Dec. 4, 2025 Staff Newsletter

On the cover: Students in the NISD Learning Tree After School Enrichment Program created more than 2,000 placemats and centerpieces, which were used during the annual Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner, the Nation’s largest Thanksgiving Dinner event. 

Get in the holiday season by seeing some of the hundreds of holiday concerts and performances going on across the District. Most events are free, and are certain to put you in the holiday mood.

If you have a middle school or high school child interested in registering for one of 13 magnet schools in Northside ISD, now is the time to apply!

The District offers eight magnet high schools and four magnet middle schools, with a fifth middle school set to be added in the 2026-27 school year. Applications will be accepted through Jan. 23, 2026.

Enhancing interaction with Google Meet's Q&A tool

Our Google Meet environment features a powerful Q&A tool designed to facilitate more structured online sessions/meetings. 

This built-in tool provides a simple and non-disruptive way to gather participant questions, allowing the presenter to focus on the presentation while ensuring every individual has an opportunity to submit their questions.     

Host's Key Features/Controls

• Content Moderation: Easily review and approve questions before they become visible to all participants, keeping the discussion on topic and productive.
• Prioritizing Questions: Participants can endorse any question submitted, allowing the host to sort through questions and prioritize the most common ones.
• Organized Viewing: Hosts can efficiently arrange questions by the order they were received (newest to oldest) or by popularity. Questions can be filtered to view those still needing a response, those that have been addressed, or those that were set aside.
• Status Management: Hosts can manage the status of all submitted questions by marking them as "answered" with a simple click, confirming the group.  Questions that are irrelevant or outside the scope of the meeting can be easily removed or kept private.
• Post Session Review: A detailed report is automatically emailed to the host following the meeting.  The report includes every question that was submitted, removed, or kept private, along with the participant's name (if not anonymous) for post-session follow-up.   

To learn more about the latest Google features, please visit nisd.tech/Google.

‘Tis the season for new phones!

Before you swap out your cell phone this December, remember to transfer your Google Authenticator codes from your old smartphone to your new one. This is crucial for accessing MyPortal and other important accounts that rely on two-factor authentication, as your new phone will not carry your Authenticator codes over. You must do this before letting go of your old device.

How to Export Your Google Authenticator Codes:

1. Open the Google Authenticator app on your current phone.
2. Tap on the three vertical dots in the top right corner.
3. Select "Settings" and then "Transfer accounts".
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to export your codes.
5. Download the Google Authenticator app on your new phone.
6. Import your codes onto your new phone using the Google Authenticator app.

By taking these simple steps, you can ensure uninterrupted access to MyPortal and other important online services. Visit nisd.tech/portal for more information.

Creating a semester exam in Schoology

With the semester coming to an end soon, you may be planning to use Schoology to administer an online semester exam. If you plan to do this, be sure to review the resource at the following link before creating your Schoology assessment to ensure the grade can be synced to TAC correctly. This resource is also available on the Schoology Support site, accessible through the HUB.

Schoology: Preparing for a departing teacher

When a teacher is leaving the district (i.e., retirement, resignation), it is important that ownership of their Schoology Google Drive Assignments folder be transferred to the incoming teacher or another staff member prior to the resignation. Transferring ownership is not just sharing the folder. To ensure the correct transfer of ownership, follow this helpful resource. This resource is also available on the Schoology Support Site available on the HUB.  

Magic Bytes

As the holiday season rushes in, your time becomes the most precious gift of all. Manage your classroom and the chaos with the Classroom Management tool.

Simply enter the grade level and classroom management challenge, and let MagicSchool generate fresh new ideas you can implement right away. Use this tool to help manage individual student behaviors as well as whole class concerns. You can even upload files, such as your class rules, or link to websites with ideas. 

Give yourself the gift of a stress-free transition into winter break by putting the MagicSchool Classroom Management tool to work today

District Spanish Spelling Bee brings big smiles & bigger talent

From the young elementary spellers to seasoned high school competitors, students impressed the entire audience with their poise, focus, and mastery of some truly challenging Spanish vocabulary during the annual NISD Spanish Spelling Bee Competition.

Cheers and proud smiles filled the room as families, teachers, and judges watched students demonstrate the hard work they’ve put in over the past months. Each round delivered more “wow” moments, and the energy never dipped.

Congratulations to the winners, who will go on to represent NISD at the ESC-20 Spanish Spelling Bee on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026:

• Elementary School: Vanessa Acosta, a fifth grader at Glenn ES, winning word: vahído
• Middle School: Mateo Rawls, a sixth grader at Briscoe MS, winning word: unguiculado
• High School: Mario Martinez, a senior at Communications Arts HS, winning word: concupiscencia

We’re so proud of all our participants for their dedication and enthusiasm—¡felicidades a todos!

Brennan sweeps McDonald's Invitational

Congratulations to the Brennan High School Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Teams, who rose to the top of the bracket at the prestigious McDonald’s Texas Invitational in Pasadena! Recognized as one of the largest and most competitive high school tournaments in the nation, the Invitational draws elite talent from across Texas, making Brennan’s achievement even more impressive.

Both teams captured the Championship titles in their respective divisions. Go Bears!

Krueger Quill: A poetic showcase

On November 3, Krueger students took center stage at the inaugural Krueger Quill, a brand-new celebration of student poetry and creativity.

Led by Librarian Mrs. Parker and fifth-grade teachers Mrs. Wheeler and Mrs. Fritz, the school library was transformed into a cozy, café-style venue complete with soft T-light “candlelight” and comfortable seating that set the mood for an afternoon of thoughtful expression.

Students volunteered to share their original poems, delivering heartfelt, humorous, and imaginative pieces to an audience of supportive classmates. With each performance, the room filled with the warm sound of finger snaps—a poet’s round of applause—as students celebrated the creativity and courage of their peers.

The first Krueger Quill was a meaningful showcase of student voice, and organizers hope it will continue to inspire young writers for years to come.

Your bond dollars in action

The Jay High School campus has been transformed over the years, with a new library, a new Fine Arts area, and more is coming to the 58-year-old campus. Watch this video for a glimpse of what's to come, all thanks to funds from the 2022 voter-approved bond. 

Six Flags Fiesta Texas holiday fun: get your NISD employee discount now! 

As South Texas's premier Christmas lights and holiday festival, Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Fiesta Texas invites you to step into a world of holiday fun. Holiday in the Park runs through Dec. 23, and the Rockin' New Year's celebration through Jan. 4.

Brevity Coffee offering free beverage to all NISD staff

Just in time for the cold weather! Brevity Coffee truly appreciates everything that teachers and faculty do for our community. As a small token of their appreciation, they are offering a complimentary drink to all NISD staff members. 

All you need to do is:

1. Download the Brevity Coffee App
2. Enter PROMO CODE: NISD
3. Enjoy a free drink on them!

An "Awesome" grant opportunity

The Awesome Foundation’s mission is to promote awe, wonder, and inspiration in the San Antonio community by awarding $1,000 grants every month. You can contact the Grants Dept. at 210-397-8563. The deadline is at the end of each month.

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