REGARDING LOCKDOWN ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010:
Newton ISD schools were locked down on Thursday afternoon from 1:00 p.m. until release time as a precautionary measure and to practice the lockdown procedure. The district is required to practice lockdowns once each semester. There was never an intruder inside any of the school buildings and there was no identified threat to student safety.
Optional Flexible Year Program
IMPORTANT REMINDER: The Newton Independent School District is participating in the Optional Flexible Year Program for the 2009-2010 school year. This means that students that pass the TAKS tests, pass their academic subjects, and do not miss more than 10 days of school will get out of school on May 20, 2010. Students that do not meet all of these requirements will be required to go to school until June 4, 2010.
Superintendent Sherrie Leach was asked to clarify the requirements for attendance and stated, "All absences, even if they are excused with a written doctor's excuse will count. A student may not have more than ten absences in order to qualify."
The District began studying the program as part of school improvement activities that included parents, community members, teachers, and administrators. The District Site-Based Committee and the Board of Trustees approved the plan in Spring 2009; the Texas Education Agency also approved the plan. The Newton ISD academic calendar for 2009-2010 may be found online (
www.newtonisd.net
).
The District will continue to provide transportation and food services during the ten days of the Optional Flexible Year Program. All educational support personnel (teachers and paraprofessionals) will be required to participate in the OFYP.
You may find information about Flu at the following websites:
