Message From the Superintendent, May 11, 2021

Disponible en:

Dear Aldine Community,

We only have 12 days left of the school year, and we are well on track to Finish Strong and Finish Safe.

The month of May is full of observations and celebrations. This week we are celebrating National Police Week. Please join me in thanking Chief Paul Cordova and the Aldine ISD Police Department, including the newest member, K-9 Officer Queen Delta, who protect and serve all 111 square miles of the district.

May is mental health awareness month. The national observation is a time to raise awareness of those living with mental and/or behavioral health struggles and reduce the stigma associated with this, which often prevents individuals from seeking help. Schools play an important role in providing behavioral health care and helping students find resources available in their community. These strategies improve the overall value of health care and can lead to improvements in student outcomes. Aldine ISD is committed to supporting the mental, physical and behavioral wellness of students and staff. Our SEL and Culture Department will share a series of social-emotional learning (SEL) information and resources throughout the month. I encourage you to read Installment 1 and Installment 2.

Last week, students from Kujawa Primary and Carmichael Elementary schools visited the district’s administration buildings to showcase traditional song, dance, and dress to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. It was also an honor to celebrate our Top 10 Scholars from every Aldine ISD high school. Ninety students joined us on May 6 at the M.O. Campbell Educational Center. It was awesome to meet and hear from AISD Class of 2012 grad Juan José Jaramillo Montezco, who shared words of wisdom with the soon-to-be graduates. We ended the week with a salute to our School Lunch Heroes.

Start Strong
As we look to wrap up this year — a year full of change and uncertainty — we are also busily planning for the start of the 2021-22 school year.  Teams are currently evaluating district protocols, student and staff dress codes, and learning options to ensure our students are successful.  As we finalize the plans, we look forward to gathering your input and sharing as quickly as we can. Our planning continues to be based on our guiding principle, that we will go as fast as we can but as slow as we must.

Two more weeks of STAAR Testing
We are in the home stretch of STAAR testing. I want to take a moment to commend all of our students for working so hard as they continue to adapt to the changes implemented this year. Keep up the good work!

Transportation and meals are available to everyone, and dates will be available for students to make up the exams.

2020-2021 ALDINE ISD STANDARDIZED TESTING SCHEDULE
 

*All at-home learners must go to their home campus to take tests on their scheduled day(s).
** May 18 and May 19 are Remote Learning Days for students in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade on-campus students.

It is important for all students — whether learning at home or on campus — to engage with their lessons and complete assignments, quizzes, and projects. If you do not have a Home Access Center (HAC) account, please sign up via the Home Access Center website.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS 
Preregistration for PreK3, PreK4, and Kindergarten is Open — Families can pre-enroll their eligible students for the 2021-2022 school year in three grades — prekindergarten (PreK) for three-year-olds (PreK3), Pre-K for four-year-olds (PreK4), and kindergarten. Again, pre-enrollment is for new, eligible students entering AISD for the first time. Families can click here to begin the preregistration process by completing online documents. The deadline to pre-enroll students to PreK and kindergarten is May 31, 2021.

District’s Newest School, La Promesa, to Host In-Person Enrollment Assistance Event on May 13 — Staff will be available to help families enroll incoming ninth-graders for the 2021-2022 school year. The school will focus on students who have lived three or fewer years in the U.S. and are from non-English speaking countries or have limited English proficiency.

Thursday, May 13, from 3:00-4:30 p.m
Aldine High School
11101 Airline Drive • Houston, TX 77037

Family and Community Engagement (FACE)
Keep up with the Aldine ISD FACE Department’s May newsletter for this month’s event dates and family resources. Happening this week:

Thursday, May 13
Immigration Chat/Charla Sobre Inmigracón
Click here to attend the session at 5:30 p.m.
 
Monday, May 17
Be Inspired/Ser Inspirado
English Presentation at 9:00 a.m.
Spanish Presentation at 11:00 a.m.

COVID-19 REMINDERS – Testing, Safety Protocols, and Vaccination News
As of May 10, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for everyone ages 12 years and older. Aldine ISD has partnered with Texas Children’s Hospital to provide COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer) for Aldine ISD staff, students, and the community.

Appointments for Aldine ISD students 12 and up, families, and staff will be available at the M.O. Campbell Center – 1865 Aldine Bender, FM 525 Houston, TX 77032 – on May 14 and 15.

To schedule an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from Texas Children’s Hospital, click here. After you complete the registration form, you will be registered to receive a free vaccine from Texas Children’s. You will then receive an email to schedule your vaccine appointment.

Quarantine Protocols
Following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control, Aldine ISD will no longer require fully vaccinated students and staff without symptoms to quarantine if exposed to a lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 case. Students who are fully vaccinated are encouraged to provide a copy of their vaccination card to their campus nurse to enter into their student health immunization records. Staff will only be asked to provide their vaccination records to their supervisor in the event they are identified as an exposure to a positive case.

I encourage everyone to continue doing their part:  wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance.

District Updates
We have so many wonderful things happening in our district! Please make sure to check out the District News page to stay up to date on everything happening in our district.

I wish you a wonderful week ahead.

With Aldine Pride,

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney
Superintendent