Return to Headlines

GISD eNews | 9-15-22

eNews Roundup Banner

GISD eNews | 9-15-22

  1. Future Ready Center Groundbreaking - Event Photos

  2. Conversations with an Orchestra Teacher: Maggie Ma

  3. Ballet Folklorico for 3rd-5th grade students

  4. Internet Safety Training with Council PTA Sept. 28

  5. District Performance Committee Accepting Nominations through Sept. 16

  6. Learn more about Advanced Academics in GISD!

  7. Attendance Matters

  8. Adult ESL Classes Beginning in October

  9. GHS and EVHS Halftime Performance - October 14

  10. GISD Safety and Security Updates

  11. GISD Updated COVID Protocols

  12. 2022-23 Meal Prices + Free & Reduced Lunch Application

  13. Looking to serve in GISD? Register to Volunteer

  14. From CASA of Travis County: 2022 CASA Superhero Run Sept. 18

  15. From Optimum: Your Family May Quality for Free Home Internet Service

 

We encourage you to visit our GISD eNews website www.georgetownisdnews.org for the latest news, updates, feature stories and more. 

We also invite you to stay in touch with us via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

In Case You Missed It: Great News in GISD Schools!

 

Family Updates: Read Dr. Brent’s Latest News

 

 

 

This week’s Feature Stories:

Future Ready Center Groundbreaking - Event Photos

We had a wonderful groundbreaking event for the Future Ready Center on Wednesday, Sept. 14.
It was inspiring to see so many community members come together to celebrate this complex that will house so many of our GISD programs. Visit our website to find photos from the event!

 

Conversations with an Orchestra Teacher: Maggie Ma

We sat down with Maggie Ma, new East View High School orchestra teacher, as she talked about her time teaching music in China and her hopes for the future of fine arts in GISD. Read the full story on our website (coming soon). 

In this week’s eNews:

District Performance Committee Nominations Open through Sept. 16

 

The District Performance Committee serves a very important role at GISD. One of the primary functions of this committee is to work with the district to provide guidance on the District Improvement Plan and provide input on the district calendar prior to submission to the Board of Trustees. GISD is accepting nominations now through September 16th, 2022 for the following vacancies:

  •  GISD Parents

  •  Business Members

  •  Community Members

Once members are identified, they will receive an email confirming placement on the committee.

More details on eligibility requirements are included in the nomination form.

If you have additional questions, please share via Let's Talk.

Ballet Folklorico for 3rd-5th grade students

We invite you to sign up for the 1st annual 3rd-5th grade Ballet Folklorico program for Georgetown ISD. 

This will be a mixed group of boys and girls. Practice will be every Wednesday evening from 4:30-5:30 PM starting October 5.
The practice location will be determined based on where the majority of dancers live. Parents will need to provide transportation to the weekly practice, as well as dance shoes.

You will receive more information from the instructors at the first practice. Please complete the Google form by Sept. 29 if you are interested in participating.  

Internet Safety Training with Council PTA Sept. 28

Council PTA invites you to join us in a training from the Williamson County Children's Advocacy Center to learn how to keep your students safe on their devices. The information learned at this training will be relevant for parents of all ages of children and teens. 

When: Sept. 28 @ 6 PM
Where: The Georgetown Library

If you have any questions, please contact Tania Easton at teaston80@gmail.com.

Learn more about Advanced Academics in GISD!

 

Did you know that the Advanced Academics website can answer MANY of your burning questions about Gifted & Talented referrals, how to earn college credit while still in high school, what Advanced classes can do for your child, and how to join enrichment programs that can provide creative outlets for your child? 

 

Visit our website for more information. 

 

Attendance Matters 


We know that kids learn best when they are present and engaged in school. And furthermore, it’s the law. Texas Education Code states that parents have an obligation to ensure that their children ages 6-18 are enrolled in and attending school.

 

We work closely with parents to ensure students have what they need to be present and learn and encourage you to let us know if you or your family are facing hardships that may prevent your student from attending school. We’re here to help. 

 

If your student does accrue 3 or more unexcused absences, the district will follow these steps:

 

  • On the 3rd unexcused absence, a warning letter will be issued to alert you of the unexcused absences and ask for your support to get your student to school. 

  • After the 7th absence, campus administration may request a meeting with parents to discuss timely intervention to help students get back and stay on track for credit accrual. 

  • If a student accrues 10 unexcused absences, they may be required to appear in truancy court and fines for parents and students could be issued.

 

More information will be sent by campus principals to parents regarding attendance procedures. 

 

Adult ESL Classes Beginning in October

 

The Multilingual Department will be offering beginning level adult ESL classes for our community. 

Beginning in October, there will be classes available at

  • Wagner - Mon/Wed from 6-7:30 pm

  • Benold - Tues/Thurs from 6-7:30 pm 

  • HCLL - Wed 9:30-11 am

 

Classes are free and books are provided, but no childcare will be available. Please sign up through the QR code on the flyer in English or Spanish.



GHS and EVHS Halftime Performance - October 14


The GHS Georgettes, Eagle Band, EVHS Sparklers and Patriot Band will be performing together at the EVHS vs GHS football game October 14 during halftime. 

 

This will be a great performance for the community to see! Visit our website to view the district’s full athletics calendar.                                              

 

GISD Safety and Security Updates

 

Whether you have a student in pre-K or a senior in high school, we want you to know that safety and security are always a priority in GISD. Throughout the summer, our teams have reviewed our safety protocols, conducted door audits, and worked with our school resource officers and the district’s safety committee to review and refine our practices. Campus staff are undergoing training and our students will join us in practicing safety drills. In fact, one of our practices in GISD is to conduct more than the required number of safety drills each year.

 

Student and staff safety is important, and we want our campus visitors to feel safe on our campuses as well. You can help with that when visiting our facilities by:

 

  • Entering through the designated main entry points

  • Have your driver's license or other valid ID handy to scan into our Raptor system

  • Wear your name badge during your visit so that staff know you have permission to be there.

  • And sign out when you leave the campus. 

 

You can visit our safety website to learn what our teams are doing to ensure our facilities are safe. There, you can also “meet” our team of school resource officers, view our school safety and security flyer in English or Spanish, learn about our emergency response procedures and more.

 

GISD Updated COVID Protocols

 

The district has posted updated COVID protocols for staff and students for the 2022-23 school year following updated guidance from the CDC and Department of State Health Services in Texas. 

 

COVID-positive individuals should isolate for 5 days before returning to work or school. Families should notify their child’s campus nurse and staff should report using the Employee Reporting Form. 

 

We are not requiring isolation for those who may have come in contact with a COVID-positive individual, but do ask that you monitor symptoms and follow our wellness guidelines for reporting to work or school:

 

  • Stay home if you experience flu-like symptoms such as a fever greater than 100°F, sore throat, cough, body aches, vomiting or diarrhea until you are fever-free or without signs of a fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.



2022-23 Meal Prices

 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress authorized spending that allowed schools to serve free meals for all students. Those funds are not authorized to continue for the 2022-2023 school year. As a result, Georgetown ISD must return to charging for school meals and offering free and reduced-priced meals based on student eligibility. 

 

Find 2022-23 meal prices online and fill out the form for free or reduced lunch.

 

Don’t forget: Parents can fund their student’s meal account in Skyward. Learn more at https://www.georgetownisd.org/Page/16344 and log in to secure your student’s account.  If you have questions, we encourage you to contact our Nutrition Services Department at 512-943-5193.

 

Looking to serve in GISD? Register to Volunteer


In Georgetown ISD, we know that community engagement enhances student experiences and are excited to welcome back volunteers, mentors and partners to serve in our schools this year. 

 

Whether you're new to GISD or a returning volunteer, we encourage you to sign up (or update your profile) and consider opportunities that align with your areas of interest and expertise.  The more information you share, the better we can pair you with meaningful opportunities. 

 

Get started today at www.georgetownisd.org/volunteer. 

 

From Our Community Partners:


From CASA of Travis County: 2022 CASA Superhero Run Sept. 18

 

The 2022 CASA Superhero Run is coming up this September 18th at Circuit of The Americas from 7AM - 12PM! This event is a 5K, Kids 1K, and Festival that raises community awareness and funds for the 3 local CASA programs in the Central Texas region. CASA works to recruit, screen, train, and support community volunteers to advocate on behalf of children in foster care.

 

Visit the CASA website to register. 

Additionally, there are multiple volunteer opportunities available you can sign up for.

 

From Optimum: Your Family May Quality for Free Home Internet Service

Optimum (Suddenlink) is participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a Federal Government program, which offers a subsidy of up to $30 per month to help qualifying households pay for at-home internet service, up to 300 Mbps. This program is available to new and current Optimum (Suddenlink) customers and can be applied to any Optimum (Suddenlink) Internet plan.

Learn More at https://www.optimum.com/affordable-connectivity-program#learnmore

 

*Note: This is not an official GISD program and does not include GISD technical support.

 

 

Important Upcoming Dates

September 19 - monthly board meeting/ Student holiday
October 7-10 - Fall Break

Have questions? Let’s Talk

The GISD eNews is intended to inform subscribers and provide a snapshot of district events and student achievements. It is not intended to be inclusive of every campus or program in GISD. For more information on Georgetown ISD visit our website, find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The links found in eNews will not be automatically translated. To translate the content of our website, click on "Translate Language" on the right side and select the language you prefer.

Los enlaces que se encuentran en eNews no se traducirán automáticamente. Para traducir el contenido de nuestro sitio web, haga clic en "Translate Language" en el lado derecho y seleccione el idioma que prefiera.