Bertram Elementary is proud to announce our September Gem of Appreciation, Mrs. Megan Garner!

Mrs. Garner has been the perfect addition to our BES team. She has shown incredible initiative and dedication to not only her students, and team, but to our whole campus. She has been instrumental in helping get the Bulldog Club off to a great start at BES!

Other have shared that "It feels like Mrs. Garner has been part of the BES family for a long time. She collaborates with her team, shares her thoughts, and always goes above and beyond. She is caring and consistent with all her students." Mrs. Garner is a fantastic asset to Bertram Elementary!

Congratulations, Megan Garner

Bertram Elementary is super excited to announce KIM SHIPP, 3rd grade Science/Social Studies/PLTW teacher, as our Gem of Appreciation for the month of March. Kim serves as 3rd grade representative on our AVID Site Team Committee where she assists in establishing goals, collecting data, leading in professional development and promoting family and community partnerships. Some of you may not know that Bertram Elementary was selected to host an AVID Showcase on March 5th where visitors from all over the state of Texas came to visit our AVIDly amazing campus. Kim Shipp played an integral role as she worked countless hours to plan and prepare for this momentous occasion. Kim shared her many talents to help decorate our AVID Showcase room as well as other locations around the campus. Teachers and staff members praise Kim for her never-ending willingness to help others. One teacher shared that Kim selflessly volunteered her time beyond the school day hours to help her with planning, preparing her new classroom and showing her the necessities for daily survival. Kim is known for her acts of kindness and her positive AVID-tude! Bertram Elementary is blessed to have Kim on our team and in our family!

Please join us as we give a great big AVID Hip-Hip-Hooray SHOUT OUT to KIM SHIPP! J

What a perfect time to recognize our Gem of Appreciation recipient as it is National Counselors Appreciation Week! Our Counselor, April Woodburn, is new to Bertram Elementary this year and we could not be any happier or feel more blessed! We love that April gets excited about all the fun stuff we were already doing here and that she has brought so many new, wonderful ideas with her. She is not afraid to try new shenanigans or be silly for the kids. She is very positive about everything and has a student first attitude. Just to name a few of the things she has done, besides providing counseling services, April has organized events such as Career Day, Green Ribbon Week, Shoe Angels (shoes for students in need), Pennies for Patients and currently the 28 Days of Kindness campaign. This week, April is leading our campus in the “Start with Hello” program in an effort to positively impact the lives of our students. April has had a tremendous impact on our students, staff, parents and community.

Please help us give a great big SHOUT OUT to our amazing Bertram Elementary Counselor, April Woodburn!!!

Please join us in congratulating our Bertram Elementary Gem of Appreciation, Susie Guzman! Ms. Guzman is in a new role this year as our Librarian. She has done an outstanding job and students look forward to going to Library every day! When asked to share about Ms. Guzman, below are a few things that staff and students had to say:

· STUDENTS –

o Good Librarian, enforces the rules, makes reading fun. – Aidan Bell

o Respectful, takes good care of the books; I look forward to Library time. – Bruce Gonzales

o Respectful to kids, always shows us how to do the right thing. James Luke

o Cares about us; Library is fun with her because she gives chances to grow and correct our mistakes. – Brianna Spencer

o Nice, respectful, friendly and doesn’t get mad. She lets us watch movies, like Rio. – Miguel Ramirez

o Nice, makes Library fun, helps me find books to read. – Mark Anthony

o Makes reading fun because she lets us read and sometimes draw. – Josvanny Ramirez

· STAFF –

o She is always cheerful and upbeat. There is nothing she won't do to help. – Sarah Allen

o Always willing to work with anyone in any situation. – Carolyn Pfau

o Team player! – Mary Allen

o I consider Susie and I a team in the Library! She throws herself into everything I'm trying to accomplish with the kids. She goes above and beyond in so many ways - always asking how she can support me, providing back up when I need it, helping to cover teachers when needed and she is a truly amazing Librarian! The kids LOVE her! She works hard to have fun and engaging activities for the kids in the Library. All the kids look forward to their Library day! I love working with her; we make a great team! – April Woodburn, Counselor

Our Bertram Elementary Family unanimously voted to recognize our Custodial Team as our September Gem of Appreciation recipient(s).
When our Bertram Family was asked to share what makes our Custodial Team so special, here is what they had to say:
This is not just a job to them; they truly care and everything they do is done with love.
They take pride in our school and it shows.
They take the initiative and never have to be asked to do things.
They are very hard workers and always have a positive attitude and a smile on their face.
They were amazing at helping move furniture and organize and set up our classrooms before school started.
Our classrooms, hallways and buildings are always super clean and everything always looks so nice.
They are the BEST EVER.....always cheerful, upbeat with staff and kiddos....our school is neat and clean......we are BLESSED!
They deserve to be recognized for the great job they do.
They are all so kind and friendly; they go out of their way to help us.
They are amazIng! Kyle literally asks everyday if I need anything and he always does things immediately. They all are willing to help and go above and beyond.
They have built relationships with staff and students and are all so friendly. They always ask us how our day has been.
They go the extra mile and never hesitate to help.
They help at the drop of a hat and always with a smile.
They go above and beyond to ensure safe, clean, effective learning environments for our students.
They are always smiling and happy to do a good job - and everything is taken care of clean. I've even heard Erin and other custodians reinforcing our hallway rules with students, simply because they care.
Please join us in congratulating and celebrating our Bertram Elementary Custodial Team! We are blessed to call them FAMILY!

Mary Allen, Bertram Elementary
"Mrs. Allen greets students in the car rider line each morning with a smile and helps with car dismissal in the afternoons."
"During the day, Mrs. Allen works diligently as an RTI Interventionist and gets so excited when students excel. Ms. Allen wears many hats and is always willing to help wherever she is needed. Please help us give a big shout out to Mary Allen!"

MENDY BARROW is truly a gem! She has been spearheading a fluency campaign that has greatly benefitted our children and her infectious enthusiasm for reading intervention is sweeping our campus! Mendy humbly shares her knowledge and loves to collaborate with all teachers/staff (new and seasoned) to ensure success for our students. Besides sharing her reading knowledge and expertise, Mendy also shares her creative and artistic talents. Mendy leads our Special Events Committee in orchestrating and/or decorating for special events such as the Homecoming Parade, 100 Day Parade, Fall Carnival, Christmas Program and STAAR Pep-Rally, just to name a few. Mendy is a great example of a lifelong learner and an exceptional role model for all. We are blessed to have Mendy Barrow at Bertram Elementary!

Please help Bertram Elementary congratulate our Registrar, Debbie Brooks, for being selected to receive the Gem of Appreciation award for February!

There are truly not enough words to describe what an amazing person Debbie is. She does so many things for our campus on a daily basis and all with a positive, helpful and happy spirit! Below are a few words our staff had to share about Debbie -
She always has a listening ear when needed.
She never forgets a birthday.
She greets parents, students, guests, teachers and staff with a warm, friendly smile in the front office.
She writes sweet notes to teachers, staff, parents, community members and others .
She is extremely organized and efficient.
She spoils us by keeping us organized with report cards, attendance, subs, 6-weeks awards, reports and the list goes on and on....
She bakes the best chocolate chip cookies!!!
She has a heart of gold and is a true blessing to our campus!
We may be partial but in our eyes, Debbie is the BEST of the BEST!!!

"Instructional Partner Dee Nivault is a true gem. She is bright and happy in the mornings and is a wonderful greeter for our students. She volunteers to help in many areas and looks for things that need to be done and then gets them done! On top of being a shining IP, she makes great hot sauce!"

"Bertram Elementary is extremely proud to recognize Mrs. Bremer, Pre-K teacher, as our November Gem! Mrs. Bremer is one amazing lady as she contributes in so many ways on our campus. Mrs. Bremer is always excited to see her students and her patience never wears thin. Her generous nature and loving heart helps to create a positive environment on our campus.
Between baking weekly cakes and providing beautiful flowers and plants on our campus, Charlsie Bremer is a beloved friend and family member at Bertram Elementary!"