“We are excited to see students in our hallways when school opens on Aug. 22,” says Dr. Brian Woods, superintendent. “Our caring and dedicated teachers, administrators, and staff are working hard to provide a safe, nurturing environment where all students can learn and thrive and reach their highest potential.”
With the start of the school year in less than a month, here are some helpful tips for parents and students as we prepare for a great school year.
Registration:
All new Northside ISD students should register online by clicking the appropriate link. Additional registration and general enrollment information is also available on that webpage.
What school will your child attend?
NISD assigns students to schools according to the street address where the student resides. The Boundaries and Buses Information System will provide you with the name and addresses of the schools serving your area.
Transfers:
If you are interested in a school choice transfer, apply by filling out an application at https://transferreq.nisd.net/TransferReq.nsf. The deadline for transfer requests for this school year is Aug. 7. For questions, contact the Office of Student Advocacy and School Choice (SASC) by emailing SASC@nisd.net or call 210-397-8695.
Safety:
In Northside, the safety of our students and staff is one of our top priorities. We regularly review and revise our safety plans and procedures to enhance security. Keeping our schools safe requires continuous work and communication with our students, staff, and families. Our approach to safety focuses on three areas - our people, our facilities and technology, and our procedures. For more information, including a video message from the Superintendent, please visit our District safety webpage.
Student and staff health
Student and staff health remains a consideration. Campus protocols will continue to include daily cleaning and sanitizing. NISD will continue to adhere to protocols including self-isolation and quarantine in confirmed cases of COVID. Masks will not be required but are encouraged. Additionally, NISD will continue to partner with health care providers to host COVID vaccinations for those who choose.
Safety Monitoring Application (Bark for Schools):
As an additional safety measure, the District is implementing a new student safety monitoring application called Bark for Schools. The implementation of this safety monitoring application at the middle and high school level will help provide the District yet another important tool to leverage in order to better protect our student’s online activity while utilizing their school Google account.
Bark for Schools, an extension of Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Chat, is a content monitoring tool that leverages powerful artificial intelligence technology to help detect potentially dangerous or inappropriate situations that students may be facing both in and out of school including cyberbullying, threats of violence, predatory advances, inappropriate language, sexual content, and suicidal ideation.
If potential digital concerns arise on school-issued accounts, Bark for Schools is able to send designated school representatives specialized alerts to ensure they can address the situation in a timely manner. These alerts are important because they also provide insight that could help us continue to promote the well-being and safety of the entire student body.
Finally, it is important to understand that both NISD and Bark have a strong commitment to protecting student privacy. The District will not utilize this tool to monitor communications other than what is flagged in the previously mentioned categories with the intention of student safety in mind. For more information on the Bark for Schools software solution, please feel free to visit their website.
Student Attendance:
In-person attendance and engagement are critical to a student’s success in school and will be required. NISD will not be providing any models of virtual learning and will not be providing remote conferencing for the 2022-2023 school year. Families are encouraged to work directly with their child’s school if they foresee issues with attendance.
Dress Code:
The NISD Board of Trustees approved revisions to the District’s dress code policies for the 2022-2023 school year. The new policy allows for the wearing of shorts by all students (Pre-K -12) as long as the shorts are mid-thigh length or longer. As with the previous policy, the final determination of acceptable dress and grooming rests with the campus principal or his/her designee. Guidelines for the new dress and grooming policy are available in the attached file below.
Transportation:
Bus routes for the 2022-2023 school year will be available on Aug. 15 on Buses and Boundaries Information System.
School Supplies:
School supply lists are available here. Elementary Schools are listed and a few middle schools provided information; however, most middle schools will share supply needs with students on the first week of school.
Meals:
Due to a change in federal law, school meals will no longer be offered at no cost to all students this school year. If you think your child may qualify for free and reduced lunch benefits, or to find menus and additional details, click here.
Backpacks:
Backpacks will continue to be allowed at all campuses. Consideration is being given to whether or not clear backpacks might be required at special events. Information will be forthcoming.