Hallettsville Independent School District

Dear HISD Parents, Students, and Staff Members,

The summer of 2020 is quickly flying by, and we are continuing to monitor the COVID situation locally and nationally.

We love and miss your children and look forward to seeing them in the fall. Our goal is to have school as normal as possible while remaining in compliance with state executive orders and TEA requirements.

Our leadership team has been working diligently to prepare for the 2020-2021 school year. We wanted to share links to important documents that have been released this week and give you an opportunity to share your ideas and preferences with our team of campus and district leaders.

Governor Abbott established a statewide face covering requirement and proclamation to limit gatherings:

https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-establishes-statewide-face-covering-requirement-issues-proclamation-to-limit-gatherings

Below is also a link to the TEA Health Guidance Document shared by Commissioner Mike Morath on July 7th. Campus and district leaders and department heads will be meeting on Thursday, July 16th to discuss HISD plans and input from parents and district stakeholders.

https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/news-and-multimedia/news-releases/news-2020/tea-issues-comprehensive-guidelines-for-a-safe-return-to-on-campus-instruction-for-the-2020-21-school-year

The UIL is releasing revisions to the COVID-19 risk mitigation guidelines for summer strength and conditioning and marching band activities. This updated guidance is effective immediately until the first day of instruction or the start of in-season activities, whichever is earlier.

For complete details please see the UIL website, but updates are briefly summarized below:

Face Coverings – Executive Order GA-29

All employees, parents, visitors and students ten years of age or older must wear face coverings or face shields upon entry to an area where UIL activities are being conducted and when not actively practicing or exercising, unless an exception applies, as outlined in the full document.

Students may access locker rooms and engage in drills that involve one or more students on offense against one or more students on defense beginning 7/13/20
Updates of required protocol for individuals confirmed, suspected or exposed to COVID-19.

Additionally, the previously announced “Period of no Activity” dates of July 20-21, 2020 have been rescinded, allowing schools to open facilities to student-athletes.

As the public health situation changes, and/or if subsequent Executive Orders are issued by the Office of the Governor, these guidelines may be further modified. Schools should carefully review this guidance, as well as information released by TEA, when re-evaluating local plans for reducing the risk of spreading the virus. Schools should consider their local context related to the virus and plan accordingly.

At this time, UIL plans to begin fall competition seasons as scheduled on the UIL calendar. UIL will continue to work with state officials and monitor CDC and other federal guidance to determine any further modifications to this guidance.

TEA has given school districts an opportunity to design their return to school plan. Options available to school districts include traditional school, synchronous learning, and asynchronous learning. Synchronous learning involves learning from home by connecting with the classes at school in real-time through technology. In asynchronous learning, students learn from instruction that is not necessarily being delivered in-person or in real-time. An example would be pre-recorded video lessons or learning packets with remote teacher guidance and support.

Our original survey of parents that was sent in May indicated that 84% of parents preferred keeping the original HISD 2020-2021 school calendar and 97% of respondents would send their children to school if HISD opened August 13th.

In light of the TEA developments, executive orders and the COVID-19 surge in our county and state, we would like to know your preferences as we prepare for the upcoming school year.

Likewise, as we consider the option of synchronous learning, we would like to know how many of our families have the capability to join classes in real-time using technology and Internet access at home.

HISD Strong Start 2020-21 Survey is located at:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HISDStrongStart2020

Thank you for taking time to review the above referenced documents and for completing the survey. Your input and involvement are so important to us.

Thank you for all of your support and for your willingness to work with us to successfully return to school!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jo Ann Bludau
Superintendent
Hallettsville ISD

Published July 8, 2020 Print

Hallettsville Independent School District

Brahma Update July 8, 2020 HISD Strong Start 2020-21