Bearcat Blast

It was a great first day of school in Aledo ISD! We are excited to have opened the beautiful new Lynn McKinney Elementary and to see our students and staff members ready for the new year! Click through our Flickr album to see our amazing Bearcats (big and small, students and staff) on their first day of school!

The safety and security of our children and staff at school is our top priority as Bearcats. The district consistently works to improve safety and security measures. Below are a few measures to remind you about or share with you at this time.

• Aledo ISD has its own police department and is licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. Our trained police officers are located on each of our campuses and devoted solely to the safety and security of those facilities and events.

• All exterior and interior doors are to remain locked at all Aledo ISD campuses. Locked doors are the very best way to protect our students and staff. Should approach a door and notice that it is not secure please notify us by submitting a ticket through the QR code sticker attached to the door.

• All exterior glass doors and adjacent windows now have Security Window Film installed to bolster security.

• As a reminder, we use the Blackboard system to communicate in an emergency.

• Through Blackboard, we can:

• Send text messages, emails and push notifications to our Aledo ISD App.

• It is important that your email address and phone number is correct in the Ascender Parent Portal, so please notify your campus if you have any changes throughout the school year to ensure you receive these important messages.

• In any emergency, we will communicate with you as quickly as possible and keep you informed throughout and after an incident.

• Please note that, with cell phones and social media, rumors can get started pretty quickly. Please rely on the school district to give you official information.

• Please take the time to go over how we "Work the Plan" during an emergency situation.

• To report criminal or suspicious activity to district staff, please use the Aledo ISD Tip Line

• To report criminal activity directly to law enforcement, please use the Parker County CrimeStoppers link

• To report bullying related to Aledo ISD student, please use the Aledo ISD Bullying Reporting form

Thank you for helping keep our students and staff safe. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about our security efforts, please feel free to contact Aledo ISD Police Chief Fred Collie: fcollie@aledoisd.org or 817-441-5147.

Please find a way to get involved in our schools and district! We are always seeking caring and fun mentors for our students of all ages - we'd love to have you serve our students in this way!

There are several district and campus committees where parent and community participation is vital. Please take the time to review the committees listed on this form. If you find a committee or committees that are of interest to you, please complete the form by 4 p.m. on Friday, August 23. There are time commitments involved in each of these committees and your full participation is very important.

Click here for the 2024-25 Aledo ISD Committee/Volunteering Interest Form.

As a reminder, new this year: students who would like to check out a district-issued Chromebook must sign up for the district’s $25 device protection plan. This covers unlimited breakage on the Chromebook; the charger is not covered. As our Technology Department distributes devices these first few days of school, your student will NOT be able to receive a district device until the device protection plan is paid.

It is important to note that if your student uses a non-school-issued device, we will have a device available for them to check out and use on testing days; this does NOT require you to sign up for the device protection plan. This will be a device that's checked out and back in all in one day for testing only.

If your child qualifies for free or reduced lunch or if you have some other special circumstance and need assistance with the device protection fee and/or athletics fee, please contact your child’s school counselor. We will also have a method for community members wishing to donate to cover fees for those in need. That will be available soon in the InTouch payment platform.

Visit the Technology department's website for instructions on how to purchase your device protection plan.

Don't forget that Aledo ISD and the Parker County Hospital District have partnered for Bearcat Care Clinics, giving families and staff the ability to receive telemedicine medical care onsite at each campus.

Using telemedicine and a Medpod Medical Cart in the nurse’s office at each Aledo ISD campus, students and staff will have access to visit with Steven Welch, DO, the chief medical officer for the Parker County Hospital District and local health authority for Parker County.

Aledo ISD school nurses can, if recommended by Welch, administer flu, strep or rapid COVID-19 tests and then Welch can prescribe medication, if necessary. School nurses will be present with students and parents can attend the appointment in person or remotely.

Aledo ISD staff will pay a $30 visit fee at the time of service, and commercial insurance will be billed for services provided when possible.

Students with private health insurance or those who are covered under Medicaid will provide that information during enrollment and co-pay will vary and be discussed prior to the visit. Students who do not have health insurance will be provided options. You may pre-register your student for Bearcat Care here; remember, you must register every school year even if you have registered in the past.

Families of Aledo ISD students and also Aledo ISD staff members can also schedule appointments at the Remote Clinic at 712 East Anderson in Weatherford for COVID-19 testing. The phone number to schedule an appointment is 817-458-3335.

WELCOME BACK BEARCATS!

CONTINUED FOR 2425 SCHOOL YEAR: State of Texas announced that all Reduced Price Breakfast will be free for 24/25 School Year! Apply for Free/Reduced Meal Program Online on the School Lunch App website.

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR:

• Please help your student learn their 6-digit AISD student ID number so they can enter it in the point of sale pinpad successfully!
  
• Pay into your student’s lunch account at MySchoolBucks OR pay with cash or check anytime in the cafeteria or school office.
  
• Find menus and meal pricing on the Aledo ISD app or Aledo ISD Cafeteria Services website.
  

For more information, if you have any questions or if we can help in any way, contact the Child Nutrition office at (817) 441-5142.

CAFETERIA PAYMENTS

Aledo ISD cafeterias accept cash or check or payments can be made with a credit card using the MySchoolBucks app!

HARVEST OF THE MONTH: WATERMELON!!

We are getting some really yummy and refreshing watermelons in from our supplier lately - great source of hydration on these hot summer days!

We are so grateful for a community that wants to get connected to our school district and be #AllinAledo! Thank you to the hundreds of families who came to Bearcat Nation 101, making it a HUGE success!

We hope you enjoyed your experience as much as we enjoyed hosting you! If you attended, we'd love to have your feedback! Please take a moment to fill out this feedback form.

We are THRILLED to announce that Ms. Elisha Woodson has been named the Region 11 Secondary Teacher of the Year and will now advance as a State Teacher of the Year candidate!

Ms. Woodson was recognized as the Aledo ISD Best of Bearcats Overall Teacher of the Year last spring. She is a dedicated educator committed to providing exceptional experiences for her students and continues to inspire her fellow educators with the same dedication. As a collaborative team lead, a participant in the district’s teacher leadership cohort, a mentor teacher, and a science curriculum writer, Ms. Woodson exemplifies the spirit of growing greatness in Aledo. She teaches science at the Daniel Ninth Grade Campus, where her passion for education shines daily.

Congratulations, Ms. Woodson! We are proud to celebrate your achievements as we continue our journey of being All in Aledo!

Aledo ISD recently honored four well-deserving employees as the 2023-2024 Circle of Greatness overall winners!

Congratulations to:

• Professional Category: Erica Gantt, Coder Elementary
• Paraprofessional Category: Anthony Lopez, McCall Elementary
• Auxiliary Category: Jennifer Lehman, Transportation
• Campus Guest Teacher/Substitute Category: Bianca Martinez, Walsh Elementary

Employees nominated for Circle of Greatness embody what it means to be #growinggreatness in the district, positively impacting our community, students and school district. The district accepts nominations for Circle of Greatness throughout the school year from parents, students, fellow employees and community members, and there are no limitations to the number of nominations each month.

The top nominee from each category is recognized as a Circle of Greatness Special Honoree three times per year, then all of the Special Honorees are candidates for the overall Circle of Greatness winner. Winners are announced in August and awarded a new Apple iPad thanks to the district's Bearcat Backers and the Aledo Education Foundation.

During the 2023-2024 school year, nearly 477 nominations were made encompassing each campus and department and hundreds of employees. Read more about the 2023-2024 overall winners here.

Aledo ISD Athletics has a new website where you can access schedules, rosters, coach information, forms and more! Click here to visit the new site!

On August 8, 2024, the Aledo Community grew a little bigger with the dedication of Lynn McKinney Elementary followed by the first day of school at McKinney Elementary this week. McKinney Elementary was the single largest project in the Aledo Bond 2023 proposal.

Lynn McKinney Elementary's namesake was a lifelong educator who held many positions in her 37 years with Aledo ISD. She started as a first-grade teacher in 1967 and retired in 2023 as the district's deputy superintendent. Lynn often joked that she held nearly every position in Aledo ISD. The district is grateful for the legacy Lynn created. Her impact on Aledo ISD, its students and staff, and the Bearcat community are immeasurable. Click through our Flickr album to see highlights from the dedication ceremony.

Come by the Bearcat Store, located in the Aledo ISD Administration Building, and check out the amazing Bearcat-themed gear! The Bearcat Store is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Bearcat Blast E-Newletter is managed by the Aledo ISD Communications Department. To submit news items, email communications@aledoisd.org.

https://www.aledoisd.org/
1008 Bailey Ranch Road, Aledo, TX • Phone: 817-441-8327
Facebook: facebook.com/AledoISD • Twitter: @AledoISD