​Dear Parents/Guardians,

Venus ISD students are the best and brightest around!  VISD is committed to providing all students with instructional programs supporting each student, as they strive to reach their greatest potential. 
Recommendation form will be available upon request through the school counselor. All nomination forms are due Friday, October 2nd. Late forms will not be accepted.
*All VISD 1st  grade students will participate in a G/T Screening process, so nomination forms are not needed.*

Sincerely,

Christy Thorman                    Hollis Moore
District G/T Coordinator        Assistant Superintendent 

Bulldog Parents, please be aware of the following notice from the University Interscholastic League (UIL), which is the governing body for school athletic events in Texas.  Venus ISD will follow UIL rules at all applicable events.

Athletic Directors and Football Coaches,
 
As we continue into fall seasons, it is critical that schools are diligent in following these risk-mitigation guidelines. Schools are still required to follow Governor Abbott’s Executive Order GA-29 related to face coverings. Schools may allow spectators to attend contests up to a maximum of 50% of a venue’s capacity, provided appropriate spacing as prescribed in the guidelines is maintained. UIL has posted some sample pre-game and public address announcements online that schools may use to help remind spectators of the guidelines to be followed. 
 
Schools not following these guidelines are subject to sanctions, including suspension of contests or discontinuation of public access to games, by the local UIL District Executive Committee and/or UIL State Executive Committee.
 
Points of Emphasis from Executive Order GA-29 concerning Face Coverings: 

• All employees, parents, visitors and students ten years of age or older must wear face coverings or face shields upon entry to an area where UIL activities are being conducted and when not actively practicing or playing in the contest, unless an exception listed below applies. 
  • Exceptions:
    • When a congregating group of persons maintains at least 6 feet of social distancing; or
    • Any other reason or circumstance indicated under Executive Order GA-29.
• Coaches should have face coverings on at all times unless they fall under one of the exceptions.
• Players not actively participating in a contest should have face coverings on at all times unless they fall under one of the exceptions.
• Parents, visitors, spectators and students should have face coverings on at all times unless they fall under one of the exceptions. 

Points of Emphasis concerning Spectators, Audiences, Fans and Media found in UIL COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Guidelines: 

• Schools may allow spectators to attend games, contests, or events within a maximum 50% capacity limitation, provided that appropriate spacing between spectators is maintained according to the protocol, and according to the following:
• Spectators, audiences, fans and media are required to wear face coverings as described in Executive Order GA-29.

 
Additional Reminders for Games:

• Coaches and players should maintain 6 feet of distance from chain crew members
• Face coverings should be of solid color and may have a school logo
• There shall be NO postgame handshake between teams following the game

 
Thank you for all of your work leading up to the season and for your continued work throughout the remainder of the season.  If you have any question that we can assist you with, please contact us at athletics@uiltexas.org
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Dr. Susan Elza
Director of Athletics

Venus ISD will begin classes on-campus and online on August 18, 2020
Registration for returning students continues through August 4, 2020

In-person assistance is available at Venus High School on the following dates:
Thursday July 30, 2020 3PM-7PM
Friday July 31, 2020 3PM-7PM
Saturday August 1, 2020 10AM-2PM

Computers will be available for parents to complete registration and Spanish translators will also be present.

• Only 1 adult per family will be allowed in and masks are required.
• No students or children will be allowed to enter the building during this time.
• You will check in at the door and physical distancing will be observed.

There will be a maximum of 20 parents in the building at one time so please be patient if we have to ask you to wait for a few minutes before you are allowed in.

​Many attempting to register for school today ran into technical difficulties. Therefore, Venus ISD Registration dates will start Monday, July 20 at 8:00 a.m., and run through August 4.
​
On Thursday, 7/16, at 7:00 p.m., Venus ISD Superintendent James Hopper will discuss Re-Opening Plans and gather input from parents.

Venus ISD Parents/Guardians,

The unfortunate health situation in our state is changing daily. Most recently, the COVID-19 incidents have increased dramatically. We appreciate your understanding, patience, and grace as we all navigate this situation together.

We have been working all summer to plan for the 20-21 school year. In a recent survey of Venus ISD parents, almost 80% of the surveys returned said that you would rather have learning happen on campus this fall. We all want our school year to begin as normally as possible; however, there will have to be some safety precautions.

As with all school districts, we had been hoping to get a little more guidance from state sources regarding the health situation, specifically social distancing restrictions and the constraints that will be placed on the classroom environment, transportation, student meals, and so forth. In the absence of this direction, we are pressing forward, and will continue to work with guidance from health officials regarding the safest manner in which to return to school this year.

We want to inform you of options for the coming school year:

On-Campus (Face-to-face) Instruction
We will make sure that our students can be back on campus with their teachers in a way that maximizes safety for students and staff. This will be done through routine disinfecting of surfaces, appropriate and feasible social distancing, hand washing, and use of personal protective equipment.

Connected (At-Home) Instruction
In addition, we are going to offer learning options for those who may have health concerns for their students or for others in the household. For those who are not comfortable with on-campus instruction at this time, we are offering Connected (virtual) Instruction. Your student already has (or will be issued) a Chromebook to use for this type of instruction. Please note that the Connected Learning will adhere to the same attendance and grading polices as on-campus classes.

In order for us to accurately plan for the 20-21 school year, please take a moment to fill out the brief survey, via the link below, indicating your preferences. Please note that answering the survey does not lock you into your decision. It simply gives us valuable feedback so we can more effectively and efficiently plan for the beginning of the school year.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfiwTz0xGa_nZwU2Orka670qqVL_VRQ1H7y3LQIlcJU2YsTLQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

We look forward to the ongoing partnership with parents in the coming weeks leading up to the school year. There will be much more information in the coming days and weeks. In the meantime, please email any questions to covid19@venusisd.net.
Key upcoming dates include the following:

• Registration for both On-Campus and Connected Learning is July 15 – July 30.
• First day for classes is August 13.

La situación de salud en nuestro estado está cambiando diariamente. Más recientemente, los incidentes de COVID-19 han aumentado dramáticamente. Apreciamos su comprensión, paciencia y gracia mientras todos navegamos juntos por esta situación.

En una encuesta reciente de padres de Venus ISD, casi 80% de las encuestas devueltas dijeron que preferiría tener un aprendizaje presencial en persona este otoño. Todos queremos que nuestro año escolar comience lo más normalmente posible, sin embargo, deberán tomarse algunas precauciones de seguridad. Como todos los distritos escolares, habíamos esperado obtener más información de las fuentes estatales con respecto a la situación de salud, específicamente las restricciones de distanciamiento social y las restricciones que se impondrán del aula, el transporte, las comidas de los estudiantes, etc. En ausencia de esta dirección, continuamos trabajando con la orientación de los funcionarios de salud sobre la forma más segura de regresar a la escuela este año.

Instrucción cara a cara (en la escuela)
Nos aseguraremos de que nuestros estudiantes puedan estar cara a cara con sus maestros de una manera que maximice la seguridad para los estudiantes y el personal. Esto se realizará mediante una programa de desinfección regular, distanciamiento social apropiado y factible, lavado de manos y uso de equipo de protección personal.

Instrucción conectada (en el hogar)
Además, vamos a ofrecer opciones de aprendizaje conectadas para aquellos que puedan tener inquietudes de salud para sus estudiantes u otras personas en el hogar. Para aquellos que no se sienten cómodos con la instrucción cara a cara en este momento, ofrecemos instrucción conectada (en el hogar). Su estudiante ya tiene (o se le emitirá) un Chromebook para usar para este tipo de instrucción. Se tomarán asistencia y calificaciones, y las clases serán diseñadas y enseñadas por maestros de Venus ISD.

Haga clic en el enlace abajo para completar la breve encuesta que acompaña a esta carta. Tu decisión no es definitiva. Esta es información crítica para que la usemos en la planificación del año escolar 2020-21.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeEZB29nuMouA_rb3z1i_Whs4ichSlIGczFigKGWXIQo1T77A/viewform?usp=sf_link

Esperamos una asociación continua con las familias de Venus ISD con más información próximamente. Mientras tanto, envíe sus preguntas por correo electrónico a covid19@venusisd.net.
Fechas Importantes:

• La inscripción para estudiantes es del 15 de julio al 30 de julio.
• El primer día para las clases es el 13 de agosto.

​– Venus ISD to receive up to $300,000 and technical support provided by the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation –
 
Venus Independent School District is among the 20 school districts selected as blended learning demonstration sites in the second cohort of Raising Blended Learners (RBL). Venus ISD will receive up to $300,000 in grant funding plus additional in-kind technical assistance to implement a personalized learning program within their district.
 
The 2020 cohort of blended learning demonstration sites reflect the vast diversity within Texas’ public schools including suburban, rural, and urban districts with student populations ranging from 550 to more than 150,000 students. Venus ISD is proud of our administrative team’s hard work in designing a blended learning plan that will be of immense benefit to our students.  Venus ISD alumnus and current Venus ISD Instructional Technology Coordinator and RBL Project Leader, Warren Hudson adds,” Venus ISD has an unwavering commitment to doing what is best for our students, and the resources provided by the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation will help us take that commitment to the next level; I’m truly excited for our teachers and students.” 
 
Superintendent James Hopper stated, “The Venus ISD Board of Trustees is singularly focused on student growth and development, and has backed that up numerous times with commitment to action. Because of this commitment, our Blended Learning Team (BLT) of Ann-Marie Morgan, Warren Hudson, Karen Woodworth, Kim Buck, Victoria Fudge and Daniel Domain took on the planning of this initiative as a moral imperative, regardless of the outcome of the grant process.”
 
Blended learning merges best practices of in-person classroom teaching with online technology so educators are able to utilize data to personalize instruction while students are able to gain more ownership over their learning.
 
With the RBL Grant, Venus ISD is committed to helping teachers close gaps in student learning and to the promotion of student growth by focusing on student-centered, data-driven instruction that involves whole-group, small-group, and independent, personalized work, along with a variety of tools and resources.  “Our pilot focuses on leveraging blended learning to increase reading levels for all students in grades six through nine,” says Director of Curriculum, Dr. Ann-Marie Morgan. Venus ISD will leverage additional funding and support to increase student reading skills by incorporating the station rotation model of blended learning.  Doing so will ensure that each student receives greater personalized attention from their teacher, and receives instruction focused on their unique needs.
 
Raising Blended Learners was originally scheduled to launch work with its second cohort during the 2020-21 school year. However, due to the challenging times caused by COVID-19, the program will begin implementation during the 2021-22 school year. 
 
“The Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation recognizes this announcement comes at a challenging time for education across the state,” said Jennifer Jendrzey, vice president of strategy and evaluation of the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation. “In light of the trauma and chaos surrounding COVID-19, we know that ‘business as usual’ will not be possible for many districts as they head into the 2020-21 school year and therefore, made the difficult decision to delay the launch of Raising Blended Learners by one full calendar year.”
 
During the interim, the Foundation will support the second cohort of Raising Blended Learners demonstration sites with readiness support to help the districts revisit and revise, if necessary, their blended learning plans.
 
“Even with a delay, Raise Your Hand is committed to helping districts maintain the momentum generated through the past year of the application and planning process, and supporting them in addressing the new teaching and learning reality of COVID-19,” Jendrzey said.

Families who qualify for free or reduced price school meals may also qualify for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer.  Check out the flyers below for details.

Congratulations to our wonderfully talented students at Venus High School!  Watch the video below to recognize our Venus High School's academic award winners for their accomplishments.  We are proud of our Bulldogs!

Venus High School will host a parade to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating class of 2020 on Friday, May 22, 2020, at 5:30 PM.  All are invited to watch the parade from sides of the road along the parade route.  You are welcome to park at the softball field, Venus Elementary School, baseball field, and Bulldog Stadium.  Please practice appropriate social distancing to protect yourself and others.

Check out the interactive map below to explore the staging area (shown in yellow) and parade route (shown in blue).  Parade participants should enter the staging area via the Southwest entrance to Venus Primary School. ​

Due to the risks associated with the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), Venus ISD will not hold classes the week of March 23-27, and will suspend all extra-curricular activities, practices, travel, and use of facilities through Sunday March 29.  We will actively evaluate the situation throughout this time.  Should there be a need to close for an additional length of time, we will contact parents and staff by noon on Thursday, March 26.
​
We strongly urge Venus ISD families to avoid travel and attending large gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus. In the event that we need to facilitate online learning for our students, we will provide instructions and resources at that time.  The Venus ISD website, www.venusisd.net, will be updated with the most current information as it becomes available.

The following young men received All-District 17-4A honors as voted by the District Coaches.  Please congratulate these guys on their accomplishments!

1st Team - 
Jeremiah Hall

2nd Team - 
Jourdan Fields

Honorable Mention - 
Elijah Myles
Blane Parks

Academic All-District (92 or above) - 
Jourdan Fields
Blane Parks
Isaiah Pereira