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Superi ntendentM essageApr il 13, 2020THOUGHTS FROM DR. BALLDear Judson ISD Team:I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter. Youmay not know, but Easter has always been one ofmy favorite celebrations. It is inspirational andmeaningful. One of the principals summed it upbest when she shared with me, " It is a time ofbeauty, new life, and second chances. It is said thatthe great gift of Easter is hope." My favorite quote isby Desmond Tutu, "Hope is being able to see thatthere is light despite all the darkness." I thought itLook closely f or t h e f u ll r ain bowwas so appropriate for what we are going throughthese days. In addition, God sent a beautiful sign that CoachBatot, was able to capture in the inset picture to the right. May this rainbow serve as our symbolof hope and the promise of good things to come.Judson ISD HEROES! During this challenging time there have been several groups of people thathave continued to provide a service to us and our students despite the risk of exposure to thisvirus. To me those individuals will always have a very special place in my heart. They are the solidfoundation that make Judson ISD a family. Our cafeteria staff have been providing food for ourstudents. They know that without this, many students would go hungry and we appreciate themfor this unique service. Judson ISD has the most amazing technicians that prepared ourChromebooks for distribution. This was not an easy task but it was done because it was the bestthing for our students. Then we have all the amazing volunteers that help to dist r ibu t e theChromebooks. We greatly appreciate you. In addition, we have the Judson ISD CARE team that hasbeen going out to make welfare checks on our students that we can not locate. Additionally, ourpolice officers are continuing to patrol and keep us and our buildings safe. The maintenance andcustodial staff continue to work and check on the buildings to make sure that we are ready toopen in the near future. All these individuals are doing so much for the Judson ISD community.We appreciate them for being on the front line and for continuing to provide their service so thatour students and staff can be safe. We are so blessed with all these wonderful people in oursystem.Wishing you a great week! May God bless you.
TEACHING A NEW WAYREMOTELYBeing life-long learners certainly comes in handy during these quickly changing times.Even before it was apparent that schools would be forced to close for an extended periodof time, the JISD Curriculum and Instruction Department was busy making preparationsfor what inevitably happened. Home learning became the pathway of continuing theschool year with some sort of fidelity and consistency. That called for our teachers tolearn how to teach and engage students remotely through Google Classrooms and Zoomsessions. We salute these professionals in how they have kept an open mind to learninghow to teach differently and assure students and parents that they are not alone in thesestrange times. They've answered the need during uncertain circumstances with a calmand practical response that will bring out the best in our students. Thank you.
REACHING OUT TO"M ISSING"STUDENTSJISD's CARE Team conducted 120 home visits thispast week to reach students who have notresponded by email or phone. The team consistsof counselors, social workers, attendanceofficers, military college and career readinessfamily specialists, and social emotional learningspecialists. CARE Team members delivered carebags that included curriculum packets, hygienekits, school supplies, resource page and fidgetspinners to reduce anxiety. Lunch was alsodelivered at the time of visit.
CONNECTING STUDENTS TOONL INE L EARNING AT HOMEHome learning has certainly taken on a new look and new technology these days. Sincethe extended closure, making sure that instruction gets to all students in one form oranother has been priority. That has meant providing paper assignment packets for thosewho don't have wi-fi at home. However, it's also meant Chromebooks for those who havea connection to the internet, but have no real device to effectively read and completeassignment work. Judson ISD initiated a Device Request Form recently that assessed whatthe need was across the district. That resulted in JISD issuing more than 1,100Chromebooks to students on Thursday, April 9, 2020. But it's not over yet. A second roundwill soon be distributed to those not able to participate the first time. Bottom line, wewant to serve students in the most effective way possible and considering the currentcircumstances, this is an invaluable tool to achieve that.At Rollin g M eadow s ESAt Wagn er High Sch oolAt Ju dson High Sch ool (PAC)At Wagn er High Sch oolFor more news and information about Judson ISD visit us on the web atwww.judsonisd.org
BRIDGING THE FOOD GAPJISD Child Nutrition Continues To Distribute FoodIt has been quite a task ever since the start of spring break. But with the state closingschools down for weeks, many students were left wondering how meals at home weregoing to work. While many parents are working at home, many others have also been laidoff because of the economic impact of the virus. Judson ISD, through its Child NutritionDepartment, have been answering that question. Each Monday through Friday, thisdedicated team of individuals have worked together through food preparation andlogistics to stand in the gap for our families. They are doing this while trying to take asmany precautions as they can to keep from contracting this virus themselves.To try to reduce the risk of exposure of Child Nutrition workers, the food distributionprocess now is a once a day, Monday through Friday event from 11 am to 1 pm. This givesenough time for people to pick up both that day's lunch and breakfast for the followingmorning. We thank these staff members for their dedication. Please stay safe!A Cheer From Kitty H awk M SThe Cheer Squad at Kitty Hawk Middle Schooldecided to create a big HELLO to everyone acrossJISD that they are missing since the current closure.Like a good cheering leading group, these students? are encouraging us all to hang in there until this isover. Thank you to Melissa Aleman, the Kitty HawkMS Cheer Coach and Salinas ES Kinder teacher forhelping put this together for the girls.For more news and information about Judson ISD visit us on the web atwww.judsonisd.org
The Cheer Squad at Kitty Hawk Middle School decided to create a big HELLO to everyone across JISD that they are missing since the current closure. Like a good cheering leading group, these students are encouraging us all to hang in there until this is over. Thank you to Melissa Aleman, the Kitty Hawk MS Cheer Coach and Salinas ES Kinder teacher for
