6 Must-Know Dates For Austin Independent School District

AUSTIN, TEXAS — As Austin students brace on Tuesday to take the STAAR test — the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness battery of standardized testing to gauge students' knowledge — it's a good time to look forward.

With hope, kids will do well on the STAAR that can be anxiety-inducing and stressful for some. But the STAAR is but a measure, not the sum of the parts of each individual. Once done, there are other key dates offering both enrichment and much-needed, restorative reprieve designed to benefit students post-STAAR.

With that in mind, here are 6 must-know dates for Austin ISD students, parents and faculty:

• Thursday, April 11, 2019: Austin ISD, in collaboration with the Autism Society of Texas, continues its Autism Parent Coaching Series.The sessions will be filmed for Facebook live video streaming to be posted to the Texas Autism Society Facebook page and linked to the AISD Special Education webpage. No child care will be provided. The event is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. at Davis Elementary, 5214 Duval Rd. RSVP Required. RSVP to Kathy.Palomo@austinisd.org, 512-414-5833 or 512-414-1731 (bilingual).
• Saturday, April 13, 2019: Hispanic Austin Leadership and Austin ISD are proud to present a community health summit focused on mental wellness and health. Students and families will learn about the mental health resources available to them in AISD and Travis County.Participants will learn the signs and symptoms of mental health issues, as well as interact with mental health professionals. The event will feature keynote speakers, vendors, prizes and food. Breakfast and registration will start at 8:30 a.m. The event is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Kealing Middle School, 1607 Pennsylvania Ave.
• Friday, April 19, 2019: Hang in there, kids! A student holiday is scheduled on this date to accommodate staff development. The date doubles as a second bad weather makeup day. Plan your recreational activities now. Pick something enriching, maybe? Reconnect with family and friends? Or just kick back and watch a little Netflix. Something educational yet entertaining, hopefully.
• Monday, April 22, 2019: The regular meeting of the Austin ISD board of directors is scheduled from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the board room auditorium. The most engaged of parents make a point to attend these meetings to learn more about decision-making by trustees that have a direct impact on their children's lives. Bear in mind that prior to this, the Austin ISD board also has scheduled a "special board meeting" for April 15 for 6 p.m. Agendas aren't yet available for either meeting, so keep an eye out when they are issued per state Open Meetings Act guidelines. Patch will update this entry once those agenda items are revealed.
• Tuesday, April 30, 2019: A second Autism Parent Coaching Series is scheduled for Austin ISD parents who are Spanish-language dominant. So, to them: El Austin ISD, en colaboración con la El Austin ISD, en colaboración con la Sociedad de Autismo de Texas, continúa su serie de educación y capacitación que se ofrece en inglés y en español. Las presentaciones se transmitirán en vivo por Facebook en la página de Autism Society Facebook. El AISD se enlazará a los videos a través del sitio web de Educación Especial. Lugar: Primaria Pleasant Hill, 6405 Circle S Rd, 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.
• Wednesday, May 1, 2019: The School Health Advisory Council is a school-board-appointed advisory group of individuals who represent different segments of the community. SHAC meetings are open to the public. Interested individuals may sign up to speak to the SHAC prior to the start of each regular meeting. From 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Carruth Administration Center, Board Auditorium, 1111 W. 6th St.