The Pony Express
The Year of the Champion
October 19 - October 23, 2020
Please do not drop children off prior to 8:10. Car riders may not exit the vehicle until their temperature is taken and they pass their screening.
Safety First in-person and Empowered Learning at Home
If you have any questions, please contact the school at 281-891-8180
Attendance Counts
School Hours
Doors Open at 8:10
Elementary School Hours 8:35 - 3:40
Tardy Bell Rings 8:35
Announcements 8:40
Virtual students should be logged in and "Camera Ready" by 8:35 a.m.
How to Spot the Signs of Bullying
As you may know, October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. According to Stompoutbullying.org, bullying is defined as “an intentional, aggressive and repeated behavior that involves an imbalance of power or strength.” Bullying takes many forms — physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, hazing, racist bullying, and online cyberbullying. Recognizing the warning signs in your children is vital. Some of these signs include, but are not limited to:
Expresses fear of going to school, riding the bus, walking to and from school, or taking part in activities outside of school.
Making excuses to miss school or no longer interested in going to school.
Sad or depressed emotions when arriving home.
Has trouble sleeping or has many bad dreams.
Not wanting to eat much.
Exhibiting anxiety or low self-esteem.
If you notice some of the warning signs, approach your child about it, but don’t overreact. Assure them that you love them and want to help. Ask subtle questions to open the discussion. If your child has trouble expressing what may be going on, share your concerns with their teacher.
Know that there are additional resources available to you and your child at your school. Reach out to the counselor, nurse or an administrator at your campus for further assistance.
Thursday power hour series: Technology for Parents
Keeping Your Children Healthy while Learning In-Person
As we move into flu season, it’s important that we all stay vigilant and practice healthy routines to help lower the risk of illness. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to protect the health of those around you. Here are some tips from CDC.gov:
Wash hands with soap and water. Encourage younger children to sing a song and wash hands for at least 20 seconds.
Use hand sanitizer if hand washing is not possible. Hand sanitizers must contain at least 60% alcohol. Teach your child to cover all surface areas and rub hands until they feel dry.
Wear a mask when in public or around individuals that don’t live in your household. Practice wearing a mask correctly, over both the nose and mouth.
Avoid close contact with others outside of your home. When out, practice social distancing with your children.
Keep up with well-child visits and vaccines with pediatricians. These visits are essential to address developmental milestones and discuss preventive measures.
Help your child stay active to support both their physical and mental health. See if you can make physical activity a part of your family’s daily routine.
Using these tips at home will increase the chance that your child will practice these skills on campus. Parents, let’s work together with teachers to keep our children healthy this school year.
How to Support Your Child with Special Needs
Mark your calendars for a special virtual event on Monday, Oct. 26 from 6 to 7 p.m. when award-winning comedian, advocate and columnist Sheletta Brundidge offers her tips and strategies for supporting a child with special needs.
Brundidge, also known as “Autism Mom,” has three children on the spectrum and will share her experiences on securing services and support for her young children. She is committed to helping others and providing hope for any family struggling with the challenges of caring for children with unique differences. Brundidge also co-hosts a podcast on parenting. For more information about this acclaimed personality, visit her website.
Check out ‘Community Happenings’ to Be in the Know
The district is launching a new webpage at www.springisd.org/happenings to serve as a one-stop shop for flyers that come in from community organizations and businesses.
Check out this page where you can view flyers from community agencies across our area and learn about events, programs and opportunities. Spring ISD is not endorsing any organization or service; the district is simply creating this platform to share helpful information with our families and community
Attendance Matters So Make Sure Your Student is Marked Present
With online learning, we know there are some questions on attendance and how to ensure students are marked present for the day. Here’s what families need to know:
Log in and attend class in real-time with your teacher during the morning and the afternoon.
If you were unable to attend a session because of a technology issue, don’t panic. Students attending either the morning or afternoon session will be counted present for the day.
We know some families may have trouble sticking to the daily schedule because of a variety of issues, including parents’ work schedules, power outages, technology problems or distractions at home.
If your student for some reason misses both the morning and afternoon live instruction with their teachers, they can still make up the work by logging into Schoology and completing the day’s assignments. For that effort to count, however, students must do this before 11:59 p.m. each day to be counted present.
Even with all the challenges of online learning, attendance is still being tracked and still counts. Attendance matters, and we want our students in class and learning every day, 100 percent of the time. At a minimum, state standards require students to attend school at least 90 percent of the time the class is in session to receive credit.
If your family is struggling with attendance, let us know now so we can help!
check out the district tracker for the latest data on covid-19
Spring ISD is committed to providing parents accurate and timely information about COVID-19 in our schools and facilities.
Since the beginning of online classes on Aug. 17, the district has been tracking COVID-19 cases and is featuring that data on a special dashboard, located at www.springisd.org/covidtracker. The goal is to provide real-time information to our school community so that families and staff can have the latest data available.
Our tracker is updated whenever there is a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in our district, with total cases within the past week and cumulative cases since Aug. 17, 2020 featured. Users can filter and hover to learn specific locations.
As part of our communications protocols, we’re notifying families whenever there is a positive case that involves students on a campus. The district is also reporting all of the data to the Texas Education Agency each week as required. The state is updating its website weekly.
In the coming weeks, the district is planning more improvements to the tracker to continue to refine and improve how it presents COVID-19 data so everyone can stay informed.
Join Spring ISD, Houston Dynamo and Dash for ‘Soccer Starts At Home’ virtual classes
Join Spring ISD’s Physical Education department as they team up with Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash for the ‘Soccer Starts at Home’ virtual courses, kicking off on Oct. 13 and running every Tuesday through Dec. 8 at 6 p.m via Zoom. Physical education teachers throughout the district will utilize instructional resources in their courses and provide students increased opportunities to develop fundamental ‘ball mastery’ skills that help develop balance, coordination, agility, and a sense of achievement through fun and motivating activities.
The district’s involvement in the Dynamo's ‘Soccer Starts at Home’ program will foster a family bond, with parents serving as instructors and motivators as their child begins to master a variety of exciting new skills. Parents who are interested in learning more about the program are encouraged to join the virtual meeting.
Soccer Starts At Home virtual classes
Every Tuesday beginning Oct. 13-Dec. 8
6 p.m.
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/98898555219PreK - 12th Grade Pre-Screening Attestation & Transportation Agreement
Spring Independent School District (Spring ISD) is committed to protecting the health and safety of its employees and students. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the District has adopted new protocols for students to follow while physically present in a Spring ISD building, which includes a self-assessment expectation for parent to withhold students that exhibit COVID symptoms.
Please review the policy in the link below and complete the form to indicate you understand the policy. Complete this form for each student who will be coming to school for in-person safety first learning.
dismissal
We will not accept transportation changes after 3 p.m.
When picking up a child from Ponderosa, you will need a valid driver's license or picture ID. Students will not be released to anyone with out an ID nor will they be released to anyone not on their transportation release form.
All transportation changes must be in writing and can be sent to:
car riders
Students are NOT to be dropped off in the street or along the side of the car rider drop off. Please help us adhere to strict safety guidelines so that all of our children and staff are safe.
Car rider pick up is typically slow at the beginning of the year as the little ones learn their car rider number and the systems. Please help your child practice remembering their car rider number. In the afternoons students will wait in holding areas where social distancing can be maintained. Staff will be walking along the car rider line texting numbers to the staff in the front and inside the building. As numbers are text, the student who matches the number will be assigned a cone where you will pick them up.
Students will not be permitted to go to other cones unless directed by Ponderosa staff.
We know the line is long and the process will take some time. Please be patient with us. Parents/ guardians will not be permitted to walk up and retrieve your child from the car rider line during dismissal. If your child is marked a car rider, they must be picked up in a car.
Bus Riders
Riding the bus? Find Your Stop and Learn About Key Safety Information
Just visit our website and type 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: https://www.springisd.org/reopen
walkers
South walkers are dismissed at the corner of Ash Meadow and Butte Creek.
North walkers are dismissed by the gazebo in the park.
PreK and KG students must be released to an adult. All other students will be released on their own.
Parents and guardians are not permitted to walk up to campus and retrieve their walkers during dismissal. If you child is identified as a walker, he or she will be brought to the designated walker area and release.
BRING YOUR CHROMEBOOK, LAPTOP OR DEVICE TO SCHOOL DAILY
Student Code of Conduct Updated to Reflect Changes Related to Pandemic
The district’s 2020-21 Student Code of Conduct has been updated to reflect revisions and additions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Specifically, the handbook now includes guidance around how students are expected to behave to promote safety when health conditions permit in-person learning on the campuses, including maintaining social distancing procedures, handwashing, wearing masks and keeping mouth and nose covered while sneezing and/or coughing.
Students could face disciplinary action for purposefully trying to cough or sneeze on another person, refusing to adhere to social distancing standards, and removing personal protective equipment like a mask with the goal of trying to harm or threaten another person with bodily fluids.
Students who show up to school without a mask or refuse to wear one during the school day may also face a dress code violation. The expectation is that all students come to school wearing a face covering, just as they would adhere to dress code. The goal is to keep everyone in our school safe, including students and staff.
To view the entire Code of Conduct, please click here. Parents without ability to download the Code of Conduct may request one in print by emailing Thomas Graham, the director of Student Affairs at tgraham@springisd.org.
Know a Spring ISD parent without an email address? Help Us Get them Connected
Parents, we need your help! If you know of any Spring ISD parents/guardians who don’t have an email address, we would love your help getting them online and connected.
Or if you know someone who is still using their student’s email address, we would also appreciate your encouraging them to create their own email address. Having a reliable email address is so important these days as we communicate important safety information. Across the district, there are thousands of parents who either don’t have an email address or are using their student’s Spring ISD email address, meaning they are missing out on both school and district communications.
We have created a handout in both Spanish and English that describes the steps for setting up a Gmail account. Thank you for helping spread the word and assisting another parent in getting connected.
How to Access Schoology
The only way for students and parents to access Schoology is to log into the mySringISD portal from the district’s website using their district-issued username and password and then clicking on the Schoology icon.
Families who have been trying to log in through the Schoology mobile app or through the Schoology website will be unable to do so because the district is using single sign on, which makes it easier to access all instructional resources.
We know some parents and students downloaded the Schoology mobile app in the spring but we would urge everyone to delete that from your phone and log into the portal directly from the district website.