DRESS CODE CHANGES FOR 2021-22

Ortiz students will be required to wear colored polo-style shirts as part of the 2021-22 Ortiz Dress Code. The colors have changed: 6th Grade will now be Light Blule, 7th Grade will be Gray, and 8th Grade will be Navy Blue. Pants allowed will be khaki pants/skirts/shorts, (fingertip length), navy blue pants/skirts/shorts (fingertip length) and jeans (no rips, no holes, no frayed hems, no joggers, no cargo pants). The full dress code will be included in the 2021-22 Parent and Student Handbook that will be posted on this website later this summer.

SUMMER SCHOOL INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS

Our summer school program begins Thursday, June 17 and will end July 8, 2021. Students required to attend summer school received notification on their final report card and letters were mailed home. For more information, please call the main office at 713-845-5650.

COLLABORATIVE PERFORMANCE WITH MECA

MECA is a community-based non-profit organization committed to working with schools to provide arts education, support services, and multicultural artistic performances and events, helping to build discipline, self-esteem, and cultural pride. Our mariachi group, Aguiles Azules has worked this year with MECA instructors and will showcase their talents in a live-stream event. This collaborative event, Noche Mexicana, will take place Thursday, June 3rd at 5:00 pm. Information about the event is available in English and Spanish.

ORTIZ MS AND CHAVEZ HS COLLABORATE FOR BAND CONCERT

During the pandemic, performances in front of a live audience have not been allowed; however, the performing and visual arts programs have been working hard to provide the best possible experience for students. Ortiz has teamed up with Chavez HS in a collaborative band concert that we hope you will enjoy.

IMPORTANT: TITLE I, PART A PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY

We are asking all parents to complete the 2020–2021, HISD Title I, Part A Parent and Family Engagement Survey. The purpose of this annual survey is to see how well your child’s school partners with you and encourages your family’s engagement in your child’s education. The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Your feedback is anonymous. Thank you for your participation in this important survey.

NOCHE LATINA 2021

Each year, our Performing and Visual Arts departments work hard to prepare a program we proudly call Noche Latina to celebrate and honor our community's Hispanic culture. Performances included our mariachi, choir, ballet folklorico, dance, orchestra, and theatre arts students. We hope you enjoy our Noche Latina program.

PERFORMING ARTS STUDENTS PROVIDE ENTERTAINMENT FOR LOCAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

As a Magnet School for the Peforming and Visual Arts, we are pleased to show off the talent of our students. We were fortunate for the opportunity to partner with the HISD Multilingual Department this year to provide student performances for the Houston Area Association for Bilingual Education (HAABE) Teacher of the Year annual banquet and the 50th anniversary of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) National Conference. Students from our Águilas Azteca ballet folklorico, Águilas Azules Mariachi, and the Ortiz Dance ensemble provided entertainment for the events.

STUDENT COURSE SELECTIONS FOR 2021-22 NOW AVAILABLE!

It's never too early to plan ahead! We are currently taking course requests from all 6th and 7th graders for the 2021-22 school year. Students have the opportunity to choose from a variety of performing and visual arts, as well as technology, physical education, and language acquisition. To make your selections, follow these steps:

1. Click HERE for short videos that describe some of the course offerings available.
2. Click HERE to complete the course request form to submit your choices.

Selections can be made until February 2021. Students can make changes until then by resubmitting the form in step #2 above. Reach out to your grade level administrator if you have questions or need assistance.

HISD @H.O.M.E TV

We are continuing to air HISD @ H.O.M.E. TV lessons through partnerships with Univision/Unimas67 and KHOU/KTBU 55.

• KTBU 55 airs our entire 2.5-hour block daily for students Monday-Friday from 9 A.M. to 11:30 A.M.
• Unimás 67 continues to air Spanish-language lessons daily, Monday-Friday from 7 A.M. to 7:30 A.M.

Along with our current distance learning platform, HISD @ H.O.M.E. TV continues to provide instructional videos from 9-11:30 A.M., 1-3:30 P.M., and 5-7:30 P.M., Monday-Friday. Segments in English and Spanish are broadcast on HISD-TV – Comcast Ch. 18 and Ch. 99 U-verse, as well as online via HoustonISD.org/LiveTV.

Current and previous lessons can also be accessed online at blogs.HoustonISD.org/HISDTV/ and YouTube.com/theHISD. The HISD @ H.O.M.E. TV schedule can be accessed online at HoustonISD.org/HomeTV.

WE'RE TRYING TO REACH YOU!

Teachers and staff have attempted to reach all Ortiz students to ensure our families are safe and that students have the technology needed to access our distant learning classes. If you have not yet been contacted, please update your contact information HERE so that we can correct any misinformation we may have in our records. You can also call the Ortiz main phone number at 713-845-5650 and leave us a voice message.

PARENT CODES FOR NEW HISD CONNECT

HISD Connect by PowerSchool includes student contact, enrollment, and demographic information, as well as grades and online resources.

Parents will be given a unique code, or access ID, for each of their students and will be able to use those codes to set up an account to access their students' profiles through the new parent portal.

Parents have three options to obtain their code:

• Email us at OrtizMS@houstonisd.org your student's name and grade level. We’ll email you the code sheet.
• Fill out the survey at http://bit.ly/OrtizConnect and we’ll send you the code via text or email.
• Call us at 713-845-5650 if you want a printed copy to pick up from campus.