Senior Parent Meeting

Calling all parents from the class of 2025! Come out and meet with us next Wednesday night! You will hear from our Registrar, College Access Counselor and Class of 2025 Senior Sponsors. The meeting will focus on the college application process, scholarships, transcripts, senior dues, and will include some early information about prom and graduation. We will start at 6:30 pm in the auditorium. The parking garage will be open for parking on a first come first serve basis. Please enter the building through the main entrance on S. Rice. We will do our best to have you in and out in an hour. #ClassOf2025

School Messenger Contact Numbers

Most parents received our safety callouts last week. However, if you did not receive the calls we advise you to check your phone number with the school to make sure the correct phone number is in HISD Connect. You may email our Student Information Representative, Monica Contreras, at monica.contreras@houstonisd.org  and ask her to confirm your number on file and/or provide her with your correct and updated phone number. She will need to have your correct email on file to verify through an email. You may also visit the school and update phone numbers in person.

PTO Annual Campaign - Stronger Together

You have options when selecting a high school and we are glad you chose to be part of the Bellaire High School community, known for high achievement in academics, foreign languages, and extraordinary enrichment programs. While HISD provides annual funding, it doesn't cover all of the expenses for Bellaire High School to provide excellence in education. Our school and teachers rely on the generosity of families like yours to bridge the funding gap with our BHS PTO’s Stronger Together Annual Campaign. Click here to access the campaign.

Be a PTO Volunteer!

The PTO at Bellaire HS is a huge support system to the entire school. Please consider getting involved in a way that works for you and your schedule!

Volunteer

Contribute

Stay Informed

Senior Home Lunch Permits

Students' Home Lunch Permits, which have received parental approval, are ready. Seniors will be required to submit their campus ID in exchange for their new Home Lunch ID. During the school year, if a Senior falls out of compliance with the requirements to have a Home Lunch Permit, they will be required to turn their home lunch permit back into Ms. Burgan's office.

Home lunch permits can be picked up outside of the auditorium through the concession stand window this week from 8:00 am - 8:25 am, during Cardinal Hour, and from 4:00 pm - 4:30 pm.

STAAR Tutorials for Students Retesting in December

Students who need to retest on one or more STAAR EOC exams will receive tutorial assignments this week. STAAR tutorials are mandatory and held during the red block of Cardinal Hour.

Mandatory tutorial notices will be sent home with students this week. The notification pages need to be signed and returned to the school. Attendance will be taken at tutorials.

Progress Reports

Progress Reports will be distributed through 2nd period classes on Friday, September 13.

PSAT and SAT

The SAT Suite of Assessments is designed to help students determine what they need to work on most so that they are ready for college when they graduate from high school—and it supports educators as they guide the way. Our scholars at Bellaire High School will be taking the Digital PSAT 8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT during the week of October 14th and SAT during the week of October 23rd . More information can be accessed here.

Attendance Matters

In Texas, students must attend at least 90% of their classes to receive credit for a course. The "90% Rule" is part of the Texas Education Code (TEC), specifically in Section 25.092.  means that if a student misses more than 10% of their class meetings (excused or unexcused), they may be at risk of losing credit. For a typical semester, this is around 9 days. The number of days varies and also depends on the length of time a student has been enrolled. Even if a student’s grades are passing, excessive absences could prevent them from receiving credit for the course. It’s important to stay on top of attendance and communicate with the school if issues arise. Attendance matters!

What should I do if a student is absent?

Students who have been absent or tardy must present a written excuse from their parents or guardians when they return to school. Parents may email to attendance at: MFLORESD@houstonisd.org

Excuses for absences and tardies are:

• personal illness
• sickness or death in the family
• quarantine
• weather or road conditions making travel dangerous
• participation in school activities with permission of the principal
• juvenile court proceeding documented by a probation officer
• approved college visitation
• emergencies
• religious holidays

In the case of ANY absence, excuse notes must be turned in to the attendance office within three days of returning to school. All notes must contain the following:

• student's full legal name and school ID number
• date(s) of absence and the
• date the note was written
• parent name, signature, and contact phone number

Please note,per the Texas Education Code 25.092 and HISD FEC ( Local) a minimum attendance requirement of 90% of class meetings must be met before credit can be awarded for the course. At HISD, missing more than 10 percent of school a year can lead to a student not receiving a grade (NG) or being retained, but more importantly, it represents lost time in the classroom and a lost opportunity to learn. For complete details on HISD’s attendance policy, please see HISD Attendance Policy.

Additional information can be found on our website.

Early Dismissal from School

All students must check out with Ms. Espadas in the Attendance Office located in the Main Office before leaving school during the school day. Parents must also come in to check their students out, and they must present a valid ID that matches information in PowerSchool/HISD Connect. The main office will then request the student from class.

3:00 PM is the cut-off time to pick a student up early for the day. Parents arriving after 3:00 PM cannot have their student called down to the attendance office. If a student needs to be picked up early, they must be picked up before 3:00 PM.

When absent, students should turn in an excuse note (doctor’s, parent, etc…) to Ms. Espadas for filing. As a reminder, a minimum attendance requirement of 90% in each class is required to award course credit. 

Parents On Patrol - Join POP

POP - Parents on Patrol

Sign up to be a part of Parents on Patrol! Volunteers that help keep our campus safe. The hours are flexible. Click here to sign up and/or receive more information about how you can help.

To be a POP, you must first be VIPS-certified. Use this link to become VIPS-certified: How to Volunteer 

Mr. Niggli's assistant, Angelina Solis, is your contact for VIPS in case you have any questions. Her email is angelina.solis@houstonisd.org

Once you are VIPS certified you will be able to sign up for a training session.

See Something, Say Something: Keeping Our School Safe Together

We want to remind our community about the See Something, Say Something app—an essential tool to help maintain a secure environment. This app allows students, staff, and parents to report any suspicious activity, concerns, or potential threats anonymously.

By speaking up and working together, we can prevent issues before they escalate, ensuring that Bellaire High School remains a safe place for learning and growth. Remember, if you see something that doesn’t feel right, don’t hesitate—report it here. Together, we can make a difference!

South Korea and Greece Trips - Great Opportunities!

Bellaire High School students and parents are invited to join us on our upcoming Cardinals Take Flight Spring Break trips!

In 2026, we will travel to Greece to see the real Mount Olympus, visit the floating monasteries of Meteora, ask questions at the Oracle of Delphi, experience the site of the Spartan battle at Thermopylae, sample local olives, feta, and honey, and cruise through the Saronic Islands.

And in 2025, we will experience both the past and the future on a tour of South Korea to travel by bullet train, visit temples, taste delicious treats at street markets, participate in tae kwon do and cooking classes, spend some time on the beach, and learn about the history and culture of the country.

Join us at our virtual meeting on Tuesday, September 24 at 7:00 PM to learn more. Both high school and college credit are available! RSVP to the meeting here!

Exchange with an Italian High School

If your child is studying Italian and would like to live the life of an Italian teenager for two weeks in beautiful Cosenza, Italy, come to the informational meeting in room 3721 on Wednesday, September 11 at 4:30. If you cannot come to the meeting in person, email Ms. Borsa by 9/10 for a Teams link: mborsa@houstonisd.org.

Homecoming Court Nominations

Each Club and School Organization (Sports, Fine Arts, Co-Curricular, etc.) may submit a nomination form for the 2024 Homecoming Court. One Duke and Duchess will be elected to represent each grade level, 9th-11th. The Homecoming King and Queen will be members of the Class of 2025. 

Criteria for nominations:

• The Club or Organization must obtain the permission of each student they submit for nomination.
• To be eligible to be on the ballot, students must be in good academic standing and have no serious discipline concerns.

See your sponsor, coach, or director for details! The deadeline to submit a nomination is Friday, September 13th at 4:30pm.

Homecoming Tailgate

Calling all Cardinals! The BHS Homecoming Game is Thursday, September 26th. Pre-game tailgating at Butler Stadium will kick-off the festivities at 5pm. The game against Sam Houston will start at 7pm. The tailgate is free for all to attend. Bellaire clubs and organizations who wish to have a reserved space should fill out this form. Now is the time for clubs and organizations to begin to plan.

The Homecoming Dance will be held on Saturday, September 28th. Information will be posted soon regarding tickets etc.

From the Bellaire Counseling Office:

Course change requests must be processed by the 15th day of the school year, which was Friday, August 30th.

Level Changes

The level change window is Sept. 3-27.  (For example, a student wants to drop PreAP World Geography and add Academic World Geography.) Level change forms can be downloaded here or picked up in the counselor's office. The student, parent, and teacher must sign the Level Change Request form.

No level changes will occur in the first three weeks of school, with the following exceptions. Once the level change window is open, changes can occur until the end of the first six weeks. Also, there will be no level changes on the days teachers verify grades for the first six weeks. Students can still turn in the level change form during that time, and it will be applied to the second six weeks once grades are published.

 Exceptions:

1. The incorrect level was placed on your schedule. (You did not request the level.)

2. You are a new student to BHS (any grade level) in the 2024-2025 school year.

3. Parent approval is required if a student is recommended to move up a level.

We appreciate your patience during this extremely busy time. The BHS Counselors will continue working hard to process the changes received.

Parent Library

Bellaire High School purchased new books for Bellaire High School parents: the topics range from understanding the teenage brain to empowering your student-athlete and dealing with your student going off to college. These books are free for any and all Bellaire High School parents to keep and build your own library. Swing by and pick up some free books while you are in the building! Preview the books that are available here with our Virtual Parent Library Shelf. 

This interactive shelf works by clicking on a book to be redirected to a page about that specific book. To get back to the main shelf, click on the stack of books in the bottom right corner to see all of the options again. Thank you to Ms. Carpenter for compiling the online bookshelf!

Club Schedule - Get Involved!

Join a Club - Get Involved

Club Meeting Schedule

Our Goal=Every Student to Connect with a Club!

Fall Club Jamboree has been moved to NEXT Wednesday, September 11 during Cardinal Hour in the courtyard. Join us and find a student organization to try out this semester!

The club meeting schedule for Weeks 4--6 of Cycle 1 is out! 

We have 175 club meetings scheduled, for an average of 13 opportunities every day for students to find connection and community.. Click here to see a full list of clubs.

Please see Ms. Chapman in room 2712 or email her at echapman@houstonisd.org with any questions about getting involved with clubs!

Senior Dues

Pay early and save! One payment covers a senior's cap and gown, senior t-shirt, senior luncheon, prom, and after-prom! Payments can be made online through Schoolpay beginning August 12th.

Class of 2025 Yard Signs Now Available!

Yard signs celebrating our seniors are now available for purchase! You can purchase through this link or the QR code. Signs will also be available for sale at Coffee with the Principal on Aug. 29th and Open House on Sept. 4th.

Library Update from Ms. Carpenter

This was a very busy week at Bellaire with PD on Tuesday and Open House on Wednesday. Bellaire High School Family and Engagement fund purchased titles that the Library set up and gave out at Open House on Wednesday. We think that it went well with around 500-600 books given away! Ms. Carpenter presented some professional development to Bellaire staff on how to utilize AI tools for productivity and using AI appropriately. 

Some highlights include: 

• Ms. Dupont's Sociology courses started their Unit 1 project about cultural norms and traditions as the students look at Bellaire's Historical yearbooks to develop a cultural analysis. Ms. Carpenter taught students about archival care, statistical analysis, and random sampling to begin gathering data for a Socratic seminar on the overall similarities and changes of Bellaire's school culture next week!
• Ms. Elam's English I classes had a library visit to do some prereading and inferencing activities through a "Lamb to the Slaughter" Investigative lesson. We read a mentor text to get a better idea of the job of a Forensic scientist and what they would need to look for in the fictional police reports based on Roald Dahl's short story, "Lamb to the Slaughter." The students made inferences, gathered evidence, and wrote predictions based on the procedural and informational texts.  

We are Serious About Cell Phones, Headphones and Earbuds

All cell phones, headphones, and earbuds need to be in backpacks when entering the building. These devices may only be out of backpacks and used during Cardinal Hour. If a device is out, it will be bagged and tagged. When a device is spotted, a student must drop the device into the bag and present their student ID. The device will be bagged and tagged or simply collected on the spot. There is a $15 fine that must be paid to recover the device in the Main Office at the end of the day.

We do not want to bag and tag any device. Please keep them in your backpack and use them only during Cardinal Hour.

Remind Groups

We encourage all students and parents to join their class Remind group. Throughout the year we utilize a variety of channels to communicate with our community. Remind allows us to push timely messages and reminders to you throughout the year. We are committed to not filling up your text stream. You can text to join or their are links at the bottom of the E-News that you can use to join your class group.

BHS Spirit Store is open online!

We are accepting online orders throughout the summer. All online orders will be available for pick up during Cardinal Hour on Friday on Main Street near the big screen. Click here to check it out!

Please email emilycgannaway@yahoo.com with any questions. Thank you for your continued support.

First PTO General Meeting

September 17th @ 7pm

*immediately following the Freshman Parent Meeting

Location: BHS 

PTO Booster Clubs Open Forum Meeting

Tuesday, September 24 @ 6:30PM

5203 Locust Street

• Homecoming Tailgate - September 26
• Homecoming Dance - September 28

2024-2025 Student Handbook

Click here to access the 2024-2025 Student Handbook. We encourage every student and parent to read through the handbook to become familiar with they systems and procedures that are in place at Bellaire HS.

Dress Code for the 2024-2025 School Year

Please take a moment and read through our dress code.

Click here to access the dress cod

It Takes A Village...

Please help us collect important information and bring student and staff accomplishments to our school community. Please share with us Bellaire HS activities and student achievements. You can upload your pictures or event notices. Together, we can accomplish a lot. You can submit information anytime on the homepage on the right side of the page or bookmark this link.

Thank you to the Bellaire PTO Corporate Sponsors for 2024-2025

Remind Messaging App

All parents and students are encouraged to join their BHS Class Remind Group. Remind is a communication tool that will deliver important communications through text message or email. You can download Remind for IOS here and Android here. Once you download the app, simply text the class code you belong to above to the number 81010.

Remind can also be accessed by clicking on the links below to join a group.

Class of 2025

Class of 2026

Class of 2027

Class of 2028

In addition to the class codes above, students will have the opportunity to receive communication and correspond with their teachers through the Remind App.