TO: Northwest ISD Remote Students, Parents/Caregivers, and Staff
FROM: Ryder Warren, Superintendent
SUBJECT: Superintendent Update
NISD Remote Learning Families,
The first nine-week grading period is quickly coming to an end. While I am so glad your student was able to take advantage of Remote Learning – and hope that they have been thriving in that environment – it is time to begin preparing your child to transition back to In-Person Learning. Remote Learning in Northwest ISD will end on October 8 and your child will begin In-Person instruction at their local school beginning, Tuesday, October 12.
I understand that some of you will have questions and concerns about returning to In-Person instruction. Please know we are truly excited to welcome your child back to the classroom, and we will do our best to help him/her adjust during this transition.
After great consideration and much evaluation, we are moving forward with closing the Remote Learning option at the end of this grading period. While I truly regret that this decision will not please everyone – and for that I apologize – NISD whole-heartedly believes that In-Person Learning is best for our students’ academic success, especially as we strive to overcome the academic gaps we’ve seen due to COVID. As much as I’d like this crazy pandemic to disappear, COVID has proven that it is not going away and we must find a way to adjust to this new normal. Thankfully, the number of COVID cases in the district has been steadily decreasing and we are experiencing limited spread in our schools.
We hope these first weeks of school have given you and your child time to become more comfortable in a traditional learning environment amid our COVID challenges. As stated from the beginning, we firmly believe that it is critical to our students’ academic success to have every one of our students back for In-Person Learning. I truly believe that students learn best and teachers teach best when we are face to face, and we are looking forward to being able to better educate and connect with your child.
I know we may not have all the answers to your questions immediately, but please know you will receive more information very soon about what your child can expect. Some processes and details are still being finalized, but we wanted to share the end of Remote Learning now in an effort to provide your family as much time as possible to adjust to returning to school.
Classroom assignments are still being finalized, but I encourage you to begin sharing with your child that he/she will have a new teacher beginning October 12 – and I trust they will love this teacher as much as their current teacher. You can also begin reviewing our Health and Safety Protocols and reminding your child about healthy practices such as hand washing, social distancing, and wearing masks.
If you have questions and/or concerns in the meantime, please contact your child’s home campus counselor or a home campus administrator. While I encourage you and your child to enjoy these last days with your Remote teacher and to thank him/her for helping to provide this unique opportunity for your student, please direct your questions and concerns to your school counselor or administrator and not to your current Remote teacher.
Thank you for your patience and grace as we navigate these interesting and challenging times together. Your support at home is truly appreciated.
Ryder Warren, Superintendent
Northwest Independent School District
