Parent Newsletter: Fall Edition 6
September 21, 2020
Welcoming Back our Safety-First In-Person Students: This week is for 6th and 7th Graders ONLY.
For those families who have opted for in-person instruction, we’re excited to start phasing back the return of our students. The district has a lot of information about the plan on their website at www.springisd.org/reopen but we wanted you to know the details for our campus.
We also wanted to let you know that the district is offering more flexibility for students to move from remote to in-person instruction. Rather than having to wait until the end of a grading period, parents will be able to make the switch at any time, keeping in mind that we may need up to two weeks to adjust staffing and arrange bus transportation. Students always have the option to move from in-person to remote learning.
Should you wish to make a learning option change, please fill out this form and then give us a call or email us.
Welcome Back from The Bailey Band!
Parent Meeting Recordings
6th Grade Ms. Hooks
7th Grade Ms. Gilliam
8th Grade Ms. Selmon
Tips for the First Day Back On Campus
As some parents across the district prepare for a return to in-person learning for their students in the upcoming weeks, we know that you and your children are probably feeling a combination of excitement and nervousness. Here are a few tips to help ease the transition:
Stay calm and positive when talking to your child about their first days back at school. Remember that children, especially younger ones, are affected by their parents’ emotions.
Talk with your child about safe physical distancing and why it's important – both for their safety and to protect and respect the health and safety of their classmates and teachers.
Make sure your child has their mask and knows how to put it on and take it off.
Rehearse what to do if they have to cough or sneeze – how to raise their elbow to cover their mouth – and what to do if they feel unwell or sick.
Encourage them to follow directions from teachers and other school staff carefully. Let them know that instructions about how to line up, how to walk through the hallway, or how to leave when it’s time for dismissal, are for everyone’s safety.
When they get home, ask them about their day. Give them a chance to talk about their experience and their feelings, and to ask any questions they may have.
Consider a virtual study group or meet-up after school for your child, as a time for them to interact more casually with friends and classmates, especially with close friends who are still learning from home.
Make sure students understand that this school year is going to look a little different. Younger students, especially, need to be prepared for the fact that their classroom and school building may seem strange and even a little bit scary. Make sure they know how much you love them, and that their teachers are excited to see them and to work with them to keep school safe for everyone.
We are excited to welcome those students back to campus who have selected to return to in-person learning, and we are committed to doing our best to ensure a healthy, happy, productive school year!
Riding the bus? Find Your Stop and Learn about Key Safety Information
As we prepare to bring back our Safety-First In-Person students in phases, we’ve updated our bus routes so parents can figure out their child’s stop.
Just visit our website and type in your address, school and/or grade to get the details. Spring ISD Transportation recommends all students arrive at their designated stop at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time of the bus. It’s important that students maintain social distancing as they wait for their bus and then follow all driver directions once they board.
Students will be asked to wear their masks while riding the bus and to use hand sanitizer upon entering the vehicle. To maintain physical distancing, we will transport only one student per seat while we are operating in condition “Orange.”
Please check out our videos on all of our health and safety protocols here: www.springisd.org/reopen
There will not be a virtual morning meeting for 6th and 7th grade this week. Please enjoy a pre-recorded morning meeting here. 6th and 7th virtual students will go to their 1st period at 10:30.
Don't Forget to Attend your Grade Level Morning Meeting!! Only 8th Grade will attend the virtual morning meetings.
Morning Procedures for Students
At 9:40 AM. We will have announcements, updates from our administrative staff, and important information shared by our counselors. These sessions will be facilitated by the administrative staff and the counselors, and are the first mode of recording student attendance. PLEASE NOTE: Students should not arrive at their meeting before 9:15 AM. Additionally, please do not leave your child unattended in the morning meeting until a staff member is present. Please think of this link as the equivalent of our building. Students should not be left unattended until we open the doors, and supervision is present.
8th Grade:
A-L: https://meet.google.com/fxs-ievm-vuf
M-Z: https://meet.google.com/agr-qmdb-ygi
Beginning of Year Testing Continues Wednesday!
All scholars will participate in Beginning of Year baseline assessments. Student log in credentials will be provided by the 4th period teachers. We will also email the log-in credentials to parents and students.
The testing window will open soon, with assessments in the following subjects and dates:
- 6th-8th Grade Math & Algebra 1, Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Please have your scholar take time to practice, using the link here. Review questioning formats, tools and features of the online test.
https://tx8.testnav.com/client/index.html#login?username=LGN424158057&password=EC33GZLH
Beginning of the Year Testing Overview
Virtual Bell Schedule
Virtual Teacher Roster
Need your Home Access Center Password Reset? Click here to request a reset.
Need your student password reset? Click here to request a reset.
Help us Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Spring ISD is celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month and recognizing the contributions of Hispanics by highlighting books that explore the Latino culture and by spotlighting the Hispanic community.
You can join the conversation by sharing your photos throughout the month using the hashtag #CelebremosSpring for a chance to be featured on the district’s social media accounts.
SAVE THE DATES: SISD UPCOMING EVENTS
Spring ISD Child Nutrition is excited to welcome back our in-person learning students! For those who have selected Empowered Learning At-Home, we still want to provide our families with meals. To better serve you, our Curbside Meal distribution will now be daily Monday-Friday from 4:30-6 p.m., where we will distribute breakfast and hot lunch for the next school day.
Curbside meals will be served daily at select Spring ISD elementary schools:
Anderson
Burchett
Smith
Marshall
McNabb
Hirsch
Jenkins
Cooper
Booker
Ponderosa
Eickenroht
Clark Primary
Thompson
Reynolds
Pickup will include one breakfast and one lunch per student.
Lunch entrees will be hot.
Meals are free for all children 18 and under.
Families may pick up meals at any open curbside site.
Meal service for Safety-First In-Person students
Each hot lunch will be packaged in hinged containers.
Breakfast will be grab-and-go or served in the classroom.
Menus will be flexible as we transition to cafeteria service and based on availability from vendors.
All meals are free for the month of September!
For more information, visit www.springisd.org/nutrition or follow us on social media at @SpringISD_Meals.
Attendance Matters So Make Sure Your Student is Marked Present
Need Help Parenting in a Pandemic? Join us to Learn Some Strategies for Success
Parents and caregivers can get some extra help in managing the unique challenges of pandemic parenting with two different virtual programs being offered each week by the district’s Mental Health and Related Services department.
The first is a Behavior Support Cafe to discuss behavioral challenges and identify strategies for managing and resolving them. There will be time for participants to ask questions and get specific tips and resources.
The Behavior Support Cafe will be offered every Monday and Wednesday at the following times in English and Spanish. Click this link to join the meetings.
Mondays: 8:15 - 8:45 a.m. and 12:30 - 1 p.m.
Wednesdays: 8:30 - 9 a.m. and 1:30 - 2 p.m.
Another great opportunity for parents and guardians are the Love & Logic workshops to learn helpful strategies for building nurturing relations, setting health expectations and providing your child/student with meaningful opportunities to build success. There will be plenty of time for parents to ask questions on issues of concern.
The Love & Logic workshops will be held every Tuesday and Friday at the following times in both English and Spanish. Click this link to join the meetings.
Tuesdays: 8 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Fridays: 8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Five Ways to Foster Social-Emotional Skills in Children
Social-emotional skills, such as self-awareness, cooperation and responsible decision-making, are important for the health and success of young people. Whether at home or in school, there are many simple ways to help develop social-emotional skills in children and adolescents. To get started, try these strategies, courtesy of Kohl's Healthy at Home:
1. Be a role model. Adults can positively influence children by demonstrating healthy social and emotional behaviors every day, including being a good listener, acknowledging their own and others’ emotions, and working together to resolve a conflict.
2. Involve children and teens in decision making. Engaging kids in decisions that affect them at school and at home (e.g., setting family agreements, identifying consequences, etc.) can improve their well-being and help them develop important leadership skills.
3. Read together. Reading, particularly age-appropriate fiction books, can foster important social-emotional skills such as empathy. Reading to others or together as a family can also facilitate social connection and learning outside the classroom. As a bonus, encourage discussion of feelings and experiences.
4. Help others. Evidence shows that engaging in service-learning programs can increase students’ self-confidence and decrease school dropout rates. Teachers and parents can encourage kids and teens to volunteer for activities they enjoy, such as tutoring younger children or assisting at an animal shelter. As a bonus, volunteer as a family!
5. Engage in physical activities. Participating in regular physical activity can help children develop self-regulation and social competence skills. Youth development leaders should encourage movement opportunities before, during and after school in addition to promoting low-cost family physical activities.
Keeping Your Child Safe in an Online Environment
In this new time of at-home learning, children have many different levels of experience with technology. No matter their experience, it’s important to talk to them about online etiquette and safety. Think about these tips shared from USA.gov:
Talk to your children about their online activity; do not wait for them to have conversations with you. Be aware of the websites they are visiting. Have discussions about everyday events that happen in the cyberworld and encourage them to talk to you if they feel threatened or uncomfortable.
Teach good etiquette by being respectful; use simple sayings such as “please” and “thank you” while communicating with others online.
Remind children of consequences. Online actions can’t be taken back; once it’s in the virtual world, it can’t be deleted.
Reinforce expectations and parental controls. Adjusting privacy preferences allows you to decide who can communicate with your child and what they can see.
Address information sharing with your child. Important details such as phone numbers, addresses and identification numbers should not be shared to prevent unwanted contacts or even identity theft.
Remember, children need regular reinforcement to help instill good online habits. Having ongoing conversations regarding online safety will help promote good judgement.