Galena Park I.S.D. Monday Update

Dear Galena Park I.S.D. Parents and Guardians,

For the remainder of the school closure, we will be providing a 'Monday Update' to recap and keep you up to date with the latest information. We hope you will take the time to read over this newsletter carefully.

In the second edition of Monday Update, you will find:

1. Superintendent's Message
2. Census 2020 Information
3. Technical Support
4. Early College High School Application Information
5. April Character Education
6. Blackboard Parentlink- Opt In/ Opt Out
7. Educational Packet Information (Online Resources and Paper Packet)
8. Curbside Meal Pick Up
9. Counseling Information
10. Staying Connected with GPISD
11. Word of the Day

We would like to thank everyone for their cooperation and patience during this time.

March 30, 2020

Dear Galena Park I.S.D. Students, Parents, and Community,

I hope this letter finds each of you in good physical and mental health, and participating in the continued Learning Opportunities GPISD staff has been providing to our students and families. I have seen many photos on social media of parents working with their child(ren) and am deeply touched by these images.

I am also very proud of our Student Nutrition Department for their commitment to continue to provide healthy, nutritious meals to our students; as of March 25, they have distributed

3,705 breakfasts and 11,541 hot lunches, consisting of hamburgers, sliced pizza, pizza pockets, and tacos through our Curbside Meal distribution efforts. Kudos to our Student Nutrition Department!

Galena Park I.S.D. is also very thankful to the Houston Food Bank, who held a food distribution event at Tice Elementary on Tuesday, March 24. Approximately 250 families benefited from this event. Please know we are continuously seeking partnerships with businesses, organizations and agencies to benefit our wonderful community and to support the needs of our students and their families.

Many of you have asked when our schools will re-open. Galena Park I.S.D. will remain closed until it is safe for us to reopen. Although we are currently scheduled to remain closed through April 10th, this is a rapidly changing situation and no formal decision has been made regarding the District’s reopening. We will keep you all updated as we receive additional information and further decisions are made.

Although no official return date has been set, we are grateful and relieved Governor Greg Abbott has canceled all Spring STAAR/EOC testing, which will allow us to focus on our students’ individual academic needs when we return to school.

I am certain as soon as it is healthy and safe for our society to return to normal activities, our national, state and local authorities will allow for a return to normalcy. Until then, we will continue to keep you updated and will continue to work to fulfill Galena Park I.S.D.’s mission of preparing students to become productive citizens and lifelong learners, using every resource available to us.

Thank you for your patience and continued support of Galena Park I.S.D. Until we see each other again, I urge you to please adhere to the Stay Home, Work Safe Order issued by County Judge Lina Hidalgo. Each of you, and your loved ones, continue to be in my constant prayers.

Yours Truly,

Angi Williams, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

We are asking everyone to wear YELLOW on April 1st in recognition of the 2020 Census.

Post photographs of yourselves and your families wearing YELLOW using the following hashtags: #CountMe2020 #GPISDCensus2020.

**Please send your photos via Facebook Messenger, so we can post your family photos**

Don't forget to complete the Census!

The GPISD Technology Department will provide support to students Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

The Technical Support offered is to assist students with accessing District resources; the support is not provided as technical support for personal hardware.

Please email your questions to:techsupport@galenaparkisd.com.

The Galena Park I.S.D. CTE Early College High School is accepting applications for current eighth grade students interested in enrolling for the 2020-2021 school year.

Remember, students must reside in the Galena Park I.S.D. boundaries and not be a current transfer from another district. Please email jhutchinson@galenaparkisd.com for more information.

Click the link below to complete the ECHS Enrollment Application

Did you know the month of April is dedicated to Self-Discipline in GPISD? Galena Park I.S.D.'s mission is to prepare students to become productive citizens and lifelong learners. One way we contribute to our mission is through our Character Education program.
Check out the video below to learn more!

Galena Park I.S.D. utilizes Blackboard Parentlink to communicate with parents and guardians.

This system is used for emergency messages, as well as general information of interest to parents.

Our database is updated daily from our student management system and our employee database. We strive to comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and promptly remove incorrect numbers when we are notified.

Parentlink users can opt back into:

• Phone calls: Call the Blackboard Phone Hotline at "855-502-STOP (855-502-7867)" from the phone line that has been opted out.

• Text (SMS) messages: Reply START to "60680" from the phone line that has been opted out for non-emergency messages. Reply START to "54968" for emergency messages.

If you have any questions, please email us at communications@galenaparkisd.com

If you have NOT signed up to receive paper packets and would like to pick up a packet, please click the Paper packet Pick Up Request Form link below. NOTE: The link is turned off every Sunday at 11:59 p.m. to allow the curriculum department to prepare for Monday's distribution. The link will be turned back on each Tuesday at noon.

Paper Packet Pick Up is scheduled for every Monday for the duration of the closure from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at Galena Park High School or North Shore Senior High School.

If you have any questions, please message the GPISD Facebook page or email communications@galenaparkisd.com

The diagrams below show the traffic flow maps for Galena Park High School and North Shore Senior High. Please follow the routes shown on these maps when picking up packets on Monday.

1. GPISD website- www.galenaparkisd.com
   
2. GPISD mobile app
3. Facebook - @GPISD
4. Twitter- @GalenaParkISD
5. YouTube- /GalenaParkISDSchools

A robust vocabulary improves all areas of communication -- listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Click on this link to view our GPISD Vocabulary Learning Opportunities.

The mission of Galena Park I.S.D. is to prepare students to become productive citizens and lifelong learners.

Email: communications@galenaparkisd.com
Website: Galenaparkisd.com
Location: 14705 Woodforest Blvd, Houston, TX, United States
Phone: 832-386-1000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GPISD/
Twitter: @GalenaParkISD

The Galena Park Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boys Scouts and other designated youth groups.