We made it! A couple of years ago when Hurricane Harvey hit our community and area so hard, I never dreamed that there could be something even more challenging in our future.
The words that we have learned so well during this time (and continue to learn) are flexibility, change, patience, and of course, social distancing.
I cannot begin to express my gratitude for the partnerships between our staff and our
DISD families! We truly are blessed to have wonderful parents/grandparents/guardians.
As we close out this school year and prepare for the 2020-2021 school year, we have lots of information to give you.
As guidelines continue to change and be updated, our DISD administrative team has learned to modify and adjust as per the guidelines of our Governor, Texas Education Agency (TEA) and UIL (student activity) directives.
As author Tony Robbins once said, “ Stay committed to your goals but stay flexible in your approach. ”
I believe we all have learned to live by this quote well during the pandemic. We all have been committed to the safety and academic process of our children but our approach continues to change as per guidelines we are given.
- Chromebooks for Summer School – Summer School will be done very similarly to the spring semester’s learning- remote and with packets. Knowing the importance of continued learning for our students, we will be checking out Chromebooks to Summer School students. This will be for all Summer School students through 8th grade who do not have a device (computer, laptop,
Chromebook, tablet) at home to complete their schoolwork. Grades, participation, and completion will all be a part of the summer school program this year. This is a little different than the spring semester, as only participation and completion were considered towards students’ progress. If you have any questions concerning Summer School, please contact your child’s principal or Mr. Allen Painter. - How can I help my child with remote learning if we do not have internet access? The district has installed additional hotspots and access points outside of Richter Elementary (front entrance) where folks can drive up and park to access the internet. Also, the City of Dayton has The Crossroads (by Jack-in-the-Box) and the Community Center has internet access where you can go and park and do
some work. Dayton ISD has acquired hotspots for several of our buses. We will be driving our buses out to certain locations during specific hours of the day so that our students can access internet services. We are working on those locations, so stay tuned! We will roll out that information and schedules as we get them. - Enrichment Summer Program – This exciting optional program is for all students and for all ages. It is FREE and students who take advantage of these learning activities and lessons will be given rewards and incentives at the start of school. This program will start on June 1 and will end on July 9.
Students can do all or some of the activities that are going to be posted on the DISD website. These activities will target math and reading skills. There is no registration. All information will be sent out in an email by Mrs. Shanna McCracken to DISD families next week and will be posted on the Dayton ISD website. We look forward to supporting our students and families with this new summer program. - Graduation and Senior Celebrations Update – (CHANGE and SAVE the date) TEA continues to update and change their mandates on graduations. It announced that school districts are now permitted to hold in-person outdoor graduations. We originally had scheduled an indoor graduation celebration in July, however, TEA has given guidance concerning indoor graduations. Since those guidelines have come out, Dayton High School has been working diligently to ensure that our
ceremonies are not only memorable for our seniors, but also maintain the health and safety of our students, staff and families. To that end, we are following the guidelines developed by the TEA related to maintaining proper social distancing for both students and guests. So mark your calendar!
We will be holding an outdoor graduation at Bronco Stadium on June 20 @ 10:00 a.m. Mr. Geoff McCracken (principal) will be sending out information to all seniors and their families with all of the particulars restrictions and guidelines that we must abide by as per Governor Abbott and TEA. Graduates will receive their diplomas on the 20th. For those who do not feel comfortable in attending
due to large numbers and/or out of health concerns, DHS will mail diplomas through certified mail. DHS and Dayton ISD would like to thank the City of Dayton for all of their support and special ways that they have helped celebrate and honor this year’s Senior Class. For more information, please contact Mrs. Kim Wood (Lead Counselor) or Mr. Geoff McCracken. - Partial re-opening- Dayton ISD has started partially re-opening the district with a receptionist at each facility this past week. If you have any questions, then feel free to call our district/campuses from 8 a.m. to noon Monday-Friday . Dayton ISD office phone number is 936-258-2667.
- Our Fine Arts Department put together an amazing virtual Art Show and Exhibit this past week. Thank you to all of our young artists and an outstanding group of art teachers! I encourage you to take the time to visit the virtual exhibit. Click on the link: https://sites.google.com/daytonisd.net/disdbroncoart
- FFA Show – Our annual Dayton FFA Show and Rodeo has been modified to just a show this year. We have postponed the auction until Saturday, June 6, 2020 starting at 12:30 p.m. This will be a live auction and will also be on-line for those who do not wish to attend in person. Anyone who is interested in participating and/or wishes to join the 100 Club, please contact Pam Huggins at
Pam.huggins@daytonisd.net - Will this be the last Parent Letter? Yes and no is my answer to this question. I will not be sending out weekly letters. However, as our world continues to change, so will important information for students and parents. Our administrative team is juggling the guidelines from our Governor, from TEA, from our County Judge, and from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). I know many have seen the summer school CDC guidelines and are very concerned. Please know that we all hope and pray that many of these guidelines will be relaxed for the fall school year. I can assure you that our administrative team will continue to monitor and make plans accordingly that will keep our children safe yet have as normal of schooling as we can.
Therefore, I will send out parent letters and communication as needed throughout the summer. Please continue to check your emails, phone messages, texts, and our website. Thank you again for partnering with us this school year. I pray for everyone’s safety. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. God Bless and stay safe.
Dr. Jessica Johnson,
Superintendent of Dayton ISD