Hello, Brentwood families!

We’re getting ready for a wonderful year—and the familiar routines of school. So, with lots of back-to-school fun these next few weeks, we wanted to make sure you’re in the loop. First up, a welcome letter from Principal Saenz-Hosack with important information about our new arrival and dismissal processes this year (spoiler: bus and car rider locations have swapped).

For those new to Brentwood Elementary, the Bulldog Bark serves as our PTA newsletter where we recap calls-to-action for advocating for our teachers and staff, as well as school happenings at Brentwood.

Brentwood PTA was singled out by Texas PTA among all other school PTAs across the state for our advocacy work this past school year! This is such an honor, but more importantly, it's a reflection of our community values: diversity, equity, inclusion, learning about one another and many cultures, supporting our neighbors, and calling on our political representatives to increase funding for public education. 

Membership in PTA helps us drive more impact with our advocacy, which will be very important this year with so much at stake for public education funding during the next legislative session. Please renew your membership or join PTA today, and consider gifting your loved ones with Brentwood PTA memberships to help further this vital work. 

New this year! We have added student memberships and will coordinate student letter-writing and artwork to send to our representatives, showing support and love for our teachers. Remember, more members = greater impact! Thank you for your support.

We are now accepting donations for the Bulldog Fund! This year, we’re raising money to give each teacher $300 to spend as they see fit for their classroom. Please help us knock this $15,000 goal out of the park—no amount is too small! Any proceeds beyond our goal will go towards the PTA budget that supports school programming like literacy and math software, library books, music, art, and more. You can donate online at BrentwoodPTA.com or by dropping off a check at the front office.

P.S. Don't forget to ask your employer if they will match your contribution. The Brentwood PTA is a 501(c)(3), so all donations are tax deductible.

Brentwood PTA supports our school in a variety of ways. We’ll have loads of volunteer opportunities posted on our new communication platform once school starts (more on that soon). In the meantime, please let us know of any events or ongoing work you’d like more information about via this survey. 

Additionally, there is a parent position open on this year's Campus Advisory Council (CAC). Campus Advisory Councils are committees of parents, business and community representatives, teachers, principals, and other campus staff that meet monthly on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. Apply here or email rachel.ladov@gmail.com with questions.

As you may or may not know, students wear their famous Brentwood Bulldog custom tie-dyed shirts on field trips and for various spirit days throughout the school year—and help make our neighborhood more colorful and connected every day.  

Brentwood’s beloved tie-dyed T-shirts take a (big, fun) village. We’re currently seeking captains in most grades (rising kinder and 2nd, you’re all set!). Please contact Caton Brown (catonhb@gmail.com) if you’d like to captain your student’s grade level or for more information. Or select “Tie-Dye” in the survey above if you’re potentially interested in helping your student’s class on their dye day. 

We’ll teach grade-level captains how to support volunteers and students on Sept. 7, from 9–noon. Never tie-dyed? No problem! We’ll teach you everything you need to know.

On a related note, you can order your student’s Bulldog T-shirt now for our annual tie-dye event!

• Tues., Aug. 6: AISD Budget Strategy: Community Conversation, 12 p.m. Join via Zoom
• Wed., Aug. 7: AISD Budget Strategy: Staff Conversation, 5:30 p.m. Join via Zoom
• Wed., Aug. 7: AISD Budget Strategy: Community Conversation, 6:30 p.m. Join via Zoom
• Sat., August 10: Pre-K and Kindergarten students meet up at Brentwood Park for a playdate, hosted by PTA, 9–10 a.m. 
• Sat., August 10: 1st through 5th graders meet up at Brentwood Park for popsicles and reconnecting with friends, 10–11 a.m.
• Fri., August 16: Meet the Teacher, 3:30–5 p.m.
  If you purchased school supplies through the school fundraiser, they will be available for pickup at Meet the Teacher to take to the classrooms. If not, please reference this school supply list.
• Tues., August 20: FIRST DAY! And our Boo-hoo/Woo-hoo Breakfast for first-time families will be hosted after drop-off. Join us in the Community Room for coffee and a donut (and tissues!).
• Thurs., Sept. 5: Parents-only time with teachers to learn about the flow of your student’s day and what to expect in the school year ahead, (evening time TBD).

PTA’s website currently includes program information from last year, but that page will soon be updated with information about 2024–2025 after-school programs, when available.  

• Arrivals and dismissals are changing this year, with a new location for car rider drop-off and pick-up. Need to know when and where to drop off and pick up your kiddo on campus? Check out our NEW Arrivals & Dismissals guide. 
• Brentwood is a nut-aware campus. When sending your lunch or snacks with your child, please pack foods that are free of peanuts and tree-nuts. Are you a parent of a child with a nut-allergy? Be sure to check out our guide for how to inform and advocate for your child at Brentwood.
• To prevent our Lost & Found from growing arms and legs and joining a soccer game at recess (it becomes full enough for at least 2 teams every few months!), please label your student’s clothing, water bottles, lunch boxes—everything (how does one lose pants during the school day?)—and use their FULL NAME (initials aren’t enough) so we can help get items to the correct classroom. If you buy from Mabel’s Labels and select Brentwood Elementary PTA as your fundraiser recipient, you’ll get a discount and PTA will earn some money, too.
• Donors Choose is a great place to find and support teacher classroom needs from Brentwood and other neighboring schools, like Wooten. 
• Save the Date: Halloween Carnival is Oct. 19, from 3–6 p.m. More info. to come in September, but we are looking for sponsors and we'd greatly appreciate any donations, including an in-kind donation that runs a booth. Contact Kanako Lickteig (k.oomori312@gmail.com) for more details.