Cedar Hill ISD Board Meeting Meeting Tonight

The Cedar Hill ISD Board of Trustees will meet tonight at 6:30 p.m.; the public portion of the meeting starts at 7:30. The Board will swear-in new Place 2 Trustee Carma Morgan and honor scholars for their academic, athletic and fine arts accomplishments.

You can view the full agenda: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1600?meeting=530359 The meeting will also stream live, you can watch it here.

Bright Bytes Technology Survey

Thank you for completing the Spring Brightbytes survey. We had a great response, and we were able to measure our growth. CHISD scored higher than the average of all Clarity customers. We had 4,282 people complete the survey - (433 Staff and 3,849 Scholars).

You can login here using your Google Account.

Digital Parent University on Tuesday

Cedar Hill ISD will host a Digital Parent University on Tuesday, May 17. The topic will be 2022-23 Registration and School Start Times.

Class of 2022 Graduation Ceremony

We congratulate each member of the class of 2022 and hope that graduation day will be memorable and enjoyable for you and your guests. On Sunday, the Class of 2022 held it's Baccalaureate Service. For information on the Class of 2022 graduation ceremony, please visit chisd.net/graduation.

Updated COVID Clinic Hours

The new hours for the Curative COVID Clinic at the JoLynn Maddox Teaching & Learning Center, 1533 High Pointe Lane, will be 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Sincerely,

Dr. Hudson

Superintendent

In conjunction with TransPar Inc., the Cedar Hill ISD administration has researched options to determine how to operate school bus transportation to provide better service to scholars and be more cost efficient. CHISD would highly benefit from a three-tier bell system that would allow for transportation flexibility, elevate on-time performance, lower costs such as fuel and payroll, and ensure ancillary programs such as STEM are adequately functioning from a transportation perspective. A three-tier bell system would require a change in school start times at all levels.

CHISD encourages parents to log on for a Digital Parent University tomorrow night at 6pm to learn more about changes for next school year. The DPU will stream live on CHISD Facebook & YouTube.

Since 1972, National School Nurse Day has been set aside to recognize school nurses.

National School Nurse Day was established to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting. In Cedar Hill ISD, we are lucky to have some of the most caring and qualified nurses to serve our scholars and campuses.

This week, I hope you will join me in celebrating these very important frontline workers.

Board of Trustees Workshop - Tonight

The CHISD Board of Trustees will hold their monthly workshop tonight on the 3rd floor of the Government Center. On the agenda for discussion includes, a demographic report, financial update and overview of the Longhorn Futures Committee work. You can view the full agenda by clicking here.

Best Southwest Scholarship

The Best Southwest Partnership is ready to give away scholarships!

Scholarships are open to all graduating high school seniors residing in Cedar Hill as well as several cities in southwest Dallas County. One recipient per city will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship during the upcoming event.

Scholars can apply by visiting www.bestsouthwest.org to complete the online application at https://bestsouthwest.org/region/core-initiatives/education/scholarships/

Kiosk Mode

During testing days this week, all scholar Chromebooks will be put in 'Kiosk Mode', and YouTube will be disabled for scholars.

Chromebook Returns

Chromebooks will begin to be collected tomorrow for PreK through 2nd grade. When scholars return their Chromebook at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, please remember to return the Chromebook chargers as well.

Register Your Scholar for Next School Year

Scholars in grades Pre-K through 12 are now able to register for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. All CHISD scholars must complete registration every year and families can get started by accessing their Skyward Student Access accounts. Registration can be completed at chisd.net/register. Parents/Guardians will need their Family Access password to complete the registration process, for families who need assistance resetting their password they are asked to contact their campus registrars, a complete list of registrars is available at chisd.net/registrar.

If parents/guardians need assistance with returning student registration, we encourage them to contact their scholar’s attendance clerk. The Lacy Enrollment Center will be assisting new to district scholars, while the campuses will be supporting current CHISD families with returning student registration.

• For returning student registration, families will need to show their proof of residency with an April or May date with the parent/guardian listed on the bill.
• If registration is not completed, your scholar will not receive their schedule before the first day of school and may not receive their choice of classes.

Sincerely,

Dr. Hudson

Superintendent

Congratulations, new Cedar Hill ISD Place 2 Trustee Carma Morgan! She won the election on Saturday, pending final vote canvassing.

In-District students are required to enroll at their home campus and then apply for an in-district transfer. If the transfer is approved, the family will receive a confirmation email with the approval information.

If you would like to request a transfer for your student for the 2022-2023 school year, please review the criteria below and then click the link to complete the online transfer request that is appropriate. Documentation MUST be either uploaded to the transfer request or emailed to registrationhelp@chisd.net before a transfer is evaluated and a decision is made by the district.

Transfer Criteria:

• Student must have passed ALL of their classes from the prior semester/year
• (Documentation required - Last report card and/or transcript)
• Student must have 5 or less unexcused absences in the prior semester
• (Documentation required - Attendance Record/Letter of Attendance from prior year)
• Student must have no more than 1 discipline referral and NO out of school suspensions or DAEP/JJAEP placements in the prior year
• (Documentation required - Discipline Letter/Letter of Discipline Assurance from prior year)
• Student must have passed all required state testing
• (Documentation required - state testing results)

No School Transportation will be provided for any transfer student.

If your scholar is currently on an approved transfer you will receive an email to complete a renewal form, a new form is NOT needed.

Teacher Appreciation Week

The pandemic has ushered in a new way of teaching and learning. From in-person to virtual to a hybrid learning environment our scholars have faced challenging, yet innovative times in their learning and development—and teachers have been at the heart of it all! This week marks national Teacher Appreciation Week; I hope you will join me in showing our love and appreciation to CHISD teachers.

Register Your Scholar for Next School Year

Scholars in grades Pre-K through 12 are now able to register for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. All CHISD scholars must complete registration every year and families can get started by accessing their Skyward Student Access accounts. Registration can be completed at chisd.net/register. Parents/Guardians will need their Family Access password to complete the registration process, for families who need assistance resetting their password they are asked to contact their campus registrars, a complete list of registrars is available at chisd.net/registrar.

If parents/guardians need assistance with returning student registration, we encourage them to contact their scholar’s attendance clerk. The Lacy Enrollment Center will be assisting new to district scholars, while the campuses will be supporting current CHISD families with returning student registration.

• For returning student registration, families will need to show their proof of residency with an April or May date with the parent/guardian listed on the bill.
• If registration is not completed, your scholar will not receive their schedule before the first day of school and may not receive their choice of classes.

Board Workshop

The Board workshop scheduled for today, has been rescheduled for Monday May 9, 2022. The meeting will start at 6:30pm on the third floor of the Cedar Hill Government Center.

COVID Cases for April

Cedar Hill ISD continues to partner Curative to offer COVID tests to district employees, scholars and families. Below are the testing results for the month of April.

Total volume: 46

Positivity rate: 4/46 (8.70%)

Highest volume (date): April 6th & 14th - 6 tests

Lowest volume (date): April 4th,12th, 19th & 27th - 0 tests

Highest testing demographic (age): 18-64 (36 tests)

Dallas County COVID Level Goes to Green

The Dallas County COVID-19 Level is now Green, which means ‘new normal until you’re vaccinated’. CHISD has also adjusted its COVID response monitor to green.

Cedar Hill ISD Education Foundation (CHEF) 2nd Annual Golf Tournament

The Cedar Hill ISD Education Foundation (CHEF) Golf Tournament will take place on Friday, May 13 at The Golf Club of Dallas. Registration begins at 11 a.m., followed by a Noon Tee Time. There will be dinner and awards after the tournament. Sign up for $400 per team or $125 per player Register Now

Sincerely,

Dr. Gerald B. Hudson

Superintendent

This spring, Cedar Hill ISD has continued its commitment to integrate STEM education and experiences across every campus. Most recently, Bessie Coleman Middle School held its first ever #BessieSTEMNight for scholars, staff and the community. Watch the video below for a recap of the event.

Network Outage Planned for this Evening

You may be aware that last week, our district experienced network issues during our scheduled end of the year assessments for scholars.

Our Technology Department is exhausting all possibilities as we work to identify the cause for the network disruptions and issues.

On Monday April 25, Spectrum Internet will be on site to troubleshoot internet issues that the district has experienced last week. To help us identify issues, Spectrum will need to shut off our network at 5 p.m. today for approximately two hours.

This means if you are at a district facility during that time, you will NOT be able to access the Internet, district email and other network features. We have confirmed that telephone service will be available.

For those who are away from the district (at home or at an out of district event) you will be able to access the internet, district email, chisd.net, and most other network features. But, Skyward Finance and My.chisd.net will be down and not accessible during that time.

Register Your Scholar for Next School Year

Scholars in grades Pre-K through 12 are now able to register for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. All CHISD scholars must complete registration every year and families can get started by accessing their Skyward Student Access accounts. Registration can be completed at chisd.net/register. Parents/Guardians will need their Family Access password to complete the registration process, for families who need assistance resetting their password they are asked to contact their campus registrars, a complete list of registrars is available at chisd.net/registrar.

If parents/guardians need assistance with returning student registration, we encourage them to contact their scholar’s attendance clerk. The Lacy Enrollment Center will be assisting new to district scholars, while the campuses will be supporting current CHISD families with returning student registration.

• For returning student registration, families will need to show their proof of residency with an April or May date with the parent/guardian listed on the bill.
• If registration is not completed, your scholar will not receive their schedule before the first day of school and may not receive their choice of classes.

Allen Earns Gates Scholarship

Congratulations, Cedar Hill High School senior Carah Allen on earning a Gates Scholarship. More than 37,000 scholars apply for this scholarship, and only are presented with it. In addition to paying her undergraduate education (she'll attend Scripps College in Claremont, California), it will also provide leadership development, mentoring, career guidance and other benefits.

Sincerely,

Dr. Hudson

Superintendent

The Cedar Hill ISD Education Foundation (CHEF) recognized the final HOOPLA (Honoring Our Outstanding Paras, Lead Educators and Administrators) of the 2021-2022 School Year last week.

HOOPLA winners receive a $50 gift card, a banner and an invitation to be recognized at a CHISD Board Meeting.

This quarter’s honorees were Bessie Coleman Middle School Library Media Specialist Barbretta Baker, Permenter Middle School Administrative Secretary Diane Crowe, Collegiate Prep Elementary Teacher Latonya Gaither and CHISD Technology Employee Jordaine Whyte.

“To be awarded HOOPLA is a true honor that I do not take lightly,” Baker said. “I started with the district in 2001 as a parent volunteer and became an elementary teacher in 2005. As an educator, I am reminded of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who said ‘the function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically’.

Baker was nominated by BCMS colleague Leslie Moore, the 2021-2022 Cedar Hill ISD STEM Teacher of the Year.

Crowe continued the strong tradition of Permenter employees earning HOOPLA Awards. She was nominated by BCMS colleague Barimah Amoo-Asante, who earned a HOOPLA Award earlier this year.

“It is absolutely an honor to be recognized in a school district that has my heart,” Crowe said. “Receiving this award shows that the care, countless hours, and passion I have poured into CHISD doesn't go unnoticed! I have spent 29 years in education and 24 of those years with CHISD, I have witnessed my own two children and countless beautiful children I claim as family, grow up and graduate through this district over those same years.”

Gaither was a finalist for CHISD STEM Teacher of the Year and earned a Texas Trust Award earlier this year. She was nominated by Collegiate Prep Principal Dr. Xavier Lewis.
“Mrs. Gaither walked through the doors of Collegiate Prep and she has been making positive systematic changes,” Lewis said. Mrs. Gaither has gone above and beyond the requirements of the job by sponsoring an event on campus, innovating the science classroom, serving as a mentor and confidant for staff members, and playing a vital role in the community of Cedar Hill.”

Whyte was nominated by Monica Johnson of Permenter.
“Jordaine is always so helpful,” Johnson said “Whenever I put in a work order for something to be completed, he comes in and takes care of things quickly and efficiently. He is friendly, personable, and attentive.”

P-EBT benefits will be provided for the 2021–2022 school year. If your child is eligible, benefit amounts will vary because it is based on each student’s COVID-related absences, virtual attendance and school closures. This is different from previous P-EBT benefit amounts that were the same for all students at a campus.

There is no online application for P-EBT, but your child must be certified for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) to receive P-EBT.

If your child is eligible to receive P-EBT benefits, a notice will be mailed to you. If this is your first time receiving P-EBT benefits, the notice will have information on how to claim your benefits and get a P-EBT card mailed to you. If you have received P-EBT before, benefits will be issued on your Lone Star Card or P-EBT Card. If you no longer have that card, call the Lone Star Help Desk at 877-541-7905.

1. P-EBT benefits for the first semester (August 2021–December 2021) should be issued in late April 2022.
2. The second semester (January 2022–June 2022) benefits will be issued in July 2022. You might receive benefits for both semesters in July.

To learn more about eligibility, applying and getting your P-EBT benefits, visit hhs.texas.gov/pebt, or call the P-EBT Call Center at 833-442-1255, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Central time.

National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Eligibility

Receiving free meals at school does not mean a student is eligible for NSLP, and it does not automatically make a student eligible for P-EBT. Some Texas campuses have offered free meals to all students during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Children can be eligible for NSLP in different ways. They are eligible if they have one of the following:

• NSLP household meal application approved by the child nutrition department.
• Families are encouraged to submit a meal application by April 29, 2022 to receive P-EBT benefits in a timely manner. However, meal applications may still be approved up until June 30, 2022.
• Direct certification through state or local programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, federally funded Head Start or Early Head Start, foster care, migrant or homeless youth.
• Enrollment in Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools or Provision 2 (P2) schools.
• Children attending these schools are NSLP-eligible and do not need to complete a NSLP household application. If you are uncertain about whether your child’s school is a CEP or P2 school, contact the child nutrition department (contact your child’s school to reach the child nutrition director).

Welcome back from what I hope was a relaxing three day weekend. We are now in the home stretch, with the last day for scholars and staff just 29 days away.

Cedar Hill ISD Board Meeting Meeting Tonight

The Cedar Hill ISD Board of Trustees will meet tonight at 6:30 p.m.; the public portion of the meeting starts at 7:30. Tonight our Trustees will recognize the 2021-22 campus Teachers of the Year, the inaugural STEM Teachers of the Year and our latest HOOPLA Winners. Chief Financial Officer Gilberto Prado will provide a budget update for the 2022-23 fiscal year. You can view the full agenda here. The meeting will also stream live, you can watch it here.

Register Your Scholar for Next School Year

Scholars in grades Pre-K through 12 are now able to register for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. All CHISD scholars must complete registration every year and families can get started by accessing their Skyward Student Access accounts. Registration can be completed at chisd.net/register. Parents/Guardians will need their Family Access password to complete the registration process, for families who need assistance resetting their password they are asked to contact their campus registrars, a complete list of registrars is available at chisd.net/registrar.

If parents/guardians need assistance with returning student registration, we encourage them to contact their scholar’s attendance clerk. The Lacy Enrollment Center will be assisting new to district scholars, while the campuses will be supporting current CHISD families with returning student registration.

• For returning student registration, families will need to show their proof of residency with an April or May date with the parent/guardian listed on the bill.
• If registration is not completed, your scholar will not receive their schedule before the first day of school and may not receive their choice of classes.

Cedar Hill ISD Buses Have State-of-The-Art Cameras

All 65 CHISD buses that are currently on routes have five, state-of-the-art cameras per bus. We started the new year with full cameras on 10 of its new buses, but earlier this month, they expanded to 65 buses. The total cost was $105,000 to add the new camera and remove the old ones. Here is a link to the story and additional CHISD Transportation Updates.

Sincerely,

Dr. Hudson

Superintendent

P-EBT benefits will be provided for the 2021–2022 school year. If your child is eligible, benefit amounts will vary because it is based on each student’s COVID-related absences, virtual attendance and school closures. This is different from previous P-EBT benefit amounts that were the same for all students at a campus.

There is no online application for P-EBT, but your child must be certified for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) to receive P-EBT.

If your child is eligible to receive P-EBT benefits, a notice will be mailed to you. If this is your first time receiving P-EBT benefits, the notice will have information on how to claim your benefits and get a P-EBT card mailed to you. If you have received P-EBT before, benefits will be issued on your Lone Star Card or P-EBT Card. If you no longer have that card, call the Lone Star Help Desk at 877-541-7905.

1. P-EBT benefits for the first semester (August 2021–December 2021) should be issued in late April 2022.
2. The second semester (January 2022–June 2022) benefits will be issued in July 2022. You might receive benefits for both semesters in July.

To learn more about eligibility, applying and getting your P-EBT benefits, visit hhs.texas.gov/pebt, or call the P-EBT Call Center at 833-442-1255, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Central time.

National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Eligibility

Receiving free meals at school does not mean a student is eligible for NSLP, and it does not automatically make a student eligible for P-EBT. Some Texas campuses have offered free meals to all students during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Children can be eligible for NSLP in different ways. They are eligible if they have one of the following:

• NSLP household meal application approved by the child nutrition department.
• Families are encouraged to submit a meal application by April 29, 2022 to receive P-EBT benefits in a timely manner. However, meal applications may still be approved up until June 30, 2022.
• Direct certification through state or local programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, federally funded Head Start or Early Head Start, foster care, migrant or homeless youth.
• Enrollment in Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools or Provision 2 (P2) schools.
• Children attending these schools are NSLP-eligible and do not need to complete a NSLP household application. If you are uncertain about whether your child’s school is a CEP or P2 school, contact the child nutrition department (contact your child’s school to reach the child nutrition director).

School Start and End Times for 2022-23

CHISD transportation currently operates on a two-tier transportation system with elementary and middle schools on the first tier and CHHS on the second tier. Our administration has taken a close look at our transportation operations and how it relates to the start and end times for our schools; the current bell time structure is out of balance with a greater and disproportionate number of runs in the first tier; the most optimal bell time structure would be that of a triple tier system with 45 minutes between runs.

CHISD would highly benefit from a three-tier bell system which would allow for:

• transportation flexibility
• elevate on-time performance
• lower costs such as fuel and payroll
• better transportation service for programs such as STEM

Returning Student Registration is NOW OPEN!

It’s time to register your scholar(s) for the 2022-2023 school year! An early start date makes the CHISD returning student online registration process more convenient.

• All CHISD students must complete registration every year.
• The process can be completed at chisd.net/register.
• Campus registration staff will be available to answer questions.
• Frequently asked questions are available.

Click here to start the registration process for your student(s).

Watch Your Little Longhorn Grow in CHISD Prek & Kindergarten

Enrolling your scholar in an early childhood education is one of the best decisions you can make! Ninety percent of the brain is developed by the age of five. Cedar Hill ISD prek and kindergarten focus on readiness skills in all academic areas as well as the important social, emotional, and problem-solving skills they will need for success in school.

CHISD prek programs include:

• State-of-the-Art classrooms
• Free Breakfast and Lunch
• Technology-rich classrooms
• Social Emotional Learning
• Library Services
• Parent classes and parent education classes
• Certified nurses and counselors
• Rigorous curriculum focused on kindergarten readiness skills and the PK guidelines
• Hands-on lessons in STEM, literacy and more

This Saturday CHISD will host it's annual Prek & Kinder Showcase. Each elementary campus will be open from 9am-noon to prospective parents interested in learning more about early childhood education in CHISD and starting the registration process for the 2022-23 school year. To learn more, visit chisd.net/prek

Sincerely,

Dr. Gerald B. Hudson

Superintendent of Schools

Cedar Hill Independent School District

Scholars across Texas are quickly approaching the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) & End of Completion (EOC) Testing window.

House Bill 4545 requires Accelerated Instruction for all scholars in grades 3-8 who do not pass Math and Reading. Cedar Hill ISD will begin the Accelerated Instruction during Summer School; this means that all scholars in grades 3-8 who are unsuccessful, or do not take STAAR for Reading and/or Math, will have to attend Summer School.

End of Course Exams are one week away for English I and English II. The End of Course Exams for Algebra I, Biology, and US History, as well as, Grade 8 Science and Social Studies STAAR are six weeks away. STAAR for Grades 3-8 Math and Reading, and STAAR Science for Grade 5 are seven weeks away.