Noon Message to Families

At Cedar Hill Independent School District, our core values include accountability and transparency. Last week, we shared the State of the District. You can read a recap here and view the CHISD Annual Report. During the State of The District, we revealed CHISD's plans to expand Pre-K for 3 year olds to additional elementary campuses, based on parent interest. Currently, only Lake Ridge Elementary offers Pre-K 3.

Also, every Cedar Hill ISD Campus will have a Choice Program in place by the end of 2027. Last week, I announced the school choice programs that will launch at our campuses and the timeline for implementation:

• We pIan to open the World Language Academy at Highlands Elementary School in the 2026-27 school year.
• Waterford Oaks Elementary will exemplify the early portion of the STEMSpired integration with the launch of the Technology Academy in 2025-26.
• Plummer scholars will experience new STEM courses in the elementary Biomedical Sciences Academy starting in 2025-26.
• The Biomedical Sciences Program at Permenter Middle School will open in the 2026-27 school year. This will operate as a program within the school.
• Interested families can apply for the Fine Arts program at Bessie Coleman Middle School starting in the 2026-27 school year.

This new programs will launch in addition to the current Collegiate Pathway, Montessori at Lake Ridge and the Early College Academy at Cedar Hill High School.

Board to Consider May 2024 Bond Election

Tonight, the Cedar Hill ISD Board of Trustees will consider calling a bond for the May 4, 2024 ballot. They have been diligently studying the findings and recommendations of the Longhorn Futures Committee (LFC). Members of the LFC, have been meeting and reviewing facility needs for the past few months and presented their recommendation to the Board of Trustees on January 16.

In November, Cedar Hill residents passed a voter-approved tax rate election (VATRE) to help increase teacher pay and provide funds for additional police officers. We are very appreciative of the voters for helping pass the VATRE, but those funds can not be used for facility needs. Dollars raised through a bond election can only be used to address facility and technology needs. CHISD has not passed a bond election since 2012, and all district facilities are in need of roof repairs, heating and air upgrades as well as other coverdue capital improvements. If the Board decides to call for a bond election, we will be vigilant in communicating the needs, tax impact and voting information to the community.

Thank you for being our partner in education! Have a great week.

Sincerely,

Dr. Gerald B. Hudson

Superintendent

Cedar Hill ISD

We're thrilled to celebrate a meaningful and heartwarming occasion – Random Acts of Kindness Week! From February 12 th to February 14th, we invite our school community to join hands in spreading kindness, positivity, and joy. Why Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness?

Fostering a Positive School Culture:

• Random Acts of Kindness Week is an opportunity to create a positive and inclusive school environment. By encouraging kindness, we contribute to a culture where students feel supported, valued, and respected.

Building Empathy and Compassion:

• Practicing kindness fosters empathy and compassion in our students. Understanding the impact of small gestures helps them develop a sense of responsibility toward making the world a better place.

Enhancing Social-Emotional Skills:

• Kindness is a powerful tool in developing social-emotional skills. By engaging in acts of kindness, students learn valuable lessons in empathy, patience, and understanding, contributing to their overall well-being.

Strengthening Community Bonds:

• Random Acts of Kindness Week is an excellent opportunity to strengthen the bonds within our school community. By coming together to spread positivity, we create a sense of unity and camaraderie.

What's Happening at Our School?

Kindness Challenge:

• Throughout the week, we've organized a school-wide Kindness Challenge. Students are encouraged to perform acts of kindness, both big and small, and record their experiences. Prizes and recognition await those who embrace the challenge with enthusiasm.

Kindness Notes and Artwork:

• Our classrooms will be adorned with kindness notes and artwork created by students. These visual reminders serve as daily inspiration and showcase the creativity that blossoms from acts of kindness.

How Can Parents Get Involved?

Discuss Kindness at Home:

• Initiate conversations about kindness at home. Share stories of kindness, discuss the impact of positive actions, and encourage your child to reflect on how they can contribute to a kinder world.

Participate in the Kindness Challenge:

• Join your child in the Kindness Challenge! Perform acts of kindness together as a family and share your experiences. It's a wonderful way to strengthen family bonds while spreading joy.

Share Stories of Kindness:

• Encourage your child to share stories of kindness they witness or experience. Whether it's at school, in the community, or at home, these stories inspire others to embrace the spirit of kindness.

• Join the #LonghornsAreKind and #MakeKindnessTheNorm challenge and share your acts of kindness on social media.

• Practice kindness and self-compassion with these guided practices and exercises: Self Compassion Practices

• Some of us are already taking steps to find professional help with our well-being and perhaps you or a loved one should too. If you or a family member would like help finding a mental health care provider, use Care Solace, a complimentary and confidential coordination service provided by Cedar Hill Independent School District. If you would like to use Care Solace to help you find a mental health care provider:

• Call 888-515-0595. Multilingual support is available 24/7/365.

• Visit www.caresolace.com/cedarhill and either search on your own or click “Book Appointment” for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.

• Contact your campus counselor and request a CareSolace warm handoff.

Spreading kindness improves our well-being and fosters a caring community. What will you do to spread kindness this week?

Thank you for your support in fostering a culture of kindness within our school.

Nominated by her peers for empowering others!

"I find solace in the presence of Ms. Omolloh, who exudes a sense of safety and comfort that puts me at ease. She has become my go-to person when I need to share my troubles, knowing that she will listen attentively and offer guidance that steers me towards growth. With her unwavering support and encouragement, I am motivated to strive for self-improvement every passing day."

All staff, families & community members are asked to nominate a current CHISD team member who is exhibiting the behaviors of the CHISD Leadership Definition. The UELP Longhorn Lineup submissions are collected throughout the year and announced every Monday on social media and the Monday noon message. Any CHISD staff member can be nominated when they:

• Lead with Heart
• Expect Excellence
• Empower Others

Children are consistently being encouraged to unleash their creativity, and Roblox, a hugely popular online gaming community, provides opportunities for that very thing. However, there may be more to it than just providing a fun playground for creativity. Roblox isn’t just an online gaming platform – it’s a social media platform, too. Parents must be aware of the dangers their children face if they don’t understand how the online world works.

Anonymous online chat rooms in these gaming communities present issues.

We can’t be naive to think that children won’t venture into one of these anonymous chat rooms. They do. And the reality of these chat rooms is that some people are not who they say they are. Many kids are too young to understand that sometimes people are deceptive and may want to hurt them. They can’t imagine anyone having bad intentions like this toward children – and honestly, we don’t understand it either.

There have been too many instances of children virtually meeting strangers in Roblox anonymous chat rooms or other online gaming communities where they think they’re talking to another child their age or a kind adult (which, let’s be clear – NO adult should ever be talking to a child online), but it’s someone else entirely – and their intentions are nothing but dangerous and harmful. Too many times, these children have been hurt, taken, or worse, BECAUSE of who they met in these online chat rooms.

• This article from Aura lists out several concerns and cautions when it comes to Roblox, like cyberbullying, online child predators, and inappropriate adult content. For a full list of concerns and more information, read the full article here.
• Online gaming platforms have been around for a long time, and they aren’t going away anytime soon. Kids continue to gravitate toward these online gaming communities. In fact, according to Statista, nearly 29 million users in Roblox are under the age of 13.

Longhorn parents, please be aware of what your kids are doing online and if possible, utilize the ability to set parental controls on online gaming platforms. For step-by-step instructions, this InternetMatters tutorial shows parents how to set appropriate restrictions and provides more information for keeping their child safe in the online world.