October Family and Community Bulldog Bulletin - TEST 2

Stay connected—our counselor’s newsletter has tips, updates, and encouragement for families.

Read it here!

✨ Making Magic Happen in Our Classrooms! ✨

Want to be someone's hero today? 🦸‍♀️ The Northside Education Foundation is sprinkling extra sparkle into our students' education journey! 🌟

Every donation (yes, even that coffee money! ☕) helps create amazing learning adventures, support bright young minds, and give our awesome teachers the tools they need to work their magic. 📚✨

Ready to join our classroom champions? 🏆 Your support means more smiles, more "aha!" moments, and more dreams coming true! 🌈

Together, we're not just funding education - we're launching future superstars! 🚀

Donate now and watch the magic unfold! ✨

Please click HERE to donate! Choose: Fernandez ES

This month, we join schools across the country in raising awareness and taking a stand against bullying. Our goal is to create a safe, respectful, and supportive environment where every student feels valued and included. On October 6, we invite all students and staff to wear blue as a symbol of kindness, acceptance, and unity. Together, we can show our children the power of standing up for one another and spreading positivity every day!

Discover how your unique parenting style shapes your child’s growth and learn simple, practical ways to strengthen connection and communication at home. 

Location: Fernandez Elementary Library

Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Time: 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Light Refreshments & Child Care provided

RSVP: https://forms.gle/1TtXSWcHchSeWxRB6

🎃🍬 Trunk or Treat at Fernandez Elementary! 🍬🎃
📅 Wednesday, October 29, 2025
🕔 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

Join us for music, goodies, and fun learning activities with math and reading!
✨ All students must be accompanied and supervised by an adult.
✨ Bring a bag or bucket for your treats.

Our PTA is collecting donations of individually wrapped candy. Please send your donation to your child’s teacher by Friday, October 24th.

We can’t wait to see you there! 🧡👻

🎃 Trunk or Treat Candy Donations Needed! 🍬

We’re getting ready for our Trunk or Treat and need your help! Donations of candy can be sent in with your student’s classroom teacher. Students will earn 10 Bark Bucks for every bag of candy they donate.

Let’s make this a sweet and fun celebration for everyone!

We are excited to celebrate Red Ribbon Week, a time dedicated to promoting healthy choices and living drug-free lives. Throughout the week, students will take part in fun activities and dress-up days that encourage positive decision-making and remind us of the importance of staying safe and healthy. This is a wonderful opportunity for our school community to come together and show our commitment to making safe, respectful, and responsible choices—today and for the future!

🎉 Want to play JiJi at home? 🐧
Check your child’s backpack or folder for their login info and dive into the ST Math adventure! As kids solve puzzles, they’ll level up and help JiJi on their journey. Let the Math fun begin! ✨

Every day in school matters! When students are present, they build stronger learning habits, connect with friends, and take important steps toward success. This year our campus daily attendance rate goal is 95%. We had a wonderful month of attendance in September! Our average daily attendance rate was 95.46%, meaning we reached our goal!!! Thank you for partnering with us to help your child succeed!  

Here at Fernandez ES,  we love to celebrate students who show up ready to learn each day. We encourage strong attendance with a variety of incentives such as classroom rewards, school-wide recognition, fun celebrations, and special shout-outs for students who demonstrate excellent attendance. These positive reinforcements help students see that being in school every day is something to be proud of! 

Take a look below! We are currently working as campus to LEVEL UP to Level 3 and earn a Game Board Day! 

What a great month of attendance we had in September. We reached our goal for the month. WAY TO GO, BULLDOGS! Our class attendance winners have been announced. SHOUT OUT to PTA for providing these incentives for our students. 

Please be sure to communicate with your child's teacher and send a note in if they will be absent. Once a student has accrued 3 unexcused absences in the system, NISD will generate an Attendance Warning Notice that will be emailed to the parent/guardian. This Attendance Warning Notice is added to your child's school record. An example of what you will receive is shown here.

Beginning of year MAP testing is complete.  Parents will receive a Family Report that details your child's score and growth from prior years.  If you have any questions about the report, please reach out to your child's teacher.  

Click HERE to learn more!

Texas House Bill 1481, also known as the "Phone-Free Classrooms" bill, mandates that all public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools in Texas must implement policies prohibiting students from using personal communication devices, including cell phones, smartwatches, and other devices, during the school day.

All personal communication devices must be kept in backpacks and/or out of sight throughout the instructional day and placed in a designated area (cubbies). This is consistent with our current practice but now includes all communication devices. Personal communication devices include, but not limited to, cell phones, SMART watches, personal tablets, Air Pods and other technology devices. 

As we begin the school year, we are getting our students used to the Morning Arrival procedures. You can help your child learn the routine too!

• Our doors open to students at 7:00 a.m.
• Breakfast is served from 7:00-7:40 a.m. in the cafeteria.
  • Students will go through the line. Parents may eat with their child.
• Students not eating breakfast wait in cafeteria 7:00-7:15 a.m.
  • Pre-K students report directly to the Cafeteria to wait with their class, even if they are not eating breakfast.
• At 7:15a.m., students walk to their grade level area to wait with a staff member. Parents may walk their child to their hallway during this time WITH A FAST PASS or Visitor Pass.
  • Pre-K will report directly to the Cafeteria to wait with their class, even if they are not eating breakfast.
  • ECSE & ALE students will report directly to their classroom.
• 1st Bell Rings at 7:40 a.m.
  • Students begin going into their classrooms to prepare for instruction.
  • Parents exit the school building.
  • Front Lobby doors close at this time and students walk to class independently.
  • Cafeteria stops serving breakfast.
  • Students eating breakfast head to class.
  • Late arrival breakfast is served at Front Lobby doors. (NEW THIS YEAR!)
• 7:45 a.m. Tardy Bell rings and classroom instruction begins
  • All visitors have exited the building.
  • Any student entering the building after this time is marked tardy.
• 9:00 a.m. Students arriving at school after this time are considered absent unless a doctor's note is provided. Student MUST be checked into the office by a parent or guardian if dropped off after 9:00 a.m.

The parent pickup car line is a No Phone Zone. For the safety of all, please refrain from using your phone while picking your child up in the parent pickup car line.  

PTA SIGN UP LINK 

District: Northside         School: Raul B. Fernandez ES 

The Fernandez ES PTA helps support students, teachers, and staff! Joining PTA helps us provide that support. 

Some of the events they help with include:

• Field Trips
• Trunk-or-Treat
• Bulldog Day
• Student Incentives
• Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week
• and MUCH MORE!!

By joining, you can help support our school and our students! 

Our campus is filled with hardworking staff members who pour their hearts into our Bulldogs. Take a moments to shine a light on the awesome things that they do or just a simple thank you to brighten their day. Click the link submit a Pawsitively Awesome Shoutout!

https://forms.gle/aCfaE2gJJxBvsztU6

Safety is our number one priority. To maintain a secure environment for all students and staff, we will implement our "Fast Pass" system for parents and guardians who wish to walk their children into school each morning and visit during school lunchtime.

What is a Fast Pass?
A fast pass allows you to enter the building without having to scan your driver's license each time you visit the campus. Whether you are coming in for breakfast, lunch with your child, or stopping by to see a parade, have your fast pass ready to show our front door monitor each time you visit our school. If you forget your fast pass, be sure to bring a valid ID to get scanned by our front office staff. Fast passes and visitors badges must be worn and visible at all times while on campus.

What if I already have a Fast Pass from last year?

Last year's fast pass will not be valid for the upcoming school year. Every parent and/or guardian wishing to obtain a Fast Pass will need to scan their valid ID for the new school year.

How to Obtain a Fast Pass?
Stop by the front office to get your Fast Pass. Make sure to bring your current driver's license to be scanned. 

Background Checks

Although a background check is not required to obtain your fast pass, it will be required to be a volunteer on campus and on field trips. Click on the link below to fill out the NISD Volunteer Background Check.  A new background check must be completed every school year and take approximately two weeks to clear. Fill yours out now, so you don't have to worry about it later.

NISD Background Check Link

Are you a grandparent raising your grandchild? Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is dedicated to providing resources, services, and support to meet the unique needs and challenges of grandparenting.

CLICK HERE to learn more about their services.

SchoolCafé is a single location for all your cafeteria needs...Connecting Families to School Nutrition! From the SchoolCafé app, you can: 

• access daily menus
• view nutritional and allergen info
• add money to your child's account for them to buy ice cream and other snacks
• get notifications about your child's cafeteria account

CLICK HERE to learn more

Northside's Learning Tree After School program provides on campus fun, learning, and low cost tuition! Enroll today for the 25-26 school year!

For more information about enrollment or employment, call 210-397-8108 or visit our website at https://www.nisd.net/district/after-school

NISD Threads is a a clothing closet that gives FREE gently used clothes to enrolled NISD students who need them. 

NISD students who need clothes can ask their school counselor for a referral to Northside Threads.
Parents of enrolled NISD students can also call their child’s school and ask the counselor for a referral to Northside Threads. 

A referral is required to get clothes. 

The NISD Market provides 25lbs of food a week at no charge for families that qualify. They are a partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank.

Open Tues-Thurs from 1:30-4:00p.m. Closed for all school holidays.

For more info, call 210-397-8930

Located at Northside Family Engagement Center, 5223 Blessing St., San Antonio, TX 78228

The safety and security of our students, staff, and families is a priority at Fernandez ES. 

Click HERE to read about the Safety Initiatives in NISD for the 2025-2026 school year and learn more about our Standard Response Protocol.