Message From the Superintendent, June 2, 2021

Disponible en:

Dear Aldine Community,

Our goal for spring 2021 was to Finish Strong, and I am proud to say we certainly did! Two of the most joyful days of the school year are the first day of school and graduation. The first day sets the tone for the year and lets students know the promises we as educators are making to them. Graduation is the fulfillment of these promises. This year, I presided over nine graduation ceremonies where more than 3,200 students received their diplomas. Many of these graduates are headed off to college, trade schools, and the workforce. All are prepared to meet their new challenges successfully.

This week marks the start of the summer break. Once again, I want to thank staff, parents, students, and the entire community for a successful school year under challenging circumstances. The 2020-2021 school year was full of memorable achievements and events that could not have happened without your support.

June marks LGBTQ+ Pride Month. I am committed to creating affirming and safe learning and work environments for students, families, and staff. All means all in Aldine. We want every student to thrive in our schools. Together, let’s help create spaces that are safe, inclusive, and welcoming for all. We are stronger and #BetterTogether. Click here for resources.

One of the new ways we’ve communicated about our programs and initiatives this year is the All the Things: The Aldine Podcast. Last week, we released the 10th episode of All The Things: The Aldine ISD Podcast. The season finale features 2020-2021 student Kingston Alexander-Punch who stopped by to talk about kindergarten. The podcast’s youngest guest helped us explain why families should take advantage of our primary programs, why kindergarten is cool, and he even told us how much he LOVES chocolate milk. Don’t miss out on Kindergarten Talk. All the Things will be back later this year, but in the meantime, subscribe to our newsblog and share with a friend. You can listen to full episodes here.

We are looking forward to our Start Strong 2021-2022 school year! Our leadership teams and principals will be meeting over the summer and teachers will be attending sessions to hone their craft. When the 2021-2022 school year begins on August 16, Aldine ISD will be ready to hit the ground running for in-person learning and to continue to provide our students numerous educational opportunities. Please use our Let’s Talk platform for any questions or concerns. Click on the office or department link, and the appropriate staff member will get back to you.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS 

Free Breakfast and Lunch Meals —Tuesday, May 25, was the last day the district’s Child Nutrition Services Department offered curbside meals at all meal sites.

Beginning June 1, Aldine ISD will bring back the summer meals program. Aldine Child Nutrition Services will provide students 18 and younger and enrolled students with disabilities up to 21 years old with healthy, no-cost summer meals. The Seamless Summer Program is a U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition program administered in the Lone Star State by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). For more information, click here.

Aldine ISD to Hold Summer Athletic Camps — All summer sports strength and conditioning camps will be held at Aldine High School, Davis High School, Eisenhower High School, MacArthur High School, and Nimitz High School. Click here for details about dates, hours, and costs.

Registration for PreK3, PreK4, and Kindergarten — The new student registration for the 2021-2022 school year will open on June 21. Families will be able to enroll their eligible students for the 2021-2022 school year in three grades — prekindergarten for three-year-olds (PreK3), Pre-K for four-year-olds (PreK4), and kindergarten. The PreK3 program will be a full-day program starting in fall 2021. 

La Promesa: Aldine ISD’s Newest Choice School — La Promesa (“the promise”). La Promesa will open in fall 2021 to provide students who are new to the U.S. with global and cultural competencies for today’s interconnected world, giving them the promise of choices and opportunities after graduation. 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. The school will host in-person enrollment events to help families enroll their incoming ninth-graders for the 2021-2022 school year. Click here for detail on the next upcoming event.

Saturday, June 5, from 9 a.m.-noon
Aldine High School 
11101 Airline Drive • Houston, TX 77037

Coming August 2, 2021: Students’ Families Must Complete Required Annual Update — Previously, once a student enrolled in Aldine ISD, the student’s information remained the same unless a parent provided new information. The annual update will increase customer service and ensure individual student information is updated annually. Starting August 2021, AISD will ask families to complete a yearly update before starting each new school year. Families will access the Annual Update form through HAC. At least one legal guardian — a student’s parent or legal guardian — will need to have a Home Access Center (HAC) account.

Family and Community Engagement (FACE)
Keep up with the Aldine ISD FACE Department by clicking here for upcoming events and family resources. The FACE team would appreciate your feedback with suggestions on what information you would like to see in their monthly newsletter. Please complete this survey to share your thoughts and how you would like to get involved.

COVID-19 REMINDERS — Testing, Safety Protocols, and Vaccination News
After May 28, the district will no longer conduct the visitor COVID-19 screening process, and employees will not need to complete the daily screening via Qualtrics. In addition, masks will be optional at all Aldine ISD campuses and administrative buildings starting June 5, 2021.

Vaccinations
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.

P-EBT Applications Opens June 2
The state will open the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) application process for eligible families. Families can use P-EBT benefits to buy food from any retailer that accepts the Lone Star Card. The application for P-EBT will open on June 2, 2021. Visit yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/PEBT to apply. The application link is case-sensitive. The deadline to apply is August 13, 2021. For more eligibility information, applying, and getting your P-EBT benefits, visit hhs.texas.gov/pebt. Families can also call the P-EBT Call Center at 833-442-1255, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Quarantine Protocols
Following the Centers for Disease Control guidance, 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 as recommended by the CDC.

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.

The weekly message has been a powerful tool to keep everyone informed of important news and initiatives. This letter is the last Weekly Message until later this summer. However, families and staff will be notified if there are any emergencies.

Have a safe and enjoyable summer!

With Aldine Pride,

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney
Superintendent