From CSISD:
Dear CSISD Parents and Guardians:
I hope you and your family are well and are staying positive during this time. Please see below for updates regarding several COVID-19 related issues.
At-Home Learning
Just this afternoon, Governor Abbott modified his executive order to keep schools closed through Friday, May 1. As such, now is the time for us to continue to move forward with our at-home learning model in order to expand the services we are offering our students and families.
We have been preparing for a long-term closure and are currently finalizing our plans to introduce new material, establish an element of accountability (grades and turning in work) for students, and for students to receive feedback from their teachers regarding that work. This could start as early as next week in certain subjects and grade levels. The details for this will be communicated to you by your respective campus principal.
In addition, I want you to know the teachers in CSISD have the autonomy to reach out to your students via Zoom, Google Hangouts, or other means to stay engaged. What that looks like will vary by teacher, but it is an expectation for our campuses and classrooms to stay engaged with our students.
Technology Resources
Campus principals are working with our technology department to check-out Netbooks to families who have indicated they have no technology resources at home. The focus for this week is to distribute these resources to identified high school and middle school students. CSISD is developing a plan for intermediate and elementary technology deployment based on remaining inventory following this week.
Internet Access
The CSISD Technology staff is working to install additional access points at South Knoll, College Hills, Southwood Valley, River Bend, Oakwood, CSHS and AMCHS to enhance access to WiFi outside of the building. More information on this will be made available once the access points have been installed.
Suddenlink/Altice is offering a 30 Mbps broadband plan free for 60 days to any new household within their service area which has been affected by school closures. Please call 888-633-0030 to get more information or to enroll in the free plan.
Also, most cell phone companies providers have waived data usage limits, allowing some phones to become "hot spots." This will allow you to have WiFi in your home, or students could use devices with cellular access to complete assignments. Call your cell phone provider to determine your current data limitations.
School Lunch/Breakfast
CSISD continues to serve lunch and breakfast each weekday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations: College Hills, Southwood Valley, South Knoll, River Bend, Oakwood and the Lincoln Recreational Center.
Students must be present to pick-up lunch and breakfast. CSISD explored the option to provide lunches to parents without their child(ren) being present, but it is not feasible at this time due to the reporting requirements and regulations adopted by the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Seniors
This is an especially difficult time for our seniors. Along with our high school principals, we are actively working on a plan to allow seniors to graduate this year and with all credits intact.
Reed Arena will not be an option for our graduation ceremonies this year, but we are finalizing a plan to have graduations at CSISD facilities, as well as alternate dates for the ceremonies should the need arise.
Alternate plans for prom are also being developed, and our high school principals will communicate directly with their students when the plans are finalized later this week.
What's next?
Much work has been done by dedicated educators in this district to develop plans to continue learning for our students. Our focus is not only to provide a meaningful at-home learning environment for all students, but to continue to modify and expand on the educational services we are offering to our families.
Please know we continue to monitor COVID-19 through the Brazos Valley Health Department, the Texas Education Agency, and other local, state and national agencies.
We are all experiencing upheaval to our routines, alternate working environments, and overall change to our lives. With almost 14,000 students in more than 9,000 households, we understand that each family has a different set of circumstances. CSISD's bottom-line goal is to continue learning for everyone.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, CSISD Interim Superintendent of Schools
Dear CSISD Parents and Guardians:
I hope you and your family are well and are staying positive during this time. Please see below for updates regarding several COVID-19 related issues.
At-Home Learning
Just this afternoon, Governor Abbott modified his executive order to keep schools closed through Friday, May 1. As such, now is the time for us to continue to move forward with our at-home learning model in order to expand the services we are offering our students and families.
We have been preparing for a long-term closure and are currently finalizing our plans to introduce new material, establish an element of accountability (grades and turning in work) for students, and for students to receive feedback from their teachers regarding that work. This could start as early as next week in certain subjects and grade levels. The details for this will be communicated to you by your respective campus principal.
In addition, I want you to know the teachers in CSISD have the autonomy to reach out to your students via Zoom, Google Hangouts, or other means to stay engaged. What that looks like will vary by teacher, but it is an expectation for our campuses and classrooms to stay engaged with our students.
Technology Resources
Campus principals are working with our technology department to check-out Netbooks to families who have indicated they have no technology resources at home. The focus for this week is to distribute these resources to identified high school and middle school students. CSISD is developing a plan for intermediate and elementary technology deployment based on remaining inventory following this week.
Internet Access
The CSISD Technology staff is working to install additional access points at South Knoll, College Hills, Southwood Valley, River Bend, Oakwood, CSHS and AMCHS to enhance access to WiFi outside of the building. More information on this will be made available once the access points have been installed.
Suddenlink/Altice is offering a 30 Mbps broadband plan free for 60 days to any new household within their service area which has been affected by school closures. Please call 888-633-0030 to get more information or to enroll in the free plan.
Also, most cell phone companies providers have waived data usage limits, allowing some phones to become "hot spots." This will allow you to have WiFi in your home, or students could use devices with cellular access to complete assignments. Call your cell phone provider to determine your current data limitations.
School Lunch/Breakfast
CSISD continues to serve lunch and breakfast each weekday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations: College Hills, Southwood Valley, South Knoll, River Bend, Oakwood and the Lincoln Recreational Center.
Students must be present to pick-up lunch and breakfast. CSISD explored the option to provide lunches to parents without their child(ren) being present, but it is not feasible at this time due to the reporting requirements and regulations adopted by the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Seniors
This is an especially difficult time for our seniors. Along with our high school principals, we are actively working on a plan to allow seniors to graduate this year and with all credits intact.
Reed Arena will not be an option for our graduation ceremonies this year, but we are finalizing a plan to have graduations at CSISD facilities, as well as alternate dates for the ceremonies should the need arise.
Alternate plans for prom are also being developed, and our high school principals will communicate directly with their students when the plans are finalized later this week.
What's next?
Much work has been done by dedicated educators in this district to develop plans to continue learning for our students. Our focus is not only to provide a meaningful at-home learning environment for all students, but to continue to modify and expand on the educational services we are offering to our families.
Please know we continue to monitor COVID-19 through the Brazos Valley Health Department, the Texas Education Agency, and other local, state and national agencies.
We are all experiencing upheaval to our routines, alternate working environments, and overall change to our lives. With almost 14,000 students in more than 9,000 households, we understand that each family has a different set of circumstances. CSISD's bottom-line goal is to continue learning for everyone.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, CSISD Interim Superintendent of Schools