A Message From Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney, Superintendent

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Dear Aldine Community,

We ended January celebrating and supporting our students! Last week we held our Livestock Show, and everyone had a great time. More importantly, the money raised from the food sales and the sale of champions benefited future student projects and went toward college scholarships. Thank you to our giving community, generous business partners, and fantastic staff for being #AldineConnected.

Celebrating Black History Month: Resilience
It’s February, and we are kicking off Black History Month! This year’s theme, Resilience, recognizes the power of the Black community to withstand and overcome the systemic oppression and discrimination they have faced throughout history while also honoring the strength, determination, and perseverance of Black individuals and communities to survive, thrive and make positive contributions to society. Click here to learn more about how we are celebrating this month.

Eisenhower College Prep Opens in Fall 2023
We have exciting news! Eisenhower College Prep at Eisenhower 9th and Eisenhower High School will open in August 2023. The program, which replaces YES Prep Eisenhower at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, continues our commitment to providing choices and opportunities for our students. The rigorous and enriching educational program will propel our students forward and prepare them for a successful post-secondary experience. Click here to read about the curriculum, support, and opportunities Eisenhower College Prep students will have.

2023-2024 School Year Calendars Announced!
The instructional calendars for the 2023-2024 school year are now set. What’s new? The district has REIMAGINED the traditional calendar for students and teachers to create a more balanced approach, which now includes fall and spring mid-term breaks. The first mid-term break will be in October, and the second will be in February. The start date for most students and schools on the reimagined traditional calendar is August 10, 2023. The first day of instruction for students attending the district’s four schools on the Additional School Days School Year (ADSY) calendar will be July 13. For these and other important dates on the two calendars, click here.

Hiring Teachers: Looking for the Best Educators for Our Schools — Incentive Pay for Recruiting
In Aldine, we are committed to a bold vision for our students. We dedicate every day to ensuring our students have access to high-quality schools and receive high-quality educational experiences. The district continually looks for the most talented teachers to work with our students. On March 4, we are hosting a Job Fair. Click here to view the flyer detailing the event and ideal candidates. Please share the information with incredible teachers you know, soon-to-be college graduates, retired teachers considering coming back into the classroom, and individuals with a bachelor’s degree looking to switch careers. We are providing incentive pay for recruiting teachers — an Early Bird Referral by June 2 and one after June 2. Incentive pay ranges between $1,000 to $300. For details, click here.

Leadership Matters
Recently, I participated in the Texas Council of Women School Executives Conference and the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) Midwinter Conference in Austin. I am forever grateful for the relationships that evolved from these organizations. When I served as president of TCWSE, one of my proudest accomplishments was creating the TCWSE Female Superintendents Summit. It thrilled me to be among over 600 female educators, including 68 female superintendents, at the 8th Female Superintendents Summit! It continues to grow strong with so many SHEroes! To any educator looking to pursue executive leadership roles, I encourage you to become a member of TCWSE.

Whether taking an active part in leadership organizations at the national level, state level, or inspiring leaders locally, it is not lost on me the importance of the work we all do and the work still left to be done. No one can do this work alone. Hannah Arendt once said, “Education is the point at which we decide whether we love the world enough to assume responsibility for it.” Let’s work together and remember our most important why — our students — each and every day. We had a fantastic lineup of keynote speakers at the TASA Conference — professor, lecturer, author Dr. Brené Brown; Fall Creek School District (WI) Superintendent Dr. Joe Sanfelippo, and comedian Michael Jr. They all shared so many great nuggets of wisdom and inspiration. I encourage you to click here to watch Michael Jr. talk about knowing your why and purpose in life. It is truly inspirational!

Staff Shoutouts
In Aldine, our staff members know their why. During our Instructional Leadership Team meeting today, we captured all the shoutouts — we do this every month, but this was the first time we got it on film! Thank you for your work, and know that you are valued. Your dedication is recognized and appreciated. Click here to view the video. To everyone mentioned today and every month. Good Job, Good Job, Good Job, Good Job, G-OO-D J-O-B, Good Job, Good Job!

Congratulations
As a leader of leaders, it’s always a blessing when anyone on the Aldine ISD team gets acknowledged for their work. Congratulations to Chief of Staff Sheleah D. Reed for earning the TCWSE 2023 Bravo Award for her remarkable leadership. And what an incredible achievement — TCWSE selected only one leader from each region for the award!

Young Bookworms! Join Us Saturday, February 4! — The Festival is Completely Bilingual This Year!
Young readers (Grades PreK, K, 1, 2, and 3) are in for a fun morning at the Bookworm Festival! It is the first time the festival will be in English and Spanish. Hear from award-winning authors and illustrators. What an incredible opportunity for our young readers! Read the story on our website for details. Thank you to our sponsor Blue Willow Bookshop. Families can click here to register to attend.

Have a great rest of the week!

With Aldine Pride,

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney
Superintendent of Schools
Twitter: @drgoffney
Contact Me

UPCOMING & ONGOING EVENTS FOR THE COMMUNITY

• Feb. 4: Bookworm Festival at the M.O. Campbell Educational Center, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Click here to register.
• Feb. 11: Virtual #LiteracyMatters Conference — Click here to register.
• Feb. 13-April 21: Free GED and ESL classes for Aldine parents who have a student enrolled in the bilingual or ESL program in AISD.Click here for details and to register.
• Now-Apr. 22: AISD’s Health Services Department is holding monthly CPR classes. (click here)
• Ongoing: Read to the Final Four® Competition has elementary students reading in a March Madness tournament. Follow us on Twitter to see which school is leading the district competition! Click here to read more.
• Ongoing: Family and Community University’s 2022-2023 — 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

• Houston Food Bank: Food Market at La Promesa (video on Facebook)
• Aldine ISD Livestock Show Pig Competition Winners (Facebook post)

RECENT NEWS & ALDINE ISD PODCAST

• Eisenhower College Prep to Open in Fall 2023
• Spring 2023 – Teacher Job Fair, March 4
• Aldine ISD to Host Free Virtual Literacy Matters Conference on February 11
• 2023-2024 AISD School Year Calendars Are Now Available!

MONTHLY OBSERVATIONS

February

CTE Month
Financial Aid Awareness Month
Magnet School Month
Black History Month

• Feb. 1: National Signing Day (student-athletes); ENVI2ION School Day (ADSY Calendar); Families (all campuses) can access Progress Reports via their Home Access Center (HAC) accounts.
• Feb. 6-10: National School Counseling Week
• Feb. 8: ENVI2ION School Day (ADSY Calendar)
• Feb. 15: ENVI2ION School Day (ADSY Calendar)
• Feb. 17: Student Holiday/Staff Development (Traditional Calendar)
• Feb. 20: Presidents Day (Student Holiday in All Schools)
• Feb. 23: ENVI2ION School Day (ADSY Calendar)
• Feb. 24: Go Texas Day!

Click here to view the 2022-2023 school year calendars — traditional and Additional Days School Year (ADSY).

REMINDERS FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

• Outside food and beverages are prohibited on the premises of secondary schools (middle school, ninth-grade schools, and high schools). Click here for details.
• 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.

FOLLOW US!
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.