TeSA

Monday Message

Important Information

TeSA Families,

I hope you were all able to relax and enjoy your family over the break. I know many of us travelled and/or saw extended family last week. Following our six core practices helps keep us all safe, but is not a 100% guarantee. If you discover you were in close contact with someone who tests positive or if anyone in your family develops symptoms, please keep your child home.

TeSA students will have the option to switch to At-Home Learning at any time, whether it be just for a few days while waiting on test results, a few weeks while in quarantine, or for a full six week grading cycle. If your child has been participating in At-Home Learning this six weeks and you'd like him/her to return to campus for In-School Instruction on January 6th, please email your change of placement request to betsy.compton@mytesa.org.

Artistically & Academically Yours,

Betsy Compton, M.A., M.A.T., M.Ed.

Principal

Texas School of the Arts

A Letter from Our CEO: COVID Definition Changes

Dear TeSA and FWAFA Students, Parents, Guardians, Staff and Friends,

Earlier this year, TCA+A adopted the “Safe Return To School” plan that was approved by the Texas Education Agency. We continue to monitor closely the ever-changing Covid-19 protocols. Rates of Covid-19 are increasing across Tarrant County, and we desire to do our part to keep people safe while providing the best possible educational environment.

In that plan, we had been following Texas Education Association’s definition of close contact which is currently:

The definition of close contact is evolving with our understanding of COVID-19, and individual scenarios should be determined by an appropriate public health agency. In general, close contact is defined as: a. being directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on); or b. being within 6 feet for a total of approximately 15 minutes throughout the course of a day; however, additional factors like case/contact masking (i.e., both the infectious individual and the potential close contact have been consistently and properly masked), ventilation, presence of dividers, and case symptomology may affect this determination. (https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/covid/SY-20-21-Public-Health-Guidance.pdf)

Because we value safety, and in consultation with Tarrant County Public Health, we will adopt the CDC’s definition of close-contact:

Close contact of someone with COVID-19 – Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period* starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.( https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/correction-detention/guidance-correctional-detention.html)

The practicalities of this change is that if there is a confirmed COVID-19 case on campus, it is likely to mean more students and/or staff will meet the close contact definition and will need to quarantine for recommended periods of time (usually 14-days). This protocol change will begin immediately (November 30, 2020).

We remain hopeful that we will be able to continue in-person learning for those who choose to do so. We will monitor expert’s recommendations and use that information in our decisions. We desire nothing more than for your student to be safe as they learn.

Sincerely,

Paul Gravley

President and CEO

817-766-2390

Texas Center for Arts + Academics

ArtsAcademics.org

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A Letter from our CEO: 3rd-6th Grade Email Access

The following letter from Mr. Gravley was emailed to all TeSA families on November 18th:

Dear Parent/Teacher/Staff/Student,

We are continuing to find ways to better update our technology. We discovered that some students are not able to receive emails directly from teachers, especially in Google Classroom. We have identified the problem: Google Classroom and our original Microsoft environment do not talk well to each other. Teachers and students have been creative in their work-arounds on this issue, but the work-arounds are not best practice. However, we have a solution.

Immediately following the Thanksgiving break (November 30), all student and teacher logins to Google Classroom will be firstname.lastname@mytcaa.org. They will use this email to log into any Google suite products, including Google Classroom. Their passwords will reset to Finearts2020. From the initial login screen, they will be prompted to change their password.

You probably have questions! Here are the answers to some of them:

Will I need to update my login information on all devices?

Any place you use Google products, such as Google Classroom, you will use the new firstname.lastname@mytcaa.org.

Can I still use my own device?

Of course, you will just log in differently using firstname.lastname@mytcaa.org.

I’m a teacher/student and have a lot of data and assignments on Google Classroom – will I have to recreate all of that!?

Not at all! You will just login with firstname.lastname@mytcaa.org and all your Google Classrooms and files in Drive will be there.

Paul Gravley

President and CEO

817-766-2390

Texas Center for Arts + Academics

ArtsAcademics.org

Shot Records

The deadline is approaching for TeSA to turn in all immunization records to the state and we need your help making sure all of our records are up to date. Thanks for turning in a copy of your records to the office. Scanned copies can be emailed to edna.robinson@mytesa.org. Check out the following resources to help us all meet this deadline together.

Area Clinics Offering Immunizations

Immunization Schedule

Texas Immunization Requirements

After-School Program

Clayton After-School is doing a great job taking care of our TeSA students after school hours. Please see this letter from the Clayton Director and take advantage of the discount by enrolling your child for the spring semester by December 1st.

I AM: A Virtual Winter Production

Our students have been hard at work and are excited to show some of what they've created this year. I AM will showcase every student, K-6th, regardless of their learning environment. Students are busy creating artworks, writing poetry, creating scenes, rehearsing dances, and making their own music. Get excited for this pre-recorded production to launch on Monday, December 21st!

School Photo Fundraiser

Your student's photo will be displayed in the 2020-2021 TeSA Yearbook at no charge. Yearbooks are on sale now and you can order through the Balfour Website.

To purchase your child's digital image(s), fill out our paper order form and pay in the TeSA front office OR visit our website to purchase online. Photos will be emailed after purchase is confirmed. $10 for the first picture & $5 for each additional photo. No refunds. All funds will go toward classroom technology!

At-Home Learners, if you would like a Yearbook Staff Member to take your photo, your last chance is Wednesday, December 2nd, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. If you have already taken it on your own, please email it to mary.sapp@mytesa.org.

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Individual Example

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Sibling Example

Square 1 Art

The Due date for Square 1 Art Orders is tomorrow, December 1st, 2020. Don’t miss out on ordering beautiful keepsakes of your child’s art! Square 1 Art is offering free shipping to home addresses on all orders $50 or more! Use the COUPON CODE: 2020SHIP

If you did not receive a catalog or your child’s personal access code, or you have any questions, Please email Jeannette Hernandez at Jeannette.H.Sandoval@gmail.com. Please include your child’s name, grade, and homeroom teacher.