COVID-19 Updates

Click here to request 8th grade courses.

Click here to request 7th grade courses.

Click here to view the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer Letter for Families

Click here to view the How to Apply for Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer Handout

5th Graders - Click here to make schedule requests for 6th grade.

Rusk ISD will be providing lunches for children 18 and under starting Tuesday, March 17th, 2020. This will be a grab and go format. Each lunch will include additional breakfast items for the next day.

Locations in Rusk include:

Rusk Elementary School (Main Location) from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM.

The following sites will serve from a Rusk ISD vehicle from 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM.

Rusk Primary School (Rear parking lot)

Flowers By Janae (Loop 343)

Covenant Church (Hwy 69 North)

Timber Creek Apartments (Hwy 84 West)

Abandoned Gas Station near turnoff to Jim Hogg Park (Hwy 84 East)

This plan is subject to change based on information we receive.

We encourage all parents to go to your app store and download the free Remind App. Once the app is installed, you will enter one or more of the codes below so that you may receive additional updates throughout the COVID-19 situation.

Enter one code for each grade level that you have students enrolled in:

Pre-K 3&4: @prk34

K: @467k43

1st: @6f744b

2nd: @26ka342

3rd: @gcd433

4th: @4ruskinter

5th: @5ruskinter

6th: @ge8fdc2

7th: @hgdf68k

8th: @3hfbfe

9th: @be6d8a

10th: @6akd23

11th:@bd8fab

12th: @867ke8

Quarter 3 report cards will be sent out on April 2, 2020.

All teachers will be available via email (teacherfirstname.lastname@ruskisd.net

Teachers will hold virtual office hours. These hours will allow for chats and/or google hangouts between teachers and students/parents.

Virtual Hours are as follows:

Primary

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Monday - Friday

Use classroom or grade level Remind (code for grade level is on this webpage)

Elementary

8:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Monday - Friday

Login to Google Classroom - Help Desk

Use "add comment" to contact a teacher.

Intermediate

4th grade 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM

5th grade 8:00 AM-7:00 PM

Monday - Friday

Login to Google Classroom

Use "add comment" to contact a teacher.

Jr. High

8:00 AM - 3:00 PM All teachers are available via email (teacher first name.last name @ruskisd.net)

Login to your google classroom to view the virtual office hours of each of your teachers.

During office hours, login to google classroom and use 'add comment' to contact a teacher

High School

9:00 AM - 100:00 AM Monday - Friday

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Monday - Friday

Email a teacher to request a Google Hangout meeting during these times.

Below is a link to the RHS Counselor Corner Google Hangout.

All Campuses may submit a Remote Learning Support form posted on this web page to request help with assignments, passwords, or technology.

Parent's Guide to Google Classroom

How to access google classroom from XBox

Zoom Directions for Students

A Guide for Google Hangouts Meets

Rusk ISD students may access the internet at any of the following locations:

Rusk Primary

Rusk Elementary

Rusk Intermediate

Rusk Jr. High

Rusk High School

RISD Central Office

City of Rusk Library

Rusk Church of Christ (username (wifi name: Rusk Students Password: RuskCares)

Note: Park near the building to ensure the best internet connection.

Rusk ISD is exploring additional options and will keep this list updated as appropriate.

The Rusk ISD community must work together to fight COVID-19. Head to http://tea.texas.gov/staywell

for vitally important public health guidance to stop the spread. If we stand apart as a community now, we will be together again soon.

La comunidad del Rusk ISD debe trabajar en equipo para luchar contra COVID-19. Visite la página Https://tea.texas.gov/mantentebien

para obtener información vital sobre como detener el contagio. Si nos mantenemos separados ahora, estaremos juntos más pronto.

Spring Break Extended

Rusk ISD has extended its Spring Break through March 20, 2020. Extracurricular activities including practice, contests, etc. are also suspended. This is a preventative measure and Rusk ISD officials will continue to be in contact with local and state officials.

Superintendent - Grey Burton

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we navigate through the COVID-19 situation. As we progress in this journey information is continually being updated and changed.

Here is what we know today:

• School facilities are closed including sports complexes and playgrounds.
• School offices will not keep regular hours.
• Extracurricular activities continue to be suspended including practice, games, contest, etc.
• STAAR exams have been suspended for the Spring.
• Although, the decision has not been made regarding extended closure the district is recommending at this time that parents make arrangements for child care.
• We have added a COVID-19 Update page on our Rusk ISD webpage that will have additional updates and information.

Parents are encouraged to download the Remind app and use the codes on the Rusk ISD COVID-19 Update page to get the latest updates sent to your phone. These are grade level specific codes.

The Rusk ISD leadership team is continuing to keep health and well-being of our students and staff as our highest priority. The Rusk ISD Leadership Team is collaborating daily to take proactive measures to establish plans that not only ensure health and safety, but also consider the continuity of learning to the extent feasible and appropriate during the short-term or long-term school closures. Until these decisions are made, we recognize the need for flexibility in district operations during extraordinary times such as these, and we are committed to providing ongoing guidance and resources as we sort through this unprecedented situation together.

Update March 19, 2020 (Thursday)

Rusk ISD has determined that school will remain closed. Classes are expected to resume Monday, April 13. The Rusk ISD leadership team is continually working to implement instruction during this time. We will roll this instruction out in several phases to both families and staff.

Phase One will occur from March 23-27. This will be a time where staff members will be guided on the instructional expectations. Our staff will be in contact with all Rusk ISD students and families. We will survey needs and begin distributing Chromebooks.

Our district assignment for all students this week is to READ! Read anything! A comic book, magazine, eBook, etc. Read with someone or something! A pet, a sibling, a stuffed animal, or make a video and email to a teacher or friend! Parents, you may read to your child or use online resources to download books and/or audiobooks. A great source to use is the Junior Library Guild www.juniorlibraryguild.com. This is a free resource. Please post a picture of your child reading using the hashtag #ruskreads2020 and tag your child’s school page on social media.

Phase Two will be from March 30-April 3. This will be a time where families are introduced to online learning, have an opportunity to explore a variety of instructional outlets, and/or receive educational packets.

Phase Three will be from April 6-10. During this time, we will focus on content instruction. Our main instructional platform will be through Google Classroom for grades 2-12. Packets and other materials will be used for primary students.

Please continue to check for updates on our Rusk ISD webpage, under the COVID-19 Update page. We will be giving information on a Chromebook distribution location, Wi-Fi locations, and how to best contact our staff when questions arise.

Our focus continues to be on the health and safety of our students, their families, our staff and community. Thank you for your patience as we travel down this journey together.

The coronavirus may have closed schools across the nation, but that won't stop Eagle Nation from showing their school spirit! Rusk ISD is doing its best to keep the school spirit alive. Even though we aren’t together in the building, we thought we could still create a sense of “togetherness” by having a Virtual Eagle Spirit Day on Friday, March 27th. In ways big and small, our community is forging new connections and comforting others. Our district is thankful and inspired by our community’s spirit of resilience, hope, and steadfast commitment to our students, staff members, and families. The citizens of Rusk continue to rally around one another and lean on each other as we all attempt to navigate the ever-changing COVID-19 public health situation. Rusk ISD schools may be closed during this pandemic, but long-standing tradition, Friday Spirit Day is still on! Go Eagles! We invite staff to wear their DIFFERENCE MAKER shirts. We also encourage students, parents and community members to sport their RED & BLACK Eagle gear at home and/or work to show your Eagle Pride! We would love for you to post pictures on social media tagging our schools and hashtag #differencemaker #eaglenation and #virtualeaglespirit2020

Another way Rusk ISD plans to keep spirits up during school closures is a School Spirit Parade. RISD staff will caravan through neighborhoods around our community to show their love for students, who have been stuck at home because of COVID-19 closures. Those than want to participate will meet at 1:15 at Rusk Elementary School. With car horns blaring and arms waving, we will drive through main streets, backstreets, and alleyways, Friday afternoon to let students know that we care. We ask that school employees stay in your car. Please form a line beginning at the teachers’ parking lot, continuing down the street toward the public library. Please limit your passengers to no more than two, three total per car. There will be yelling and screaming. There will be lots of red and black. And count on some creative teacher banners. Nothing says Eagle Nation better than train horns, cowbells, obnoxious noisemakers, streamers, car window chalk, and chanting! We encourage staff members to make posters and decorate their cars. Students and families will be given a heads-up, approximate arrival time and a map of the parade route, posted on social media so they can be outside their home to wave and cheer us on.

Thank you for your continued support during these extraordinary and unpredictable times. We’re in this together! Together, we got this! Wishing you and your loved ones continued good health.

Today Governor Abbott extended school closure until May 4th. I realize this situation is difficult for everyone in numerous ways and each of you have concerns far greater than schoolwork. I want you all to know that Rusk ISD is committed to helping you and your children get through this pandemic. Our priority is the physical and emotional wellbeing of your family. We will continue to provide food service and educational opportunities in the safest way possible during this closure but we are doing this to help provide some normalcy for your student not to add stress to your life. We will try to provide regular updates on social media, emails, and by phone on any relevant information. I have and will continue to pray for Gods protection for each of your families. We will get through this together and we will be stronger than before. Thank you for your support and for being a Rusk Eagle.

Grey Burton, Rusk ISD Superintendent

This past week several school districts in our area had staff members and students who tested positive for the corona virus. Some of those staff members had been handing out work packets and food to families. Since this happened we had to decide how to adjust what we are doing to ensure we didn’t place anyone’s family at risk. These where difficult decisions but we made them with the safety and health of our community as our top priority.
All campuses will have instructional packets available on April 15th. This will be the only date these packets will be available and it will be the last packets we will provide. These packets will include one month worth of material. We will provide more information in the next week with instructions for retrieving the packets. We are making additional plans for digital learning opportunities.

Another change we are forced to make is in food service. Mr. Hood and his team have been tremendous in getting meals out to families. I know it is benefiting many people to have food available and an opportunity to get out and see friendly faces. After much consideration we have determined to stop providing meals until May 5th. I am very sorry we are not going to be able to provide food to our students but if there is even a small chance of us passing this virus to any of you we must avoid it.

I also want to address our Seniors and their families. I know you have looked forward to your Senior year for a long time. There are so many special moments that each of you wanted to experience and now those moments are being taken away. As a parent I cant imagine how difficult this situation must be and my heart goes out to each of you. Please don’t let this virus take away your joy or diminish what you have accomplished getting to this point. Try and remember all of the great moments you have already experienced, the things you have accomplished and most importantly the relationships you have made. This virus may be preventing you from doing a few things now but it will never take away the memories you have already made, always hold on to those. We are all so very proud of you and each of you are deeply loved. I will make you one promise. Regardless of whether are back in school or not you will have a graduation ceremony. It may not be a traditional ceremony but it will happen and it will be special. We will have to be creative and willing to think outside the box but I doubt any of you have a problem with that. In the two years I’ve been here the one thing I noticed about our Senior 2020 class is you are one of a kind so why should your graduation be any less unique. As the time gets closer we may reach out to you for some ideas so start thinking about it.
I apologize for the length of this call but we had a lot to share. Please stay safe and continue to be strong, we will get through this. I’m still praying for you daily and always remember WE ARE THE RUSK EAGLES!

Hey RHS Students,

Submit a Remote Learning Support form listed near the bottom of this web page.