NISD elementary and middle school students battle it out to become the districtโs First Lego League Grand Champion
Elementary and middle school students from 23 Northside Independent School District campuses will compete to be crowned the NISD First Lego League Masterpiece Challenge Grand Champion.
NISD teacher, staff union calls for change following death of instructional assistant
The union that represents teachers and staff in the Northside Independent School District is calling for change following the death of an instructional assistant who was seriously injured in a classroom at Brandeis High School. The Bexar County Medical Examiner has ruled the death as a homicide.
SAPD, NISD deny requests to release names 3 months after district officer shot woman at football game
On Oct. 28, a woman was shot in the arm by a Northside ISD officer after becoming aggressive and driving her vehicle toward him in a โthreatening manner,โ school district officials said. Three months later, both her and the officer's identities are not public.
OโConnor students may have also been exposed to tuberculosis case at Brandeis HS, Metro Health says
OโConnor High School has been found to have a direct link to a case of tuberculosis at another Northside Independent School District high school, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District said Friday.
WATER POLO: Brandeis girls preparing for first UIL State tournament
The Brandeis girls high school water polo team will make history on Saturday morning as the first San Antonio area team to compete in a UIL State tournament. The Broncos will face Clute Brazoswood at 10:30 a.m. at Josh Davis Natatorium.
Brandeis stuns Johnson with 28-point comeback; Peoples leads Veterans Memorial to first district win; Davenport races past Devine, stays unbeaten
The midpoint of the 2022 high school football season featured one of the greatest comebacks yet, as Brandeis erased a 17-point deficit to stun Johnson and remain undefeated in District 28-6A.
OโConnor softball wins first UIL State title; DโHanis sweeps softball, baseball titles for first time since 2019
O'Connor capped their magical season with the program's first UIL State title, while D'Hanis repeated their incredible performance in 2019 by claiming both the softball and baseball Class 1A State titles.
โItโs truly just voter intimidationโ: NISD pressured staff, tracked votes during bond election, records show
Employees at multiple Northside Independent School District campuses have told the KSAT 12 Defenders in recent weeks that administrators relentlessly pressured them to vote on a May bond measure, tracked whether they had cast a ballot and in one instance threatened discipline if they failed to do so.
Northside ISD says messaging over bond election was โmiscommunicationโ that was quickly addressed
Northside ISD officials on Monday defended their actions after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott indicated the district would be under investigation amid allegations that staff felt pressured to vote in Saturdayโs bond election.
Northside ISD under investigation after some staffers felt pressured to vote in bond election, governor says
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Northside ISD will be investigated by Education Commissioner Mike Morath and the Attorney Generalโs Office after leaked emails suggested that staffers were pressured to vote in Saturdayโs bond election.
Taking class to the construction site: Tiny homes built by Northside ISD students up for sale
Some Northside ISD students are doing big things in small spaces. Construction Careers Academy, located on the Warren High School campus, is hosting a tiny homes showcase Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
San Antonio school superintendents look back at lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic shutdown
SAN ANTONIO โ One year ago, San Antonio students began their 2020 spring break only to learn it wouldnโt end as planned. COVID-19 pandemic worries had reached a tipping point by then, and schools around the country shut down. San Antonio school superintendents are now looking back on lessons learned and where we are going from here. Speaking of tests, most school districts are now offering regular COVID-19 tests for staff and students, and vaccinations are now being added the mix. District leaders said look for the fall school plans to roll out by the end of this semester.
San Antonio Teachers Go Door to Door as Kids Disappear From Remote Classes
Teachers from Rawlinson Middle School in San Antonio go door to door to find students who have stopped logging in for class during the COVID-19 pandemic. They knock until someone answers, and talk to sleepy kids and overwhelmed parents about how to stay engaged during remote learning. (The 74)Since the beginning of the school year, a squad of Rawlinson teachers have visited around 100 homes. Two teachers volunteer, they set a date, and the school hires substitute teachers. The Rawlinson visits combine visits with a tool the study labeled โstrongโ: reminders to parents about the importance of attendance, consequences of absenteeism, and how many days the student has missed.
Former Warren football coach arrested, accused of kicking player during 2019 practice
He resigned from Northside Independent School District at the end of June, a district spokesman confirmed Monday. Robbins most recently worked as a paraprofessional football coach at Yoakum High School, east of San Antonio. The allegations against Mr. Robbins are related to an incident that occurred when he was employed by a previous school district. To date, Mr. Robbinsโ teaching certificate has not been sanctioned by the Texas Education Agency. Mr. Robbins is entitled to due process and is presumed innocent.
NEISD counselor urges parents to be vigilant as students deal with mental health issues
SAN ANTONIO โ Natalie Hierholzer, director of guidance services for North East Independent School District, says an increase in students dying by suicide is alarming. Hierholzer said she is urging the district and counselors to review the protocols to help students deal with mental health following student deaths by suicide and other attempted suicides this school year. โTheyโre not maybe giving them all the details of whatโs going on, like little pieces and that makes it difficult to work together with the family to help these kids,โ Hierholzer said. Northside Independent School District reported two deaths by suicide to date in this school year and three in the previous two school years. Hierholzer urges parents to reach the school district for resources or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
FEATURE: Health Careers girls earn breakthrough moment, win first district title
SAN ANTONIO โ Last year, the District 27-6A girls swimming and diving team title was decided by two points. The squad from Health Careers High School was on the wrong end of that differential and watched as perennial power Brandeis once again celebrated with a plaque on deck at Northside Aquatic Center. โWe pushed ourselves as hard as we could.โOne year later, Health Careers flipped the script. For the first time in program history, Health Careers had won the district title. AdRegardless of what the future holds, this group has left an indelible mark on the Health Careers program, and their accomplishments will live forever in the hearts and minds of everyone involved.
Northside ISD urges another week of virtual learning for students due to COVID-19 surge
SAN ANTONIO โ Northside ISD Superintendent Brian Woods sent a letter to parents on Friday, asking them to consider waiting another week before sending students back to in-person learning due to the ongoing rise of COVID-19 cases in the area. โWe had hoped to see an improvement in the cityโs health metrics and allow students to return Feb. 1. โThis applies to those who temporarily switched to virtual learning and those who had hoped to start in-person learning for the third grading cycle.โWoods said the district would determine the possibility of allowing additional in-person learners next week. The superintendent had previously urged parents to consider virtual learning for their kids through the end of January because of the surge in COVID-19 cases. Students who need a device to facilitate virtual learning will be able to get one from their childโs school.
Northside ISD urges virtual learning for students due to COVID-19 surge
SAN ANTONIO โ The superintendent of Northside Independent School District is urging parents to consider virtual learning for their kids through the end of the month because of the surge in COVID-19 cases in San Antonio. Woods said theyโre not closing schools or going to mandatory virtual learning because the state requires them to offer daily in-person instruction and ties funding to that mandate. Students who need a device to facilitate virtual learning will be able to get one from their childโs school. As of last week, NISD reported 190 active COVID-19 cases among campus staff and 346 active cases among the districtโs students, according to the district. AdAlso Tuesday, state health officials reported that Texas had surpassed 14,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients for the first time during the pandemic.
Bexar Countyโs school districts wonโt close schools despite health department recommendation to go virtual
SAN ANTONIO โ San Antonio Metro Health issued a new directive on Tuesday advising against in-person education, but school districts in Bexar County arenโt planning on closing campuses. Northeast ISD, Northside ISD and San Antonio ISD say that students who are already on-campus will be able to stay there. โWeโre staying open because our schools are safe. Weโre staying open because our data shows thereโs no spread. Weโre staying open because our safety protocols are effective,โ NEISD spokeswoman Aubrey Chancellor said.
Mother hopes sending son back to Northside ISD campus will improve his learning experience
SAN ANTONIO โ A mother in San Antonio is weighing the COVID-19 risks of sending her son back to in-person learning at Northside ISD after struggling with online schooling. Last month, Northside ISD revealed that its failure rate was close to double compared to the previous yearโs first grading period. Northside ISD parent Katrina Ashworth said her two children have been learning online this year due to COVID-19 concerns. For her 9-year-old son, learning at home has been a significant challenge. Northside ISD campus staff members monitor student engagement and performance and are setting up systems to support struggling students.
Northside ISD teachers union demands that district follows Metro Health directive for schools
SAN ANTONIO โ The Northside American Federation of Teachers is demanding that the district follow Metro Healthโs recommendations for schools. The union also urged San Antonio Metropolitan Health District Medical Director, Dr. Junda Woo and other city officials to advocate for students and staff. However, we remain confident in the health protocols and safety measures in place at all District schools and facilities. These protocols will continue to be practiced on a routine basis and we ask that you reinforce them at home. The letter reminded parents that students and staff who traveled internationally over Thanksgiving should self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to in-person learning.
Ex-NISD employee charged after threatening superintendent, according to affidavit
SAN ANTONIO โ A man who was fired from the Northside Independent School District has been arrested after allegedly making threats against the superintendent on social media. Dalton Austin Brown, 28, is charged with making terroristic threats against a public servant, according to online records with the Bexar County Jail. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Brown was fired on Oct. 1 due to several unexcused absences. Other messages posted said, โI hope you sleep good buddy,โ and โTime running out,โ investigators said. His most-recent post stated in part, โYou can thank God I didnโt shoot you in your f___ing face,โ according to the affidavit.
In this San Antonio classroom, a teacher divides her time between "roomies" and "zoomies"
Abigail Boyett demonstrates to her student, Annabelle Lara, how to solve multiplication problems. โI try to treat them as equal as possible, but my roomies sometimes get a little more slack because they are in my classroom. Plexiglass and six feet of space between each desk keep students socially distant in Abigail Boyett's third grade classroom. Last: Students in Abigail Boyett's class use Zoom to stay in sync with her teaching, as well as with the remainder of classmates that learn from home. Iโm sorry, but we will get back to it.โโThe split in the classroom also takes away valuable learning experiences from students.
Alarming failure rates among Texas students fuel calls to get them back into classrooms
The problems are concentrated among students trying to learn from home, more than 3 million of the stateโs 5.5 million public school students, according to administratorsโ accounts. According to KVUE-TV, about 11,700 Austin ISD students are failing at least one class this year, a 70% increase from last year. San Antonioโs Northside ISD has not changed its expectations for virtual students, despite seeing higher failure rates, said Superintendent Brian Woods. Since many students learning from home are low income, Black and Hispanic, lowering academic standards for those students could end up deepening existing inequities, he said. Bizuayehu has dyslexia and dysgraphia, which impacts his ability to write clearly by hand, and heโs found virtual learning much easier.
โHelping people is the right thing to do': Northside ISD student sews over 1,000 face masks for San Antonians
SAN ANTONIO โ A Northside ISD student is making a difference in San Antonioโs fight against the coronavirus, one stitch at a time. So his mother, Elizabeth Salinas, taught him how to sew face masks, according to NISD. His mother says, eventually, they began selling the face masks in mass quantities due to the high demand. To learn more about Mateoโs face masks, visit his Facebook page here. RELATED: Face masks have gone from basic necessities to fashion accessories