March 2026 Parent Newsletter

In this issue:

On the cover: Read Across America Week is celebrated annually during the first week of March, coinciding with Dr. Seuss's birthday on March 2. A National Education Association initiative, the purpose is to inspire a lifelong love of reading, build literacy skills, and promote reading as a fun, inclusive activity for all kids. Across the District, elementary schools held a variety of fun activities, including parades, dress-up days, and celebrity readers.

New this upcoming school year: Register to ride the bus

To ensure smooth, reliable bus transportation for the 2026–2027 school year, eligible families must register their students in advance.

Northside ISD provides school bus transportation for students who live more than two miles from their assigned neighborhood campus. Students residing within the two-mile walk zone are generally not eligible unless their route includes a Board-approved Hazardous Traffic Condition.

“Registering early helps us plan routes efficiently and make sure every eligible student has a smooth start on the first day of school,” said Transportation Director Tesi Soliz. “We encourage families to complete the quick registration process as soon as it opens so we can provide the safest and most reliable service possible.”

Families can use the Buses & Boundaries System to check whether their physical address qualifies for bus transportation.

Families new to Northside ISD may register for bus service during the New Student Registration process. Currently enrolled families can sign up during the Returning Student Registration, which begins March 16.

To guarantee transportation on the first day of school, all eligible students – new and returning – must register by June 30.

Bus transportation for eligible special education and magnet school students will be scheduled separately.

Northside ISD is beginning an important, community-centered planning effort called District Optimization—and we need your voice.

District Optimization is a strategic process that helps ensure our students are served in strong learning environments now and in the future. As enrollment patterns, funding, and student needs change, this work allows us to plan thoughtfully and responsibly while staying focused on what matters most: student success.

The first step in this process is developing a District Optimization Priority Framework. This framework will guide the district's consideration of facilities, programs, and draft scenarios. To ensure these priorities reflect our shared values, we are asking families, staff, students, and community members to complete a short survey. Details found here. The survey closes on Friday, March 6.

The Parent-Student Interest Form for the Northside ISD Virtual Academy is now live! By completing this form, the planning teams can build a program that truly reflects the needs of students and the Northside community.

Completing this form indicates interest in the program; however, submission does not guarantee a seat or constitute official enrollment in the Virtual Academy. Formal registration is scheduled to launch after Spring Break. Specific registration dates and instructions will be posted on the website and on district social media platforms.

The interest form and other important information and updates are found here.

HELPFUL RESOURCES

StudyMate in Schoology (Grades 2-12)

Studymate is an easy, fun tool for creating study materials such as flashcards, quizzes, and learning games. Both students and teachers can create these materials using eleven different games and learning activities. Student directions can be found here. Check out this quick video on how it works.

View Archived Courses in Schoology

Archived courses will be enabled for students to access in Schoology. This will allow students to access course materials from archived courses (courses that ended after cycle 1 or 2). This may be helpful for AP students who need to access course materials from semester 1 as they prepare for their AP exams. Click here for student instructions on accessing archived courses.

AROUND THE DISTRICT

STEAMFest has something for the whole family

Levitating off the ground with hovercraft rides. Learning to code and maneuver robots. Designing and launching rockets. Learning to scale down set designs. Practicing your suturing skills with a banana.

Those are just a few of the more than 50 science, technology, engineering, art, and math (or STEAM) activities that will be available for those attending the third annual Jay Science and Engineering Academy (JSEA) STEAM Fest held Saturday, March 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. JSEA is located on the Jay High School campus, 7611 Marbach Road.

The student-led and organized event is free and open to the public, with activities geared toward kindergarten through eighth-grade students. The activities are hands-on, self-paced, and organized by area of interest. Topics include physics, astronomy, robotics, chemistry, biology, math, fine arts, and more.

Hooked on learning: Raba Fishing Club nets fun and attention

Raba Elementary School may be far from a pond or lake, but did you know they had a Fishing Club?

The program launched with 10 fourth-grade participants and kicked off with an off-campus gathering at Miller’s Pond that drew a strong turnout from friends and families. Through club activities, students have learned about different fishing rods and lures, Texas native species, conservation practices, and strategies for targeting stocked trout during the winter season. They also put their creativity to work by designing their own lures.

The students’ efforts gained attention on social media from two San Antonio lure manufacturers, leading to an invitation to showcase their collaborations and casting skills in an interactive exhibit at the San Antonio Rodeo Youth Day. The club is sponsored by 4th-grade teacher Anthony Soler and PE Coach Derek Scherf.

fishing

Stacking up the competition

Students from over 10 campuses, ranging in age from 6 to 12 years old, tried their hand at the annual NISD Sport Stacking Tournament.

Sport stacking offers enhanced physical skills, such as hand-eye coordination and reaction time, while also boosting cognitive abilities, teamwork, and self-confidence. Sport Stacking is one of the Physical Education Modules that rotates to all 83 elementary campuses, promoting coordination, activity, and fitness for over 44,000 students.

Students competed in individual preliminary time-stacking events and team relay events during the morning of the Sport Stacking Tournament. The individual finals were in the afternoon.

The event coordinators were Coach Jaun Juarez from Galm ES and Coach Noel Valadez from Powell ES. The campus sponsors (coaches) are all volunteers who organize student teams and practices in preparation for the event. This is truly a grassroots effort that began with two NISD Elementary Physical Education Teachers with a vision, and many NISD communities of teachers, administrators, and parents coming together in support of their exceptional stakeholders.

In the end, it came down to speed, concentration, and grit. Joslyn Garcia from Powell Elementary was awarded All-around Female (17.516), and Jase Lemus from Ross Middle School (17.509) was awarded All-around Male. Meaning they were the top two stackers in the District. Adalynn Garcia from Chumbley Elementary represented the 6 and Under Female division and won 1st place in both the 3-3-3 and 3-6-3 events.

A special shout-out to Nathan Guevara, a fifth-grade ALE student from Fields Elementary. He earned first place in the 3-3-3 Special Stackers Division and was invited to compete at the Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa!

stack

stackers

Planting seeds of reading and growing

Staff, families, and special guests gathered at Cable Elementary School on Feb. 27 to celebrate a shared love of reading and gardening during the school’s “For the Love of Reading” and “Growing Together” events.

The morning began with coffee and snacks for parents and grandparents, followed by a courtyard pep rally featuring the Cat in the Hat, Thing One and Thing Two, along with KENS 5 meteorologist Bill Taylor and colleagues.

After the rally, Garden Club students teamed up with Stephen Lucke, founder of Gardopia Gardens, to plant beans, cucumbers, and other vegetables for a summer harvest. Seeds were donated by Charley Fisher of the Urban Garden Project.

Students also decorated herb-filled flower pots, donated by Lucke, to give to their parents. The visit was part of a partnership with the San Antonio Home and Garden Show, which previously connected with the Garden Club in October through its community engagement efforts.

Know an outstanding NISD alumni? Pillar applications open through May 15

Nominations for the Pillar of Character award are open now through May 15! Any NISD graduate who exemplifies one of our core Pillar characteristics—Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship, or Learning—is eligible. Honorees are celebrated at our annual Pillar of Character Gala, visit schools to inspire students, and serve as the focus of classroom lessons on these seven values, reinforcing that everyone has the potential to be a Pillar of Character!

Nominate your Outstanding Partner of the Year!

Help Northside ISD celebrate the businesses and community leaders who go above and beyond. Every nominee will receive a special gift and an invitation to our spectacular recognition event in April.

Deadline: March 20
Need help? Whether you’re unsure about eligibility or want tips on writing a winning nomination, the Partnerships Department is here to help.
Contact: Call (210) 397-8599 or email norma.rabago@nisd.net.

Submit your nomination here today and let’s give our partners the spotlight they deserve!

CELEBRATIONS

Congratulations to Northside School District’s 210 campus first-year and veteran educators of the year for the 2025-2026 school year.

They will be recognized at two special celebrations in their honor, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Northside Sports Gym. Family, friends, and coworkers are invited to attend the events. For those who cannot be there, each celebration will be webcast live here, per the following schedule.

Elementary First-Year and Veteran Educators of the Year – Wednesday, March 25
Secondary First-Year and Veteran Educators of the Year – Thursday, March 26

A repeat for two NISD AcDec Teams headed to Nationals

For the second year in a row, two Northside ISD Academic Decathlon teams have achieved historic victories at the state level, securing their spots in the upcoming national competition.

Warren High School placed second at the State Finals (Large School Division) and is now advancing to the national competition in California. This marks the second time in as many years that the Warren Academic Decathlon team has advanced to the national level in the large school division.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Health Careers High School Academic Decathlon team is headed to the National Academic Decathlon competition – a record-breaking achievement that no other school, large or small, has accomplished.

In addition, the Clark High School AcDec team placed second overall in the large school division.