ALL CSISD CAMPUSES WILL BE CLOSED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR.
CSISD will continue to update this page as more information regarding COVID-19 is made available.
CLICK HERE for a list of HELPFUL LINKS
CLICK HERE for CSISD Coronavirus FAQs
Communication to Parents (June 22, 2020)
Dear CSISD Parents/Guardians,
I hope everyone is doing well, staying healthy, and enjoying the summer. Though the official start of school is still almost two months from today, I know it is something on everyone’s mind.
Common questions we are getting from families and the community revolve around what school will look like and how it is all going to work.
For us, planning for the fall 2020 semester is our daily focus. As we are determining the foundation and details for reopening, we are mindful of Governor Abbott’s intent to return to in-person instruction in the fall. We are also prioritizing student safety and well-being by creating options to give us flexibility in instruction, while we await guidance from the Texas Education Agency.
Because the circumstances of the pandemic are continually changing and school does not start until August 13, we still don’t know exactly how the first day of school will look. However, there are several things we can share as we continue to design the next school year in a way that best supports our 14,000 students and more than 2,000 staff members.
2020-2021 School Calendar
At its meeting on June 16, the CSISD Board of Trustees approved an updated calendar for the 2020-2021 school year, which changed six professional development days to instructional days.
The added instructional days provide the district some flexibility should closures happen in the coming months. If we do not need the days for closures, the additional days will be an asset considering the amount of time our students were out of the classroom this past spring.
Three of the days changed are at the beginning of the year, moving the first day of school from Tuesday, August 18 to Thursday, August 13. In addition, October 9, January 5 and February 16 have been changed to instructional days.
LINK: Updated 2020-2021 School Calendar
Teaching and Learning
We are preparing for a variety of learning environments and designing structures to ensure that students, teachers, and families have flexibility should changing the learning environment be necessary.
Through the hard work of our curriculum and instruction department and campus administrators, four scenarios are being developed so we can efficiently pivot should the need arise. Please keep in mind, all of the scenarios below are pending guidance from the Texas Education Agency.
On-site (Traditional) Classroom Learning: This option involves having school in a traditional classroom setting. Teachers and students will be engaging in more digital learning opportunities within the Schoology platform while in the traditional setting so everyone is better prepared in the event of another closure.
On-site with Virtual Option: This model assumes some parents will not want to send their children back to school for face-to-face instruction even if it is completely open. CSISD could possibly offer a virtual option for those students who might choose not to return even if schools are open.
Hybrid: The hybrid option could be used if school buildings are allowed to host students, but at a limited capacity This would require an alternating schedule for students. This scenario would provide students equal amounts of time in on-site learning, while supplementing the time they are not in the school building with at-home learning.
At-Home Learning: Much of the framework for at-home learning is in place. Based on feedback from the parent survey at the end of the 2019-2020 school year, CSISD is committed to additional interaction and direct instruction should the district have to employ this model in the future.
Survey
As we continue our preparations for next school year, we are in need of feedback from our families. We need to get an idea of how comfortable you are in regards to sending your children back to school. Your participation in this survey will assist us in planning for the various scenarios discussed earlier in this email. Please be on the lookout for an email later this week containing a link to the survey.
Other Operations
CSISD staff in the operational departments (custodial, maintenance, technology, transportation, child nutrition, etc.) are working to ensure the safest environment possible when our students and staff return to school. Protocols and procedures will be established as Texas Education Agency guidance is received, and will be shared as we get closer to the start of the school year.
Registration for 2020-21 School Year
Student registration for the 2020-2021 school year is open for new and returning students.
Parents of RETURNING students should have received an email at the end of May with information on how to register. If you have not enrolled your students for next school year, please do so to assist us with planning for next school year. If you did not receive an email, please visit the following website: LINK: Returning Student Registration
NEW student registration for the 2020-2021 school year is currently open and a link can be found on the CSISD website here: LINK - New Student Registration
What’s Next?
I know most people are looking for definitive plans on what the school year will bring. While we are not ready to share complete and detailed plans at this time, our goal is to provide a more comprehensive structure in mid to late July.
We will continue to focus on preparing an adaptable plan that places student safety as the top priority and provides a platform for learning to continue on or off-campus.
There is great value in students learning in a classroom setting and participating in activities with their peers, and it is my hope that we can return to that environment as soon as possible. That being said, we must also provide options for students who are high risk, have family members who are high risk, or those who are not comfortable in a school setting because of COVID-19.
We ask for your continued patience as we finalize plans for our return to school on August 13.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, Superintendent of Schools
Communication to Parents (May 21, 2020)
Dear CSISD Parents and Guardians:
I hope everyone is doing well as we wrap up the 2019-2020 school year.
Governor Greg Abbott continued to expand on the systematic opening of Texas during his press conference on Monday, including some limited opportunities for school systems to begin allowing people back in buildings.
As such, CSISD will open its campuses and buildings for employees with a reduced capacity beginning June 1.
This opening allows campus front office and central office staff to be in their workplaces and to have in-person interactions with families and visitors to accomplish school business.
This positive step includes protocols surrounding facility cleaning, sanitation stations, signage, employee information for healthy hygiene practices, self-screening for employees, social-distancing expectations, and capacity considerations, among others.
In the rest of the email below, I will attempt to succinctly describe the current status of summer programs, the 2020-2021 school calendar, registration for the 2020-2021 school year, and a few other odds and ends. Please bear with me as I go through these important topics.
Summer Programs
On Tuesday, we received guidelines regarding summer programming from the Texas Education Agency. While the guidelines do allow for summer programming, the regulations are specific and restrictive. With that in mind, this is the current status of CSISD summer programs for the summer of 2020.
Middle and High School Summer School -- These courses will be offered online as previously determined.
Summer Enrichment -- These courses, originally scheduled for June, have been canceled for the summer of 2020.
Summer Day Camp -- Summer Day Camp staff is developing a plan to safely operate at a reduced capacity, potentially beginning in late June.
Sports Camps -- Athletic Department personnel are developing plans to safely operate some sports camps pending additional guidance from the UIL. These camps could potentially begin in late June.
English Learners (EL) and Extended School Year (ESY) -- If your child is eligible for EL or ESY, you will receive separate communications regarding the details of these programs.
2020-2021 School Calendar
Several people have contacted me regarding the Commissioner of Education’s recent release of an alternate (and optional) school calendar for the 2020-2021 school year.
The commissioner laid out optional examples for districts to consider, which could significantly extend the school year by starting at the beginning of August and ending at the end of June, with longer breaks throughout the year.
Because of the lengthy process we already have in place to develop the calendar each year, in which we receive extensive feedback from the community, CSISD will not be suggesting sweeping changes to next year’s academic calendar on such short notice.
However, the district is exploring the conversion of up to six staff development days into instructional days for students. If this change is made to next year’s school calendar, it will be made at the June 16 Board of Trustees meeting.
Registration for 2020-2021 School Year
RETURNING student registration for the 2020-2021 has unfortunately been delayed due to COVID-19, but parents should expect to receive a returning student registration email within the next few days.
NEW student registration for the 2020-2021 school year is currently open and a link can be found on the CSISD website here: LINK - New Student Registration.
Child Nutrition
Our child nutrition staff continues to provide meals for children in the community during this closure. Next week, the schedule will be different as Monday is a scheduled holiday in the school calendar and Thursday is scheduled to be the last day of school. Child nutrition will distribute three days worth of lunches and breakfasts on Tuesday at the designated locations.
From June 1 through July 31, summer meals will be distributed at Southwood Valley, River Bend and the Lincoln Center. Three days worth of meals will be distributed each Monday and two days worth will be given out on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information call 2-1-1 or visit SummerFood.org.
Special Education Notice
In compliance with Senate Bill 139, Texas Education Agency has requested that all parents within a school district be informed of their rights regarding special education evaluations and eligibility as well as parent resources. Official notification and information can be found on the College Station ISD Special Services website here: LINK - Special Services Website
What’s Next?
We want our students back in our buildings as much as you do, but we have to do so in a safe and calculated manner and while following the extensive guidelines given to us. We will continue to strive to provide meaningful opportunities for our students for this summer.
While summer plans are being finalized and our employees are returning to our buildings, we will also be developing several learning models in an attempt to be as flexible as possible for the start of the 2020-2021 school year in August.
None of us know the exact circumstances we will face over the course of the next couple of months, but I am confident CSISD will be more prepared than ever heading into next school year.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, CSISD Superintendent of Schools
Communication to Parents (May 8, 2020)
Dear CSISD Parents and Guardians:
Governor Abbott continued to reveal plans for the systematic reopening of Texas businesses during his press conference on Tuesday of this week. In addition, we are starting to receive more guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) on how education and activities surrounding public schools might look in the coming months.
Survey Results
We greatly appreciate the feedback we received through your participation in the recent survey. During the two-week window that the survey was open, we saw a very high participation rate with almost 5,400 responses received. As an administrative team, we reviewed the results at both the district and campus levels. Principals also had an opportunity to review any open-ended responses received for their campus.
The overall favorable results indicate that we are providing the amount and type of work that is manageable for most families under present conditions. We know that many families are concerned about their children’s learning and want to assure you that our team will be working on a plan to address any gaps in student learning resulting from this time of remote instruction. Also, we will continue to work to ensure that our students remain connected and engaged with their teachers as we close out the year.
Thank you so much for providing us with this valuable information to help inform and guide our work as it relates to understanding your needs and providing remote instruction. We invite you to review the results of the survey by clicking the link below.
LINK: CSISD Family Needs Survey Results
What’s Next
Our campuses are continuing to work with families to retrieve personal items from school and athletic lockers. Our high school campuses are scheduled to begin this process next week with our intermediate and elementary campuses following the weeks of May 18 and May 26, respectively.
As you know, we have received some guidance from the TEA regarding graduation ceremonies and we are working to see how we can accommodate our high school seniors and families and stay within those guidelines. Since our ceremonies have been moved to the end of June, we have some time to work on those details to determine exactly how those ceremonies will be executed. We will communicate specifics as we near those dates.
We are still waiting on guidance from the TEA regarding summer programming. That being said, all middle and high school online summer school courses are proceeding as normal and are open for registration on the CSISD website. Once we receive guidance, we can make determinations regarding our other summer programs, including elementary enrichment, summer day camp, and sports camps, among others.
Please continue to follow the recommendations from our local, state and national officials so we can reduce the number of COVID-19 cases.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, CSISD Superintendent of Schools
Communication to Parents (May 1, 2020)
Dear CSISD Parents and Guardians:
In his press conference on Monday, Governor Abbott unveiled the state’s plan to begin the systematic reopening of some businesses beginning today. As you know, we have a long way to go before things are back to normal, but it looks like things are trending in the right direction.
That being said, CSISD is still working to deliver at-home learning to our students through the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic school year. In addition to at-home learning, we are working on several issues related to our response to COVID-19.
Family Survey
Thank you to everyone who filled out the family needs survey. So far, we have received more than 4,600 responses. The survey will remain open through Sunday, May 3. As we mentioned in last week’s email, the survey will be used to help us determine any changes we may need to make to our at-home learning model for the final month of school. Next week, we will share the survey results with you.
If you have not done so, please fill out the survey by clicking the following links:
English version: https://surveys.panoramaed.com/cns-collegestation/family
Spanish version: https://surveys.panoramaed.com/cns-collegestation/family/surveys?language=es
Graduation Ceremonies
CSISD graduations have officially been moved to the alternate dates in June. High school principals notified senior families of this yesterday. We are awaiting specific guidance from the TEA Commissioner regarding graduation ceremonies and will communicate ceremony details once they are finalized.
Retrieving Personal Items from Schools
If you have not already, you should start hearing soon from your respective campus principal regarding picking up personal items from school. Our campuses are developing plans to safely retrieve items from school over the course of the next few weeks and your campus principal will communicate the details of the pick-up with you.
We will stagger the pick-up times by week, beginning next week with our middle school campuses (May 4-8), followed by high schools (May 11-15), intermediate schools (May 18-22) and elementary schools (May 26-28).
Technology pick-up for all campuses will occur the last week of May so students can continue their at-home learning via Schoology and other online resources.
Summer Programs
The final item I wanted to write to you about today is summer programming, which includes elementary enrichment, middle and high school summer school, summer day camp, and sports camps, among others. Many of our middle and high school summer school courses are already of the on-line variety and that will not change. On April 30, the TEA Commissioner said that public health guidance regarding the ability to have students in our buildings for learning over the summer is not yet available. He hopes it will be sometime in May.
Because many of these programs are hands-on, we will need to see if the guidance will allow for them to take place or how they might need to be adapted. Once we have additional guidance from the state, we will determine what the best option is for our community.
What’s Next?
Hopefully, the reopening of some businesses will relieve some of the stress this pandemic has caused us all. I ask you all to proceed with caution and continue to safely limit our in-person interactions with others in the community so we can continue to reduce the numbers of confirmed cases. The more vigilant we stay with following the recommendations of our elected officials, the sooner this will end.
As a parent and/or guardian of a College Station ISD student, I want to thank you all for your work to help us continue the education process. This is a team effort right now more than ever.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, CSISD Superintendent of Schools
Communication to Parents (April 20, 2020)
Dear CSISD Parents and Guardians:
I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. Please see the information below regarding updates to CSISD’s response to school building closures due to COVID-19.
Family Survey
With Governor Abbott’s ordering of all Texas school buildings to remain closed through the remainder of the school year, we are committed to finishing the school year strong with our at-home learning model.
We do have a plan currently being implemented to finish the school year, but we would like your feedback to hear how the plan fits the needs of your family. We will use the information we receive from the survey to help us make decisions regarding any possible changes to our at-home learning model and communications strategies heading forward.
If you have more than one child enrolled in school, please answer these questions about your oldest child OR complete the survey once for each child enrolled. Completing the survey for each child will provide us with a better data set.
The brief survey can be accessed at the link below.
English version
https://surveys.panoramaed.com/cns-collegestation/family
Spanish version
https://surveys.panoramaed.com/cns-collegestation/family/surveys?language=es
Graduation Ceremonies
The governor indicated in his press conference last week that the Commissioner of Education would be providing guidance to school districts regarding graduation ceremonies. We hope to have that guidance in the next few days in order to finalize our graduation plans.
In addition, CSISD has designated May 2020 as “Senior Month,” in which CSISD will honor its seniors in various ways. More information will be provided by our high school principals.
Students Retrieving Personal Items from Schools
We are aware that many students have personal items in their lockers and in athletic dressing rooms. CSISD campus principals are working on a plan to allow students to safely retrieve these personal items. Principals will be providing you detailed information in the upcoming weeks, along with information regarding returning textbooks, uniforms, library books, and other items belonging to the school.
Counseling Services
CSISD counselors are available for students who need emotional support. Please email your respective school counselor for assistance.
What’s next?
Other than continuing with the at-home learning model, the district’s top priorities right now are receiving and processing information we receive from the survey, developing a plan for students to get their personal items from our school buildings, and determining the best way to safely honor our seniors.
We are in the home stretch of the 2019-2020 school year and we could never have imagined the year would end this way. Usually, this is the busiest time of year with extra-curricular activities and events celebrating the accomplishments of our students - especially our seniors.
While many of these things have been canceled or changed to a shell of what they used to be, know that our staff is doing what it can to make your child’s experience one that is meaningful.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, CSISD Interim Superintendent of Schools
Communication to Parents (April 17, 2020)
Dear CSISD Parents and Guardians:
As you may have heard, Governor Abbott has ordered all Texas school buildings to remain closed through the remainder of the school year. As such, we are committed to finishing the school year strong with our at-home learning model.
This is not the news we were necessarily wanting to hear because we miss our students, and I am sure you are all ready to get back to a normal routine. However, we do understand the governor’s stance in regards to school building closures and the need to adhere to social distancing guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19.
While we do have a plan in place to finish the school year, we would like your feedback to hear how the plan fits the needs of your family. We are developing a simple survey to help us make decisions regarding any possible changes to our at-home learning and communications strategies heading forward.
Please look for an email early next week for a link to the survey.
Thank you again for your patience and understanding throughout this upheaval to our normal day-to-day activities. We hope you and your family are managing the situation as best as possible. We want nothing but the best for our students, families, staff and the community as a whole, and we are working hard to make sure we find the right balance between school work and other needs of our families.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, CSISD Interim Superintendent of Schools
Communication to Parents (April 13, 2020)
Dear CSISD Parents and and Guardians:
As we enter week four of at-home learning, I wanted to take a few moments to update you regarding CSISD and its response to school building closures because of COVID-19.
At-Home Learning
We will continue the at-home learning model as laid out by your respective campus principals last week. This week, every grade level will be submitting assignments for grades for the final marking period. Grading guidelines for at-home learning can be found at csisd.org.
Report Cards
Report cards for the third nine week grading period for elementary schools are now available via the CSISD Home Access Center (HAC) website. On Friday, April 17, grades will be available via HAC for the fifth six weeks for grades 5-12. We are not mailing report cards at this time.
For more information on setting up a parent HAC account, please see the link below.
LINK: CSISD Home Access Center User Guide
Child Nutrition
CSISD child nutrition staff and volunteers continue to serve meals from the following six locations: College Hills, South Knoll, Southwood Valley, River Bend, Oakwood and the Lincoln Center.
Meals will only be distributed on Monday and Thursday of each week in order to enhance social distancing practices and further protect CSISD child nutrition staff, volunteers, and members of our community who are picking up meals.
Each Monday, each child will receive a hot lunch meal, a cold sandwich meal and a cold lunch meal to easily heat. Children will also receive three breakfast meals at this time and milk to accompany all meals. Each Thursday, children will receive a hot lunch meal and a cold lunch meal to easily heat. They will also receive two breakfast meals at this time and milk to accompany all meals.
Children must be present to receive the meals.
Online Resources
As a reminder, CSISD has a comprehensive website with information realted to COVID-19. It includes a frequently-asked questions page, helpful links, grading guidelines for while our campuses are closed and more. Go to csisd.org and click on the large COVID-19 graphic at the top of the page.
U.S. Census
One of many things being affected by the current pandemic is the U.S. Census, which is currently underway. The census is important for ensuring fair representation in the US House of Representatives, for redistricting of congressional and state legislative districts, and for the distribution of federal funds and grants to states, counties and local communities, to name a few.
You can respond online, by phone, or by mail. Regardless of how you choose to respond, your information will be kept confidential. Visit 2020CENSUS.GOV to respond to the census today.
What’s Next?
We will continue to monitor and evaluate our at-home learning model, as well as feedback we receive from parents, teachers and students. While we don’t anticipate major adjustments to the plan moving forward, the goal is to continue providing the best learning-environment under the current circumstances for all of our students and families.
While this is week four of our at home learning model, it has actually been six weeks since we have been apart. Like many of you, our staff is meeting virtually quite often and one common comment is that we all miss seeing your children on a regular basis.
That being said, please continue to practice social distancing and good hygiene, and only go out for essential functions. The more we heed the warnings by local, state and national authorities, the more we can flatten the curve and return to life as we knew it six weeks ago.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, CSISD Interim Superintendent of Schools
Communication to Parents (April 6, 2020)
Dear CSISD Parents and Guardians:
Much has evolved over the last week in regards to CSISD operations and at-home learning. Currently, our physical campus buildings will be closed through at least Friday, May 1. We are hopeful our staff and students will be able to return on Monday, May 4, but we have been planning for longer-term closures should they be necessary.
As such, please see the updates below regarding meal services, grading, and calculation of GPA, among other items.
Lunch/Breakfast Service Changes
CSISD will continue to serve lunch and breakfast from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following six locations: River Bend, Southwood Valley, South Knoll, College Hills, Oakwood and the Lincoln Center.
Children must be present to receive the meals. 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.
However, some changes will occur over the next several days to enhance social distancing practices and further protect CSISD child nutrition staff, volunteers, and members of our community who are picking up meals.
Beginning on Tuesday, April 7, meals will no longer be handed directly to individuals. Meals can be placed in the trunk of your car, the bed of your pick-up, or meals will be placed on a table for someone to get out and pick up. The table will be sanitized after each person picks up their meals. All CSISD child nutrition staff and volunteers will undergo a health screening prior to each shift.
Meals will not be served on Friday, April 10, due to the school holiday scheduled on the 2019-2020 school calendar.
Beginning next week (April 13), meals will only be distributed on Monday and Thursday of each week. Each Monday, each child will receive a hot lunch meal, a cold sandwich meal and a cold lunch meal to easily heat. Children will also receive three breakfast meals at this time and milk to accompany all meals. Each Thursday, children will receive a hot lunch meal and a cold lunch meal to easily heat. They will also receive two breakfast meals at this time and milk to accompany all meals.
At-Home Learning - Grades
During this next phase of at-home learning, CSISD teachers will begin grading student work to help provide feedback on new material as well as student progress. The turned-in work will be used to help determine grade advancement and course completion for all students. This will look differently depending on the grade level of your student(s).
As we take the next steps with our CSISD grading practices for the fifth and sixth six-week grading periods (grades 5-12) and fourth nine-week (grades K-4) reporting periods, we considered several factors, including:
- Equity of instruction (delivery method: face to face vs. at-home learning)
- Length of time for school closure
- Flexibility during at-home learning
- Family needs during at-home learning
- Access to technology and internet services
- Impact on students’ GPA and class rank
On Tuesday of this week, you will receive information from your respective campus principal regarding our grading procedures during at-home learning, and how those grades will help inform teachers as to a student’s advancement to the next grade and/or course completion.
At-Home Learning - GPA Calculations (applies to only courses for high school credit)
While the primary purpose of grades is to provide feedback on student progress, we know that the implications of grades on GPA and class rank are important for our students and families.
The impact of substantial changes to our instructional delivery model and variance of students’ circumstances during this emergency situation will undoubtedly influence student performance and grades this semester. Following much consideration and discussion, the following adjustments to board policy regarding calculation of GPA have been made.
For the senior class of 2020, GPAs for the final class rank and local honors (Cum Laude, Etc.) will be calculated using grades through the fourth six-week marking period. The fourth six-weeks will have a ⅓ weight in the semester-based calculation. Seniors must still turn in work, complete courses and earn passing grades to receive credit for courses needed to graduate.
For all other students enrolled in high school courses, grades recorded in the 2020 spring semester will not be considered in future GPA calculations. However, grades will be taken and reported to determine course completion and award course credit.
What’s Next?
Look for an email from your student’s campus principal tomorrow (Tuesday, April 7), which will explain grading, course completion, and grade advancement, while CSISD students are participating in at-home learning.
Determining how to handle issues like grading assignments, while fairly and equitably calculating GPA are very difficult considering the different needs of our families. While there are many different plans being developed across the state, we feel the plan shared with you tomorrow is equitable and fair for all students and our community.
Through our campus principals and teachers, we will continue to identify students in need of technology resources and distribute those resources accordingly. Distribution of technology is scheduled to be completed at the high school and middle school levels by mid-week. Then, the process will begin at the intermediate level. If your technology needs have changed, please contact your campus principal directly.
With the help of our local and state health officials, the Texas Education Agency, and other state and national organizations, we will continue to monitor and adjust to conditions surrounding Covid-19.
Finally, please continue to heed our state and local shelter in place orders and limit contact with people outside of your household as much as possible. We are all in this together, and we appreciate your support of College Station ISD.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, CSISD Interim Superintendent of Schools
Communication to Parents (March 31, 2020)
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 School
Press Release (March 24, 2020)
College Station ISD has extended its school closures through April 10 due to the shelter in place order by the City of College Station and Brazos County.
More information pertaining to CSISD and its response to the COVID-19 virus can be found at csisd.org.
Communication to Parents (March 23, 2020)
CCSISD Parents/Guardians:
Thanks to each of you for the continued understanding and support as CSISD addresses the many challenges of keeping our students, staff and community healthy while still fulfilling our mission to educate all children.
This is a challenging and unprecedented time for our families, community, and our nation. Many parents are caring for their children while transitioning to remote working environments, while others are facing uncertainty with their jobs. We understand this is a difficult time for many in our community, and we will continue to provide meal service to students, and the development of an at-home learning plan which began today.
As we enter the second week of school closure, I wanted to take an opportunity to update you on some of the things CSISD is doing to continue learning for our students.
Shelter in Place
The City of College Station announced a shelter in place this afternoon. The CSISD breakfast and lunch programs, as well as the picking up packets from school for the CSISD at-home learning programs will not be affected by the shelter in place. More information regarding the shelter in place can be found at the City of College Station Website. (cstx.gov)
At-Home Learning Plan
Beginning today, families can access the CSISD at-home learning resources by visiting any campus website or through Schoology. For those who do not have access to technology at home, paper versions are available to be picked up at campuses.
Designing a remote learning program for a diverse community of families with varying degrees of internet access, all ranges of technology resources, differing student abilities and a myriad of situations at home is not an easy task.
I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our curriculum and instruction staff, campus administration, campus leadership teams and all of our classroom teachers for their input in the development of this initial learning plan.
In our plan, we purposefully reduced the number of activities and time needed to complete the work provided, and we are not taking grades as of now. Parents, if you feel your student needs additional work to do, there are many links to enrichment activities on the CSISD at-home learning website and in Schoology.
These resources also include supports for students with disabilities. Special service providers will continue to work collaboratively with families to meet students’ individual needs.
As we progress and continue at-home learning for what could be the foreseeable future, I anticipate student expectations will increase. Please know we will be monitoring effectiveness and participation in order to adjust the plan, while also being cognizant of the different needs of all of our students and families.
You should have received information from your child’s principal regarding at-home learning. Our campuses are in the process of attempting to reach all families by phone to not only touch base with students, but to also ask specific questions regarding their technology resources. If you have not received information regarding at-home learning, please email your child’s campus principal or call the main number to your child’s school and leave a voicemail. Our phones are now programmed to send those voicemails to the campus principal’s email inbox.
Breakfast and Lunch
CSISD will serve lunch and breakfast at no cost to children ages 1-18 until we are back to normal operations. Children will also receive a breakfast in a bag for the following day.
Any child can pick up a meal at the front door of the following campuses between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.: South Knoll, College Hills, Southwood Valley, River Bend, Oakwood, and beginning Tuesday, March 24, at the Lincoln Center.
Because of federal guidelines, children must be at the pick-up location to receive the lunch and breakfast items.
What’s Next?
We will continue to meet, evaluate, problem-solve and adjust to best meet the needs of our students during this unique situation.
In the coming weeks, we will turn our attention to issues related to seniors and all other students who are in high school courses. Our high school principals are actively working on a plan to allow seniors to graduate on-time and with all credits intact. Please know that this is a statewide issue and all districts in Texas will work together to find a solution. Since we are unsure as to when we will return to normal school activities, it may take some time to finalize these decisions.
As stated earlier, we will continue to monitor and adjust the at-home learning program for all grade levels should the closure of schools be extended.
Our faculty and staff miss our students and families. We look forward to connecting and engaging with students in new and different ways in the upcoming weeks.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale
CSISD Interim Superintendent of Schools
Press Release (March 17, 2020)
CSISD schools will be closed through April 3 in order to participate in community-wide social distancing and limiting the spread of the virus.
During the closure, Kids Klub, extra-curricular activities and field trips are canceled. All CSISD buildings are closed to outside rentals.
Essential personnel who need to report to work will be contacted by their supervisors. If you are not contacted, you need to stay home. Work expectations and scheduling are still to be determined for other employees. Employees are expected to remain reachable and respond to supervisor calls and/or emails.
School lunches and breakfasts are being provided each weekday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at five CSISD campus locations. Children ages 1-18 can pick up lunch (and breakfast for the next day) at College Hills, River Bend, South Knoll, Southwood Valley and Oakwood. Children must be present to receive lunch and breakfast.
Communication to Parents (March 17, 2020)
Dear CSISD Parents/Guardians:
CSISD schools will be closed through April 3 in order to participate in community-wide social distancing and limiting the spread of COVID-19, or the Coronavirus.
As you have probably heard, there is now a confirmed case in Brazos County. The decision to close schools through April 3 was made through consultation with the Brazos County Health Department.
While the Brazos County Health District maintains that the immediate risk to the general public in our area is low, we are all encouraged to continue following general preventative actions:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Limit touching your eyes, mouth and nose.
- Clean and disinfect commonly-touched areas of your home frequently.
- Stay away from those who are sick.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- If you are experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath, contact your physician immediately.
As mentioned in previous communications, the CSISD curriculum staff and technology staff are working as we speak with principals and other instructional leaders to develop plans to adapt our instruction for the coming weeks. Platforms such as Schoology, Google Applications, online textbooks and electronic communication between teachers and students could prove extremely valuable to continue educating students remotely. We are also working on how the district will serve students without access to technology and those who have special needs.
School lunches and breakfasts are being provided each weekday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at five CSISD campus locations. Children ages 1-18 can pick up lunch (and breakfast for the next day) at College Hills, River Bend, South Knoll, Southwood Valley and Oakwood. Children must be present to receive lunch and breakfast.
We will continue to provide information to you as it becomes available and we continue to ask for your patience as our staff works to develop solutions to continue educating our community. There is more information located at CSISD.org, including a frequently-asked questions page.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, CSISD Interim Superintendent of Schools
Communication to Parents (March 16, 2020)
Dear CSISD Parents/Guardians:
I wanted to take a few moments to update you as to what CSISD is doing this week as the situation surrounding COVID-19, or Coronavirus, continues to evolve.
Even though school is closed this week, we will have a small crew of senior administrators continuing to work with local health authorities to monitor the situation and develop plans for what the future may bring. CSISD administration will continue to evaluate guidance from health officials and governmental agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Brazos County Health District and the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
As you are aware, this is a rapidly evolving situation and many factors will go into the decision-making process of when to reopen schools. We understand the impact school closures have on families and we do not take the decision of closing schools lightly.
The CSISD curriculum staff and technology staff are working with principals and other instructional leaders to develop plans to adapt our instruction if needed. We have resources that could help us in the event of a long-term closure. Platforms such as Schoology, Google Applications, online textbooks and electronic communication between teachers and students could prove extremely valuable to continue educating students remotely. Expectations for students and staff are being developed, as well as how the district would serve students without access to technology.
School lunches and breakfasts are being provided each weekday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at five CSISD campus locations. Children ages 1-18 can pick up lunch (and breakfast for the next day) at College Hills, River Bend, South Knoll, Southwood Valley and Oakwood. Children must be present to receive lunch and breakfast.
We will update the Coronavirus section of our website (csisd.org) and communicate directly with you as plans are necessary and become available. We added a frequently-asked questions section to our website today.
I wish I had more definitive answers for you, but with the ever-changing state of affairs, I do not. What I do know is that College Station is fortunate to be a giving, caring and loving community. For that reason, I have complete confidence we will not only get through this, but become even stronger because of it.
Please continue to be patient as our staff works tirelessly to monitor the situation and develop plans should a long-term closure end up being the course of action. Also, continue following recommendations from the health-care community in order to keep your family safe.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, CSISD Interim Superintendent of Schools
For Immediate Release (March 13, 2020)
Based on the continued nationwide spread of COVID-19, or Coronavirus, all College Station ISD campuses will be closed March 16-20, 2020. All school events will also be canceled during this time.
“Because of the fluidity of this situation, this was not an easy decision to make, and I know this significantly impacts our families,” CSISD Interim Superintendent Mike Martindale said. “This decision was made so that we can help protect our community at large, including our staff and students.”
Students: Beginning Monday, March 16, Kids Klub, extracurricular activities, and field trips are canceled. All schools are closed.
Employees: Beginning Monday, March 16, no employee should report to work unless specifically requested by a supervisor. All facilities are closed.
Community: All buildings are closed to outside rentals during this time.
Lunches for Students: CSISD will serve lunches at no cost to children ages one through 18 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each day next week. Please go to the front doors of the following schools to pick up a lunch to take home: South Knoll, College Hills, Southwood Valley, River Bend and Oakwood.
The district plans to resume classes on Monday, March 23, and will continue to work with local and state health officials to monitor the spread of the virus.
Communication to Parents (March 12, 2020)
Dear CSISD Parents/Guardians/Community:
As you are aware, the situation regarding COVID-19, or Coronavirus, has escalated the last few days. I want to assure you that despite our schools being closed for spring break, the CSISD administrative team is actively monitoring the situation.
We are awaiting information from the Commissioner of Education later today, which will help us with our decision-making process over the next couple of days.
We ask for your patience and understanding as we work to make the best possible decisions for our students, staff and community. We will continue to communicate with you as we decide our path moving forward.
Mike Martindale, Interim Superintendent of Schools
Communication to Parents (March 6, 2020)
College Station ISD Parents/Guardians:
As we head into Spring Break, I wanted to communicate with you regarding COVID-19, better known as Coronavirus. Although COVID-19 is currently not a threat to our area, with no cases having originated in Texas, I want to make sure you have accurate information.
CSISD personnel have been in contact with officials from the Brazos County Health District, who are helping us monitor the situation. We are also following communications from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Texas Education Agency (TEA). In a meeting earlier this week hosted by the Brazos County Health District, it was clear that our community should remain diligent in taking simple - but effective - precautionary measures.
As a school district, we have increased the amount of disinfectant we use while cleaning our schools each night. We are also encouraging our students to wash their hands often, and our nurses are giving hand-washing lessons to our younger students. In addition to our regularly-scheduled cleanings, all of our schools will receive a deep cleaning from our custodial staff over Spring Break. The transportation department will do the same with our buses.
You and your family can contribute to the effort of prevention by adhering to the following procedures:
Cover your cough by using your sleeve or arm -- not your hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick and keep children home when they are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Get a flu shot (the flu shot does not protect against COVID-19, it is still flu season).
Finally, if you are traveling domestically during Spring Break, please keep abreast of the news local to your destination, and please monitor the federal government travel warnings if you are traveling abroad.
I want to reiterate that COVID-19 is currently not a threat to our area and know that we are monitoring the situation with the help of local and state experts. We will inform you should the situation change.
I wish you and your family a relaxing, enjoyable, and safe Spring Break.
Respectfully,
Mike Martindale, Interim Superintendent of Schools