SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE
Dear Harmony Families,
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Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year!
I would like to begin the new school year by personally thanking our Harmony parents for supporting your child’s education during what can only be called an unprecedented close to the 2019-2020 school year. You worked with us to deliver your child’s education amid these challenging times...and for that, I salute each and every one of you.
Over these past summer months, our Harmony staff--from our District leaders to our classroom teachers--have worked tirelessly to create a return to school program that will meet the needs of our students. While the delivery may look a little different, rest assured that our students will have access to the same rigorous, academic environment that they have come to expect from Harmony.
As you know, all Harmony DFW campuses will begin with at-home learning only on August 17. In the coming weeks, we will undoubtedly continue to receive additional guidance from health experts, as well as local and state leaders regarding a return to the classroom. On behalf of our leadership team, I want to assure you that your child’s safety and well-being is truly of the utmost importance. It will always be at the heart of every decision we make as we continue to navigate these unprecedented times.
Speaking of our leadership team, please allow me to introduce you to our new DFW District Area Assistant Superintendents for the 2020-2021 school year:
- Mr. Dan Bell, Asst. Superintendent of Operations: Mr Bell holds a Bachelor's of Business Information Systems from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Master's in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, also from the University of Texas at Arlington. He has been with Harmony Public Schools for eight years and most recently held the position of DFW Director of Operations.
- Ms. Serena Jackson, Asst. Superintendent of Elementary Programs: Ms. Jackson holds a Bachelor's of Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of North Texas and a Master's in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington. She has been with Harmony Public Schools for 12 years and most recently held the position of principal at Harmony Science Academy-Fort Worth.
- Mr. Mehment Basoglu, Asst. Superintendent of Secondary Programs: Mr. Basoglu holds a Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas at Tyler. He has been with Harmony Public Schools for 14 years and most recently held the position of principal at Harmony School of Innovation-Fort Worth.
- Mr. Selcuk Bakir, Asst. Superintendent of College and Career: Mr. Bakir holds a Bachelor's of Science in Physics Education from Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey, a Master of Science in Secondary Science and Math Education, also from METU, a Masters in Education in Educational Leadership from North American University, and is currently enrolled in the Superintendent Certification Program from the University of Texas at Arlington. He has been with Harmony Public Schools for 11 years and most recently held the position of principal of Harmony Science Academy-Lubbock.
On behalf of the new administrative team, we thank you again for your understanding and support as we navigate our return to school.
We look forward to seeing your children, and we look forward to partnering with you as we move forward together for a successful 2020-2021 school year!
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Mr. Harun Karan
Superintendent
Harmony Public Schools DFW District
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AUGUST CALENDAR
Aug. 12-14: Teacher Workdays
Aug. 17: First Day of School (Online/Virtual Only)
Be on the lookout for news from your child's campus regarding celebrating and recognizing special monthly calendar observances!
UPDATED 2020-2021 ACADEMIC CALENDARS
Our District Academic Calendar has been updated to reflect the change in the start date for all campuses to Monday, Aug. 17. At this time, no change is necessary to the end of school year date, or any student holidays. (Please note there are two calendars for our District--one for Dallas/Fort Worth, and one for Waco.)
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RETURN TO LEARNING
INFORMATION & RESOURCES
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Back to School: What You Need to Know
As a reminder, students at all HPS campuses statewide will start the academic year on Monday, August 17 in an online-only setting. During the first weeks of school, we will send our families a survey asking them to choose the option of either continuing classes online only, or returning to campus for in-person learning after Labor Day, if possible. Harmony will announce no later than the first week of September whether there is a need to extend online-only learning further, or if families who have opted for on-campus learning may return for in-person instruction.
Learn more at
HarmonyTX.org
.
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Back to School Playbook
Please be sure to review the HPS Back to School Playbook, now available
here
. This guide is our families' comprehensive resource to navigating the return to school this fall.
Topics include:
- Improvements to virtual learning
- Campus safety protocols
- Daily schedules
- Grading procedures
- Vistor/mask policies
- Dropoff/pickup procedures
Please be sure to closely monitor all information Harmony Public Schools has sent in regards to the reopening of our schools. Additional information on attendance and access to technology can be found at
HarmonyTX.org
. And please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s campus if you have any questions.
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Harmony Meal Service for 2020-2021
The first day of meal distribution will be from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, for students enrolled in distance learning (which begins Monday, Aug. 17) as part of the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program. Meal distribution will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. thereafter. Only those students enrolled as Harmony students will be eligible to participate. Students will be charged for meals according to individual eligibility. Returning students begin the year on a 30-day grace period which carries over last year’s eligibility. However, parents are encouraged to submit an eligibility application through SchoolCafé (
https://www.schoolcafe.com/
) to establish eligibility for the 2020-2021 school year. Learn more in the
HPS Back to School Playbook
.
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Supporting Your Child & Family During COVID-19
We know parents are struggling to balance work, child care and self-care while keeping worries—both your children’s and your own—under control. You don’t have to do it alone. There are several resources available to help you and your children during this time. The
Child Mind Institute
is offering several supportive resources, including its
COVID-19 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Tipsheet
.
Whether it's you or your child who needs some reassuring, these tips may help in creating a smoother and more peaceful transition into the new school year.
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Your Feedback is Important to Us!
The Harmony community is connected to all that we do in providing a quality educational experience for your students and families. If you are a returning family and have had a positive experience with Harmony Public Schools DFW, please take a moment to share your experience on Facebook and Google. Just visit your child’s Facebook page and Google Business page and share your feedback. Sharing your experience helps us not only positively promote Harmony DFW, but also helps make others aware of the educational option that Harmony DFW provides the community. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Connect With Us on Social Media
If you aren't already, now would be a good time to get connected to us on social media! In addition to your child's campus Facebook/Twitter page, we also have a District-wide Facebook and Twitter page. Our social pages are updated frequently in order to provide information to our community, as well as celebrate the achievements of the District and our students/staff. Click
here
to follow us on Facebook, and
here
to follow us on Twitter. See you there!
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District Outreach Efforts
Harmony Public Schools believes that when families, communities and schools work together, students are more successful and the entire community benefits. In an effort to expand our community footprint and offerings to Harmony students we're seeking new "
Partners In Education
" for the 2020-2021 school year.
What?
An educational partner could be a community leader, a representative from a faith organization, an area corporation, a higher education institution or someone from the law enforcement community to name a few.
Why?
An educational partner could take part in many ways: virtual speaking opportunities, science fair judges, job shadowing programs, internships, career exploration opportunities, scholarships and so on.
Would you or someone you know like to more actively participate in the Harmony Public Schools
"Partners In Education"
program?
How?
If you'd like to participate or want more information, email the District Director of Public Relations, Rebecca Murry, at
rmurry@harmonytx.org.
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LOOKING AHEAD - SEPTEMBER 2020
Sept. 4: Student Holiday, Campus PD
Sept. 7: Labor Day
Sept. 13: National Grandparents’ Day
Sept. 15: National Online Learning Day
Sept. 22: National Voter Registration Day
Sept. 25: Student Holiday, District PD
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Follow Harmony DFW on social media! Like and share these stories our social media platforms.
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