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 Gator Bytes
Dickinson Independent School District
E-Newsletter |
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Paid Advertisement
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Paid Advertisement
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Paid Advertisement
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Paid Advertisement
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STAY CONNECTED TO DICKINSON ISD:
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2218 FM 517 East,
Dickinson, Texas 77539
281-229-6000
Follow us on Facebook /dickinsonschools
Follow us on Twitter
#dickinsonisd
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Start planning for 2016-2017 with the district's Back to School packet
The 2016-2017 Dickinson ISD Back to School packet is now available for those wanting to plan ahead this summer for the start of the next school year on Wednesday, August 24. Printed copies of the packet were sent home with students the last week of school and an electronic copy of the packet is available on the school district website homepage at www.dickinsonisd.org or by clicking here.
The packet is a parent's one stop resource for everything related to planning for the new school year. Registration information, dress code, school calendar, school supplies, immunizations, football and volleyball schedules, meal prices and more can all be found in the packet.
Parents are reminded to make sure and obtain their login to Skyward Family Access now, to have on hand for online registration in August. For security reasons, these logins must be obtained at the student's campus by showing proper identification. The Technology Department or the Education Support Center can't issue these logins.
The online registration process will be available to returning students from August 1-15. Returning students are those finishing the 2015-2016 school year as a Dickinson ISD students an returning for the 2016-2017 school year. More information will be available at the end of July on the school district website with links to access the online registration process.
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STAAR scores for grades 3-8 delayed
Dickinson ISD was informed by the Texas Education Agency that scores for STAAR grades 3-8 are being delayed until July 5. The original report date to districts was June 15.
After Dickinson ISD receives the scores and verifies them for accuracy, they will be sent to parents via U.S. Mail as soon as possible. If you have not received them prior to the start of the 2016-2017 school year, please contact your child's 2015-2016 campus. If there are any further delays, we will post the information on the district website and in Gator Bytes.
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State Board seeks public input about assessments and accountability
AUSTIN - The State Board of Education (SBOE) is issuing a survey in English and Spanish to seek public input about the state's current assessment and accountability programs and gather suggestions for future program development. The survey will be open online to all Texans through June 30.
From October 2015 to March 2016, SBOE members held nine Community Conversations meetings around the state, meeting with more than 500 citizens to gather comments about the state's student assessment and accountability systems. The online survey addresses the issues raised during the community meetings and allows for additional input from educators, parents, business people and students.
"Our constituents often talk to board members about testing and school ratings issues," said SBOE Chair Donna Bahorich. "I felt it was also important for board members to have in-depth discussions to learn what educators, parents, business people and others want from these two high profile programs. I believe our findings will be useful in shaping the next generation systems."
The information gathered from the survey and the Community Conversations will be compiled into a report and presented to the SBOE for its consideration at its July 19-22 meeting. Once adopted, the report will be provided to legislative leaders and the Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability.
The 15-member commission, created by the Texas Legislature, is to make recommendations for statutory changes to the state's assessment and accountability systems. The commission report is to be submitted to the governor and legislature by Sept. 1.
Bahorich encourages Texans to share the link to the surveys to encourage widespread participation. Click here to view the comments gathered at each of the Community Conversations.
Click here for more information about the Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability.
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Flag flown over Sam Vitanza Stadium
holds special significance for DHS alumnus
 It was a proud moment for a Dickinson High School alumnus this past week as she stood inside Sam Vitanza Stadium and raised an American flag to fly at the campus where she graduated in 1990. The flag symbolizes so much to Barbara Vasquez but at that moment it represented the end of a 24-year career in the United States Navy where she is one of only three women to currently serve at the rank of Command Senior Chief.
As part of her retirement, Vasquez is allowed to fly a flag somewhere with special significance and then present the flag at a retirement ceremony to a special person in her life.
"I don't see my retirement ceremony as a ceremony just for me, but for others as well who have sacrificed so much throughout my time in the Navy. A person isn't successful on their own, but through the sacrifices of parents, a spouse, siblings and the community," said Vasquez.
Because of this, Vasquez chose her mother to receive her flag and coordinated with DHS to have the flag fly over Sam Vitanza Stadium on her mother's birthday, June 15. The flag was lowered, since it was flown during the time designated by President Obama to lower flags to half-staff in memory of the lives lost in the Orlando club shooting.
While many people retiring from military service choose United States landmarks, ships or other very honorable places to fly the flag, for Vasquez the decision was easy to choose a different spot which has such special meaning to her and her family.
 "I couldn't think of a better place to fly the flag given to me than at Sam Vitanza Stadium. I love being from Dickinson and graduating from Dickinson High School," said Vasquez. "This is where it all started in the hallways at Dickinson High School and at Friday Night Lights. I built great relationships in high school with teachers and mentors that contributed to my career."
As Vasquez prepares to officially leave the Navy at the end of August, she looks back over her career with many memories that shaped her into the person she is today. She remembers in 2010 the Navy helping to build a hospital in Haiti after the earthquake and she recalls being on the U.S. George Washington near New York on September 11, 2001 and seeing the smoke fill the air as the World Trade Center collapsed.
"I have traveled the world on several deployments including European and Asian countries but after all of that, Dickinson is home and the place I chose to go ashore," said Vasquez.
Vasquez is looking forward to living near the water in San Leon and catching up on fishing, sleeping, boating and spending time with family. She plans to use the G.I. bill to go back to school at the University of Houston to obtain a degree in organizational leadership.
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Student creativity soars at Camp Invention
 Imaginations were soaring earlier this month as 80 Dickinson ISD students started off their summer creating new inventions and exploring the areas of science, technology, engineering and math all at a fun camp experience. Camp Invention was a week-long summer enrichment day camp focusing on creativity, innovation, real-world problem solving and the spirit of invention for children entering grades 1-6.
"Camp Invention was a great way for the kids to use their imagination, build things they are thinking about and think outside the box. It was exciting for them to know it is possible to create something that could be used one day and benefit someone else," said Crystal Sweeney, an Academic Coach at K.E. Little Elementary, who led the camp at Dickinson ISD's Bay Colony Elementary this summer.
During the camp, students rotated through four different sessions each day, including CrickoBot, Epic Park, I Can Invent: Make Studio and The Lab: Where Pigs Fly and Anything is Possible.
In CrickoBot, children explored circuitry as they created a robotic cricket fueled by a solar cell. CrickoBot merged STEM concepts and real-world challenges to introduce children to the habitat of crickets and their different body parts. In Epic Park, students explored the principles of entrepreneurship and physics by sketching their best blueprints and clean energy designs of an island with rainforest areas, waterfalls, sandy desert stretches, steep cliffs and rolling hills that led to the ocean.
In I Can Invent: Maker Studio, participants reverse engineered machines to uncover the parts and pieces they could use to make big innovations. Using old or broken appliances from home, students were able to take them apart, learn about the parts and explore ways to create something new. For The Lab: Where Pigs Fly and Anything is Possible, children saw themselves as scientists, programmers and biologists and were able to test more than one dozen experiments.
The week came to a close with campers getting to showoff everything they had learned for parents and guests in an Inventors Showcase. Campers were excitedly to talk about their projects and many were already looking forward to next year's camp.
Camp Invention was also an opportunity for older students to get involved as a counselor-in-training for those entering grades 7-8 or working for volunteer hours as a leadership intern if they were entering high school.
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Mainland Medical Center is a full-service hospital offering inpatient and outpatient medical, surgical and specialty services committed to the care and improvement of human life throughout our community. Mainland Medical Center has an outstanding team of more than 725 staff and over 200 physicians ready to serve you.
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It is the policy of the DISD not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or handicap for services or activities as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. It is the policy of the DISD not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or age in its employment practices as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. For information about your rights or grievance procedures, contact the Title IX Coordinator, Robert Cobb, at 2218 East FM 517, Dickinson, TX 77539, (281) 229-6000, and/or the Section 504 Coordinator, Laurie Rodriguez, at 2218 East FM 517, Dickinson, TX 77539, (281) 229-6000.
Es política del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Dickinson no discriminar en base de raza, color, nacionalidad de origen, sexo o discapacidad, por servicios o actividades como es requerido en el Título VI del Acto de los Derechos Civiles de 1964, según enmendado; el Título IX de la Enmiendas de Educación de 1972, según enmendado; y la Sección 504 del Acto de Rehabilitación de 1973, según enmendada. Es política del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Dickinson no discriminar en base de raza, color, nacionalidad de origen, sexo, discapacidad, o edad en las prácticas de empleo como es requerido por el Título VI del Acto de los Derechos Civiles de 1964, según enmendado; el Título IX de la Enmiendas de Educación de 1972; el Acto de la Discriminación de Edades de 1975, según enmendado; y la Sección 504 del Acto de Rehabilitación de 1973, según enmendada. Para información sobre sus derechos o procedimientos de quejas, contacte el Coordinador del Título IX, Robert Cobb, en 2218 East FM 517 Dickinson, TX 77539, (281) 229-6000, y/o el Coordinador de la Sección 504, Laurie Rodríguez, en 2218 East FM 517 Dickinson, TX 77539, (281) 229-6000.
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