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Staff Weekly
By Christina Burbank & Collaborators ● Sep 20, 2023
Smart Brevity® count: 4.5 mins...1157 words
🍏 Hello Austin ISD Staff!
🍂 We are more than halfway through September! I hear all the coffee drinkers getting excited about their first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season.
🗓 This Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9 am to 12 noon, please join us for the Austin ISD Showcase at the Palmer Events Center!
This community event includes FREE haircuts, FREE flu vaccinations, FREE school supplies and FREE books from Buford the Book Bus! 📚
👀 Come see student performances, play with a robot, explore the Dell Mobile Gaming Station, play on a bounce house, say hi to K-9 Officer Korzi and be the first to learn about the new enrollment system for the 2024–25 school year!
👩🏽🏫 Please remember that Monday, Sept. 25 is a student holiday (no classes) and parent-teacher conferences.
Break a leg! 🎭
—Burbank
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🍎 1 big thing: Let’s work together to keep our students and schools safe
Austin ISD is hosting a series of Mental Health and School Safety Community Conversations over the next month.
Why it matters: Our students, families and staff have valuable insights into how we can prevent and respond to critical incidents and we want to hear from you.
What to expect: Come talk with district leaders about:
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Mental health support and resources;
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Preventing and responding to critical incidents; and
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How we’re investing in school safety and mental health.
We’ll kick off the Conversation Monday, Sept. 25! Emmy award-winning anchor and reporter for Spectrum News, Dr. Nicole Cross, will help us kick-off the conversation in English and Emmy award-winning TV and radio host and emotional intelligence coach, Leslie Montoya will host the conversation in Spanish.
Additional events:
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Wednesday, Sept. 27, 6–7:30 p.m., Bowie HS
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Tuesday, Oct. 3, 6–7:30 p.m., Travis ECHS
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Tuesday, Oct. 10, 6–7:30 p.m., Eastside ECHS
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Wednesday, Oct. 11, 6–7:30 p.m., LBJ ECHS
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Tuesday, Oct. 17, 6–7:30 p.m., Anderson HS
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Wednesday, Oct. 18, 6–7:30 p.m., Join via Zoom (English)
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Wednesday, Oct. 18, 7–8 p.m., Join via Zoom (Spanish)
All events will have ASL interpretation and in-person events will have small groups facilitated in English and Spanish.
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💪🏽 Celebrating Hispanic heroes: Spotlight on Daniel Ortega
This is the first in a month-long profile series spotlighting Hispanic heroes and path breakers who influenced Austin ISD in some way.
By Paul Stinson
As Austin ISD begins its celebration of Hispanic History Month, we profile Pfc. Daniel Ortega: WWII hero, Mexico native and Bronze Star recipient.
Born in Mexico, Austin roots: Born in Mexico in 1915, Ortega graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. He began his life of public service by joining the Army Medical Corps in May of 1943.
Fallen WWII hero: Ortega began his European tour of duty in May 1944. In July, while carrying a wounded soldier from the battlefield of Normandy, France, Ortega was killed.
Local legacy, Austin ISD First: The Austin School Board in 1957 honored the Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient with the naming of a new East Austin school. When Ortega Elementary opened its doors in 1959, it marked the first time an Austin ISD school would carry a fallen WWII hero’s name.
Ortega’s Lasting legacy: “I hope that students will be inspired by Daniel Ortega's commitment to excellence and brotherhood,” said Ortega Elementary School Principal Jennifer Stephens, adding that Ortega’s medals and portrait are prominently featured in the school’s foyer.
What’s Next: Join us for the Hispanic Heritage Talent Show and Award Ceremony Saturday, October 14. We’ll celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a wonderful display of talent from our Austin ISD students and families and an award presentation for the winners of the 2023 talent contest "Join the Fiesta!"
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🌞 Austin ISD adopts more stringent hot weather guidelines
In the wake of this summer’s historic heatwave, Austin ISD has adopted new guidelines for outdoor student activities in hot and cold weather.
What's new: The more stringent guidelines align with University Interscholastic League rules for outdoor student activities, with added precautions to keep students safe.
Why it matters: After some student athletes experienced heat-related illnesses during outdoor activities at the beginning of the school year, district leaders revised the guidelines to increase protection and education for students, teachers, coaches and staff about preventing heat-related illness.
Rest and water breaks starting at lower temperatures
Water breaks
Time limits on outside practices
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Starting at 100 degrees, outdoor practices for athletics and fine arts are limited to 2 hours.
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Starting at 105 degrees, outdoor practices are limited to 1 hour.
New temperature-monitoring technology
Austin ISD is purchasing new Wet Bulb Globe Temperature monitors for all middle and high schools to help guide decisions about the safety of outdoor activities.
Heat illness warning signs
Go deeper with the updated Austin ISD temperature guidelines for extreme heat and cold.
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🍁 To celebrate the slightly cooler weather, I took my 5(!) dogs on a hike to Turkey Creek this weekend. I needed a trip to the great outdoors for my own mental health and my dogs were definitely happy to tag along! I don’t have a picture of the hike, but I will share a picture of my fur babies.
(L to R) Sugar, Gunner, Rhodie, Kai and Blu
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What are you looking forward to as the weather cools down? Are you doing anything to connect with nature? Please hit “reply” to this email and let me know your story. 🌳
🎉 For now, have a great week and see you at the Austin ISD Showcase on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Palmer Events Center!
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