New Braunfels ISD will be closed for Spring break March 15-19 with a Student Holiday/Staff Workday on Monday, March 22. During this period, New Braunfels ISD will not be collecting, tracing or reporting student and staff COVID cases on the online Dashboard. Visit our reporting website for more details, FAQs & resources. Stay safe!

CLICK HERE for complete details.

I know that Gov. Greg Abbott’s COVID-19 related executive orders may have caused some concern in our community.  However, the Texas Education Agency announced on Wednesday that, “a public school system’s current practices on masks may continue unchanged.”  

We asked all employees and parents to participate in a ThoughtExchange to provide information to the Board of Trustees regarding you preferences on continuing to require masks.

Overwhlmingly, parents preferred to keep mask mandates in place at NBISD by 70%.  Also, employees preferred to keep mask mandates in place at NBISD by 78%. 

This means the wearing of masks by all of our employees, students and visitors, social distancing and other protocols outlined in the NBISD Return to School guidelines remain in effect.  Our Board of Trustees support the continuation of the mask guidelines in order to keep our students and employees safe.

I will reiterate that the quarantine guidelines were not changed by the Governor's new order.  We feel that not wearing masks at school would result in large numbers of students and staff being quarantined on a regular basis, which causes great disruption to teaching and learning.

I believe the safety protocols that we have put into place are protecting our students and staff from COVID-19. We are safer, because we have been working together to protect one another by wearing masks, practicing social distancing, washing our hands and implementing other safety practices.  

Our families together have made incredible progress and tackled more challenges during one school year than I have seen in my entire educational career.  We have met these challenges with tenacity, grit, reliance and our unwavering  spirit. As we march toward the end of this school year, we will continue to put the safety of our students, staff and families at the forefront of all that we do. We have proven over the past year that we are stronger together, and I have every confidence that this mantra will continue to guide us as we wrap up this semester.  

Thank you,
Randy Moczygemba
Superintendent of Schools  

Governor Abbot announced sweeping changes to COVID 19 on Tuesday, opening all establishments to 100% and removing the mask mandate effective next Wednesday, March 10, 2021.


On Thursday, TEA Commissioner, Mike Morath, told school superintendents that mask rules will remain in place for public schools. However, the local school boards will have the authority to modify mask requirements.



LINK: Governor's Executive Order (GA-34) issued March 2, 2021

LINK: Texas Education Agency's "SY 20-21 Public Health Planning Guidance" Updated March 4, 2021

LINK: TEA's News Release with Updates to Public Health Guidance from March 3, 2021

Dear Unicorn Family: 

We are aware of Governor Abbott’s announcement to rescind the statewide mask mandate effective Wednesday, March 10. At this time, New Braunfels ISD is waiting for further guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) that oversees public school districts in Texas. 

Until we have further guidance, our health protocols will remain in place including universal mask wearing in our schools. These protocols, mitigation efforts and CDC best practices are in place not only to protect the spread of COVID-19 but to also ensure the ability of New Braunfels ISD schools to remain open. 

We will notify you once we have more information or if any changes occur. 

Sincerely,

Randy Moczygemba

Have you or your child been required to QUARANTINE for 14 days or more? Here’s Why. COVID-19 has up to a 14-day incubation period.

ENGLISH VERSION OF TIMELINE

SPANISH VERSION OF TIMELINE

Please use this chart to determine if your child can go to school today or not. This chart was created and shared by the Comal County Office of Public Health. Below you can find the image in both English and Spanish. The 3 questions you should ask are:

1. Do you believe your child may have been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19?

2. Does your child have one or more of these High Risk symptoms? (Fever of 100.0 degrees Farenheit, cough, shortness of breath, or loss of taste or smell)  OR

Does your child have TWO or more of these Low-Risk symptoms? (Sore throat, nasal congestion, nasal discharge, nausea, vomitting, diarrhea, muscle aches, headache or fatigue)

3. Does your child have ONE of these Low-RIsk symptoms?

Your next action will be based on YES or NO response to each question. 

If you answer is YES to any or all of the questions, your child should stay home.

If you answer NO to all of the questions, your child can come to school.

DOWNLOAD ENGLISH VERSION OF CHART

DOWNLOAD SPANISH VERSION OF CHART

Dear Unicorn Family:

Welcome Back! It is a new semester and a new year! My mantra last semester was “If we make it through December” from the song by Merle Haggard. It was a rough year but we learned a lot, pushed ourselves to think outside the box and did a lot of listening and collaborating to make sure this school year was as successful as possible. 

Here at the halfway point, all I can say is that I am very proud of our staff for their diligence and dedication to the students and community during 2020. As we continue into 2021, I know that they will continue to give their best every day to provide our students with the best education and learning opportunities.

Tomorrow students will return to campus bringing our number up to 81 percent of students on campus. With this increase and the increase in COVID-19 cases in our community, we want to remind you of the Daily Health Screen Checklist. We ask that you be as transparent as possible when it comes to any COVID-19 contact or symptoms and inform the school nurse immediately. 

COVID-19 Daily Health Screen Checklist

https://www.nbisd.org/page/Coronavirus_COVID-19#healthscreen

1. Does your child have any of the following high-risk symptoms:
   
   - A temperature of 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
   - Cough (with new onset or worsening cough in the case of asthma)
   - Shortness of breath/increased work of breathing; or
   - Loss of taste or smell
   
   

2. Does your child have any TWO of the following low risk symptoms

• Sore throat

• Nasal congestion/nasal discharge

• Nausea/vomiting/diarrhea

• Myalgias (muscle aches) unrelated to exercise /injury

• Headache

• Fatigue 

3. To your knowledge, in the last 14 days, has your child had close contact* with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?

*Beginning 10/19/20 NBISD defines close contact as 6ft or less for more than 15 minutes. If both individuals in close contact are properly wearing masks, only the positive individual will be quarantined if either are not properly masked, both will be quarantined.

If your child has any of the above-listed, one high-risk symptom or two low risk symptoms: 

1. Please do not send your child to school

2. CLICK HERE to report your screening results to the school nurse

3. Wait on further instructions from your school nurse or email nurse@nbisd.org
   
   

We have set up a webpage that outlines the reporting protocols following the holidays that includes FAQs and other timely resources. CLICK HERE to review the information.

BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH

January is traditionally observed as Board Appreciation Month. We ask that you join us in thanking our seven board members that were elected as Trustees for NBISD. All seven board members serve in the volunteer capacity to serve the students, staff and community members in this vital capacity. 

CLICK HERE to learn more about our local school board members.

CLICK HERE to view a video produced by the Texas Association of School Boards that gives an overview of the “Role of a School Board.”

BOND 2021

The Board of Trustees is considering calling a bond referendum in 2021 to fund the building of additional facilities to complete the second high school as well as build another elementary school. A committee is being formed to determine exactly what will be included in the bond package. If you are interested in serving on the committee, the form is posted online at nbisdbond.com. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Monday, January 11, 2021.

We look forward to the rest of the school year and wish you and your family a happy and healthy new year!

Sincerely,

Randy Moczygemba

Dear Unicorn Family,

As our semester comes to an end, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience and support during this trying time. We have made it halfway through the school year and appreciate your cooperation to provide our students with the best educational opportunities possible. 

TEA ANNOUNCEMENT

Last week the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced that they would pause the ratings they issue to schools and school districts associated with the STAAR test. We were pleased to hear the announcement and feel that it is a great compromise to all those that would be affected. The past year has created different challenges for every school district across the state. The fact that we will still be required to administer the test is not popular to everyone, but we welcome the data it will provide so we will have a measurement of where each student is academically. COVID-19 has caused a lot of problems so having this testing data will help us evaluate and move forward. READ TEA ANNOUNCEMENT

BOND 2021

The Board of Trustees is considering calling a bond referendum in 2021 to fund the building of additional facilities to complete the second high school as well as build another elementary school. A committee will be formed after the start of the new year to determine exactly what will be included in the bond package. If you are interested in serving on the committee, the form will be posted online at nbisdbond.com. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Monday, January 11, 2021.

COVID-19 BY THE NUMBERS

We have hit another record high number of positive COVID-19 cases and only anticipate the number to continue to rise in our schools. We went up to 47 active positive cases this week and have been in the 40s every day. In addition, we have more than 400 in quarantine including nearly 200 at NBHS alone. The trend we are seeing is students coming to school even after they come in contact with an individual that is positive for COVID-19. This is putting several students and staff at risk and causing more individuals to be quarantined.  We need your help as parents to help us slow this curve.

Daily Health Screening Checklist

Link to the NBISD COVID-19 Dashboard

CHANGE OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

We recently allowed you to change your child’s learning environment for the 3rd grading period that begins on Tuesday, January 5. Out of those that responded, we had approximately 280 students that will be returning to on-campus classes. Additionally, we had less than a 100 move to remote learning. This will bring our total number of on-campus students to 7,531 or 81.26% and our remote learners to 1,737 or 18.74%. These are approximate numbers to reflect the 9,268 students currently enrolled.

SPECIAL EDUCATION APPRECIATION

National Special Education Day was held on Dec. 2 but we have decided to make it a month-long celebration. Every day on our Facebook page we are spotlighting our Special Education staff. Be sure to send them a quick note or post a comment to thank them for their role in educating the youth of NBISD. We appreciate them all! VIEW GALLERY

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

We would like to thank Michael Calta and Matthew Sargent for their years of service to the school district as Board members. Both served one term from 2018-2021 and did a wonderful job. On Dec. 14, two new board members were sworn in and will serve a 3-year term. Welcome Trustee Nancy York and Trustee John Tucker! READ MORE

COVID-19 REPORTING DURING THE BREAK

We have set up a webpage that outlines the reporting protocols for the holiday break that includes FAQs and other timely resources. CLICK HERE to review the information.

Mitigating COVID-19 Risks During the Holidays - PDF

REMINDERS

Friday, December 18

Early Dismissal for All Students

(dismissal 90 minutes earlier than normal)

Monday, January 4, 2021

Student Holiday/Staff Workday

I hope you have a wonderful holiday break and please help slow the spread of COVID-19. 

Happy Holidays!

Randy Moczygemba

CLICK HERE or on the image below to view the Zoom with NBISD Superintendent Randy Moczygemba that was held on Dec. 10, 2020. This session was intended to provide an update on construction, enrollment projections, transition to the new Ninth Grade Center/Future High School and an overview of future campus locations.

To view a copy of the PowerPoint from the session select the version below:

ENGLISH VERSION

SPANISH VERSION

Dear Unicorn Family:

December is finally here. This time of year usually brings me so much joy for so many reasons. This year as you can imagine will be different and will require us all to make some decisions about our family’s safety and health. 

For the past several weeks we have seen the COVID-19 numbers rising across the country. Here in NBISD, we hit our highest number of confirmed cases in one day on Friday, December 4th with 38 confirmed cases as well as 204 exposures to a positive. This is something we had hoped would not become a reality and ask for your help to ensure that the numbers don’t continue to climb. It comes down to planning, protection and prevention. 

Plan your outings with social distancing in mind and avoid crowded places.

Protect you and your loved ones by monitoring your health daily, wearing a mask and washing your hand.

Prevent your chance of exposure by limiting your gatherings to only those you live with and follow CDC recommendations. 

CLICK HERE to view the NBISD COVID-19 Dashboard updated each evening on school days.

CDC RECOMMENDATIONS

Since the start of this pandemic, we have relied on organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Comal County Health Department, Texas Education Agency (TEA), and the University Scholastic League (UIL) to help us develop our protocols and procedures. Earlier this week, the CDC announced an update to their guidelines reducing the number of days close contacts should quarantine following exposure to a COVID-19 positive individual. However, they still recommend following the standard quarantine protocols. We have been in discussions with our local health authority and do not plan to make any changes at this point in time. We will keep you updated if any changes are made at the local level.

UPDATED CALENDAR

The end of the second grading period is in a few weeks. The last day of the semester will be on Friday, December 18. We will have an early dismissal that afternoon with all schools dismissing students 90 minutes earlier than normal on December 18. This also means all busses will be dropping off students in the afternoon 90 minutes earlier than normal.

Additionally, the first day back from the winter break for students will be Tuesday, January 5. This new student holiday was voted on by the board at a recent board meeting. We will not have class on Monday, January 4. To view the updated calendar, CLICK HERE.

FREE ELEMENTARY WEEKEND MEALS

Elementary students will now receive free meals on Fridays to take home for the weekend at no cost. The weekend meals include two (2) breakfasts and two (2) lunches. PLEASE NOTE: Due to the early dismissal on Dec. 18 meals will not be sent home on this date. For more details on the weekend meal program, CLICK HERE.

ZOOM

NBISD will be hosting two parent and staff ZOOM webinars on Thursday to provide an update on construction, enrollment projections, transition to the new Ninth Grade Center/Future High School and an overview of future campus locations.  The meetings will be at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and will last approximately 30-45 minutes.  The meetings will be identical and you may attend either one. 

Check your email for the ZOOM links or send an email to info@nbisd.org to request the log-in information.

We hope you are enjoying this colder weather and the festive lights around town. Please take care of yourselves and please PLAN, PROTECT, and PREVENT to help slow down the spread of COVID-19. 

Sincerely,
Randy Moczygemba
Superintendent

Dear Unicorn Family:

As we enter the second grading period of the school year, we are excited to have 2,000 more students back on campus! This transition took several days and we greatly appreciate your patience and cooperation. I hope everyone is getting settled in and adjusted to their new schedules, teachers, and procedures.

I wanted to share with you the most recent TEA decision that affects students with regard to remote learning. It was always our intention to require any remote student that was not passing 3 core classes at the end of a grading period to transition to face-to-face learning the following grading period. This was outlined in our “Tracking Student Progress” section of the Remote Parent/Student Guide. 

After ending our first grading period we found that 20% of remote students were failing 3 or more classes. This was alarming to us since our primary function is to educate kids. Every student’s circumstances are different as well as their learning style. We have always been diligent about providing each student with the support they need to be successful.

With that said, TEA has proclaimed that any students that wish to remain in remote learning regardless of their academic success should be allowed to if the school district is actively offering remote learning. If you feel that your child needs to return to remote learning please contact your campus principals to make those arrangements. 

Our enrollment has been steady the past few weeks and we reached our official snapshot date this week with more than 9,200 students. Out of those currently enrolled, we are educating 7,292 (78.8%) on campus and 1,962 (21.2%) as remote learners. Our COVID-19 dashboard has also been holding steady this week with less than 10 current positive cases district-wide and less than 100 current exposures-to-a-positive cases district-wide. As of yesterday, we have had a total of 45 students test positive for COVID-19 this school year, and 13 staff members out of the more than 1,300 employees. We are optimistic that these numbers will remain low, but it will take everyone doing their part to make that a reality. CLICK HERE to view the COVID-19 dashboard.

Below is some additional information that we wanted to pass along that is timely.

Flu Vaccine Clinics

NBISD will be hosting on-site Flu Vaccine Clinics at all campuses on Nov. 17-18. Parents must register online by Nov. 11 to secure a slot for their child to receive a flu vaccination at school. Remote learners may also register but will have an alternative site for the clinic. CLICK HERE for more information.

REGISTRATION LINK: https://bit.ly/31XyM40

Free Meals Waiver Extension

NBISD’s Child Nutrition Department was recently notified by the Texas Department of Agriculture that a waiver has been granted allowing students to receive free school meals until June 2021.

Your students may enjoy breakfast and lunch at no charge, whether they dine on campus or pick-up curbside meals as a remote learner. Free meals will only include the normal offering on the menu that is served through the cafeteria line. 

Additionally, students that bring lunch from home may also go through the cafeteria line and pick a fruit, vegetable, and milk at no cost under this waiver. Check out the nutritional menus online by clicking here.  

We are living in uncertain times and hope that you know that we are partners with you in your child’s education and want what is best for the whole child.

Sincerely,

Randy Moczygemba

Dear NBISD Family:

I wanted to provide some details and a few reminders about the beginning of the second grading period which begins Monday, October 19.

All elementary students should have received your campus assignments for Monday, if you are going from REMOTE to ON-CAMPUS for the second grading period. 

All middle school and high school students will receive notifications of when to return next week. As soon as we run report cards, we will be able to make the schedule changes in our Student Information System.

Beginning Monday, October 19, our quarantine requirements will fully go into effect. When a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, we will continue to do tracking and tracing to determine which students and/or staff have been in close contact which is defined as 6 ft or less for more than 15 minutes.  If both individuals in close contact are properly wearing masks, only the positive individual will be quarantined. If either are not properly wearing masks, both will be quarantined.

This new practice was adopted due to the fact that we did not have any students or staff who contracted COVID-19 after a close contact with an individual who tested positive, when both were wearing masks. This was tracked for every positive individual for the entire nine weeks.

Please know that the safety and health of our students and staff is paramount. If we begin to see transmission of COVID-19 that occur when both individuals are wearing masks, we will revert to the former practice of quarantine.

We worked diligently to determine how to ensure equity for all students as we approach this next nine weeks. There are three thing we did to be as equitable as possible:

• For those individuals who were quarantined prior to this past Monday and still had quarantine days that would extend past Monday, October 19, we went back to our tracking and tracing records and determined which students were quarantined in instances where both individuals were wearing masks. We contacted these parents to ensure that their student has had no symptoms or outside exposures, and we invited them to return to campus on Monday, October 19. For those not wearing a proper mask, their quarantine will continue for the remaining days.
• For those individuals who were determined to be close contact during this week, we did not quarantine those in close contact as long as both were wearing a proper mask.  If either the positive person or the person in close contact were not wearing a proper  mask, both were quarantined.

It is important that everyone remember the proper mask protocol to ensure that we can keep COVID-19 exposure to a minimum and keep our students and staff in the classrooms where they belong.

Approved face coverings (Updated: 10-15-20)

• Non-medical grade disposable paper face masks that are at least two-ply
• No ventilation devices in mask
• Cloth face masks that cover the nose and mouth and made from at least two layers of fabric
• Gaiters and Bandanas are not allowed (Updated: 10-15-20)
• Face shields which wrap around the sides of the wearers face and extend below the chin to protect eyes, nose and mouth
• Face shields that attach to hats or caps are not allowed

Face coverings shall be worn at all times when students cannot be distance more than six feet apart.

We look forward to seeing all of our students next week, both remote and on-campus. We appreciate our parents working with us to help us provide the best opportunities possible during this unprecedented time.

We also appreciate the efforts of our staff. We have more than 1,300 employees working non-stop to provide for the education and well-being of 9,300 students.

COVID-19 is a challenge, but working together we can defeat it!! Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,
Randy Moczygemba

CLICK HERE or on the image below to view the Parent Zoom with NBISD Superintendent Randy Moczygemba was held on Oct. 13 2020. This session was held to go over recent updates to NBISD's COVID-19 procedures and other related changes.

Dear Parents/Guardians:

New Braunfels ISD Superintendent Randy Moczygemba will be hosting a Zoom session with parents today (Oct. 13) at 6PM to go over recent updates to our COVID-19 procedures and other related changes.

The session is scheduled to last no more than one hour, will begin with a presentation by the Superintendent and conclude with Q&As.

A recording of the session will be posted on this page along with a copy of the PowerPoint presentation and FAQs.

We hope you can join us for this month’s Parent Zoom with the Superintendent. If you would like the log-in information for the session, email news@nbisd.org.

Sincerely,

Randy Moczygemba

Superintendent of Schools

Dear Parents/Guardians:

This week the NBISD Board of Trustees met and discussed our most recent recommendations regarding updates to the COVID-19 procedures and guidelines with regards to proper masking and quarantine procedures.

The recommendation came after gathering information from our administrators, area superintendents, employees, parents and input from our local health officials. During the first grading period, we have been collecting data regarding our positive exposures and those considered “close contacts.” We have seen frequent reports of cases involving our students and employees and in turn, quarantined nearly 700 students and staff across multiple campuses. The large numbers of students who met the CDC Recommendation for “close contact” and were quarantined just in the last two weeks were alarming. 

Through the tracking and tracing process, the district has kept detailed records of positive cases, close contact numbers and numbers of individuals who have contracted COVID-19. This type of data is relative to each individual district and is not necessarily applicable or comparable to any other districts due to multiple variations within each district, such as school start date, percentages of students On-Campus and Remote, mask guidelines, etc.

In reviewing our own data, you will see that only 5 individuals out of a total of 689 who were quarantined, contracted COVID-19 from exposure at school. Four of the five individuals had “close contact” in athletics, where masks were not being worn. The fifth individual had “close contact” at lunch, again where masks were not being worn.

Our data indicates that when all students are wearing a mask, students have not contracted COVID-19 while at school.

Based on this data, we are adjusting to how we define a “close contact” to a lab-confirmed positive. Under the change, an individual will be considered a “close contact” if: 

• they are directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on); or

• they are within 6 feet for a largely uninterrupted period throughout the course of a day totaling approximately 15 minutes. If both individuals are properly masked, they will not be considered to be in “close contact.” Please note that we will no longer allow gaiters of any type to be worn at school or during school-related activities.

This new protocol will be implemented during the next nine-week school period that begins on Monday, October 19, 2020, and reevaluated frequently with regards to community spread indicators and district COVID positive cases. All tracking and tracing of students will continue and notifications will go to all parents when a student is in “close contact.”

Based on these changes we would like to give parents one last opportunity to make a Learning Environment Change Request. Parents will have up until 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2020, to submit their request. Please note that this may delay the notification of your child’s teacher assignment or schedule. The new grading period begins on Monday so we ask for your patience as we make arrangements for their requests.

CHANGE REQUEST LINK - https://forms.gle/59MAYnEAEWFCrQzp6

If you need any additional information regarding our COVID-19 plan, please visit our Roadmap to Reopening website at https://bit.ly/34XtBBw.

If you had questions about bus service, school supplies, start/release times or menus, visit our Back to School website at https://bit.ly/3nJcgFn.

If you need resources for your Remote-Learner, go to https://bit.ly/2SSMDU8.

We appreciate your cooperation as we navigate this school year and are thrilled to have each of your children as part of the NBISD family.

Sincerely,

Randy Moczygemba

We have compiled the FAQs from the Zoom Session with the Superintendent held on Sept. 28, 2020. Click on the link below to view. If you have any additional questions, email info@nbisd.org.

FAQs FROM 9-28-20

Dear NBISD Family:

The month of October is almost upon us and is a big month for celebrations and observances in public education. Even though this year may look different, we want to share some of these with you so you can join us and participate in your own way.

October is National Principals Month. NBISD is home to 15 principals and 25 assistant principals that lead our schools and sometimes go without praise for their hard work and dedication. I encourage you to acknowledge them in some way during the month for their contributions to the youth of our community.

Another hard-working and amazing group of employees that are being celebrated are the custodians during National Custodian Day on Friday, October 2. This group of employees is the first to arrive on campus and the last to leave each day. They work behind the scenes and year-round to make sure that our facilities are clean and safe for learning. They deserve our appreciation and gratitude for filling this important role. 

On a global scale, World Teacher’s Day is celebrated on October 5. This observance was founded more than 25 years ago and is being highlighted more so this year with the new #TeacherCan initiative that launched last spring here in Texas. Join us on October 5th to spotlight the importance and impact of the teaching profession.

We are also excited to host our first home varsity football game this Friday night. This year there are new procedures in place for COVID-19 that you should be aware of before attending a game.

• All spectators, audiences, fans and visitors age 5 years or older are required to wear face coverings at all times 
• Fans/spectators must self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms prior to purchasing tickets
• Tickets are limited, no season tickets
• Limited types of passes will be accepted
• Groups are limited to no more than 10 when seated, stadium seats are marked
• Social distancing must be observed, every other row will be skipped - 6ft minimum
• Student ticket purchases are limited to one per student
• Capacity will be limited
• Concessions will be open

Other important information for athletic events at UNICORN STADIUM:

• Vehicle entrances will be limited so please follow directional signs around the parking lot
• Golf carts will not be allowed on NBISD property due to the City of New Braunfels ordinance
•  No reserved seats - seating is first-come-, first-serve
• Clear bags are recommended but not required
• All stadium rules will apply
• An overflow parking lot with a shuttle will not be offered this season
• Gates open at 6:30 p.m.
• Middle schoolers will not have a separate seating section at varsity football games, must have a ticket for entry, and are required to sit with their parents

Please note that if these guidelines are not followed, we risk the season being canceled by the governing bodies that mandate these guidelines be followed. Be a team player and do your part!

If you need more information on schedules, parking, ticketing or the YouTube link for the live stream of the home varsity football games, CLICK HERE. 

Finally, I would like to remind any parent that wishes to change their child’s learning environment for the second grading period they can do so by filling out the online change request form. The deadline for change requests is 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, October 4. If for some reason you fill it out and change your mind, please fill out the form again before the deadline to change back. We will honor your last request submitted by the deadline. 

Please note that we will not be able to make any changes after the deadline even if you are overflowed to another campus or receive a change in teacher(s). It is important to the operation of the school and the continuity of the learning process that students remain in their new learning environment once selected. Our staff will be working non-stop to get all of the schedule changes made for elementary students in time for the start of the new grading period on Monday, October 19. Due to restrictions in the student database system,  High School Students will remain in their current in learning environment for 2-4 days of the first week of the next grading period.

We greatly appreciate your understanding and patience during this time of transition. 

Sincerely,
Randy Moczygemba

CLICK HERE or on the image below to view the Parent Zoom with NBISD Superintendent Randy Moczygemba was held on Sept. 28, 2020. This session was held to field questions about the Learning Environment Change Request process that is open from Sept 28-Oct. 4.

To view a copy of the PowerPoint from the session select the version below:

ENGLISH VERSION

SPANISH VERSION

Dear NBISD Family:

Over the past month we have had a lot of ups and downs. What remains the same is the resilience of our students, parents and staff. We all worked together to make the start of the school year the best experience for everyone and we were successful.

Even so, there is always room for improvement and we want to give you the opportunity to share your thoughts as we navigate the school year and COVID-19.

In the coming week, we plan to send out a series of ThoughExchanges to gather your feedback. Your input is appreciated and needed, so please be on the lookout for the invitation.

The window to apply for a change in your child’s learning environment from Remote to On-Campus or from On-Campus to Remote for the second nine weeks opens Monday, September 28 and will close on Sunday, October 4. Only those that wish to make a change will need to fill out the online form by 11.59 p.m. on Sunday, October 4.

I will be hosting a ZOOM parent meeting on Monday, September 28, at 6:00 p.m. to review this process and to answer questions that are submitted in the chat related to changes in student learning environments.

ZOOM LINK

Meeting ID 960 3781 9318

These changes will go into effect for the 2nd grading period that begins on Monday, Oct. 19. Before completing the form, please note the following:

• Those wishing to remain in remote learning or switch to remote learning will need to be passing 3 core classes AND have an attendance rate of at least 90%
•  As students and parents make new learning environment choices, we will have to staff appropriately for those choices. It is important to note:
  • A change in learning environment may result in a teacher/campus change for elementary students and teacher/schedule change for secondary students
  • If enough students return to the physical classroom, some of the remote teaching positions will also have to return to the classroom.  This could potentially cause remote students to be redistributed into new remote classrooms with a different remote teacher.
• Due to parameters in our student information system, schedule changes cannot be made until after the report card is sent to parents.
  • Elementary schedule changes are not dependent on our student information system. Therefore, they will report to their new learning environment on October 19th.
  • Secondary schedules are dependent on our student information system.  Therefore, students will need to remain in their current learning environment completing work and attending classes until the school contacts the student/parent with the official schedule change.
  • Change requests will only be available during the designated dates VIEW DATES

All those wishing to stay in their current learning environment DO NOT have to complete the form. If your student is a remote learner and not passing 3 core classes or has an attendance rate below 90% at the end of the grading period, they will be required to return to on-campus instruction for the 2nd grading period. The school administration will be in contact with you if this change is required. To learn about your Education Rights & Responsibilities During COVID-19 CLICK HERE.

As most of you know, the symptoms of COVID-19 can be similar to seasonal allergies, a common cold or the flu. We want to make sure you are aware of the symptoms and continue to help monitor your child’s health before sending them to school. CLICK HERE to view a helpful chart developed by our friends at CHRISTUS HEALTH.

We have some exciting news for everyone. The district has completed a waiver that will allow us to provide meals to all students at no cost through December 31, 2020. This means that both on-campus and remote learners can receive a nutritious meal at both breakfast and lunch during this time. CLICK HERE to check out the menus.

While we are on the subject of Child Nutrition, I wanted to share with you that NBISD has once again contracted with ARAMARK to oversee our Child Nutrition program. They have been long-standing partners and did an amazing job during the school closure last spring and provide nearly 117,000 meals to students in our community. They continued the free service into the summer and did so with a smile each day. 

Just as a reminder, this Friday (Sept. 25) is a student and staff holiday. It was originally planned for the Comal County Fair but the decision was made to keep it even though the Fair was canceled.

Enjoy the three-day weekend! Thank you for helping our school year “Start Healthy and Finish Strong.”

Sincerely, 
Randy Moczygemba

Updated: 2-5-21

For the 2020-21 school year, parents have the option to change their student’s learning environment for the next grading period during a set timeframe that concludes two (2) weeks prior to the new grading period. 

This request form is only for students requesting a change in learning environment - remote to on-campus or on-campus to remote.

• Those wishing to remain in remote learning or switch to remote learning will need to be passing 3 core classes AND have an attendance rate of at least 90%
•  As students and parents make new learning environment choices, we will have to staff appropriately for those choices. It is important to note:A change in learning environment may result in a teacher/campus change for elementary students and teacher/schedule change for secondary students

• If enough students return to the physical classroom, some of the remote teaching positions will also have to return to the classroom.
• This could potentially cause remote students to be redistributed into new remote classrooms with a different remote teacher.

• Due to parameters in our student information system, schedule changes cannot be made until after the report card is sent to parents.

• Elementary schedule changes are not dependent on our student information system.  Therefore they will report to their new learning environment on the first day of the new grading period.
• Secondary schedules are dependent on our student information system. Therefore, students will need to remain in their current learning environment completing work and attending classes until the school contacts the student/parent with the official schedule change.**  
• Change requests will only be available during the designated dates listed below.

It is important to note that a selection change for the grading period means a commitment to remain in that learning environment for the complete grading period.

The Change Request must be submitted by the deadlines noted below through the online form. The Change Request link will be available during the following dates.

*Changes will not be accepted after the deadline.

For information related to grades and attendance, login to txConnect.

To view the NBISD COVID-19 Dashboard, CLICK HERE. 

View FAQs from the Superintendent's Zoom on Sept. 28, 2020 - CLICK HERE. 

The New Braunfels ISD Intermittent “School to Home” Teacher/Parent/Student Guide is designed to provide basic information that you will need during the school year when remote learning is required. Our teachers are committed to delivering powerful instruction that allows students to meet expected standards in an online environment.

PLEASE NOTE: The details in this document are subject to change as directives from governing authorities, health officials or environmental conditions may determine.

ENGLISH VERSION

SPANISH VERSION

The following process map has been developed for use by the campuses to determine the steps associated with COVID-19 related cases of students.

ENGLISH VERSION

SPANISH VERSION

NBISD will utilized our school health software to collect the data and report it to the appropriate agencies. NBISD will have a dedicated staff member in charge of this data. The Active Case Management Dashboard will house the most current data for parents and the community to view. 

VIEW DASHBOARD

Dear Parents/Guardians:

I wanted to let you know that we are prepared and excited for the start of the school year tomorrow.  Our employees have been working diligently since March 16 preparing for this.  Our maintenance crews have worked non-stop, challenged by the virus and quarantines.  Our food service department continued to serve meals throughout most of the summer.  Our curriculum and instruction and technology staffs spent the summer working on Learning Management Systems and creating and providing staff development so that all teachers are more prepared for REMOTE LEARNING at any point it is needed.  Our teachers have risen to the challenge of a split REMOTE and ON-CAMPUS format. The Human Resources, Health Services and student services departments have developed guidelines for tracking and tracing, flowcharts for determining direct contact and guidelines determining who needs to quarantine when we have a direct exposure.

It has been a challenge for all of us. The rules and regulations from the state, Texas Education Agency and CDC have continuously changed, making it difficult to reach an end point.  We know that this will continue to be a moving target. Our Roadmap to Reopening Plan is available to you on our website at www.nbisd.org.  This plan along with the Campus Roadmap Plans should provide any guidance you need moving forward.

I greatly appreciate your participation on the parent ZOOMS over the last few weeks.  Your partnership as parents will be critical to the success of our students this year. I will be sending out a ThoughtExchange link to you in the next day or two.  I want to determine the most convenient methods to communicate with you moving forward.  Please be looking for it and complete it as soon as possible.

We will also be communicating a lot of information moving forward about extracurricular programs, stadium seating, ticket sales, etc.

We have a Dashboard that should go live tomorrow that will allow you to see when and where we have COVID-19 cases within our schools.  If your child is involved, you will immediately get direct communication from us.  We have added a medical position that will focus only on these areas.

Please encourage your children to practice social distancing and to wear face masks outside of school. Some of the surrounding districts started school last week or the week before.  Some of them have had numerous students who have tested positive for COVID-19.  These superintendents have shared that their tracking and tracing has led to many cases that came from direct exposure in club sports both at the high school and middle school levels.  

Have a GREAT remainder of your Sunday.  We can’t wait to see your children tomorrow!!

Sincerely,
Randy Moczygemba

The following information is being shared by the Health Services Department. Please review these updates from the school nurse if your child will be an on-campus learner during this grading period.

New Exclusion Criteria: A CHANGE TO THE 24-HOUR RULE

High-Risk Symptoms

• Fever >100.0
• Cough that is new and/or uncontrolled by water or cough drop
• Shortness of breath or increased work of breathing
• Loss of taste or smell

Low-Risk Symptoms

• Sore throat not resolved by warm salt-water gargle or cough drop
• Nasal congestion/nasal discharge
• Nausea/vomiting/diarrhea
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Muscle ache

Overview of Guidelines

• Any child or adult with one high-risk or two low-risk criteria should be considered to have aCOVID-like illness” and be isolated in a sick room until he or she can leave the building. The individual will be placed on high-risk quarantine for 14 days.
• These new guidelines mean that a student presenting with a fever >100.0 on campus will be required to quarantine for 14 days (unless released by a physician’s note).
• Any child or adult with only one low-risk symptom is considered less likely to have COVID and should be sent home. These individuals will be able to return after 24 hours if they are feeling better and no further symptoms develop.
• Students may only return before finishing quarantine if  they have documentation  from their healthcare provider to be able to return to the school setting
• A NEGATIVE COVID test does NOT allow a student to return from quarantine early without a physician’s note as stated above.

Notification Process

• If a student on campus tests positive for COVID, parents will receive notification letters.
• If a student on campus tests positive, the contacts of that student and the need for others to quarantine will be assessed by a health care professional on a case by case basis.

Nebulizers:
Due to the aerosolizing nature of nebulizer treatments, it is requested that students bring in inhaler treatments (with spacers) rather than nebulizer treatments. If a nebulizer treatment is required, it will be administered outdoors (with adult supervision) to limit the chance of contamination.

Medications:
Students requiring medication administered by the school nurse during the school day will need to have medications dropped off by a parent/guardian by appointment only. Please call the school nurse to make this appointment.

Please contact your campus nurse with any questions or concerns!https://www.nbisd.org/page/health.directory

Sincerely,
Karen Schwind, BSN, RN, NCSN
Health Services Coordinator

A Parent/Student Guide for Remote Learning is now available in both English and Spanish. To view the guides and other resources for Remote Learners, CLICK HERE.

Below are the details for the Curbside Meal Service for NBISD Students who are remote learners during the 2020-2021 School Year. Meal service begins on Monday, Aug. 24. For any questions regarding Curbside Meal Service, please call 830-627-6743. 

• The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has regulated that only students enrolled in NBISD will be allowed to pick up meals from NBISD Curbside sites for the 2020-2021 school year.
• USDA’s National Waiver for School Districts to operate under the Seamless Summer Option (SSO)  instead of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) to offer free meals for all will expire once NBISD’s 2020-2021 school year starts on August 24, 2020. This means students will receive meals based on their eligibility status - free, reduced or paid breakfast and lunch.
• USDA’s National Waiver for parents/guardians to pick up meals without students present in the car will still be allowed for the 2020-2021 school year.
• Curbside service will be 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM.
• Students or parents who pick up meals will receive a breakfast and a lunch meal together.
• Parents who pick up meals without students in the car will need to show the food service staff their student's ID badge as proof meals are going to an enrolled student. 
• Location of Curbside Meal Service is out Central Kitchen, 566 Butcher Street New Braunfels TX 78130.

CLICK HERE or on the image below to view the Parent Zoom with NBISD Superintendent Randy Moczygemba was held on Aug. 19, 2020. This was the 7th and final weekly zoom sessions for parents.

To view a copy of the PowerPoint from the session select the version below:

ENGLISH VERSION

SPANISH VERSION

Hello all NBISD Parents – The first day of school is getting close and iPads are already deployed for remote learners. All on-campus learners should receive their iPad on day one or shortly after.

As our remote/on-campus year starts, we wanted to direct your attention to our new and improved NBISD Technology Parent Help website at tec21.org

Please read below for reminders on certain topics like content filtering, password security, iPad restrictions, contact information and protection plan details.

Parent Help Videos – We have a new and improved parent technology help portal located at tec21.org with help videos on Canvas, Seesaw, Navigating the iPad and more.

Internet Filtering and Security – As you know, our iPads have not had content filtering on them once they leave the NBISD network. We wanted to make you aware that we are in the final phases of implementing our off-site internet filtering project. This means your child’s iPad will have the same internet filtering at home as it does at school. We hope to have this pushed out to each device by the end of next week. We will be sending more information out on this topic as we begin to push out the settings.

PLEASE REMEMBER, this project is currently not in production so keep in mind there is no content filtering on your child’s iPad right now. Even though only whitelisted apps are available in the app catalog, the students still have browsing capability.

Student Email Accounts – Your child has an NBISD email account. As a parent you are more than welcome to access or request access to their account. Depending on grade level and content area, teachers may use email for various instructional assignments. If for any reason you do not want your child to have access to their email account, please contact us.

Password Changes and Account Security – It is always a good idea to change the passwords of your child’s account to help protect their data and privacy. If you would like to reset any of your child’s passwords, we have instructions on how to do this at:
https://tec21.org/password-change/

We highly recommend resetting these passwords periodically!

Restrictions, Screen Time and Guided Access – We have videos to help walk you through setting up security settings on your child’s iPad at:
https://tec21.org/help-videos/navigating-the-ipad/

If you have any questions at all on internet security, protection or filtering, please do not hesitate to ask. You can use the Contact Information located below.

Third Party Account Creation – As you know, your child has accounts with different third-party vendors and their educational platforms (google, apple, textbook and app platforms). These accounts require limited information, such as name, username and password creation. We take your child’s security seriously and adhere to all FERPA laws and regulations regarding your child’s education records. If for any reason you wish to discuss these accounts or opt out of these accounts, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Contact Information – If you need technical or instructional technology help, our contact information can be found at:
https://tec21.org/contact-us/

Feel free to reach out to us for any help.

Protection Plan – You have until August 28, 11:59pm to purchase the optional protection plan for this school year. This is a yearly purchase, so in order to be covered for 2020-2021 school year, you will need to purchase by August 28.

Paying by credit card is the easiest way to get this done, but if you need to pay by cash, please reply to this email and we will make arrangements for you.

You can find more information on the protection plan at: https://tec21.org/protection-plan/

Matt Jones, M.Ed.
Executive Director of Technology

NBISD Director of Transportation Brian Gibson explains the modifications of school bus rules and how the district is responding to the challenges of COVID-19 during a short information video.

Transportation Procedures

• Bus drivers & students will be required to wear masks due to the inability to meet social distancing guidelines.
• Students will be given assigned seats on the buses and will sit with family groups when possible.
• To be more efficient, bus stops and routes may be adjusted and walking radius to stops may grow.
• There may be delays in routes due to driver shortage.
• Students will be limited in number of alternate transportation requests.  Some may be denied.
• As we begin reopening, we encourage parents to take their students to & from school if they are able and willing to do so.

Transportation Health & Safety

• NBISD Transportation is paying close attention to safety to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• All buses have been thoroughly disinfected before the 1^st day of school.
• Buses and transportation vehicles will be thoroughly cleaned after each route.
• Bus drivers will be properly trained on COVID-19 related risks, how best to clean buses & hygiene expectations for all staff.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Transportation Department at 830-627-6150.

Updated: 10-15-20

ALL persons, including students Pre-K through 12th grade, entering or exiting an NBISD building WILL wear a face mask or face shield.

Face masks or face shields WILL be worn in hallways, libraries, restrooms and other common areas.

Face masks or face shields MAY be removed in a classroom or other learning space only if it is possible to maintain at least six foot of distance between every person in the room.

Face masks or face shields will not be required while eating lunch.

Face masks or face shields will not be required at recess or physical education, however social distancing will be at least six feet between every person.

Approved face coverings

• Face masks
• Non-medical grade disposable paper face masks that are at least two-ply
• No ventilation devices in mask
• Cloth face masks that cover the nose and mouth and made from at least two layers of fabric
• Bandanas and Gaiters are not allowed (Updated: 10-15-20)
• Face shields which wrap around the sides of the wearers face and extend below the chin to protect eyes, nose and mouth
•  Face shields that attach to hats or caps are not allowed

We have developed 10 tips for Parents on "How to Help Your Child Adapt to Wearing a Mask" for parents to utilized. 

ENGLISH VERSION

SPANISH VERSION

CLICK HERE or on the image below to view the Parent Zoom with NBISD Superintendent Randy Moczygemba was held on Aug. 12, 2020. This was the 6th weekly zoom sessions for parents.

Click on the link below to view the PowerPoint presented during the session.

ENGLISH VERSION

SPANISH VERSION

The Zoom sessions will be held at 5:30 p.m. each Wednesday with the last session scheduled for Aug. 19. For more information on how to access the weekly Zoom sessions email info@nbisd.org.

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

This is a friendly reminder to let you know that today is the deadline for parents to fill out an application for their children in REMOTE LEARNING for the first nine weeks of school.  A form must be completed for each child. This application may be found online at https://bit.ly/3fgGIRB. This application must be completed by 11:59 pm today, Sunday, August 9. REMOTE LEARNING will not be available to you if you have not completed this application by the deadline. 

If you choose ON-CAMPUS Instruction, you do not need to fill out the Remote Learning Application.

For more information please see the links below.

Link to NBISD 2020-21 calendar: https://bit.ly/30IaGK4

Link to NBISD Roadmap to Reopening:  https://bit.ly/30hzw3p. 

Link for Back-to-School Page: https://www.nbisd.org/page/dis.back2school

Link to Roadmap to Reopening Frequently Asked Questions FAQs: https://bit.ly/2Xh6aAb

ALL parents of students who were enrolled in NBISD last school year must complete the Online Enrollment Verification (OEV) for each child. The OEV is open now until Aug. 21 and can be completed by signing in to your txConnect account: https://txconnpa.esc13.net/PANB/login.aspx

If you are new to NBISD this year, you must contact your child’s campus by phone to set up an appointment for new student registration. New student enrollment will be by appointment only to allow us to follow social distancing guidelines. All persons entering NBISD facilities must wear a face covering.  

On-Campus Instruction

On-campus Instruction will be available to all students for the 2020-2021 school year beginning Monday, Aug. 24. On-campus instruction will be significantly different than it was before COVID-19. Many efforts are being put in place to provide social distancing and reduce student and employee exposures. Please read the Roadmap to Reopening plan at this link https://bit.ly/30hzw3p to get more details. Each campus has posted a plan specific to the campus. Quicklinks to the campus plans are available at https://bit.ly/2XLh95d.

Remote Instruction

Remote Instruction will be an option for all students who choose this method of instruction.  However, if a student chooses remote instruction to start the school year, he/she will remain in remote instruction at least through the end of the nine-week grading period. Parents may make the choice to have their child return to On-Campus Instruction at the beginning of any nine-week grading period. Please note that students who are in REMOTE LEARNING are not guaranteed a seat at their home campus when they return. 

Remote instruction may also be utilized in instances where we are required to quarantine students for temporary periods due to COVID-19 exposures.

The Texas Education Agency released guidelines last week for remote instruction for the 2020-21 school year.  The Texas Education Agency standards for on-line instruction are much more rigorous than they were in the Spring. 

The following TEA rules will apply:

1. Elementary students – 3rd through 5th grade will be required to get a minimum of 180 minutes of remote instruction per day. This will be a combination of Teacher-led instruction and independent study by the student;

2. Secondary students – 6th through 12th grade will be required to get a minimum of 240 minutes of remote instruction per day. This will be a combination of Teacher-led instruction and independent study by the student;

3. Attendance will be taken every day based on student progress on lessons for that day, and/or student interactions with teachers on that day, and/or assignments that are turned in on that day;

4. Students will be required to be in attendance ”virtually” 90% of the days in order to get credit for the course or to be promoted to the next grade level;

5. Compulsory attendance is mandatory and students with excessive absences will be referred for truancy;

6. School grading policies for remote student work shall be consistent with those policies for students who are on-campus.

I will continue to provide information through my Parent ZOOM Meetings on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm.  You may participate live in these meetings by sending an email to info@nbisd.org.

You may also view recordings of the past Parent ZOOM Meetings on this page.

Sincerely,
Randy Mocygemba

The campus-specific Reopening Plans for each campus can be found on the campus homepage or by visiting the link provided below. Updates for the schools will be posted on these pages in preparation for the start of school year. Other updates related to COVID-19 will also be posted on these pages.

CAMPUS PLANS

CLICK HERE to view the recording from the Parent Zoom with NBISD Superintendent Randy Moczygemba held on Aug. 5, 2020. This was the 5th weekly zoom sessions for parents.

Click on the links below to view the PowerPoint presented during the session.

ENGLISH VERSION  SPANISH VERSION

The Zoom sessions will be held at 5:30 p.m. each Wednesday. For more information on how to access the weekly Zoom sessions email info@nbisd.org.

Kinder thru 5^th Grade Parents – It's hard to believe it's almost back to school time! You still have time to choose remote or on-campus learning, but we wanted to give remote learners enough time to plan regarding iPad deployment dates and on-campus parents information on campus expectations regarding the iPad.

We also wanted to give you time to purchase our optional NBISD protection plan for your child’s iPad. Regardless of your remote/on-campus choice, all Kinder thru 5^th grade elementary students will be taking iPads home. Because of this, we are offering the NBISD protection plan for elementary students. If you would like to purchase the protection plan, more info can be found at:

nbisd.org/page/tec21.studentpayments

More individualized information will be coming to each group once the deadline of choosing your path has expired. Please read your specific details below.

KINDER-5^th GRADE REMOTE LEARNERS

 
For K-5 remote learners, we will be deploying iPads via curbside pickup at two locations beginning next week.

Dates
Wednesday, August 12
Thursday, August 13
Monday, August 17

Times
7:00am - 9:00am
11:00am - 1:00pm
5:00pm - 7:00pm

West Side Location - Veramendi Elementary
For those students attending Veramendi, Seele, Lamar and Carl Schurz

East Side Location - Voss Farms Elementary
For those students attending Voss Farms, Memorial, Walnut Springs, County Line and Klein Road

KINDER-5^th GRADE ON-CAMPUS LEARNERS
Your child will receive their iPad and charger on the first day of school and will be bringing it home every day as a precaution to an abrupt class or school closing. The charger needs to stay at home, and you and your child will need to make sure the iPad makes it back to school, charged, each day.

Matt Jones, M.Ed.
Executive Director of Technology

6 – 12 Grade Parents – It's hard to believe it's almost back to school time! You still have time to choose remote or on-campus learning, but we wanted to give remote learners enough time to plan regarding iPad deployment dates and on-campus parents information on campus expectations regarding the iPad.

We also wanted to remind you about our optional NBISD protection plan for your child’s iPad. If you would like to purchase the protection plan, more info can be found at:
nbisd.org/page/tec21.studentpayments

More individualized information will be coming to each group once the deadline of choosing your path has expired. Please read your specific details below.

6 – 12 GRADE REMOTE LEARNERS
For 6-12 remote learners, we will be deploying iPads via curbside pickup at your child’s campus.

Dates
Tuesday, August 18
Wednesday, August 19

Times
7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

6 - 12 GRADE ON-CAMPUS LEARNERS
The only change to our normal procedures is we will issue your child their iPad on the first day, regardless of protection plan payment or not. You will still have until the end of the day on that first Friday back to purchase the protection plan or be opted out at that point.

Matt Jones, M.Ed.
Executive Director of Technology

Dear Parents,

We have been diligently planning for the reopening of all campuses for the 2020-21 school year. All NBISD campuses will reopen on Monday, August 24^th as planned.  You may view the 2020-21 calendar which is published on our website at  www.nbisd.org/upload/page/0201/NBISD_2020-21_Calendar.pdf

At the Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, July 28, the decision was made to offer On-Campus Instruction to all parents who choose this method as well as Remote Instruction for all parents who choose this method. The consensus of the board was to provide every parent a choice.

Our focus over the next few days is to provide as much information to you as possible so that you can make the most informed decision about whether you want your children to start the school year On-Campus or Remote. We have posted the draft of our Roadmap to Reopening plan on our web page. This plan will give you many details and answer many of your questions about what the learning environment on campus will look like this year, including safety practices being implemented to protect students and employees. This plan will also give you details about what Remote Instruction will look like this year.  Please understand that due to continuing changes from state agencies and the CDC, this plan will continue to evolve. You may view the Roadmap to Reopening plan at this link https://bit.ly/30hzw3p. It is critical that you read this plan.

If you choose to have your child begin school on August 24 in Remote Instruction, you must complete a Remote Learning Application. This application may be found on-line at https://bit.ly/3fgGIRB. This application must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 9.  If you need assistance, you may call your child’s campus between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Monday-Thursday). Remote Instruction will not be available to you if you have not completed this application by the deadline.

If you choose On-Campus Instruction, you do not need to fill out the Remote Learning Application.

Additional information may be found on our web page:

Back-to-School Page: https://www.nbisd.org/page/dis.back2school

Roadmap to Reopening Frequently Asked Questions FAQs: https://bit.ly/2Xh6aAb

ALL parents of students who were enrolled in NBISD last school year must complete the Online Enrollment Verification (OEV) for each child. OEV can be completed by signing in to your txConnect account: https://txconnpa.esc13.net/PANB/login.aspx. Online registration will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 3 and close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August. 21.

If you are new to NBISD this year, you must contact your child’s campus by phone to set up an appointment for new student registration. New student enrollment will be by appointment only to allow us to follow social distancing guidelines. All persons entering NBISD facilities must wear a face covering. 

On-Campus Instruction

On-campus Instruction will be available to all students for the 2020-2021 school year. On-campus instruction will be significantly different than it was before COVID-19. Many efforts are being put in place to provide social distancing and reduce student and employee exposures. Please read the Roadmap to Reopening plan at this link https://bit.ly/30hzw3p to get more details.

Remote Instruction

Remote Instruction will be an option for all students who choose this method of instruction. If a student chooses remote instruction to start the school year, however, he/she will remain in remote instruction at least through the end of the first nine-week grading period. Parents may make the choice to have their child return to On-Campus Instruction at the beginning of any nine-week grading period. Remote instruction may also be utilized in instances where we are required to quarantine students for temporary periods due to COVID-19 exposures.

The Texas Education Agency released guidelines last week for remote instruction for the 2020-21 school year.  The Texas Education Agency standards for on-line instruction are much more rigorous than they were in the Spring.

The following TEA rules will apply to on-line instruction:

(1)   Elementary students – 3^rd through 5^th grade will be required to get a minimum of 180 minutes of remote instruction per day. This will be a combination of Teacher led instruction and independent study by the student;

(2)   Secondary students – 6th through 12^th grade will be required to get a minimum of 240 minutes of remote instruction per day. This will be a combination of Teacher led instruction and independent study by the student;

(3)   Attendance will be taken every day based on student progress on lessons for that day, and/or student interactions with teachers on that day, and/or assignments that are turned in on that day;

(4)   Students will be required to be in attendance ”virtually” 90% of the days in order to get credit for the course or to be promoted to the next grade level;

(5)   Compulsory attendance is mandatory and students with excessive absences will be referred for truancy;

(6)   School grading policies for remote student work shall be consistent with those policies for students who are on-campus.

We remain very concerned about the number of daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the New Braunfels area. Nearly 70% of all confirmed cases in Comal County occurred during the month of July.  While the average number of daily confirmed cases is declining, they are still much higher than in March through June.

We will be sending multiple communications as we continue on the path forward with our Roadmap to Reopening. We will provide as much detail and specific information as we can. It is our intention to keep you informed, but not overwhelmed.

I will continue to provide information through my Parent ZOOM Meetings on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.  You may participate live in these meetings. For access email info@nbisd.org. 

You may also view recordings of the past Parent ZOOM Meetings on this page.

Sincerely,
Randy Moczygemba
Superintendent of Schools

The NBISD Roadmap to Reopening 2020-2021 Plan is now available to view online. Information in the document is subject to change based on guidelines from local, state, and federal authorities.

English Version

Spanish Version

CLICK HERE or on the image below to view the recording from the Parent Zoom with NBISD Superintendent Randy Moczygemba held on July 29, 2020. This was the 4th weekly zoom sessions for parents.

Click on the links below to view the PowerPoint presented during the session.

ENGLISH VERSION  SPANISH VERSION

The Zoom sessions will be held at 5:30 p.m. each Wednesday. For more information on how to access the weekly Zoom sessions email info@nbisd.org.

CLICK HERE or on the image below to view the recording from the Parent Zoom with NBISD Superintendent Randy Moczygemba held on July 22, 2020. This was the 3rd weekly zoom sessions for parents.

Click on the links below to view the PowerPoint presented during the session.

ENGLISH VERSION  SPANISH VERSION

The Zoom sessions will be held at 5:30 p.m. each Wednesday. For more information on how to access the weekly Zoom sessions email info@nbisd.org.

CLICK HERE or on the image below to view the recording from the Parent Zoom with NBISD Superintendent Randy Moczygemba held on July 15, 2020. This was the 2nd of his weekly zoom sessions for parents. The Zoom sessions will be held at 5:30 p.m. each Wednesday. For more information on how to access the weekly Zoom sessions email info@nbisd.org.

Dear Parents/Guardians:

This is an invitation to attend the Zoom session I have set up weekly for parents to hear updates on our reopening plans and also ask questions regarding your child’s education and safety as we plan to reopen this fall.

We have changed the format of the Zoom to a webinar format. This change was made not only to protect your privacy but allow us to answer more questions during the session.

As a participant, you will only be able to see me as the presenter and no one else. It eliminates the distraction of all of the tiles of the participants who may or may not have their camera on or accidentally unmute.

You will still have the ability to ask questions in the chat window, however, only I will be able to view them and in turn, respond. The chat function will not be an open dialogue box like it was for all participants last week.

Please email info@nbisd.org to get to access the log-in for the weekly Parent Zoom scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Please note that all current parents should have received the link by email on July 15.

If you have any questions, please email info@nbisd.org. 

Sincerely,

Randy Moczygemba

Superintendent of Schools

CLICK HERE or on the image below to view the recording from the Parent Zoom with NBISD Superintendent Randy Moczygemba held on July 8, 2020. This was the first of his weekly zoom sessions for parents. The Zoom sessions will be held at 5:30 p.m. each Wednesday. For more information on how to access the weekly Zoom sessions email info@nbisd.org.

Dear Parents/Guardians:

We wanted to make you aware that a questionnaire went out this evening by email to all parents to survey your preferred method of instruction for your child in the fall.

The email was sent out from info@nbisd.org through SurveyMonkey. Please check your spam for the email. If you have any issues finding the email you can also access it online at the following link.

SURVEY LINK

As we make preparation for the start of the 2020-21 School Year, we are asking each household with students that will be enrolled in New Braunfels ISD in the fall to fill out this questionnaire by July 19, 2020. This will allow us to better plan for staffing, facilities, transportation, curriculum, and support. 

Please fill out a separate form for each student that will be enrolled during the 2020-21 School Year. Please submit your responses by July 19, 2020.

Thank you,

NBISD Administration

Parents:

The Texas Education Agency shared substantial new information today regarding reopening schools for 2020-2021.  I will be hosting an on-line Roadmap to Reopening parent forum tomorrow (Wednesday, July 8) at 5:30pm via ZOOM.  The ZOOM link and meeting ID are listed at the bottom of this e-mail.  This e-mail is going out to all parents.  Our ZOOM account is limited to 1,000 participants, so please do not share the link with others.  I am recording this meeting and it will be available to the public on our ROADMAP TO REOPENING web page in a couple of days.  If participation exceeds 1,000, we will add additional forum times for future forums.

Also, due to an expected large number of participants, all participants will be muted to ensure best sound quality.  You will be able to click on the CHAT button and submit questions, if you have them.  We will address as many questions as possible at the end and all questions will be added to the ROADMAP to reopening web page as a Q&A within a couple of days.

 I will review all the details that we have definitive answers for. There are still unanswered questions and some decisions that have been left to local district discretion.  In these instances, our Q&A will indicate that the decision and answer to that question is still pending. I will host this meeting each Wednesday at 5:30pm, after our TEA updates on Tuesdays to discuss any new developments. 

Thank you for your patience as we have waited for guidance from the Texas Education Agency. We look forward to you participation. 

Sincerely,
Randy Moczygemba
Superintendent

To request the ZOOM log-in credentials, email RVillarreal@nbisd.org.

Updated: July 2, 2020 (Updated text is italicized)

Dear Parents/Guardians:

We are anxiously awaiting guidance from the Texas Education Agency to determine what restrictions may be imposed for the start of the 2020-2021 school year.  

NBISD schools will begin on Monday, August 24th as planned.  We do not plan to make any changes to the 2020-2021 calendar which is published on our website. However, any future days of missed instruction due to COVID-19 during the 2020-21 School Year that are not covered by remote learning may possibly have to be made up in June 2021.

On-Campus Instruction

We expected to know more about on-campus instruction by mid-June.  However, due to the huge increase in COVID-19 cases since June 1, the State of Texas and the Texas Education Agency have not released final guidance to school districts. Balancing public health and safety and opening the Texas Economy are monumental tasks. Public schools are critical to both. It is the intention of the State of Texas and NBISD to open public schools this Fall with as much normalcy as possible.  

We all realize that these decisions will be made based on the severity of COVID-19 at the time. We must also be prepared to close and re-open on-campus instruction throughout the year. This may be in the form of a short quarantine for specific classrooms of students, for a specific campus, or for the entire district. It also may be for longer durations of time, such as we did this Spring. Long-term closures will most likely be dictated by the State if they occur.

On-campus instruction will be available to all students for the 2020-2021 school year. We will provide additional details as soon as we know them.

Remote Instruction

The NBISD School Start Committee has been working on all aspects of the coming school year. We reviewed the thoughts shared with us by parents and staff through the ThoughtExchanges that you participated in. 

One of the key components of our planning is remote instruction. Remote instruction will be an option for all students who choose this method of instruction. However, if a student chooses remote instruction to start the school year, he/she will remain in remote instruction at least through the first nine weeks. Remote instruction may also be utilized in instances where we are required to quarantine students for temporary periods due to COVID-19 exposures.

The Texas Education Agency released guidelines last week for remote instruction for the 2020-2021 school year. The Texas Education Agency’s standards for online instruction are more rigorous than in the Spring. 

There are two types of remote learning. The first is “synchronous” which would be “face to face” instruction through a platform such as ZOOM and SEESAW. The following TEA rules will apply:

1. Elementary students – 3rd through 5th grade will be required to get a minimum of 180 minutes of “face to face” remote instruction per day with the teacher;
2. Secondary students – 6th through 12th grade will be required to get a minimum of 240 minutes of “face to face” remote instruction per day with the teacher(s);
3. Attendance will be taken every day;
4. Students will be required to be in attendance ”virtually” 90% of the days in order to get credit for the course or to be promoted to the next grade level;
5. Compulsory attendance is mandatory and students with excessive absences will be referred for truancy;
6. School grading policies for remote student work shall be consistent with those policies for students who are on-campus
7. For grading integrity and to ensure the integrity of rank and GPA, students in remote learning will have to take all exams at their campus in a proctored environment.

The second type of remote instruction is “asynchronous” which is much more of a self-guided instruction where students engage in the learning materials on their own time, interacting intermittently with the teacher via the computer or other electronic devices or over the phone.

1. The teacher will check in on every student on a daily basis to ensure that the student is engaged;

2. Attendance will be taken every day based on student progress on lessons for that day, and/or student interactions with teachers on that day, and/or assignments that are turned in on that day;

3. Students will be required to be counted in attendance 90% of the days in order to get credit for the course or to be promoted to the next grade level;

4. Compulsory attendance is mandatory and students with excessive absences will be referred for truancy;

5. School grading policies for remote student work shall be consistent with those policies for students who are on-campus

6. For grading integrity and to ensure the integrity of rank and GPA, students in remote instruction will have to take all exams at their campus in a proctored environment.

We will be sending multiple communications as we move forward with our “Roadmap to Reopening.”  We will provide as much detail and specific information as we can. It is our intention to keep you informed, but not overwhelmed.

There is much disagreement in the public over the government’s role in managing the spread of COVID-19. There is a push by one side to reopen businesses to ensure the livelihood of those business owners and employees. There is a push by the other side to keep businesses close to slow the spread.  There are those who believe it is their right as American’s to choose whether to wear masks or not.  There are those who believe that it is every American’s responsibility to wear a mask to protect everyone else.

NBISD and all other public schools are caught in the middle. We will follow all orders issued by the State, the Counties, and the City of New Braunfels. We will also implement safety precautions that are in our jurisdiction to enforce. The health and safety of our students and staff will remain our number one priority.

The ability to reopen Texas and reopen Texas public schools is dependent on following the health and safety guidelines to slow the spread of COVID-19. When you can, “Stay home and stay safe.” When you can’t, “Do everything in your ability to protect yourself and your children against COVID-19.”

Sincerely,
Randy Moczygemba
Superintendent of Schools