How to Register Dual Credit Classes for Spring 2021
Dear Students & Parents/Guardians
Submission DEADLINE: Friday, November 13, 2020 at 4:00 pm.
Dual credit course Registration for Spring 2021 opens on October 19th, 2020 – November 13th, 2020for ONLY the students continuing with dual credit classes listed below:
AP/Dual English Language (By Lone Star College)
AP/Dual English Literature (By Lone Star College)
Dual Anatomy & Physiology (By Lone Star College)
Dual Economics (By Houston Community College)
Dual Pre-Calculus (By Lone Star College)
Students who are already placed in these courses listed above in Skyward for Spring 2021 semester MUST submit the required documents signed by parents/guardians and assigned counselors through the online submission forms provided below:
Any application form submitted without parent /guardian and counselor signature will NOT be considered. Please make sure to have them before submission.
Please do not turn in any form to either your course teacher, front office staff members, or your counselor. We will ONLY ACCEPT online submissions via online submission forms provided above.
Unfortunately, we will not be able to accept any new application. We will consider ONLY submissions by students who are already placed in dual courses in Skyward during the course selection period.
Please contact your assigned counselor if you need any further help.
Have a wonderful day!!!
Best,
Mr. Walter Morgan (As known as Mr. Ciftci), M.Ed
Dean of College & Career | Harmony School of Innovation-Sugar Land
Address: 13522 W. Airport Blvd. Sugar Land, TX 77478Phone: 2813026445 Ext: 323 | Fax: 2813026745 | Website:https://hsisl.harmonytx.org/
This challenge is based on The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller. Reading skills are foundational to educational success for all students. Reading is a skill that students will continue to rely on as they move into their adult lives, and a love of reading is one of the best gifts we can impart to our students. Pushing students to read more and discover more about who they are as readers is what this challenge is all about.
So, what’s the challenge?
Donalyn Miller’s challenge is for students to read 40 books in a school year. For the inaugural year of this challenge here at Harmony, we are going to start out a little slower, and instead of an entire school year, we are starting with the fall semester. For the fall, we are asking every 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade student to challenge themselves to read at least 12 novels. It is not a class grade, but teachers should make this a part of their class with regular updates on progress, celebrations of achievements, and book chats on what everyone is reading.
As a way to explore who we are as readers and push those self-imposed boundaries, we are asking students to explore a variety of reading genres as noted below:
Fiction – 1 historical fiction, 1 realistic fiction, 1 graphic novel, 1 book recommended by a parent or family member, and 1 of student choice
4
Nonfiction – 1 nonfiction book on topic of choice, 1 autobiography/biography, 1 book recommended by a classmate, and 1 of student choice
4
Poetry – 1 novel in verse or book of poems
1
Student Choice – 1 of the 4 may be a re-read of a book previously read
3
Note: Books over 300 pages will count as 2 books.
Students will —
Read a book from one of the categories listed above.
When finished reading the book, record their progress on the Reading Challenge Progress Form(This is a sample Google Form. Teachers, make a copy of this form, revise your copy as needed, then add the link to your form to this document).
3. To help classmates find books they want to read, students will do a review on at least 5 of the books they have read. Add reviews to the Book Reviews form. (Teachers, make a copy of this form, revise the title, then link your document here.) Students have a choice of how to review their books – a written review in a Google doc, a video, or a drawing or picture that symbolizes the book.
On Tuesday, November 3, students in grades 10-12 will have the unique opportunity to take the ASVAB Career Exploration Exam and participate in the follow up career seminar on Tuesday, November 17. Please read the attached letter for more information about the program and exam. The deadline to register for the exam is Wednesday, October 28.
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Following are a few reminders for the seniors who signed up for the SAT on Wed., Oct. 14 and sophomores who signed up for the PSAT on Sat., Oct. 17.
Arrive/Check in is at 8:30 AM. Students need to enter school through the back and go to the West Cafeteria. Do not enter through the front doors of the school.
Students must wear a mask for the duration of the test and practice proper social distancing.
The school will provide calculators & pencils but we recommend students bring their own if they are able to.
We also recommend for students to bring a snack to eat during the breaks since the test does not stop for lunch.
SAT – Oct. 14
End time will be approx. 1:45 pm for standard test takers.
Students with 50% extended time on all sections of the test including the Essay will test over 2 days (Oct. 14-15). Day 1 the end time is approx. 12:45 pm, and Day 2 the end time is approx. 12:00 pm.
Students with 50% extended time on all sections of the test without the Essay will test on one day ending approx. 2:00 pm.
PSAT – Oct. 17
End time will be approx. 12:45-1:00 pm for standard test takers
Students with 50% extended time on all sections of the test will end approx. 2-2:15 pm (test is 1 day only)
Students who have signed up for in person learning will eat lunch after the test and then go to their assigned classrooms for the remainder of the school day.
Remote learning students and Saturday test takers must go home immediately after the test is over.
Dismissal will be done using the student pick up app (HOP).
The school has taken measures to create a safe testing environment. However, it is not possible to entirely remove the risk of covid-19 exposure. By entering the testing room, students are accepting that risk.
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(TEXAS) – On the eve of National Principals Month, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $27.8 million Teacher and School Leader Incentive grant to Harmony Public Schoolsto train, equip, and retain top-level school leaders at its campuses across the state.
This project will strengthen and evolve Harmony’s existing Human Capital Management System, developed through a previous Department of Education grant project (Teacher Incentive Fund, 2016), to more explicitly focus on strengthening instructional leadership by better positioning and supporting current and rising principals and instructional leadership teams to excel and remain in their roles—especially in high-need schools. Harmony has 50 schools designated as high-needs throughout the state.
The project design draws on proven research showing that strong instructional leadership improves educator effectiveness, which, in turn, accelerates growth in student outcomes.
“Great schools require great leadership,” said Harmony CEO Fatih Ay. “That’s why one of our highest priorities at Harmony Public Schools is to equip our principals and other school leaders with the tools they need to build cultures of achievement, character, and community at their campuses.”
Harmony was one of only 13 school systems in the country to receive the DOE grant and the largest of three Texas recipients.
“Great teachers deserve to be treated as the professionals they are and to be compensated accordingly,” U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said in a statement Wednesday, September 1. “All too often, though, they lack access to relevant professional development courses and are compensated on a step-scale ladder that treats them like cogs in a machine instead of as individuals with unique talents and interests. We’ve challenged today’s awardees to rethink all of that, and they have risen to the challenge.”
The new funding brings the total amount awarded to Harmony by the Department of Education within the past few years to $92.5 million.
In 2012, the DOE awarded Harmony a $30 million Race to the Top grant to support locally developed plans to personalize and deepen student learning, directly improve student achievement and educator effectiveness, close achievement gaps, and prepare every student to succeed in college and their careers.
In 2016, the DOE awarded Harmony a $26.7 million Teacher Incentive Fund grant to develop a merit-based system for rewarding its highest-performing teachers. (The system, known as H-STEP, was foundational in Harmony being named to the Texas Education Agency’s inaugural class of Teacher Incentive Allotment districts in Fall 2020.)
In 2018, the DOE awarded Harmony an $8 million Education Innovation Research grant to build upon Harmony’s project-based learning STEM model for Grade 6-12 students by introducing similar curricula to students in Grade K-5, and by creating a system of support and professional development for elementary school teachers.
“Great principals and school leaders, given their unique talents and devotion to their teachers and students, should receive the support they need to continue to be successful,” said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education for Elementary and Secondary Education Frank Brogan. “Under the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program, the U.S. Department of Education provides assistance to school districts that are rethinking how to strengthen instructional leadership to make sure principals and leadership teams are well equipped to support their teachers and students. I look forward to seeing how the grant funds are utilized by Harmony Public Schools.”
Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with campuses serving PreK-Grade 12 students in 23 cities across the state, including Greater Houston, DFW, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Waco, Lubbock, Odessa, Bryan, Beaumont, and the Rio Grande Valley. Harmony’s curriculum places a heavy focus on STEM skills, Character Education, project-based learning, and college readiness. In 2020, Harmony hadall 23 high school campuses named among the Best High Schools in America by U.S. News and World Report, 13 named to the Best STEM High Schools in America by Newsweek, and earned two National School of Character recognitions from Character.org.
Harmony Public Schools is currently accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year for both students and team members.
About HarmonyPublic Schools
Harmony Public Schools are 58 high performing PreK-12 college preparatory charter schools throughout Texas. Harmony blends the highest standards and expectations, with a rigorous math- and science-centered curriculum and dedicated and engaged teachers and families to cultivate excellence and prepare students to succeed in college, careers and life. At Harmony Public Schools, we believe every child can succeed, and we are committed to helping them realize their full potential. To learn more about Harmony Public Schools and our 58 campuses across Texas, please visit: www.harmonytx.org, and follow us on Twitter at @HarmonyEdu and ‘Like’ us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HarmonyTexas.
https://harmonypublicschools.network/hsisl-new/wp-content/uploads/sites/126/2020/10/Virtual-Teacher-scaled.jpg10241537John Boydhttps://harmonypublicschools.network/hsisl-new/wp-content/uploads/sites/126/2017/10/HSI-Sugar-Land-WHITE-letters-300px.pngJohn Boyd2020-10-01 07:23:222020-10-01 14:43:04U.S. Department of Education awards Harmony $27.8 million grant
I would like to extend an invitation for you to participate in a financial aid information session/workshop. During this session, you and your Scholar will have an opportunity to review the financial aid process, participate in a demonstration for filling out necessary financial aid forms, and complete the Financial Aid Form for Student Application (FAFSA) with the help of a financial aid expert.
Financial aid is available to help students pay for college – and the first step to accessing those funds is to complete a FAFSA.
Event: Harmony School of Innovation – Sugar Land Financial Aid Night
Date: Thursday, October 1st, 2020
Time: 6:00 pm.
Location: Virtual Meeting through Zoom Meeting Time
In order to complete the FAFSA, the following documents are required:
Social Security Number of Student
Student`s alien registration or permanent resident card if not a U.S. citizen
Driver’s License of Student (if any)
Financial information from the previous year (ex. for the 2020-21 school year, students will need financial information from 2019)
Financial information includes the following:
W-2 Forms and other records of money earned in the previous year (if any) o Student`s Federal Income Tax Return from the previous year (if any)
Parents Federal Income Tax Return (if Students are considered a dependent)
Student`s untaxed income records—(i.e. worker’s compensation, child support received)
Student`s current bank statements (if any)
Student`s investment records (if any)
An FSA ID to sign electronically. (This can be created beforehand at fsaid.ed.gov, or at the time of application.)
List of colleges you are considering.
Notes:
Parental information is required unless you are at least 24 years of age or meet the criteria for filing as an independent student as described on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Refer to www.fafsa.gov.
Only parents who do not have a Social Security number can enter 000-00-0000 on the FAFSA.
You must report income and assets for yourself and for your parents (if you are a dependent student) or your spouse (if you are married).
If you haven’t done your taxes by the time you fill out your FAFSA, it’s okay to estimate the amounts. You might want to base your estimates on last year’s tax return. If your income changed drastically since last year’s tax return, you may click on “Income Estimator” when completing your FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov. The Income Estimator will help you estimate adjusted gross income (AGI). After you file your taxes, you’ll need to log back into the FAFSA and correct any estimated information that was wrong.
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You are invited to join our virtual Back to School event for ESL Parents. We will share information regarding ESL programming, EOCs, TELPAS and how to support your child.
Please see the linked invite below. Hope to see you there!
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During the month of October, HSI-Sugar Land will offer the PSAT to students in grades 9-11 and the SAT to students in grade 12. Please read the attached letter for more information. Specific test dates and links to the sign-up forms are included in the letter.
In October, HSI – Sugar Land will offer the PSAT to students in grades 9-11 and SAT to students in grade 12. These assessments focus on the knowledge and skills evidence shows matters most for college and career readiness. Our counselors and teachers will be speaking with students about what to expect on the tests and tips to be successful. They will address the format of the tests, strategies for answering questions, and information about why they are important.
In order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, the test dates will be spread out over four testing dates, one date selected for each grade level. Remote testing is not available for the PSAT and SAT. Students must take the tests in person, on campus, on the designated test date. Due to the current circumstances in regards to COVID-19, the school understands that all students may not be comfortable testing on campus, and therefore it is not mandatory for students to take these tests on these dates. In order to get a better idea of how many students to prepare for, we are asking students to sign-up for the appropriate grade level test if they do plan on taking the test. Any student not planning on taking the test does not need to complete the form. Sign-up forms were emailed to students on September 17 and links to each form are included below in the chart.
Following is the testing information for teacher grade level:
The student guides contain detailed information about the tests for parents and students as well as sample questions. Additional practice tests are available online at College Board (wwww.collegeboard.org/psatpractice and online at Khan Academy (https://khanacademy.org/).
ww.collegeboard.org/psatpractice)
Students who are testing need to arrive on time to school on their test day, bring #2 pencils, an approved calculator, and if desired, a quick snack to eat during the short break between test sections. Students are encouraged to get a restful night’s sleep before the test and to eat a healthy breakfast on the day of testing.
Additionally, please remind your child not to bring his/her cell phone or other electronic devices into the testing room. As per College Board rules, students caught with these prohibited devices will have their scores cancelled.
Lastly, on test day, HSI-Sugar Land will be closed to all visitors and parents, including lunch drop-offs, until testing is complete. The estimated end time for testing is 1:00 pm.
Thank you for your continued support. Harmony School of Innovation – Sugar Land
**Calculator Information:
There are two parts of the Math section on the PSAT and SAT. In the second part, the students have the option to use calculators. The school is not obligated to provide calculators to students, and all questions can be answered without the use of a calculator. We do encourage students to bring an approved calculator on the day of the test. It is best if they have had an opportunity to practice using their calculator at home, prior to the testing day.
Calculators permitted during testing include:
Most graphing calculators (see chart below)
All scientific calculators
All four-function calculators (not recommended)
Below is the list of College Board approved calculators:
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Reading skills are foundational to educational success for all students.
Encouraging students to read more improves their skills and promotes a love of reading they can continue throughout their educational years and into adulthood.
That’s why Harmony Public Schools is hosting a fall Reading Challenge for all students in all campuses.
Join your classmates from across your campus and across the state from Monday, October 5, 2020 though Sunday, January 3, 2021 as together we show our love for reading and discover new and exciting ideas, authors, and stories through our favorite books.
Along the way, we’ll recognize our top readers and campuses each month, share favorite book picks, and ask for your reviews on some of your favorite reads.
The Annual Parent and Family Engagement Title I meeting is scheduled for September 25. It will be a virtual meeting. Please see the attached invitation for the meeting information and the zoom link.
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Due to the inclement weather Parent Orientation is postponed to next week. You can find the updated invitation information below.
Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
Stay safe!
You are cordially invited to attend the orientation. There will be a special session that has been designed specifically with parents in mind, giving them an opportunity to meet and ask questions of the school staff.
Parent orientation will be held Thursday, September 3 from 5:00 – 6:30 PM.
Please find the zoom meeting information below;
Ali Kucuk is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: HSI-Sugar Land Parent Orientation (Live)
Time: Sep 3, 2020 05:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
In 2016, Getting Smart produced a serieson Harmony Public Schools of Houston, Texas. At the time, the staff was focused on growing in a sustainable way, attracting attention from families wanting a different learning experience for their children. Harmony was serving over thirty thousand students shared across 40+ schools and led by over 3,000 teachers, administrators, and support staff. At the launch of the 2020-2021 school year, administration is expected to see enrollment near 40,000.
2016 (then)
2020 (now)
# of Schools
46
58
# of Students Enrolled
30,735
38,976
# of Students Applied
47,421
52,880
# of Educators
3,151
3,752
Exactly what changes have been made to elicit such progress in just a few years? Where has the school network’s focus been after getting their STEM program up and running? Robert Thornton, a curriculum director and grant facilitator for Harmony said, “There’s a sustained focus from what we were doing then and we didn’t quit—we doubled down.” With that, Getting Smart is once again taking a close look at the bold innovations being implemented by the Harmony team.The Harmony team has developed an attractive learner-centered experience chock full of engaging STEM and project-based work for students. This progress stems from a bedrock culture the staff have cultivated over the past twenty years and recent indicators show they have even more innovation to prove yet. As their staff says about Harmony’s culture, it’s a school that puts core values into action.
Investing in Students By Investing in Teachers
Specifically, we are curious about their progress implementing a grant-funded, radical new approach to how they invest in the professional development of their teaching staff. But first let’s revisit the steps taken a few years ago to position this public charter school system to become the fastest growing of its kind in not only the region, but across the country as well.
Firstly, and even as they continue expanding, Harmony is still dedicated to a very personalized learning experience, an innovation mindset, high expectations for all members of the learning community, personalized, STEM, and project-based learning (PBL), and a college-bound disposition for graduates. From administration, to teaching staff guiding students with parental support, the success stories abound across the charter network.
Recent graduate, Muntazir Panjwani says, “Harmony has teachers that are energetic and love what they do.” Muntazir was a founding member of Harmony’s Innovation Lab and still works there today. “Not every school is giving their teachers this opportunity to further their studies. That gives us a severe edge because we’re already ahead of the game. It’s an amazing edge they’re giving us.”
Harmony in a Time of Global Discord
As the pandemic shut down school operations around the world, Harmony rallied. Teachers and leaders in Harmony launched an initiative with their students to support healthcare workers to the extent they were able. Students took this real-world problem of the COVID-19 outbreak and used their PBL expertise along with the school’s 3D printers to mass-produce shields and masks that were donated to local health care institutions. This is the sort of contribution and responsiveness that demonstrates the leadership capabilities of the students working with the right guidance to make a laudable contribution in their community. Harmony is committed to difference making as the means to learning and preparing students for what comes next.
Harmony Innovation Lab students assembling face shields. Image courtesy of HPS.
In another example of what can happen when Harmony students are empowered by their instructors, students have used the Innovation Lab to serve other needs. Last year, they even produced prosthetic limbs for a young amputee.
There’s a sense of purpose driving students into solving real-world problems. That purpose has staying power, as a number of Harmony graduates continue to stay involved, but now as part time employees at the Innovation Lab while they continue their own postsecondary work as college freshmen. These students see it as their mission to give back.
Imran Abukaker, a 2019 graduate said, “I’ve amassed this knowledge I want to pass along to other kids. All of us at the Lab have an affinity for teaching… My parents wanted to expose me to as many different perspectives as possible, and at HPS there are people of all different backgrounds.” This includes the staff.
The stories, awards, and other notable accomplishments of students and staff at Harmony are the fruits of their labor and commitment to excellence. In order to sustain that in a manner equitable to all, Harmony has worked intensively to direct their energies on maintaining that high level of performance, particularly with cultivating talent in a commendable way.
Agency in Professional Learning
The leadership of Harmony has taken principles and best practices of competency-based education that we’ve known to be a better way of assessing student growth and applied it as an investment in their staff as well. Harmony has built a competency-based approach to career advancement for educators. Using BloomBoard, Harmony developed a replete set of competencies to be nurtured in their educators, awarding achievement with micro-credentials and incentive compensation. Their method is a departure from the top-down observation models prevalent in most school systems in the US and arguably more effective in developing modern practitioners. It includes short term action research and validating the informal continuing education teachers experience in their practice.
We sat down with a number of Harmony educators to hear how the program was impacting their practice. Assistant Principal of Harmony School of Endeavor in Houston, Mehmet Cellik, says, “What makes this work is the action research component. You can read a book and write a paper. This microcredential program goes beyond the paper.” His peers share a similar sense of what is valuable.
Over the next four posts in the series, we will share how HPS has elevated professional learning just as they have for students—by empowering teachers to take charge of their own career advancement.
This post is a part one of a five blog series in the upcoming “Getting Smart on Competency-Based Career Advancement at Harmony Public Schools” produced in partnership with Harmony Public Schools (@HarmonyEdu).
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Parent Information for Fall 2020 NWEA MAP (revised Aug. 31)
Students in grades 9 and 10 will take MAP tests in Reading and Math. Test days are September 9th and 10th. Since all teachers will be needed to administer the exams, there will be no live classes on MAP testing days. Non-testing students are required to log into their classes and complete independent study lessons. Please see the attached parent informational letter for more details about MAP testing.
Harmony Public Schools administers the NWEA MAP Growth tests at the beginning of the year each year to establish baseline data for our scholars as well as to measure growth for our returning scholars that tested the previous year. This data is used to drive our instructional focus for each scholar as well as to identify trends within our campuses and district. As you know, this year is unique in that we are all beginning this instructional year remotely and we will need your assistance in ensuring that the integrity and validity of our assessments are maintained. To do this, we have created this document for you to help you navigate the NWEA MAP assessment and answer any questions you may have.
Who
At the high school level, students in grades 9 and 10 (with limited exceptions) will take the NWEA MAP Growth Test. Please use the chart below to see which tests each grade will be administered.
The only students that are not required to test (but may if the campus would like) are STAAR Alt2 students. Campus Testing Coordinators will submit names of STAAR Alt2 students to the central office to have those students removed from internal reporting.
Technology
Your scholar is scheduled to take these online assessments on September 9th and 10th. We are asking each family to complete this technology check by Sept. 3th so that we may help you troubleshoot any issues that your family may experience before the testing window begins. To check if your device meets the minimum requirements, please click here.
How
All NWEA MAP Sessions will be proctored via Zoom by personnel from your scholar’s campus. Your scholar’s instructors will provide them with the Zoom session information as well as any required test-specific log in information for your scholar. Zoom session links will also be emailed to your scholar’s school email address.
When
The Fall 2020 NWEA MAP Administration is scheduled to be administered from September 8 – 28. In this unique time of all online learning, we have developed a standardized schedule to administer MAP to make sure that it is done uniformly across the system. The administration window will be as follows. Testing will begin at 9:00 AM each day.
Make-up testing may be completed after the student tests on the same day or into the next week at the guardian’s request. While these tests do not have a time limit, the average time spent by Harmony students in 2019 was just over one hour. We urge our families to monitor their scholar(s) closely when they are taking this assessment to make sure that their scholar is taking their time, using their testing strategies, and putting forward their best efforts to ensure that we receive the most accurate data about your student.
Test Security
During an in-person administration of this assessment, the test proctor is able to walk around the room to monitor each scholar and make sure that each scholar is taking their time and behaving responsibly. In this new virtual setting, we are asking for your assistance in making sure that your scholar’s test is secure and they are following testing expectations such as the following
Make sure they have completed the technology check by September 3rd
If your scholar is unfamiliar with the MAP testing platform, please have them complete the practice test by September 8th to help them become familiar with the platform. Additionally, ELA teachers will be going over MAP log-in and Zoom testing norms with students the week of August 31st.
During the Zoom test administration, please monitor your scholar to make sure they are taking their time and using their testing strategies
During the Zoom test administration, please do not allow your scholar to have any other windows open on their computer other than their MAP test and their Zoom.
During the Zoom test administration, please do not allow your scholar to use any outside resources. Students are allowed to use dictionaries on the Reading test only.
During the Zoom test administration, please make sure that your scholar does not have access to their cell phone.
Accessibility
For our scholars with documented supports needed for STAAR testing, we will implement those supports as much as possible for the corresponding MAP tests.
Troubleshooting and Additional Questions
For any troubleshooting or additional questions, please contact your Campus Testing Coordinator at dgerard@harmonytx.org.
In accordance with the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented students, Harmony Public Schools will begin taking referrals for all newly- enrolled students in grades 9-12 for gifted and talented screening. Anyone interested in the educational welfare of these students may refer them for assessment. Referral forms are also available on the school’s website. Read more
THIS EXTENSION WILL EXTEND THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY, SEP 14
DEAR PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND STAFF!
Creating a safe and academically-focused learning environment for our students and staff members is the top priority at Harmony Public Schools. After careful consideration, today we are announcing an extension of remote learning for your campus.
This extension will extend through at least Monday, September 14 and perhaps longer as Harmony continues to weigh guidelines from the Texas Education Agency and guidance from local and state health officials.
During this extension, campus and district leaders will continue to further evaluate the current and potential future impact of COVID-19 in our communities, as well as make final campus preparations based upon needs determined during our Learning Location selection period, which took place the past two weeks.
We understand that this extension may be a hardship for some families who opted to return to campus when possible. We assure you our campus and district staff are working tirelessly to make sure our campuses are ready for students as soon as in-person learning can safely and responsibly begin.
As a reminder, once students and staff return to campus, they will find a number of improvements and new wellness protocols designed to increase student and staff safety while retaining a fun, collaborative, and academically-focused campus culture.
Among these safety enhancements are:
• Temperature screenings for students and staff.
• Requiring all students and employees to wear a mask when on campus or in other group settings. (Students may bring their own mask, or the school will provide them.)
• Limiting average class sizes to allow for social distancing. (Exact class size will be dependent on number of students attending in-person versus online-only.)
• Spacing desks at least six feet apart to maintain proper social distancing and/or installing partitions where students cannot be kept six feet apart.
• Severely limiting classroom rotations/switches to prevent the spread of germs across campus and to limit person-to-person exchanges.
• Staggered drop off and pickup times to limit person-to-person exchanges.
• Modified drop off and pickup procedures (ex. Students going directly to class after drop off and/or waiting in classroom at the end of the day until parent arrives for pickup).
• Requesting all students wash hands frequently.
• Detailed nightly cleaning by contracted company.
• Required Coronavirus Awareness & Prevention trainings for all employees.
Additional details on these and other safety protocols can be found in Harmony Public Schools Back to School Playbook.
We are excited to open our doors to our students and staff hopefully very soon. Thank you for your ongoing support and feedback throughout the reopening process.
DEADLINE: Next Week on Monday, August 31, 2020, at 4:00 pm.
Dear Mustang Students & Parent/Guardians;
I would like to inform you all that we have some IMPORTANT schedule updates apply to all students on our campus as follows:
Any student who has 6 courses in his/her schedule currently is eligible to request a 7th course by submitting this online SCHEDULE CHANGE REQUEST FORM by next week on Monday, August 31, 2020, at 4:00 pm.
Due to the new scheduling limitations, all students (Except seniors who have short credits for graduation per counselor approval) may take up to 7 courses and these will be scheduled in Skyward with synchronized classes ONLY. Counselors will have meetings with students who have 8 courses in their schedules to reduce course numbers from 8 to 7.
Counselors will use alternative courses for available spots If students have conflicts scheduling 7 courses. If this does not work, then counselors are able to select other courses informing parents and students in the same endorsement plan students are assigned to.
If a conflict is not solved trying everything as stated in the #2 option, then a student may take the 7th course as an asynchronous learning option on our campus. (Fully Online) This option applies to ONLY students who have conflicts that are not fixed by counselors.
Senior students who are short of credits for graduation are eligible to take 8 courses per counselor’s approval.
Due to the high volume of workload for counselors, requests received by emails will NOT be taken into consideration.
Please submit your request via online SCHEDULE CHANGE REQUEST FORM by next week on Monday, August 31, 2020, at 4:00 pm.
Please contact your assigned counselor for further assistance.
Have a wonderful evening!
Best,
Mr. Alper Ciftci, M.Ed
Dean of College & Career | Harmony School of Innovation-Sugar Land Address: 13522 W. Airport Blvd. Sugarland, TX 77478 |Phone: 2813026445 Ext: 323
Our campus will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, August 26-27, in anticipation of Hurricane Laura.
HPS continues to monitor the weather as Hurricane Laura approaches the Texas Gulf Coast. Due to precaution, our school will be closed on Wednesday 26th and 27th August and Thursday.
All Virtual Classes are canceled. We will continue to monitor and evaluate local conditions and communicate plans for Friday as additional information becomes available.
The MAP testing window has been moved to September 8-28. Please continue to check if your device is compatible with the NWEA MAP system as explained in the parent letter you received last Friday. An updated schedule and more information will be sent home at the beginning of next week.
Additional Questions
For any troubleshooting or additional questions, please contact your Campus Testing Coordinator at dgerard@harmonytx.org.
Students in grades 9 and 10 will take MAP tests in Reading, Math, and Language. Test days are September 1-3. Since all teachers will be needed to administer the exams, there will be no live classes on MAP testing days. Non-testing students are required to log into their classes and complete independent study lessons. Please see the attached parent informational letter for more details about MAP testing.
Parent Information for Fall 2020 NWEA MAP Administration
Harmony Public Schools administers the NWEA MAP Growth tests at the beginning of the year each year to establish baseline data for our scholars as well as to measure growth for our returning scholars that tested the previous year. This data is used to drive our instructional focus for each scholar as well as to identify trends within our campuses and district. As you know, this year is unique in that we are all beginning this instructional year remotely and we will need your assistance in ensuring that the integrity and validity of our assessments are maintained. To do this, we have created this document for you to help you navigate the NWEA MAP assessment and answer any questions you may have.
Who
At the high school level, students in grades 9 and 10 (with limited exceptions) will take the NWEA MAP Growth Test. Please use the chart below to see which tests each grade will be administered.
Grade
Reading
Math
Language
9-10
6 + Reading Growth
6 + Math Growth
2-12 Language Growth
The only students that are not required to test (but may if the campus would like) are STAAR Alt2 students. Campus Testing Coordinators will submit names of STAAR Alt2 students to the central office to have those students removed from internal reporting.
Technology
Your scholar is scheduled to take these online assessments the week of August 31st – September 4th . We are asking each family to complete this technology check by August 26th so that we may help you troubleshoot any issues that your family may experience before the testing window begins. To check if your device meets the minimum requirements, please click here.
Log in
Each student will log on to the NWEA MAP testing platform from their MyHarmony student portal account. The student will click the “nwea student” icon.
If you receive an error message, check to see if you have a red error indicator in the address bar blocking pop-ups. If so, click on the icon and choose “Always allow.. “ and “Done” to fix it.
On the log in screen, there will be an opportunity to take a practice test if your student is unfamiliar with this testing platform. The practice test is not scored in any way and will simply serve as a tool to help familiarize them with the platform and format of the assessments.
How
All NWEA MAP Sessions will be proctored via Zoom by personnel from your scholar’s campus. Your scholar’s instructors will provide them with the Zoom session information as well as any required test-specific log in information for your scholar. Zoom session links will also be emailed to your scholar’s school email address.
When
The Fall 2020 NWEA MAP Administration is scheduled to be administered from August 31st – September 18th. In this unique time of all online learning, we have developed a standardized schedule to administer MAP to make sure that it is done uniformly across the system. The administration window will be as follows. Testing will begin at 9:00 AM each day.
Date
Reading
Math
Language
August 31 (Monday)
Practice MAP Sessions (completed by this date)
Sept 1 (Tuesday)
X
Sept 2 (Wednesday)
X
Sept 3 (Thursday)
X
Make-up testing may be completed after the student tests on the same day or into the next week at the guardian’s request. While these tests do not have a time limit, the average time spent by Harmony students in 2019 was just over one hour. We urge our families to monitor their scholar(s) closely when they are taking this assessment to make sure that their scholar is taking their time, using their testing strategies, and putting forward their best efforts to ensure that we receive the most accurate data about your student.
Test Security
During an in-person administration of this assessment, the test proctor is able to walk around the room to monitor each scholar and make sure that each scholar is taking their time and behaving responsibly. In this new virtual setting, we are asking for your assistance in making sure that your scholar’s test is secure and they are following testing expectations such as the following
Make sure they have completed the technology check by August 26th
If your scholar is unfamiliar with the MAP testing platform, please have them complete the practice test by August 31st to help them become familiar with the platform. Additionally, ELA teachers will be going over MAP log-in and Zoom testing norms with students the week of August 24.
During the Zoom test administration, please monitor your scholar to make sure they are taking their time and using their testing strategies
During the Zoom test administration, please do not allow your scholar to have any other windows open on their computer other than their MAP test and their Zoom.
During the Zoom test administration, please do not allow your scholar to use any outside resources. Students are allowed to use dictionaries on the Reading test only.
During the Zoom test administration, please make sure that your scholar does not have access to their cell phone.
Accessibility
For our scholars with documented supports needed for STAAR testing, we will implement those supports as much as possible for the corresponding MAP tests.
Troubleshooting and Additional Questions
For any troubleshooting or additional questions, please contact your Campus Testing Coordinator at dgerard@harmonytx.org.
Please REVIEW your 2020-2021 schedule in SKYWARD!!!
Dear Mustang Students & Parents/Guardians;
Student schedules are ready to review in Skyward.
Changes requested after the Course Plan has been submitted will be made ONLY for the following reasons per counselor’s approval.
Please check your schedule and if there is any issue stated below, submit this SCHEDULE CHANGE FORM to us:
A Senior needs to make up deficient graduation credits
A student received a failing grade and needs to repeat the class for high school graduation requirements or to meet college eligibility requirements
A student is in the incorrect course level
A course requested will not be offered due to budgetary restraints, low-class size
A student completed a course credit at summer school
Medical/health issues require adjustment in schedule
There is a missing or blank course in the schedule.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Please submit your requests by August 24th, 2020 at 4:00 pm. No submissions will be accepted after the deadline.
Please submit the form ONLY once, 2nd form will not be considered.
Please do NOT send any documents via emails. The requests that are sent by emails or handed to any school staff will NOT be considered
COURSE SELECTION MEETINGS FOR NEWCOMERS:
If you did not have a chance to complete your course selection meeting with your counselor, please reach him/her out as soon as you can so that your schedule will be ready before school starts.
Here is the Alpha Split Plan for your references to find out who your assigned counselor is.
Mr. Alper Ciftci, M.EdCampus Head Counselor | Harmony School of Innovation-Sugar Land Address: 13522 W. Airport Blvd. Sugarland, TX 77478Phone: 2813026445 Ext: 323 | Fax:2813026745 | Website:https://hsisl.harmonytx.org/
I am pleased to welcome you back to the 2020-21 school year! I would like to extend a special welcome to all of the new students joining HSI Sugar Land this year and welcome back all of our returning students as well.
As announced earlier, our campus will start the academic year on Monday, August 17 in an online-only setting. Classes will continue online-only until at least Tuesday, September 8.
Please read below important reminders and click on the links to watch the videos explaining how to access Harmony Portal. Once students get access to Harmony Portal, they will have access to all other resources such as Student Emails, Schoology, CLEVER, etc.
Please follow these steps to ensure you have access before Monday, August 17, 2020.
Logging into Schoology through My Harmony Portal : If you do not remember your Student ID, or are new and did not receive it, please ask your parents to check their emails listed in Skyward. Student IDs have been sent to parent email addresses individually.
Schoology Student View : Watch this video to learn the basics of navigating Schoology. All of the classes on your schedule in Skyward will automatically appear in Schoology on 8/17 – please note that unfortunately, you won’t be able to see your classes in Schoology until the first day of school. Students will not need access codes for classes – as long as they are on your Skyward schedule, they will be added to your Schoology automatically. Parents will need parent access codes, which will be shared by the school on August 17, 2020.
On the morning of August 17, the first day of school, students must log in to Skyward and check which class they have Lesson 1 on Monday. Then log in to Schoology and visit that class to find the Zoom link for the class meeting.
Messaging a Teacher : You can send messages to your teachers or other school staff by clicking on the little envelope near your username and typing your teacher’s name. This feature is already active.
Schedule Briefing : Read this document for a quick overview of this year’s schedule, grade level by grade level
For additional support on Schoology, please click here.
https://harmonypublicschools.network/hsisl-new/wp-content/uploads/sites/126/2020/08/Copy-of-Copy-of-coffee-folks.png500500akucukhttps://harmonypublicschools.network/hsisl-new/wp-content/uploads/sites/126/2017/10/HSI-Sugar-Land-WHITE-letters-300px.pngakucuk2020-08-13 23:33:102020-08-13 23:33:10HSI Sugar Land Student First Day Reminder Letter 2020-21
Schoology is an all-inclusive learning environment that brings everything students, parents and teachers need into one, easy-to-use digital platform that can be utilized for both in-classroom and at-home learning.
