Patriot Press
Parent Newsletter: Week of 5/31 - 6/4
Greetings Patriots,
Most of our scholars have completed STAAR testing and end-of-year MAP assessments! Our students have remained focused throughout this unprecedented year and we are extremely proud of their determination, and will to finish strong! Those scholars that have been absent or did not complete any of them, will be pulled to complete testing requirements this week.
As we celebrate all that our students have accomplished, we would like to invite you to our PRIDE Awards Recognition for the school year! To have your virtual learner participate by joining in, the GoogleMeets links are below for each grade leve. All of our students have shown resilience and determination, and we especially want to acknowledge those that showed excellence in acheivement throughout the year.
PRIDE Awards Celebration Times
6th Grade: Wednesday, June 3rd, 11:15am - 11:45am
http://meet.google.com/xhj-cgug-iuo
7th Grade: Wednesday, June 3rd, 12:15pm - 12:45pm
http://meet.google.com/eyw-hjvt-asp
8th Grade: Wednesday, June 3rd, 1:15pm - 1:45pm
http://meet.google.com/uhm-cjxf-crp
Additionally, our 8th grade students will participate in a Drive-Thru Parade celebration. Traditionally, we host several end-of-the-year promotion activities for 8th grade students. Due to COVID restrictions, we will not be able to host these gatherings. However, we are replacing the promotion celebration with a Drive-Thru parade.
8th Grade Drive-Thru Parade Schedule
Date: Thursday, June 3, 2021at 5:45pm
Staging Cars will take place in the Westfield Parking lot at 5:30.
Car pooling is encouraged, if you need support to participate.
Please make note of the following guidelines:
- Please do not leave your car to take photos
- Remote learners may not attend school in person, but are invited to participate in the car parade
- We encourage parents/families to decorate their cars to honor their 8th grader
- *Note that participation in Awards and Parade Celebration, does not garantee promotion, but rather a review of all academic and attendance requirements being met.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. As always, thank you for your continued partnership.
~BMS
What Day Is It?
Monday - May 31st - No School
Tuesday - June 1st - A Day
Wednesday - June 2nd - B Day
Thursday - June 3rd - A Day
Friday - June 4th - B Day
COVID-19 Reminders
Parents, if you or your student are ill, stay home. Please always check your child’s health before sending them to school, and if they show any signs of illness, such as a cough, sore throat, runny nose or fever, please keep them home. Here are some additional reminders:
If your student has been potentially exposed to someone who is sick, please do not send them to school.
For the safety of our students and staff, if your student has been tested and is awaiting results, please consider switching to remote learning until their results come back negative.
If someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19, do not send your student to school.
Summer Learning for Spring ISD Parents
For any parent or guardian who would like an up close view of the district’s curriculum, Spring ISD has the right platform for you! The district is offering summer learning sessions for families who would like to see what their children are learning in school to better support their education at home.
Parents can participate in summer school sessions to become empowered in helping their children close the learning gaps using the Texas Home Learning (THL) resources provided by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). These resources are designed to accelerate students’ learning and provide remediation to help fill in the gaps that may have been created during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sessions will be held on Mondays during the month of June beginning on June 14. Parents can participate in a virtual lunch and learn session at 12 p.m., or they can participate in a face-to-face session at 6 p.m. at Westfield High School. No matter the option you choose, all participants will receive the curriculum and other supporting materials to use at home.
We encourage family members at all grade levels to participate in these three learning sessions on June 14, June 21 and June 28. Not only will parents gain insight into curriculum, but they will also gain a thorough lesson in the upcoming summer assessments.
To learn more about summer learning opportunities, please contact the Family Engagement Department at 281-891-6685.
Join Us for a Dual-Language Program Open House
Parents and guardians are invited to attend an in-person open house for the district’s new School for International Studies at Bammel (16711 Ella Blvd, Houston, TX 77090) on June 1 at 8 a.m. or 6 p.m. Come meet the principal, talk with teachers and tour the newly renovated campus wing, designed to accommodate the specific needs of our young learners.
The school is initially recruiting for students in Pre-K through 2nd grade with plans to add another grade level each year until the program serves students in Pre-K through 8th grade. The two-way dual-language immersion program will feature Spanish at the elementary level with additional languages for students to explore once they reach middle school.
In launching the new school this August, the district is inviting all parents whose students are currently enrolled in the dual-languages programs at Hirsch Elementary and Clark Primary schools to enroll. The district is also inviting any other families interested in a dual-language program for their pre-K, kinder or first grade students.
Join us at the open house at the School for International Studies at Bammel. We’re looking forward to partnering with you so that your child has all of the opportunities of this wonderful new program.
Transfer Application Window is Now Open!
If your student is seeking to attend a school in 2021-22 for which they are not zoned, the window to submit a transfer application will open on Monday, May 10 at www.springisd.org/transfers.
Just a reminder, students attending the district’s schools of choice (Roberson Middle School, Spring Leadership Academy, Carl Wunsche Sr. High School, P-TECH at Dekaney High School, and Spring Early College Academy) are NOT considered transfer students since these schools do not have attendance boundaries. Students accepted into these programs receive transportation.
The district offers different transfer types depending on the situation. Regardless of transfer type, transportation will NOT be provided to students. More information on each of the transfer types is available at www.springisd.org/transfers.
Should you have any questions about the online transfer application, please reach out to your student’s current principal.
Applications for transfers will be accepted through Friday, June 4 and will be processed as submitted. Parents should receive a notification if the transfer request is approved, denied or waitlisted within 10 school days from when submitted. Notification will be sent via email or phone call.
Please make sure we have an updated email address and phone number for you in the Home Access Center.
Update Your Contact Information!
Parents, now’s the time to update your contact information in the Home Access Center and be sure that we have an email address linked to your HAC account.
This is very important as we will need an email address to contact you over the summer with your annual student update in preparation for the 2021-22 school year.
Getting access to HAC is easy via the mySpringISD link, found on every campus website, as well as the district website. Parents who aren’t sure of their logon information should contact their school. If you already have your mySpringISD username and password, getting to HAC is just a matter of logging into the portal and then clicking on the Home Access Center icon.
Once in HAC, you can edit your contact information in the demographics section. Again, it’s very important we have an email address listed in your HAC account. If you need more details on how to access HAC or set up an email address, visit www.springisd.org/hac.
Tuition-Free Pre-K Program Expands Access
We’re pleased to announce we’re expanding our full-day pre-K program next school year to allow more students to experience the benefits of a high-quality early childhood education with caring and certified teachers at no cost to families.
Specifically, we’re looking to enroll some students who wouldn’t normally be eligible because they don’t meet the usual income, language or other requirements. This expansion will ensure more young learners get the great start that a quality pre-K education provides without their families having to pay any tuition or fees.
To accommodate these students, we are setting aside some seats at nearly every elementary campus. Parents who are interested should simply register at www.springisd.org/prek and fill out the application. The only eligibility requirement is that a student must be 4 years old on or before September 1.
The deadline to apply for the free pre-K program is July 23. Families will learn whether there is space for their student starting the week of July 26. For more information, visit: www.springisd.org/prek
Riding the bus? Read this!
As we prepare to bring back our Safety-First In-Person students in phases, we’ve updated our bus routes so parents can find their child’s bus 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 boarding. 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
Technology Help and Resources
Free Internet Hotspots Now Available
Spring ISD is excited to share that the district is providing free internet hotspots for eligible students. Families who take advantage of this free service will get unlimited data, so you won’t need to use your own. You can also connect up to eight devices on one hotspot. Most importantly, students will be able to complete their school work and homework and connect with their teachers with more reliable internet.
Spring ISD is also partnering with Comcast Internet Essentials to provide free internet services for eligible families. For more information and to sign up, please call 281-891-6850.
New Spring ISD 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.
Log into HAC to see your child's grades!
As we prepare to release progress reports and report cards this fall, we wanted to remind you of how to check your child’s grades on the Home Access Center.
To get started, log into the myspringisd portal and into HAC. Once there, you will find a "Grades" tab. When you click on "Grades", you will see where to locate your child’s progress report (IPR), report cards and more.
Remember, the username and password you use to log into the portal is the same username and password for logging into HAC. Also, parents should log in using their credentials, not their student’s.
Staying connected with your child’s academic progress is a great way to ensure your student’s success in school. See the attached handouts (Found under "Additional Resources") in English and Spanish for step-by-step directions.
User guides can be found under "Additional Resources".
Community Information
Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Application To Open June 2 for Eligible Spring ISD Families
Spring ISD students (up to 21 years of age) in families that temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals during the 2020–21 school year may be eligible to receive the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), which can be used to buy food from any retailer that accepts the Lone Star Card.
The P-EBT benefit was approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Department of Agriculture and Texas Education Agency. P-EBT benefits can be used the same way as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits.
A parent/guardian must apply if eligible child is:
Enrolled in K-12 and NOT part of a family who received SNAP benefits for at least one month between August 2020 and June 2021.
Born on or before Aug. 1, 2014, and is part of a family who received SNAP benefits for the first time during the 2020–2021 school year in May or June 2021.
A parent/guardian does not have to apply if eligible child is:
Born on or before Aug. 1, 2014, and is part of a family who received SNAP benefits for at least one month between August 2020 and April 2021.
Born after Aug. 1, 2014, and is part of a family who received SNAP benefits for at least one month between October 2020 and June 2021
The application for P-EBT will open Wednesday, June 2. To apply, visit yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/PEBT. The application link is case-sensitive. The deadline to apply is Monday, Aug. 13.
For more information about eligibility, applying and getting your P-EBT benefits, visit
hhs.texas.gov/pebt.Student Resources
Parent Resources
Bammel Middle School
Email: noreply@springisd.org
Website: https://www.springisd.org/bammelms2
Location: 16711 Ella Boulevard, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 891-7900
Twitter: @BMSPatriots