SPRING AROUND THE CORNER

Hello Everyone,


February is now behind us and time to think about new beginnings for Spring 2012!  We had more than 15 GED graduates this Winter.  We are hoping to exceed that number in the next couple of months.  There have been changes in the teaching staff this Winter, which means that many of you now have new instructors for your program.  Our Distance Learning program had four instructors who moved on to fulltime positions, we wish them well and thank each one for their dedication to the program.  This month we will continue with our Conversation Club for DL ESOL students.  The Conversation Club gives our ESOL students an opportunity to practice their oral language skills with peers.  We will also begin a GED Writing Workshop.  The workshop is designed to assist the students with their writing skills while applying them to real life situations.  We have a workshop in the morning and one in the evening.  There is limited seating so please contact your teacher or the DL office for reservations. Dates to remember for Spring 2012:


- Spring Break, office will be closed March 12 - 17
- March 11, Daylight Savings Time begins (spring forward an hour!)
- March 17, St Patricks Day
- March 19, regular office hours resume
- March 20, first day of Spring
- March 20, ESOL Conversation Club, 11 AM - 12 PM, DL Office, Portable 9 (limited seats)
- March 22, ESOL Conversation Club, 6 PM - 7 PM, DL Office, Portable 9 (limited seats)
- March 27, Writing Workshop, 11 AM - 12 PM, DL Office, Portable 9 (limited seats)
- March 29, Writing Workshop, 6 PM - 7 PM. DL Office, Portable 9 (limited seats)


Please visit your Instructors Page for hours of availability.  We look forward to a great and exciting Spring.  Our goal is to help you achieve your goals, whether obtaining a GED, acquiring skills for a new job, acquiring skills for promotion in your present job or getting you into college.  We are here to help you achieve your new beginnings.  Have a fun Spring season.


Margo Hernandez
DL Supervisor

WELCOME TO 2012!

Hello Everyone:  Welcome back!  We hope you had a relaxing vacation. It was a long break but the DL teachers are ready to get you back on track!  Many of you never stopped, and we appreciate the dedication towards reaching your goals.  There is quite a bit of information to share with all of you this month.  Many of the teachers have changed their program assignments.  More than likely, you will have a new teacher this semester. We have had many students inquiring about the time frame for classes, obtaining a GED, registering for the GED and hours for the Distance Learning Program.  So let's get started...
 1. Time frame for classes; As of right now our DL program had funding to last for a minimum of 12 weeks. We will be open our regular hours from February 6th until May 4th. These dates are subject to change, we will keep all our students notified and the blog updated.
2. The hours for Distance Learning will remain the same, Monday through Thursday 9 AM to 7 PM, Fridays and Saturdays 9 AM to 1 PM.
3. Teachers now have the capability to Skype with students.  Please see your teacher to register for a Skype account. All students should have received a Gaggle account upon registration.
4. Obtaining a GED does not have a particular time frame since this is an Adult Education program; it is on an individual basis.  Some of our students complete the program within a couple of months, others take their time.  We are here to accommodate your learning needs regardless of time. Remember, our program has regular classes in the day or evening in case you feel this alternative style of learning will better serve you in reaching your goals.
5. Registering for the GED has stringent requirements by the state.  Please visit the following website for up-to-date information:  http://nisd.net/ace/agedtestingfa11info.htm
6. New phone number for Distance Learning appointments:  210-397-7562
7. Teachers will meet with students as needed through Skype, chat sessions on Gaggle, email correspondence, IM, a few teachers have face time accessibility, text messaging, and/or face to face appointment sessions.
8. Teachers will also be conducting mini-tutoring sessions throughout the semester with 3-4 students at a time.  If you are interested in participating in these sessions, please contact your teacher.

We hope to have a great Spring semester.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Happy Valentine's Day!

Margo Hernandez
Supervisor, Distance Learning Program
Northside Adult Education
210-397-8982

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

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!

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

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

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