Bammel Bulldog News Blast
Week of September 21, 2020
Welcoming Face-to-Face Students
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!
Online Safety for Students
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.
Student Chromebooks
Technology Support Survey for Parents
SISD Help Desk Hours
Spring ISD’s Help Desk currently has new hours to better support our parents and community. The Help Desk will now be open from 5-8 p.m. Monday-Friday for additional support. Parents also have the option to contact their student's campus for help during school hours.
Contact the Help Desk at (281)891-6249.
School Bus
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
Spring ISD Celebrating 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.
Voting Registration
Are you ready to vote on Nov. 3? There’s still time to register!
Our Board of Trustees has approved making Tuesday, Nov. 3 a day off for all students and most staff to accommodate the projected Election Day turnout at our campuses. Many of our Spring ISD campuses will be used as polling sites this year, and this decision will help ease traffic congestion and help us ensure the health and safety of students and staff.
We also want to remind everyone there is still time to register to vote ahead of the Harris County deadline of Oct. 5. If you haven’t already done so, please consider registering before then. Some of our seniors may also be eligible to cast a ballot on Nov. 3 if they are at least 17 years and 10 months old at the time they register.
The process to register is simple. Just visit this Harris County website for detailed information on registering to vote and to download an application. They are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese. Remember, voting is an essential part of our democratic system and a great way to make sure your voice is heard.
Curbside Meals
Spring ISD Meal Service Distribution for September
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 service
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
Curbside service will run daily Monday through Friday from 4:30-6 p.m.
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.
Harris County COVID-19 Testing
Harris County Announces Free COVID-19 Testing with Shorter Wait Times and Faster Results
Harris County Public Health announced that Harris County’s two stationary COVID-19 test sites in Pasadena and Cy Fair are getting a big boost from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Texas Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS). The state and federal government are providing thousands of additional test kits and lab capacity, for quicker test results, in 3 to 5 business days.
There is a new and separate website to register for Surge Testing: www.doineedacovid19test.com or call 832-927-7575. To get tested at the surge sites, people must be 13 or older, register and select an appointment time and keep their assigned voucher ID, which is required for testing. They also need to keep the username and password they registered with because they will need that to get their test results, in 3-5 days. Surge Sites are open Monday-Saturday and now have evening hours one day a week at each site: Tuesdays in Cy Fair at Pridgeon Stadium from 4 to 8 p.m. and Thursdays in Pasadena at San Jacinto College Central Campus, also from 4 to 8 p.m.
Counselor's Corner
Ms. Hicks & Ms. Jackson
Pandemic Parenting Support
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.
Bammel Elementary School
Website: springisd.org/bammeles2
Location: 17309 Red Oak Drive, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: 281-891-8150
Twitter: @BammelCSLA