September Family and Community Bulldog Bulletin

A Message from Our Fernandez PTA

⚾🕺 Batter up, Bulldogs! Join us for the Fernandez PTA Membership Bulldog All-Star Dance on Wednesday, September 9, from 5:00–6:30 p.m. Come ready to dance, have fun, and celebrate with our Bulldog family! 🐾💛

Not signed up for PTA yet? It’s never too late! Visit www.joinpta.org to become a member.

🎶 Calling all 4th and 5th Grade Bulldogs! Do you love to sing, perform, or try new things? Join the Fernandez Choir to make music, build confidence, and have fun with friends. Let your voice be heard! 🎤

Friday, September 11

7:00-7:40 A.M.

Every Bulldog needs someone cheering their name,
Offering love through each inning and game.
Join us for breakfast as everyone proudly agrees—
Our grandparents are the true MVPs!

Complimentary pastries and coffee will be served for grandparents only. Students will get a breakfast tray from the serving line. 

Optional: Adults may purchase a breakfast tray from the cafeteria for $4.00.

All visitors need to obtain a visitor’s badge by presenting a state issued ID.

To avoid long lines, a visitor badge maybe obtained prior to the day of the event at the front office.

Office Hours are Mon.-Fri. from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

We love welcoming families to enjoy lunch with their Bulldogs! Beginning Monday, September 21, lunch visits will be reserved for parents and documented guardians only. Younger siblings, relatives, and additional guests will not be permitted. We appreciate your understanding and support as we work to keep lunchtime safe and running smoothly.

September is Attendance Awareness Month, and we are excited to highlight the important role that being at school each day plays in student success. Every day a child is present is another opportunity to learn, connect with others, build confidence, and develop habits that will help them thrive.

Throughout the month, we will share helpful attendance tips and celebrate our Bulldogs who are showing up, arriving on time, and ready to learn. By working together, we can help every student step up to the plate for great attendance and a successful school year!

Bulldog families, thank you for helping make our dismissal process smooth, safe, and efficient! Your patience, cooperation, and continued support make a big difference each day. 

We appreciate you! 🐾💛🖤

Helpful Reminders

iDismiss Cards: Please have your card ready and clearly displayed on your rearview mirror. Families participating in parent walk-up dismissal should have the card in hand. This helps our team identify families quickly and prevents delays in your child’s dismissal. If a card is not present, you may be asked to provide identification to verify student pick-up.  If you need a new dismissal card, please stop by the front office.

Loading Zone: Please pull as far forward as possible and stop at the designated car signs so our staff can load students safely and efficiently. 

Buckling Up: If your child needs assistance buckling up, please pull completely through the loading zone to help them do so. For front-of-school dismissal, you may continue to the shaded tree area or pull safely into the parking lot.

Neighborhood Safety: Front Pickup families—including ALE, ECSE, Pre-K, Kinder, and First Grade—please be mindful of our neighbors when lining up near Lucky Draw St. and DeLeon Dr. Please do not block the cul-de-sac or driveways, park near stop signs, or make U-turns on Ridgebrook St. These actions can limit visibility and disrupt the safe flow of traffic.

Speed Limit: Please follow the posted speed limit while in the school zone and drive slowly through the car line to help keep everyone safe.

 At 3:20, all remaining students are sent to the front office where parents/guardians may sign them out.   

Every day at school makes a difference! When students attend regularly, they strengthen their learning habits, build meaningful relationships, and continue making progress toward success. Even a few missed days can add up and make it more difficult to keep up with classroom learning and routines. By making attendance a priority, families help students develop responsibility, confidence, and a strong foundation for the future.

Last year, our campus attendance rate remained nearly steady, decreasing by just one-tenth of a percentage point. While this was only a slight change, we know we can do even better when our Bulldog families and staff work together. Our campus daily attendance goal for this school year is 95%!

At Fernandez ES, we love celebrating students who show up on time and ready to learn each day. Throughout the year, students will have opportunities to earn classroom rewards, campus-wide recognition, special shout-outs, and fun attendance celebrations. These incentives help remind our Bulldogs that showing up every day is an accomplishment worth celebrating!

Thank you for partnering with us to help every Bulldog succeed. Take a look below to learn more!

September is Attendance Awareness Month and we want to encourage great attendance!

To celebrate exceptional attendance, any student who has:

• ZERO absences (excused or unexcused)

AND

• ZERO tardies

AND

• ZERO early outs

for the entire month of September will be invited to a DANCE party!!

🏆This month in celebration of Attendance Awareness, each class will work to have the best attendance!

The top 3 classes with the highest attendance percentage for the month of September will win a party! 

Each week, current standings will be shared. Show up to school each in September. Your class could be the winner! 

🏆1st Place will win a Donut Party!
🏆2nd Place will win a Popcorn Party!
🏆3rd Place will win a Popsicle Party!

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.

Northside ISD students will receive meals at no cost under the current USDA Waiver for the 2026-27 school year. In addition, your child's school participates in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 which allows for free meals for ALL students enrolled at the campus. Families at CEP schools are not required to complete a Free & Reduced-Price Meal application but must complete the following online documentation:  https://ecep.nisd.net

By completing this CEP form, additional funding for state and federal programs and services may be provided at Fernandez ES. If you have any questions, please call us at the office at 210-397-1900.

You can fill out the CEP form online at:  https://ecep.nisd.net 
You will need your child's student ID # and date of birth to fill our the form online. If you'd like to fill out a paper form, stop by the front office for a copy.

Thank you for your participation!

We are wrapping up our beginning-of-the-year MAP testing! Students in Kindergarten through 5th grade participate in MAP Reading and Math assessments three times throughout the school year. These adaptive assessments give our teachers in-depth information about how to best help your child make growth this school year. The information from MAP also helps us form our small groups so we can tailor our instruction to exactly what your child needs. Once testing is complete, families will receive a Family Report outlining their child’s current scores and growth over time.

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 SC & 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. 
• 7:45 a.m. Tardy Bell rings and classroom instruction begins with Daily Announcements
  • 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.

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.  Fast Passes must be renewed each grading cycle. 

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

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. 

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 26-27 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

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 2026-2027 school year and learn more about our Standard Response Protocol.

Common Response Language:
NISD will continue use of the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) that provides common language across campuses and with local law enforcement agencies in the event of a potential threat. Families should review and be familiar with the SRP language as identified on the graphic to the left.