The Weekly Update #4

Hello Parents, Guardians, and Students,

Another amazing week is behind us, and we have just one more week until Spring Break! As we walk through classrooms, it is clear that our students are working hard and making great progress. With the dedication of our teachers, the effort of our students, and the support of our families, we are confident our scholars will show strong growth on their STAAR exams this April.

Be sure to read through this week’s newsletter for important information about our upcoming Curriculum & Assessment Informational Meeting on March 25th! This meeting designed to bring our school community together to share helpful tips and strategies for STAAR success. Also, our CTC, Ms. Gainous, created a very informative STAAR Success Newsletter for you to read with your scholar!

We look forward to seeing our SLA families there for an engaging and exciting night of learning together!

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Thank You, Families!

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all the parents who signed their scholars up for intervention, Saturday School, and tutorials. Your partnership and support play a vital role in student success.

We are excited to see the growth our scholars will continue to make and look forward to their hard work paying off during the STAAR exams.

Below are the dates for Saturday School and Focused Days. Please review them carefully and reach out if you have any questions. Thank you for helping us set our students up for success!

• Warm-up pants, sweatpants, joggers, basketball shorts, leggings, flare leggings, and athletic pants are not allowed as uniform bottoms.

• Students must wear approved uniform bottoms at all times while on campus.

• Students are required to wear their assigned grade-level uniform shirt each day. The correct colors are:

  • 6th Grade – Black

  • 7th Grade – Red

  • 8th Grade – Yellow

If a student arrives out of dress code:

• The student will be required to call a parent or guardian to bring appropriate clothing.

• If a change of clothes cannot be provided, the student will be assigned to ISS for the day.

If your family does not have appropriate clothing for the weather, please reach out to our campus. We are here to support you and can assist with resources to help keep students warm and in dress code.

Thank you for your understanding, cooperation, and partnership in keeping our scholars ready to learn.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope your week is off to a great start!

While I know the school has already shared the "save the date" for our upcoming event, I wanted to reach out personally as your Campus Testing Coordinator. I am so excited to partner with you to support our scholars.

I am truly looking forward to connecting with you at "A Knight Out Under the STAARs" on March 11th from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. During our time together, I’ll dive into STAAR performance, discuss what these results mean for your student's growth, and answer any questions you may have.

To help us prepare, I’ve put together the SLA STAAR Success newsletter. It’s packed with resources and tips for home—which is especially important since STAAR is 25 instructional days away!

Thank you for all you do to support our students. I can’t wait to see you on March 11th!

With appreciation,

Asunto: De parte del Coordinador de Evaluaciones: Boletín del Éxito de STAAR en SLA

Estimados padres y tutores:

¡Espero que su semana haya tenido un excelente comienzo!

Aunque sé que la escuela ya ha compartido la fecha de nuestro próximo evento, quería ponerme en contacto con ustedes personalmente como su Coordinador de Evaluaciones del Plantel. Estoy muy emocionado de colaborar con ustedes para apoyar a nuestros estudiantes.

Tengo muchas ganas de conectar con ustedes en "A Knight Out Under the STAARs" el 11 de marzo, de 5:30 PM a 7:00 PM. Durante nuestro tiempo juntos, profundizaré en el desempeño de STAAR, explicaré lo que estos resultados significan para el crecimiento de su estudiante y responderé cualquier pregunta que puedan tener.

Para ayudarnos a prepararnos, he elaborado el boletín SLA STAAR Success. Está lleno de recursos y consejos para el hogar, lo cual es especialmente importante ya que ¡faltan solo 25 días de instrucción para el examen STAAR!

Gracias por todo lo que hacen para apoyar a nuestros estudiantes. ¡Espero verlos el 11 de marzo!

Con agradecimiento,

Hello Students and Parents,

This is an important reminder to complete and submit your Personal Graduation Plans (PGPs).

At this time, only 8 PGPs have been received, and all students are required to submit one.

Do not wait until the last minute—take care of this as soon as possible. If you need help or have questions, please see me.

• 🎉 8th Grade Prom

• 🏃‍♂️ Field Day

• 🎓 Graduation

Timely submission ensures your student stays on track for high school planning and remains eligible for all end-of-year celebrations.

📽️ Refer to the video below for step-by-step instructions on how to submit the PGP.

Thank you for your attention to this important requirement and for your continued support.

-Counselor Avalos

Confidence grows when young women are given the space to lead, connect, and be heard. Join us for the Girls’ Empowerment and Leadership Summit — an inspiring morning created to support and celebrate our middle and high school young women as they explore topics like self-worth, healthy friendships, relationships, college and career journeys, and leadership development.

Through etiquette experiences, guidance from professionals, and engaging performances, students will build skills, voice, and confidence that prepare them for success in school and beyond.

🗓️ Saturday, March 7

⏰ 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

📍 Dekaney High School (Main Campus). 22351 Imperial Valley Dr, Houston, TX 77073 Register today: bit.ly/GSSpring26

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La confianza florece cuando nuestras jóvenes tienen espacios para liderar, conectar y hacer escuchar su voz. Acompáñenos en el Girls’ Empowerment and Leadership Summit — una mañana inspiradora creada para apoyar y celebrar a nuestras estudiantes de escuela intermedia y preparatoria mientras exploran temas como el amor propio, las amistades saludables, las relaciones, los caminos universitarios y profesionales, y el desarrollo de liderazgo.

A través de experiencias de etiqueta, orientación de profesionales y presentaciones dinámicas, las estudiantes fortalecerán sus habilidades, su voz y su seguridad para alcanzar el éxito dentro y fuera de la escuela. 💼🎓

🗓️ Sábado 7 de marzo de 2026

⏰ 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

📍 Dekaney High School. 22351 Imperial Valley Dr, Houston, TX 77073 Regístrese hoy: bit.ly/GSSpring26

Empowerment starts with conversation, connection, and confidence.

Join us for the Boys’ Empowerment and Leadership Summit — a powerful morning designed to uplift and inspire our middle and high school young men through meaningful discussions on self-esteem, friendships, relationships, college and career pathways, and leadership skills.

From etiquette lessons and professional advice to step performances and entertainment, this experience is all about building strong, future-ready leaders.

🗓️ Saturday, March 7

⏰ 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

📍 Dekaney High School- 9th Grade Center, 22351 Imperial Valley Dr, Houston, TX 77073

Register today: bit.ly/BSSpring26

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El empoderamiento comienza con la conversación, la conexión y la confianza.

Acompáñenos en el Boys’ Empowerment and Leadership Summit — una mañana poderosa diseñada para elevar e inspirar a nuestros jóvenes de escuela intermedia y preparatoria a través de conversaciones significativas sobre autoestima, amistades, relaciones, caminos universitarios y profesionales, y habilidades de liderazgo.

Desde lecciones de etiqueta y consejos de profesionales hasta presentaciones de step y entretenimiento, esta experiencia se enfoca en formar líderes fuertes y preparados para el futuro.

🗓️ Sábado 7 de marzo

⏰ 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

📍 Centro de Noveno Grado de Dekaney. 22351 Imperial Valley Dr, Houston, TX 77073

Regístrese hoy: bit.ly/BSSpring26

Throughout the month of February, Ms. Pineda, our incredible art teacher, hosted a special Black History Month Art Competition that highlighted both artistic talent and cultural appreciation across our campus.

Students created powerful paintings inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a visionary artist known for breaking down the boundaries between “high art” and street art. Drawing from his bold Abstract Expressionist style, our students explored expressive mark-making, fragmented text, and layered imagery to transform the noise and complexity of the modern world into meaningful visual language.

These artworks were created in observance of Black History Month, a time dedicated to honoring the narratives, struggles, resilience, and triumphs of African American citizens throughout history. Through this project, students not only strengthened their artistic skills but also deepened their understanding of cultural expression and historical impact.

We are proud to recognize our competition winners:

🥇 1st Place: Marquel Rusher

🥈 2nd Place: Nadia Wyrick

🥉 3rd Place: Dlayna Crawford

Please join us in congratulating these talented students and celebrating the creativity, reflection, and dedication demonstrated by all participants. We are so proud of the meaningful work happening in our fine arts program!

Abstract Artist- Statement: The primary goal of my art was to create an abstract painting inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat. I got the idea from my goal to be a rapper known as Dreamworld, the original name I came up with before I changed it to Ro$e. It looks like a person with black locks and the tips of their hair dyed pink is wearing a black puffer jacket. I wanted to create this image for my artwork because I've drawn out my rapper design for the future and this is what captivates me so I wanted to incorporate it into my art as well. The materials I used to create this art were: oil pastel sticks, acrylic paint, and poster card paper. My first step was to paint my paper into three sections using three different colors, then I drew my self-portrait over it with oil pastel sticks. Next, I added anatomy and a three-point crown. The three point crown represents the reference of Jean Michael Basquiat using a three-point crown to suggest people or things he thought very highly of or looked up to. After that, I made up my own poem about a rose as well as a few things that are symbols to me. After I did that my next step was to make up an acronym, and I came up with “FATBS” which essentially means “forget all this unfairness or nonsense.” The last step for me was to add a historic event and I chose the famous “I have a Dream speech by MLK.” I chose this as my historic event because for me my artwork represents a dream that I have deep down inside that will never come true. After all, I'm not a thug. This is my artwork and I call it “Rose”.

-Marquel Rusher

Artist statement: "The main idea was to create an abstract expressionist painting. The art was also made to be part of black history month. The person who inspired me was Jean Michel Basquiat. His artwork has inspired me with his techniques. Based on the art I wanted to achieve how Jean Basquiat art technique was created and his ideas. My art looked like a multi color art with an abstract of an NBA youngboy, with anatomy labels, crowns, quotes, and a poem. Nba youngboy inspired me by his music because he expresses his feelings or emotions in his songs, and he is a good artist. The outcome of the art had made me learn how to make abstract techniques. Throughout the project I also learned that abstract art is feelings based on art."

-Nadia Wyrick

ARTIST STATEMENT: "The main idea is to create abstract expressionist art . The art detail is blocks of bold colors , including darker shades to show off the black artist . I used squares to show where the colors start and stop so it can cause a cut off effect . The artist who inspired me is Jean Michel Basquiat because his art had very powerful messages . The challenges I overcame was making sure everything was proportional and my own quote . The goal I was trying to achieve is making half of it realistic and the other half abstract and stand out . The skills I improved on were thinking about how I could be more creative and seeing how I could be more outgoing . It did end up how I expected because of the way I drew it and the smoothness of the pastels . I would do nothing different because I like the end product."

-Dlayna Crawford

• Spring ISD Community Engagement Center
• Jan. 27. 4–7 p.m.
• 17125 Ella Blvd., Houston, TX 77090

• Centro de Participación Comunitaria de Spring ISD
• Enero 27. 4–7 p.m.
• 17125 Ella Blvd., Houston, TX 77090

📣 Spread the Word: Celebrate an Amazing Teacher! 🍎✨

Spring ISD is excited to share an opportunity to recognize the incredible educators who make a difference every day! Up to six teachers in Spring ISD will be selected to receive a Life-Changing Teacher Award of $2,500 each.

We encourage all students and families to visit HonoredSchools.org and nominate a teacher who has made a meaningful impact in your child’s life—whether through inspiration, support, or going above and beyond in the classroom.

🗓 Nomination Deadline: Friday, April 10

Let’s come together to celebrate and honor the educators who truly change lives. Thank you for helping us spread the word and recognize excellence in our schools!

The Office of Harris County Commissioner Precinct One, Rodney Ellis, is now accepting applications for the School Safety Program. This program supports street and mobility improvements near schools to help ensure students can walk and bike safely.

School principals, superintendents, and PTO/PTA leadership are encouraged to apply. The FY 2026 application period ends April 30, 2026. Every student deserves a safe walk or bike ride to school. Apply HERE.

Every day truly counts in Spring ISD! When students are in class, they stay connected, confident and ready to learn. Missing even one day before Winter break can set students back, as new material is still being taught. Let’s finish the year strong—together in culture, together in accountability. 💛

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¡Cada día realmente cuenta en Spring ISD! Cuando los estudiantes están en clase, se mantienen conectados, seguros y listos para aprender. Faltar incluso un solo día antes de las vacaciones de invierno puede retrasar a los estudiantes, ya que aún se está enseñando material nuevo. Terminemos el año con fuerza, juntos en la cultura, juntos en la responsabilidad. 💛

¿Quieres conocer más sobre las fortalezas y áreas de crecimiento de tu hijo? MAP Growth es una prueba computarizada que se aplica tres veces al año y se adapta a las respuestas de los estudiantes. Ayuda a los maestros a personalizar el aprendizaje y a las familias a seguir el progreso de sus hijos. Conoce más sobre MAP Growth y cómo leer tu Informe Familiar: ¿Qué es MAP Growth?

In Spring ISD, we're dedicated to providing our students with the best possible transportation experience. If you love driving and want to make a difference in our community, we have opportunities available right now. Join us in keeping our students safe and supported on the road!

At Spring ISD, we know it takes a village! Parents, join us as partners in your child’s education and make a difference by volunteering at our schools. Together, we can help every student succeed!