Harmony Parents and Guardians, 

As the City of Austin, Travis, and Williamson counties have issued a Stay-At-Home Order, we understand that this may be a confusing and stressful time for our families, and we want to provide as much guidance and support for our communities during this time. 

We want to inform our families that Harmony Public Schools – Austin is an essential educational institution when it comes to traveling to our campuses for food and Chromebook distribution. You and your family may still travel to your school campus to pick up meals for students and/or to pick up Chromebooks for facilitating distance learning. These activities are deemed as essential, and essential travel is needed.

If an official were to question you about your travel activities, please use the placard provided for you for “Authorized Travel.” 

For more information about the Stay-At-Home Order, please visit the City of Austin at http://www.austintexas.gov/news/stay-home-orders-announced-further-contain-spread-covid-19.

Thank you for your patience during this time when change happens daily and hourly at times. We strive to provide our families with the most recent updates as soon as possible. 

Stay healthy and safe,

HPS Austin

Dear Families,

Our schools may be closed, but our meal services for students are still open for business.

Harmony Public Schools is committed to meeting the food and nutritional requirements of every child in our communities while our campus is in closure for the COVID-19 outbreak.

Starting Monday, March 23^rd each weekday from 11 AM to 1 PM, we will offer free lunch and breakfast pickup options for any child — regardless of enrollment status —  in need of a nutritious meal.

Meals will be served drive-up style and will be available for all car passengers under age 18, regardless of enrollment status.

The meal pickup locations for our campus will be located at:

• Harmony Science Academy-Austin, 930 E Rundberg Lane Austin TX 78753
• Harmony Science Academy-Pflugerville, 1421 W Wells Branch Pkwy STE 200, Pflugerville, TX, 78660
• Harmony School of Innovation-Austin, 2124 E St Elmo Rd Suite A, Austin, TX 78744

These locations open each weekday from 11 a.m. to roughly 1 p.m. During this time, children can pick up a sack lunch for the day, as well as a sack breakfast for the following morning.

We look forward to serving you soon!

Harmony Public Schools

———————

Estimada familias:

Nuestras escuelas pueden estar cerradas, pero nuestros servicios de comidas para estudiantes aún están abiertos para los negocios.

Las Escuelas Públicas de Harmony se comprometen a cumplir con los requisitos alimenticios y nutricionales de cada niño en nuestras comunidades mientras nuestro campus está cerrado por el brote de COVID-19. De lunes a viernes, ofreceremos opciones de recolección de almuerzo y desayuno gratis para cualquier niño, independientemente del estado de inscripción, que necesite una comida nutritiva.

Las comidas se servirán al estilo de conducción y estarán disponibles para todos los pasajeros de automóviles menores de 18 años, independientemente del estado de inscripción. La ubicación de recogida de comidas para nuestro campus estará ubicada en

• Harmony Science Academy-Austin, 930 E Rundberg Lane Austin TX 78753
• Harmony Science Academy-Pflugerville, 1421 W Wells Branch Pkwy STE 200, Pflugerville, TX, 78660
• Harmony School of Innovation-Austin 2421 E St Elmo Street Suite A, Austin, TX 78744

y estará abierta todos los días de la semana de 11 a.m. a aproximadamente 1 p.m. Durante este tiempo, los niños pueden recoger un almuerzo para el día, así como un desayuno para la mañana siguiente.

Esperamos servirte pronto!

Harmony Public Schools

Spring Break is almost here for our students and staff members across the state.  We sincerely hope everyone in our Harmony community has a fun and relaxing break before together we begin the final stretch toward the end of the school year.

We understand that many of you will be traveling this spring break. With concerns about the Coronavirus in the minds of many, we want to share a few tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about staying healthy when traveling, as well as provide more info about a few Harmony policies related to returning to school after visiting certain risk-prone destinations.

Tips for Healthy Travel

In general, the same advice for fighting germs and bacteria  applies when traveling as it does when staying home:

• Wash hands frequently and/or use hand sanitizer;
• Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth;
• Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue, throw it away and then wash hands;
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
• When greeting others, consider an alternative to hugs or handshakes, such as an elbow bump.

Additionally, here are a few additional tips related specifically to those traveling:

• Be aware of your surroundings (including people who are sick) and try to distance yourself as appropriate;
• Avoid areas that you feel might make your more likely to be exposed;
• Know how to get reliable local information about any possible changes to the situation;
• Avoid public transportation, if possible. Confined spaces such as buses, trains, subways, and airplanes may put you at a higher risk of infection;
• When eating animal-based products, make sure they are thoroughly cooked before eating.

Returning to School After Visiting Risk-Prone Areas

Due to CDC travel guidelines, students and families that have traveled to locations that are marked as a Coronavirus risk by the CDC must have a letter of clearance from their medical provider before returning to campus. Failure to provide a clearance letter will result in the student being dismissed home. Students will have 48 hours to provide proof of doctor’s clearance. Any additional absence will require further documentation from the parents or doctor. For a list of countries with COVID-19 travel advisories, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html.

Currently these countries include: 

• China
• Hong Kong
• Iran
• Italy
• Japan
• South Korea

Additionally, please be aware that families travelling to China’s Hubei province or mainland China may face a mandatory quarantine and be monitored by public health officials. Any health department guidelines should be followed by any affected families and absences will be waived upon return to school with provision of proof of quarantine. 

At Harmony Public Schools, we take the health and safety of our students and staff members seriously. Harmony is closely tracking all new developments regarding the Coronavirus and will continue to share timely, relevant updates, as needed.

If you have any questions or concerns, please refer to your campus health staff. 

We appreciate your help in supporting healthy and happy learning environments for our Harmony community. 

The deadline for application for open enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year at Harmony Public Schools is almost here. If you are a current Harmony family that would like to change campuses next year, or would like to apply to become a first-time Harmony student in 2020-2021 here’s s everything you need to know about how to apply for next year.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Every child isn’t the same. So why should every school be?

Harmony Public Schools believes each student can achieve their own unique, full potential through a caring and collaborative academic environment that emphasizes personalized learning and innovative instructional methods.

WHAT MAKES HARMONY DIFFERENT

Engaging Education: Our project-based learning engages critical thinking skills and makes learning fun with hands-on activities that educate and excite.

Skills for Tomorrow: Our curriculum has been recognized by the TEA & others for providing students the STEM skills they need for the in-demand jobs of the future.

College Ready: Harmony has a 100% college acceptance rate, and almost two-thirds of our students are the first in their families ever to attend college.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Does Harmony Public Schools charge tuition to attend?

Absolutely not. Harmony is a tuition-free, Texas public charter school. We believe every student deserves the opportunity to attend a high-quality public school that fits their individual needs regardless of income. 

Who is eligible to attend Harmony Public Schools?

All children residing in a Harmony school’s geographic boundary who meet registration requirements are eligible to attend. Unlike most other schools, though, Harmony’s geographic boundaries are much wider and generally include the entire community in which the school resides, meaning that all students in the area – regardless of neighborhood or family income level – have the same opportunity to attend a high-quality Harmony school.

What documents do I need to apply?

No documents are needed just to apply. However, if your child is selected for enrollment during the lottery process, you will need to provide a few basic documents that verify your child’s identity and home address.

I have a child in Harmony already, and would like to enroll their sibling for the first time. Do I still need to apply?

Yes. Siblings of current Harmony students still need to apply, but are given priority status if a campus lottery is needed.

DATES TO REMEMBER

February 10

Open Enrollment for 2020-2021 Application Deadline

February 11-25

Campus Lotteries Held (if needed)

Apply Now!

Harmony Public Schools is now accepting applications for Open Enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year.

Join us Wednesday, January 29th, 2020 for our most anticipated annual Harmony Public Schools Austin District Science Fair! HPS Austin middle and high school students will present their science investigations to a panel of judges from 1:00 – 3:00 PM. The public is welcomed to view the student’s projects after that time. At 4:00 PM, the Awards Ceremony will begin to announce the category winners that will then advance to the Austin Energy city-wide science fair. We wish all of our young scientists luck and are excited to see what they will bring this year!

Calling all Volunteers! 

Are you interested in volunteering as a judge? We welcome you! Please, sign-up here.

Re-Enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year for Harmony families has begun!

During this time of year each January, we ask families to complete a simple, online Re-Enrollment process, letting us know they’ll be joining us for another great year of learning and fun next school year, which starts in August 2020.

This simple step allows us to make sure each current student’s spot at Harmony is reserved for the following school year, and assess how many new student seats we have available for other applicants.

Re-Enrollment at Harmony Public Schools runs January 6-24, 2020. Look for more details in your email inbox, via Skyward, or on our Facebook page. 

Need more info? Here are the full details:

#1

What is the difference between Re-Enrollment and Open Enrollment?

Re-enrollment is intended for current Harmony students planning to stay at their current campus the following school year, or who will be advancing to a nearby “feeder” campus (ex. moving from elementary school to middle school). Open Enrollment is for new students, or current students who wish to change Harmony campuses for other reasons (ex. transferring to a campus closer to home).

#2

When is Re-Enrollment season?

For the 2020-2021 school year, re-enrollment will be January 6-24, 2020.

#3

In what form will parents need to apply for Re-Enrollment?

The preferred method for re-enrollment is through the student’s online Skyward account. (A link to Skyward can be found at the top of your campus homepage or you can simply click here.). Parents without internet and/or Skyward access should contact the school registrar’s office for additional assistance.

 #4

If a student plans to stay at the same school next year, are they automatically guaranteed re-enrollment if they complete the re-enrollment process before the deadline? 

Yes, so long as their family completes the re-enrollment process.

#5

What happens if a parent does not submit their re-enrollment information before the deadline?

If a parent misses the deadline to complete the re-enrollment process, then the student will lose his/her reserved space for next school year and must apply during Open Enrollment (Nov. 1, 2019 through Feb. 10, 2020) at HarmonyTX.org/Apply.

#6

What does a Harmony parent need to do if they would like to stay with Harmony, but transfer to a different campus for the next school year?

If a parent would like to change Harmony campuses for the following school year, they must submit an application for the desired school at HarmonyTX.org/Apply.