Eagle Updates
August 30, 2020
In this Issue:
- A Message from Mrs. Barry
- Welcome, Ashley McGee!
- Parent Meeting - Re-opening and Q&A - September 3rd at 6:30 p.m.
- Character Strong
- Choice Model Commitments
- Credit by Exam - DEADLINE QUICKLY APPROACHING!
- Transportation
- Important Information - Immunizations!
- What to Do If.....
- Plan B
- MWE One-pager (General Information)
- Zoom Expectations
- LearnSBISD
- MWE Communication - Remind Notices - 2020-2021
- Adopt a Teacher
- Join the PTA Today!
- Create a Membership Toolkit account
- Eagle Excellence Fund
- Yearbooks!
District Information
- Superintendent's Message
- Message for In-person Families
- Grab and Go Meal Sites
- Distance Learning Toolkit
From Mrs. Barry:
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that our first week of school was so...interesting! It is 2020, after all! Two days of virtual instruction, followed by two days of hurricane waiting, ending with a Spirit Friday....happy first week of school!
As we were preparing for Laura, I couldn't help but think of what we have been doing with your children in their virtual classrooms this week. Usually, during the initial days of school, we focus on building relationships, establishing procedures, and learning routines. Though we still are academically inclined, our emphasis is more on the process, rather than the product. As I've popped into classrooms and zoom rooms this past week, I see that we are doing exactly the same thing, albeit in a virtual environment.
Last March, we were caught off guard and unprepared. Like learning from your first hurricane experience, we realized that we couldn't let this happen again. By trial and error, by watching others, and by seeking expert advice, we learned what we needed to do to be ready in the future. This is what we have been working on with your children this week. In addition to the most important task of getting to know your children, we are also preparing them for remote learning.
On September 8th, our LearnSBISD model takes effect - parent choice options will begin in earnest. Some of our students will continue with distance learning, while others will return to campus for in-person instruction. We know that you have thought long and hard about what is best for your family, and we are thrilled to be able to support you, regardless of your decision. Our teachers are READY, and we want the "real" school year to begin!
But as hurricanes are unpredictable, so is Covid-19. Laura may be over, but Nana and Omar are worth watching. Just as we would be remiss if we didn't prepare for a threat in the Gulf, we would also be neglectful if we didn't prepare our students for the possibility of virtual learning for everyone. Though we hope we don't have to utilize our preparations (like with Laura), we still need to be on guard.
As we continue next week teaching our students to navigate ItsLearning and Zoom and more, we want you to understand the purpose behind our lessons and activities. We know, for some students, they are learning what will be necessary to continue their rigorous distance learning plan. For others, they are preparing for the "what if" that we hope won't happen. For all, it is necessary and important.
I've seen our community come together after Harvey. I've seen you come together now after Laura, supporting our friends in eastern Texas and Louisiana. I've also seen you come together this past week to figure out this new force of nature, virtual schooling. It isn't easy, it isn't always fun, and it certainly isn't what everyone is wishing for, but we are all in this together! Please continue to do the best you can, knowing that we are here to support you. We've become experts at riding out hurricanes - now it's time to put those strategies to use for the start of school, 2020-style!
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. Together, we are Growing Great Minds at MWE!
Welcome, Ashley McGee!
Parent Meeting - Re-opening and Q&A - September 3rd at 6:30 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84305860074?pwd=aStkQkR6OGkzQ29zRzNzc2RDNU9CUT09
Meeting ID: 843 0586 0074
Passcode: 9mc7iK
As always, you can also send any questions to Mrs. Barry at lynne.barry@springbranchisd.com.
Character Strong
Dear Parents,
Some of you may remember the short lessons for Social Emotional Learning that were used during our spring distance learning. The Character Strong program is offered by SBISD’s Guidance and Counseling Department to support you as you support your child. It is a character education & social-emotional (SEL) learning curriculum designed to create positive habits through idea-based practices. It offers opportunities for students to learn and practice the following Ten Traits:
- Respect: Seeing the good in people and things and treating them with care.
- Courage: To choose what is good, right and kind even when it is hard or scary.
- Perseverance: The ability to work through situations event when there are obstacles or challenges in the way.
- Gratitude: Choosing to notice and appreciate things in our life, things in others and things in the world.
- Honesty: Living truthfully in your words, actions and thoughts.
- Kindness: The choice to act with words, gifts or actions to bring appreciation, positivity, and encouragement to others and yourself.
- Responsibility: To take action and understand how our choices affect others, ourselves and the world.
- Cooperation: Working together and helping others.
- Creativity: Using your imagination to create something or solve a problem.
- Empathy: The ability to understand and connect to the feelings of another.
Character Strong has provided these resources for schools during this time of both distance and face to face learning, and we are excited to eventually share them with all SBISD parents. Please feel free to reach out to your student’s counselor should you have questions regarding Character Strong.
Meadow Wood Professional School Counselors
Lynne Luberger
713.251.6271
Pat Waldrop
713.251.6202
Choice Model Commitments
Credit By Exam - DEADLINE QUICKLY APPROACHING!
Transportation
https://www.springbranchisd.com/about/departments/operations/transportation
Important Information - Immunizations!
We have received notice from the Department of State Health Services’ Immunization Unit that school immunization requirements are still in effect for the 2020-2021 school year. This mandate is also stated in the Texas Education Code Chapter 38 documentation under Health and Safety. “Students should be up-to-date, in the process of receiving immunizations, or have a valid exemption on file when school starts in the fall.” School immunization requirement rules are in effect regardless of whether the education is received via virtual learning or on campus.
As it has been determined by the Department of State Health and TEA, in order to be in compliance, if a student is not up-to-date, the student may not enroll or attend school virtually or in-person.
For attendance purposes, the student will be DEACTIVATED after week 2 of instruction until immunizations are up-to-date. This means a student will not have access to ItsLearning or any other district program. When immunizations become up-to-date, the student will be REACTIVATED.
For a list of vaccine sites, please click the link below.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to one of our nurses at 713-251-6225.
What to Do If.....
We have created this page to help you troubleshoot some common problems that may arise during virtual learning. If you do not find an answer here, you can always contact your teacher through email or call the help desk (713) 251-TECH. We appreciate your flexibility and support. We are here to help you as we work through this together!
WHAT TO DO IF…
MY HOME CONNECTION TO THE INTERNET IS LOST?
1. Contact your provider to notify them of the outage and ask for estimated time of repair.
2. Contact your teacher by email to notify them of the outage. Your teacher will be able to accept classwork, or evidence of learning in other ways.
3. If you are unable to reach your teacher, please contact MWE at 713-251-6200.
MY ZOOM LESSON STOPS WORKING?
1. Try logging out and reentering the meeting.
2. The issue may only be with video, stay on for audio only.
3. Contact the teacher via email to let them know your Zoom meeting stopped.
4. Have your child work on ST MAth, Itslearning, or other teacher directed activities.
I MISS A LESSON OR A DAY OF INSTRUCTION?
1. Don’t worry…even if you miss the synchronous lesson with the teacher, you can always do asynchronous learning activities for the day at any time. Communicate progress with your child’s teacher.
2. Have your child work on ST Math, Itslearning, or other teacher directed activities.
3. Let your teacher know through email that you missed the lesson, and they can provide additional ways to submit student work.
I CANNOT GET LOGGED IN?
1. Contact your teacher through email.
2. Don’t panic. The most essential learning in elementary school can be achieved through reading, writing, and practicing math skills.
WHAT ARE SOME ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO SHOW WORK?
1. Take a picture with your phone and email to the teacher.
2. Video child completing the task and email to the teacher (videos should be as short as possible to ensure they are small enough to send that way).
3. Email the teacher.
4. Login to Its Learning, ST Math, or any other educational software.
5. Show student work live during a Zoom meeting.
WHAT TO DO IF MY DEVICE DOESN’T WORK:
1. Call the help desk at 713-251-TECH - they can help troubleshoot password problems, computer issues, breakage, loss, spillage, etc.
2. The Help Desk is available 7 days a week, 7:00 am - 10:00 pm
3. Be ready with your student’s ID # and they also often ask for their “username” which is the first part of their “google email”. Ex: Barrylyn008
WHAT IF I DON’T UNDERSTAND SYNCHRONOUS VS. ASYNCHRONOUS?
Synchronous = Like Singing together in a choir
Asynchronous= Alone
Plan B
MWE One-pager (General Information)
Zoom Expectations
- Students should have a designated, distraction-free workspace to engage in learning.
- Students attend class on time - per their class schedule - every school day. Necessary class supplies should be on hand prior to beginning class.
- Students will dress appropriately, following the dress code.
- Students will show their face on the screen to engage with the teacher, using their real name only on screen. No virtual backgrounds are allowed.
- Students will use the chat feature only to ask or respond to instructional questions.
- Students will participate in the class, sitting in a listening/learning position. To maximize instructional time with teachers, parents should email any questions, rather than asking during synchronous instructional time. Snacks, restroom breaks, etc., should be done during asynchronous time, not during synchronous instruction.
- Students will be held accountable for their behavior and will be subject to the disciplinary consequences outlined in the Code of Conduct.
LearnSBISD
MWE Communication - Remind Notices - 2020-2021
Remind notices are the main way we communicate with parents. At MWE, we ask that you sign up by your child's grade level.
*Please note: if you signed up for your child’s grade level Remind last year, the group remains the same and will travel with your child throughout their MWE career. There is no need to sign up again!
To sign up for Meadow Wood’s Remind notices for the 2020-2021 school year:
For Pre-Kinder:
o Text @mwe27 to 81010
o Or go to rmd.at/mwe27
Kinder:
o Text @mwe26 to 81010
o Or go to rmd.at/mwe26
1st grade:
o Text @mwe25 to 81010
o Or go to rmd.at/mwe25
2nd grade:
o Text @mwe24 to 81010
o Or go to rmd.at/mwe24
3rd grade:
o Text @mwe23 to 81010
o Or go to rmd.at/mwe23
4th grade:
o Text @mwe22 to 81010
o Or go to rmd.at/mwe22
5th grade:
o Text @mwe2021 to 81010
o Or go to rmd.at/mwe2021
Adopt a Teacher!
Click on the link to sign up to adopt a MWE staff member for the month of September. Please consider adopting our specialists, interventionists, custodians and cafeteria ladies!
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/60B0D4DA9AA2FA02-mweadoptateacher
Join the PTA Today!
Your PTA dollars connect you to the organization and the school and helps make programs, events, and other student/teacher support possible.
Joining is easy! You can download the Membership Toolkit app on your device, or go to https://meadowwoodpta.membershiptoolkit.com and sign up. Thank you for your support!
Create a Membership Toolkit account
You must complete this if you would like to be included in the online directory. There will not be a printed directory.
https://meadowwoodpta.membershiptoolkit.com/login
This will allow you to access:
1. PTA Membership Forms
2. Student Directory
3. Spirit Wear Sales
4. Volunteer Opportunities and Signups
5. PTA Communication
6. Eagle Excellence Family Donation Forms
7. Birthday Marquee Message Purchase
8. Yearbook Order forms
9. … and more!
If you are a returning family and/or already have an account, please log into your account and update your contact information as well as your student(s) current year teacher.Eagle Excellence Fund
EAGLE EXCELLENCE FUND
CHECK WRITING CAMPAIGN 2020
Have you been wishing for a fundraiser that donates 100% back to Meadow Wood Elementary?
● 100% of your contribution will go directly to the PTA general fund which will impact your child’s educational experience at MWE.
● This year’s goal is $15,000. We value contributions in any amount.
● Your donation to the Eagle Excellence Fund is tax deductible and may even be matched by your employer if they match charitable donations.
Since this year is going to be a little different we are adjusting the budget as needed for this unconventional school year. Here are some things your support could go towards:
✔ Staff Appreciation
✔ Spirit Wear T-shirt for each student at MWE
✔ Playground Ground Equipment for MWE
✔ Faculty and Staff support
The easiest and fastest way to donate is when you sign up for your PTA membership under our new Membership Tool https://meadowwoodpta.membershiptoolkit.com. After setting up an account, please visit Eagle Excellence Fund where you can select your contribution amount. If you have any questions please contact Jenny Trahan at (713) 248-3665 or JennyRTrahan@gmail.
Yearbooks!
Superintendent's Message
Dear SBISD Families,
Thank you for the incredible support you have provided your children and our teachers as we launched our first week of the 2020-21 school year.
We are pleased to confirm that SBISD will enact the LearnSBISD Plan for students whose families have chosen in-person learning on Tuesday, September 8.
In opening our schools, SBISD has weighed and considered health and safety, student emotional well-being and academic achievement. When considered collectively, these priorities currently support welcoming students to campus to begin in-person instruction under the LearnSBISD plan on September 8. Learn more about these priorities here.
The district will continually monitor health metrics with guidance from medical advisors. The district will also continually monitor social and emotional supports and academic growth of our students. We will also monitor the specific circumstances of each campus going forward to determine when a classroom, a campus or the district may need to close or pivot to all virtual learning for a period of time due to positive cases or COVID-19 spread.
To keep our schools open for in-person instruction, we need everyone’s cooperation. The medical community consistently emphasizes that all families and employees take health protocols seriously. Therefore, SBISD will require daily health screeners, universal mask wearing, social distancing when possible, and regular handwashing and use of hand sanitizer. Mask-wearing is mandatory for all employees and students and will be enforced. Please watch our health and safety videos here.
We cannot emphasize enough your responsibility to do your part to keep our community and our schools safe from COVID-19. Please help us by abiding by public health best practice protocols. Wear your masks whenever out or among individuals beyond your immediate family, keep social distance, wash your hands often, and avoid large gatherings. Most importantly, please self-isolate away from others, even your family members, if you think you are ill or show symptoms of COVID-19.
Families of in-person learners should look for an additional email today with important information about additional required forms, school schedules for the week of Sept. 8, and required health screeners.
SBISD takes seriously our responsibility for health and safety as well as our students’ emotional and physical well-being and academic success.
Keeping our schools open for in-person learning will only happen based on everyone’s commitment to health and safety. Thanks for doing your part.
Message for In-Person Families
Dear SBISD Families of In-Person Learners,
As outlined in the message I sent earlier this morning, we are pleased to announce that SBISD will enact the LearnSBISD Plan for students whose families have chosen in-person learning on Tuesday, September 8.
Please take time to read this message thoroughly; it includes three important topics pertaining to the LearnSBISD plan and the return to in-person learning for families who have selected this option.
- Forms Required for students returning in-person due Friday, Sept. 4
- September 8-11 schedule for students returning in-person
- Required daily health screener
Additional Required Forms for Parent/Guardian Signature
To keep our schools open for in-person instruction, we need everyone’s cooperation. The medical community consistently emphasizes that all families and employees take health protocols seriously. Therefore, SBISD will require daily health screeners, universal mask wearing, social distancing when possible, and regular handwashing and use of hand sanitizer. Mask-wearing is mandatory for all employees and students and will be enforced.
To affirm your commitment, SBISD requires families to complete two new forms that have been added as of August 28:
- In-person Parent Acknowledgement Form
- Mask Acknowledgement Form
Both forms must be completed prior to any student returning for in-person instruction. Forms may be completed in Skyward Family Access. They also are available here.
If you need additional assistance, please contact your school.
Grab and Go Meal Sites
Dear Parent/Guardian,
We are pleased to announce that grab-and-go meals will be made available to all students enrolled in Spring Branch ISD who have chosen the Virtual Learning option. Starting on Monday August 24th, meals will be distributed at the locations shown below. Meals will be distributed every day, Monday through Friday, from 4:00pm until 5:30pm. These meals are only available to students utilizing the Virtual Learning option and locations, times, and dates are subject to change. Please visit the CNS website at www.springbranchisd.com/childnutrition for the most current information.
Northbrook High
Spring Branch Middle
Sherwood Elementary
Shadow Oaks Elementary
Pine Shadows Elementary
Spring Branch Elementary
Hollibrook Elementary
Ridgecrest Elementary
Meadow Wood Elementary
Treasure Forest Elementary
Only enrolled students of SBISD are allowed to receive a meal and can choose any of the above sites for service. To prove enrollment, students must present either their District-issued Identification Badge or this letter when they arrive at one of the above locations. Meals will be served outside, through the bus or parent drives, and signage will be present to help guide families. Parents or guardians will be allowed to pick-up a meal without their student being present by either showing this letter or their student's ID badge to provide proof of enrollment. If you have more than one student, you will be required to provide proof for each student.
A single breakfast and a single lunch will be provided as a unit daily with the intention that the meals will be consumed the next day. Meals will be served cold with reheating instructions (if necessary) provided in both English and Spanish. There will be no meal service provided for weekends or published student holidays.
Students will be required to pay for meals according to their eligibility. Meal prices remain the same as last year: $0.75 for all student breakfasts, $2.00 for an elementary lunch, and $2.25 for a secondary lunch. Reduced meal prices will remain at $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch at all grade levels. Students who attend a CEP campus will continue to receive meals at no charge.
In order to quickly serve everyone, we strongly encourage families to set-up and use their prepayment accounts. You can make payments, check balances, and pay online at www.schoolcafe.com. There is also a School Café app available for download on both Apple and Android devices.
If you have any questions, please call Child Nutrition Services at 713-251-1150.
Sincerely,
Child Nutrition Department
Distance Learning Toolkit
Dear SBISD Families, Staff and Community Members,
Spring Branch ISD's first day of class for the 2020-2021 school year is Monday, August 24. All students will begin the year via a distance learning model. Our entire SBISD team remains committed to Go Beyond to provide Every Child with a high-quality, engaging learning experience.
Distance Learning Toolkit
To meet that commitment, SBISD has created a distance learning toolkit to assist families as they prepare for this transition. Containing a collection of tutorials, resources and self-paced guides, SBISD's Distance Learning Toolkit is a one-stop resource for information on:
- What to expect from distance learning
- How distance learning is different from crisis learning
- Insight into a distance learning day for prekindergarten, elementary and middle school students
- Access to our complete Distance Learning Plan with detailed information on roles, expectations and learning schedules
- An overview and access to key distance learning tools and more
Video archive and FAQs
Make sure to spend some time exploring the comprehensive video archive featured in our toolkit. It showcases many SBISD directors discussing key topics such as Fine Arts, Health Fitness, Dyslexia, Social-Emotional Learning and more. The site also contains helpful FAQs that are updated often, based on feedback and interest from you.