On Tuesday, June 23, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) was to provide school districts across the state with important information regarding in-person instruction for the 2020–21 school year. During the call with districts, TEA provided models for remote instruction; however, it did not provide additional guidance regarding in-person instruction. TEA is examining the public health situation, working closely with the Governor’s Special Advisory Council, and continuing to monitor the rapidly changing landscape before it releases plans for in-person instruction for next year. The Agency has indicated it will provide further guidance at a later date, yet to be determined. 

It is hard to believe there are only three months left in the 2015-16 school year. A lot has happened since school began on Monday, Aug. 24, 2015. Students and staff continue to achieve great things, both academically and personally.

I hope you will join me in telling others Birdville ISD’s focus is excellence, integrity and service. The District has created the social media campaign #WeAreBirdvilleISD for the purpose of sharing the pride of BISD.

Listed below are a few of the points of pride that illustrate why #WeAreBirdvilleISD.

• BISD has three National Merit Finalists, 13 National Merit Commended Scholars and one National Hispanic Scholar for the 2015-16 school year.
• BISD was named a finalist for the $5 million Raise Your Hand Texas Blended Learning Initiative.
• Sixteen BISD high school band and choir members were selected as Texas All-State musicians.
• Smithfield Middle School was named to the 2016 Texas Schools to Watch® program by the Texas Middle School Association.
• The Birdville Center of Technology and Advanced Learning’s (BCTAL) robotics team recently advanced to the Regional competition.
• Two Birdville ISD eighth-grade social studies teachers were accepted to attend a week of learning at George Washington’s Mount Vernon home.
• Birdville ISD’s Audio/Video Production Department announced that Birdville High School senior Ian Chapoy’s short film “The Ambition Song” was accepted into the Texas High School Shorts Program at the 2016 South by Southwest Film Festival.
• Hafsa Syed from North Ridge Middle School won BISD’s 2016 Spelling Bee. Adriana Fackender from Holiday Heights Elementary was the runner-up.
• Richland Elementary’s choir was the only BISD choir invited to perform with the North Texas Children’s Choir at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas.
• Six BISD aspiring middle school and high school playwrights were named winners of the Stage West Theatre’s Neighborhood Play Contest.
• Binion and Smithfield elementary schools tied for first place in BISD’s 2016 Battle of the Books competition.
• BISD celebrated with a groundbreaking for the new North Richland Middle School campus on Jan. 15. Thank you BISD voters for your support of the 2014 Bond.

This list might seem long, but it doesn’t begin to touch on all of the accolades I could share about our students, staff and community.

I want to invite you to join me in showing your BISD pride by posting your pictures on social media with a sign or caption containing the hashtag #WeAreBirdvilleISD. Show the world why they should want to be part of the great things happening in Birdville ISD.