Principal Update 7/21

Good afternoon Doss parents and community.  I hope you all are well today.

We’ve had another busy, but successful week here at Doss.  First, I would like to welcome a few new staff members to Doss.  If you didn’t know, Mrs. Lang decided to job share her librarian position with well-known and Anderson Vertical Team librarian alum, Mrs. Celeste Pustka.  Mrs. Pustka comes to Doss with a tremendous amount of experience and will be a major asset to the Doss Learning Community.  Welcome!  Additionally, we have found a 5^th grade 49% teacher!  This was no small feat and took a lot of flexibility from the 5^th grade team to change the position from Math/Science to ELS/SS.  THANK YOU, 5th grade team, for your patience and willingness to adjust as needed.  I will announce this person’s name when she has made it through the hiring process.

This week we also welcomed our Mandarin/Chinese camp to Doss for two weeks of learning and fun!  It has been great to see many of our students (current and former) engage in summer learning along with many of our Doss DLI teachers.  We also welcomed back Adriana and Pat back to campus as they begin the tedious work of registering new students and preparing for the return of our students.  Currently, Doss is sitting at 841 students which is about five students over our projection.  I expect this number could exceed 850 students after Labor Day.  Any adjustments to staffing, if needed, we hope to make prior to publishing classroom lists on Wednesday, August 10th at 5:00 P.M.  As always, I will keep the community posted in the coming weeks.

Lastly, do keep informed about the community meetings and information related to bond planning.  While nothing is final until the board votes in August, it is important to stay well-informed if AISD trustees decide to go out for a bond election on November 8.  For more information, check out the following webpage and resources.  I am also happy to help answer any questions I can.  As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.  Have a wonderful weekend!

-Nathan

Updates

• Student Meals for 2022-2023 (Updated)*
  • If you are interested in your child eating breakfast or lunch at Doss this year, please read the following message for our food service team. 
  • Please note that breakfast and lunch will no longer be free for all students but rather for those who qualify.  I encourage everyone to apply just in case.  It’s quick, easy, and confidential.
  • Doss Breakfast/Lunch Flyer
  • * Free/Reduced Lunch Applications open August 1.
• Other AISD Events and Resources
  • How do I find my students STAAR Results from 2021-2022?
    • Parent Find My Assessment Results
    • Please reach out to Tracy Sheridan if you have questions.
  • AISD Back to School Bash
  • Riding the Bus in 2022-2023?
    • AISD’s transportation team offers families the “WheresTheBus” app, which provides timely information about the location of their student’s assigned bus only, including when it will arrive at their stop.The free app is available on any device with internet access (smartphone, tablet, personal computer, iPad)—and takes less than five minutes to install. Instructions are available at https://www.austinisd.org/transportation.
  • Kids’ Connection Fall Information

Calendar of Events

• Classroom Lists Posted
  • Wednesday, August 10 (online and on café/front doors) @ 5:00 P.M.
• Meet the Teacher
  • Thursday, August 11 from 11:00-12:30
  • Meet the teacher is a quick, come and go event where parents and students can drop off supplies, say a quick hello to friends and the teacher, and walk through the school.  It gives parents and students a chance to orient themselves with the school and classrooms.
    • Two sessions:
      • 11:00-11:40 A-M
      • 11:40-11:50  Transition
      • 11:50-12:30:  N-Z
• Back to School Night
  • Back to School Night is when teachers invite parents only to the classroom to learn about procedures, expectations, and to ask questions.  We provide two sessions so families with multiple children can attend different grade levels.  ​
    • Wednesday, August 24:  Pre-k, Kinder, 1st, and 2nd Grade
      • Session 2:  5:30-6:10
      • Transition:  6:10-6:20
      • Session 1:  6:20-7:00
    • Thursday, September 1:  3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade
      • Session 1:  5:30-6:10
      • Transition:  6:10-6:20
      • Session 2:  6:20-7:00
• First Day of Instruction
  • Monday, August 15th
  • More information about the first day of school will be shared soon.