In this issue:
On the cover: In Pre-Kindergarten Teacher Mel Muir and Instructional Assistant Vicki Fontaine's classroom at Adams Hill Elementary School, students started the day by learning about the letter A. Pictured are students showcasing their A is for Alligator artwork.
During the 89th Texas Legislative Session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 12, which requires schools to get annual parental consent before providing routine physical or mental health services. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the District emailed families regarding this new parent consent form.
The parent listed as "Guardian One" in eSchool will receive a separate email for each of their children, which will contain a unique link for that specific student. Our priority will always be the safety and well-being of our students. Health-related services not requiring parental consent include general caretaking, response to medical emergencies, immediate student safety situations, support during illness or physical symptoms at school, heat illness prevention, and injury support for student athletes.
However, parents must give consent before schools can provide routine health services, such as administration of over-the-counter medications in accordance with the law, administration of prescription medications in accordance with the law, monitoring of chronic health conditions (e.g., asthma, diabetes), vision, hearing, and scoliosis screenings, lice screening, and Acanthosis screening (Texas risk assessment for Type 2 Diabetes in children).,
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Student Summary Report
Need help preparing for an upcoming parent conference, MTSS, ARD, LPAC, or 504 meeting? Check out the Student Summary Report in DecisionEd to see attendance, assessment, and grades data with eye-catching visuals to help highlight talking points. It’s a great supplement to the Cognos Parent Conference Report! The DecisionEd Support Site on the HUB also provides information on how to access the Student Summary Report and additional resources.
Let’s Make Magic!
As part of NISD’s continued commitment to support educators and prepare students for the future, we’re thrilled to announce our new district partnership with MagicSchool, the most trusted and widely used AI platform in K–12 education! Click HERE for a helpful one-pager full of resources to help you get started, including an exclusive code for some MagicSchool merch!
The icon will be added to your portal soon, and professional learning opportunities will be advertised here and on social media. Follow Academic Technology (@NISDAcadTech) on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
Enhancing Instruction with AI
Cut through the hype and learn how to use AI to plan lessons faster, personalize support, and lighten paperwork, without sacrificing student privacy or teacher judgment. Educators and Instructional Assistants will learn to use Artificial Intelligence to draft lesson hooks, exit tickets, and differentiated practice in minutes, build rubrics and feedback stems that save time and raise the quality of feedback, create supports for diverse learners (translations, reading levels, scaffolds) quickly and responsibly, spot AI’s limits and avoid common pitfalls, bias, and misinformation, and set simple guardrails for safe use in your classroom.
For additional information, click on the following flyer.
Fall Tech Fest - Training & Development PD Sessions
Join our Technology Training & Development team for some PD sessions that are frighteningly great! Five sessions, five days, five opportunities to get an hour of Teacher’s Choice hours and learn more about some hot topics! Conveniently scheduled to start at 5 pm, join us virtually and come ready to learn more about Notebook LM, Canva, Gemini, and more!
The flyer below lists UT Section numbers. Please register today and get ready to learn with us. Missing out may haunt you!
AROUND THE DISTRICT
The NISD Elementary Science C&I Department has received the Native Star Award from the Native Plant Society of Texas. This recognition honors their outstanding work in promoting native plants and environmental literacy across the District. They will be honored at the Fall Symposium Awards Banquet in early October. Pictured are (from l-r) Kristen Conrad, Amalia Sollars, Isaac Esquival, Jenna Hudon, and Amy Snyder.
Meadow Village Elementary School recently received a $5,000 grant from the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. The grant supports initiatives that provide children and adults with access to nutrition education, gardening and cooking programs, and other resources for healthier living. Pictured are (from l-r) Brenda Avery, Grants Coordinator; Melissa Tamez, Grants Coordinator; Vanessa Ramos, Elementary Social Studies Instructional Specialist; Hillary Webb, Elementary STEM teacher; Kristen Conrad, Elementary Science Instructional Specialist; Lori Gallegos, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Instruction; and Sarah Bargas, Grants Manager.
Video of the Week: Giving Campaign begins Monday
The Northside Education Foundation Annual Giving Campaign runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 3. This is your chance to make a lasting impact! Every donation—big or small—helps support vital teacher grants, student success initiatives, and improvement efforts across our campuses. Watch this video to learn more.
Click on the images to make larger
College Night
Public Education Forum
Financial Aid Night
NEF Annual Giving Campaign ad
Legal Seminar
Burke Anniversary
Perk of the Week
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
Dine in at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse Alamo Ranch location, spend a minimum of $9.95 on food, and receive a free Pizookie. Use Promo code BJSAR25. Offer good through May 31, 2026. Click here for details.
Grant of the Week
First-Year Teacher Scholarship
The Texas Retired Teachers Foundation is offering The First-Year Teacher Scholarship to provide funds to assist teachers in purchasing materials for his or her classroom. Click here to apply or contact the Grants Dept. at 210-397-8563. Deadline to apply is Jan. 9, 2026.
