Monday, November 28, 2011

Jingle All the Way

Hello Students,

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.  It will soon be Christmas and then year 2012!! How time flies when you are having fun!!  We are fortunate to live in a city that enjoys a colorful holiday season.  The San Antonio Riverwalk is especially gorgeous this time of year.  The San Antonio Symphony will be performing a cheerful Holiday Pop concert.  Incarnate Word has a fabulous display of holiday lights which you can view as you drive through campus.  In San Antonio, everyday is day to celebrate!  Get out and about to enjoy the season...not to mention the phenominal New Year Eves Party held downtown every year!! We realize you will be busy with all the holidays have to offer, but we encourage you to remain delingent and visit your on-line websites. When all the dust settles, your Distance Learning Team of Teachers will be ready to get you back on track! We hope to help you accomplish all your academic wishes and goals this season.



A few dates to remember over the next few weeks:
  • December 6th, 7th, and 8th; GED Testing 4:30-9:30PM
  • December 13th and 14th; GED Fast Track Testing 9AM -3PM
  • December 19th through January 9th; Distance Learning Closed for Holidays
  • January 4th and 5th; Registration for ESOL returning students
  • January 6th and 7th; Registration for ESOL new students
  • January 12th and 14th; Registration for all GED students
Winter Hours for Distance Learning beginning January 10th:




  • January 10th and 11th; 9:00AM-6:00PM
  • January 17th and 18th; 9:00AM-6:00PM
  • January 24th and 25th; 9:00AM-6:00PM
  • January 31st and February 1st; 9:00AM-6:00PM
Have a wonderful Holiday and Happy New Year!!




Distance Learning Teachers and Staff

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Hello Students, Halloween is upon us, BOO! We have had a busy and successful year so far! Everyone who is ACTIVE in the program has made great progress. Many of our GED students have begun taking their test this month. The ESOL students have shown great progress in learning and acquiring English skills. We have had quite a few obtain jobs and/or move into the GED Program to continue with their English studies. Distance Learning had their first library tour this year at the Northwest Library Branch on October 15th. We are planning our second library tour at the Maverick Public Library on Thursday, October 27th from 7 PM to 8 PM. The library tours build community partnerships to help enhance our students learning experience. The employees at our public libraries are very welcoming and willing to assist our students in all their educational needs. Please join us for our Library Tour Day Day. Keep up with the Distance Learning Blog in order to get the latest information regarding library tours, tutoring dates, and activities happening in Distance Learning. These are some important dates for everyone to remember: October 31, Distance Learning is open until 3 PM November 1st and 2nd, GED Testing Registration (visit website: http://www.nisd.net/ace/agedtestingfa11info.htm ). November 8th, Election Day November 8th to 10th, GED Testing Dates November 18th and 19th, Official Practice Test 9 AM to 11 AM November 21st to November 27th, Thanksgiving Holiday November 28th to 30, GED Testing Registration (visit website: http://www.nisd.net/ace/agedtestingfa11info.htm ). With the Holiday season on us, we at Distance Learning wish you the best!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

September, School Bells Ringing

An official WELCOME BACK to school for all our Distance Learners. Those who have children, it is nice to have them back on a schedule; those who do not, it is nice to have yourself back on schedule. Either way, it is time to review your goals and educational ambitions, and get back to work. Your Distance Learning staff will be dedicated to help you meet these goals. Anyone new to the program, we look forward to having you as part of the DL learning program. Whether you are with us to retain or get a job advancement, concentrate on developing skills for college, get your GED or advancing your basic skills, we will help you meet these goals through education. The PACTT Program is a prepatory program through the Adult Education office which focuses on preparing students for entering college. For more information regarding this program, please visit with your teacher.
Remember you are a Distance Learner, there are many ways to contact your teacher virtually if you cannot make a face to face appointment. Our teachers are available through text messaging, phone conferences, Skype, on-line chats, blogging, and IMs. We are committed to making your learning experience successful, and you fulfilling your goals. Please use the resources that the Distance Learning Program has made available to you.
Important September closure dates to remember:
September 1st - Registration
September 3rd - 5th Labor Day
September 8th, 9th, 10th - Registration
September 12th, 13th - Teacher Training
September 17th - Teacher Staff Development
September 19th - Regular Adult Education classes begin

We will go back to our Fall School Hours starting September 19th:
Monday - Thursday 9:00 am to 7:00 pm
Friday - Saturday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Please feel free to contact your teacher or myself if we may assist you with your studies. We have tutoring service available, and will be doing a Library tour for all our students two days in October. Feel free to sign up for one of the dates. Both will be on a Saturday, October 15th or 29th. Registration is on the left hand side of this blog or email Supervisor: margohernandez@gaggle.net. Tours are limited, so please sign up as soon as possible. Stay posted to the blog for current updates.

Margo Hernandez, Supervisor
NISD Distance Learning Program

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Back to School in August

Hello students! We hope that you have had a wonderful summer. It is now getting closer for children and adults to get back to school. We look forward to a great year in Distance Learning. A few new things going on with us. If you are returning student, you may have realized that we moved. We are directly across from our old office and now housed in Portable Building 9A and 9B. This is a vast improvement from the other office. We now have a testing area, computer lab, and teacher tutoring lab. We hope that all students have come by to register with the program by now. Please remember if your account is inactive for more than three weeks, you automatically get logged out and removed from the program. Should you have any personal, medical or work issues; discuss those with your teacher so we can make sure this does not happen.
A few dates to remember:
Office will be closed for regular Adult Education registration. Please put the attached dates on your calendar. Registration will be held in Building B. Registration process takes 2-3 hours, so please accomodate your time. No children please.
Basic Education and GED: Saturday August 27, 2011 @ 9:00am
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 9:00am and 2:00pm
Thursday, September 1, 2011 @ 2:00pm and 6:00pm
ESOL: Thursday, September 8, 2011 @ 9:00am until 1:00pm
Friday, September 9, 2011 @ 2:00pm until 6:00pm
Saturday, September 10, 2011 @ 9:00am until 12:00pm

If you wish to register for one of the regular classes and do Distance Learning please let your teacher know. If you plan on no longer attending Distance Learning in order to attend regular classes, please let your teacher know.
We hope you have a continueing safe and happy summer, enjoy what time is left.

Best Regards,
Distance Learning Teachers and Staff

Saturday, July 2, 2011

July Events

Hello Students, we hope everyone is having a great Summer. Our school year is behind us, and we are looking forward to helping you with your educational goals in the upcoming 2011-12 school year. A few news tidbits ... our office has moved into larger accommodations. If you were a student who experienced waiting outside for available computer space, you will especially appreciate the new facilities. We are still located at the Northside Learning Center. Our new building is next door, portable 9A-B. Next, the office will open to service RETURNING Distance Learning students only. If you are a returning Distance Learning student, please make an appointment between July 18 - 31st for the new school year. all new Distance Learning student registrations will begin August 1st. Last of all, your Distance Learning staff will be on vacation from July 2 - 17th. We will be available summer hours until August 31st.
Dates to Remember:

July 2nd - 18th, Distance Learning closed
July 18th - 31st, returning Distance Learning students registration
August 1st, NEW student registration, please call for an appointment.
July 18th - August 31st, Distance Learning Summer Hours: Mon & Weds. 9-3, Tues & Thurs. 11-6, Fri & Sat., 9-1

Please feel free to call us for questions or appointments.

Margo Hernandez,
DL Supervisor

Thursday, June 2, 2011

June Classes



Summertime is a great opportunity for students to advance in their learning cycle. We usually want to take the summer off and spend all our time doing those things we enjoy so much. The good news...you can still enjoy yourself but take advantage of the online learning opportunities. Working towards your educational goals online gives you the convenience of accomplishing lessons at your own leisure. Your Distance Learning staff will be available all summer long to help you with lessons and tutoring as needed. NISD will begin 2011-12 GED Testing in August, which gives all students a chance to study well before taking the test. Keep in touch with your teacher so that we know you are still working towards meeting that goal of getting your GED, advancing in a job, building your English skills, getting a new job or enrolling into college.
A reminder to all students: Our program officially ends in June. In order to stay with our program we request that ALL students come into the office in the month of July to register for 2011-2012 school year. It will be painless; returning students will need to fill out a few forms with demographic information. Students who have not been actively working on their lessons and/or did not complete end of year testing will not be allowed to register in the Adult Education program this year. If you are not certain of your status, please contact us.
Dates to remember this Summer:
June 18 - Distance Learning Office will be closed for National Refugee Day
July 2 thru 17 - Independence Day weekend and maintenance closure
July 29 - deadline for all returning students to registered for school year 2011-12 (students who do not register will be dropped to give opportunity for new students to enter the program)
As usual, please contact us if you need assistance or have any questions.
Have a wonderful, warm, safe Summer.
Margo Hernandez - DL Supervisor

Monday, May 23, 2011

Memorial Day Holiday

Students, the Distance Learning office will be closed for Memorial Day weekend. We will be on holiday from Saturday, May 28-30th. We will resume appointments on Tuesday, May 31st. If you need to visit with your teacher, please call and schedule an appointment or email us. Have a great weekend!!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Summer Time

Spring classes have ended. We will be offering summer Distance Learning classes to students who were registered in Spring 2011. Registration for the summer will take place until the last week of May. Please call us if you have any questions regarding GED or ESOL Distance Learning summer classes.

Office hours beginning May 30th:
Monday and Wednesday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Friday and Saturday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Students currently enrolled in the DL Program will continue through the summer. If you plan on taking a long vacation, and will not actively be working on the DL website, please notify the Teacher so you are not dropped from the program. If an account goes inactive for 3 or more weeks, we are obligated to offer the website "seat" to another student. Teachers will be calling to make appointments for progress testing and tutoring sessions.
We look forward to a long and rewarding summer with all our students, but remember to take relaxing vacation time with family and friends!!

Margo Hernandez
DL Supervisor

Summer Schedule

Spring classes have ended a d most students now have the opportunity to continue their Adult Education classes through our Distance Learning Program . We will be registering students who attended Fall or Spring semester with NISD during the month of May. Please call our office to make an appointment.
Distance Learning summer hours:
Monday and Wednesday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Sights and Sounds of May


The sights and sounds of May are wonderful. Spring is whispering to us, rainfall will prepare us for the long summer, and winds allow us to fly kites with the ones we love.  The sounds of your teachers getting ready for summer are just as exciting.  We are preparing to keep our office open over the summer for your enjoyment. The advantages of on-line learning is the ability to work at your leisure from home, and know that you have support at every step, leap and bound.  It is our job to make sure you are progressing through the program, and you are being given the highest opportunities to make that progress.  It is your job to work on the programs and give it your best. Together, teacher and student, we make an awesome team.

As many of you have experienced in April, we started calling students in to take Progress test.  The progress test given serve several purposes. First, it allows us an opportunity to see that you are achieving the skills you need to move forward in your studies. Second, you are able to see areas of strengths and weaknesses, where you need to focus your learning. Lastly, it is required by the State of Texas that we give these progress test, and you make gains in order for us to remain open, funded, and here for you.  Without testing we would not be able to keep our doors open.  We will continue calling you in over the summer to do testing. It is done by appointment only, so be prepared.

I would like to welcome three new teachers to our Distance Learning Program: Erica Lopez will be teaching USA Learns, Joe Becht, who will also be teaching USA Learns and Noemi Nelson, GED Connections.  It is an honor to have them on our Distance Learning Team.
Thank you for being a part of Distance Learning,
Margo Hernandez
DL Supervisor

Please review the following information for your calendar:

May 5th and 6th:  Aztec students will not meet with teachers. Teachers will be in Austin for Professional Development.
May 14th:  Graduation for PACE Students
May 14th:  Regular Adult Education classes end for the year
May 18th:  Distance Learning office will close at 3:00pm for Teacher Appreciation Dinner
May 24th: Tumaini Graduation
May 30th:  Office Closed, Memorial Day
August 18th: GED Summer Graduation Ceremony

Friday, April 15, 2011

Students...Important April Updates



Dear Students; Some important updates for all of you this mid-April. As I said at the beginning of this month, it goes quickly.
I know many of you have had problems with your computer programs. We apologize. The circumstances are beyond our control. AZTEC is doing major upgrades on the whole AZTEC system. They are adding programs to the GED sites and to the Workforce site to better serve the student's needs. I know it is an inconvenience now, but the upgrades will help your learning needs in the future.
ITTS is still having issues. We are working with the district and company to get the system back on-line. Gloria DeLeon has done an outstanding job getting students registered and working on another on-line program in the interm. Please call her if you have not been set up to work on the new program.
Please remember we will be closed April 15th for Battle of Flowers and April 22nd and 23rd for the Easter Holiday. Hope you have a wonderful April, and contact us if you need our assistance in any way.
Respectfully yours, Margo Hernandez Supervisor, Northside Distance Learning Program

Friday, April 1, 2011

In like a Lamb..out like a Bear...April

The old saying goes; if the month comes in like a Lamb, it will go out like a Bear.  So far, we have had cool weather, but very mild.  We will see if the old tale is true.  Welcome to April everyone!  March flew by us so fast, if you are like the teachers, it came and went in a blink.

Please welcome four new teachers who have joined the Distance Learning Team:  Frances Mejias, AZTEC;
Erica Lopez, USA Learns; Noemi Nelson, GED Connections; Christina Montoya, Crossroads.  We also have a new Instructional Assistant, Heidi McGrath.  These teachers will work hard to make sure your goals are met.  If you have not met your new teacher, or made an appointment, please call the office. We have to say goodbye, sadly, to two of our teachers:  Joseph Labar, Crossroads and Natalia Holmes, USA Learns.  They will be missed. 

We have had several GED Graduates in March.  Many of you have taken parts of your GED test, and passed.  I am proud of every person who is a part of Distance Learning, and who has passed any portion of their test.  Great Job!!  Many more of you have set goals on graduating by the end of June.  We will do our best to help you make those dreams come true.

In the month of March, we had several students in ESOL promoted to another Distance Learning Program.  Those who have worked hard, taken responsibility for their learning, and sets goals made progress.  Congratulations to all you for your hard work.

April will come and go in a flash, just as the other months have...so prepare yourselves.  A few dates to keep in mind for April:

01 April..........April Fool's Day
01-03 April....Poteet Strawberry Festival, get out and enjoy the Spring
04 April..........New Student Registration for GED, contact Joyce Hopper, Chief Examiner 397-7569
05-06 April....Returning Student Registration for GED, contact Joyce Hopper, Chief Examiner 397-7569
14, 19-20, 28 April....GED Testing Dates
15-16 April...Official GED Practice Test Dates @ Northside Learning Center, 397-8109
15 April........No School, Battle of Flowers Parade
15-22 April..Fiesta Week
22-23 April........No School, Good Friday

Have a wonderful April, and please contact us if we can help you.
Respectfully,  Margo Hernandez, NISD Distance Learning Supervisor

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

SPRING TIME IN MARCH...+

I hope everyone is ready for Spring 2011!1 I know we are at the NISD Distance Learning office.  There is plenty of news for you this Spring. 
First, we are expecting to have a successful GED Graduating Class of Distance Learning students.  We hope that everyone will participate in the June Graduation Ceremony for NISD.  It is exciting, and we are very proud of everyone!!
Second, ESOL students are making such great strides.  We have had more than a dozen students who have moved into the GED program, and/or English for All program (the highest ESOL level offered).  We congratulate you on all your hard work.  We are here to help you achieve your goals, whatever those may be!!
Lastly, BREAK TIME!! As many of you know, we were open all December, even Christmas Eve.  We never stopped teaching those of you who needed our help in keeping up with your studies. We have been open and available to our students everyday since we opened in September 2010, now the Distance Learning Lab will be taking an official Spring Break Vacation.  We would like everyone to take a breather, "unplug" as our Adult Education Coordinator, Nancy Dunlap stated.

Thanks to everyone for their hard work and commitment.

Margo Hernandez
NISD Adult Education
 Distance Learning Supervisor/Teacher


These are the important dates for March:

March 01 and 02
Registration New GED Student Test Takers
(visit: http://nisd.net/ace/programssp2011.htm)

March 08, 09, 10:
  GED Testing, office will be close at 3:00 p. m. on these days

March 14 - 20:
 SPRING BREAK, All offices at Northside Learning Center will be closed, Distance
 Learning teachers will be on Break these days.  Please get your homework before the
 break.

March 21:     
   All offices will open, 1st Day of Spring!!

Regular Office Hours:
 Monday - Tuesday (9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.) by appointment only
 Wednesday - Thursday (9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p. m.) by appointment only
  Friday - Saturday (9:00 a.m. -3:00 p. m.) walk-ins are welcomed

**Please remember; if you are coming in to use the
   Computer Lab ONLY, you do not need an 
    appointment.  Check out our Blog for teacher's schedules,
    email addresses, and contact information

Monday, January 24, 2011

February News

Time flys when you are busy, and if you are a Distance Learning student you are busy!  We have many students getting ready to take their GED test in the month of February, and many others preparing for the Spring testing.  We look forward to everyone being successful!!  Each one of our students have worked very hard, and we believe they will be the best and achieve all they deserve.  Please visit our Adult Education website for testing dates; http://www.nisd.net/ace
ESL students have begun their new Crossroads program this semester.  Joseph Labar will be teaching this program, and it should prove to be helpful to our students crossing over into conversational English. 
Please keep a few dates in  mind for February:

04 February, Early Release Day for Elementary Schools
14 February, Valentine's Day
21 February, Staff Development Day-Schools Closed

Teacher Schedules:
Gloria DeLeon: Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays 9-4p
Dorthy Martinez: Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays 10-2p
Hugo Salcedo: Fridays and Saturdays, 8-2p
Natalia Holmes: TBA
Linda Grimm: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 9-1
Joseph LaBar: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 4-6p

Should you need to meet with your teacher at another time other than what is available, please call the office to make arrangements. 
If you have questions on how to enroll in Distance Learning contact us at 210-397-8982.
We hope you have a lovely February, and Happy Valentine's Day!!

The Distance Learning Team

Monday, January 10, 2011

Spring 2011

NEW NEWS...Students will be able to register for Distance Learning Classes this spring by calling the Distance Learning Office @ 210-397-8982. 
New student are required to complete orientation prior to beginning website classes. All students should make arrangements to meet with their teacher by appointment once a week while in the Distance Learning Program. 

 Registration for regular spring classes is as follows:

ESOL registration will be held January 7th; 3:00pm to 6:00pm, January 8th; 9:00 am to 12:00pm and January 10th; 9:00am to 12:pm. GED registration will be held on January 19th, 9:00am or 2:00pm.

January 17th:  no class on  Martin Luther King Holiday.
January 21st:  office will be closed until 2:00pm