SCHOOL MATTERS: Preparing for a Successful School Year, VISD's Back-to-School Information

As we approach the beginning of another exciting academic year, Victoria Independent School District (VISD) is committed to providing parents, guardians, and students with all the information they need to start the school year prepared and confident. 

Our strategic plan emphasizes the importance of effective communication, which we believe is the lifeblood that builds trust and ownership within our community. At VISD, we believe that effective two-way communication is essential to building trust and fostering a sense of ownership within our community. Our strategic plan's Finding: Effective Communication underlines our commitment to keeping our community informed and engaged. By providing clear, timely, and accessible information, we aim to create an environment where everyone feels connected and involved in our district’s progress and successes. To support this, we have created a comprehensive Back-to-School webpage to ensure that everyone in our district is well-informed and ready for the year ahead.

Visit the Back-to-School Webpage

Our Back-to-School webpage, available at www.visd.net/backtoschool, is your one-stop shop for all the essential information needed to kick off the school year. This page includes important dates for sneak peeks, orientations, and other important events happening before the first day of school. Make sure you know your school hours! Know the start and end times for each school level. Please note that we do have campuses with specialized programs and school hours; these campuses will share this information directly with their parents/guardians and students. 

We have the elementary school supply list available. This is a generalized district school supply list to ensure your child has everything they need. We do have a few campuses that have fundraisers where you can purchase school supplies. We also have campuses that have more specific school supply lists posted on their campus website and social media pages. Make sure you're following your school's official Facebook page!

The district dress code is now available to review to ensure you know what is permitted before you go school clothes shopping! Lastly, the VISD Student Handbook and Code of Conduct are great for families and students to familiarize themselves with the rules and expectations for students.

In addition to these resources, the Back-to-School page houses easy-to-access links to transportation information, the academic calendar, and more. Our goal with this page is to provide a centralized location for everything you may need to start the school year off on the right foot.

Parents and guardians will find links to detailed transportation information for bus routes and pick-up locations to help families plan their daily routines. Understanding bus routes, schedules, and policies ensures a smooth start to the school year. The academic calendar is readily available, outlining important dates such as holidays, early release days, and the end of grading periods. Screenshot it, download, and print it! The VISD Academic Calendar is something you need to have posted on your fridge. These resources are designed to keep families informed and help them plan ahead.

Beyond the essentials, the Back-to-School page also provides links to other valuable resources. Whether you need information on health services, extracurricular activities, or special programs, you’ll find everything you need in one convenient location. Our aim is to remove any barriers to information, making it as easy as possible for our community to access the support and resources they need.

Stay Informed with the School Matters E-Newsletter

To further enhance our communication efforts, we encourage all parents and guardians to subscribe to our School Matters e-newsletter. This e-newsletter is our go-to source for keeping everyone up-to-date with everything happening in VISD. Delivered straight to your email inbox every Tuesday around 2:30 p.m., the School Matters e-newsletter includes the week’s need-to-know news and general updates from around the district. Subscribing is easy and ensures you never miss important announcements, event information, and other critical updates. To subscribe, visit www.visd.net/schoolmatters today.

While our Back-to-School webpage offers district-wide information, we also encourage parents and guardians to download the VISD app, where you can bookmark their campus, bookmark your campus websites, and follow their campus social media accounts to stay up-to-date on campus-specific information. Taking advantage of school newsletters, Parent Teacher Organizations, and booster clubs is a great way to stay involved and informed. Engaging with these resources will help ensure that you receive timely updates and can participate actively in your child's education and school community.

Join Us in Making This Year Great

As we gear up for another school year, we invite all parents, guardians, and students to take advantage of the resources we’ve made available. Your involvement and preparedness play a crucial role in the success of our students and our district as a whole.

We are excited about the opportunities and achievements that await us in the coming year. By working together and staying informed, we can ensure a positive and productive start to the school year for everyone in the VISD community.

For more information and to stay updated, don’t forget to visit www.visd.net/backtoschool and subscribe to www.visd.net/schoolmatters. Here’s to a fantastic school year ahead!

Ashley Alvarez is the executive director of communications and public relations for Victoria ISD.