SCHOOL NEWS
Texas Education Agency issues new start guidelines
AUSTIN, Texas – July 17, 2020 – Last week, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released public health planning guidance for the 2020-21 academic year in order to well prepare students, teachers, and staff to safely return to school campuses for daily, in-person instruction. Given the latest developments around COVID-19, TEA is issuing important updates to the guidance. In response to the varying public health realities of each Texas community, these changes give the needed flexibility for schools to effectively provide a smooth transition for students, teachers, and staff so that they will experience the safest and least disruptive mode of learning during the beginning of the school year.
School systems will now be able to temporarily limit access to on-campus instruction for the first four weeks of school. After the first four weeks, a school system can continue to limit access to on-campus instruction for an additional four weeks, if needed, with a board-approved waiver request to TEA.
Click here to view Commissioner Morath’s video message to Texas teachers and parents.
TEA guidelines include important exceptions for students; specifically, any family that lacks Internet access at home and/or requires devices for students learning virtually. Any student requiring on-campus instruction during this period—i.e. those who need reliable access to technology—will still be entitled to on-campus instruction every day during this transition period.
Local school boards for districts in areas with high levels of community spread also retain the flexibility to delay the start of the school year.
Additional changes provide school systems with the ability to convert high schools—with school board approval—to a full-time hybrid model once students have transitioned back to on-campus instruction. This model will provide for a more socially distanced school experience, where students receive a portion of their instruction on-campus and a portion of their instruction remotely at home.
One week prior to the start of on-campus activities and instruction, school systems must post for parents and the general public a summary of the plan—developed in consultation with their teachers, staff, and parents—that they will follow to mitigate COVID-19 spread in their schools based on the requirements and recommendations outlined in TEA’s updated public health planning guidance.
The Nocona High School barbecue teams competed at the state contest last week with the top 91 teams and it was a tie-break tri-tip cook that earned the Burnt Ends team a wild card spot in the National competition.
Deanna Meser, one of the team sponsors, explained while the teams did not score in the top 10 of the five events that counted for a national bid. Only the top 10 are given points no matter what your score is for each event.
“Both teams turned in their best meats of the season in every event. Both teams worked together all day long. We started the year with two returning students and ended the year with eight pitmasters,” Messer explained.
The Burnt Ends took part in a national tie-breaker event cooking tri-tip and took the grand championship. Messer said the final details of the contest were a bit confusing but the Burnt Ends’ pork chop made it to the finals table placing them in the top 24 out of 87 high school teams. They were selected for a wild card because of that and their tri-tip championship.
Nationals will be in Branson, MO. Members of the Burnt Ends are Heyvan Ramsey, Keegan Norman, Owen Crossen and Josiah Messer.
Bowie Independent School District will be participating in the no-cost summer meal program for children.
In Bowie the summer meal program will be offered at the high school campus from June 3-13, Monday through Thursday each week while summer school is in session.
Breakfast is served 7:30-8 a.m. and lunch, 11 a.m to 12:30 p.m.
Healthy summer meals make a difference.
- In Texas, more than 1 in 5 children struggle with hunger.
- When the school year ends, children often lose access to consistent, nutritious school meals.
- The Summer Meals Program ensures more Texas children have enough food for an active, healthy life.
Wondering what’s in store for you and your children when you arrive at a summer meal site? Expect welcoming faces in a supervised setting, and a healthy, meal at no cost to children 18 and younger and eligible people with disabilities.
Meal site schedules are subject to change. Please call to confirm dates, times and meal-service details.
For more information, parents should visit SummerFood.org. The Summer Meal Program provides meals at no cost to children and teens 18 years old and younger in low-income areas.
Participating families do not have to apply register or provide identification. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funds the Summer Meals Program – including the Summer Food Service Program and the Seamless Summer Option. The Texas Department of Agriculture administers the Summer Meals Program in Texas.
Rykir Evans, former Gold-Burg student, was awarded a $10,000 WoodmenLife Focus Forward Scholarship®.
Evans, a WoodmenLife member, submitted an application highlighting his high school academics, activities and volunteerism, as well as an essay on patriotism. He is currently majoring in computer science at Midwestern State University.
There will be a reception from 5-6 p.m. on May 14 at Gold-Burg Independent School District to formally present Evans his scholarship.
Evans is the son of Penny McCullar and Jay Evans. He and the family are members of Woodmen Life Chapter 3912 in Wichita Falls.
The date for this reception was previously printed May 9 which was incorrect.
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