Students dress the part-08.15.07

Brownsville, Texas—Fall means the end to carefree summer fashion for BISD students who will move out of shorts and flip-flops and into appropriate learning attire — or else. The Brownsville Independent School District’s dress code lists restrictions for students grades 6-12 and disciplinary actions for off-code outfits range from warnings to being sent to an alternative campus. The code is derived from what high school principals in 1998 judged to be issues “disruptive to the instructional environment.” It has not been modified since.
Sylvia Perez, one of the principals to participate in the drafting of the dress code, said there has not been any change because it remains valid.
“It’s hard to come up with a dress code that is right in every way,” she said. “Students need to remember they can wear whatever they want as long as it’s reasonable.”
Perez and Hanna High School senior Gaby Soto offered their opinion on some BISD fashion rules:

Rule No 1: Anything shorter than the end of the student’s fingertips when the student’s arms are extended to his/her sides shall be deemed too short, but longer lengths may be inappropriate in individual cases.
Soto: “Girls get in trouble more than boys for violating the dress code — this is the reason. Some girls wear really short shirts and skirts. Older teachers are usually the ones to get most offended by this, but I’ve also heard of some girls that get away with it. That’s not fair.”
Perez: “Because of middrift exposure and revealing clothes, ladies call a lot more attention. Sometime it is hard to determine what is or is not appropriate, but it is up to each administrator to make the call and implement the dress code.”
Rule No 3: No tight or transparent clothing.
Soto: “Most girl’s clothing is fitted. Some girls overdo it, but others really don’t and still get in trouble. We don’t want our young ladies to be disrespected.”
Perez: “It’s hard, especially because of the type of clothes available for youngsters.”
Rule No. 14: Male students shall not be allowed to wear female attire.
Soto: “Some boys go for the ‘slim fit’ they get from girl’s ‘skinny’ jeans. I don’t know why they do it, but they shouldn’t get in trouble. It’s just the style now, I guess.”
Perez: “I haven’t really seen much of this (new style). Some of them are just trying to emulate what they see on TV and magazines. It’s fine, as long as they dress in good taste and doesn’t just call attention.”
A complete dress code can be requested from BISD or school offices. Go online to www.bisd.us, for more on student codes of conduct.

The Brownsville Herald

Shoppers get ready for tax-free weekend-08.15.07

Brownsville, Texas— The mother of a 12- and 5-year-old, Patricia Guerra is already preparing for tax-free weekend.
“I usually just go for things I know I’ll find,” Guerra said.
She said it is easier when you know what you want to buy.
“You have to know your kids’ sizes because it’s not like regular shopping, you can’t just look around and try things on,” she said.
The sales tax holiday takes place Aug. 17-19. Most school-related items less than $100 are eligible to be purchased tax-free. For the first time this year, backpacks are on the list, which also includes such staples as baby clothes, diapers, jeans, shirts, and shoes.
Brenda Hernandez, a manager at Bealls in Sunrise Mall, said she does not understand why people prefer to shop during tax-free weekend.
“Some people see our sales (in early August) and still wait for tax-free weekend, when they run the chance of buying things at regular price,” she said.
Others opt to shop in advance.
Lupita Alvear and her two boys, ages 9 and 10, think the weekend is much too close to the start of classes.
“If you wait that long, everything will be gone,” she said. She bought supplies three weeks in advance.
Yet, both Guerra and Alvear know more shopping will be done after the start of classes.
“For my 12-year-old, I buy only the basics and wait for what teachers ask for,” Guerra said. Alvear notices the same thing with her boys at the elementary level. “Usually, teachers ask for things that weren’t on the list,” she said, thinking of past years when she had to buy extra tissue boxes and cleaning supplies. “It’s stuff I think the school district should provide,” she admitted. Perhaps, the one thing both mothers agreed on was how much their children influence their purchases.
“Shoes are probably the most important thing for my boys,” Alvear said. “They choose them way before we buy them and that’s usually what I spend the most money on.”
Guerra said she let her 12-year-old buy what she wants, but “my little one has less of a choice.”
For a complete list of tax-free items, see the Texas comptroller’s Web site, window.state.tx.us.

The Brownsville Herald

Back to School Cost-08.15.07

Brownsville, Texas—This year marks a first for Kelly Taliancich and her mother, Gracie — the first time they shop for school supplies from a BISD list.
Kelly, 10, is making the change from Episcopal Day School to Hudson Elementary, where she’ll enroll in the fifth grade.
“I wanted my daughter to get a group of friends she would move on to middle school with,” said Gracie, who always planned for her daughter to attend public schools after elementary.
The Brownsville Independent School District list is more manageable than private school supply lists, Gracie said. “When I saw the list, I told (Kelly) we can get this in 5 minutes.”
“The amount of things asked for” by private schools was the greatest difference between its public counterpart. “They (private school) asked for water colors and drawing pads,” Gracie said.
“Oh and 96 colors, instead of 24,” Kelly added, referring to the 24 crayon box requisite for public school.
Besides the school supply breakdown, mother and daughter’s most debated change is regular clothes vs. uniform, something they had yet to settle a few weeks before school began.
“I’m very excited to not be wearing uniform after six years,” Kelly said, not able to contain her smile.
To which Gracie replied “we’ll see,” admitting that she would rather Kelly wear uniform at least one day out of the week.
Some public schools will require their own version of a “uniform,” which could include khaki slacks or jeans with a school-colored polo shirt.

The Brownsville Herald

A place to play-08.13.07

Brownsville, Texas—Soccer creates trust for residents of the Buena Vida neighborhood.
Two months ago, the Buena Vida Leadership Council, made up of 14 neighborhood volunteers, opened a soccer field for the community.
“A lot of good things come from the field — neighbors getting to know each other, trusting one another, and children staying healthy and off the streets,” Carmen Cavazos, the council’s coordinator, said in Spanish.
Since the field opened on 14th and Tyler streets, 48 registered children have played every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6-8 p.m. The children are split into two teams according to age.
“My kids love it there, and a lot of people here love soccer. There’s just no other place like it,” said Concepcion Ornela, parent of two boys that have played since the field opened.
“Before, the kids could not play soccer because of the damage they might cause, but now there is somewhere for them to go,” the council’s coordinator explained.
The council was started two years ago by the Center for Civic Engagement at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.
“The purpose (of the council) was for residents to take ownership of the barrio,” said Magda San Roman, community organizer at the center.
“We start the program and then pass it on, in hope that it can become self-sufficient,” she added.
Although the center created the council, San Roman admitted that UTB-TSC had only monetary involvement, as well as some advisorship, with the council.
“They get funding from the Compassion Capital Fund we received, but most of what they’re doing is by themselves,” she said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gave the Compassionate Capital Fund to the center for its involvement in Buena Vida.
Additional funding came from the city, which paved the area near the field, the city’s Housing Authority, which provided fencing and La Iglesia del Pueblo Pentecostal on 13th and Tyler, which lent out the three lots the field sits on.

The Brownsville Herald