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Parent Newsletter
September 18 - 22, 2023
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Dress Code Policy
Dress and Grooming (All Grade Levels)
Philosophy
The district’s dress code teaches grooming and hygiene, prevents disruption, and minimizes safety hazards. Students and parents may determine a student’s personal dress and grooming standards, provided that they comply with district and campus expectations. The district’s dress code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, prevent disruption and minimize safety-hazards. Students should be dressed and groomed in a manner that is clean and neat and that will not be a health or safety-hazard to themselves or others. The district prohibits any clothing, grooming, or display of images that cause, or in the principal or designee’s judgment may reasonably be predicted to cause, disruption of or interference with school activities. For dress code interpretation and enforcement, the campus Principal, or designee, shall be responsible.
General Guidelines
The district prohibits the wearing or display of pictures, writings, images, or symbols that: 1) are lewd, vulgar, sexually-explicit, or obscene; 2) seek to demonstrate or recruit gang membership; 3) are discriminatory, harassing, or threatening towards others on the basis of their race, sex, disability, ethnicity, religion, or gender (including, but not limited to, display of the confederate flag); or 4) advertise or promote tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other substance prohibited by policy.
Student ID’s
The district's dress code includes proper display of the student’s campus identification card (ID). All students are expected to wear the campus-issued SmartTag ID while on campus. More information on SmartTag here https://www.hayscisd.net/smarttag
Shirts
Shirts must be worn at an appropriate length. Tank tops, muscle shirts, spaghetti straps, exposed back or midriffs or see through garments are not permitted. Belly buttons/mid-section/cleavage should not be visible on any student, male or female.
Pants/Shorts/skirts/skorts
All pants/shorts/skirts/skorts should be worn at the waist and fit appropriately. “Sagging” or “bagging” is not permitted. Tight fitting pants (such as tights, Spandex, bicycle pants or leggings) should be worn with a shirt that covers the areas below the waist. Pants should be in good condition and there should be no excessive holes or fraying. Shorts, skirts and skorts may be worn no shorter than the tips of the middle fingers when the arms are naturally beside the body.
Hats
Hats or any other head coverings are not allowed to be worn inside the school buildings during school hours. This includes baseball caps, cowboy hats, bandannas, do rags, skull caps or any other type of headwear or head coverings. Hats / head coverings will be confiscated and returned to the student at the end of school day. Students are not permitted to cover the head/face with “hoodies” while on campus. Exceptions may be made for school-sponsored spirit days with approval of the principal, in advance.
Individual campuses may involve their Campus Leadership Team (CLT) in developing the dress code. The principal or administrative designee in cooperation with sponsors, coaches, or other persons in charge of any extracurricular activities, shall regulate the dress and grooming of students who participate in these activities, as per Hays CISD policy FNCA (LOCAL) If the principal determines that a student’s grooming or clothing violates the school’s dress code, the student will be given an opportunity to correct the problem at school. If not corrected, the student may be assigned to in-school suspension, or another location, for the remainder of the day or until the problem is corrected, or a parent or designee brings an acceptable change of clothing to the school.
Repeated offenses may result in more serious disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. Repeated or severe offenses may result in more serious disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. Hays Consolidated Independent School District Student Handbook.
Cell Phone Policy
This procedure is intended to support student learning while minimizing student distractions and disruptions. The procedure will also support and enhance current safety procedures and protocols. Teachers are expected to incorporate technology as a part of their lesson plans as long as it supports the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Students may use their own technology (laptops or iPad) to support the learning objectives in the classroom.
Student use guidelines during the school day (8:10 AM-3:45 PM)
• Students may use their personal electronics on campus before 7:45 AM and after 3:45 PM.
• Cell phones must be out of sight and on airplane mode in the classroom.
• Students will not have their cell phones out during class or passing periods.
• Cell Phone use is prohibited in bathroom, locker rooms, changing areas or any area considered private.
• Principals may allow students to use their cell phones during lunch time.
Students who violate the procedure will have the following consequences.
• 1st Offense – Warning
• 2nd Offense – Confiscation of the device.
• 3rd Offense – Confiscation of the device and parent notified.
• 4th Offense – Confiscation of the device, mandatory parent meeting. Assign one hour of after school detention. Device returned at the end of the day.
• Multiple Offenses – Confiscation of the device, may charge a $10 fee, and be assigned In School Suspension.
Students who fail to surrender devices will elevate consequences immediately. Confiscated phone will be returned to the student at the end of day. Violations will reset every nine week grading period.
Parent expectations Parents can help their child support this policy, the learning environment, and our school’s mission by:
• Discussing the school expectation with your child
• Picking up confiscated devices in a timely manner between 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Please take a moment to review our policy for students riding home on a bus with another student:
- A note is needed from both parties; the student that is going home with a friend AND a note from the friend's parent.
- Both notes must have a parent signature and a phone number.
- The campus will contact both parties for verification. Notes can be provided ahead of time for verification.
- Students will not be allowed to go home with their friend on the bus if we have not had verbal confirmation from both parties.
If you are unable to receive phone calls at work, please email me at James.Cruz@hayscisd.net. You can also text me at 512-698-7007.
I appreciate everyone’s understanding with this policy. Please let me know if you have any questions, I will be happy to assist you.
SRP (Standard Response Protocol)
For a brief introduction to SRP (Standard Response Protocol) in English click hereFor a brief introduction to SRP (Standard Response Protocol) in Spanish click here
To learn more detailed information about SRP and the iloveuguys foundation, please visit www.iloveuguys.org
SRP Parent Handout
HERO
We are using a system called HERO this year that will keep track of tardy/no id/cell phone violations. We also use this system for Tiger Tickets and positive behavior. Parents are able to keep track of their students' tardy/no id violations as well as how many tiger tickets they have earned. Here are the directions:- You must create an account on the computer first before downloading the app. Please go to https://herok12.com/. Click on sign in (top right corner)
- After clicking sign in, click on the picture that says parents
- Click on create an account
- Hit submit after filling out the information
- Click add a student
- Click “no” when the message asks if you have a code
- Fill out your child's information
- After you have followed these steps, you can download the APP.
- Type in your search “HeroK12”. Download the HERO APP, which is a blue color (it will say students).
Please let me know if you need any assistance.
TIGER NEWS
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Online Student Registration!
Student Registration 2022-2023: Online registration for the 2022-2023 school year will open April 28 for all new and returning students. Click headline for more information.
DISTRICT NEWS
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Hays CISD to Create Attendance Zone for New Elementary
The process is underway to create a new elementary school attendance zone to accommodate the opening of the district’s 16th elementary school. The new campus, located in the Anthem subdivision, will open in August 2024. In July 2023, the Board of Trustees voted to empanel a committee of 14 citizens to review proposed maps, receive public input, and create a recommendation that will be presented to the Board for a vote no later than December of this year. “Board policy requires the district administration to create at least two starting-point maps for consideration by the citizen committee,” said Hays CISD Chief Communication Officer Tim Savoy. “We encourage everyone who has an opinion to reach out to the committee by using the special ‘Zone Talk’ button on the committee’s webpage or attending one of two public forums. People can also follow along as the process progresses, view the prevailing draft maps, and see all of the materials presented to the committee on the committee webpage.” The committee webpage is www.hayscisd.net/zone2023. Click headline or "Read More" for full story.
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Hays History Day - Parent & Community Informational Meeting
Hays CISD is excited to announce the second annual Hays History Day will be held on January 20, 2024. Our district History Day competition is in conjunction with the Texas History Day competition hosted by the Texas State Historical Association and the National History Day organization. History Day's purpose is to equip students with college and career ready skills of collaboration, research, writing, and innovative thinking that come from the study of history and civics. It is a wonderful way to incorporate Social Studies and Reading and Language Arts state standards into innovative projects. The competition is open to students from grades 4 through 12. Please join us for more information at a parent and community meeting on Thursday, September 21 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm at the Barton Middle School cafeteria. We will discuss the theme for this year's project and options for student projects. Please click headline or "Read More" for additional details.
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Hays CISD to Dedicate New Fine Arts Wing at Dahlstrom MS to Honor Longtime Music Educator Leroy Gerdes
Hays CISD is proud to announce that the new fine arts wing at Dahlstrom Middle School (DMS), which includes the school’s new band hall and music rooms, will be named after Leroy Gerdes. Gerdes, who taught and directed bands for 44 years, including 34 in Hays CISD, was the original band director for DMS in 1985, when the campus opened. Though he was a band director at several schools in the district, including the then – Hays Middle School and Barton Middle School; he spent most of his Hays CISD career at DMS. He retired in 2019. “Leroy works hard for all of the right reasons. He is a very humble man who strives for success in order for his students to become life-long lovers of music, and to feel good about themselves and their accomplishments,” said Gerald Babbitt, retired Hays CISD Director of Bands and Music, and namesake for the district’s Performing Arts Center auditorium. Click headline above or "Read More" for complete News Release.
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SMART Tag
Hays CISD uses the Secured Mobility Authorized Ridership Technology (SMART) tag system for all students who ride the bus to and from school. Each of our buses is outfitted with a tablet equipped with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader, mobile connectivity, and GPS. Students place their campus-supplied SMART tag ID badges on the tablet's sensor when loading and unloading their bus. Our bus drivers also benefit through improved safety and automation of tasks, better enabling them to focus on the safe transport of students. Specifically, the SMART tag wireless system transmits information to our transportation staff to include the location of each bus, the names of students on board each bus, notification of an approaching bus, and the ability to view a student’s ridership activity. The SMART tag system also offers parents a bus tracking feature through a secure Parent Portal. Parents can register to receive ‘SMART Alert’ text messages notifying them their child is 10-15 minutes from his/her bus stop. The ‘SMART Alert’ will also notify parents in the event of a bus delay or interruption in service due to a mechanical issue, traffic, inclement weather or crash. The portal may be accessed from any device with a web browser. Click headline above or "Read More" for additional information about the SMART Tag system.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Monday
5:30 PM Board of Trustees Meeting
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October 2, 2023
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October 6, 2023
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October 9, 2023
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October 10, 2023
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October 12, 2023
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Taxpayer Thursday - UES
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4:30 PM - 6:30 PM DLT Meeting
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October 17, 2023
5:30 PM Board of Trustees Meeting
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October 23, 2023
5:30 PM Board of Trustees Meeting