Gator Gazette
March 29, 2020
Hello, Gattis Families!
We are certainly navigating this situation in uncharted waters. I truly do appreciate your patience through these uncertain times. I am including responses to some of the questions that have been asked by parents in this newsletter.
This length of school closures is certainly unexpected, and not something we wanted. We know that you want your children in school as much as we do. The district continues to follow all of the guidelines for keeping our staff and students safe and healthy.
I have received many questions about the remainder of the school year and will include what answers I can in this Gazette.
At this time we are scheduled to return to school on the 13th of April, but all of that depends on things outside of our control. The district continues to follow the guidance from health officials from both Williamson and Travis counties and are following the guidance provided by the Texas Education Agency, Texas Health and Human Services and the CDC.
I hope you are able to take the time to reconnect with your family in ways that you have not done in a long time. I would love to hear some of the ways that you and your family have reconnected, hear some of the funny things your kiddo(s) have said since they have been home, or even see pictures of what the kids are doing or creating at home. You can share with me via direct email. We would like to share these with other families as well - this may be via social media and or the Gattis website in the form of a slideshow or video like the one posted to the website of the Gattis staff. I can't wait!
Exciting News about Meal Service! Moving to 1 Service Time Per Day
Meals will be also distributed at Montelena Apartments from 11am-12pm!!!!!!!!!! Other locations remain the same.
More Updated Information Regarding Meal Pick-Up- Please read the information below:
To reduce the number of trips for parents and guardians, the Round Rock ISD Food Services Department will be transitioning meal distribution times to once per day starting on Tuesday, March 31.
With the time transition, children under the age of 19 can pick up lunch, as well as breakfast for the next day, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the District's campus-based meal distribution locations. In anticipation of the adjustment, students will be provided with breakfast for the following day during the lunch distribution on March 30. A list of meal distribution locations can be found on the Food Services Department website.
Beginning Friday, April 3, students will also be able to pick up meals from any location for Saturday and Sunday during that day's meal distribution time. Weekend meals for students will be available for pickup each Friday.
As a result of a waiver approved by the US Department of Agriculture , children are no longer required to be present to receive a meal. However, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is in the process of finalizing acceptable methods of proof of the number of children per household that qualify for the service as districts are required to verify this information. Once available, we will share this information with families.
Please continue to visit Round Rock ISD's COVID-19 web page for the latest information and updates. We will also provide information on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Virtual Learning Opportunities to Begin on April 6th!
VIRTUAL LEARNING opportunities will begin on April 6th.
This week teachers will receive training on how to deploy their virtual classrooms starting on April 6th. I want to clarify that when this begins - teaching will NOT be live, and teachers will not be hosting interactive face to face learning. This is all new territory for our teachers. Please know that they miss your kiddos and want the best for them, while following the guidance of the district in what we are and are not allowed to do - keeping the safety of your children in mind. (on-line safety).
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT on the 6th of April:
Teachers are NOT being asked to replicate the school day - students will not be required to be in front of a device all day long - allowing for multiple students in the household to access their lessons from one device throughout the day at a time that works for your family. Your child may only be working on academic activities for up to a couple of hours per day.
ALL TEACHERS WILL HAVE A GOOGLE CLASSROOM - THEY WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NECESSARY INFORMATION TO HELP YOU GET YOUR CHILD LOGGED ON.
The district has prepared a scope and sequence and lessons for teachers to follow, our teaching teams will be working together virtually this week to prepare for next week. Teachers will have some ability to customize the lessons the district has prepared and to provide you with additional resources. Teachers may be posting videos for your students to watch of them reading a story aloud, or modeling how to do a math problem, or providing you with writing opportunities. The assignments/activities can be submitted for feedback via google classroom. There will not be any grades associated with these lessons.
What do I do if my student does not have access to a laptop?
Curbside Distribution of Chromebooks
Round Rock ISD is preparing thousands of Google Chromebooks for distribution to students who need access to devices to engage in at-home instruction.The Chromebooks are intended for students who have no or limited access to devices in their homes. District technology staff have installed content filtering to only allow online access to educational resources. Since students participate in learning on their own schedule, it is possible for more than one student to use a single computer. Many of the assignments, once received, will not be dependent on devices or internet access to complete.
Need-based laptop distribution will begin for elementary students on Thursday, April 2nd, and continue through Friday, April 3. Laptop distribution will take place each day from 2 – 5 p.m. at Cedar Ridge,
To help verify student information, please bring a piece of paper with your student’s name and Student ID Number (s######) to the distribution site and place it on your dashboard so it is visible from the windshield. These devices are on loan from the District and are expected to be returned in the future.
What do I do if my student does not have access to the Internet?
For students needing internet access, we have ordered wifi hotspots. We will release more information about the distribution of these after they arrive in the District. Also, a few Internet Service Providers are offering free, trial internet to homes that may not have access:
Comcast is offering: Sixty (60) days of free Internet Essentials service, which is normally available to all qualified low-income households for $9.95/month. For new customers, applicants can simply visit www.internetessentials.com (website includes written and video chat customer service options) or by calling 1-855-846-8376 (English) or 1-855-765-6995 (Spanish).
Spectrum is offering: Sixty (60) days free broadband and Wi-Fi access for households with K-12 and/or college students who don’t already have a Spectrum broadband subscription. No installation fees for new households. Enroll by calling 1-844-488-8395.
Suddenlink (operated by Altice Advantage) is offering: Sixty (60) days of free internet to any household in its service area that has a K-12 and/or college student. Call 888-633-0030 or learn more at AlticeAdvantageInternet.com.
Will printed copies of material be available?
Printed take-home packets will be available at our curbside breakfast and lunch distribution sites for students who would prefer printed materials or who may continue to have limited access to devices or the Internet.RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS FROM THE SURVEY
There have been many questions about the remainder of the school year, and I don’t have answers to those just yet. All decisions come from the district with the guidance of the Texas Education Agency.
We are figuring out how all of this virtual learning is going to work - stay tuned, and thank you for your patience - I know this is NOT an ideal situation.
Will my child have to repeat their current grade? I would NOT anticipate students repeating a grade level - they will NOT be held back because they didn’t take the STAAR test.
Will there be summer school? I cannot answer that at this time.
The Learning Hub on the RRISD website is for learning opportunities, not NEW instruction. Some grade levels have the same activities intentionally.
Dual Language - materials will be available in Spanish (online) no hardcopies beyond the online resources and printed packets from the district at this time.
Many have asked about worksheets and having actual books to read - at this time we are not able to make that happen. Look for updates
I do not have an answer about the distribution of report cards at this time - you should be able to access that information (grades 3-5) the Home Access Center if you had previously set up an account. Please do not worry about that right now, the most important thing right now, is to stay healthy.
All student travel has been canceled at this time - including field trips. We will make arrangements for refunds at a later date.
5th Grade Promotion - I can't answer that question at this time.
Yearbooks will be distributed at the end of the school year. If we are NOT back in school by then, we will make a plan for distribution.