring how ideas of race and gender are cemented in the architecture, landscape, and layout of campus. Learn more about the tour’s creator along with the people and places you encountered as you trekked along this unique path. 
• Take a self-guided walking tour of Huston-Tillotson University, the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) that has played a big part in Austin’s Black heritage.
• Check out Black Austin Tours, where you can better understand how race, class, gender, and migration impact educational access, attainment, and outcomes in different communities across the globe. 
• Civil Righteousness creates virtual tours of Austin’s Black History; follow the group on social media for upcoming offerings. 

Plan a visit to one of these ATX Black history landmarks: 

• Overdue but still utterly necessary, the Texas African American History Memorial was installed on the state Capitol grounds in 2016. It serves multiple purposes, including honoring, acknowledging, and commemorating Texas’s Black population, culture, and people, collectively and individually, who contributed to the memorial. Sculpted by Ed Dwight, it encapsulates Black history from the 1500s to the present, featuring depictions of Hendrick Arnold and Barbara Jordan along with elements acknowledging Juneteenth (June 19, 1865), the day enslaved African Americans finally received news of their emancipation in Texas.  
• Barbara Jordan, the first African-American person to serve in the Texas Senate (1966-72) since Reconstruction, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress from the South (1972-78), and the first woman to deliver the keynote address at a national party convention (the Democratic Convention in 1976 and again in 1992), was a groundbreaker, a powerful orator, and a force of nature. There is a statue of her at Austin’s airport, and one on the UT campus, where she also taught, becoming—in 2009!—the first statue of a woman on the school’s grounds (located on West 24th Street, just one block east of Guadalupe Street).  
• Once the home field of the Austin Black Senators—a team in the professional “Negro League” of the pre-integration area—Downs-Mabson Field holds a significant place in baseball history. Notable players of the time who graced the field were Willie Wells, Satchel Paige, Smokey Joe Williams, Willie Mays, and Buck O’Neil. It was also the home ballpark of Samuel Huston College (before it combined with Tillotson College, in 1952), and the Huston Tillotson University Rams continue to play there.
  
  Read, watch, and learn more here: 
• If you thought transportation boycotts occurred only in other southern states, check this out.  
• Review this timeline to learn more about Desegregation in Austin (1940s to 1980s)  
• PBS Austin Revealed History Documentary features interviews with locals about their experience during Austin’s civil rights era and the impacts of segregation and gentrification on the city. 
• Learn more about decades-long desegregation efforts in AISD. 
• You’re probably familiar with the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., but what about the story of Shirley Chisholm, the nation’s first Black congresswoman? On Jan 25, 1972, Chisholm formally announced her trailblazing campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination—becoming the first Black person (and the first woman) to do so. That audacious, barrier-breaking run is now chronicled in Netflix’s Shirley, written and directed by Oscar winner John Ridley and starring fellow Academy Award winner Regina King as Chisholm. 

But what’s one of the most important take-aways from Black History Month? Keep it going—honor and celebrate Black people, history, and contributions every day of the year! 

The 2025 Texas state legislative session is underway and now is the time to make our voices heard. Here are the facts:

• The last increase in per-student funding was in 2019.
• That amount is $6,160, with no adjustment for inflation, which means districts are operating with about $1,300 less per student than five years ago.
• Texas ranks among the bottom 10 states in per-student funding.
• Because legislators during the 2023 legislative session worked together across the aisle to keep public school funding in public schools (and not private school vouchers), attempts to pass bills to address this deficit—with $4 billion of taxpayer money still sitting in the budget—failed.
• The governor seems determined for vouchers to pass this session, to give families the ability to take $10,000 per student from public education budgets to supplement private school tuition and fees, which will maroon public school districts with even less per-student funding.

Wondering what to do to help?
1) Come to this week's PTA meeting, where students will have the opportunity to add their voices to our advocacy about the importance of public schools in Texas. We need their help making posters and writing letters of support, which Brentwood PTA members will bring to Rally Day on the 24th. School funding is already a hot topic with the current legislative session; we must do all that we can to prevent school vouchers from moving forward and public school funding moving backward. This is an opportunity to model for our children to advocate for themselves and for others—and to show them how to get their voices heard! We'll talk about Brentwood's Rally Day plans, which we hope many of our PTA members will attend. 

WHEN: Thursday, Feb 13, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Brentwood Elementary School Community Room
WHAT: Students (and adults!) speak out for public education
RSVP: Please let us know you're coming, so we ensure that we have enough space, materials, and snacks for all!

2) Attend Rally Day at the Capitol with the Texas PTA on February 24, where PTA members from across the state will hear from representatives about legislation and priorities related to public education and—most importantly—have the opportunity to meet with and support our local representatives as they fight for increased funding. If you would like to join us, please rsvp on the Advocacy event page on Konstella.

Parents, it’s time to dust off your boots and put on your best Old Austin–inspired attire, because Brentwood After Dark is just around the corner! This unforgettable event, on March 1 at St. John Studios (705 W. St. Johns Ave.) from 6–9 p.m., is all about raising much-needed funds for essential programs that directly benefit our students to give them the resources they need to thrive both inside and outside the classroom—and we need your support to make it a success!

This year’s theme is “Old Austin,” celebrating the charm and character of the city we all love. Get ready for an evening filled with good vibes, delicious food, an open bar, and plenty of opportunities to dance the night away. Not only will you be supporting an incredible cause, but you’ll also have the chance to connect with other parents and the wider Brentwood community in a fun, laid-back atmosphere. Imagine enjoying an evening filled with laughter, dancing, and great conversations—all while knowing that you’re helping to fund the programs that make Brentwood Elementary such a special place for our kids.

The event’s silent auction will feature a variety of interesting and unique items, from local experiences to one-of-a-kind treasures. A huge thank you to our title sponsor, St. John Studios, for their generous support in making this event possible—we are so grateful for their commitment to our community and school! Please visit the Brentwood After Dark website to see a full list of our sponsors. 

Follow this link to learn more and buy tickets, which are currently on sale for just $40 and include a full buffet dinner and open bar with a selection of wine, beer, and specialty cocktails. After February 14, tickets will go up to $50 ($60 at the door), so don’t wait too long to secure your spot. If the thought of trying to find a sitter is preventing you from joining us for this night of fun, dancing, and giving back, we’ve got the solution: we are offering childcare at the school with GirlScouts Troop 42619. See you March 1, at St. John Studios from 6–9 p.m.!

Registration for the Spelling Bee is open! The bee, for students grades 2–5, will be held on our stage on Wednesday, February 26, at 5:30 p.m. Students can sign up for any or all of 3 optional practice sessions, which will help them to become familiar with the bee format. The word list can be downloaded from the “Spelling Bee” folder in the Files and Links area of Konstella. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer during a practice or the bee, contact Stephanie Brown.

The library is still collecting gently used children's books, puzzles, and games for the annual Used Book Sale, March 3-7. Donation bins are in the Community Room for easy drop-off. (Note that we do not collect adult books, magazines, or used activity books or journals.)

This beloved Brentwood tradition keeps great books in circulation and offers students the opportunity to independently choose reading material for a few bucks. All funds raised are used to purchase new library materials.

This is also a call-out for costume donations for the Storybook Parade (being held in April for grades Pre-K–2nd). If you have costume elements for a storybook character that you’d like to donate, please drop them off in the Community Room. (More details about the Storybook Parade will be shared closer to the event.)

Congratulations to the 81 participants in this year's Science Fair! It was amazing to see all the hard work our young Brentwood scientists put into their experiments, exhibits, and engineering projects. Eighteen students representing 3rd–5th grade qualified to advance to the Greater Austin Regional Science Fair on Feb 22 at the Palmer Events Center. Good luck to those Regional Nominees!

This event was possible through the hard work of many volunteers and parents from our community; retired professors, graduate students, scientists, writers, and other professionals volunteered their time to review projects and interview participants for our Brentwood Bulldogs. A big THANK YOU to all for supporting our young scientists!

Follow along on Konstella or subscribe to our Brentwood Elementary Google Calendar to stay on top of upcoming school events, holidays, and PTA activities. Here are a few items of note below.

Tuesday, February 11–Friday, February 21: Poetry Cafe

Thursday, February 13: General Body PTA Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, February 17: No School/Parent Teacher Conferences/Presidents’ Day

Monday, February 24: Rally Day at the Capitol

Wednesday, February 26: Spelling Bee, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 1: Brentwood After Dark, 6–9 p.m.

Thursday, March 6: Brentwood Night

Monday, March 10: Bolt Fun Run kickoff

Thursday, March 13: Field Day

Friday, March 14: No School/PLED Day

Monday, March 17-Friday, March 21: Spring Break

Monday, March 31: No School/Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta Day/Eid al-Fitr

Brentwood PTA runs an annual, donate-one-time-per-year, no-hassle fundraiser we call the Bulldog Fund. The donations collected in this fund are used for essential (and at times all-too-expensive) programming like literacy and math software, library books, music, art, and more. Donate HERE!

Do you happen to have a program, event, or volunteer need that you would like published in the Bulldog Bark, on the PTA website, or sent out via social channels? Simply email communications@brentwoodpta.com for consideration.

PTA Website
PTA Facebook
X: @BrentwoodAISD
Instagram/Threads: @BrentwoodBulldogs_AISD
Brentwood Website