TO: Northwest ISD Students, Parents/Caregivers, and Staff

FROM: Ryder Warren, Superintendent

SUBJECT: Superintendent Update

I hope everyone had a wonderful break! 2022 is here, and we are excited and ready to welcome back our students. Our regular school schedule resumes tomorrow, and I know our teachers and staff can’t wait to have our students back. I truly hope you and your family enjoyed the last two weeks together during Christmas / Winter Break. I know it was a blessing to me and my family.

For all NISD stakeholders, know we will be closely monitoring COVID cases. Many of you have likely been watching the news concerning COVID and the new Omicron variant. As health officials expected, our local counties are beginning to see spikes in the number of cases following the holiday season. Together, we’ve made it this far, and I truly appreciate your efforts in keeping each other safe. We want our students, staff, and families to stay safe and healthy, and I encourage you to continue safe practices at home and at school.

In Northwest ISD, we are prepared to monitor the situation – tracking the number of positive cases as well as the number of cases in individual classes and schools. (If your child tested positive for COVID during Winter Break, please be sure to report the test results and pay close attention to the return date on the email you receive.) As we start this new semester, we will continue to follow our current NISD Health and Safety Protocols. We are aware the CDC revised some COVID guidelines while we were out of school during the break (and are potentially considering other changes); however, our NISD protocols remain the same.

Again, we believe we have followed an outstanding plan this school year, and our students, staff, and families are doing a great job taking care of each other. We feel it very important to start off with our current guidelines to begin the new semester. If we do see positive COVID cases coming back down and feel it appropriate to go to less restrictive protocols, the district reserves the right to make that decision. We just have to keep these protective efforts moving forward, and if changes are warranted, that will be communicated immediately.

Finally, we all have to remain focused on bridging the learning gap many students have experienced as a result of COVID. We know we have some work before us and we are ready for it, but I’d also like to ask for your continued support at home as we push our students to learn and grow. Keep our children and our staff (especially our classroom teachers) on your Good Thoughts / Prayer Lists, and we will overcome all of these challenges together!

Here’s to a safe and healthy 2022!

Ryder Warren, Superintendent
Northwest Independent School District