“We are excited to see students in our hallways when school opens on Aug. 28,” says Dr. John Craft, superintendent. “Our caring and dedicated teachers, administrators, and staff are working hard to provide a safe, nurturing environment where all students can learn and thrive and reach their highest potential.”
With the start of the school year in less than a month, here are some helpful tips for parents and students as we prepare for a great school year.
Registration:
All new Northside ISD students should register online by clicking the appropriate link. Additional registration and general enrollment information is also available on that webpage. Campus staff will be back from summer vacation and ready to assist with registration on July 25.
What school will your child attend?
NISD assigns students to schools according to the street address where the student resides. The Boundaries and Buses Information System will provide you with the name, addresses, and contact information of the schools serving your area.
Transfers:
If you are interested in a school choice transfer, apply by filling out an application. The deadline for transfer requests for this school year is Aug. 7. For questions, contact the Office of Student Advocacy and School Choice (SASC) by sending an email to SASC@nisd.net or call 210-397-8695.
Safety:
In Northside, the safety of our students and staff is one of our top priorities. We regularly review and revise our safety plans and procedures to enhance security. Keeping our schools safe requires continuous work and communication with our students, staff, and families. Our approach to safety focuses on three areas - our people, our facilities and technology, and our procedures. For more information, please visit our District safety webpage. Additional safety measures will be announced soon as we launch our “Safety First in 2023-24” campaign.
Student Badges:
As stated, we continue to add, update, and monitor a wide variety of security measures and starting with the 2023-24 school year the wearing of student badges at the secondary level will be required. High School students will be required to wear their student badge and have it easily visible at all times. Middle School students will be strongly encouraged to wear theirs as to build a culture of badge wearing. This additional security measures allow district staff to know who is authorized to be on campus.
Safety Monitoring Application (Bark for Schools):
As another safety measure, the District has implemented a student safety monitoring application called Bark for Schools. The implementation of this safety monitoring application at the middle and high school level will help provide the District yet another important tool to leverage in order to better protect our student’s online activity while utilizing their school Google account.
Bark for Schools, an extension of Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Chat, is a content monitoring tool that leverages powerful artificial intelligence technology to help detect potentially dangerous or inappropriate situations that students may be facing both in and out of school including cyberbullying, threats of violence, predatory advances, inappropriate language, sexual content, and suicidal ideation.
If potential digital concerns arise on school-issued accounts, Bark for Schools is able to send designated school representatives specialized alerts to ensure they can address the situation in a timely manner. These alerts are important because they also provide insight that could help us continue to promote the well-being and safety of the entire student body.
Finally, it is important to understand that both NISD and Bark have a strong commitment to protecting student privacy. The District does not utilize this tool to monitor communications other than what is flagged in the previously mentioned categories with the intention of student safety in mind. For more information on the Bark for Schools software solution, please feel free to visit their website.
Student Attendance:
In-person attendance and engagement are critical to a student’s success in school and will be required. NISD does not provide any models of virtual learning or provide remote conferencing. Families are encouraged to work directly with their child’s school if they foresee issues with attendance.
Dress Code:
The NISD Board of Trustees approved revisions to the District’s dress code policies for the past school year and those remain in effect. The policy allows for the wearing of shorts by all students (Pre-K -12) as long as the shorts are mid-thigh length or longer. As with the previous policy, the final determination of acceptable dress and grooming rests with the campus principal or his/her designee. Also see our guidelines for the new dress and grooming policy.
Transportation:
Bus routes for the 2023-2024 school year will be available on Aug. 21 on Buses and Boundaries Information System.
School Supplies:
School supply lists are available online. Elementary Schools are listed and a few middle schools provided information; however, most middle schools will share supply needs with students on the first week of school. If you are needing assistance with school supplies, contact your campus counselors who will return to their offices at the following times: Aug. 7 for high school, Aug. 14 for middle schools, and Aug. 17 for elementary schools.
Meals:
2023-2024 meal service information, free & reduced-price meal benefits, menus, resources, policies, and special dietary needs information is available on the Child Nutrition website.
Backpacks:
Backpacks will continue to be allowed at all campuses.
Northside Threads
Northside Threads is a Clothes Closet created by the NISD Family Engagement Program and community volunteers to serve every campus and family in the District that needs clothing support. NISD families needing support can confidentially receive a referral from their school counselor to shop (at no cost) Clothes Closet. If you are needing assistance, counselors will be back in school at the following times: Aug. 7 for high school, Aug. 14 for middle schools, and Aug. 17 for elementary schools.
Additional support services
NISD offers a whole host of support and wrap-around services to support all students. Visit the Whole Child website for more information.