Message From the Superintendent, February 7, 2022

 If the weather negatively impacted you or your family, please know you can visit the United Way of Houston’s resource page. You can also reach out to the district’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Department to connect with additional community resources.

Today, I started my day at Drew Academy and kicked off National School Counseling Week with two amazing counselors. Our school counselors are a great resource for our students. Every day, the work they do helps our students thrive in school, college, career, and life. As we celebrate school counseling, I encourage you to take a moment to thank a school counselor. Click here to read the National School Counseling Week story to learn how our counselors have influenced and impacted the lives of our students.

The theme for this year’s Black History Month is wellness. As we commemorate those who laid a foundation for a better tomorrow and continue moving forward, let’s honor their legacy by focusing on our health. A big part of that is also celebrating National Heart Month in February. I want to encourage each of you to consider adopting two (or more) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Seven (7) Strategies to Live a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle:

  1. Learn your health history. — Know your risks and talk to your family and doctor about your health history.
  2. Eat a healthy diet. — Make healthy food choices like eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products. Eat less salt, saturated fat, and sugar.
  3. Move more, sit less. — You only need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week to make a huge impact on your heart health. Do some muscle-strengthening exercises at least two times a week to make your heart stronger.
  4. Quit smoking. — Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free help and take the first step on your journey to quit.
  5. Take medicines as directed. — If you take medicine to treat high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, follow your doctor’s instructions carefully. Never stop taking your medication without talking to your doctor or a health professional. Always ask questions if you don’t understand something.
  6. Consider what you drink. — Substitute sugary drinks for water to reduce calories. Water is essential for your cardiovascular health.
  7. Monitor your blood pressure at home. — Blood pressure monitors you can use at home are easy and safe to use. Your doctor can show you how to use one if you need help.

Personally, I am committing to No. 3 and No. 6.

Even our schools will be getting involved in celebrating heart health. The Child Nutrition Services Department is working with school cafeterias to observe Wellness Day on February 25.

February may be the shortest month, but we still have plenty of opportunities to make a big impact as we keep minding our physical and mental wellness during these final cold weeks of winter and flu season.

As always, don’t forget the 3Ws: wash your hands, wear a mask, and watch your distance.

With Aldine Pride,

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney
Superintendent

UPCOMING EVENTS

OBSERVATIONS
February
Black History Month

ALDINE ISD COVID-19 UPDATES
The district leadership team is committed to doing all we can to increase the safety and health of our students, staff, and families while implementing measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We want all our students healthy, learning, and thriving in our classrooms. I ask for your continued support as we prioritize safety without sacrificing learning.

  • Face Masks: As we have done throughout the pandemic, we continue implementing COVID mitigation protocols. While we had hoped to lift the mask requirement after the midwinter break, we decided to maintain the mask requirement until further notice with rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the Houston area. The district requires students, staff, and visitors to wear face masks at all district facilities — schools, buildings, facilities, school buses — and events.
  • Symptoms: We strongly encourage you to please keep your child home if they have COVID or any other communicable disease (.e.g., flu, whooping cough, measles, chickenpox) symptoms. Have your child tested if you suspect it is COVID-19. Here is a link to our Health Alerts web page regarding keeping your student/child home.
  • Reduce Spread of Any Communicable Disease: Please continue to protect yourself and others by taking precautionary measures to prevent infection of all viruses, including COVID-19: wash your hands often, cover your coughs and sneezes and keep a safe distance from others.
  • Protocols: Our district administrative leadership team remains in constant communication. Based on CDC recommendations, we updated our protocols and guidelines. Our COVID reporting procedures have not changed. We will continue to monitor local and school cases to further adjust health and safety protocols as appropriate.
  • District Dashboard: Families can always check the COVID-19 dashboard for an overview of the active cases by school. 
  • Testing Sites: Please get tested if you exhibit symptoms, have been exposed to someone with the virus, have been with groups of people, or travel. Click here for a list of testing sites and to register online. Additionally, each campus has a testing opportunity weekly or biweekly. A parent/guardian must consent for testing.
  • Vaccinations: The district continues to work with local officials, including Harris County Public Health (HCPH), to communicate the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine is available to individuals five and older. On January 3, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster vaccine in adolescents from 12 to 15 years. Booster doses are now available to everyone over the age of 12. The FDA also shortened the time to receive the booster after completing the two-dose schedule. It went from six months to five months. The FDA also authorized the third dose as part of the primary series for certain immunosuppressed children between 5 and 11. The CDC announced on January 10 that at-risk Americans (immunocompromised) are eligible for the fourth COVID dose.

REMINDERS

  • Aldine’s Family and Community Engagement Department launched the Family and Community University. It provides education and resources to empower families to support students academically, socially, and emotionally. Programming is free and open to all Aldine families. Register today.
  • The state requires high school seniors to apply for financial aid to graduate. The FAFSA application opened on October 1, 2021.
  • The state requires all entering college students to take the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Assessment. Click here for more information.
  • Aldine ISD’s top priorities continue to be all students’ safety and academic success. The district will post all information related to operations along with any updates at www.aldineisd.org/healthalerts.
  • Please stay connected by visiting the District News and District Podcast pages to stay up to date on all the great things happening in our district. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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