Barkley-Ruiz Elementary

School Information

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

Welcome back to another amazing school year at Barkley-Ruiz Elementary School. I am thrilled to spend another year with our students. At Barkley-Ruiz, the focus of the campus is to meet the academic needs of students by identifying their individual learning style preferences as well as expand student choice.

We, at Barkley-Ruiz, have not only provided teachers with extensive targeted and collaborative professional development to address student instructional needs, we also began implementing Project Based Learning into our classrooms to allow students more opportunities to get more hands-on learning, student-centered activities, and ownership for what they create.

Each classroom is equipped with resources to meet the needs of visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic learners as well as technology to differentiated learners. Teachers have the tools necessary for data analysis and interactive lessons. Additionally, students have the tools to learn technology skills imperative to compete in today’s job market.

Barkley-Ruiz offers multiple programs and clubs for our students, which include music, art, Robotics, Bluebonnet Reading Club, Choir, Yearbook, Step Club, Guitar Club, Recorder Club, Peer Assistance & Leadership (PALS), and Safety Patrol.

Last year, we piloted the SAISD Supper Program. Now, all students receive three, free meals per day: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. We also provide sharing tables in the classrooms and cafeteria, to reduce waste and allow students to take additional food, as needed.

We value all your support and engagement, so please feel free to contact our school if you have any questions. Thank you for allowing us to educate your child(ren), and we look forward to the learning and experiences we will share throughout the year.

Jacqueline Ibarra-Lanford
Principal

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Campus Fall Festival

Thank you to all parents, families, staff, and volunteers who helped make Barkley-Ruiz's first Fall Festival a success! Students and community members enjoyed being able to socialize as well as enjoy music, fun games, and food.

Storybook Characters, Galore

Students ranging from PreKindergarten through 5th grade dressed up as their favorite storybook characters and showed off their love of literacy at this year's Storybook Character Parade.

Later that afternoon, all students got a chance to receive treats to take home, at the campus's Trunk or Treat held in the gym.

Thank you to all our parents and volunteers for helping make our festivities a success!

Patriots Receive a Visit from SAFD!

On Oct 23, students in grades PreKindergarten, Kindergarten, and 1st grade received a visit from the San Antonio Fire Department.

Students got to learn about what fire fighters do on the job and the equipment they use. Kids had a blast learning about the fire fighters' jobs and seeing their trucks up close!

First LEGO League Robotics Club Launch

This past week, over 30 fifth and sixth grade girls gathered to launch Barkley's first robotics club on our campus. In collaboration with University of the Incarnate Word's MiniGEMS program, our students will program LEGO robots to compete in a future citywide First LEGO League competition.

Students meet twice a week with 5th grade teacher, Mr. Cahill and Librarian Mrs. Spicer, to work on their projects. In addition, they also meet occasional Saturdays with Tafolla Middle School's own Robotics Club to collaborate and receive mentoring.

Barkley-Ruiz Welcomes Superintendent!

Superintendent Pedro Martinez, along with Chief Information Technology Officer Dr. Kenneth Thompson and Board President Patti Radle, came to Barkley-Ruiz to break ground on a new $7 Million High-Speed Fiber network coming to San Antonio ISD.

Ambassadors from the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce attended as well as UNP Fiber (Unite Private Network) and MintCo Service, LLO, who played an integral role in launching this amazing opportunity. Students got to witness the ground breaking moment as well as learned from MintCo and UPN employees about the process of how the fiber will be installed.

The video, below, shows, the groundbreaking of fiber being installed.

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Bikes Galore!

Barkley-Ruiz students came out, in full force, to celebrate bicycle safety and show off their bike smarts in the school's annual Bike Rodeo, on Friday, September 27.

Students from Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade participated in various obstacles, such as how slow they could ride in a straight line, riding between tight lines, waving between cones, and riding in circles, while staying within boundaries. They were also judged on bicycle safety standards, having their bikes inspected by San Antonio police officers.

STEAM in the Library!

Students excitedly explored various ways of creating and discovering new products, during their library classes. The library received a $1000 grant, in late Spring, to purchase materials that encourage and engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM).

Some of the items purchased include coding robots, stem circuitry, magnetic shapes (to build and explore geometry), and planks to build/explore engineering concepts. Other items involve using recycling and reusing materials to build simple machines.

Patriots, Hard at Work

4th grade students research natural resources as part of their project-based learning unit in class. Their end goal involves creating a Public Service Announcement for their community.

Project-based learning is one component, of many, that are part of Barkley-Ruiz's implementation of the new charter academic model of Constructivism. The goal involves having students be more hands-on and in control of their learning, making it more student-centered and creative.

Welcome back!

This month, Barkley-Ruiz staff and Patriot mascot welcomed back students for another successful, exciting year at school.

Students started off the pep rally bouncing beach balls and dancing to fun music before being introduced to this year's grade level staff.

We're excited for a fun-filled, creative year of building, discovery, and active learning!

Digital Citizenship is Underway!

Students are starting the year learning about how to be good digital citizens--that is, how to be safe when navigating the internet. Each student will be participating in various lessons in how to keep information private when online, not sharing personal information, not meeting strangers online, and being kind to one another (and how to deal with cyberbullying).

Part of their lessons include participating in an interactive Nearpod lesson provided by the district, as well as engaging in discussion and playing games with Google's Be Internet Awesome curriculum.