December Family and Community Bulldog Bulletin

Support Fernandez ES at Chick Fil A on Wednesday, December 17! See details below. 

Battle of the Schools
Wednesday, December 17th
6:00 AM – 10 PM

at Alamo Ranch Marketplace Chick-fil-A
Come for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Sales Count All Day Long!
Buy a six pack of Chocolate Chunk Cookies
And we will double the value of your receipt
Drive-thru, Patio and Pick-up!

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

Read it here!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!  Our community showed up to support our chocolate fundraiser.  Our students and staff are grateful for your support. Fundraiser winners will be announced very soon!   

We are so excited for Bulldog Day!  Join our school community for a day of fun as we raise funds for our students. We look forward to seeing you there!

📢 Attention Fernandez Families!

We’re thrilled to announce that this year’s Bulldog Day Silent Auction has officially launched on the GiveButter site, making it easier than ever for family and friends to bid from anywhere! 🎉💻

Instead of an in-person silent auction, everything is happening online, and the best part? Winners do NOT need to be present at Bulldog Day to claim their items! Feel free to share the auction link with families, friends, and coworkers!🙌

🛍️ We already have amazing items up for bid, and we’re adding more every single day, so be sure to check back often.

👉 Register to bid now and join in the fun!
https://givebutter.com/c/xR4PrB/auction

Have something you’d like to donate? Contact Erika Martinez at erika.martinez@nisd.net.

💛🐾 Thank you for supporting our Bulldogs! Your participation helps fund dances, school-wide incentives, learning programs, student clubs, and field trips, giving every student the chance to learn, lead, and shine!

Have a business or something to sell or advertise?  Be a vendor at Bulldog Day. 

$40 for 1 table

Sign Up Here

📣 Fernandez Elementary Student Council is excited to announce our 1st Annual Food Drive! 🎉

Our student council was excited to come up with this idea on their own. They are showing their leadership and support for the community 💜🐾

Please bring new, unopened, non-perishable food items to help support the San Antonio Food Bank. Every donation makes a difference!

The 12 most needed items are:
Peanut butter
Cereal
Tuna
Beans
Rice
Macaroni and cheese
Chili and soups
Baby food and diapers
Canned lunch meat
Pet food
Full meals (canned or boxed)
Pop-top food items

These items are in high demand and help the food bank provide nourishment to the community. Thank you for showing your Bulldog pride by giving back!

We will also be sharing flyers created by our Student Council students as we continue the food drive. Our first flyer to be showcased was created by 4th grade student Henry C. Way to go!

We are excited to offer our school spirit sweatshirts this year! These are preorders and must be prepaid in cash. Anyone, including students, teachers, staff, and families, may order a sweatshirt if interested. Please see the order home sent home for all the details.

Youth sizes: $25
Adult sizes: $30

Order forms must be turned in with the cash payment attached. Preorders will be accepted starting Monday, December 8th through Friday, December 19.

Sweatshirts will be delivered to students when we return from winter break.

Let's stay cozy Bulldog style! 💛🐾

Our Lost & Found is overflowing with jackets, sweaters, lunch boxes, and more! We invite all parents and guardians to stop by and look through the items to claim anything that belongs to your child. Bring your ID to check in. Any unclaimed items remaining after Friday, December 19, will be donated. Thank you for helping us return these items to their owners!

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

Any submitted shoutout is printed on a certificate and shared with the staff member. Last month these staff members below loved being recognized! 

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%. Take a look at our daily attendance rate so far this school year!

August: 94.7%

September: 95.4%

October: 94.1%

November: 93.0%

December: 93.2% (as of December 5)

25-26 Average: 94.31% 

We’re proud of our 94.31% attendance rate.  We know we can reach our 95% goal! 🌟 

Every day counts—when students show up, they grow! Let’s keep up the great work and make every day matter. 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 4 and earn a Pajama Day! 

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.

Is your Bulldog a 5th grader? Take a look at the middle school magnet opportunities NISD offers! 

NISD MIDDLE SCHOOL MAGNETS

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.  Parents/visitors may not enter the classroom.  If you’d like to meet with your child’s teacher, please contact them to schedule a conference. 
  • 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! 

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.