Letter from our CEO: Classes remain online-only until further notice

Dear Harmony Families & Team Members,

For the past 20 years, Harmony Public Schools has established an educational model built strongly on the foundations of science-based learning and responsible citizenship in our communities.

Currently, all available science from community health experts continues to tell us that the best way to be responsible members of our communities is to have our students and staff remain at home.

This is why we have determined that it is in the best interest of our students, team members, and communities to discontinue in-person schooling at our campuses and administrative offices statewide until further notice.

While these facilities remain closed, instruction and learning at Harmony schools will continue. Our classes are operating online through our established digital learning tools, taking advantage of many of the technology tools and blended learning methods already practiced in Harmony’s  physical classrooms. Because our teachers and school leaders will remain available to guide our students each school day, we anticipate instructional continuity during these unusual and difficult times. To request access to a Chromebook and/or for questions regarding internet access, please contact your child’s campus.

(For more information on our at-home learning program, visit HarmonyTX.org/AtHome . To request access to a Chromebook or internet access, contact your child’s campus.)

We will also continue to offer free meal services to children in our communities, as local and state safety guidelines allow.

We thank you for your support and understanding in making this critical decision. We also are profoundly grateful for the extreme determination and Harmony pride shown by both our students and team members these past several weeks. Time and again you have proven why Harmony Public Schools is an institution where excellence is the standard.

We will continue to provide timely updates as new, relevant information comes available, and inform you immediately if our campuses reopen prior to the end of the school year.

Thank you and be well,

 

Fatih Ay

CEO | Harmony Public Schools

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IMPORTANT UPDATE: TEMPORARY CLOSURE

The safety of our students and staff is our top priority at Harmony Public Schools. As new developments continue to unfold regarding the COVID-19 situation, we wanted to provide you an important update regarding the potential impact of the virus on our schools.

While there have been no cases of COVID-19 reported on our campuses or within our school family at this time, out of an abundance of caution we are announcing a temporary closure of all Harmony Public Schools campuses through Monday, April 6. All school activities, field trips, athletics events, and competitions have also been cancelled during this time.

At this time, we are anticipating classes will be able to resume for students on Tuesday, April 7. Staff will return for a work-day on Monday, April 6.

This decision was made after discussions with, and upon the recommendations of, local health officials.  We strongly believe it is the best decision for helping to keep our students, staff, and communities safe at this time.

During this closure, our Harmony team members will continue to work remotely to finalize the details of distance-learning plan to make sure students continue to receive educational services with minimal  interruption.You will receive regular updates how this plan will be implemented.

Additionally, all full-time, non-exempt and exempt employees will continue to be paid according to their normal rate and schedule.

We continue to urge families and team members to stay informed of current Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines related to the prevention of the spreading of viruses, including limiting out of town travel, “social distancing,” and self-quarantine for those who have recently traveled to impacted areas.

We recognize this is a rapidly evolving situation and will continue to aggressively monitor new developments and respond with appropriate actions based on the best interests of our Harmony families and the guidance of local health officials. Throughout this process, we will continue to communicate with you new information as soon as possible. We anticipate further updates no later than the week of March 23-27.

Thank you for your support during these unusual circumstances. With your continued collaboration, together we can provide a healthy learning environment for our students and staff.

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Meal Services

Free Meal Services Available to Students

Meal Services

Dear Families,

Our schools may be closed, but our meal services for students are still open for business.

Harmony Public Schools is committed to meeting the food and nutritional requirements of every student while our campus is in closure for the COVID-19 outbreak. Each weekday, we will offer lunch and breakfast pickup options for any Harmony student in need of a nutritious meal.

The meal pickup location for our campus will be located at Harmony School of Endeavor-5668 W Little York Rd, Houston, TX 77091 and open each weekday from 11 a.m. to roughly 1 p.m. During this time, students can pick up a sack lunch for the day, as well as a sack breakfast for the following morning.

All meals will be provided free of charge for any child under 18 years of age who is physically in the car at the time of meal pick-up.

We look forward to serving you soon!

Harmony Public Schools

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Estimada familias:

Nuestras escuelas pueden estar cerradas, pero nuestros servicios de comidas para estudiantes aún están abiertos para los negocios.

Las Escuelas Públicas de Harmony se comprometen a cumplir con los requisitos alimenticios y nutricionales de cada estudiante mientras nuestro campus está cerrado por el brote de COVID-19. Cada día de la semana, ofreceremos opciones de recolección de almuerzo y desayuno para cualquier estudiante de Harmony que necesite una comida nutritiva.

El lugar de recogida de comidas para nuestro campus estará ubicado en Harmony School of Endeavor-5668 W Little York Rd, Houston, TX 77091y estará abierto todos los días laborables de 11 a.m. a aproximadamente 1 p.m. Durante este tiempo, los estudiantes pueden recoger un almuerzo para el día, así como un desayuno para la mañana siguiente.

Todas las comidas van a darse gratis a cualquier niño o niña que tenga menos de 18 años de edad (o que tenga 18 años) y que esté físicamente en el automóvil al momento de obtener la comida.

Esperamos servirte pronto!

Escuelas públicas de la armonía

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COVID-19 & ‘clean campus’ procedures for after spring break

As students return from spring break, we would like to ask the Harmony community for your renewed diligence in helping our schools maintain the best-practices for clean campuses established before break.

That of course includes the normal requests regarding washing hands, covering your mouth when coughing, and staying home when sick. However, we also need your help keeping viruses and germs contained by asking your student to immediately report to their campus health office if their experience any of the following symptoms while at school:

  • Suspected fever: Student is flushed, student unusually pale, complaints of body aches/pains student is lethargic or unusually tired, student statements of having had a fever or taken medication at home to make them feel better.
  • Respiratory symptoms: Dry cough with or without nasal drainage, difficulty breathing (visibly difficult breathing includes using abdominal muscles to breathe, inability to speak more than a couple of words at a time, flaring nostrils when breathing) or statements of feeling short of breath, chest or lung pain, wheezing or grunting with breathing.

Additionally, families should be aware that any student returning from a travel area on the CDC list of at-risk countries for COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) MUST see their medical provider before returning to campus. Students will have 48 hours to submit a clearance letter from their doctor before returning to campus. After this, student absences will not be excused. A student cannot return until they have clearance from their doctor or have finished quarantine if medically recommended.

With your continued support and collaboration, together we can provide a healthy learning environment for our students and staff.

Thank you.

P.S. … For more information about COVID-19 and our school system’s response, including additional resources for families, visit https://www.HarmonyTX.org/coronavirus.

 

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2020-2021 Academic Calendar

Click here for the Academic Calendar for the 2020-2021 school year:  2020-2021 HSE Academic Calendar

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Principal Ayci’s Spring Break Message

Dear HSE Families,

It is hard to believe it is already Spring Break – a week when we will get to enjoy a bit of time to rest and recharge. After that, it is back to work to finish this year strong! We have much to do and, as always, your involvement is needed.

The months of April and May mark the beginning to the end-of-year STAAR testing window.  We will start administering STAAR in April. This testing window will run through mid-May. The full schedule can be found on our online calendar and it will also be posted on Facebook, Instagram, and in the Tiger Tribune. It is very important that your students be at school and on time on STAAR testing days. Past experience has shown that students who take the assessments with their class perform at a higher level than those who take a make-up assessment at a different time.  If you need to schedule a medical appointment for your child in the next couple of months, be sure to check with your child’s teacher to find out what days to avoid when scheduling the appointment.

Some campus upgrades are planned during the break. To ensure HSE is completely safe, secure, and is the best place for learning, the following improvements will be made to our school:

  • Three classrooms will be expanded. Each will be gaining around 200 sq ft additional room to make sure our students and teachers have enough space for learning.
  • 20 new speed bumps will be added to our parking lot. 
  • New TVs will be installed in some classrooms.
  • Cafeteria food serving area will be renovated.

I also want to share more exciting news. We will soon begin the process of expanding all of the middle school classrooms. The plan is to begin construction the first week of summer break. Our goal is getting all new classrooms ready before August 1st.

We love having you visit and take part in what we do. Our HSE community is a wonderful place to be and, as a team, we continue to work hard to stay the BEST! We are anchoring excellence in a safe harbor for learning and riding the “Waves of Success”! 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Mugire Ayci, Principal

mayci@harmonytx.org

Mugire Ayci - Headshot

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A note for families about Coronavirus & spring break travel

Spring Break is almost here for our students and staff members across the state.  We sincerely hope everyone in our Harmony community has a fun and relaxing break before together we begin the final stretch toward the end of the school year.

We understand that many of you will be traveling this spring break. With concerns about the Coronavirus in the minds of many, we want to share a few tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about staying healthy when traveling, as well as provide more info about a few Harmony policies related to returning to school after visiting certain risk-prone destinations.

Tips for Healthy Travel

In general, the same advice for fighting germs and bacteria  applies when traveling as it does when staying home:

  • Wash hands frequently and/or use hand sanitizer;
  • Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth;
  • Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue, throw it away and then wash hands;
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
  • When greeting others, consider an alternative to hugs or handshakes, such as an elbow bump.

Additionally, here are a few additional tips related specifically to those traveling:

  • Be aware of your surroundings (including people who are sick) and try to distance yourself as appropriate;
  • Avoid areas that you feel might make your more likely to be exposed;
  • Know how to get reliable local information about any possible changes to the situation;
  • Avoid public transportation, if possible. Confined spaces such as buses, trains, subways, and airplanes may put you at a higher risk of infection;
  • When eating animal-based products, make sure they are thoroughly cooked before eating.

Returning to School After Visiting Risk-Prone Areas

Due to CDC travel guidelines, students and families that have traveled to locations that are marked as a Coronavirus risk by the CDC must have a letter of clearance from their medical provider before returning to campus. Failure to provide a clearance letter will result in the student being dismissed home. Students will have 48 hours to provide proof of doctor’s clearance. Any additional absence will require further documentation from the parents or doctor. For a list of countries with COVID-19 travel advisories, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html.

Currently these countries include: 

  • China
  • Hong Kong
  • Iran
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • South Korea

Additionally, please be aware that families travelling to China’s Hubei province or mainland China may face a mandatory quarantine and be monitored by public health officials. Any health department guidelines should be followed by any affected families and absences will be waived upon return to school with provision of proof of quarantine. 

At Harmony Public Schools, we take the health and safety of our students and staff members seriously. Harmony is closely tracking all new developments regarding the Coronavirus and will continue to share timely, relevant updates, as needed.

If you have any questions or concerns, please refer to your campus health staff. 

We appreciate your help in supporting healthy and happy learning environments for our Harmony community. 

 

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An important note about Coronavirus for Houston-area families

To Our Harmony Community,

Wednesday night, Health Department officials in Fort Bend County announced the first presumptive case of COVID-19 — better better known as Coronavirus — in the Greater Houston area. The patient, a man in his 70s who had recently traveled overseas to a high-risk country, is in stable condition.

While no cases of Coronavirus have been reported in our schools, Harmony Public Schools is continuing to proactively monitor each new development in the Coronavirus outbreak and working closely with local officials to make sure any and all measures are followed to keep our students and staff safe.

At this time, HPS will continue to hold classes as normal. However we will continue to seek direction from health officials and reassess, if necessary. We urge families to continue best practices for the prevention of spreading germs — wash hands frequently, cover mouth when coughing, avoid touching your face — and to please seek medical attention, if needed.

We appreciate your collaboration in keeping your campus a healthy learning environment for our students and team members.

Sincerely,

Harmony Public Schools

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