besteiro - doyoubuzz

BESTEIROMIDDLE SCHOOL

BESTEIROMIDDLE SCHOOL6280 SOUTHMOST RD. BROWNSVILLE, TX 78521 (956) 544-3900 FAX: (956) 544-3946

Official Besteiro Middle School Masthead

Official Besteiro Middle School Details

Alternate Logo Options

This is the only masthead that should be used that contains the contact information for the school. It can be scaled, but in this format it is perfectly formatted for a standard sheet of paper.

The official typeface for the Besteiro Middle School logo is Eurostile. This can be downloaded for free at http://www.webpagepublicity.com/free-fonts-e3.htmlMake sure to download the bold version, as this is the official font weight for Besteiro Middle School. The normal weight version can be used for other publication options.

The yellow wildcat logo is the only option to be used on black. Blue is too hard to see.

Navy Blue RGB: 0, 0, 128 CMYK: 100, 98, 14, 17 HEX #: 000080

Gold RGB: 255, 224, 43 CMYK: 2, 8, 92, 0 HEX #: FFE02B

Gray RGB: 102, 102, 102 CMYK: 60, 51, 51, 20 HEX #: 666666

TYPEFACE


Alternative Logo Options

BESTEIROMIDDLE SCHOOLWWIL

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ATS

WWIL

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NASAN I G H T

be s t e ir o mid

dle sc

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olpea

ce on earth, good will to men

peace on earth, good will t

o m

en peace on earth, good wi

ll to men

peace on earth

, good will to menNoche

PazDE

december 8, 2011

WEL

CO

ME

TO BESTEIRO MIDDLE SCHOOL’S N

ASA NIG

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Noche PazDE

NASA, Christmas? Seems like there shouldn’t be a connection, but at Besteiro

Middle School it’s more than a connection – it’s a tradition. Ever since Besteiro was named a NASA

Explorer School, teachers have worked to help students peer into the furthest reaches of space and their

own creativity. �e Fine Arts programs at Besteiro Middle School truly allow students the opportunity to learn, grow and

share their talents and abilities. �ank you for your support.

p r o g r a m

Christmas Cheer

Art Showcase

Hot Cross Buns

12 Days After Christmas

Rock’n Around the Christmas Tree

Hip Hop Reindeer

Silver Bells

La Nanita

One Act Play

Silent Night/Still, Still, Still

‘Zat You Santa Claus?

Up on the House Top

Frosty the Snowman

Wildcat Cheerleaders

Art students & Symphonic band

Beginning band

Tenor/Bass Choir

Dance Team

Drill Team & Beginner Choir

Dance/Drill Team Officers,

Symphonic Band & All Choirs

Ballroom & Treble Choir

Drama Students

Piano Solo

Treble Choir & Dance Team

Concert Band

All Bands, All Choirs, Dance,

Drill Team, Cheerleaders,

Drama & Art Students

besteiroadministration

PRINCIPALAlma Rubio

DEAN OF INSTRUCTIONCelia D. Portillo

VICE PRINCIPALRoss Rogers

bisd administrationINTERIM SUPERINTENDENT

Dr. Carl A. MontoyaAREA ASST. SUPERINTENDENT

HANNA, LOPEZ, RIVERASandra Lopez

ADMINISTRATOR FINE ARTSDr. Rebecca Rendón

SUPERVISOR OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSICPaul Flinchbaugh

SUPERVISOR OF CHORAL MUSICDennis Pitcock

SUPERVISOR OF VISUAL ARTSTeodoro Estrada

fine artsteachersMonica Hamilton, choirLydia Treviño, bandDylan Roberts, bandSylvia Villarreal, artCynthia Pizaña, cheerPatricia Salgado, ballroom & danceMonica Garcia, drill teamNorma Ortiz, drill teamAdriana Castillo, lifeskillsErcilia Robles, lifeskillsDaniel Zamora, lifeskills

technologyNoe GranadoSeth R. Hawkins

BOARD OF TRUSTEESCaty Presas-Garcia

Enrique Escobedo, Jr.Minerva M. Peña

Dr. Christina L. SaavedraRolando Aguilar

Joe ColungaLuci B. Longoria

have a research project?need some information?

ReseaRch DatabasesAs a Besteiro Wildcat, you have access to some great online research tools called databases. You can access these from any computer with Internet access. If you need additional assistance, you can ask Ms. Cano, our librarian.

Google is NOt research; it’s a search engine.get ahead with

DISCOVERY EDUCATIONwww.discoveryeducation.com

EBSCOsearch.ebscohost.com

ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICAschool.eb.com

spanish.eb.com

NETTREKKERschool.nettrekker.com

NEWS BANKinfoweb.newsbank.com

TEACHING BOOKSwww.teachingbooks.net

Each site requires the same username and password:

Username:

Password:WORLD BOOKwww.worldbookonline.com

besteiro

wildcats


thank you, school boardstrong schools equal strong communities

need help with math or science?Adaptive Curriculum is an interactive online learning tool that will help improve your understanding of math and science. Every student has a free account and can work on the learning modules anytime – at home or in the computer labs after school. Login today!

Login

Username

Password

BMS-STUDENT ID ex: BMS-1011012

STUDENT ID ex: 1011012

If you need assistance with Adaptive Curriculum, please contact Mr. Granado or Mr. Hawkins at the computer labs.

www.adaptivecurriculum.com

need help with math or science?Adaptive Curriculum is an interactive online learning tool that will help improve your understanding of math and science. Every student has a free account and can work on the learning modules anytime – at home or in the computer labs after school. Login today!

Login

Username

Password

BMS-STUDENT ID ex: BMS-1011012

STUDENT ID ex: 1011012

If you need assistance with Adaptive Curriculum, please contact Mr. Granado or Mr. Hawkins at the computer labs.

www.adaptivecurriculum.com


faculty newsletterMARCH 3, 2012

upcoming eventsMON - Faculty meeting cancelledMON - 8th-grade science pres.TUE - 6th grade TELPAS practiceWED - BenchmarksTHU - Benchmarks A Smorgasbord of Non-Negotiable Expectations

Now, more than ever, it is crunch time. With the

STAAR tests literally around the corner, we have to ensure we are doing everything in our power to ensure the success of our students.

Thank you, teachers, for the

diligent efforts you have been putting in to assist your students. It’s making a difference.

While powerful learning is happening in our classrooms, it’s not always seen. With so many of our students being visual learners,

seeing is believing and retaining.The following are a list of visual

elements that must be in place in the classroom. These are non-negotiables items. Fortunately, all of these things are simple to implement.

DEAN OF INSTRUCTIONCelia D. [email protected]

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALRoss [email protected]

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALGabriel [email protected]

administrative teamPRINCIPALAlma [email protected]

team leadersRICE UNIVERSITYMonica Garcia698-21468th period team planning

BAYLOR UNIVERSITYDiana Sanchez698-16617th period team planning

TEXAS A&MC. Correa698-21484th period team planning

UT-AUSTINAlba Lopez698-12933rd period team planning

HARVARDElizabeth Lopez698-24836th period team planning

YALELuz Lopez698-24845th period team planning

MIT MAGNETNina Garcia698-29767th period team planning

www.bisd.us/besteiro (956) 544-39006280 southmost rd brownsville, tx 78521

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 26

educating tomorrow’s leaders

SpringBoard VisualsBesteiro Middle School is a SpringBoard School, implementing the research-based curriculum provided by SpringBoard. However, a visitor to your classroom may not even know this because there aren’t any visual cues to indicate it. Math and reading teachers, please hang SpringBoard posters to show our inclusion in this program and to support learning.

Bloom’s TaxonomyWe know Bloom’s Taxonomy like that back of our hands (probably better, because who really looks at the back of their hands?) when it comes to planning, but in the middle of a lesson, sometimes we revert back to asking low-end questions.. To assist with this, posters were e-mailed to all teachers last week. Please print these out and post them on your walls in a conveniently viewable location for you so you can re-mind yourself of great higher-order thinking questions to ask as you question your students.

Reading After TestsWhen students have completed testing, the campus expectation is for them to read. All students should have a reading book and should be reading after the test to support our campus-wide reading initiative.

Student PortfoliosEvery student must have a student portfolio showcasing their work. There are no exceptions. This provides critical documentation of student performance.

Learning Target PostedEvery day, the learning target must be written on the board. This is a clear visual cue for your students as to what they should be learning. Remember, the administra-tion will be looking for this in walkthroughs.

Effective PlanningWhile effective planning is not necessarily an overly visual element, it is very evident when an observer comes into a classroom. Teachers who effectively plan are not winging it or relying on the same old stuff. They have a clear-cut plan and are executing it. Effectively plan every day and document that planning.

Reading Learning CentersParticularly important among our ELA teachers is the need for Reading Learning Centers, a section of the classroom set aside with books for students to read. This needs to be in place. A great example of this is Mrs. Paulette Martinez’ reading center. Way to go!


MARCH 5, 2012

Students Rock Regional Science FairContinuing its presence at the regional

science fair, Saturday, March 3, 2012, Besteiro Middle School was well represented by a number of talented students dedicated to science.

Placing 4th in the category of Cellular and Molecular Biology was the team of Hazel Abalos, Crystal Gracia and Elizabeth Benitez. Congratulations!

Also competing was Hector Delgado in

the Computer Science category and Rebecca Sanchez (who went to state science fair last year) in the Math category.

A special thank you goes out to student Ceasar Torres for his efforts to assist all these projects with whatever technical or creative aspect they might require.

Also, thank you to Mr. Correa and Mr. Martinez for working carefully with these students to ensure a positive experience.

Positive NotesStudents are often surrounded by a lot of negativ-ity, which can wear a person down and lead to discouragement and poor academic performance. We can assist with this by posting positive notes in our classroom. Think motivational posters. Please post these positive notes to encourage your students. And on those tough days, you may just find yourself uplifted.

Celebrating the Efforts of our Diagnostician

Often an unknown and thankless job, the behind-the-scenes efforts of our

diagnostician, Mrs. Deborah Betz, make a world of difference for students at Besteiro Middle School.

In honor of Diagnostician Week, we would like to thank Mrs. Betz for her commitment to students and for her positive and professional manner.

Wildcat science fair students pose at the regional science fair, held Saturday, March 3.

Hector Delgado does his best Thinking Man pose as he prepares to wow the judges. http://www.motivationalmemo.com/wp-content/up-

loads/2011/05/Quote.jpg

http://www.volleyballadvisors.com/image-files/inspirational-volley-ball-quotes-1.jpg

http://var-sitysideline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/audrey2.jpg


faculty newsletterNOVEMBER 7, 2011

upcoming eventsALL WEEK - Parental Involvement Week

Monday - Faculty Meeting, 3pm

Monday - E. Lopez B-Day!

Tuesday - Election Day

Thursday - CTE Magnet Night, 6-8pm, BEC

Thursday - Girls basketball game

Friday - End of 2nd Six Weeks

Friday - Veteran’s Day

Saturday - Band in Veteran’s Parade, 2pm

Saturday - Girls/Boys soccer game

Saturday - A. Sierra’s B-Day!

Peer Review Shows Strengths and OpportunitiesThe findings of the BISD peer review

committee found that Besteiro Middle School has a foundation for success in most areas, and highlighted a few categories in which we have the opportunity to improve. Overall, the reviews were very positive, and several

reviewers were impressed with the eagerness of faculty members to share. Thank you for your support in preparing for this review and for your participation in it.

Below are some positive reviews as well as areas in which to improve.

DEAN OF INSTRUCTIONCelia D. [email protected]

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALRoss [email protected]

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

administrative teamPRINCIPALAlma [email protected]

team leadersRICE UNIVERSITYMonica Garcia(956) 698-21468th period team planning

BAYLOR UNIVERSITYDiana Sanchez(956) 698-16617th period team planning

TEXAS A&MC. Correa(956) 698-21484th period team planning

UT-AUSTINAlba Lopez(956) 698-12933rd period team planning

HARVARDElizabeth Lopez(956) 698-24836th period team planning

YALELuz Lopez(956) 698-24845th period team planning

MIT MAGNETNina Garcia(956) 698-29767th period team planning


VOLUME 1, ISSUE 12

educating tomorrow’s leaders

Everyone, including the diagnostician, must know the type of tests students will be taking per teacher, team, counselors and administration.At-Risk documentation needs to be located with all appropriate staff that are in contact with the student, including counselors.BIPs need to be placed in ISS folders.Increase in cultural activities across the campus is needed by all content areas.ESOL clerk other assigned duties.PBMAS must be included separately in the CSAIP.Access to the CSAIP must be available, including utilizing Box.net for easy access and review of initiatives.RTI needs to be in place prior to referral to Special Education.PEIMS surveys must be located in PRC.SBDM community members need to be included with agendas filed for easy access (Accelerated Schools must be placed in the agendas).Tutorial rosters must be at 100% in the master schedule.SCE Program (2011-2012) needs to be submitted.Technology initiatives to be in all areas of CSAIP.Budget expenditures need to be increased.

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things to work onBox.net usage was highlighted throughout the entire review. Immediate access to lesson plans and internal memos was a great highlight.Instructional focus 100% - teachers’ eagerness to share their curriculum plans evident.Special Education was spotlighted for their meticulous detail about the tests their students will be taking.Limited number of OSS suspensions.LPAC preparation for Peer Review was superb. Special thanks to Mr. Rogers for spearheading this preparation.Word Walls and cognates were excellent for all classes.GT/Pre-AP training requirements in place.Excellent Dyslexia program.100% students referred to Special Ed. qualified.PGP’s in place and nicely organized.Great hospitality!At-risk labs serving appropriate students.Excellent usage of college-themed team names.Great MIT initiative.

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great reviews

We h

ave 8

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department level action items


NoVEMBER 7, 2011

action itemsCluster and Campus goals are to create an action plan for students who performed poorly on the recent benchmarks. This data will be provided to teachers midway through the week.NASA Night meeting on November 8 at 3pm. All elective teachers are required to attend to prepare for this fantastic annual event.For Veteran’s Day, (Nov. 11), please ask students for a picture or name of a family member serving in a military capacity. Have them submit this to the main office by Nov. 11. We would like to honor the sacrifice and bravery of the men and women who have served or are currently serving our country.

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Congratulations to Mrs. Portillo on her recent advancement as Besteiro Middle School’s Dean of Instruction! While she’s no

stranger to the campus, her vision and leadership in this new capac-ity are already evident as she has developed a new campus initiative called “Travel the World Through Reading!”

This initiative focuses on getting students to read and comprehend what they are reading by providing positive rewards and feedback for students who are caught reading. On the first day of this initiative, only

29 students had reading books. One day later, 180 students were prepared with something to read.

Teachers, please con-tinue to encourage stu-dents to read every day. Whenever students complete work early, have them pull out their reading book. The more students read, the better prepared they

will be for the upcoming STAAR exams, college and life in general.As part of this initiative, there will be Reading Clubs, organized by

teams, that will take turns selling in the concessions stand, all focused on promoting reading.

Thank you to Mrs. Portillo for developing this great initiative and also to Mrs. Villarreal for creating the beautiful logo.

travel the world through reading

Apply for H-E-B Excellence AwardsBesteiro Middle School is packed to the brim with amazing educators and H-E-B would like to honor just such individuals. Please apply for these awards. Come on, you know you deserve it.

Healthy Campus Grant – A grant to assist with developing, implementing and improving activities and programs centered around food, body and life. ($15,000 grant over three years).

Rising Star Awards – 10-20 years of classroom experience. $10,000 cash prize and $10,000 grant for the school.

Lifetime Achievement Award – More than 20 years of classroom experience. $25,000 cash prize and $25,000 for the school.

30 regional finalists will be awarded $1,000 each, plus $1,000 for their schools.

All applications need to be completed by November 11, 2011.

Thank you for allowing me to age gracefully. My appreciation goes out to all the teachers and staff members that made my birthday

a special and memorable one.Every day I count my blessings to be so privileged to serve with

the most dedicated staff in all BISD. Thank you for being so kind and generous. I am truly blessed.

A big thank you, from Mrs. Rubio

team leadersRICE UNIVERSITY

Monica Garcia(956) 698-2146

8th period team planning

BAYLOR UNIVERSITYDiana Sanchez

(956) 698-16617th period team planning

TEXAS A&MC. Correa


UT-AUSTINAlba Lopez

(956) 698-12933rd period team planning

HARVARDElizabeth Lopez


YALELuz Lopez


MIT MAGNETNina Garcia


BESTEIROMIDDLE SCHOOL6280 SOUTHMOST RDBROWNSVILLE, TX(956) 544-3900

The Wildcat Pridekeeping parents informed and part of our pack

www.bisd.us/besteiro

School is Back in Session and Learning Has BegunAt Besteiro Middle School, we’re

excited to have your student at our school. We’ve been working hard to prepare a positive learning environment that meets the needs of all students.

The first week of school was a great success. Your student should already have brought home assignments to complete. Please ensure these assignments are completed and returned on time.

If you ever have any needs or concerns, please feel free to contact the school or any of your student’s teachers.

BESTEIRO MIDDLE SCHOOL 6280 SOUTHMOST RD, BROWNSVILLE, TX 78521 (956) 544-3900

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

MIT Academic Team Parent Information Night on ThursdayParents of students on the MIT Academic

Team are cordially invited to attend an information and expectations night this Thursday at 5:30 pm.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the premiere science and technology institution in the United States. Graduates of the school are in high demand and make a great living in a variety of career fields.

Besteiro Middle School’s MIT Academic Team is named after the technology institution, with the idea of helping our students learn and

apply the math, science and technology skills necessary to become college ready.

MIT students must maintain the highest academic standards and will turn in professional-grade work. Students will use a variety of instructional technology tools to increase learning and application. Creating high-quality products will become second nature to MIT students.

Please attend this meeting to learn how you can best support your student as they become increasingly independent learners.

Students are hard at work on rigorous assignments designed to pre-pare them for the new STAAR test, which replaces the old TAKS test.

BESTEIRO MIDDLE SCHOOL 6280 SOUTHMOST RD, BROWNSVILLE, TX 78521 (956) 544-3900

The WildcaT Pride pg. 2Volume 1, issue 2

Students are expected to arrive on time each day and be in their classrooms, ready to learn at 7:30 am each morning. Breakfast will be distributed to the classrooms.

The school day ends at 2:50 pm. Once the school day is completed, students should quickly make their way to the bus concourses and catch their appropriate bus.

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

School Dress Code is Mandatory for All StudentsBesteiro Middle School has a strict

dress code. Each student is required to comply with the dress code. Please make sure your student arrives at school each day following the dress code.

Plain Navy blue polo (no text or images)Khaki pants or blue jeans (skin should not be visible through tears or fabric)No hatsEarrings are acceptable for girls; no earrings for boys.Backpacks must be see-through

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•Dress code includes a plain Navy blue polo shirt and khaki pants or blue jeans.

By Ingrid Taylar (Flickr: School Bus Reflection) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

This has been a tough year for education across the country. Massive budget cuts have forced districts to tighten their belts. But tough times often have a way of bringing out the best in people and that’s exactly what’s happening at Besteiro Middle School.

In an effort to increase student engagement and prepare students for college and the work force, Besteiro is going paperless. That’s right -

paperless. The goal behind this to help students find useful ways to work with technology in an educational setting. Students will regularly be working with their Gaggle e-mail accounts, Cloud computing, presentation and projects and design, and creating websites. These activities will be employed throughout classrooms during the school year. Students love technology and when students are engaged, they’re

learning.The whole purpose behind this is

to prepare students to succeed in both the short term and long term. Students will be ready for the new STAAR state assessment. But that’s just a stepping stone to something bigger. Students who attend Besteiro Middle School will receive the best instructional technology training in South Texas, making them the leaders of tomorrow.

Goals for the 2011-2012 School Year

GradespeedPlease come to campus to

register for Gradespeed, a free service that allows you to view your student’s grades, attendance and performance at all times. This will help you work with your student to improve academic performance and get the best grades possible. It only takes a few minutes to register, so come on over.

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