The Pony Express
The Year of the Champion
November 2 - November 6, 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.
New Spring ISD Curbside Meal Pickup Distribution Times
Spring ISD Child Nutrition has announced new Curbside Meal Pickup distribution times. Starting Wednesday, Nov. 4, the new Curbside Pickup time will be from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
In addition, starting Friday, Nov. 6, weekend meals (including breakfast and lunch for both Saturday and Sunday) will be offered on Fridays at all pickup locations.
Curbside pickup locations:
Anderson Elementary
Booker Elementary
Burchett Elementary
Clark Primary Elementary
Cooper Elementary
Hirsch Elementary
Jenkins Elementary
Marshall Elementary
McNabb Elementary
Ponderosa Elementary
Reynolds Elementary
Smith Elementary
Thompson Elementary
For more information on curbside locations and meal times, visit www.springisd.org/nutrition
or follow them on social media at @SpringISD_Meals.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
School of Choice Applications Open Nov. 2
Is your fifth grader interested in attending one of Spring ISD’s schools of choice for middle school? If so, the online application opens on Monday, Nov. 2.
In addition to the specialty programs and exciting learning pathways available to Spring ISD students at their neighborhood campus, the district also offers two middle schools of choice, helping ensure that every family can find the best fit for their student.
Both Roberson Middle School, with its STEM and fine arts programs, and Spring Leadership Academy, where a small-campus setting is paired with a range of leadership and personal growth opportunities, offer several exciting options for students to consider.
You can learn more about all of the district’s schools of choice, and view frequently asked questions about the application process, at springisd.org/choice. Families can easily apply to multiple schools using a single online application. The deadline for applying is Dec. 18, 2020 at midnight.
Ways to Celebrate Family Literacy Month
November 1st is Family Literacy Day which kicks off National Family Literacy Month. The love for books is timeless, especially when it is shared with all generations in our families and community. For many children, the love of books begins at an early age. As author Emilie Buchwald has said, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” When they are read to frequently, children are more likely to take the initiative and read more on their own. In celebrating Family Literacy Month, Kumon has given us some tips to improve literacy at home.
Designate some time each day for reading in a comfy corner.
Keep books visible around the house.
Read the book version of favorite children's movies.
Have a virtual book club with family and friends.
Visit your local library, practicing social distancing and safety protocols.
Grab your children and curl up with a good book to unlock the many possibilities of worlds both real and imaginary.
Tips for a Safe Thanksgiving Break
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and will be different from the way many of us have celebrated in past years. As we prepare for family gatherings, the CDC offers the following considerations to help protect individuals and their families from COVID-19.
If you are hosting or attending a gathering:
Remind guests to stay home if they are sick
Consider keeping a list of guests who attended
Encourage social distancing (stay at least 6 feet away from others)
Have guests wear a mask
Clean hands often
Limit the number of people handling or serving food
Here are some low-risk activities to consider:
Having a small dinner with only people who live in your household
Having a virtual dinner and sharing recipes with friends and family
Shopping online rather than in person on the day after Thanksgiving or the following Monday
Watching sports events, parades, and movies from home
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html
Keeping our Students Healthy and Hydrated during the School Day
Parents, please remember to send a refillable water bottle with your student to school every day. We know how important it is for our kids to stay hydrated, and we are offering plenty of opportunities for them to refill their bottles throughout the day at designated sinks.
If your child forgets their bottle, don’t worry. We have paper cups available so they won’t go thirsty. For health and safety reasons, we have limited access to our campus water fountains, but we’re continuously evaluating when it’s safe to re-open them. We are currently looking at the feasibility of designating a few water fountains as additional refilling stations.
Our goal is to get all of our students in the habit of bringing a refillable water bottle so we can make sure they stay hydrated throughout the day. We also want to do our part to keep single-use plastics out of the landfills, so thank you for your support!
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.
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 ‘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
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/98898555219dismissal
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.