May 27, 2010 - Baldwin Math Pentathlon Club
April 21, 2010 - Kinder Roundup for 2010-2011 Year
April 8, 2010 - Updates about Staff and Baldwin PTA
April 6, 2010 - Trustees name the new SWES, Ross Baldwin Elementary
February 23, 2010 - Plan 3 Approved by AISD Board
December 15, 2009 - New Principal Announced for SWES in Meridian

The new phone number for Baldwin Elementary is 841-8900.

May 27 , 2010 - Baldwin Math Pentathlon Club

Hurry! Open registration for Baldwin Math Pentathlon Club is now and spaces are filling fast! Registration are being accepted for all grade levels for the next school year. If you are interested in participating, please contact linda@lindaalvarez.com for more information.

April 21, 2010 - Kindergarten Roundup for 2010-2011 Year

Tell all of your neighbors and friends with little ones who will turn 5 years old on or before September 1st, 2010:

Ross Baldwin Elementary's Kindergarten Round Up will be held at the same time and location as Clayton's Kinder Round Up. The same information below will be needed. Representatives from Baldwin Elementary will be available at Clayton for questions.

Kindergarten Round Up will be held on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 from 8:15am - 10:00am. The AISD website says that Round Up starts at 9:00 a.m.; however, we do begin earlier.

This is a come and go event, with mini-presentations and tours set up at 8:30, 8:45, and 9:00 a.m.

Parents need to bring with them the following items:

• a copy of the parent's driver's license
• a copy of their child's social security card
• a copy of their child's birth certificate
• two (2) copies of their child's immunization records
• a copy of previous month's electric bill or lease agreement or contract on their home, for proof of residency (no other utility bill will suffice)

If you have any questions, please contact the front office of Clayton Elementary at 841-9200.

April 8, 2010 - Updates about Staff and Baldwin PTA

Early Staffing Updates for Baldwin Elementary - Dr. Pena has been working diligently on her interviewing and hiring processes for Baldwin Elementary School. As you can imagine, she is very excited about the opening of the new campus and the opportunity to start a new adventure with fantastic students, families, faculty, and staff. We, too, are invested in helping her ensure the success of all students. It is both an exciting and bittersweet time for us at Clayton--we love our kiddos and families. Dr. Pena has some wonderful faculty members from schools across Austin, including Clayton, that she is considering for positions at the new campus. She has primarily completed her hiring of specific campus-wide positions at this point, which includes administration, special areas, secretary/bookkeeper and counseling. Few grade level positions have been filled as of yet.

We wanted you to know of staff members from Clayton that we are already aware of that will be joining students at Baldwin Elementary in the fall. So far...Susan Stevens will be teaching Music and Rachel Rutledge will be teaching Art next fall at Baldwin ES. To round out her administrative team, Dr. Pena has hired Heather Kane as Assistant Principal. Congrats to these folks!!! We are happy that our students will already have some familiar faces joining them at Baldwin Elementary. I know they will be in great and capable hands. At the same time, it is hard to let our students and staff go, too :o(. I believe that we can do so more easily knowing that these faculty members will be dedicated to serving the students of Baldwin Elem. at the highest levels--they'll make us proud. I will provide additional updates on future staffing (especially grade level specific transfers) once I have more information from Dr. Pena.

Dr. Dru Robinett

Update about the Baldwin PTA and Upcoming Events - The first Ross Baldwin PTA organizational meeting was a huge success! We had 55 parents in attendance at Oak Hill elementary. I want to thank all of the parents that attended and the two ACPTA representatives that conducted the meeting. At this meeting, two committees were formed: a PTA nominating committee and a PTA By-laws committee. Based on the information that was discussed at this meeting, the April 15th meeting has been postponed until May 4th so that the nominating committee has plenty of time to talk with those interested in serving on the Ross Baldwin PTA Board.

If you are interested in a PTA Board position, please contact one of the following nominating committee members listed below. The nominating committee is asking that you send a short Bio that tells about yourself, the position you want to hold on the PTA Board and the reason you want to serve as one of the PTA Board members.

Yvonne Cullen - utxttu@sbcglobal.net
Heather Morgan - empowerhm@yahoo.com
Tawnya Savoy - tsavoy@austin.rr.com
Wendy Escobedo - wendy.escobedo@austinisd.org

Reminders:

• April 10 - New Southwest Elementary "Meet and Greet" Social Gathering 2:00-4:00 p.m. @ Clayton Elementary-this will be a fun-filled afternoon for us to get to know each other
  
  
• May 4 - PTA Organizational Meeting with ACPTA representatives @ Clayton Elementary @ 6:30 p.m. to elect officers, finalize committees and to discuss and plan other official business (Note: the April 15th PTA meeting was moved to May 4th)

I look forward to seeing everyone this Saturday at Clayton and then again on May 4th for our 2nd PTA Organizational Meeting. Thank you again to all of the parents that volunteered to be a part of the nominating committee and the by-laws committee. Everyone's presence and voice is very important as we build our new learning family!

Dr. Rosa M. Peña


April 6 , 2010 - Trustees name the new SWES, Ross Baldwin Elementary

Austin School Trustees have voted to name the new Southwest Austin Elementary School for Ross Baldwin, a long-time AISD student mentor, successful business owner, and community leader. Mr. Baldwin was an active mentor at Joslin Elementary School for nearly 30 years, mentoring several students each year, and supporting their success by attending games, plays, scout meetings, and other activities.  In 2005, he was named AISD Mentor of the Year.  A World War II veteran, he was also the founder and owner of Baldwin Beauty Schools, as well as an active member of the Oak Hill Rotary Club for more than 25 years. Mr. Baldwin died in 2007 at the age of 82.

Ross Baldwin Elementary School, located at 12200 Meridian Park Blvd., will open in August, and is a project of the District’s Apple at Work Bond Program.

February 23, 2010 - Plan 3 Approved by AISD Board

Trustees approved the recommendations of the Facility Use and Boundary Task Force (FUBTF) (Plan 3) to create attendance boundaries for the new Southwest Elementary School, and address overcrowding and under-capacity at Boone, Clayton, Cowan, Kiker, Mills, Oak Hill, Patton, and Sunset Valley elementary schools. Approved recommendations also include:

• Grandfathering will be allowed for students entering fifth grade in 2010-2011; and
• Current staffing levels at Boone and Sunset Valley elementary schools will be maintained, at District expense, for at least the next school year.

The Southwest Elementary School will open in August 2010. Trustees are scheduled to name the campus on March 29.

Special thanks to Clayton representatives Matt Devlin and Susan Haddad who dedicated countless hours to this boundary process.

More information regarding grandfathering options for current 4th (rising 5th) graders will be forthcoming from the school and district.

December 15, 2009 - New Principal of SWES in Meridian Announced

AISD's Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Dr. Rosa Peña as the founding principal of the new Southwest Elementary School located in Meridian. She will begin late January 2010 for the 2010-2011 opening year. Dr. Peña is currently the Principal of Zavala Elementary School and has 13 years of experience as an elementary school administrator. For more information, click here for the letter from AISD's Associate Superintendent of Elementary Schools.



Clayton FUBTF Representatives:

Susan Haddad and Matt Devlin
boundaryreps@claytoncardinals.org