“We know that everyone is experiencing stress in the new learning environment,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is always helping students find success, and we recognize that we need to make adjustments to support that.”
While these are changes to the academic calendar, Brent said the students will not be required to make up the student holidays at the end of the school year, and the last day of school remains May 28.
The following days will now be student holidays:
- Nov. 2
- Nov. 30
- Feb. 1
- Feb. 17
- April 19
Teachers will use these days to plan as they navigate dual learning environments to support remote and on-campus learners and feel challenged to maintain robust learning experiences that engage all students, he said.
In order to support families who may face child care challenges due to the changes, the YMCA is offering programming for families of students in grades K-5.
If a child is currently enrolled in the YMCA after-school program, this service is being offered for free at Mitchell and Frost elementary schools. If the child is not enrolled in the YMCA after-school program, families can call 512-612-5563 to inquire and enroll.
Parents can drop off their students at their home campus during their normal drop-off time, and GISD will provide transportation to the YMCA program site, Brent said.
“Teaching, learning, working and parenting under the constraints of a pandemic are hard, and we know that there are some areas in which we can improve,” Brent said of the calendar change.
The district has also updated its COVID-19 dashboard to include a historic view of positive cases by campus. View the dashboard here.
