Message From the Superintendent, April 5, 2022

Disponible en: Español

Dear Aldine Community,

April is here, and most of us are thinking of home and family with spring cleaning, anticipating gatherings for the long holiday weekend (April 15) in a couple of weeks. It is also an excellent time to reset our goals for the year, fine-tune them, and reestablish our motivation toward those goals. I like to think of the school year in quarters. I hope you join me in finishing fourth quarter strong.

You often hear me talk about the importance of leadership. In the leadership of a school, it takes a team of leaders to make the magic in our classrooms happen, for students to develop positive relationships, develop safe spaces, and show what is possible in our schools. In October, we celebrated our school principals. This week, we honor our assistant principals. Most individuals who enter education don’t do it for the money or a title. They go into education because they see a need to make a difference in others’ lives. They seek to multiply hope for our students. Assistant principals play a crucial role in creating high-quality schools and educational experiences. Often, they are the “voice of the school” in daily operations and work closely with students, parents, and teachers. Join me during National Assistant Principals Week (April 4-8) in taking a moment to thank your campus AP for all that they do for students every day.

This week we also celebrate a special place and group of individuals that have a close place in my heart. It is also National Library Week, and Tuesday, April 5, is Library Workers Day. I credit my joy of reading to my grandparents, as many of you know. They taught me that literacy is the key to getting to wherever I want to go in life. Books can take us to places we may otherwise never see, expose us to experiences we might never have, teach us how to do something new, and so much more. There is also a lot of science behind reading and its importance in learning. Reading has been proven to improve empathy and critical thinking, among other things — skills that are essential to students becoming successful in school, college, and their careers.

I want to encourage each of you to use this month to prioritize reading every day. Now, I’m not talking about reading 300 pages of a thick novel every day. A love of reading can look different from person to person. It could be an exciting graphic novel that piques your interest, or a magazine article that encourages you to look at a world issue from a different perspective, or a how-to book that teaches you a new skill. Personally, I like to read a mix of fiction and nonfiction, including books that help me grow professionally. Right now, I am reading Leadershift: The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace by John C. Maxwell with my Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) colleagues across the state.

Related to the topic of reading, I have some exciting news for our young adult readers (and I am sure many adults too). This year, Aldine ISD is hosting the annual TeenBookCon on April 9, with many well-known authors taking part. Additionally, we will celebrate D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) Day on April 12. I can’t wait to see what you pick out to read that day! During D.E.A.R. Day, don’t forget to share on social media using the hashtag #AldineReads. If you are having a hard time deciding what book to read for D.E.A.R. Day (or any other time), look at the Primary/Elementary level and Secondary level lists and see if you can find something interesting.

Our Multilingual Department continues to provide opportunities for our families to thrive. Registration for the Parent Literacy Program, an initiative in partnership with Lone Star College-East Aldine, opens today, April 5. Adult English literacy classes help beginners to intermediate English speakers develop communication and computer literacy skills. They also gain the tools to become more engaged in their children’s education. Please take advantage of this opportunity.

Last week, families had an opportunity to learn how they could help their children prepare for STAAR. The state-mandated tests start this week for some students. The testing helps us gauge students’ strengths and areas for improvement. It helps us better work to help students succeed and continue to make progress in school. For more information, click here for the district web story. To the students, I wish you all good luck. All we ask is that you try your very best.

I would be remiss not to mention that April is National Volunteer Month. There are thousands of active volunteers throughout the district working voluntarily. They all give their time and expertise with the sole intention of helping students. Volunteers can regularly be seen acting as chaperones on field trips, booster club leaders, serving as mentors, organizing school festivals, coordinating fundraisers, sharing their experiences on career day, donating prizes, beautifying the schools, and reading tutors, providing opportunities, and other countless activities. Thank you to all our volunteers for making a difference in our students’ lives. It really does take a village to raise our children.

And in case you missed it, the MacArthur HS boys’ soccer team advanced to the Region 2 Tournament in Austin. Let’s show the Aldine ISD team our support on their state journey.

I wish all of you a beautiful week ahead!

With Aldine Pride,

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney
Superintendent

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 5: STAAR assessments begin this week. Click here for details and dates.
April 5: Registration for free GED classes for Aldine ISD parents opens. Click here for details.
April 9: TeenBookCon at Davis HS, from 9:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Click here for details and learn how to register.
April 14: Deadline to submit the online form to participate in STEMfest 2022. (a K-12 event)
April 30: STEMfest 2022 at the Bamberg Professional Development and Resource Center.
Ongoing Until May 31: Preregistration for eligible PreK3, PreK4, and kindergarten students is open for the 2022-2023 school year. Click here for details on how to register.

OBSERVATIONS
April
April: National Volunteer Appreciation Month
April 3-9: National Library Week
April 4-8: National Assistant Principals Week
April 5: National Library Workers Day
April 12: D.E.A.R. Drop Everything and Read) Day
April 29: Wellness Day (Global Child Nutrition Month)

REMINDERS

Aldine’s Family and Community Engagement Department offers the Family and Community University. Programming is free and open to all Aldine families. Register today.
The state requires high school seniors to apply for financial aid to graduate. Click on the FAFSA application or TASFA application links.
The state requires all entering college students to take the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Assessment. Click here for more information.
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.
Eligible Texas families who lost access to free or reduced-price meals during School Year 2021-2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic will receive P-EBT food benefits. Click here for information.
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.