Message From Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney, Superintendent of Aldine ISD

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Dear Aldine Community,

Our fall semester is busy with activities, from sports and open houses to several National Night Out events and school visits. I want to thank the community, our families, and our staff members who come out and support our students and neighbors — your support is genuinely appreciated.

I love sharing all the good things happening in Aldine. First, earlier this month at the Mexican American School Boards Association, Aldine ISD earned two distinctions. Our Family and Community University received the Outstanding Civics Initiative Award, and La Promesa-Newcomer and Dual Language campus Experience was bestowed with the Outstanding English Language Learner Initiative Award. I thank MASBA for acknowledging our teachers, leaders, and district staff for their outstanding work. And I want to thank the Latino Learning Center for honoring me with the 2022 Humanitarian Award for Philanthropic in Education. We do not do this work alone, and so I share the award with everyone who helps make it possible to provide opportunities for our students and our families.

Earlier this month, I was appointed to serve on the Chiefs for Change Board. It is an honor, and I look forward to working with distinguished colleagues from around the country. Like me, Chiefs for Change work with urgency to give children opportunities to succeed in school and life. Chiefs for Change members are doing the difficult and essential work needed to achieve it.

There is so much to celebrate in Aldine. Including our celebrations like Hispanic Heritage Month, which we wrapped up last week. If you missed it, listen to the latest episode of All the Things: The Aldine ISD Podcast. Germán Enamorado, executive director of transportation, talks about growing up as a Honduran immigrant. He also shares what it means to haz lo que puedas con lo que tienes (do what you can with what you have.).

We also have a few exciting school recognitions and wins. The Texas Art Education Association named Carver HS’ Dr. Tracie Robinson Principal of the Year for her exceptional support for art education and the visual arts. In sports, MacArthur High School’s boys’ and girls’ water polo teams won the first-ever District Title; both teams advanced to the area round of the Class 6A playoffs! Several boys’ and girls’ teams from Aldine High School, Nimitz, Davis, and Eisenhower also did well this season. This is spectacular since it is our first year competing in water polo! Mac is on a winning streak, with the boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams winning the 14-6A District Cross Country Title. It marked the 14th straight District Title for the boys’ cross-country program. Both Mac teams advanced to the Region 2 Cross Country Meet, where the Nimitz and Eisenhower boys’ teams and the Aldine girls’ team will join them. All four postseason qualifiers — Davis HS, Eisenhower HS, MacArthur, and Nimitz — in District 14-6A are from Aldine ISD. MacArthur Generals are the 14-6A Champions with an undefeated district record. A big congratulations and a big G-OO-D J-O-B to all!

The district has a couple of big events coming up. On Saturday, October 22, AISD is hosting the Annual Technology & Curriculum Conference of Aldine. TCCA, one of the largest free EdTech conferences in the nation, will offer 200 professional development sessions, 90 educational vendors, and nine featured speakers. The conference is excellent for any educator using edtech in their classrooms. Click here for details and to register to attend.

While it might be fall, we are already planning for the 2023-2024 school year! Join us Saturday, October 29, at our Choice Schools Festival. Families and their students will be able to learn more about Aldine ISD’s school options outside their attendance zones and in areas of interest. Join us and hear from the best ambassadors: our students and staff.

October is full of observances like Principals Month. I encourage you to thank a principal. Whether it is someone from your past or your child’s school principal, let them know they are appreciated for making a difference. You can read about principals Orfelinda Todd at Vardeman Primary and Salvador Peralta at Aldine Middle School or hear from Carver HS’ Dr. Robinson, who was featured on Fox 26 Houston. And we celebrated our custodians. They play an important role in creating safe, clean, and healthy learning environments for students every day. Although School Custodian Appreciation Day fell on a Sunday (Oct. 2) this year, our administrative buildings and schools celebrated custodians throughout the week. This week’s National School Bus Safety Week is an excellent opportunity to go over safety measures on and near a bus. I also want to send a shout-out to our bus drivers who work daily to get our students to and from school safely. To all the staff, thank you for everything you do for our students each and every day.

Another important date is October 21. That is the deadline for families to complete the online Annual Update for 2022-2023. I strongly urge families who haven’t done so to complete the required form online. We need your emergency contacts and other critical information. The data families provide also determines the state designation of school funds and whether Aldine qualifies to provide free school breakfasts and lunches to all our students. By completing the Annual Update, you are helping the district maximize school funding to provide programs that benefit all students in Aldine. So, please take a moment to complete the online form.

Before I close, I want to remind everyone to stay healthy. After hearing from colleagues in neighboring school districts, the flu season has started in many areas. I encourage you to get the appropriate vaccines. And do take the necessary steps to stay healthy, like washing your hands and covering your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze. Let’s stay healthy and ensure our students are in school learning every day.

Again, thank you for all the support you have shown to our school district and our students.

With Aldine Pride,

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney
Superintendent
Twitter: @drgoffney

UPCOMING EVENTS

• October 18-19: District Middle School Football Championship. Click here for the schedule.
• October 21: Parent Leadership Academy session at the MOC. Click here for information.
• October 22: Technology & Curriculum Conference of Aldine (TCCA), from 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m., at Davis HS. Expect 200 sessions, 90 educational vendors, and nine featured speakers. Click here to register to attend.
• October 29: Choice Schools Festival at the MOC, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Details)
• Ongoing: Family and Community University’s 2022-2023 year has started. Click here to register.
• Ongoing: iEducate is hiring college students, especially Aldine ISD grads, as tutors to work with Aldine ISD students. iEducate accepts applications on a rolling basis, and interested students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHT
World Mental Health Day Twitter post

RECENT NEWS
Outside Food and Beverages are Prohibited on the Premises of Secondary Schools!
Avalos P-TECH Students Elected to Houstons Youth Council, With Aspirations of Change
Aldine ISD PD to Host ‘Stop the Hurt, Paint the Convert’ Event Oct. 29
MacArthur Wins 7th Straight Team Tennis Title
MacArthur High Water Polo Team Makes History With First-Ever District Title
MacArthur Water Polo Teams Advance to Area Round of Class 6A Playoffs
Generals, Lady Generals Earn District 14-6A Cross Country Titles
Aldine ISD Celebrates National School Lunch Week
Carver HS’ Robinson Named School Principal of the Year by Texas Arts Education Association
October 23-30: Red Ribbon Week Activities
District Middle School Football Championship Schedule for October 18 and October 19
Aldine ISD to Host Choice Schools Festival on Saturday, October 29
Superintendent Dr. LaTonya Goffney Recognized at the Latino Learning Center’s Humanitarian Awards Ceremony
Aldine ISD Honored With 2 Outstanding Awards From Mexican American School Board Association

MONTHLY OBSERVATIONS
October
National School Principals Month

• Oct. 18: Nine Weeks Start (Traditional Calendar)
• Oct. 19: ENVI2ION School Day (ADSY Calendar)
• Oct. 19: Pink Out Day (Breast Cancer Awareness Month)
• Oct. 19-23: National School Bus Safety Week
• Oct. 24-28: Red Ribbon Week (click here to view flyer) 
• Oct. 25: Report cards accessible via parents’/legal guardians’ Home Access Center (HAC) account (Traditional Calendar & ADSY)
• Oct. 26: Pink Out Day (Breast Cancer Awareness Month)
• Oct. 29: ENVI2ION School Day (ADSY Calendar)

Click here to view the 2022-20223 school year calendars — traditional and Additional Days School Year (ADSY).

REMINDERS

• The state requires high school seniors to apply for financial aid to graduate. — FAFSA Application link or TASFA Application links
• The state requires all entering college students to take the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Assessment. (Details).
• Aldine ISD’s top priorities are students’ safety and academic success. The district posts information related to protocols along with any updates at www.aldineisd.org/healthalerts.
• Stay connected by visiting AldineISD.org. Check out our District News and Aldine ISD Podcast pages to stay updated on all the great things happening in our district. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.