Spring Times

Safety is Spring ISD’s top priority, so during times of crisis or emergency, it’s important we communicate effectively. To do that, we use the Standard Response Protocol, which provides a common language that everyone understands and follows.

Essentially, there are five key terms to the Standard Response Protocol: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter.

For families, it’s important to distinguish between Secure and Lockdown.

Secure is less serious than a Lockdown, and means we secure the perimeter of a school when there is a threat outside the building, like a police chase in the neighborhood.

A Lockdown refers to a threat inside a school building, like an active shooter. During Secure or Lockdown status, campuses will not allow individuals to enter or leave the building until the all-clear is given.

Remember: Secure is “Secure the Perimeter.” Lockdown is “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight.”

• All schools use the Standard Response Protocol

• All secondary schools to routinely use metal detectors

• Clear or mesh backpacks required for all students

In Spring ISD, we care about the whole child — and their physical, social and emotional well-being.

We have nurses on every campus to triage any emergency situations and to administer medicines. They also work with parents to ensure all of our students are up to date on their required vaccinations and have the information they need to make decisions about recommended vaccines, including those against flu and COVID-19.

Throughout the year, Spring ISD will let families know about different vaccination opportunities for their children, whether on campus or in partnership with community organizations.

And, of course, keeping all of our students and teachers healthy requires the help of everyone! If your student is feeling sick, please keep them at home, especially if they have any of the following symptoms:

• Diarrhea at least 3 times in the last 24 hours with or without medication
• Fever 100 degrees or higher - a child should be fever free for 24 hours (without taking any fever-reducing medication) prior to returning to school
• Suspected contagious disease
• Vomiting (they must remain at home if they have vomited in the last 24 hours)

Keeping a sick student at home protects other children, school staff, and visiting community members from contracting an illness that can be spread from person to person!

Individualized Health Care Plans

If your child has a medical condition that may require special care or considerations, an Individualized Healthcare Plan (IHP) may be required to identify the support each student needs and to provide clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom while they are in school. IHPs are developed in partnership between the school, parents, the student and the healthcare professional.

Although IHPs are likely to be helpful in the majority of cases, it is possible that not all students will require one. The parents and school officials will need to make judgments about how your child’s medical condition impacts on their ability to participate fully in school life, and the level of detail within plans will depend on the complexity of their condition and the degree of support needed. You can obtain a copy of an IHP from your student’s nurse. If an IHP is necessary, please take it to your child’s doctor to complete, sign and return to the school for your child’s records.

Medication Administration

At each campus there are nurses and trained staff who can administer medications. In order to give medicines, the parent or guardian must fill out a consent form with instructions that match the prescription label. Faxed consent forms from a parent or doctor's office are acceptable. Medications cannot be brought in by elementary and middle school students. Any medication given at school must be provided by the parent/guardian.

Before administering medication, it must be

• Sent in the original container/packaging with a prescription label. Over the counter medicine must be unopened/unused.

• Needed at least three times per day, unless specified by the doctor.

• Current and not expired.

• Consents from a parent/guardian AND the student’s doctor are required for ANY medication that the student can carry or self administer. This includes prescription, emergency (Epi Pens, Rescue Inhalers, Diastat, etc.), and over the counter medications.

**EPI-PENS and RESPIRATORY RESCUE INHALERS, or OTHER EMERGENCY MEDICATIONS** If a student requires any rescue medication to be administered, an Individualized Healthcare Plan (IHP) must be completed.

For the 2024-2025 school year, Spring ISD will offer free breakfast and free lunch to ALL students in every school, along with free supper to students involved in after-school programs at many of our campuses. Each campus will offer a la carte items for purchase at meal times. These items may be purchased with cash or the student's meal account.

In addition, students who pack a lunch from home can utilize our “Pick 3” program, which allows them to come through the cafeteria line and grab three items for free: a hot or cold fruit, vegetable and a milk. With Pick 3, we hope to take away some of the burden of packing lunches and provide ready-to-eat sides for students to "bulk up" their lunch with healthy options.

Our trained chef works with our dietitians on developing kid-friendly and kid-tested menu items that our students actually enjoy and will eat.

Menus are available at www.schoolcafe.com/SpringISD, which offers complete nutritional information and an easy way to add money to your child’s meal account and manage the account balance. Sign up using your child’s student identification number.

Students who miss school miss out, so aim for 100% attendance!

If your child misses a class or is absent an entire day, expect to hear from their campus. Should an absence be necessary, let your campus know so they can help determine whether it may be excused.

Here’s what the research shows:

• Attendance matters right from the start. Studies show that children who miss too many days in kindergarten and first grade have trouble learning to read.
• A child with excessive absences as early as sixth grade is at an increased risk of dropping out.

• By ninth grade, good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than eighth grade test scores.

We don’t tolerate bullying in Spring ISD and have several ways to report it, including an online reporting tool at www.springisd.org/stopbullying

Or, report directly from a button designed like a stop sign located on campus websites and the district homepage. A special form guides users through a series of questions to gather important information about the alleged bullying incident, including whether it was in-person or cyberbullying. Those who report using the tool may decide to stay anonymous or use their names. In either case, district officials will investigate the claims with the goal of stopping any bullying.

In Spring ISD, you’ve got the opportunity to grow both inside and outside the classroom with clubs, academic honor societies, athletics, theater or one of many other school activities, including campus-based service organizations that encourage students to see themselves as active members of their community.

The district’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program offers career exploration at every grade level, from an engaging introduction to career ideas at the elementary level, to career exploration in middle school, to field experiences and postsecondary planning in high school.

Click here to learn more about the CTE offerings in Spring.

And, of course, Spring ISD has a rich history of excellence and high achievement in the Performing and Visual Arts. Our programs support student learning by providing opportunities for students to develop academically and socially through authentic engagement with a rigorous curriculum.

Click here to learn more about the longstanding legacy of the arts in Spring ISD.

Students can also explore Spring ISD Athletics, where students from middle to high school thrive in a competitive and supportive environment. Our programs emphasize skill development, sportsmanship, and leadership, preparing athletes for success both in sports and in life.

Click here to see all the ways you can join the team in Spring ISD.

And since we know the path to college can be a complicated process, Spring ISD is committed to removing as many barriers to access as possible for students. That’s why Spring ISD offers free, universal PSAT/SAT testing to all students in grades 8-11. By providing testing free to all students during the school day, Spring ISD is helping expand opportunity.

In addition, students who do well on AP exams can earn college credit, while Dual Credit classes – currently offered tuition-free through Lone Star College – allow students to engage in college-level coursework while earning high school and college credit. Some Spring ISD students are even able to graduate with both their high school diploma and an associate degree from Lone Star College.

Click here to learn more about dual credit courses in Spring ISD.

Through a grant from Texas Workforce Commission, Spring ISD is launching an eSports Management pathway as a part of the district’s CTE and STEM classes. Launching this year at Westfield High School, the program will train 128 students per year, and will provide students with hands-on experiences in eSports event planning, game design and development, and business management. Through the completion of the program students will have the opportunity to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree as well as Business Operations and eSports Management Certificates through the partnership with Lone Star College – Houston North.

Stay tuned for more information!

Spring ISD’s vision is to be a district of choice for the families we serve, offering rigorous academics at every campus, along with innovative specialized programs. Students can take part in a specialty program at their neighborhood campus or apply to one of the district’s schools of choice. No matter what school your child attends, our mission is always the same: Provide an excellent education that prepares students for lifelong success – in college, career and/or the military.

Visit www.ChooseSpring.org to see all of our schools.

The annual student update process is now open! To ensure a strong start for the upcoming academic year, all returning students must complete the form. Your timely completion will help us finalize schedules and prepare effectively.

You should have received your student's "snapcode" in your email earlier this week. You can find the steps for this process in the Parent Guide with detailed instructions and screenshots.

If you have any questions, please visit www.springisd.org/returning-students, contact your campus, or call our district support number at 281-891-6337.

Spring ISD currently provides bus transportation to all students who live within a 1-mile radius from their zoned campus, as measured by the nearest commonly traveled public roadway.

You can find out your availability by clicking here.

Students in Pre-K and Kindergarten MUST be registered for bus service before they can begin riding the bus home from school. Registration forms are available from the student's campus. Students in Pre-K and Kindergarten must be received from the bus by an approved person at the bus stop.

Parents/guardians will be issued a Personal Identification Number (PIN) once their student has been approved for bus service. Any person who is at the bus stop to receive the student must provide the driver with the PIN (either verbally or visually) in order to receive the student from the bus. If the person who is present to receive the student cannot provide the PIN or there is no person present to receive the student, the student will be returned to the school for the parent or guardian to pick up.

We know some students may walk or ride bikes to school. We encourage all parents to talk with their students about using sidewalks when available, crossing the street at designated crosswalks and obeying all traffic laws.

Parents, if you opt to drive your child to school, it’s important for the safety of all students that you comply with each campus’ designated traffic-flow plan. Your principal will make you aware of drop-off and pick-up procedures at the beginning of the school year. Be considerate, drive slowly in school zones, and remember that aggressive driving has no place on or near our campuses.

New for the 2024-25 school year, the SMART tag system is designed to increase the safety and security of students who use school bus transportation. A secure on-board tablet on each school bus records when and where students get on and off their bus and provides bus arrival notifications for school administrators and parents.

Each student who uses bus transportation will receive an ID card. As students enter and exit their bus, they tap these ID cards onto a card reader. Each time a student taps their ID card on the bus, the bus driver’s on-board tablet helps validate the student is on the correct bus or that they got off at the right stop.

Watch this video to learn more about the all new SMART tag system!

In Spring ISD, we understand the importance of giving our young children a smart start by providing them with experiences that develop their academic and intellectual skills. A child's learning years lay the foundation for all there is to come. We are committed to do whatever it takes to ensure the success of our young learners.

Spring ISD offers full-day Pre-K at all 25 elementary campuses and at the School for International Studies at Bammel located at Bammel Middle School.

In addition, the district has expanded its pre-K program to meet the needs of more students by offering a tuition-free option for 4-year-olds who don’t meet state eligibility requirements. These seats will be awarded on a space-available basis.

Click here to learn more about Spring ISD pre-K and other early childhood education programs.

Spring ISD is excited to announce that we will be piloting a new PK 3 program, The Early Explorers Academy, for English and Spanish-speaking students who will be 3 years old on or before September 1.

Beginning in August for the 2024-25 school year, we will be starting the PK 3 program on a small scale, gathering feedback from leaders, teachers and parents, and making the necessary adjustments to improve its effectiveness.

The Early Explorers Academy is a full-day program and is open to any and all families across the district at three campuses:

• Link Elementary
• McNabb Elementary
• Winship Elementary

The Early Explorers Academy, will follow the elementary school bell schedule, 8:05 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. for the 2024-25 school year. Please be aware that there are a limited number of openings available for Pre-K 3. Admission to the PK 3 - Early Explorers Academy is subject to approval and acceptance of the application by the campus administration.

In November 2022, voters approved an $850 million bond that will help Spring ISD navigate its way into the future. These funds are providing funding for much-needed renovations and upgrades to our existing schools, as well as the construction of a brand new Spring High School and a state-of-the-art performance center.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our voters for supporting this bond. Your approval of this bond will have a positive impact on our students, staff, and community for years to come. We understand that our voters may be curious about the progress of the construction. We want to keep our voters informed every step of the way.

For an overview of current progress, head on over to the Spring ISD News Blog, or go to www.springisd.org/bond to keep up with all the exciting updates of the Spring 2022 Bond.

Spring ISD has a brand new system to keep you in touch with all things you need to know! With emails, text messages, phone calls, and a new app, we are covering all the bases to make sure you have the information you need for your student.

Stay tuned for more information!