Bilingual Teachers Needed!

We're Hiring

Harmony Public Schools is recruiting talented, compassionate bilingual teachers dedicated to helping every student succeed. Harmony offers a competitive salary, excellent benefits and a commitment to excellence in the classroom.

Interested applicants may read the job description, or apply online.

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Harmony makes history, winning TASBO Award of Excellence for finance

Harmony Public Schools is the first public charter school to win the prestigious Award of Excellence in Financial Management by the Texas Association of School Business Officials (TASBO), the organization has announced.
The award is given to Texas school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and education services centers that demonstrate professional standards, best practices, and innovations in the area of financial management and reporting.
The criteria to qualify for the Award of Excellence in Financial Management is stringent, based on financial accounting and reporting guidelines identified by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Financial Accountability System Resource Guide (FASRG). Applicants must submit documents across 11 key areas, which are reviewed by a TASBO accounting subcommittee.
“Making sure that each of our financial decisions is efficient, effective, and, most importantly, ethical is among our greatest operational priorities,” Harmony CEO Fatih Ay said. “In doing so, we are able to maximize our resources and provide our students with the most robust educational experience that can be offered.
“We are extraordinarily pleased to be honored with this award,” Ay said, “and are grateful to our finance team for putting our schools in a prime position to succeed.”
Harmony also was awarded its second Award of Merit for Purchasing Operations by TASBO. The Award of Merit was established in 2009 to recognize Texas school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and education services centers that are committed to following professional standards in the acquisition of goods and services. Harmony remains the only charter school system to earn the award.
“These organizations have gone above and beyond to demonstrate transparency by meticulously documenting their districts’ policies and procedures,” said Tracy Ginsburg, TASBO Executive Director. “Not only have they showcased the ways they monitor spending, improve budgeting, implement controls, and enhance financial reporting, but they have shared their best practices with colleagues throughout Texas, helping even more educational organizations to better utilize taxpayer dollars.”
Members of the district’s finance team will be honored at an awards reception sponsored by Frontline Education in San Antonio, Texas, on February 15 during the 2023 TASBO annual conference.
Led by Chief Financial Officer Ebru Akyildiz, Harmony’s finance department includes 30 team members specializing in six separate subdepartments: purchasing, payroll, grants, budgets, accounting and capital management.
The department has implemented a number of industry-leading best practices, including working with the Texas Education Agency, TASBO and independent, external auditors to ensure transparency and accountability in all financial operations.
For the department’s efforts, Harmony also was awarded seven “A” ratings by the TEA in its annual FIRST Financial Accountability Ratings during the most recent award cycle in 2022.
Harmony also was the first double-rated charter school system in the U.S. to be highly rated (“BBB”) by Moody’s and S&P Global with (“AAA”) long-term program rating that reflects Harmony’s qualification for the Texas Permanent School Fund (PSF) Bond Guarantee Program.
“We are one of the largest Texas charter management organizations, but we don’t want to just speak about our size – we want to be able to speak about our quality and the accuracy in our processes,” Akyildiz said.
Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with campuses serving PreK-12 students in 23 cities across the state, including Greater Houston, DFW, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Waco, Lubbock, Odessa, Bryan, Beaumont, and the Rio Grande Valley. Harmony’s curriculum places a heavy focus on STEM skills, Character Education, project-based learning, and college readiness.
Harmony is now accepting applications for both students and team members for the 2023-24 school year.
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School Closing Update for Friday, Feb. 3, 2023

UPDATE: For the safety of our students, their families, and our staff, and out of an abundance of caution, all Harmony campuses in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, as well as its District offices, will remain closed Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. All extracurricular activities on Friday are also canceled.

Please stay safe and warm, and we’ll see you on Monday!

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School Closing Update for Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023

UPDATE: All Harmony campuses in Dallas/Fort Worth, as well as the District Office, will be closed on Thursday, Feb. 2, due to continued unsafe road conditions. All extra-curricular activities are also canceled for tomorrow.
Further updates or changes to school operations will be communicated through our school Messenger system, school website, and official Facebook pages.
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School Closure Update for Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023

UPDATE: All Harmony North Texas & Waco schools, as well as the District Office, will be closed on Wednesday, Feb. 1, due to continued winter weather conditions. All extra-curricular activities are also canceled for tomorrow.

We will continue to closely monitor roadway reports for Thursday, Feb. 2. Any additional updates or changes to school operations for Thursday will be communicated through our school Messenger system, school website, and official Facebook pages.

Stay warm and safe!

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School Closing Update for Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023

All Harmony North Texas & Waco schools, as well as the District Office, will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 31, due to anticipated winter weather this evening and overnight. All extra-curricular activities are also canceled for tomorrow.
We will continue to closely monitor the weather for Wednesday, Feb. 1. Any additional updates or changes to school operations for Wednesday will be communicated to our Harmony families through our school Messenger system, school website, and official Facebook pages.
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GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION (GATE) ANNOUNCEMENT

In accordance with the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented students, Harmony Public Schools will begin taking referrals for all interested students in grades K-12 for Gifted and Talented (G/T) screening.
Anyone interested in the educational welfare of these students may nominate them for assessment. Students in grades 1 & up who were tested in Fall 2022 are not eligible to test in Spring 2023. Referral forms are available at the front office and on the school’s website (see below).
The referral forms must be returned or emailed to the front office by January 31, 2023. The Spring GT testing window is set by the campus in February or March. Campuses may elect to use NWEA MAP scores as a prescreening criterion for GT Testing.
For more information about the screening and identification process, parents may contact the school’s GT Coordinator/Teacher.

Parent GT Referral Form in English

ANUNCIO DE EDUCACIÓN PARA DOTADOS Y TALENTOSOS (GATE) 
De acuerdo con el Plan Estatal de Texas para la Educación de Estudiantes Dotados / Talentosos, Harmony Public Schools comenzará a tomar referencias para todos los estudiantes interesados en los grados K-12 para la evaluación de estudiantes dotados y talentosos.
Cualquier persona interesada en el bienestar educativo de estos estudiantes puede nominarlos para dicha evaluación. Los estudiantes en los grados 1 y superiores que fueron evaluados en el otoño de 2022 no son elegibles para la prueba en la primavera de 2023. Los formularios de referencia están disponibles en la oficina y en el sitio web de la escuela.
Los formularios de referencia deben devolverse a la oficina de la escuela antes del lunes 31 de enero del 2023. Los campus pueden optar por utilizar las puntuaciones de NWEA MAP como criterios de preselección para las pruebas de GT.
Para obtener más información sobre el proceso de selección e identificación, los padres pueden comunicarse con el entrenador / maestro de GT de la escuela.

Parent GT Referral Form in Spanish

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HSAFW WEDNESDAY MAIL

Wednesday Mail

January 23-27

Upcoming Dates

Upcoming Dates

January 16-February 3 MOY MAP assessments window

January 26- Science Fair/ STEM night 5-7 pm

January 27- 100th day of school

January 27- Re-Enrollment Deadline

February 3- Unity Friday Dress in Cultural Clothes

February 6-10- Safety Drills Week

February 13-17 Book Fair

Letter from Mrs. Meck

Letter from Mrs. Meck

HSA Fort Worth Parents and Families,

We are very excited to host our Science Fair/ STEM night tomorrow from 5 pm- 7 pm. We will start with the awards ceremony right at 5:00 pm. We will have science fair projects on display throughout the building and a bunch of exciting and interactive STEM activities. We are very excited that we have the Omni globe on campus this week and parents and students will get a chance to sign up and see that exhibit.

I am also very excited to announce that our First Lego League had a competition last Friday, and they received first place in their division. We are excited for those students and wish them luck as they move to the next level.

Thank you,

Mrs. Meck

Principal

School Yearbook Cover

Does your child have tons of Tiger Pride and an artistic side? If so, we’d love for them to submit a drawing for our yearbook cover contest. Please see the details below!Submission must:

-Include HSA Fort Worth or Harmony Science Academy- Fort Worth

-Include the school year 2022-2023

-Be original artwork ( no copyrighted material)

-Be drawn in marker, colored pencil and/or crayons

-Include the student name, grade, and section writing in pencil very lightly on the BACK

– Be turned into Ms. Ramirez/ Front office by January 31st

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Next Week Dress Code

We have a few fun dress-up days planned for next week.January 30- Free dress if you went to STEM night and have a wristband

January 31- National Backwords day wear your clothes backward if you filled out the re-enrollment form

February 1- World Read Aloud day wear your pajamas

February 2- College Shirt day

February 3- Unity Day wear cultural clothing

Re-Enrollment

Re-Enrollment

Re-Enrollment Opened on January 2nd, 2023 for ALL current Harmony students.How to complete Re-Enrollment:

  • Log into the Skyward parent portal (not the Skyward APP)
  • Complete the Re-enrollment form
  • Upload a current Proof of Residency
  • If you miss the deadline of Friday, January 27, 2023, you will have to enter your student back into the Lottery for the 2023-2024 school year.
  • Re-Enrollment forms are required to be completed for All current Harmony students.
  • Below is a list of acceptable proof of residency documentation.
  • Current driver’s license or ID card issued by the State of Texas
  • Current property tax bill
  • Recently paid rent receipt
  • Current rental or lease agreement
  • Mail dated within 60 days
  • Social Security Administration
  • A Texas state government agency
  • Utility (gas, water, electricity, telephone, cable)
  • Credit card bill
  • Insurance companies
  • Paycheck information
  • Home Alarm
  • Cell Phone
  • Proof of residency documentation must include the person’s name listed on the student’s profile. If the utility bill is not under the student’s parents/guardian, a residency affidavit must be complete. Residency affidavits are available in the front office. Proof of residency is required to approve the student’s re-enrollment.

If you have any questions please contact our Registrar, Ms. Ramirez at destiny.ramirez@harmonytx.org.

Second Semester Safety Drills

Second Semester Safety Drills

We will conduct a Spring Semester School Safety Week on February 6-10, 2023. During that week, we will conduct our fire drill for the month of February, a Secure (Lockout) drill, a Lockdown/Barricade drill, and a Hazmat drill.

During a Fire Drill, we test our ability to exit the building safely and silently as quickly as possible. The goal is under 3 minutes.

During a Secure drill, we check all exterior doors and make sure all staff and students are inside. Activities inside continue as usual.

During a Lockdown/Barricade Drill – Teachers will lock and barricade the classroom doors. Students will hide out of sight. They should be spread out throughout the room and silent. Admin will check all doors to see if we can enter classrooms.

During a Hazmat Drill, teachers will seal the bottom of the classroom doors. Students will move away from the doors but stay spread out and silent throughout the room. Admin will check to see if the door is sealed.

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Parent Academy

We’re excited to announce that our next Parent Academy will be held virtually on

Thursday, February 2nd, 2023 from 4:00-5:00 pm. Please see the information below:

Advancial has partnered with Harmony Public Schools North Texas to deliver financial

education to its students, parents, and staff. We are thrilled to be able to participate in

the upcoming parent night and look forward to bringing you the most up to date

information concerning your child’s financial foundation.

As parents and guardians, it’s our job to raise responsible and functioning adults.

A big part of raising a responsible adult is teaching financial responsibility. During

this live webinar, we will discuss age appropriate financial concepts that you

can teach to your children beginning from kindergarten age, up to age 18 and beyond.

All participants will have a chance to enter their $25 Amazon eGift card prize giveaway!
Link to register:

https://advancial.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mqmFuKqZS4e2Hn0T544Bdw

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Emergent Bilingual Potluck Get-Together

Please join the ESL team for a fun get-together on February 24th at 5 pm. To RSVP, click the link https://www.smore.com/m7pa3
Please plan to bring one of your favorite dishes from your culture. We look forward to spending time with you all.

Note from Coach Pacos

PE Reminders
– PLEASE make sure that your student is wearing tennis shoes to PE class. Students will be asked to sit out and not participate if they do not have the proper shoes on. This is for their safety as well as that of other students.
– Below are the PE rules and procedures that were sent home with your student at the beginning of the school year which includes information about illness and injury as well.If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Coach Pacos.(cpacos@harmonytx.org)Gym Rules and Procedures Students are required to wear tennis shoes for P.E. They will not be allowed to participate with sandals, dress shoes, boots, flip flops, crocs, etc. (This will affect their daily participation grade). Students may be asked to participate in an alternate activity.Please help your student with this issue. To be excused from P.E. students MUST have a note from parent, guardian or doctor.Please make sure the PE Teacher receives a copy of this. If the injury/illness will require missing more than 2 PE classes, a doctor’s note will be required for your student to sit out. Students will be expected to be in their assigned seat/location and ready to work at all times. PE is FUN and students get to move around, so for their safety we stress being in the correct place. Water – the gym NO longer has water fountains. Students will take a water break before and after class with their teacher. NO water bottles are allowed in the gym. On days where we are running, class water breaks will be given as well.

Unity Friday

The first Friday of the month will be Unity Friday, where students and staff can celebrate the various cultures our Harmony family represents. Come dressed to show off any culture as long as it is dress code appropriate and non-offensive. It does not have to be your culture. Participation is optional, not mandatory. Students can come in their spirit shirts or uniform. Photos will be uploaded to our Facebook page.

January Breakfast and Lunch Menus

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Attendance Raffle

New semester new goals! We are very excited to announce our second-semester attendance incentive. Every week a student has perfect attendance, includes not showing up late or leaving early, they will be entered into a drawing. At the end of the semester, we will draw two names, a K-2 student and a 3-5 student, to win a bike!We want to give a huge shout-out to PTO, who graciously donated the bikes.

*We want to remind everyone that this does not mean we want your child to come to school sick. If they are sick, please stay home. There is an opportunity for their name to be entered the following week.

Core Value of the Month- Achieve Goals

Core Value of the Month- Achieve Goals

Here are our expectations to align with the core value of ACHIEVE GOALS. We encourage you to discuss what it means to ACHIEVE GOALSl in all areas of the building with your students.

Arrival and Dismissal

 

Stop, listen and follow directions when an adult speaks

Respond immediately to quiet signal

Be aware of your surroundings

Come prepared with a book to read

Classrooms

 

Stop, listen, and follow directions when an adult speaks

Respond immediately to quiet signal

Accept differences of all people

Be kind

Hallway

 

Stop, listen and follow directions when an adult speaks

Respond immediately to quiet signal

Stay in line

Cafeteria

 

Stop, listen and follow directions when an adult speaks

Respond immediately to quiet signal

Enter Lunchroom quietly

Choose food quickly

Restrooms

 

Stop, listen and follow directions when an adult speaks

Respond immediately to quiet signal

Let someone else go ahead of you

Be kind

Outside

 

Stop, listen and follow directions when an adult speaks

STOP and get in line when the teacher asks you to

Gym

 

Stop, listen and follow directions when an adult speaks

Respond immediately to quiet signal

Be kind

Technology/ Digital Citizenship

Stop, listen and follow directions when an adult speaks

Respond immediately to quiet signal

Be a positive role model

Be kind

Assemblies/Field Trips

 

Stop, listen and follow directions when an adult speaks

Respond immediately to quiet signal

Be kind

Phone Calls

Phone Calls

If you are placing a call to our campus, and you do not reach the automated message, that means the phone lines are temporarily down. You are welcome to try emailing instead.
Secretary- rosa.diaz@harmonytx.org
Registrar- destiny.ramirez@harmonytx.org
Attendance- mable.mendoza@harmonytx.org
Nurse- lburk@harmonytx.org

Campus Parent and Family Engagement Policy

Campus Parent and Family Engagement Policy

Our Campus Parent and Family Engagement Policy as well as our School-Parent Compact have been approved for the 2022-2023 school year. Please see the attached documents and save a copy for your reference.

Front Office Closed 2:15 pm - 2:45pm

Front Office Closed 2:15 pm – 2:45pm

This is a reminder the front office is closed daily from 2:15 pm – 2:45 pm. If your child has an appointment, you will need to pick them up prior to 2:15 pm or at normal dismissal starting at 2:45 pm.

Think College Thursday

Think College Thursday

Tomorrow is “Think College Thursday” every Thursday, students can wear college T-Shirts with their uniform pants.

Counselors Corner

Ms. Loper, our school counselor’s website is updated monthly.

Dress Code

Click for dress code expectations

2022-2023 Traffic Plan and Procedures

Click the link for Traffic plan and procedures

Lunch Visitor Schedule

Click here to sign up to eat lunch with your child.

Campus Federal Report Cards

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We're Hiring

BILINGUAL AND ESL TEACHERS NEEDED!

We're Hiring

Harmony Public Schools is recruiting talented, compassionate bilingual teachers dedicated to helping every student succeed. Harmony offers a competitive salary, excellent benefits and a commitment to excellence in the classroom.

Interested applicants may apply online.

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Dyslexia Awareness Month

October is in the United States. Let’s deepen our understanding of this language-based challenge and try to raise awareness in our community.

 Eight-year-old Evan is one of the brightest children in his third-grade class. He has a wonderful vocabulary and knows everything there is to know about baseball—he can even tell you who played in each of the last ten World Series games and who won. But when it comes to reading about baseball—or anything else—Evan has a lot of trouble. It takes him a long time to read each word, and even longer to read whole sentences. He often has to guess at how you say a word—and sometimes his guess is wrong. Reading out loud is especially stressful and embarrassing. His teacher recently told Evan’s parents that she thinks he might have dyslexia.

 Most people assume that part of being smart is being able to read well. About 100 years ago, though, doctors figured out that some people, even some very smart people who do really well at many other things, have trouble learning to read. This difficulty with reading is called dyslexia.

 Excerpt from: http://dyslexia.yale.edu/resources/dyslexic-kids-adults/on-being-dyslexic/

Useful Links:

What is Dyslexia? – Kelli Sandman-Hurley

https://improvingliteracy.org/brief/defining-dyslexia

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/videos-about-dyslexia

https://dyslexiaida.org/

https://dyslexiaida.org/fact-sheets/

http://www.dyslexia.yale.edu/resources/parents/

https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/texas-dyslexia-handbook-2021.pdf

Recommended Movie:

Taare Zameen Par- Every Child is Special https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z14uE7U0HY

Ishaan, a student who has dyslexia, cannot seem to get anything right at his boarding school. Soon, a new unconventional art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, helps him discover his hidden potential.

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Annual Title I and Title III Meetings

Our annual Title I and Title III meetings will take place on September 21st at 5:00 pm, prior to the PTO meeting.

All parents are invited to attend.

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Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Announcement!

Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Announcement!

In accordance with the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented students, Harmony Public Schools will begin taking referrals for kindergarten and newly enrolled students in grades 1-12 for gifted and talented screening. 

Anyone interested in the educational welfare of these students may refer them for assessment. Referral forms are available at the front office and on the school’s website.

 

Parent GT Referral Form in English

Parent GT Referral Form in Spanish

 

The deadline for GATE referral is September 30, 2022, and G/T assessment period will take place in October. For more information about the screening and identification process, parents may contact the school’s G/T coordinator or G/T coach/teacher.

GATE (Educación para estudiantes dotados/talentosos) Anuncio

De acuerdo con el Plan Estatal de Texas para la Educación de Estudiantes Dotados / Talentosos, las Escuelas Públicas de Harmony comenzarán a recibir referencias para kindergarten y estudiantes recién inscritos en los grados 1-12 para la evaluación de estudiantes dotados y talentosos.

Cualquier persona interesada en el bienestar educativo de estos estudiantes puede nominarlos para dicha evaluación. Los formularios de referencia están disponibles en la oficina y en el sitio web de la escuela.

 

Forma de nominación

 

La fecha límite de referencia de GATE es el 30 de septiembre de 2022 y el período de evaluación de G / T se llevará a cabo en octubre.

Para obtener más información sobre el proceso de selección e identificación, los padres pueden comunicarse con el entrenador / maestro de GT de la escuela.

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Harmony Public Schools uniform store restocked with new inventory

Due to high demand, many uniform sizes quickly were sold out shortly after we launched our new online uniform store Thursday.

Stock shortage is not expected to be an ongoing issue. Fortunately, our uniform supplier has informed that they have added new inventory and are continuing to work to provide additional color and size choices as quickly as possible.

Shop now to get your uniforms purchases in time for the first day of school and take advantage of these offers:

EARLY SHOPPER SAVINGS
Shop July 21-Aug. 4 to get short sleeve polos for only $13.50 (reg. $15) or long sleeve for only $16.50 (reg. $18).

FREE HOME SHIPPING
Buy two or more items to qualify for free shipping directly to your home using promo code HPSPOLO at checkout.

Two Ways to Shop Your School’s Uniform Store

On Our Site
Click ‘Uniforms’ under the PARENTS tab of your child’s campus website.

Find Your School Website

On FrenchToast
Search for your campus name and city on the ‘Shop By School’ page.

Go to ‘Shop By School’

Frequently Asked Questions

The size and color I want are still out of stock – what can I do?
Our partners at French Toast are working hard to get more colors and sizes in stock as soon as possible. To get an automatic update when your uniform preference is ready to purchase, just enter your email in the ‘Notify Me’ box under the product ‘Out of Stock’ message.

Can my child still wear uniforms that were purchased previously?
Of course! If your child’s uniform is still in good condition, they are welcome to continue wearing uniforms from previous years, even if the campus has updated to a new uniform color scheme.

The free shipping code isn’t working – what’s up?
The free shipping code – HPSPOLO – is for orders of two items are more, so just make sure you have enough items to qualify for free shipping in your cart. If you’re still experiencing issues, please contact Customer Service at https://www.frenchtoast.com/contact-us.

Which uniform color do I need for my child?
When ordering new uniforms and polos, the following are the approved color schemes for each grade level:

The uniform color options don’t look like the ones I see above
– is something wrong?
There might be a minor color variation between the preview image on the French Toast website and the images above, but not by much. If the uniform you’re selecting doesn’t look right, just make sure you have the correct dress code selected from the drop down near the top of your screen.

Why can’t I just order uniforms directly at my campus anymore?
Unfortunately, year-round direct sales of school uniforms can be a complicated and time-consuming process for an individual campus. We’d rather put our team’s talents to use by serving our students. By partnering with an industry-leading school uniform supply company like French Toast, Harmony is able to keep uniform costs down for families while freeing up school staff (and storage space!) to focus on the other needs of our schools.

No returns or exchanges.
Uniforms will no longer be available for purchase at campuses.

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HPS North Texas District Wellness Plan Committee Meeting

HPS North Texas District Wellness Plan Committee Meeting

We invite all parents, students, staff and other community stakeholders to attend Harmony
Public Schools-North Texas District Wellness Plan Committee meeting that will be held virtually
on May 24th from 9am-10am. We will review our current District Wellness Plan (located on the
website of each campus) in regards to nutrition education, Smart Snack Guidelines, fundraisers,
exemption days, classroom parties, etc. that will be implemented during the 2022-2023 school
year. If you are interested in joining, please register at the link below. We look forward to your
attendance. For questions or additional information, please contact Linda Moore
at   LMoore@harmonytx.org.

Register in advance for this meeting:

HPS-North Texas District-Wellness Plan Committee Meeting Registration Link

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining
the meeting

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Summer Meals

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