The Bowie Star Newsletter

August 21, 2026 Vol. 3

Staff Spotlight

This Week: Leader of Our Award-Winning Publication

Michael Reeves

Years at Bowie: 14 years at Bowie (24 total years teaching)
Favorite Bowie Tradition: Bulldogs & Hotdogs, where the entire community comes together.
Hidden Talent: Painting miniatures & miniature war gaming
Why I Love Bowie: I wanted the opportunity to take a publication to the highest level, and I knew I could get them there at Bowie. We have an amazing group of kids who have really stepped up. It took two years of intense work to get us to that level, growing our program from 15 to 60 students over 5+ years.

Senior Spotlight

This Week: Isadora Parra

The Dispatch Editor-in-Chief

Activities: Newspaper, Photography, UIL All-State Journalism Team member
Future Plans: Hopes to attend UT Austin to study photojournalism and/or psychology
Favorite Bowie Memory: Freshmen Homecoming - seeing everyone and having fun together.
Advice for New Bulldogs: Be yourself. Do your best.

The Bulldawg Brief: A Note from the Principal

Bowie Families,

To support a safe, focused learning environment, please review the following key policies with your student that were discussed this week:

Student IDs & Campus Safety: Students must wear and display their IDs at all times. Every student will receive a second ID in mid-September. In the meantime, students without an ID must check in upon arrival.
New Tardy System: Last school year, Bowie students accumulated over 30,000 tardies. To ensure students are in class on time, tardies will be tracked via student ID scans. Consequences reset weekly and progress from lunch detention for a 4th tardy up to Saturday School and ISS for repeated offenses.
Attendance & Campus Privileges: Regular attendance is essential. Please note that off-campus lunch is a privilege reserved exclusively for Seniors. Campus parking is also a privilege for eligible upperclassmen and requires adherence to parking rules.
Flexible Instruction Time (FIT): We have adjusted our FIT structure to ensure better academic support during 1st and 5th periods, featuring dedicated subject-priority days throughout the week.
Attendance Incentives: Offered exclusively to Juniors and Seniors, with eligibility criteria tied to maintaining attendance standards. Sophomores should note that attendance performance will directly impact future parking privileges.

I understand that some of these may not be popular, but the changes are intended to keep the focus on education, holding students accountable, and keeping the campus safe. Thank you for your partnership and support in helping us maintain a safe, productive, and respectful environment for all students.

Brad Lancaster, Principal

📌 Important Dates & Deadlines

September 7, 21 & October 9
Student & Staff Holidays
🏫 No School

September 25
Progress Report
📝 UIL Eligibility Check

October 8
End of the 1st 9 Weeks
📝 Last Day of the Grading Period • UIL Eligibility Check

October 12
Parent Teacher Conferences
🏫 No School • 📝 Conference Sign-Up Coming

October 21
PSAT
🕔 9:05 AM

November 2 & 3
Student Holidays
🏫 No School

🎉 Upcoming Campus Events

August 25 (Parent / Guardian Event)
Back-to-School Night
🕕 6:00–7:30 PM
📍 Starts in Auditorium • Classroom Visits to Follow

August 29
Bulldogs & Hotdogs
🕕 5:00–8:00 PM
📍 Courtyard

October 2
Club Fair (Student Event)
🕕 Lunch periods
📍 Courtyard

October 22
Homecoming Game
🕕 7:30 PM
📍 Burger Stadium

October 24
Homecoming Dance
🕕 7:00–10:00 PM
📍 Courtyard

Dawg News

PARENT PICK-UP TRAFFIC REMINDERS — Help us keep dismissal safe and prevent traffic backups on Slaughter Lane by adhering to our campus traffic pattern:

Right Lane (Pick-Up & Parking): Use this lane to wait for and pick up your student. If you arrive prior to dismissal, you will be required to pull all the way forward to the stop sign at the back of the parking garage so cars behind you can enter campus safely.
Left Lane (Through Traffic Only): This lane must remain open for moving traffic. Do not stop or pick up students in the left lane at any time.

BACK TO SCHOOL PARENT NIGHT — Bowie’s annual open house event for parents and guardians will be 6:00-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25. Bowie offers an in-person open house format that incorporates meet-the-teacher/see-the-classroom experience. The student section of the parking garage will be open for parent parking during the event. The auditorium doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for a Principal’s Welcome in the auditorium at 6:00 p.m. Teachers will be available in their classrooms to greet parents from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in a come-and-go format. Prior to coming to campus, please note your child’s classrooms, teachers, and schedule. **Families who need translation services are encouraged to contact the office in advance so that we can arrange for interpreters to support our families.

UPCOMING LOCKDOWN DRILL: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26 — In accordance with Texas state law, Bowie will conduct a routine safety lockdown drill on Wednesday, August 26.

What to Expect: An explicit PA announcement will state that a practice drill is taking place. Teachers will bring nearby students into classrooms, lock all doors, turn off lights, and keep occupants quietly out of sight. Classroom doors will remain locked and unobserved from the outside during the drill.
All Clear: Campus administrators and our School Resource Officer (SRO) will conduct a sweep to "clear" the building before returning to normal instruction.

UPDATED ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY — This week, students reviewed Bowie’s updated Academic Integrity Policy during their English Language Arts classes. Please take a moment to review the full Bowie Academic Integrity Policy with your student, and pay special attention to the Responsibilities on Page 3 to help us reinforce academic honesty and accountability at home and at school.

GIFTED & TALENTED (GT) REFERRAL WINDOW IS OPEN — The referral window for Austin ISD’s Gifted and Talented (GT) program is now open! If you would like to nominate your student for GT screening and services, please review our GT Referral Flyer for details on the nomination process, requirements, and submission deadlines.

PICTURE DAY & SENIOR PORTRAITS WITH CADY — CADY Photography will be on campus Tuesday, September 1, and Wednesday, September 2 to take student photos through English (ELA) classes! Families can confirm their information and save $10 on photo packages by pre-ordering prior to Picture Day at cady.com/pictureday.

Important Note for Seniors: Sept. 1-2 photos are strictly for ID badges and school records. Formal senior yearbook portraits must be scheduled separately by December 30 to appear in the 2027 yearbook.
Scheduling Senior Portraits: CADY will offer on-campus photo days on Oct. 7-8, Nov. 11-12, and Dec. 8-9, or you can book a session at their Cedar Park Studio anytime this fall.
Senior Booking Resources: Review the step-by-step Senior Booking Guide (Guía en Español) or watch this quick Video Tutorial to schedule your session.