Message From the Superintendent, May 3, 2022

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Dear Aldine Community,

As we kick off May, please take the opportunity to #ThankAnAldineISDTeacher. It is Teacher Appreciation Week. This year’s theme is “Teaching is a Work of Heart.” Those words could not be more accurate. Teachers are a huge part of each student’s success. They change the lives of students every day by helping them learn and inspiring them to achieve their full potential. Please let them know what they mean to your child, your family, or if you are a student or staff member, what they mean to you. I’ve already started seeing some schools post on social media about how they celebrate their educators. You can even read a story online about childhood friends now teaching together at one of our schools.

There is another group that I encourage you to celebrate later this week with me — our school nutrition professionals. The “lunch ladies,” as our students sometimes affectionately refer to them, also impact students’ lives. They ensure our students have full bellies with nutritious meals that keep them energized and ready to learn. Give our hard-working cafeteria workers a shout-out and thank them on School Lunch Superhero Day on Friday, May 6. A little birdie told me that students will receive a special treat that day. The lunch ladies will be wearing their hero attire as they serve slushies to students in all grade levels. How much fun!

May also marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The third most spoken languages are by our Asian American/Asian students. I have long believed that diversity is a strength, and it is definitely a strength in Aldine. Our identity, traditions, and cultures are important to each of us. They can show us more often than not how similar we all are, like how we value the importance of family. Visit our website to learn how our district leaders will celebrate with activities planned for each week this month. 

This past weekend was full of activities. I want to thank all the families, students, staff members, community members, and partners who came to STEMfest and Festival de Primavera. It was great to see so many of you. Students of all ages enjoyed the STEM activities and showed how smart they are by sharing their projects or competing. That day, I also gave a speech in Spanish for the first time in my life. As I practiced, it made me better understand what our English language learners experience and appreciate the diversity of our district and the value of being multilingual.

If you are looking for more stories about the great things happening in the district, visit our website to read about the Aldine, Davis, and MacArthur baseball teams earning playoff berths; the French language student who earned a national award, the students that shined at the Texas State History Day contest and advanced to nationals, and TASCO naming Salvador Fernández Regional Coach of the Year.

Before I close, I want to remind you that families can begin the process of pre-registering their young learners in one of our 12 primary schools. The district will be hosting a primary school enrollment event at each campus on Saturday, May 21, from 9 a.m. to noon, to assist families enrolling eligible students. The deadline to preregister our youngest students for the 2022-2023 school year is the end of May. And don’t forget that we are offering summer learning experiences for students in grades PreK to 12.

Have a great week ahead.

With Aldine Pride,

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney
Superintendent

UPCOMING EVENTS

• May: Click here for details and dates about STAAR testing.
• May 8: Priority deadline to apply to be a Summer Student Tutor through the AISD/iEducate partnership. Click here for details.
• May 21: The 12 primary schools will host an enrollment event with staff assisting eligible families with pre-enrollment. Click here for details.
• 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.
• Summer Learning Experiences Start in June: Click here to learn more about the different learning opportunities Aldine ISD will offer our students in grades PreK4-12.

OBSERVATIONS
May
Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month
May 1-7: National Teacher Appreciation Week; May 3: National Teacher Appreciation Day
May 6: School Lunch Hero Day
May 11: National School Nurse Day (NASN)
May 13: School Communicators Day
May 15-21: National Police Week
May 18: National Speech Pathologist Day

REMINDERS

• Aldine’s Family and Community Engagement Department launched the Family and Community University. Programming is free and open to all Aldine families. Click here to learn more.
• 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.