Dear CISD Families, 
 
Several of our district and campus leaders recently heard from one of the top speakers from Wondr™ Health, who is also a parent of CISD graduates, who told us you cannot drink from an empty cup. That phrase has stuck with me and has served as a reminder that we cannot take care of others unless we take care of ourselves. This message is particularly important for our teachers and staff. In order to best educate and serve our children, we have to ensure that our own needs are met. This is why our district is providing Wondr Health benefit to our employees and has launched the #CISDHealthyHabits initiative. These programs help our staff improve their physical and mental health, which will help them be the best teachers and employees possible. 
 
When we talk about the whole child in CISD, part of this concept is working to ensure students’ physical and mental wellbeing, in addition to meeting their academic needs. None of us can work, learn or function very well if we are not healthy. I hear from some members of our community that CISD needs to focus only on academics. Providing exceptional academics is a top focus, and something I believe we do very well. However, a child who isn’t well physically or is struggling emotionally, who doesn’t feel safe at school or who may be dealing with issues outside of school — all of these impact learning and may influence behavior that could disrupt teaching. We are not perfect in this area, but I appreciate our parents and other community members reaching out to offer assistance for those who might have a need. I also appreciate initiatives such as Walk to School day to remind us of the benefits of being outdoors and safely walking or biking to school. 
 
As a parent of two teenagers, I know it's tough being a parent today. There are many pressures and issues our children are facing we didn't encounter when we were growing up. As parents, we also have to take care of ourselves to best take care of our kids, as well as model these behaviors for our children. We should never take our good health or the health of our children for granted. I want our community to know that we are here to help you if ever you need it. Whether it is our school nurses or counselors, please reach out if you need assistance. I also thank our community, which has been so generous recently to support our students or employees in need. I say it often, Coppell ISD is my work and family home for a reason. This reason is our community, and how we come together and take care of one another. 
 
I hope you have a good and healthy week, 

Schools Participate in Walk to School Day on Oct. 12

CMS West Football Hosted Elementary Feeder Pattern Night on Oct. 11

     

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CMS West “wrangled” its youngest football fans during the school’s feeder pattern night on Oct. 11. Students, families and staff from Canyon Ranch, Richard J. Lee and Valley Ranch Elementary attended the event, which featured “future Wrangler” shirts for students, a performance from the band and more. The #WestFam showed how it is #CISDWorkingTogether to welcome future students and families. 

Child Nutrition Celebrates National School Lunch Week 

All you need is love and a “peace” of macaroni and cheese pizza. All this week, the CISD Child Nutrition Department has been celebrating National School Lunch Week with a variety of fun menu items and staff dress-up days to align with this year’s theme of Peace, Love & School Lunch. Menu items included Far Out Fish Tacos and Electrifying Enchiladas.  President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week (NSLW) in 1962 to promote the importance of a healthy school lunch in a child’s life and the impact it has inside and outside of the classroom. This is the 60th anniversary of National School Lunch Week

Varsity Band Places 4th and Bands of America Regional Competition 

         
Congratulations to the Coppell Varsity Band, who placed 4th in the Bands of America Regional competition held on Oct. 8. Last year, the band placed 5th at this competition. 

CISD Hosts Virtual Parent University on Signs of Substance Abuse on Oct. 26

Join CISD for a Virtual Parent University on Wednesday, Oct. 26, to discuss the signs of substance abuse and how to get help for your child. This event will take place via Zoom from 6 to 7 p.m. Please fill out this

Video Recording Available for Parent University on Suicide Prevention

• Oct. 17 — Regular Board Meeting 6 p.m.
• Oct. 21 — Community Tailgate 5 to 6:30 p.m. Indoor Field House at CHS
• Oct. 26 — Virtual Parent University: Signs of Substance Abuse from 6 to 7 p.m. 
• Nov. 7 — Board Workshop 5:30 p.m. 
• Nov. 14  — Regular Board Meeting 6 p.m. 
• Nov. 21-Nov. 25 — Thanksgiving Break

Dear CISD Families, 
 
Our core value of collective engagement was in action this week as our 2023 Bond Committee held its second meeting on Monday at Canyon Ranch Elementary, which was built thanks to the voter approved 2016 Bond. This group of parents, community members, students and staff are hard at work synthesizing the efforts of our prior Facilities Planning Committee and Visioning Committee in order to make recommendations to our Board of Trustees for a possible bond election in May 2023. 
 
I encourage our community to be a part of these efforts by participating in our Futures Facilities Survey, which is available at go.coppellisd.com/FuturesSurveyEnglish and go.coppellisd.com/FuturesSurveySpanish. It is important that all CISD stakeholders have a voice in our planning process, so we are asking you to share your priorities for our facilities via this survey. In addition, I hope you will consider attending the Bond Futures Conference on Oct. 13 at CHS9 or signing up for a tour of our facilites. As always, you can see the work of the Bond Committee on our website at www.coppellisd.com/bond. 
 
Also this week I, along with several CISD administrators, had the privilege of engaging with school districts across the state at the Texas Public Accountability Consortium (TPAC) meeting hosted by Georgetown ISD. Several school districts are collectively doing work on a Community Based Accountability System (CBAS) to better share the story of the important and innovative work happening in our school districts every day. I am proud to say that CISD is a leader in these efforts and among the first school districts in the state to have a data dashboard online. 
 
As a reminder, Friday and Monday are student holidays. I hope you enjoy the State Fair or however you choose to spend the long weekend with your friends and families! 
  

Facility Tours Available for CISD Community

• Oct. 7 — Professional Development Day/No School
• Oct. 10 — CISD Holiday 
• Oct. 13 — CISD Bond Futures Conference from 6 to 8 p.m. at CHS Cafeteria 
• Oct. 17 — Regular Board Meeting 6 p.m.
• Oct. 21 — Community Tailgate 5 to 6:30 p.m. Indoor Field House at CHS
• Nov. 7 — Board Workshop 5:30 p.m. 

Dear CISD Families, 
 
It's hard to believe that next week marks the end of our first grading period for this school year. As a parent of a senior, other parents with graduated seniors have always told me how quickly the senior year flies by, and it's so true. It seems this school year is flying by with so many exciting events happening at all of our campuses and for our family with all of the senior activities. Time truly does seem to be going extra fast this school year. 
 
I want to remind our families and teachers, and myself, to take the time to slow down and enjoy the moments, both big and small, that make being part of our students’ lives so special. The memories that we are making now will last a lifetime, and these special events are ones to savor. In addition to attending as many events as my schedule allows, I try to make it a point to visit at least one of our schools every day, and I am consistently impressed with the engaging learning designed by our teachers and the work of our amazing students. This first grading period in Coppell ISD has been OUTSTANDING!
  
When I am visiting a classroom, attending a school event, engaging with parents and families or meeting with community members, I am reminded of this year's theme of "Working Together.” I fully believe we all collectively want to do what is best for the children we serve and who are in our care. I say it often, but I believe it merits repeating — parents are our partners, and we are working together to educate and take care of our children. I want to thank our parents who work with their child’s teachers, volunteer at schools and with Parent Teacher Organizations, serve on district committees and more. We couldn’t do what we do without you. 
 
I hope you have a great week! 

• Oct. 6 — Early Dismissal — Elementary Schools 12:30 p.m., Middle Schools 1 p.m. and High Schools 1:40 p.m. 
• Oct. 7 — Professional Development Day/No School
• Oct. 10 — CISD Holiday 
• Oct. 13 — CISD Bond Futures Conference from 6 to 8 p.m. at CHS Cafeteria 
• Oct. 17 — Regular Board Meeting 6 p.m.
• Oct. 21 — Community Tailgate 5 to 6:30 p.m. Indoor Field House at CHS
• Nov. 7 — Board Workshop 5:30 p.m. 

Dear CISD Families, 

It is Homecoming week in Coppell ISD, and what a fun week it has been! It has been a real treat to see how all of our schools have been #CISDWorkingTogether to celebrate our district and show their school spirit all week. The Homecoming parade was a fun and engaging experience for our entire community. It was wonderful to have so many of our schools and organizations represented. Thank you to everyone who participated or came out to support our students and staff. I hope you will attend Friday’s game and continue our collective showcase of Cowboy pride. I also want to give a big "Shout Out" to our volleyball teams both at middle school and high school. I attended the games last Tuesday night where our Senior volleyball players were recognized. The Cowgirls play again on Friday, so come out and support volleyball.  

In addition to school spirit, Homecoming is a time to appreciate our district’s alumni and all they have accomplished since graduating from CISD. I am proud of what our students do after they finish their CISD chapter in the story of their lives. In particular, I love it when our alumni come home to teach and work in our district. Having served CISD for more than 30 years, many of my former students are now our teachers and staff members. I also take pride in how many of our alumni return home to raise their children in our community. This sense of family and community are all part of what makes CISD so special.  

I look forward to seeing many of our alumni on Friday night at the football game at Buddy Echols Field or the volleyball game in the CHS Arena. I hope you will join us at either or both events. The "Friday Night Lights" experience showcases the talent of our student athletes, as well as our Band, Color Guard, Lariettes and Cheerleaders. Our coaches, teachers, staff members, parent volunteers and students work very hard to create an amazing community engagement experience at these games, and I hope to see you there. 

Happy Homecoming!  
 
Sincerely,

• Sept. 23 — Homecoming Football Game at 7 p.m. at Buddy Echols Field
• Sept. 26 — ESSER Public Hearing at 5:30 p.m. 
• Sept. 26 — Regular Board Meeting at 6 p.m. 
• Oct. 6 — Early Dismissal 
• Oct. 7 — Professional Development Day/No School
• Oct. 10 — CISD Holiday 
• Oct. 21 — CISD Community Tailgate at Indoor Practice Facility at CHS at 5 p.m. 

Dear CISD Families, 
 
Today, we are launching our Community Based Accountability System (CBAS) online data dashboard and “CBAS at a Glance” summary document. You can find both of these at www.coppellisd.com/cbas. I am extremely proud of the work that our CBAS group has done to collect and share data that shows the innovative learning and profound growth in our district. Thank you to our community for providing various feedback and input in this process through our Community Input sessions last spring and various focus groups. Coppell ISD recently received an A rating from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) based on our students' performance on state assessments. CBAS goes beyond the state’s accountability rating’s reliance on the STAAR/End of Course tests, where our students do very well, to measure other areas where CISD is excelling and where we can improve. As we continue this important work, our CBAS Advisory group will help us continue to share the data that matters to our entire district community. 
 
Speaking of community, our 2023 Bond Committee held its first meeting last week. I am incredibly grateful for this committed group of parents, community members, students,  and teachers and staff for their willingness to serve and help us plan for our district’s future. I find it fitting that the group elected a community member, Jim Walker, and a student, Dilan Patel, as the committee’s co-chairs. They help represent who we are accountable to and who we are doing this work for, respectively. Read more at go.coppellisd.com/23BondCo-Chairs. 
 
We will continue to communicate about this committee’s work, including the opportunity for those not on the committee to participate in facility tours and a forum. I encourage you to visit www.coppellisd.com/bond for a complete list of the committee members and details about the committee’s work. 
 
Next week is CISD Homecoming Week and marks the return of the Homecoming Parade tradition. I look forward to seeing our community come together for this amazing event on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m. down Parkway Blvd. 
 
Have a great week! 
 
Sincerely,

• Sept. 21 — Homecoming Parade at 6:30 p.m. on Parkway Blvd. 
• Sept. 23 — Homecoming Football Game at 7 p.m. at Buddy Echols Field
• Sept. 26 — ESSER Public Hearing at 5:30 p.m. 
• Sept. 26 — Regular Board Meeting at 6 p.m. 
• Oct. 6 — Early Dismissal 
• Oct. 7 — Professional Development Day/No School
• Oct. 10 — CISD Holiday 

Dear CISD Families, 
 
I want to give a special thank you to our students and staff who all wore maroon on Tuesday, alongside school districts across the state, in support of our neighbors in Uvalde ISD for their first day of school. I love how we showed how we are #CISDWorkingTogether in support of our neighbors, who are truly #UvaldeStrong. 
 
I also appreciate how our community came together last Friday to celebrate our first home football game. From the football players greeting students at our elementary schools, to our Lariette Spaghetti dinner, to our Special Olympics athletes being recognized on the field before the game, to our large home game crowd wearing Coppell red for "Red Out,” to our amazing band and cheerleaders, it was a great night for our community. Our fall sports are doing amazing, with our volleyball team beating state-ranked teams twice in a row and our cross country team and tennis team continuing to achieve at their meets and matches. Our middle school sports are also underway, and it is a perfect time to see the school spirit and grit on display by our student-athletes and student-performers. I want to give a special thanks to our coaches and sponsors for the many hours they put into supporting our students with all of the practices, rehearsals and games.
 
The Fine Arts are also in full swing, with our students showcasing their talents in the visual arts and preparing for musical and theatre performances. I cannot wait to see the talent of our students, as our school year continues. I hope you will join me in supporting our students by attending the various concerts and performances throughout this semester.  For a list of upcoming Fine Arts events, please check out the CISD Fine Arts calendar at www.coppellisd.com/finearts. 
 
The Homecoming Parade is back this year and will be on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m. along Parkway Blvd. The Homecoming theme this year is "Fantasy: Where Dreams Come True: Coppell Homecoming 2022." The parade is a community-wide event with floats featuring our elementary, middle school and high school students.  There will also be a featured CISD Alumni float and the addition of our "Grand Marshall," as we honor one of our CISD legacies in a special way.  I look forward to us all being together as we celebrate our wonderful district with this fun community event. 
 
Thank you all for your support of CISD! 
 
Sincerely,

• Sept.  14 — Middle School Curriculum Night from 6 to 7:30 p.m. 
• Sept. 15 — College Night at Coppell High School from 6 to 8 p.m.  
• Sept. 21 — Homecoming Parade 6:30 p.m. 
• Sept. 26 — ESSER Public Hearing at 5:30 p.m. 
• Sept. 26 — Regular Board Meeting at 6 p.m.
• Oct. 6 — Early Dismissal 
• Oct. 7 — Professional Development Day/No School
• Oct. 10 — CISD Holiday 

Dear CISD Families, 
 
This week our elementary schools, Coppell High School and New Tech High @ Coppell hosted Curriculum Nights, with CHS9’s Curriculum Night set for next week and the middle school Curriculum Night on Sept. 14. These are great opportunities to get to know your child’s teachers, and learn more about the curriculum and the expectations for the school year. We want our parents to engage in these nights, as we work together to provide an exceptional educational experience for our children. Our parents and guardians are important partners in this process, and I thank you for supporting CISD. 
 
It's time for "Friday Night Lights" in Coppell ISD with the kickoff of our first home football game on Friday at 7 p.m. at Buddy Echols Field. It takes more than six hundred students, parent and guardian volunteers, educators, and coaches to orchestrate the Friday Night experience that our community has come to know and love. I greatly appreciate the time and commitment these individuals give to these events and thank them for their support. We have other sports in season too, including our Coppell Cowgirls Volleyball teams, who are off to a terrific start!
 
I also want to give a big shout-out to our band, color guard, drill team and cheerleaders. These incredible groups add so much to the Friday Night experience, and I thank them for the hard work and effort they give to their programs. They have been working hard during the summer in preparation for this new school year and I thank them for sharing their talent and skills.

As we look at our core value of redefining success, we know that success in athletics contributes to the overall educational experience for our students. I am also proud of the learning opportunities these games offer our student-athletes. Our gyms and fields are filled with students, who not only get a chance to participate in something they love, they are also taught sportsmanship, leadership skills, self-discipline and the value of performing with a high level of integrity, all while building and sustaining authentic relationships with their teammates and coaches. 
  
I hope you enjoy the long Labor Day weekend with your families! 

• Sept. 5 — Labor Day Holiday 
• Sept. 6 — CHS9 Curriculum Night from 6 to 7:30 p.m. 
• Sept.  14 — Middle School Curriculum Night from 6 to 7:30 p.m. 
• Sept. 15 — College Night at Coppell High School from 6 to 8 p.m.  
• Sept. 26 — ESSER Public Hearing at 5:30 p.m. 
• Sept. 26 — Regular Board Meeting at 6 p.m.

Dear CISD Families, 
 
We had a fantastic first day of school and a great start to the 2022-2023 school year.  As I visited our campuses, it was amazing to see the smiling faces of our new and returning students, as well as how our teachers and staff pulled out all the stops to welcome our kids and families back to school. It was fun to see so many of our parents participate in the "Boohoo/Yahoo Breakfast" tradition at our elementary schools. Thank you to all of you who shared your photos, well wishes, and thoughts and prayers for this new school year.  I truly believe it will be one of our best yet!

Prior to the first day of school on Wednesday, our district received a “grade” of an “A” from the Texas Education Agency, as the TEA released its district and school ratings on Aug. 15. I appreciate the hard work of our students, staff and support of our parents as we keep academics a strong focus in CISD.  While I am proud of this rating, I am equally proud of the work of our Community Based Accountability System or CBAS.  We will be launching our CBAS dashboard later this month. I look forward to sharing this information with our community soon. 
 
The TEA “grade” is based heavily on the STAAR test results. If CISD “just” based our accountability on the state's “grade,” we could argue that we do not need to improve in any area, because we have received an “A” each year we have been ranked. That’s not who we are as a district or as a community.

We believe that continuous improvement is critical to growth, learning and innovation. We also know our students are more than just one test on one day and success can look differently for everyone. Through CBAS, we will be able to share so much more with our community, including a holistic view of our district and how innovative our teachers and staff are in partnering with our students and families to create learning experiences that defy the ability of a standardized test to measure this growth. As we like to say, “You can’t test that.” 
  
Here’s to a great 2022-2023 school year!
  
Sincerely,

Texas Education Agency Rating Details Available for Families 

CHS Senior Shraavya Pydisetti Featured in the Dallas Morning News

Coppell High School Senior Shraavya Pydisetti is featured in the

• Aug. 22 — Budget Public Hearing at 5:30 p.m. 
• Aug. 22 —  Regular Board Meeting at 6 p.m. 
• Aug. 29 – CHS and New Tech Curriculum Night 5:30 p.m. 
• Sept. 1 — Elementary Curriculum Night at 5:30 p.m. 
• Sept. 5 — Labor Day Holiday 
• Sept 14 — Middle School Curriculum Night 5:30 p.m. 

Dear CISD Families, 
 
I hope everyone is having a fun and relaxing summer. It was so great to see so many of our students and families at the recent City of Coppell 4th of July Parade. The summer isn’t over yet, but can you believe the first day of school is only a little over one month away? I know we are a community of planners here in Coppell ISD, so we wanted to be sure to share several important updates and information with you to help prepare for the first day of school on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
 
Our staff team members are working hard this summer to get ready to welcome our students back to school. As our teachers enjoy their well-deserved summer break, they are also participating in professional learning to continue to enhance their skills to provide an exceptional learning experience for our students. 
 
Our parents are and continue to be crucial partners in serving and educating our children. I encourage you to engage with us via our one-stop parent resource at www.coppellisd.com/parenthub, as you get ready for the 2022-2023 school year. This school year will be one of our best ones yet! 
 
I look forward to seeing you all in August. 

 
Sincerely,

Parent Hub Website Available

 
The website www.coppellisd.com/parenthub is a one-stop shop for back-to-school resources for families. On the site, you can find information about the 2022-2023 academic calendar, schedule pick-up dates for middle and high schools, information about Meet the Teacher night for elementary schools, school hours, bus transportation, school supply lists, child nutrition information and more. 

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CISD Board of Trustees Approves 2022-2023 Student Code of Conduct

During the June 27 Board Meeting, the CISD Board Trustees adopted the 2022-2023 Student Code Conduct with one change to the name and title of the district staff member who is the contact for accessibility. The CISD Student Code of Conduct provides methods and options for managing student behavior, preventing and intervening in student discipline problems, and imposing discipline. State law requires the district to define misconduct that may or must result in a range of specific disciplinary consequences. The Student Code of Conduct provides information to parents and students regarding standards of conduct, consequences of misconduct and procedures for administering discipline. Parents, guardians and students are expected to be familiar with the CISD Student Code of Conduct, as well as other district policies. A copy of the Student Code of Conduct, Student Handbook and other district policies is available at www.coppellisd.com/policies. 

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Important Child Nutrition Update for Elementary School Meals 

The programs that allowed CISD elementary schools to provide all elementary students with free breakfast and lunch for the past two school years have expired, and the U.S. Congress did not provide funding in this year’s budget to allow schools to serve free meals to students for the 2022-2023 school year. Therefore, CISD elementary schools will be transitioning to requiring meal applications for free and reduced meals for the upcoming school year. Families are required to complete an application to determine their meal eligibility. CISD is encouraging our eligible families to complete an application online at www.nlappscloud.com. 

In addition, due to federal regulations and overall cost increases for food, the prices for breakfast and lunch will increase for the 2022-2023 school year to $1.75  for Elementary Breakfast and $3 for Elementary Lunch.  Parents, guardians or students can add funds to their accounts in person at the school cafeteria by depositing cash or checks, or for a small fee, they can use the "My School Bucks" app to deposit funds with a debit or credit card. Visit www.coppellisd.com/childnutrition for more information about school breakfasts and lunches or to create or add funds to your child’s school lunch account. 

 

• July 25 — Board Meeting 6 p.m. 
• Aug. 1 — Board Workshop 5:30 p.m.
• Aug. 15 — Elementary Meet the Teacher Night 5:30 p.m. 
• Aug. 17 — First Day of School