REDWATER ISD

Click the RISD COVID-19 button above to access the RISD COVID-19 site.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Redwater ISD BUILDINGS WILL BE CLOSED through May 1, 2020, with the potential of a larger extension. All school activities and events will continue to be suspended during the duration of building closures.

Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
Texas Department of State Health Services: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/

March 16, 2020
For Immediate Release

REDWATER ISD CLOSED MARCH 17-27, 2020 OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION FOR COVID-19

Out of an abundance of caution in regards to COVID-19, Redwater ISD will be closed March 17-27, 2020, with the potential of a longer extension. All school activities and events will be suspended beginning Tuesday, March 17. RISD is making arrangements for food services and educational plans for students and will communicate these plans as they are finalized.

While the district is closed, Redwater ISD essential personnel will continue to consult with local and state health authorities during this evolving situation.

For additional information in regards to district reopening, continue to closely monitor communication through the school’s website at www.redwaterisd.org, E-notes messaging system, and the Redwater ISD Facebook page.

IMPORTANT SOURCES RELATED TO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

• Center for Disease Control:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
• Texas Department of State Health Services: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/

Thank you for your continued patience and support as we prioritize the health and safety of our students and staff.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kelly Burns
Superintendent

                                                                                                                                                  March 15, 2020

Dear Redwater ISD Family,

As of now, Redwater ISD is planning to resume school on Tuesday, March 17^th. Please note student attendance is at the parent’s discretion. If you feel it is in your child’s best health interest to stay at home, please send documentation indicating the absence is due to COVID-19. The district will not allow an absence due to this pandemic to negatively impact student attendance records or exemptions. If you choose to self-quarantine, please contact your campus principal beginning Tuesday. We will begin setting up an academic plan. 

RISD is asking the community to heed CDC requirements to self-quarantine if you feel symptomatic or believe you have come in contact with someone infected with COVID-19, and contact your health care provider as soon as possible.

The district is staying informed by participating in daily TEA COVID-19 Superintendent calls with the Texas Commissioner of Education. Bowie County Superintendents are also in constant contact daily. We are staying in contact with local authorities as well throughout this situation. We continue to closely monitor all information from the Texas Education Agency and the Department of State Health Service websites.

All UIL events including athletic, music and academics have been suspended from March 16 through March 29 or until further notice. As long as school is in session we will continue to practice until further notice.

Should we need to close, the district will have measures in place to continue to support instruction through multiple avenues to be inclusive of those who have internet access as well as those who do not. We will also have a food service plan in place. We recommend you begin preparations for a potential closure as well.

Please continue to monitor the district website and social media pages for future information.

Sincerely, 

Dr. Kelly Burns
Superintendent, Redwater ISD

March 12, 2020

Dear Redwater ISD Family,

With the media coverage around the coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China,  I want to assure you that our school district is keeping track of this situation through proven and trustworthy sources: our local health department, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  These health officials believe the risk to our school community is low at this time.

Updated information from the CDC on coronavirus in the United States can be found at:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. The most recent information about coronavirus in Texas may be found at: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/.

Based on the current information, health officials are recommending local communities and schools should take the same steps to protect against coronavirus as we take to prevent the spread of everyday illnesses like the common cold or the flu:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Stay home when you are sick. 

• Cover your mouth and nose with the inside of your elbow when you cough or sneeze.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The 2019 novel coronavirus is believed to be spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, much in the way the flu and other respiratory viruses are spread.  Symptoms can be fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. At this time, persons considered at risk are those with travel to China, or those in close contact with persons infected with novel coronavirus.  

 While a new type of illness can be scary, we can protect our students, teachers, and the broader community by using simple everyday actions that protect people from other types of respiratory viruses. Our teachers, school nurses, and staff are working carefully to encourage these simple and effective habits of frequent handwashing, covering every cough or sneeze, and cleaning classroom tables/surfaces frequently.  This is important not just to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, but to help prevent the spread of other infections that can lead to student illness and absences.  

Any time your child has been sick, students must be free of fever for 24 hours without Tylenol or Advil, not vomiting or have had diarrhea for 24 hours prior to returning to school. In cases like strep or other illnesses where antibiotics are prescribed, the general rule is that students should be on the antibiotics 24 hours before returning to school. All of these guidelines are in place for our staff as well.

Thank you for your support of our district, our schools, our students and our teachers and staff. 

Sincerely, 

Dr. Kelly Burns
Superintendent, Redwater ISD

New Grade Viewer Website

Redwater ISD is pleased to announce the release of the ASCENDER Parent Portal which replaces txConnect (Online Grade Viewer) for viewing grades, attendance and immunization information. Please use your existing txConnect username and password to access the ASCENDER Parent Portal. After 4 unsuccessful login attempts, your account will be locked for 10 minutes. If you do not have a grade viewer account, contact your child's campus counselor for a Parent Portal ID.

You may access the new ASCENDER Parent Portal at https://txeis08.txeis.net/ParentPortal/login?distid=019906 or by using the Parents>Grade Viewer menu on our website. For Parent Portal assistance download the ASCENDER Parent Portal quick start brochure or the more detailed user guide.

You will notice some cosmetic differences in page formatting in ASCENDER as compared to txConnect. To view student grades, log in, and in the gray box on the left side of the screen, choose the drop down menu next to Grades, then choose Cycle and Semester Grades. To view individual assignments, click on the blue grade next to the course for this cycle (six weeks).

PARENTS and GUARDIANS NOTE: Only parents and guardians with an email address on file with the office will continue to receive email/text alerts from the ASCENDER Parent Portal. The email address and cell phone number you provide for verification in the ASCENDER Parent Portal must be the same information you provided in the beginning of the year packet. If your email address or phone number has changed, please inform the campus office. Monitor your child’s grades in ASCENDER and if you are not receiving alerts, contact your child's counselor. Check your student's account periodically. Occasionally, due to technical issues, the alerts you have set up do not send properly. They cannot be resent after they have failed.

STUDENTS NOTE: Students with portal accounts will no longer receive portal alerts.

Update any bookmark, favorite or shortcut to the new ASCENDER Parent Portal Link:  https://txeis08.txeis.net/ParentPortal/login?distid=019906.

Parents who have a link saved to their mobile device will need to delete the old link and create a new one.
How to Pin the Parent Portal Shortcut to your Mobile Device
1. Open a browser on your device. iPhone users will need to use the Safari browser. Android users may use Chrome.
2. Browse to the district Ascender website by using the Parent Portal link above or by going to http://redwaterisd.org and then selecting Parents>Grade Viewer.
3. For iPhone, in the Safari browser, click the box with the arrow at bottom of page and choose Add to Home Screen.
4. For Android, in Chrome, click the three dots in upper right corner of screen and choose Add to Home Screen.

IMPORTANT CHANGES—Please check out the new morning and afternoon traffic routes parents will use when picking up and dropping off their students. 

These are new routes for everyone (including our student drivers) so please be extra cautious as we all adjust to these changes. 

*Pre-Kindergarten parents will use the same route as 1st-3rd grade parents. (See 0:53 into the video). 

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.

STAAR Scores Available June 12^th

Starting June 12^th, STAAR scores will be available for parents to view at https://texasassessment.com/. To access your child’s results, follow the steps in this English or Spanish flyer. You will need an access code to log into the system. There is a link directly below the log in area that provides your child’s unique access code after you enter his or her birth date and social security number. Parents will receive their child’s individual report in paper format via U.S. Postal Service this summer.

facebook.com/redwaterisd