Tiger Mail Issue #28

We prepare each student for college, career, and life by providing a safe, productive, and collaborative atmosphere, focusing on the student's emotional wellbeing through a quality, learner-centered educational program with a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. (STEM).

The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) is an English language proficiency assessment aligned to the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). This assessment is designed to assess the progress that emergent bilingual (EB) students make in learning the English language. TELPAS fulfills ESSA requirements for assessing EB students in kindergarten through grade 12 in four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

TELPAS Testing for students will occur between February 24th and March 14th.

The following schedule is a tentative schedule of the exams:

March 11th: 11th/12th Listening & speaking

March 13th: Reading & Writing Make-up

March 25th: Listening & Speaking Make-up

📚The Scholastic Book Fair will be on campus during the first week of March 10th through the 14th. Parents and Students can visit this website to get an idea of what to expect.

Principal's Letter

Shop Online @ HSI-Garland Scholastic Book Fair Website

Don't forget to set up your student's eWallet account for cashless, stress-less shopping. Friends and family can even contribute funds! Set one up here by scanning the QR code.

School Fair Website: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/harmonyschoolofinnovation4

Want to volunteer at the Book Fair? Sign up to be a volunteer and register yourself for the event!

https://harmonyps.ezcommunicator.net/edu/harmonyps/login_form.aspx?app=0

Extracurricular activities are an important part of Harmony Public Schools (HPS). Activities and clubs can play a vital role in the formative stages of student life, and provide the following benefits to participating students:

• Development of leadership skills;
• Fulfillment of athletic, intellectual, and social interests;
• Reinforce positive behavior in the classroom;
• Creating additional avenues of communication between students and teachers; and
• Engaging students more fully in the academic world.

We need your invaluable feedback to be able to plan next year's extracurriculars at HPS After School Academy.

Student Survey

Parent Survey

Our Service Leadership Society (SLS) students volunteered at Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), an organization dedicated to eliminating child malnutrition worldwide. Together, they packed 8,208 meals; enough to feed 22 children for an entire year! Harmony Public Schools North Texas District

If you would like to organize a volunteer effort or help FMSC with monetary donations, visit www.fmsc.org.

Parents received an email invitation with a survey link on

January 14th, 2025

Alternatively, they can access the survey via school websites, social media pages, or harmonytx.org.

Survey link: Parent/Guardian Survey

Students may now begin signing up for the Harmony Theater Club that will begin this Spring! Any interested students and parents may reach out to the Theater Leader: Patty Driver @ kidswhorockdallas@gmail.com

Sign up Here! https://rem.ax/TheaterClubHSI

All practices will be held at the HSA-Gym and snacks will be provided.

Schedule of Practices & Shows:

• March 21: 1:15pm-4:30pm (Practice)
• March 28: 1:15pm-4:30pm (Practice)
• April 4th: 1:15pm-4:30pm (Practice)
• April 11th: 1:15pm-4:30pm (Practice)
• April 25th: 1:30-4:30pm (Practice)
• May 2nd: 1:30-4:30pm (Practice)
• May 2nd: 5:00-6:00pm (Pizza Party)
• May 2nd: 6:00pm (Performance)

Hey Kids Who Rock Family,

Come have ice cream or coffee and celebrate March birthdays all while having fun with our Singers who will be performing 90's music partying like it's 1999!!

Do you have a singer who would like to sing?? Let me know which song and I will add him or her to the line up.

Does your Kids Who Rock have a March Birthday? Let us throw a party 4pm-7pm

If you cannot make it to the party, swing by anytime from 12pm - 10pm for a quick pop-in and purchase some ice cream or coffee. Make sure to mention Kids Who Rock when you order. Kids Who Rock will receive a portion of the sales. All proceeds go to Kids Who Rock Corporation to help keep Summer camp FREE!

We hope to see you there!! Let me know if you have any questions. 🌟

Patty Driver @ kidswhorockdallas@gmail.com

The TSI Assessment for College Readiness will be administered to High School students in January upon return from the Winter Break. The TSIA2 Assessment measures a student's readiness for college courses and dual credit enrollment. This assessment is not a pass/fail and will not impact their Academics. In order to gain college ready status, students simply need to gain a qualifying score or higher. Students also have multiple attempts to gain a qualifying score.

More attempts may be made in completing the assessment on specified Saturdays. Click this link to sign up for Saturday testing.

Prior to completing the TSIA2 assessment, students should complete the Pre-Assessment Activity to become familiar with the assessment. To learn more about the TSIA2 assessment, open this document to find more guidance.

Harmony North Texas is participating in Battle of the Books this school year! For more information on Battle of the Books, check out their website or the video below. Additionally, more information will be coming!

High School List

Middle School List

Dear Senior Parent/Guardian,

Jostens was here today to visit with your senior about their 2025 graduation cap & gown and other senior year items. We thought you would appreciate having a copy of what was handed out during their assembly.

Click (HERE) to be taken directly to HSI-Garland's homepage at Jostens.

Harmony Grow Your Own Teacher (GYOT) program is still accepting applications. Application deadline is the first Friday of April (4/5/2024)

Harmony Public School's Grow Your Own Teacher Program (GYOT) is an innovative fellowship developed to prepare HPS's future educators and leaders. GYOT program provides a competitive financial opportunity – up to $20,000 in total for six years – for current HPS students and/or HPS graduates to pursue a bachelor's degree that leads to teacher certification.

Visit the GYOT official website to learn more about program details and benefits.

Flyer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1caWF7wWJBpCPemA-Fui8Wue03rYEtfpt/view

Learn More At: https://www.harmonytx.org/directory/grow-your-own-teacher

The UTD Computer Science Outreach page (k12.utdallas.edu/events) now consolidates all upcoming events, including free enrichment sessions for AP CS, which continue on Saturdays from 10am-12pm starting January 25, 2025.

No registration is required for these sessions, and recordings will be available.

A $25 annual or $15 for 5-month subscription is needed for the Codio platform used for AP CS Java.

Other events include a free coding series from Feb 8-April 12, 2025, featuring sessions on MIT Scratch, Alice & JavaScript, p5.js, Python, and coding contests. There's also a presentation titled "Step into the Future of Coding" on Feb 1, 2025, for 5th graders and up, and the 2nd Annual Quantum Computing Conference on Feb 22, 2025. The Spring 2025 Battle of the Brains Coding Contest for high school students is scheduled for April 12, 2025. Summer 2025 coding camps, workshops, and research labs are also planned, with registration for camps still pending.

The UTD Computer Science Department has published their summer camp schedule. Courses can be viewed and registered for at this time. There are many options available for all ages of learners!

Families can lookup student STAAR scores from the past and in the future after completion of an assessment via the TEA Website, but a special code will be needed.

Parents & Guardians can call the school, provide family information, and the school will release the code. School Phone: (469) 814-0059

HSI-Garland Home Field:

Premier Park: 11115 Elam Rd, Balch Springs, TX 75180

NO ADMISSION FEES

🌟 Join Our Referral Rewards Program! 🌟

Help us grow our Harmony Family and earn rewards along the way! 🎉💙

👥 Refer your family and friends to our school and enjoy special perks as a thank-you for sharing the Harmony experience.

📢 Spread the word & start earning today-->https://harmonytx.tfaforms.net/20

HSI-Garland has started fundraising for next school year, but you can start this summer! Mabel's Labels is the leading provider of name labels for the stuff kids lose! Get the best prices on custom name stickers today. Free shipping on all orders. Simply follow the instructions in the image.

MABEL'S LABELS WEBSITE

Click the image to view a larger version.

The Kroger Family of Companies is committed to community engagement, positive social impact and charitable giving at the national and local levels. Every community is unique, but our common goal is to partner with the neighborhoods we serve and help the people there live healthier lives.

One of the ways in which we do this is through our Kroger Community Rewards program. This program makes fundraising easy by donating to local organizations based on the shopping you do every day. Once you link your Card to an organization, all you have to do is shop at Kroger and swipe your Shopper’s Card. This step can be done in your account profile on the Kroger application.

• In the AM Drop-Off students in the left-lane in the mornings.
• Use the White Lanes (2)
• ⬆️ Right Lane in the morning is for through traffic only.
• Please Do Not drop off students in the Left Lane.
• At 8:00am, Drop-Off students at the front doors using the left lane.
• The right lane is still a ⬆️ through lane only.

Click the Drive Line image for a larger view!

In the PM Pick-Up - Left or Right Lane curb until 4:00pm.

Use the BLUE LANES (3)... pick up in Inside & Outside Lanes.

⬆️ "Middle Lane" is for through traffic in the afternoon until 4:00pm.

@ 4:00pm move to the Left Lane for through traffic to use the full Right Lane.

Pick-Up students from tutorials and clubs at the front of the building. Rear doors are closed for the day at this time.

Click the Drive Line image for a larger view!

• SPEED LIMIT: 10MPH
• No PARKING or LEAVING an UNATTENDED VEHICLE in a Fire Lane. Please find a parking spot.
• Remind student(s) to use cross-walks at all times. 🚸
• Be cautious of students entering and exiting vehicles.
  
• 🔆 Use blinkers at all times when maneuvering in the drive line.
• 🔆 Use hazards to signal your stoppage on the curb for Drop-Off or Pick-Up.
• Fill all available space in front of your vehicle when cars vacate the line.
• 📵Texas House Bill 347: Prohibits the use of cell phones while driving on school property during reduced speed time zones in order to improve pedestrian safety. The ban applies to any school property where a school crossing zone is present. The only exceptions to the law are when the vehicle is stopped, the driver is using a hands-free device, or if the individual is in the process of making an emergency call or operating an emergency vehicle.
• ONLY Drop-off and Pick-up at the rear of the building.
• Please DO NOT drop-off students on/from Firewheel Parkway.

Reminder: When signing out students, please do so before 3:10pm.

All students who drive to school and require an early departure must have their parents confirm the departure through both a phone call and an email. This requirement is non-negotiable, and we expect full compliance. To ensure your child's timely and safe departure, follow the steps below:

• Call the school office at 469.814.0059 to report your child's early departure.
• Send an email to mroman@harmonytx.org, rquiroz@harmonytx.org, alucas@harmonytx.org, & ccastillo@harmonytx.org with the subject line ""Early Departure Confirmation,"" containing the following details:
1. Student's Full Name
2. Date of Early Departure
3. Reason for Early Departure
4. Expected Time of Departure

Failure to adhere to this mandatory procedure may result in delays or complications. Your immediate cooperation in this matter is crucial for the efficient and secure management of early student departures.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

🖱️ Click the image to learn more -->

Schools across the state are seeing an increase in illness-related absences following severe winter weather earlier in January, and we need your help in preventing the spread of germs.

Please take a moment to review these important preventive measures with your child:

• Handwashing: Encourage frequent hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing, sneezing, or using the restroom.
• Cover Coughs and Sneezes: Teach children to cover their coughs and sneezes with a tissue or their elbow.
• Stay Home When Sick: If your child has a fever (100 degrees F or higher), vomiting, or other flu-like symptoms, they should stay home until they are fever-free and vomit-free for 24 hours without use of symptom suppressant medication.
• Healthy Habits: Ensure your child gets enough sleep, eats nutritious meals, and stays hydrated to help boost their immune system.

If a student feels unwell while at school, they must visit the Health Aide before being sent home to ensure proper care is provided. If the student needs to go home due to illness, the Health Aide will contact the parent or guardian directly.

Please note that any attempts to sign a student out due to illness without first seeing the Health Aide will result in the absence being marked as unexcused. Absences of three or more consecutive days due to illness require a note from a healthcare provider to be considered excused.

We appreciate your partnership in keeping our schools safe and healthy. If your child experiences prolonged illness or flu-like symptoms, please notify the school.

FLU Guide for Parents - English

FLU Guide for Parents - Spanish

These measures will contribute to a healthier and more productive learning environment for our students.

• If your student is feeling sick while at school, it is mandatory for them to visit the Health Aide before they can be sent home to ensure that any necessary care is provided promptly. If it is necessary to send the student home due to illness, the health aide will notify the parent/guardian.
• Any attempts to sign-out due to illness without the attention of the health aide will result in an unexcused absence.
• Absences exceeding three or more days due to illness, require a note from a healthcare provider in order for the absences to be excused.
• Students are expected to be present for a minimum of 90% of each class to receive credit for their education.

Your cooperation and understanding in this matter are highly appreciated.

Immunizations: All proof of shots need to be ON FILE to avoid exclusion from classroom placement

PARENTS REMAINDER

Medications: If your child requires medication to be given during the school day please have the medication administration form fill out and turn in to Health Aide.

All action plans – food/insect allergies, asthma, diabetes, seizures, etc. must be signed by a physician. If your child’s health in any way changes during the year, please let us know. This also provides us with the information on how to reach you if your child becomes ill or injured.

Cecilia Castillo

Health Aide | HSI Garland

(469) 2174-0059 ccastillo@harmonytx.org

Please view this document for results of water testing on a plan of action.

Please review the information regarding meal charges for the school year.

At Harmony School of Innovation Garland, we provide our students with healthy and nutritious school meals to support their growth. A reasonable dietary accommodation for children who have special dietary needs such as Vegetarian meal, Halal friendly meal, Lactose free milk or Soy Milk may be made in accordance with program regulations when the accommodation is requested and is at the discretion of the district.

• Please fill out and provide this form to your child’s school if special dietary accommodations are requested. Students must have the Special Dietary Accommodation form signed by their parent/guardian in order to receive meal accommodations.
• If you have any questions, please contact the Child Nutrition Assistant, Ms. Lucas at alucas@harmonytx.org

Check out this graphic of the parts of plants that we eat!

Our new catering company, has an application where the Breakfast and Lunch Menu along with all nutrition information will be displayed.

Application Name: SoHappy App

• search HNT and then pick your school (Harmony School of Innovation-Garland)

Get rewards when you refer someone to Harmony!

Sign up for our referral program http://bit.ly/Refer-a-family

• Look for your confirmation email from the Harmony Recruitment team including the link to redeem

• Encourage a friend, neighbor, or family member to submit an application and earn rewards for each application submitted!

• Redeem your rewards using the link provided in the confirmation email

Harmony Public Schools proudly announces the GYOT Program! Click the image to view the full flyer.

Interested students can visit the website to learn more by clicking this link --> GYOT Application Link

Harmony Public Schools would like to share this information to families with collegebound students. The HCL program is great for students going into their first year of college! Interested families and students can learn more by clicking on this link --> HCL Link

Teach for Texas Loan Repayment Assistant Program

Interested in becoming a teacher? Please read more about two different programs available:

• Harmony Public School's Grow Your Own Teacher Program (GYOT) is an innovative fellowship developed to prepare HPS's future educators and leaders. Our program provides a competitive financial opportunity – up to $20,000 for four years – for current HPS students and/or HPS graduates to pursue a bachelor's degree that leads to teacher certification. In addition, GYOT participants will receive professional development from central office experts, one-on-one coaching from a highly qualified teacher mentor, and networking opportunities with student colleagues from across Texas. Participants will earn teacher's certification before returning to serve as an HPS classroom teacher.
• The purpose of the Teach for Texas Loan Repayment Assistance Program (TFTLRAP) is to recruit and retain certified classroom teachers in fields and communities that have a shortage of teachers in Texas. Click the link for more details.
  

Types of Financial Aid - State and Federal Grants and Scholarships

State and Federal Grants and Scholarships provide financial aid that does not have to be repaid. Some grants and scholarships require the student to maintain a certain grade point average (GPA) or take certain courses. Most grants are awarded on the basis of financial need.

Please see visit the College for All Texans website for a list of State and Federal Grants and Scholarship programs available to students at Texas colleges and universities.

See your assigned counselor for more information.