Science Newsletter
October 23, 2020
EPIC SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24
Join us for Let's Create an Online Adventure!
Bring the joy of solving puzzles and hunting for clues into the science curriculum and right to your students device. Come join this session on how to put a spin on the popular escape room challenges and learn how to create virtual escape rooms.
9:00 - 11:00 Registration Link
11:00 - 1:00 Registration Link
NOVEMBER 3 - PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Here are the sessions that will be offered:
- All-in-One: Student Collaboration & Assessment
- Let's Create an Online Adventure
- Building Engagement: 10 Tips
- 8th Grade Planning Session
- 5th Grade Planning Session
- Biology Retesters Collaboration Session
Details are still being finalized so as soon as they are ready, we will send out the flyer with full details about each session through Dept Chairs/ACTs and they will be included in next week's newsletter.
BIOLOGY DECEMBER EOC COUNTDOWN NOW AVAILABLE
GIZMOS - ADVANCED PLACEMENT & IB COURSES
THIRST FOR POWER - DIGITAL FIELD TRIP EXPERIENCE
SAISD faculty, staff, students, board, etc. are invited to attend a screening of Thirst for Power. This virtual event takes place Wednesday, October 28 at 10AM. The film screening and live Q&A with Dr. Webber and filmmaker Mat Hames runs 90 minutes.
The event is free for everyone but is targeting secondary schools (students grades 7+). Teachers have the option to have a professional teaching artist lead a digital pre-event workshop to prepare students to see the film. The workshop is TEKS aligned and introduces students to the themes explored in the film.
For further information, see the Thirst for Power Flyer.
CBA #1 FOR GRADE 5
The final version of the 5th Grade CBA in both English and Spanish will be made available to teachers on the Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment website on November 2. The assessment window for the 5th grade CBA is November 9 to November 12.
Click here to assess the SAISD Assessment Calendar.
STEMSCOPES PRODUCT UPDATES
In addition to updating their resources to be more adaptable to virtual learning, STEMscopes has released two documents to support hybrid instruction using those resources:
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD OPEN FOR NEW HS TEKS
At the September 2020 State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting, the SBOE approved for first reading and filing authorization proposed new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for the following high school science courses: Biology, Chemistry, Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC), and Physics. The proposal recommends an implementation date of the 2023–2024 school year. The SBOE is scheduled to consider the proposed new TEKS for second reading and final adoption at its November 2020 meeting.
The official public comment period for the proposed new TEKS for high school science is now open. To view the proposed revisions and submit public comments, visit
Public Comment Period: October 9, 2020–November 13, 2020
When submitting a comment, please be sure to include the course name(s), the number of the knowledge and skill statement, and the letter of the student expectation, if applicable (for example, Chemistry, 13.C).
You are encouraged to submit public comments as early in the comment period as possible. Public comments will be shared with SBOE members and their content advisors each week. Specific, actionable feedback submitted early in the 30-day timeframe provides SBOE members with more information and time to consider comments.
TEA COMMITTEE APPLICATIONS
Applications Now Available for:
Science TEKS Review Committee
Instructional Materials Reviews
STAAR and/or STAAR Spanish
SCOBEE PLANETARIUM OFFERINGS
UT AUSTIN'S FABFEMS FRIDAYS
UT Austin’s Women in Engineering Program FabFems Fridays
UT Austin’s Women in Engineering Program (UTWEP) is hosting 4 “FabFems Fridays” this fall from 12 – 12:45 p.m. Anyone is welcome to join in! Info and registration links below. NOTE: the target audience is high school students considering engineering as a major and current engineering students. All FabFems Fridays will be recorded and posted in our Career Chats playlist on YouTube.
Friday, November 6 - FabFems Friday: Celebrating Engineers in Law
Register: https://utexas.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5-wfOt5sTcaoFoSf1tgDdQ
Join UTWEP for a panel discussion with Cockrell School alums and engineers with law career paths and experiences. Hear their educational and career stories, successes and struggles. Get inspired! And get your questions answered.
Friday, November 13 - FabFems Friday: Celebrating UT Austin Women in STEM Student Organizations
Join UTWEP for a panel discussion with student leaders from the Women in STEM Leadership Collaborative (student organizations and programs from across UT Austin that serve and support STEM students who identify as women). Hear their educational and career stories, successes and struggles. Get inspired! And get your questions answered.
Register: https://utexas.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0udOqhrTsiH9YhzqAKfWjdTeL73wBgtGaf
DEPARTMENT CHAIR MEETINGS
November 10, January 12, February 9, March 23
Middle School (4:45 - 6:00)
December 1, January 26, February 23, March 30
Academic Coordinating Teachers ACTs (4:00 - 5:30)
February 11
Angela Paskell, Director of Science
Email: apaskell1@saisd.net
Website: www.saisd.net/science
Location: 406 Barrera Street, San Antonio, TX, USA
Phone: 210-554-2525
Twitter: @SAISD_Science