Thank you to those who reached out after my last message to share your thoughts on how Aldine can and will continue moving forward. While we have much work to do to ensure our students are prepared for success in life, I know they have an entire community supporting them along the way.
June marks a new moment in many ways. It is a moment for relaxation (summer is upon us!). It is the beginning of school re-entry (see more below). It is also a time for celebrating our LGBTQ community. This Pride Month feels especially important, as we are in the midst of a civil rights movement. The world’s current climate is a reminder that we must support those who do not always have a voice or a seat at the table. Aldine is committed to the ongoing pursuit of equal justice for all, including those who consider themselves part of the LGBTQ community.
I applaud the recent U.S. Supreme Court on its decision that extends new protections for LGBTQ workers in Texas. I also praise the U.S. Supreme Court for its decision to provide protection to those dreaming of a better life.
Here are a few important updates across the district:
- Student-athletes returned to campus last week to begin strength and conditioning training. (View the Athletic Department’s Return Plan here.) We will release a similar plan for students who participate in other UIL activities, including the marching band and drill team.
- 1,000 seniors gathered at Thorne Stadium for a citywide Class of 2020 celebration!
- We are halfway through June Jam and have two weeks left! Students from across the district have logged on to the Aldine At-Home Learning site to engage in reading and enrichment activities. Be on the lookout for new learning opportunities over the next two weeks!
Updates for July
Aldine ISD is planning to hold its high school graduation ceremonies in Thorne Stadium, July 22-25. Each high school will communicate with graduates about tickets and other protocols, including social distancing, health guidelines, and more. View the full graduation schedule here.
As a reminder, students can still sign up for our virtual summer school taking place June 29-July 24 and July 6-24. Learning opportunities are available for students at all grade levels. For a complete list of the offerings and ways to apply, visit aldineisd.org/summerschool.
What’s Next?
After reviewing surrounding district calendars, the information provided by the Texas Education Agency, and the calendar committee’s input, the district has determined that it will operate under the approved 2020-2021 academic calendar.
The first day of school will be Monday, August 17. The last day of school is May 27. The calendar exceeds the state’s requirements for the minimum number of minutes. Those minutes can be used to accommodate any necessary school cancellations.
We remain committed to our Core Beliefs, which guide our re-entry planning. You will notice that the safety of our staff and students is at the top of the list. This sentiment was shared by those that completed our recent stakeholder survey. From the submissions, we gathered that about one-third of our families are ready to return to the classroom with strict health and safety guidelines, another one-third said they would prefer that their students have access to virtual learning, and one-third is waiting on more information before making a decision. Our staff results were very similar. In both surveys, a strong concern for safety was highlighted repeatedly in the comments.
Thank you for your input. We are grateful to have such a dedicated community surrounding our students. Please know our cross-functional re-entry planning teams are also reviewing these results. They are using them to develop plans and guidelines for our return to school this fall. We anticipate sharing pieces of these plans for your feedback before finalizing them.
While our state officials have announced that students would be back to school this fall, we anticipate additional guidance from the Texas Education Agency. It is not expected that TEA will give us prescriptive guidelines for back-to-school. Instead, we anticipate that we will have some local control and flexibility with parameters, which will ensure that all students will have access to learning based on their family’s preferences.
I assure you that Aldine ISD’s final plan will allow families to make the best choices for their students, whether that is learning in person or learning via a more rigorous and interactive at-home learning experience. The Teaching and Learning Department is working to ensure our staff members are fully prepared to provide meaningful learning opportunities for students regardless of the choice families select.
We are well aware that staff will need additional training to meet the needs of our students. Please know that our teachers will be provided professional development on best practices for both teaching and social-emotional supports to make sure they are ready. They will also be given guidance on the health and safety of students and themselves. We are also tweaking our COVID-19 testing reporting guidelines, strengthening our cleaning and sanitization standards, outlining more health and safety measures (e.g., handwashing, use of personal protective equipment, and social distancing) as well as hammering out details related to student transportation and meal service.
The planning process has truly been a comprehensive approach to “Return to Learn.” We are excited to present a full plan for families in the coming days. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
To ensure you have the most recent updates related to the district’s plans, preparations, and up-to-date health information impacting our community, please visit our new school re-entry page: www.aldineisd.org/re-entry.
With Aldine Pride,
