Spring ISD Pumped For Back To School

From Spring ISD:

HOUSTON, TX – Summer vacation isn’t over yet, but excitement is already ramping up around Spring ISD for the start of the 2018-19 school year, which begins for students on Wednesday, Aug. 15.

“We have a lot to look forward to in Spring ISD,” said Superintendent Dr. Rodney Watson. “As we enter the fourth year of our EVERY CHILD 2020 strategic plan, we’re building on the accomplishments of the past three years and focusing on strategic priorities in areas like Special Education, Performing and Visual Arts, and Gifted and Talented education.”

One way for new Spring ISD families to make sure they’re ready for the new school year is to attend the district’s New Student Registration and Family Resource Expo, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at Dekaney High School.

Open to all Spring ISD families, the event will feature registration stations, as well as extras like free haircuts for students, workshops for parents, backpacks and school supplies, and other giveaways to help equip students for learning.

“We really love hosting this event each year,” said Leticia Grounds, the district’s executive director of family and community engagement. “It’s a great way to bring our community together, a great way to welcome new parents and students and introduce them to Spring ISD. We’re glad they’re here, and we want to make sure they’re ready for the start of the new school year.”

Along with the start of the new school year, the district is bringing new programs designed to support and enhance student growth. Keeping with Spring ISD’s commitment to developing best-in-class specialized programs – a commitment laid out in EVERY CHILD 2020 – the district is again offering opportunities and choices to families and students across the district and across grade levels.

New dual-language programs will launch this fall at Clark Primary, Hirsch Elementary and Northgate Crossing Elementary. Offered through Spring ISD’s Multilingual Programs department, the dual-language programs will create immersive learning environments where the district’s youngest students will develop both English and Spanish language skills.

In addition, the district has partnered with the EMERGE Fellowship, a Houston-based nonprofit that works with high-performing high school students from underserved communities to connect them with opportunities at selective colleges and universities.

The first cohorts of Spring ISD juniors and seniors joined the program this spring, as the district continues its work to support college readiness and promote equity across student groups. Spring ISD also continues to see the development of projects stemming from the 2016 Bond.

Having marked the June 12 groundbreaking at the site of the new Roberson Middle School campus, preparations are now underway to start work on the district’s new stadium facility, where a Sept. 8 ceremony will officially kick the project off.

In addition, renovations are already well underway at what will soon become Spring ISD’s new Police Command Center and Tax Office. The district acquired the two-story, 41,644-square-foot building at 420 Lockhaven earlier this year, and the Spring ISD Police Department is making plans to move into the facility this fall.

Several new initiatives will also be implemented to strengthen student life and support student well-being, including Spring ISD’s new online anti-bullying tool, designed to make it easier to identify and address bullying in Spring ISD schools.

Also starting this fall, every Spring ISD campus – including each elementary and middle school – will have a full-time Library Media Specialist on site. According to the superintendent, the expanded library staffing – which was approved this spring by board members – is just one part of the district’s ongoing commitment to building literacy skills.

“Our Board of Trustees approved this funding to ensure our students gain the tools they need to do higher-level research and analysis,” Watson said. “These skills are important both for college and in the workforce, and we’re glad to be adding this additional level of support to help students in every school across the district succeed.”

Watson noted that district families should be on the lookout for Spring ISD’s 2018-19 School Guide, which will be hitting home mailboxes in early August. A digital copy can also be found on the district’s Back to School website here.

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Image: Spring ISD

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