Family and Community Connection
October 2021
News Items
COVID-19 & School Operations
For information about see status updates/announcements, resources and other information about school operations impacted by COVID-19, visit our website.
Tutor Team
Our district is working hard to help our students recover from the effects of COVID-19. Discover how you can make a difference by joining the GISD Tutor Team.
ICON Virtual School Program
Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB15 legislation into law Thursday, Sept. 9. This allows GISD to open the ICON Virtual School program for kindergarten through sixth grade. SB15 would fund and accredit ICON, under specific guidelines. Please note that Pre-K is not eligible for fully funded remote learning under SB15. Visit our website for a list of ICON Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Family Workshops and Resources
Virtual Parent University
We are continuing our monthly Facebook Parent University series. Science Technology Engineering Art and Math (STEAM) Parent University is scheduled for Tuesday, October 12th at 7:00 p.m. Videos with Spanish and Vietnamese captions of the FB Parent University will be posted after the event.
Can't attend our sessions? Subscribe to the Garland ISD FACE Department YouTube channel and view our recorded chats. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @gisdengagement.
Healthy Habits Blog
Did you know? Hazel Health is launching a new Healthy Habits blog series, sharing practical tips for families to keep students healthy and safe. Check out this week’s post at hazel.co/blog.
Social and Emotional Learning
Visit the Social and Emotional Learning website and smore for some useful tips and resources to help families use SEL at home.
Free Student Health Services Available
All Garland ISD students now have access to same-day doctor visits from school or from home through our partner Hazel Health. Sign up for this free virtual service today!
Student Nutrition Services
This school year, healthy meals will be offered every school day to all students at no cost. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued guidance that allows schools to offer meals to all students at no cost for the 2021-2022 school year. Each school/site or central office has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed upon request. For school menus and more detailed information please visit the School Meals website.
COVID-19 Cases by Location
GISD is committed to transparency as we communicate during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to keep our families, staff and community informed, the COVID-19 Cases by Location webpage shows the number of lab-confirmed cases for staff and remote and face-to-face learners.
Family Support
The Family and Community Engagement (FACE) department has gathered some resources to support our families.
Community Connection
Community Readers
If you would like to encourage reading across our community, fill out the GISD volunteer application and select “Community Reader” from the list of opportunities. Find out more by visiting our google site.
Community Access to myON Books
Join a community of readers with myON Books. See the myON Books page for more information on how to get started.
Community Bulletin Board
All community members are invited to find and post information about activities, events, camps and other educational programs around the tri-cities using this online, eco-friendly space. Visit the community board for a listing of events or fill out the online form to request to add your event of activity.PTA
We welcome and encourage parent involvement in school and district activities. Why should you join PTA? Visit the GISD Council of PTAs, Texas PTA and National PTA websites to discover why.
#GISDCommunity
Events & Information
GISD Events
Visit the calendar of events website for a listing of events. All in-person parent events have been canceled. Visit the parent workshop calendar for a listing of offerings available. Visit the Garland ISD Family & Community Engagement Calendar for dates of all virtual campus events.
ConnectEd newsletter
Published quarterly, ConnectEd chronicles the accomplishments of Garland ISD students and staff through pictures and stories.
News and Video:
Check out the GISD Newsroom. It is our one-stop-shop for the latest ConnectED, news stories, videos, photos and tweets.
GRS-TV Videos:
Watch action packed and informative videos in our video gallery.
GRS-TV YouTube:
Subscribe and share our videos on YouTube.
Photo Stories:
Take a look at our amazing photo stories.
Anonymous Alerts App:
If you see something, use our Anonymous Alerts App to say something. We encourage you to report important issues.
School Board Committee and Regular Meeting Video Links:
Stay informed about board meeting dates and agenda items. You may also watch our school board meetings live or view recordings of past meetings.
GISD Family & Community Engagement
Email: A889@garlandisd.net
Website: https://www.garlandisd.net/content/family-and-community-engagement-face
Phone: (972)487-4521
Facebook: facebook.com/gisdenagement
Twitter: @gisdengagement