Message From the Superintendent, December 15, 2021

Disponible en: Español

Dear Aldine Community,

It is hard to believe the time has already come for me to write my last letter of the calendar year. As I reflect on the past semester, I can’t help but swell with pride as I think about how we all showed up on the first day back in August, ready to Start Strong. The excitement of being back on campus to begin a new year was evident, and all of you have kept joy going throughout the semester.

As we look back on this year, here are a few moments that fill me with pride. I could list many more examples, but it would take all week. With that, here are some of the highlights:

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Choice Schools
Between the launch of new programs, new school openings for students new to the country and young women, and the announcement of our latest school for young men, this has been an exciting year for our choice schools.

Aldine’s youngest students
To ensure our commitment to student achievement touches all students who walk through Aldine’s doors, we expanded the prekindergarten program from a half-day to full-day for all three-year-olds. In addition, we began offering a prekindergarten and kindergarten Jump-Start Program to aid in the transition from home to school, focusing on intensive social-emotional learning skills and helping students understand school expectations.

SCHOOL CULTURE
Building Equitable Access to High-Quality Schools and Learning Experiences
The district also continues to expand its aspiring leadership pipeline of effective individuals who embody the AISD leadership definition’s three components: Connect, Inspire, and Impact. Leaders set a vision and maintain the systems and culture required to ensure excellence and give students access to high-quality schools and learning experiences. This year, we added an aspiring principal cohort, the Aldine Principal Fellow Academy. Earlier this year, we also launched the Association of Latinx Leaders.

Ensuring that our schools are designed to be places where students and team members can thrive academically and socially, we conducted an equity audit using a third-party research partner. The audit will identify opportunities to improve equitable systems, policies, and practices that fully support all students, families, and staff.

Student Support
As part of its commitment to student wellness in and out of the classroom, Aldine ISD expanded its partnership with Communities In Schools of Houston (CIS). The nonprofit is bringing student support specialists onto more campuses for the 2021-2022 school year. In addition, we have officially moved into the third year of our plan to raise reading achievement, launched a new framework for our multilingual learners, and expanded the EMERGE College Prep Program to all Aldine ISD high schools.

Team Member Support
To support our hardworking educators and team members, we issued one-time checks to all employees to thank them for their services during the pandemic. The Aldine ISD Board of Trustees also approved a one-time COVID vaccination incentive for fully-vaccinated employees.

MISSION-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP
The Holdsworth Center Leadership Program
Aldine ISD leaders completed the two-year District Leadership Program through The Holdsworth Center. In 2019, Aldine ISD was selected to participate in The district’s five-year partnership with The Holdsworth Center, whose focus is helping public school districts grow their pipeline of inspiring leaders. The learning journey includes sessions with some of the nation’s top leadership experts and site visits to study high-performing organizations in the U.S. and abroad.

School Meals
The AISD Child Nutrition Services (CNS) ranked second in the Houston Area in the Kroger and Children at Risk’s School Food Rankings, which evaluated how school districts across Texas provide meals to low-income area school children. The focus is on meal participation rates and after-school meal programs offered in each district. We are proud that Aldine’s CNS Department went the extra mile to address food insecurity needs in their communities.

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY
Technology
The pandemic revealed the disparity of children who lack internet access and computers at home. Every student needs access to information and technology. One-to-one (1:1) technology in schools is critical to creating more equitable learning environments, ensuring that every student has the resources. The pandemic accelerated our district’s 1:1 technology focus — all 67,000 students that needed a device had one — accomplishing the feat within a year versus five to seven years.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH
All The Things: The Aldine ISD Podcast
It’s hard to believe, but the very first episode of our Aldine ISD podcast aired on January 8 of this year. Hosted by now Chief of Staff Sheleah Reed, the podcast has become a go-to in our community. It features everyone from Aldine team members to students to local community members.

Parent Education
Aldine’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Department launched a new program, Family and Community University. The free program is dedicated to empowering families to support students academically, socially, and emotionally. In addition, Aldine ISD partnered with Lone-Star Community College to provide English language literacy and GED opportunities for Aldine’s parents. We are deeply invested in helping families in our community thrive.

Before closing, I want to remind everyone that the final day for Aldine ISD team members and students is Friday, December 17. Team members will return on Monday, January 3, and students will return on Wednesday, January 5. After the midwinter break, Aldine ISD plans to lift the mask mandate. We strongly encourage wearing face masks, especially for unvaccinated individuals, to minimize the spread of the virus. We also strongly encourage all eligible individuals to get vaccinated. The district will continue to monitor and work with community partners to help ensure our community is aware and has access to testing and vaccines.

I hope each of you feels pride in our district as you go into the midwinter break because I know I do. I want to thank each team member for their work this year. During the break, I hope everyone — families and team members — takes time to recharge, read, rest, enjoy time with loved ones, and reflect on how far we have all come as a community.

With Aldine Pride and Joy,

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney
Superintendent

UPCOMING EVENTS

December 15-17: Final/semester exams and early release for middle and high school students. High schools will dismiss at 11:10 a.m., and middle schools will begin dismissal at 12:00 p.m. For more information, click here.
Dec. 20-31: Midwinter Break; Staff return to work on Jan. 3; Students will return to class on Jan. 5

OBSERVATIONS

January
School Board Recognition Month

Jan. 13: In-person ceremony for district winners of HLS&R School Art Contest.
Jan. 17: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Jan. 24-28: Holocaust Remembrance Week

February
Black History Month

Feb. 7-11: National School Counseling Week
Feb. 18: Student Holiday; Staff Development/Work Day
Feb. 21: Presidents’ Day (Student Holiday; Staff Development/Work Day)
Feb. 22: School Bus Drivers Appreciation Day
Feb. 25: Wellness Day — Theme is Love Your Heart Month

REMINDERS

Aldine ISD has released new cell phone guidelines for students. To learn more, click here.
Aldine’s Family and Community Engagement Department launched the Family and Community University. It aims to provide knowledge and resources to empower families to support students academically, socially, and emotionally. All programming is free and open to all Aldine families. Learn more and register today.
The state requires high school seniors to apply for financial aid to graduate. The FAFSA application opened on October 1.
Aldine ISD’s top priorities continue to be all students’ safety and academic success. The district will post all information related to operations along with any updates at www.aldineisd.org/healthalerts.
Please stay connected by visiting the District News and District Podcast pages to stay up to date on all the great things happening in our district. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.