Dear Parents/Guardians,

On August 17, 2020, your child will begin the 2020-2021 school year, and we are excited to have each child begin school. As a parent, you will have a choice of onsite or online learning to best meet the needs of your child and your family.

SST is known for the quality of instruction that has been provided for the past 15 years in traditional classrooms. Now we are positioning SST to excel in providing high-quality distance learning. We believe the virtual instruction SST teachers provide will be superior to that provided by other schools.

Since online learning began at all SST schools on March 16, SST teachers, school administration and central office leadership have been working intensely to improve online learning. The feedback we received from you has been encouraging and has helped us make decisions to strengthen online learning. These are some of the actions we are taking to get us ready for the first day of school for those who choose online learning:

• Additional Chromebooks have been purchased so that any student who needs one will have one.
• Hotspots will also be provided to students who need an internet connection.
• Schoology, a learning management system, has been purchased to maximize student engagement with online learning. It allows instructors, students, and administrators to create a meaningful virtual classroom and extend learning beyond the boundaries of the physical classroom.
• The SST online learning program will be aligned with the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) and SST onsite education. If the occasion arises where a child or even a class must participate in virtual learning, the transition will be smoother.
• One of the essential roles in making online learning successful is that of the teacher. This summer professional training for SST teachers is focused on online instruction. All teachers will be better prepared, and online instruction will be significantly improved from the spring.

We need to identify whether your child will attend school online or onsite so that we can finalize our plans. Please notify us of your preference for either onsite or online instruction at your earliest convenience.

Your response will not be your commitment, and you can change your preference later if you want. Two weeks before school begins, as required by the Texas Education Agency, SST will ask that you commit to beginning school online or onsite.

We are counting the days until we are all back as students, parents, and educators. We will continue to update you, and I encourage you to contact me, Mehmet Okumus, principal at mokumus@ssttx.org if you have any questions.

Together we will make 2020-2021 a successful year for your child.

Mehmet Okumus, Principal
SST Sugar Land