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| Smiles, photos, heat and a few tears (mostly from parents) marked the beginning of RISD's 2011-2012 academic year on Monday. The district welcomed back more than 36,000 students, and 205 new teachers (including 27 RISD graduates) began their tenure in the RISD family. Overall, the first day went safely and smoothly, and another successful year of achievement and learning in RISD has begun! >Top |
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Welcome to the 2011-12 school year in Richardson ISD! As we embrace the celebrations and challenges of a new school year, we unite as students, staff and stakeholders under Vision 2020 and our mission to serve and prepare all students for their global future.
First, I would like to highlight successes from the 2010-11 school year. RISD achieved numerous state and national recognitions – National Title 1 Distinguished School, National Blue Ribbon Schools, Texas Business & Education Coalition, TAP™ The System for Teacher and Student Advancement, Just for the Kids, and HEB Principal of the Year nominee, to name a few. We celebrate these successes together, and we look forward to many more this school year.
With the Texas Education Agency's recent release of accountability ratings, RISD remains a leader in educational excellence as the TAKS era comes to a close. RISD is the largest, most diverse district in Texas to earn a 'Recognized' rating for six consecutive years. As you may be aware, the state is replacing TAKS testing with STAAR. We will share more details about the impact of end-of-course exams in future issues of STN. However, please click here for more details about STAAR.
I am proud of student and staff efforts and accomplishments under Vision 2020 – implementation of Renzulli's Schoolwide Enrichment model at the elementary level, enhancement of Project-Based Learning at the secondary level, strong community approval of our $170 million 2011 Bond program, partnership with our elected state officials in the 82nd Legislative Session, and stakeholder engagement and Board approval of our 2011-12 Budget without teacher layoffs and major program reductions. We were collaborative, thoughtful and transparent in our decision-making regarding these major initiatives. Thank you for communicating with us during the bond and budget processes.
Without a doubt, RISD is prepared to embrace the challenges at the state and federal levels in 2011-12. With your engagement and partnership, we will continue our district's rich legacy of excellence in student achievement and all supporting operations. Thank you for your support of RISD as we enter an exciting new school year! >Top
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For the second consecutive year, RISD recently received a Leadership Circle Award – Gold for financial transparency from the office of Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
The state launched the Texas Comptroller Leadership Circle program in December 2009 to recognize local governments across Texas that are striving to meet a high standard for financial transparency online.
The Leadership Circle Awards spotlight those local governments that are:
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- opening their books to the public
- providing clear, consistent pictures of spending
- sharing information in a user-friendly format that lets taxpayers easily drill down for more information.
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The Texas Comptroller revised the award program, effective Jan. 1, 2011, with improved award criteria. The new criteria clarified definitions and offered more options and reward to those local governments that go beyond the basics of posting three recommended documents — the Budget, the Annual Financial Report (or Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) and the Check Register — in a user friendly manner. The state awards Leadership Circle designees with a certificate reflecting their Circle Award level: Gold, Silver or Bronze.
"Gold" highlights those entities that are setting the bar with their transparency efforts.
"Silver" encourages those who are making progress.
"Bronze" inspires those who are just beginning their transparency efforts.
RISD is committed to excellence in operations, including district finances, and to provide taxpayers with a transparent look at where public dollars are used to prepare students for their global future. For more information about the state's Leadership Circle Award, visit texastransparency.org/local/schools. >Top |
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Edline: Welcome to RISD Interactive Classrooms |
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 As part of the approved 2011 Bond program, RISD began implementation of Edline for the 2011-12 school year. Edline is a dynamic, web-based content management system that engages teachers, students and parents with timely and relevant information and aligns to the district's Vision 2020 mission and goals.
Within Edline, all RISD teachers are designing interactive classrooms (web pages) to share information, assignments, calendars and links for each class period they teach. At school events, campuses are sharing secure and confidential activation codes with students and parents to access Edline and engage RISD families in their student's education. If you are a parent of an RISD student and need an Edline activation code, please contact your student's campus office. Parents will receive separate activation codes for each student enrolled in RISD.
To access Edline after receiving an activation code, simply click the Edline link on the top of the RISD home page or visit www.edline.net. Additionally, RISD is utilizing Edline to launch new campus and district websites, which will feature multiple language translation capabilities to engage and communicate with all district stakeholders. >Top |
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RISD Launches Public View of Board Book |
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 In an effort to better inform and engage stakeholders of RISD Board meetings and decisions, the district has created an online link for the public to access Board Book – a web-based system that houses the RISD Board meeting notices, agendas and minutes. Additionally, RISD will reduce printing costs by going paperless at Board meetings and using technology to display agendas at each meeting.
Regular Board meetings are held at 7 p.m. in the RISD Administration Building, 400 S. Greenville Ave. in Richardson, usually the first Monday of each month. Special meetings may be held after public notice. All Board meetings are public meetings under the Texas Open Meetings Act; however portions of the meetings may, under Texas law, be closed to the public.
To access the Board Book link, click here, or visit www.risd.org and click About RISD tab at the top, then Board of Trustees and then Board Book. Beginning with the Sept. 12, 2011 Board meeting, RISD will post a Board Brief – online communication with meeting highlights– within a day or two of the meeting date. The Board Briefs will also be available as part of the public view of Board Book. >Top |
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| Emily Snooks (left), ExxonMobil, and Millicent Boykin (right), Volunteer Center of North Texas, present Rahiel Alemu, Intern of the Year award recipient, with a check in honor of her outstanding service through the ExxonMobil Community Summer Jobs Program. |
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Lake Highlands Graduate Honored for Outstanding Service
Rahiel Alemu, a Lake Highlands High School graduate and sophomore math major at Duke University, was recently named the 2011 Intern of the Year by the ExxonMobil Community Summer Jobs Program in Dallas. Funded by ExxonMobil Foundation and administered by the Volunteer Center of North Texas, the Community Summer Jobs Program provides grants for 60 North Texas nonprofit organizations to hire talented college interns during peak summer months. Through the program, agencies receive much-needed help while college students gain real-world experience and a better understanding of the important role of nonprofits in our community.
Alemu spent this summer interning with Rainbow Days, which strives to inspire and prepare children to live a life filled with hope and promise by offering an array of alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention programs. To help the agency fulfill its mention, she planned, coordinated and implemented activities for an annual back-to-school celebration for homeless children and their families, and facilitated support groups at assigned shelter sites. When located restaurants unexpectedly backed out of donating meals for the agency’s back-to-school celebration just weeks before the event, Alemu took it upon herself to address the problem so that Rainbow Days’ underserved clients did not go without. “I met the kids and knew what they were going through, and I really felt that I could do something,” said Alemu. After a few phone calls, she was able secure donations of hundreds of meals from area restaurants ensuring a successful celebration.
As Intern of the Year, Alemu received an award and check for $1,000 honoring her accomplishments during her internship. >Top |
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Partners Program School Supply Drive |
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RISD's long-time partner the Richardson Chamber of Commerce recently hosted the 53rd Annual New Teacher's Luncheon to honor 235 new faculty and staff. Keynote Speaker, Larry James, CEO of CitySquare in Dallas, presented about "The Power of One Teacher." As an RHS alum, James' shared his memoirs of the impact many RISD teachers made in his life, and the difference a single teacher can make. To add to his testament, James' invited his granddaughter Gracie Toombs, a 4th grade White Rock Elementary student, to share her essay entitled "The Perfect Teacher." Gracie's moving essay about her 3rd grade teacher Ms. Cornett will be used by Garland ISD as a motivational tool for staff development.
This event was coordinated by the Chamber's Education Committee, composed of several businesses, non-profits, and educational institutions that recruited a variety of Chamber members to volunteer and donate prizes. |
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Linda L. Schoelkopf, Junior Achievement President and lead tri-chair of the Education Committee stated, "The Richardson Chamber Education Committee has long believed it is critical that teachers new to the RISD are welcomed with open arms by the business community. After all, it is these teachers who are tasked with the responsibility of preparing the next generation of employees, consumers, and community leaders." Many thanks to the Richardson Chamber of Commerce and their members for their ongoing support of RISD.
$2,500 Masters Degree Sponsor: City of Richardson
$1,000 Bachelors Degree Sponsors: Avnet, Inc., Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, The Boeing Company, Credit Union of Texas, Methodist Richardson Medical Center, Texas Instruments, Inc., The University of Texas at Dallas.
$500 Associates Degree Sponsors: Assurnet Insurance Agency, DART, Fujitsu Network Communications, Legacy Texas Bank, Oncor Electric Delivery, Owens Foods, Post Eastside Apartments, Richland College, RISD Excellence in Education Foundation, and VisionBank Texas.
$500 Diploma Level Sponsors: Atmos Energy, Ebby Halliday Realtors, Leadership Richardson Alumni Association, Network of Community Ministries, Realtors Supporting Richardson Schools, and Reliable Chevrolet.
The following organizations donated door prizes for more than 200 new faculty and staff: 7 Eleven, Eastside Autumn Leaves of Richardson/North Garland, Avnet, Inc, BB&T, Chiloso Mexican Bistro, Chiropractic for Everyone, Doubletree Hotel, Dr. Jack Bodie DDS, Ebby Halliday Realtors, Farmers Insurance- Kilgore Agency, Ginger Benedict, Mary Kay, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Richardson, Hyatt Regency North Dallas/Richardson, Jersey Mikes, LegacyTexas Bank, Loveable Smiles, Martha Ritter, Nannis Chiropractic, neighborsgo, NETWORK of Community Ministries, North Dallas Martial Arts, Petals & Stems Florist, Raising Cane's, Renaissance Dallas-Richardson Hotel, Representative Angie Chen Button, Texas House of Representatives
Representative Stefani Carter, Texas House of Representatives, Restland Funeral Home and Cemetery, Richardson Bike Mart, Richardson Chamber of Commerce, Richardson Chamber of Commerce EarlyNet, Richland College, RISD Excellence In Education Foundation, Time Warner Business Class, Sweetmix Desserts, Urban Eatz, UT Dallas, Institute for Entrepreneurship, Winfree Academy, Yumilicious Frozen Yogurt, Eastside >Top |
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School Times Now Subscription Confirmations Coming |
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As a best practice each year, RISD attempts to keep its email databases up to date through a subscription confirmation process. As a School Times Now subscriber, you will soon receive an email asking you to confirm your subscription to School Times Now, the district's free community newsletter.
All you'll have to do is reply to that email, no words needed, and your subscription will continue. If you do not reply to the message, your email address will be removed from the School Times Now subscription list. Anyone may subscribe or re-subscribe at any time by visiting risd.org/schooltimesnow.
Recipients of School Times Now can also unsubscribe at any time by following the directions at the bottom of each edition.
Thank you for helping RISD manage its online resources efficiently. >Top |
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SCHOOL TIMES NOW! ARCHIVE |
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Did you miss an issue of School Times Now!? Click here to view the archives. >Top |
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