January News
Brenham Independent School District
Brenham, Texas 77833
Administration Building, 711 Mansfield St., (979) 277-3700
Alton Elementary School,1210 S Market St.,(979) 277-3870
Brenham Alternative School, 1301 S. Market St., (979) 277-3890
Brenham Elementary School, 1000 W. Blue Bell Rd., (979) 277-3880
Brenham High School, 525 A.H. Ehrig Dr., (979) 277-3800
Brenham Junior High School, 1200 Carlee Dr., (979) 277-3830
Brenham Middle School, 1600 S. Blue Bell Rd., (979) 277-3845
Krause Elementary School, 2201 E. Stone St., (979) 277-3860
Alton Elementary School
I hope that everyone had a fantastic Christmas holiday and a wonderful beginning to the New
Year. The staff and I are extremely excited to hear all the wonderful stories that happened over
the holidays with our students. Again, we are all excited to start 2015 on the right foot.
Congratulations to: Keanna Lor, Ella Andrejczak, and Ty’Shekia White. They will represent Alton
Elementary School at the Washington County Spelling Bee. A big thanks goes to Mrs. Jean
Stogdill, first grade teacher, who has graciously volunteered to be our Spelling Bee Coach these
past few years. Mrs. Stogdill and the students have been working extremely hard. We wish them
the best of luck at the contests and are proud of the efforts they have made and will continue to
make during their school career.
I hope that you had the opportunity to stop by our “Evening With Santa Christmas Program.” The
students did an outstanding job singing and dancing that night. Our PTO did a wonderful job
preparing for the event. A big thanks to Mr. Schramme, music teacher, Coach Stewart and
Coach Ray, PE teachers, for getting the students ready to sing and dance. Through the silent
auction/baked goods/country store, and Santa pictures our PTO was able to raise $2500 for
Alton. The PTO is hoping to use some of these funds to add a campus sign or some new
playground equipment to our new school site. We hope that everyone had a good time. Even
Santa had a good time. He told me before he took off in his sled that he always enjoys coming to
Alton Elementary School. He hopes that he will be able to come again next year.
Again, many thanks for the support everyone has given Alton Elementary School. We appreciate
you allowing us to teach your child and prepare them for the future. Let us continue the
partnership of working together. Doing so will only continue to make the Brenham community a
wonderful place to be.
Michael Ogg, Principal
Brenham Elementary School
Happy New Year! There are only 358 more shopping days until Christmas. Actually every day is
Christmas at BES. I say that because I have some many gifts under my BES tree. The gifts are
actually all the wonderful people and organizations surrounding me on 1000 W Blue Bell Road.
These gifts are what make BES one of the best schools in Texas. My 2015 New Year’s resolution
is to do a better job acknowledging these gifts and letting them know how thankful I am to have
them in my life. I am going to start my resolution today.
First, Mr. Siemsglusz, you are an awesome right hand. You work tirelessly every day to make
sure every lunch, every classroom, and every duty is covered. You help our teachers with their
students when they need a little extra care and you do a great job keeping me out of trouble with
Santa. You are the best assistant principal anyone could ask for and I am lucky to have you! Ms.
Boenker, thank you for always being there for me and my teachers. Thank you for your
strategies, keen insights, book studies, PLCs, walk throughs, model teaching, data meetings,
benchmark tests, warm ups, and Powerbursts. You are the compass always pointing me in the
right direction. Ms. Guelker, thank you for always knowing the right thing to do. Thank you for
keeping the paperwork straight. Thank you for being by my side when I have to have difficult
conversations. Thank you for guiding our parents when they feel lost. Thank you for always
having the right answers. Anna Maria, you are truly a gift. I can always count you to tell me the
truth even when it is not what I want to hear. Thank you for paying the bills, keeping the lights
turned on, counting the money, getting the substitutes, and doing everything else for me that I
don’t even know about. Thank you PTO. Thank you for the mini grants, T-shirts, yearbooks, book
fair, Snack Attack, website, teacher incentives, luncheons, volunteers, and recycling. Thank you
for helping make a difference in the lives of our kids. Thank you for your time and energy. Thank
you for always being there. Thank you Mission Brenham. Thank you for J.A.M., school supplies,
and additional resources for our kids. Thank you for AJ. Thank you for believing in our kids.
Thank you BES teachers; it is an honor and pleasure to watch you teach our kids the constantly
changing state standards and so much more. I am lucky to see kids laugh with you, cry with you,
walk with you, run to you, cook with you, search with you, paint with you, sing and dance with
you, add, multiply, and divide with you, read and write with you and grow with you. You guys are
not just the kid’s winning lottery ticket, you are mine too. Thank you BES teachers and staff for
making this a special place for me and my family. Thank you Ms. Kulow and Ms. Chalmers for
making copies, running the mail, and saving the office staff steps. You are more important than
you will ever know. You are a priceless gift. Thank you Blue Bell, CiCi’s Pizza, H.E.B.,
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Brookshire’s, and Sonic for incentives and snacks. Thank you Time Well Spent, Toy Box, 1
Methodist Church, and Boy’s Club for proving a safe place to go after school. Thank you Banner
Press for covering our programs with articles and pictures. Thank you Ms. Irma and Mr. John for
keeping us clean. Ms. Paula and your staff – thank you for feeding us. Thank you Citizens on
Patrol for helping us get safely to and from school. Thank you Officer Chris Jackson and all the
Washington County peace officers for working in our school on your days off. Thank you for
keeping us safe. Thank you for building relationships with our kids. Thank you Alex Morrison,
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Arlen Thielman, and the Brenham 1 Baptist Church for the Core Essentials program. Thank you
for bringing a smile to our faces. Thank you making us laugh. Thank you BISD School Board for
providing us with leadership, guidance and resources. Thank you for taking the time to visit our
school and spend time with our teachers.
Thank you for all the hours you devote making hard decisions. Thank
you for doing what is right for kids; even when you know it is not the
popular thing to do. Last, but not least, thank you BES students for
your smiles and hugs. Thank you for your encouraging words. Thank
you for your hard work. Thank you for turning off the T.V. and the video
games to study your multiplication facts and spelling rules. Thank you
for completing your homework and reminding your parents to sign your
folders. Thank you for doing the right thing; even when your friends
may not be. Thank you for sticking up for each other. Thank you for
stopping to tie someone else’s shoes. Thank you for saying the
pledge. Thank you for showing your strategies. Thank you for picking
up the lunch trays and cleaning off the tables. Thank you for recycling.
Thank you for doing the right thing when you know no one is looking.
Thank you for making this the best job in the world!
Robert Fleming, Principal
Krause Elementary School
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We have wrapped up our 3 6 weeks and enjoyed our Christmas break! We will look forward to
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discussing our 4 6 weeks CORE value of commitment.
Krause would like to send a shout out to our third grade students for their hard work in the
Christmas musical Holiday Road Trip. Thanks to Mrs. Young for her creativity and direction.
Also, thanks to our third grade teachers, Coach Wellmann, Mrs. Dujka, & Mrs. Ramsey for
supporting the effort in a big way! We would like to thank everyone for making our annual book
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fair a huge success. The book fair was held from December 8 thru December 12 , with a family
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night being held on Thursday, December 11 . Clifford was at Krause all week to encourage our
students to read!
We collected canned food items for Bread
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Partners the weeks of December 3rd-17 and had donation
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boxes that were overflowing. Pictured are some of our 4
grade students with their canned goods on the “Giving Tree”.
We are so thankful for our generous Krause students for giving
during this time of year.
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We are looking forward to seeing our students return to school on January 6 . During the 4 six
weeks we will learn all about commitment. Commitment means making a plan and putting it into
practice. We will also learn about the prairie dog and how committed these mammals are to
helping take care of their family, which lives in a big colony.
In closing, thank you for your support of Krause Elementary. We hope that you all had a very
blessed, restful holiday and that 2015 will be a great year for you.
Together we can work together to be the difference we want to see in our children.
Courtney Mason, Principal
Brenham Middle School
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Our 5 graders are beginning their preparation for their trip to JABiz Town in Houston, Texas.
Our students will spend the day “running” a city. Fourteen businesses are opened for the day
including City Hall, the bank, the utilities office and many more. JABiz Town is a Junior
Achievement activity that focuses on government, finance and citizenship.
Students will begin their preparation by submitting a job application and completing an interview.
Once those are complete, each student will receive a job assignment for this activity. Jobs may
include a CEO of a business, accountant, policeman, bank teller, or many other important jobs
that are essential for the success of a small town. Two jobs in JABiz Town are filled by an
election. After election speeches are given, the citizens of JABiz Town vote for the position of
Mayor and Judge. Of course, this is for only the citizens who have completed their voter
registration forms.
Once our students discover their job placement, the students get together with other employees
of their business and create a game plan. As a group, they determine what amount of money
(JABiz town money) they will need to start up their business. They determine how much it will
cost for rent, utilities, supplies, payroll, advertisement and insurance. Once that is calculated, it is
time to go to the JABiz Town bank and get a loan.
The goal for every business is to create enough revenue to pay off their loan by the end of the
day. Businesses determine the product that they will be selling, and after a lesson on supply and
demand determine appropriate cost for their type of service.
When students finally arrive in Houston, our Mayor will officially open the city. Students quickly
get to work taking care of all the ins and outs of running their particular business. Once their first
paycheck arrives, they head down to the bank to open their checking account. They can’t forget
to pay their taxes and put money in savings while they are there. If they still have time during
their break, they can visit other shops to spend some of their hard earned JABiz Town money.
By the end of the day, students get a good taste of how “real life” can be. Businesses get an
opportunity to look at why they were or were not able to pay off their loan. Students see how well
they did on their personal finance as well. Students get a life lesson on how many hours of work it
would take to pay for all those “things” we so desperately want to purchase. It is an awesome
experience for our students, and the lessons they learn go way beyond just reading about
government and finance in the regular classroom. They discover team work, work ethic and
responsibility are crucial for any group to be successful.
If you are interested in volunteering to attend JABiz Town with our students, please contact the
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Brenham Middle School office at 979-277-2534 . We will be going to Houston on January 27 –
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January 30 .
Peggy Still, Principal
Brenham Junior High School
The first semester of classes at BJHS has flown by. The girls and boys basketball teams are midway through the season. Our theater arts classes performed holiday plays to help put our
students and faculty in a festive mood. Our Game Changers Club spread holiday cheer to the
residents at Kruse Village Retirement community with Christmas carols. Our UIL One Act Play
cast and crew has been selected and they are hard at work on the play "Charlotte's Web".
January will be filled with preparations for the Washington County Spelling Bee, Academic UIL
events, UIL competitions for our bands and choir and concluding basketball season. Also,
January 26th-30th will be our anti-bullying week. BJHS will end the week with a school-wide
afternoon assembly. Practice STAAR testing will also take place during the week of January 26th30th.
Bryan Bryant, Principal
Brenham Independent School District
Holiday, MondayMonday-January 19th
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Brenham High School
BHS is participating in a field test type of SAT & PSAT testing. These tests are in the process of
being redesigned and BHS students have the opportunity to participate free of charge to get a
glimpse of what these redesigned tests will look like next year. These SAT & PSAT field tests will
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be given on January 16 during the school day to 10 , 11 & 12th graders who sign up. If a
student is interested or has questions, they may speak with Dr. Schoener on campus. Dr.
Schoener will also be happy to answer questions parents may have about this opportunity.
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We hope your holiday break has been restful, fun & safe. See you on January 6 . Go Cubs & Go
Cubettes!
Steve Skrla, Principal
PRIDE Academy
It is hard to believe that a brand new year is upon us! In keeping with New Year Resolutions, try
to keep your goals ideal in order for them to be easily achieved. We are excited to let you know
that we had two PRIDE Academy graduates in December 2014. Joshua Milsap and Jose
Espinoza completed their final classes in the spring semester in order to call themselves
completers. We are hopeful that we will see fourteen more students graduating in May of this
year.
Our students have acquired a total of seventy-seven credits during their fall semester. We are
very pleased with their achievements. Three of our students will be enrolling in The Hodde
Technical Center. (Hannia Flores and Emily Tapia will enroll in the Certified Nursing Assistant
Program and Forrest Kohring will enroll in Beginning Welding Program)
If you are a parent in Brenham ISD, and you are looking for an alternative way for your high
school teenager to become a graduate, then give us a call at 979-277-3890. We offer an online
approach for qualifying students to reach his/her high school diploma. PRIDE Academy is a
credited school in Brenham ISD.
Dates to Remember:
January 5, 2015
January 6, 2015
January 6, 2015
January 19, 2015
Teacher Inservice/Workday
Student’s Return to School
Fourth Six Weeks Begins
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Kay Domel, Administrator
CTE Career Center
Planning and preparation are keys to college and career success. Over the next several months
many students will make decisions regarding occupational interests, college choices, living
arrangements, and finances. The Career and Technical Education (CTE) department’s Career
Center can assist students with the following: occupational interests and skills
assessments, providing up-to-date college and occupational information, developing
post-secondary plans, registering for the TSI, SAT, or ACT, Completing college applications,
providing information and assistance with financial aid, and developing resumes, portfolios, and
interviewing skills.
The Career Center is open each school day from 7:40 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Arrangements can be
made by contacting [email protected].
Cody Stelter, Director
Career and Technical Education
Brenham FCCLA hosted an assembly at BHS about texting and driving, as well as making good
choices. Jeanne Brown from Wellman,TX lost her daughter, Alex, to texting and driving. She now
goes across the country to promote awareness about distracted driving so that other families and
communities will not experience this tragedy. Blue Bell Creameries, DDM Pipe and Steel, Tina
and Stacey Roehling, Gloria Roehling, Woodmen of the World, Brenham Fire Department, Rob’s
Fun Center, Washington County Rotary Club, and Champion Fellowship sponsored and provided
the donations for the event.
FCCLA Co-Chairs Eili Barker, Marisol Rodriguez, Maria Aguado, and Brette Kohring raised the
funds to bring the Remember Alex Brown Foundation to BHS. This is part of FCCLA’s FACTS
(Families Acting For Community Traffic Safety).
Pictured left to right are: Eili Barker, Maria Aguado,
Brette Kohring, Jeanne Brown, and Marisol
Rodriguez
FCCLA Public Relations
Eili Barker
Child Nutrition Department
Happy New Year! It’s a time for New Year’s Resolutions and new beginnings. In the Child
Nutrition Department, our goal is to continue to improve our meals while meeting the federal
guidelines. We have been working to improve our breakfast menu and students will see many
changes in January. Breakfast is an important way to begin the day and we have made several
changes to better meet the sodium guidelines while providing enough calories and options for
students to choose from. We hope that everyone will be able to find something they like every
day so they can start the day with a good breakfast.
In addition to shuffling some items on the Breakfast Menu, we have added an old favorite, the
Pancake Pup, to Thursday’s menu. On Friday we will offer a new breakfast burrito and on
Wednesday, we are bringing back the Italian Breakfast Pizza we served last year. We are
keeping the Breakfast Parfait and now offer it on Tuesday and Thursday. We are replacing the
Hash Browns with Potato Crisps and will offer them on Tuesday and Thursday. We hope these
will be popular changes. We continue to offer cereal and toast every day. If you don’t have time
for breakfast at home, know that your child has several options for breakfast at school each day.
We are also making some changes at the High School starting in January. We have three
reimbursable menus at High School. In the past, we have served our Trayline menu on three
lines. Starting in January, we will only serve that menu on the two lines nearest the kitchen. The
third line that served the Trayline menu will now serve the “Special Line” menu with Nacho
Supreme, Chef Salad, and Pizza. We hope that this change will make all of the meals more
accessible for students and keep some lines from getting too long. We will have a special
promotion in January to encourage students to try our new items.
We have a few changes at the other schools as well. You can see all of our changes on our
menus on our website. You can get there by going to the
Brenham ISD website and clicking on “Menus” under “Quicklinks” on the left. We have printable
menus and menus with all of our nutrition information. We hope this helps to get 2015 off to a
great start!
Bridget Levien, Assistant Director
Community Education
Community Education is offering the following:
Aquacize
Private Tennis Lessons
Country Western Dance
Art classes
Beginning Computer classes
Prom/Wedding dance classes
Kool After School is accepting applications for its after school program.
Call 979-277-3895 for more information.
Susan Pritchard, Director
Lands Program
8th Grade Advanced Science LANDS Deer Field Investigation. Another successful L.A.N.D.S.
Deer Field Investigation is in the books! Mrs. Bentke’s advanced science classes attended their
white-tailed deer investigation at Rocky Creek State Park on December 3rd.
During the six-hour field investigation, over 140 students rotated through guided, hands-on
stations that offered students an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the anatomy,
behavior, and habitat of the white-tailed deer, as well as stewardship of local resources. “For
most people, ‘hands-on’ allows us to remember more because we can touch, smell, and feel,”
said Koy Coffer, Texas Wildlife Association’s Educational Program Specialist. “The more we can
explore and feel comfortable with it, the more we can understand something.”
Students enjoyed the hands-on experience as well. “[My favorite part of the day was] having
[hands-on] contact with stuff,” eighth-grader Ray
Martinez said. “Actually [touching] instead of just
looking - that’s boring.” Students were led by a
dedicated group of volunteers that understand
the importance of working with students to
increase their understanding of the local
environment. Volunteers from Texas Wildlife
Association (TWA), Texas Parks and Wildlife,
USDA - Natural Resource Conservation Service,
Texas Master Naturalists, Texas Brigades,
Washington County Wildlife Society,
Washington County Animal Clinic, and other
private businesses dedicated their time to
prepare for and lead the stations. In addition to
enhancing the students’ ongoing investigation
into the white-tailed deer, these volunteers
provided valuable insight and allowed students
to connect with professionals to learn more
about wildlife and natural resource career opportunities available in both the business and
nonprofit world. Koy Coffer, said it best, “Our Natural Resource Professionals “walk the talk”,
therefore they are vital to quality teaching.” For more information on Texas Wildlife Association’s
Learning Across New Dimensions in Science (L.A.N.D.S.) program, contact Koy Coffer, TWA
Education Program Specialist at [email protected].
Spring 2015 will see existing programs flourish and new programs piloted. As we grow, so does
our need for volunteers! If you are interested in helping students and teachers connect to
Washington County’s natural resources through planning, preparing materials, teaching, or
otherwise, please contact Natalie James at [email protected].
Natalie James, Instructor
January 9, 2015
Beverly England-BISD Public Relations Coordinator