Well it’s that time of year again. It’s time to buy school supplies. Please consider buying supplies at Office Depot. Barton Hills Elementary will receive 5% back of all purchases. Just tell the cashier that you are from Barton Hills Elementary or give them this number. 70094556

Thank you,

Christine Stueve

PTA President – Barton Hills Elementary

Spring is a busy time at Barton Hills Elementary. We have many great activities happening at our school that I want to share with you. If you have a chance, please check out the newly planted area by the back parking lot. On March 6th, we had a Spring Planting Party and planted a variety of ground cover and bushes to make the terraced area attractive and low-maintenance. We are also working on sprucing up the interior atrium area with potted flowers and plants.

We have several events happening in April that you might consider joining us for:

· On Saturday, April 3rd, Zilker Elementary school and community will hold their annual “Fun Run/Walk (5K) and Parade” through the Zilker and Barton Hills neighborhoods. They have invited all Barton Hills families and neighbors to join in this community-wide event. It will start at 9:00 am and begin and end at Zilker Elementary. What a great way to meet new friends, or just come out to support our communities.

· The week of April 12 – 16 we will have our Spring Book Fair. Proceeds from this annual event are returned directly to our Library to support the purchases of new library materials. You are welcome to shop at our Book Fair!

· May 4th is Kindergarten Round-Up from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. We invite all students (and their parents, of course) who will be kindergarteners beginning in the 2004-2005 school year to visit that morning. Students will have the opportunity to tour our school and visit the classrooms. Parents will have the opportunity to fill out the necessary registration paperwork and hear a presentation about the Kindergarten curriculum and meet the teachers.

Soon, you might be reading about an anticipated bond election for the Fall 2004 as recommended by an AISD Citizen’s Bond Advisory Council. While we don ’t have an exact figure at this time, the bond will be somewhere around $400 million. Based on a facilities needs survey, Barton Hills has needs of close to $2.5 million dollars in basic facilities upgrades, renovations, and repairs. This includes items such as replacing and repairing our heating and air-conditioning system, constructing drainage improvements around the building, installing exterior security lighting, repairing the cabinetry and doors in the building classrooms, addressing some ADA compliance issues, and replacing the ceiling grid in the cafeteria. If the bond is passed, the money dedicated to Barton Hills elementary would enhance our facility.

Since the last newsletter, we have experienced fewer acts of vandalism. Thanks to an anonymous tip, we were able to recover our Barton Hills sign. Thank you for watching out for our school. As always, we are proud to be a part of this great neighborhood.

Kati Achtermann

Principal, Barton Hills Elementary

Barton Hills Elementary PTA is selling Gift Cards to HEB/Central Market, and Randall’s! We are inviting our neighbors to join in and support Barton Hills Elementary.

Here is how it works: You purchase a gift card to HEB/Central Market and/or Randall’s from the Barton Hills PTA. You pay the face value for the card. Barton Hills PTA then purchases the cards at a 5% discount. They mail the cards to our school and you pick them up there. They are as good as cash, they do not expire, and come in $100 increments.

This is an ongoing program – each month you can purchase your gift card through the school. For more information, or to purchase your grocery cards, contact PTA President Karen Dulaney Smith at 707-8610, or email her at kds@io.com.