We are excited to let you know that we have received the insurance for our "Hole in One Contest" The two players that come closest to the pin on hole number 7 will receive the opportunity to play for a $1 million annuity. 

And don't forget about those raffle tickets for two 2009 Super Bowl tickets, and other great prizes. Just go online to  http://www.awbrown.org to purchase tickets.

Thanks,

James Montfort

Chief Financial Officer

Hello family,
 
We’re grateful for many wonderful blessings:
 
Kindergarten Prom

The Kindergarten Prom was a huge success!  Not only does the team do their very best to provide leadership to this tender age group, they extend themselves to provide these children with a beautifully memorable social event through which they also become benefactors and service givers to their school.  Their work is to be highly commended.

Fifth Grade TAKS Scores

Fifth Grade Math TAKS scores are in!  We’re especially appreciative to those of you who take on this gargantuan task.  We’re delighted to announce that 93% of our general education students and 66% of all students passed.  Right now, we’re on an exemplary track and are grateful to God and you for all you do to make that possible.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Happy Earth Day!  We’re grateful for Ms. Curry’s leadership and for all of you who worked to make this a fun, yet awareness-building occasion.  

 
Again, thanks for all you do!

 
Paula D. Brown
Executive Director/Principal

Powerschool has been updated to include some long sought after features. These changes should make your experience with Powerschool more enjoyable. The majority of the improvements come in the form of PowerTeacher Gradebook changes. For a listing of all the 40+ features/enhancements to the gradebook application, follow the link to the help page.

Enjoy,
AWBFCS Technology

Happy Tuesday Morning,

    This marks the first edition of Tuesday Tech, Technology Updates, Info and Tips.

First some updates:

Buckwheat Not Playing Nice
   
    It seems that our in-house file server, Buckwheat, is begging for attention. While the machine is operable, it is having some difficulty communicating with the remainder of the network. As a result, we are unable to access it from any other machines on the network. This means the following services are affected:

• Outside LED Updates
• NutriKids (Lunch Applications) POS Updates
• Student Security System
• Shared file access (\\buckwheat\shared\)

Because these systems have backups and workarounds, we are able to offload some data to other servers in order to accomplish necessary tasks. Maybe all the current hype surrounding the new kid on the block, Stimey (Powerschool Server) has made Buckwheat jealous??? Either way, this problem should be remedied by weeks end.


It’s a Bird. It’s a Plane. No... It’s a Projector

    Yes, there have been projectors installed in all 45 homeroom classrooms. These projectors are to support an upcoming installation of ActivBoards (to occur in December). They will provide a plethora of unique teaching opportunities. There will be more on this subject soon. However, the projectors are for your use within the class teaching environment. Training has been conducted for all grade levels teachers as well as rotation and SPED teachers. If you were unable to make one of the trainings, please contact the Technology department (tech@awbrown.org or call ext. 481) to setup a time to be trained. Please keep in mind, while movies can be played using these devices, only approved G rated movies can be displayed to students.


Big News, Big Screens

    One more step in the never ending battle of poor communication has been taken here at AWBFCS. Over the holiday, a 42” LCD monitor was installed in the administrative area of the elementary campus. This monitor currently is showing weather updates, however, soon it will be a source of AWBFCS news,  security camera views, video clips, announcements and other information. This should help put our school at the top of the charts as far as premier elementary school in Texas is concerned.


Tis the Season to be Careful

    This is the time of year that a lot of holiday shopping goes on. Busy malls, people passing, plenty of electronic sales, new gadgets, TV’s, computers, Palm pilots, iPods, GPS units, mobile phones, etc. But this is also the season that many “not so nice” people gather their biggest supply of “your” goods. So, be very careful during this season. Here a a few tips for surviving this Christmas time of year safely and with the least amount of stress:

Safety

• Always try to walk to and from your vehicle with another person. If you are shopping alone, consider walking near other shoppers in the parking lot.
• If shopping alone and leaving at night -- particularly if you're carrying several bundles -- ask a security officer to accompany you to your car. Most malls will provide that service.
• Inside a mall, avoid darkened hallways and other backroom areas, especially near closing time.
• Avoid using bathrooms that are tucked away in a back area of a mall concourse or department. If you can, find a bathroom near the mall's food court or other well-trafficked area. And always accompany your child to the bathroom.
• Never use a video arcade or toy store as a baby sitter; predators are on the prowl for unattended children. More then 100,000 children are abducted every year -- often in malls or department stores, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCME).
• Find out whether the malls and stores you frequent have procedures to search for a missing child. Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Target are among retailers participating in a program developed by the NCME. The program, called "Code Adam," was named after Adam Walsh, a 6-year-old Florida boy who was killed after being abducted from a shopping mall in 1981. As soon as a child is reported missing, employees scour the aisles. If the child doesn't turn up after 10 minutes, the police are notified.

Stress-Free

• Buddy. Try to find someone to shop with. Having a buddy will help you avoid thing like: forgetting where you parked, over loading yourself with packages to carry, and losing track of your shopping goals.
• Goals. Before you embark on your shopping journey, set basic goals. For example: who you want to get presents for, the amount you want to spend, where you want to shop and how much time you are allowing to accomplish your goals.
• Timing. START EARLY! I can not stress enough how important it is not to wait until the last minute to shop. Procrastinating will only increase stress and take all the fun out of shopping. Plan your shopping adventure at a time when there will be the least amount of people. Crowds make shopping confusing and add to frustration.

    Finally, do not loose sight of the real reason for the season. And remember family and friends care more about spending time with you than how much you “spend” on them.     



Benjamin R. Solomon
District Technology Director
AWBFCS