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Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Hurricane Harvey FAQS (9/27)

Three disaster centers to open in the Houston Area (Sept. 27, 2017 8:35 AM)
Three State of Texas/FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers will open Monday Sept. 11, 2017 in the cities of Katy Baytown and Houston.
Read more >>

Hurricane Harvey FAQs   
(en español >>)

When will SBISD Schools reopen? (Updated Sept. 6, 6:00 PM)

All SBISD schools will reopen on Monday, September 11, for students and staff.Todas las escuelas SBISD volverán a abrir el lunes, 11 de septiembre para los estudiantes y el personal.
Read more here:
http://sbisdsnapshots.blogspot.com/2017/09/sbisd-schools-to-reopen-monday-sept-11.html

What resources are available for helping us talk with our children about Hurricane Harvey? Here is a link with many great resources provided by the American School Counselor Association. We will continue to update this list.
Can our children remain in their home school if our family has been displaced by Hurricane Harvey? We believe that consistency is very important for our children during this time, so we will make every effort to assure that your child remains at his/her home campus regardless of your living situation.

Can children of families staying with us as a result of Hurricane Harvey be enrolled in our neighborhood school? Students displaced by the hurricane are considered homeless and must receive immediate enrollment even without the normally required paperwork (including immunizations).

If we send our kids out of town for a few weeks while we get our lives in order, will they have their spots guaranteed at their charter campus? Yes, we will honor their placement this year.

How will our kids do homework if we have lost everything? Our teachers and staff members will do everything possible to assure our students have the tools and resources needed for learning. We will work on plans for technology, extended library hours, if needed, and other ways for children to have access to the resources needed.

Our family has lost everything and may need to apply for Free/Reduced Meals. How do we do that? Any family can apply for free meals online at www.springbranchisd.com/cns


Maintaining Positivity with Your Children - Talking to your kids about what's going on  http://childrenatrisk.org/maintaining-positivity-with-your-children-in-the-midst-of-hurricane-harvey-how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-whats-going-on/


My children attend Sherwood Elementary, and I am concerned about the integrity of the Addicks Reservoir that is adjacent to our school. Please be assured that safety and security of our students and staff are our primary concern. We will thoroughly assess the readiness of each and every one of our campuses prior to reopening. Should we determine that Sherwood or any other school presents a safety risk for students, staff or families, we would develop an alternative plan.

If my child's school has a uniform requirement, will that still be in place when school reopens next week? No. Schools will not enforce uniform rules when schools reopen.

If our family has been displaced, who do I contact for transportation to be provided for our child?  The district will continue to provide your child with transportation. If you have been displaced, please email Yajahira.Alamilla@springbranchisd.com  for assistance coordinating transportation options for your family. This applies even if your family has moved outside SBISD boundaries. Homeless or displaced families should also contact Lawanda.coffee@springbranchisd.com for additional support and information to assist you.

How will we provide meals for our children as access to Transportation, groceries, etc. remains limited? SBISD has received a waiver from the State that will allow for ALL students to receive breakfast and lunch free of charge through 30 September 2017. There is no need to complete any forms at this time. After 30  September, normal meal services will resume. After 30 September, SBISD will continue with normal food service operations.  Please remember that 29 of our campuses will continue to enjoy the Community Eligibility Program that allows us to serve meals at no charge to all students after 30 September.

It will take us a lot longer to get to school due to high water, road closures or our family being displaced. Will the tardy rules be relaxed?  Yes, our schools will be lenient for tardiness at this time. 

Are their implications for our student athletes regarding UIL as a result of Hurricane Harvey? The UIL has made provisions, through a waiver process, for student-athletes displaced by Hurricane Harvey to be eligible for varsity competition. School coaches, with the support of the district athletic department, will work with each student-athlete in this situation. 

When will football and volleyball practices and games resume?
The plan for the resumption of middle school and high school practices and contests will be released later this afternoon (Friday, Sept. 1) by the district athletic department.

What type of benefits can FEMA offer our family? The Individuals and Households Program (IHP) provides financial help or direct services to those who have necessary expenses and serious needs if they are unable to meet the needs through other means. Up to $32,900 is available in financial help (adjusted each year), although some forms of IHP assistance have limits. Flood insurance may be required as indicated below. These forms of help are available: Housing Assistance (including Temporary Housing, Repair, Replacement, and Semi-Permanent or Permanent Housing Construction) and Other Needs Assistance (including personal property and other items).
Read more >>
fema.gov >>

Which agencies can I contact for assistance?
List of referrals for flood victims - Agencies offering assistance with food, clothing, storage, debris collection, repair permits finding cars towed due to flooding and other flood-related assistance.

How can I replace lost or damaged documents?
Disasters such as floods and tornadoes commonly result in the loss of important documents, but Texans who lost official and important papers have ways to replace them.
Read more >>

Will the ACT still be administered in SBISD next Saturday, Sept. 9? SBISD is working to open as a test site and will hopefully be able to confirm on Tuesday next week.

Will SBISD provide food for children affected by Hurricane Harvey? We are pleased to let you know that the District has arranged to open three children's feeding sites beginning next Tuesday, Sept. 5. The sites below will be open to provide breakfast and lunch for the children of our community.

Update:  The district has received authorization to extend this opportunity through the upcoming weekend. Thus, free breakfast and lunch will be provided through Sunday, Sept. 10.

SCHOOL FEEDING SITES:
  • Meadow Wood Elementary, 14230 Memorial Dr, 77079
  • Edgewood Elementary, 8757 Kempwood Dr., 77080
  • Westwood Elementary, 10595 Hammerly, Blvd., 77043
DATES:
  • Tuesday, Sept. 5 - Sunday, Sept. 10
TIMES:
  • Breakfast: 7 - 9 a.m.
  • Lunch: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
My child is a senior and is applying to college. What should we be doing in light of hurricane Harvey? Regarding teacher and counselor recommendations, if your child is able to do so at this time, please have him/her continue to submit teacher and counselor recommendation requests in Naviance.

When school reopens, Registrars will satisfy transcript requests as quickly as possible. In the meantime, students can submit unofficial transcripts available through Family Access to colleges until official transcripts are available.  Please also know that many colleges and universities allow students to take a screenshot of their transcript and upload it themselves in the application portal.

We strongly recommend that your child notify the admissions offices of universities to which they are applying if your family has been directly impacted/displaced by Hurricane Harvey. Even if your family has not been directly impacted, we recommend your child notify the admissions office that our school district and community have been impacted and our schools remain closed at this time. Please check the university admissions page for any specific information they may request or format in which this message should be sent.

We have heard from several Texas university admissions offices over the last 24 hours. They are indicating willingness to waive application fees if needed, extend application deadlines if needed and otherwise help our students avoid any disadvantage as a result of this unprecedented situation.

For students registered to take the ACT next Saturday, please know we are in communication with ACT personnel and hope to confirm on Tuesday whether we will still be able to administer the ACT on Saturday. 
 
When will the ACT college entrance exam will be administered?
The ACT will be administered as scheduled at both Memorial and Spring Woods High Schools this Saturday, September 9.


When will the SAT be administered?
The SAT, originally scheduled for August 26, has been rescheduled and will be administered on Saturday, September 16, at Memorial and Spring Woods High Schools.


Will FEMA open a disaster recovery site in West Houston?

FEMA will open a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) next week at the following location:

St. John Vianney Church
625 Nottingham Oaks Trail
Houston, TX 77079

Build out is projected to begin on Monday and the center will be open either Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning.  Read more about services offered at a DRC.

Will students need to make up school days missed as a result of Hurricane Harvey?
Texas Education Agency has approved SBISD’s waiver request for missed school days as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Thus, SBISD will NOT have to use bad weather makeup days.

In support of our commitment to maximizing student instructional time while minimizing stress of the compressed semester as result of Harvey, there will also be no mid-term or final exams administered this semester for middle and high school students.

As a result, last night, the SBISD Board of Trustees approved a modification to the 2017-18 calendar for Wednesday, Dec. 13, and Thursday, Dec. 14, to be full instructional days rather than early dismissal days. (These were originally scheduled as half days for final exams.) Friday, Dec. 15, will remain an early dismissal day for all students.
View Final Revised 2017-18 SBISD Academic Calendar >>

What resources are available to help guide families and stakeholders in rebuilding communities?




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