Austin Academy Parent Information
10/26/2020
Newsletter Translations
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GISD Athletics
Each GISD athlete is allowed two spectators per sporting event. One of the spectators must be an adult that has the athlete’s name and ID number. Austin Academy students are not allowed in sporting events unless they are competing or with the adult spectator.
Facebook Live Parent University
The Family and Community Engagement Department would like to invite all family and
community members to join us for our Monthly Facebook Live Parent University. During these
events, families will hear from educators, other parents, community members, and more. We will
share information and resources on a different topic each month.
The topics for this month are SEL, Social Emotional Health and Wellness, and Family
Engagement.
Our guests this month are GISD Guidance and Counseling, Hazel Health, and Federal Programs
Family Engagement.
Here are the dates for October’s Parent University:
October 27, 2020, 7:00 PM - English
October 29, 2020, 7:00 PM - Spanish
The Vietnamese Parent University video will also be posted by Friday October 30th.
Lunch Applications
GISD is currently providing free meals to all students, but that program will end in December. We want to ensure that all families who qualify fill out the application by October 30. To continue receiving meal benefits, you must fill out the free and reduced-price meals application. Here is the link to the GISD FRLP – Meal Application https://mealapp.garlandisd.net/lfserver/GARLAND_FRAAPP_ENG_SPA
Contact the school if you need a paper copy of the application and if you have any questions.
Austin Academy for Excellence 2020 - 2021
Parent Involvement Policy
Austin Academy recognizes that a child’s education is a responsibility shared by the school and family during the entire period the child spends in school. To support the goal that all children succeed academically and in life, the school and parents must work together as partners.
I. An annual meeting will be held to inform parents of the school’s participation in Title I in order to explain the Title I requirements and the right of parents to be involved. The school will invite all parents and encourage them to attend.
The Annual Title I Meeting for the 2020-2021 school year will be held on:
October 1st at 10:00 a.m. and October 14th at 6:00 p.m.
II. Parents will be involved in the planning, review, and improvement of the school’s parental involvement policy and in the development of the school wide program in an organized, ongoing, and timely way.
⮚ Volunteers will be recruited to serve on the Campus Improvement Team (CIT)
⮚ The CIT will be responsible for the joint development of the school wide plan and will be responsible for the joint development of the Parental Involvement Policy.
⮚ The CIT will meet periodically to address campus needs as they relate to the schoolwide plan and the Parental Involvement Policy.
⮚ Parents will be given the opportunity to comment on the schoolwide plan and Parental Involvement Policy when they are made public to the community
⮚ An annual review, evaluation, and revision of the Parental Involvement Policy and school wide plan will occur in the spring semester and will include parents through surveys and focus group as well as the CIT.
III. All information about Austin’s Title I programs will be provided to parents in a uniform format that is easy to understand. Upon request, parents with disabilities will be provided information in alternative formats whenever reasonably possible. Parents will receive information in a language they can understand whenever reasonably possible. Parents should expect to receive information in the following ways:
⮚ Phone calls (English and Spanish)
⮚ Weekly Newsletters
⮚ PTA newsletters, PTA meetings
⮚ Campus web page, Twitter, marquee sign, Remind, Skyward
IV. Information provided to parents about the Title I programs includes a description and explanation of the school’s curriculum, assessments, and achievement levels which children are expected to reach. The school will give parents this information in the following ways:
⮚ The annual Title I meeting
⮚ Regular parent teacher conferences
⮚ Grade level meetings
⮚ 6th Grade Orientation
⮚ Meet the Teacher
⮚ Progress reports
⮚ Report Cards
⮚ Each parent will be provided a report about their child’s performance on the State assessment in at least Reading, Math, and Language Arts
V. Opportunities for regular meetings for parents to give suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions about the education of their children will be provided at the parent’s request. The school will respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible. Parents who make requests will be given the opportunity to meet
⮚ Through prearranged meetings with the Title I Parent Involvement Liaison
⮚ Through teacher request for parent conferences
⮚ Annual Parent Survey
⮚ Through meetings with the Student Support Team
VI. Austin Academy will give the district any written parent comments if the school wide plan is not satisfactory to parents of children attending Austin Academy
⮚ Parents of children attending Austin Academy may submit comments in writing to their child’s principal.
VII. In order to build and support a strong partnership among the school, parents, and community, and to improve student achievement, Austin Academy will do the following:
Austin Academy will help parents better understand the state and district standards, the assessments and how to monitor their child’s progress in the following ways:
⮚ Regular parent teacher conferences
⮚ Title I meetings and Family Nights throughout the year
⮚ Social Media (Twitter, Remind)
⮚ Meet the Teacher
⮚ Progress reports
⮚ Report Cards
⮚ Each parent will be provided a report about their child’s performance on the State assessment in at least Reading, Math, and Language Art
Materials and training to help parents work with their child will be provided.
⮚ Skyward access and information
⮚ Canvas access and information
Professional development for teachers, principals, and other school staff, will be provided, with the assistance of parents, in the following areas:
⮚ The value of working with parents and the ways that parents help their children achieve and support the school
⮚ How to reach out to parents
⮚ How to communicate with parents
⮚ How to work with parents as equal partners
⮚ How to implement and coordinate parent programs
⮚ How to build ties between parents and the school
The campus Parent Involvement Liaison will make sure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent in a format that parents can easily understand, and whenever reasonably possible, in a language that parents can understand.
⮚ Copies of flyers, phone messages, and other notices will be kept as documentation by the Title I Parent Involvement Liaison
Reasonable support for parental involvement activities will be provided.
⮚ Funds set aside for parental involvement will be spent on the agreed upon activities
⮚ Subs will be provided as necessary, so that teachers may participate in parental
involvement activities
⮚Materials and refreshments will be provided when possible
Volunteers will be trained to assist with parental involvement activities.
⮚ Austin Academy PTA
⮚ Various campus curricular activities
For parents who are unable to attend parental involvement activities at school, home visits, and meetings at alternative locations will be provided.
⮚ Home visits for parents with disabilities will be arranged by appointment. Parents who need to request a home visit may contact the Title I Parent Involvement Liaison or their child’s teacher.
Community organizations and businesses are encouraged to participate in parental involvement activities.
⮚ We will recruit local businesses to volunteer on our Campus Improvement Team
⮚ Partnerships with organizations and businesses are coordinated through the Giving Campaign
Austin Academy is committed to the success of students. We will work together with parents to make sure that our Title I program is effective in developing students who achieve.
This year's theme is..... I Matter
AAE’s Entry Deadline: Nov. 20, 2020
The student or at least one person from the student’s primary household must be a current member of the local PTA where the student is participating. Parents can join PTA at this link by Oct. 31.
All entries and entry forms must be submitted in digital files. (For example if you do a painting, you must send a high quality picture of the painting).
Austin Academy Yearbooks
PTA Association Meeting
It's not too late to join the AAE PTA.
Austin Academy PTA Drive
Our Virtual PTA Membership Campaign for 2020-2021 is underway! In order to streamline our PTA memberships during remote learning, our membership drive will be online this year. If you have not joined PTA yet, please do! You need to join every year to be a current member. Our PTA is continuing to provide our teachers with lunches and goodies throughout this unprecedented time, just as before. We hope to be back up and running as soon as possible, and we’ll need your support to continue to serve our campus in the way we always have. Please visit JoinPTA.org (select Garland ISD and then Austin Academy) to become a proud member of the Austin Academy PTA today!
Parent Conferences
Teachers sent links and times to parents through email. Teachers may not be able to meet with all parents on October 28th, but conferences can be scheduled during a teacher's conference period.
Virtual conferences will be on October 28, 2020, from 5:00 p.m.. - 8:00 p.m.
Each conference will be limited to ten minutes. Due to these strict time constraints, we ask that you are in the Google Meet at your designated meeting time.
Please promptly sign out of the Meet when your conference has ended. To protect each conference's privacy, teachers can remove participants who are logged into the Google Meet outside of their scheduled time.
If two guardians would like to join a meeting from different locations, please include the second guardian's name and email address or phone number in the comments in the Sign-Up Genius.
What to Do When It is Time for Your Conference on October 28th:
Use the link on a device with internet access.
Alternatively, you can dial-in from any phone.
Please log into the Meet using the same email address or phone number you enter in Sign-up Genius. It is also acceptable to use your student's account to enter Google Meet.
Red Ribbon Week - October 26 through October 30
Please join us as we focus on a drug and bully free environment at Austin Academy. Students and staff are encouraged to dress up next week. The schedule is listed below.