There will be early dismissal on Friday, May 25th, 2012.
Please read the following information carefully!

*Kinder thru 3rd grade students will be dismissed at 12:30PM

*4th thru 8th grade students will be dismissed at 12:40PM.

This change in early dismissal has been made to make dismissal time smoother. It will allow for less crowdedness in the dismissal area and the traffic flow to move quicker.

If you have a child in both 1st and 2nd dismissal times, you will need to come at 12:40PM.

Have a wonderful summer!

If you were unable to attend the Open Houses that were held on May 5th and 12th then you will need to come to the school by Friday, May 25th to order your child’s school materials for the 2012-2013 school year. Please keep in mind that there will ONLY be an Academic Open House and Student Orientation days in August. If you have questions or need additional details, please contact the school at 832-433-7001. read more . . .

Dear HSArt Families,

Students who read regularly during the summer often improve their reading level and ability! Harmony students can start strong in the fall if their reading habits don’t “slide” away during the summer months. We invite all families to utilize the summer reading lists and newsletter provided to ensure strong summer reading habits. Students will select the reading list that corresponds to their grade level for the upcoming school year.

Note the k-5 reading lists are also available in Spanish.

• The KG reading list is for incoming Kindergarten students
• Current Kindergarten students utilize the newsletter titled "Grades 1- 2 Summer Reading 2012"
• Current 1st grade students utilize newsletter titled "Grades 1- 2 Summer Reading 2012"
• Current 2nd grade students utilize the newsletter titled "3-4 Summer Reading List 2012"
• Current 3rd grade students utilize the newsletter titled "3-4 Summer Reading List 2012"
• Current 4th grade students utilize the newsletter titled "Grade 5 Summer Reading List 2012"
• Current 5th grade students will reference the 6th grade read list.

Have a wonderful summer and happy reading! read more . . .

Our last day of school is Friday, May 25th. We will be implementing early dismissal.

We would like to wish you and your family a wonderful summer!

Mark your calendar! There will be award assemblies for our students on Friday, May 18th, 2011 in the school's gym.

Students will be recognized for their achievement in the following four categories based on the first and second semesters:

*All A's Honor Roll
*All A's & B's Honor
*Perfect Attendance
*Exemplary Conduct

For the "All A's Honor Roll", the student must have earned all A's on their report card for all Sixth Weeks. For the "All A's & B's Honor Roll", the student must have earned all A's and B's. For Perfect Attendance, the student must not have any absences (excused or unexcused) for the past 6 grading periods. For "Exemplary Conduct", the student must not have any DPS points for the past 6 grading periods and be nominated by their teachers. Below is the schedule for the assemblies:

*Kindergarten): 9AM - During the Graduation Ceremony
*1st Grade: 11:35AM
*2nd Grade: 12:00PM
*3rd Grade: 12:30PM
*4th Grade: 1:00PM
*5th Grade: 5:00PM - During Graduation Ceremony
*6th Grade: 1:30PM
*7th Grade: 2:00PM
*8th Grade: 5:00PM - During Graduation Ceremony

The Graduation Ceremonies for our Kindergartners, 5th, and 8th Grade students is this Friday, May 18th! It will be held in the gym, 9AM for the Kinders and 5PM for the 5th and 8th Graders.


If your child needs a cap and gown, please contact the front office.

• Girls’ Attire for Ceremony: Knee-length Dress/Skirts or Dress Pants with Blouse. No Jeans.

• Boys’ Attire for Ceremony: Dress Pants with Button-Down Dress Shirt, Dark Colored Shoes. No Jeans.

Due to limited seating, students are allowed to have a maximum of 6 guests. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Ms. Baca at mbaca@harmonytx.org or 832-433-7001.

IMPORTANT: All graduating students need to report to their homeroom by 4:30PM.

A segment of the May 13 television news show 60 Minutes included references to Harmony Public Schools (HPS) of Texas that may have left some inaccurate impressions. Please note the following facts about Harmony Public Schools, all of which were shared with 60 Minutes before the show was broadcast: Read more at Harmony Public Schools and 60 Minutes: Setting the Record Straight

Harmony School of Art and Technology will be conducting spinal screening on Monday, May 14th through Friday, May 18th for 5th and 8th grade students.

The purpose of spinal screening is to detect the signs of abnormal curves of the spine at their earliest stages so that the need for treatment can be determined.

The procedure for screening is simple. Ms. Mitchell, the school nurse, will look at your child’s back while he/she stands and then bends forward. For this examination, boys and girls will be seen separately and individually.

ALL STUDENTS MUST REMOVE THEIR SHIRT FOR THIS EXAM. FOR THIS REASON, WE REQUEST THAT GIRLS WEAR A CAMI, TUBE TOP, SPORTS BRA, OR A TWO-PIECE SWIMSUIT TOP UNDERNEATH THEIR UNIFORM SHIRT ON EXAM DAY.

Parents will be notified of the results of the screening only if professional follow-up is necessary. This screening procedure does not replace your child’s need for regular health care and check­ups. According to state law, all students in grades 5 and 8 must receive the spinal screening. If, for religious reasons, you do not wish to have your child screened, you are to submit a written notice to the school.

The school will be open on Saturday, May 26th from 9AM -12PM for parents and students to claim "Lost and Found" items. All items will be placed on the tables in the back of the gym area.

After May 26th, all unclaimed items will be donated!

All library books are due back on Friday, May 18th. The fees to replace lost, stolen, or damaged books are as follows: $5 for paperback book and $10 for hard-covered book. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Defranco at jdefranco@harmonytx.org.

Here is 2012-2013 school calendar! read more . . .

Attached are the 2012-2013 School Supply Lists for our Kindergarten - 9th Graders.

The school will also be selling the supply packs from EPI for $85 on both "Open House" dates.

Kinder - 4th Grade: May 5th from 10AM - 3PM
5th- 9th Grdae: May 12th from 10Am - 3PM read more . . .

What is PTO…

PTO stands for Parent-Teacher Organization. The PTO consists of parents and teachers working together to support and enrich all students at Harmony School of Fine Arts and Technology. We support school staff, help promote student self-esteem, and assist efforts to solve school needs through volunteers and fund-raising. All parents of HSArt students are encouraged to a part of our PTO.

For information on our 2012-2013 PTO, please attend our Academic Open House in August. If you would like to run for PTO office, nomination form will also be available. Our first meeting and Election Day will be held in September. Additional details will be posted to the school's website at a later date.

U.S. News has announced the best high schools of the nation. The 2012 edition includes data on almost 22,000 public schools, 500 of which received gold medals.

Harmony Science Academy High School - Houston is ranked #309 in the nation, making the school one of the Gold Medalists. Harmony Science Academy is also ranked 24th within Texas. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams. The AP® participation rate at Harmony Science Academy is 89 percent. The student body makeup is 44 percent male and 56 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 86 percent.

Harmony Science Academy Dallas is ranked #554 in the nation, enabling the school to receive a Silver Medal. Harmony Science Academy – Dallas is ranked 50th within Texas. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams. The AP® participation rate at Harmony Science Academy – Dallas is 62 percent. The student body makeup is 48 percent male and 52 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 88 percent.

Harmony Science Academy North Austin received a Bronze Medal. At Harmony Science, the student body makeup is 47 percent male and 53 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 89 percent.

You can read more here.

Here is the lunch menu for the month of May. Bon appetit! read more . . .

Congratulations to our NTB students! A special "Thank you!" to Mrs. Brunet and Mr. Ciesla for sponsoring and leading our students to victory.

Our K-2nd Grade Team placed 1st and our 3rd-5th Grade Team placed 3rd!

K-2nd GradeTeam:

*L.Melton
*K. Cavanaugh
*K. Garcia
*H.Ngo
*A.Huynh
*A.Simon

3rd-5th Grade Team:

*A. Gerber
*F. Garcia
*Z. Brunet
*M. LaFrance
*M. Hua
*M.Li
*J. Bryant

Harmony Public Schools has received BBB rating again by Standard & Poor's in a report dated March 16th 2012. The report stated that the outlook of the Harmony Public Schools is stable. BBB rating is the highest possible rating for a charter school operator to receive. Dr. Soner Tarim, the Superintendent of Harmony Public Schools, said: "In the midst of national and global financial instability, Harmony Public Schools System has demonstrated its ability to remain financially stable through fiscally sound organization and management. Renewing our BBB rating along with a stable outlook will enable us to save thousands of dollars which can then be used to further advance the efforts of our students, teachers, and staff members".

Harmony School of Fine Arts and Technology prohibits bullying as well as retaliation against anyone involved in the complaint process.

Bullying of a student may include hazing, threats, taunting, teasing, confinement, assault, demands for money, destruction of property, theft of valued possessions, name calling, rumor spreading, and ostracism.

Any student who believes that he or she has experienced bullying or believe that another student has experienced bullying should immediately report the alleged acts to the teacher, discipline coordinator, or school principal. The school will conduct an appropriate investigation and shall take prompt interim action to prevent bullying during the course of the investigation.

If the results of the investigation indicated bullying occurred, the school shall promptly respond by taking appropriate disciplinary or corrective action to address the conduct in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

To read more about the topic of bullying, please visit www.stopbullying.gov.

If you have questions, concerns or would like to report bullying, please contact the school or Mrs. Baca at mbaca@harmonytx.org.

We would like to inform you of our new "Sibling Policy".   This policy will assist parents in getting sibling(s) of current HSArt's student into the school.  It will allow you to bypass the admission lottery process and give you first priority to available spaces.   Please keep in mind that this does not guarantee admission.  Admission will still be subjected to available spaces, age requirements, etc.  The deadline to submit application for the sibling policy is March 15, 2012.  All application received after March 15th will be placed into the regular enrollment lottery system.

To stay up to date on everything happening at Harmony Public Schools, go to www.facebook.com/HarmonyTexas and LIKE us.

Saturday School will begin on January 7th for students in need of additional Math, ELA and Science preparation for the upcoming STAAR assessment. Letters will be sent home to students that have been enrolled into the program. Classes will be from 8:00am - 12:55pm. Please have your child on campus no later than 7:55am. Dismissal will be at 1:00pm in the front of the school. Please contact Mary Averill (maverill@harmonytx.org) with any questions.

Beginning in spring 2012, students will start a new voyage with the launch of the next testing program, called the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR™.

What is STAAR?
STAAR is a more rigorous standardized testing program that will replace the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for elementary, middle school, and high school students. The new STAAR program will emphasize "readiness" standards, which are the knowledge and skills that are considered most important for success in the grade or subject that follows and for college and career.

For more information read more . . .

Harmony School of Fine Arts and Technology is hosting a book drive to help stock our library. If you have books that your child no longer reads or needs, please donate them to our library. You can drop off your donation at the front office or give them to your child to turn in to their homeroom teacher. Thank you for your support.

Notice to our students' parents and visitors that the usage of a cell phone while driving on our school campus is prohibited. It is also against Texas State Law for any driver to be on their cell phone or any other communication devices while driving in a school crossing zone.

Also, our school speed limit is 5MPH. Please slow down when entering the school parking lot and watch out for students crossings.

Students' safety is a top priority for the Harmony School of Fine Arts and Technology so please help us keep our students safe by following all traffic signs and signals.

Despite our efforts to wash our hands constantly, cover our sneezes and coughs, and sanitize the classroom, some illnesses still manage to get past our defenses.

Please do not bring your child to school if he or she has a fever, diarrhea, vomiting or any other symptoms in the past 24 hours. If your child is sent home from school with any of these symptoms, he or she will have to be symptom free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school unless a doctor's note is provided.

Please be considerate of other student' health by keeping your sick ones at home. Thank you for your support!

The school's tardy policy has been developed to emphasize the importance of each student arriving on time to school every day. When a student is tardy to school, he or she is missing valuable instructional time.

Students should be inside the classroom by 8:00AM. A student arriving after this time must report to the front office and obtain a tardy slip. Tardiness to school will be unexcused, unless the student arrives to campus late for one of the following reasons:

*Personal Illness
*Doctor or Court Appointments

For a tardy to be excused, the student must present a note from the parent explaining the late arrival. The school may also require additional documentation such as a court order or a doctor's note.

Excessive tardiness may results in disciplinary actions such as morning detention or school suspensions. For additional information on the school's tardy policy, please see the Student/Parent Handbook.

Thank you for your support with this matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school.

Harmony Public Schools have released 2011 College Acceptance Report and 2011 SAT Report.

The reports clearly prove that Harmony Public Schools continue to provide high-quality education to Texas children. As Harmony Public Schools, we will strive to take this success to the new levels.

To take a close look at the reports, please click on the names of the reports above.

From Superintendent Dr. Soner Tarim To the Harmony Public Schools Community: A disappointing article on charter schools in this week's New York Times attempts to put Harmony Public Schools in Texas in a context that is not accurate, necessitating this brief response. Many of us at Harmony Schools cooperated extensively with the Times on this story over the last several months, providing documents, interviews, tours and dozens of detailed responses to specific questions in good faith. But, as sometimes happens, the end result was not entirely what we had hoped. See the rest of Dr. Soner Tarim's response here: http://harmonytx.org/news/122/letter-to-stakeholders-on-ny-times-article/

It is the policy of the Harmony Science Academy Charter School to locate and identify any child who contacts or enrolls in the Charter School who may have a disability and be in need of special education and related services, regardless of the severity of the disability, in accordance with its procedures as reflected in the CHILD FIND legal framework of the Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Special Education Process, located at: http://framework.esc18.net/. read more...