Covington Counselors Corner for the
Week of April 14th, 2025
Autism Acceptance Month
April is International and National Autism Acceptance Month. Autism refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and communication. Campuses can review the Autism Acceptance Guide English, Autism Acceptance Guide_Spanish to support inclusive practices and celebration of persons with neurodiversity. For more information on training or resources for staff, please visit https://www.txautism.net/target.
In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, families, community members, and staff are invited to attend a three-part, virtual learning series focused on Autism hosted by VELA. Please announce and share opportunities Autism Learning Series (Eng), Autism Learning Series (Spn) with your families and staff. Also, if your campus has a parent support specialist, please consider hosting an in-person viewing/participation session.
Dates: April 7, 2025 (English) - April 9, 2025 (Spanish) RSVP Link
Times: 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Topic: Welcome & Understanding Autism: What It is and What It’s Not
RSVP Link
Dates: April 14, 2025 (English) - April 16, 2025 (Spanish)
Times: 12:00-1:30pm
Topic: Understanding and Advocating for your Child's Communication, Social Skills, & Sensory Processing Needs
RSVP Link
Dates: April 21, 2025 (English) - April 23, 2025 (Spanish)
Times: 12:00-1:30pm
Topic: School Supports: Goals, Services and Resources
For more information, please contact Lisa Vasquez Salana at lisa.vasquez-saldana@austinisd.org.
AISD Summer Opportunities
AVID Summer Bridge - Incoming 7th Grade Students
AISD AVID Summer Bridge is designed as an opportunity for students who are enrolled in AISD during the Spring 2025 semester to deepen their mathematics skills in preparation to take 7th Grade Accelerated Math in the 2025-2026 school year. (For students currently enrolled in Math 6 or Accelerated Math 6.) Please contact Hunter Willey for more information.
AISD Summer School - Eligible Emergent Bilingual Students
One-on-One Mini Meetings and Academic Advising
Counselors are working diligently to meet with each individual student this semester during one-on-one Mini Meetings to discuss grades, attendance, course selections for the 2025-26 school year, and how things are going at school and at home. These meetings are designed to create a relationship with the student and his/her counselor, as well as to see if there are any needs/supports counselors can provide or help facilitate to help students be more successful in their school and home lives.
Opt-Out Deadline for High School Credit Courses - April 25th
The deadline for middle school students to drop any NON EOC courses is April 25, 2025. (The opt-out deadline for Algebra I, an EOC course, was in January, 2025.) This process is meant to give students who are not doing well in high school credit courses the opportunity to drop the course without negative implications on their GPA. The process at this point includes courses such as LOTE and CTE.
OPT OUT Forms (please see page 2 and 3)
Important Dates
April 15 - Passover
April 18 - Good Friday (Student Holiday)
April 20 - Easter
April 22 - Earth Day
April 25 - Opt-Out Deadline for LOTE and CTE courses (Spanish 1 and 2,
Principles of Architecture, Principles of Applied Engineering, Keyboarding, Health)
Mrs. Debra Austrum
7th Grade & 7th Grade A-L
debra.austrum@austinisd.org
Ms. Rabecca McDonald
7th Grade M-Z & 8th
rabecca.mcdonald@austinisd.org
