8 Teams Advance in DI

South Texas Bridge held the Destination ImagiNation Regional Tournament in
Pharr, Texas on February 18. Approximately 140 teams, 20 from BISD, competed in the tournament. A total of 8 BISD teams earned 1st place and are eligible to compete in the state competition which will be held on April 13-15 in Corpus Christi, Texas.

BISD First Place DI Teams
Garden Park Elementary School
Designers, Inc.
DI Informers

Stell Middle School
Zipperz
Monkey See, Monkey Do
.
Pullam Elementary
School Exploding Imagination

Garcia Middle School
DI Gators

BECHS
Scorpionators

Sharp Elementary
School Mighty Owls

New Visual Arts Record

BISD visual arts students from all 6 high schools participated in the Regional Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) held in McAllen, Texas on February 18. A record 23 BISD students will advance to the State VASE Competition to be held in Bryan, Texas on April 13 and 14. View all BISD Regional VASE results.

Commissioner Defers 15% Policy

Commissioner of Education Robert Scott announced today he is deferring implementation of the new 15 percent grading requirement connected to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness end-of-course examinations. He took this action after receiving input from parents, educators and State Board of Education members, as well as statutory clarification from state leaders. Read the entire media release.

Open Enrollment for Sick Leave Bank

If an immediate family member has a catastrophic illness, employees may be eligible to withdraw days from BISD Voluntary Sick Leave Bank. For more information, call 548-8051. View or download Voluntary Sick Leave Bank Guidelines. Packets are available here.

Gold Award for ACE

BISD Adult Continuing Education (ACE) has been notified by Texas LEARNS that the program received Gold Level recognition for meeting all performance measures in Adult Education and English Literacy Civics for the 2010-2011 school year. Texas LEARNS oversees Adult Education for the state and is responsible for monitoring progress for the federal government and the Texas Education Agency. The district’s ACE program has been submitted to the U.S. Department of Education by Texas LEARNS this year as one of three outstanding adult education programs in Texas.

State Winter Game Results

Brownsville ISD was represented by 42 Special Olympics athletes at the 2012 Special Olympics State Winter Games held in Austin on February 11012. View the individual results.

NCLB Report Cards Now Available

Section 1111(h)(2) of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires each local education agency (LEA) that receives Title I, Part A funding to disseminate specific LEA- and campus-level data to 1) all LEA campuses, 2) parents of all enrolled students, and 3) to make the information widely available through public means such as posting on the internet, distribution to the media, or distribution through public agencies. To view state, district and campus level NCLB report cards please use the following link: http://www.bisd.us/ARE/NCLB%20Links%20(Report%20Cards).html If you require hard copies, please contact the Assessment, Research and Evaluation Department at 554-2806.

STAMP Meetings

Students who have been accepted into the new STAMP College Prep Program, opening in the 2012-2013 school year, and their parents must attend one of three important meetings at the Veterans Memorial High School auditorium on March 21-24 to learn about the required summer programs, transportation services, and course selections. For more information, call Michelle A. Seney, STAMP Administrator, at 574-5618 or email maseney@bisd.us. View the letters in English/Spanish.

Lockdown at Hanna High School

Hanna High School implemented a soft lockdown today at approximately 9:15 am after the campus administration received a tip about a possible bomb threat. BISD police officers quickly responded to the scene and were able to determine that it was a false alarm. One Hanna student has been detained. The lockdown was lifted at approximately 9:40 am. Letters will be sent home with students today with additional information about the incident.

Brownsville ISD has been chosen as one of five regional finalists in the 2012 H-E-B Excellence in Education Early Childhood Awards Program. As a finalist, BISD will receive a check for $5,000 and is eligible to win an additional $25,000. As part of the selection process, a team from H-E-B will visit the district on Monday, February 20. The H-E-B Excellence in Education Early Childhood Award is designed to support public or private schools or not-for-profit learning agencies that focus on the care and education of children under the age of five. The purpose of the award is to offer support to help create or enhance Kinder Readiness programs that prepare children to enter Kindergarten socially and academically ready to learn. The 5 regional finalists will each be presented with a check for $5,000 to apply towards the enhancement of existing Kinder Readiness activities or creating new programs for the target population. The overall state winner will be announced and awarded an additional $25,000 grant to apply towards enhancing existing Kinder Readiness programs or creating a new program for the target population.

The Texas Education Agency recently announced that Brownsville ISD has been preliminarily selected to receive a grant for the 2011-2013 Texas Literacy Initiative (TLI) grant program. BISD is one of 30 districts chosen statewide and four from the Rio Grande Valley. The purpose of the TLI grant program is to improve school readiness and success in the areas of language and literacy for disadvantaged students in targeted school districts who will use the model of Literacy Lines to implement the Texas State Literacy Plan (TSLP). The goals of the grant program are to (1) increase the oral language and preliteracy skills of participating preschool children; (2) improve the performance of participating K–2 students on early reading assessments; (3) increase the percentage of participating students who meet or exceed proficiency on the state English language arts assessments in grades 3–12; (4) increase the use of data and data analysis to inform all decision making in participating districts, campuses, classrooms, and early learning settings; and (5) increase the implementation of effective literacy instruction through Literacy Lines.

BISD Named H-E-B Finalist

Brownsville ISD has been chosen as one of five regional finalists in the 2012 H-E-B Excellence in Education Early Childhood Awards Program. As a finalist, BISD will receive a check for $5,000 and is eligible to win an additional $25,000. As part of the selection process, a team from H-E-B will visit the district on Monday, February 20. The H-E-B Excellence in Education Early Childhood Award is designed to support public or private schools or not-for-profit learning agencies that focus on the care and education of children under the age of five. The purpose of the award is to offer support to help create or enhance Kinder Readiness programs that prepare children to enter Kindergarten socially and academically ready to learn. The 5 regional finalists will each be presented with a check for $5,000 to apply towards the enhancement of existing Kinder Readiness activities or creating new programs for the target population. The overall state winner will be announced and awarded an additional $25,000 grant to apply towards enhancing existing Kinder Readiness programs or creating a new program for the target population.

Survey for Dual Enrollment

All BISD teachers who are interested in teaching dual enrollment classes next school year are invited to take a survey located on the BISD homepage under “Resources.” The district is looking for teachers who are interested in attending UTB with possible assistance with tuition costs.

BISD Students Earn Accolades

Eight BISD high school students, the largest number in Texas, have been named Exemplary Migrant Students by the University of Texas at Austin Continuing Education Program. These BISD students will be honored during the 2012 Exemplary Migrant Student Recognition Ceremony to be held on Monday, April 2, 2012 in Austin. A total of 40 students from throughout the state will be recognized.

20th Anniversary of Principal for a Day

Brownsville ISD will host its popular Principal for a Day (PFAD) activity on Friday, February 17, 2012. Each BISD campus has invited a business or community leader to serve as a guest principal for the entire morning. Started in 1992, Brownsville’s PFAD has enabled hundreds of local leaders to experience the joys and challenges of school administration. The guest principals will begin the day at their assigned schools where they will shadow the campus administrator and participate in a variety of school activities. The day will conclude with a luncheon at the new Breeden Elementary School where participants will share stories about the morning they spent in the principal’s office. Over the years, many Brownsville PFAD guest principals, inspired by their experiences, have continued their involvement with BISD schools.

The Tradition Continues

For 95 years, Brownsville ISD has provided a quality education for our community’s children. The addition of more public school students and schools has not changed the district’s mission. Each BISD campus from the original Putegnat Elementary School to the new Daniel Breeden Elementary School has a fascinating history.

What ’s Happening at the BISD Museum

The BISD Museum, located at the Central Administrative Building (CAB), is currently featuring a colorful display on Charro Days. Drop by and see how BISD students and employees have celebrated Charro Days over the years. The BISD Museum is also currently soliciting donations of old BISD campus yearbooks. If you would like to make a yearbook donation, contact Hilda Williams at 698-1752 or email hswilliams@bisd.us.

Porter Students Offer Tax Preparation Help

Porter High School is a free tax assistance site for families or individuals earning $49,000 or less on Tuesdays from 4-7pm. Students in business classes taught by Alberto Velez have been trained to prepare the tax forms. The initiative is sponsored in conjunction with the United Way of Southern Cameron County. Free tax assistance will be available at Porter from January 24-February 21. No appointment is necessary.

Sign Up for Early Notification Program

At the regularly scheduled board meeting held on January 17, 2012, the BISD Board of Trustees approved the Early Notification of Voluntary Resignation Incentive Program. The time frame available for employee request will run from January 23, 2012 to February 22, 2012 for Special Assignment/District-wide Administration, Professional Hiring Schedule Employees, and Classified Personnel.

The District will again offer an Early Notification Incentive Payment in the amount of:

Classified Employees
20% of current gross salary up to $5,000

Professional Hiring Schedule Employees
15% of current gross salary up to $10,000

Special Assignment / District-Wide Administration
10% of current gross salary up to $7,500

Any employee opting for the Early Notification Resignation Incentive Payment must hand deliver a signed Letter of Resignation and a signed Waiver and Release Agreement to the BISD Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources office beginning January 23, 2012 at 8:00 AM and no later than February 22, 2012 at 5:00 PM. Click here to download the employee letters in English and Spanish, the resolution in English and Spanish, and the employee agreement in English and in Spanish.

Local Readers’ Vote on Favorites

Four BISD employees and two campuses earned recognition in the 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards sponsored by The Brownsville Herald. Congratulations to Principal Mary Solis, Veterans Memorial HS; Teacher Dora Chanes, Aiken Elementary; Music Teacher Joe Salinas, Sharp Elementary; Coach Mario Cisneros, Pace HS; and Vela MS and Hanna HS.

Update on W-2 Forms

All current BISD employees will receive their W-2 forms by Tuesday, January 31, 2012. The W-2 forms for former BISD employees will be mailed by Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

Middle Schools Dominate

BISD middle school band students swept the 2012 Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Region 28 band auditions held on Saturday, January 21 at Rivera High School. The BISD students earned an amazing 155 All-Region Band chairs, 11 of the 16 1st chair positions. For the second consecutive year, all 11 BISD middle schools earned chairs. Congratulations to the middle school band students and their directors. View the schools and number of chairs earned.

Early Notification Program Begins Monday

At the regularly scheduled board meeting held on January 17, 2012, the BISD Board of Trustees approved the Early Notification of Voluntary Resignation Incentive Program. The time frame available for employee request will run from January 23, 2012 to February 22, 2012 for Special Assignment/District-wide Administration, Professional Hiring Schedule Employees, and Classified Personnel. The District will again offer an Early Notification Incentive Payment in the amount of: Classified Employees 20% of current gross salary up to $5,000 Professional Hiring Schedule Employees 15% of current gross salary up to $10,000 Special Assignment / District-Wide Administration 10% of current gross salary up to $7,500 Any employee opting for the Early Notification Resignation Incentive Payment must hand deliver a signed Letter of Resignation and a signed Waiver and Release Agreement to the BISD Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources office beginning January 23, 2012 at 8:00 AM and no later than February 22, 2012 at 5:00 PM. Click here to download the employee letters in English and Spanish, the resolution, and the employee agreement.