Elbow bumps and air high-fives to our Round Rock ISD families. You’re doing great.
We hope you’re all well and enjoying outdoor Spring activities at a safe distance. Each week we look forward to bringing you enriching ideas, sharing what’s happening online, and keeping you informed about important dates. Let’s get started.
Keep up hand washing and using hand sanitizer after accepting deliveries, picking up food, or other essential tasks. If you have discovered that you touch your face often, enlist family members to help you break the habit. Keeping each other healthy is a team effort where we all win!
Stay active. For fun ideas on how to stay active visit the Round Rock ISD Facebook page and watch our incredible physical education and wellness teachers demonstrate 2-minute body movement videos designed to keep you moving.
Online Learning begins April 6
Teachers are receiving training on how to present student online lessons in a digitally safe and productive way. On April 6, teachers begin publishing lessons and activities in Google Classroom. Some early grade teachers may use SeeSaw.
Teachers facilitate, design, and post assignments, which students complete on their own schedule and at their own pace. Once assignments are completed, teachers provide the student necessary feedback and encouragement. Teachers will also have “office hours” when they are available to help students.
Printed take-home packets will continue to be available at our curbside breakfast and lunch distribution sites for students who would prefer printed materials or who may continue to have limited access to devices or the Internet.
Need-based laptop distribution
Google Chromebooks are available for students who need them. Distribution is happening now through Friday, April 3, from 2 – 5 p.m. at Cedar Ridge, McNeil, Stony Point, Round Rock, and Westwood high schools, and is organized by school level. These devices are on loan from the District and are expected to be returned in the future. Chromebook distribution schedule and locations.
To help verify student information, please write your student’s name and student ID number (s######) on a piece of paper large enough to be seen from a distance and place it on your dashboard, so it is visible from the windshield.
For students needing internet access, the District has ordered wifi hotspots. More information about the distribution of these will be provided after they arrive in the District. Also, a few internet service providers are offering free, trial internet service to households who don’t have service with K-12 and/or college students.
Featured lessons from the Home Learning Hub
If you haven’t already, let’s jump start at-home learning with selected featured lessons from the Round Rock ISD Home Learning Hub.
- Pre K | Count and write the steps 👣 from your room to the other rooms in your home.
- Grades K – 2 | Draw or make a model map 🗺 of your neighborhood. Include parks, businesses, playgrounds, your school, roads, maybe even your neighbors walking their 🐕 dog. Don’t forget a colorful map key.
- Grades 3 – 5 | Be a Moonanager. 🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘 Each evening look out your window or,if you can, safely get outside to observe the moon. Draw a picture of what the moon looks like. Try to be as detailed as possible with colors and shading. Do this for two weeks to see the different phases of the moon. Or take photos and write your observations.
- Grades 6 – 8 | Grow your vocabulary. Select and write down two new words. Use and write these words at least three times in a conversation that you have that day. (social media counts). Do this each day to power up your vocabulary.
- Grades 9 – 12 | Polish your world language skills by watching a movie in the language you are currently studying. Make a list of words and phrases/signs that you recognize. Choose a foreign language movie or watch a dubbed American movie. Challenge: Don’t use subtitles and try to recognize words and phrases/signs.
Find these featured lessons and more, including activities for special education students, when you visit The Home Learning Hub or pick up a packet at a curbside meal service location.
Featured Virtual Field Trip
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. offers virtual self-guided, room-by-room tours of select exhibits, like dinosaurs, large mammals, insects, ancient civilizations, and other areas within the museum. Grab your device and start exploring. Let’s see what you can find!
Get lost in a really good book. Re-read a favorite or start a classic.
You have access to FREE Online e-books – Library Services at Round Rock ISD provides students free, 24/7 online and mobile access to over 2,000 e-books and 34 subscription research resources, in English and Spanish. The resource-rich digital databases, include Mackin Via, EBSCO e-books, Follett Shelf and others.
All you need is your Round Rock ISD student ID to access thousands of FREE, ebooks, audiobooks and more! Students use their student ID as user name and password. Access and browse online E-books.
Audibles is offering free audiobooks on their stories service.They have over 300 free audiobooks in six languages – all free of charge for the foreseeable future.
Categories that are currently free include littlest listeners, elementary, tween, teen, and literary classics. The six featured languages are – English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Chinese Mandarin. Sign up is required to access these free audiobooks that can be listened to on using a laptop, mobile phone, or tablet.
Meals for students are available for pick up Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 13 locations. Students pick up lunch for the day and breakfast for the following morning.
Beginning Friday, April 3, student meals will be offered for Saturday and Sunday. Students can pick up meals for the weekend on Friday.
The application window closes to request a school transfer for the 2020-2021 school year on Friday, April 3. Transfer applications are accepted through April 3 at 5 p.m. Parents must have a Home Access Center (HAC) account to request a transfer.
Seniors, fill out the FAFSA. For students starting college in the Fall of 2020, the deadline to file your FAFSA application is June 30, 2020.
The worldwide spread of the Coronavirus is being used by bad guys to scare people into clicking on links, open malicious attachments, or give out confidential info. Be careful with anything related to Coronavirus: e-mails, attachments, social media, texts on your phone, etc.
Look out for topics like:
- Check updated Coronavirus map in your city
- Coronavirus infection warning from local school district
- CDC or WHO emails or social media messaging
- Keeping your children safe from Coronavirus
- Even scam phone calls about it to raise funds for “victims.”
April is National Library Month
Bus driver & assistant appreciation week April 1-5
Thank you to our bus drivers, assistants and transportation staff for their role in safely transporting our students to and from school everyday.
How do you prefer to stay connected with Round Rock ISD?
