TALAS E-newsletter – August 9

San Marcos Consolidated ISD will “highly recommend” the use of face coverings in the classroom as it prepares for the upcoming school year.

SMCISD Director of Safety and Health Services Doug Wozniak unveiled the district’s preliminary Rattler Return Plan during a special-called board of trustees meeting Monday. Wozniak said the district understands that it cannot enforce the use of face masks because of an executive order issued by Gov. Greg Abbott banning school districts from being able to mandate face masks. But the district will encourage masks in the classrooms and on bus transportation.

As Harris County enters the highest COVID-19 threat level while children under 12 remain unable to get vaccinated, parents are starting to worry that Governor Abbott’s prohibition of mask mandates will affect children’s health.

Some parents have been addressing their concerns to Mayor Sylvester Turner, who has been vocal against Abbott’s executive order and has urged city employees to wear masks. Worried parents have asked Turner to consider implementing mask mandates in schools.

When Texas teachers return to their public or open-enrollment charter school classrooms later this year, a new state law will restrict how they can discuss current events, encourage civic engagement and teach about America’s history of racism.

Texas educators overwhelmingly denounce the new law, born from House Bill 3979 — the so-called critical race theory bill passed during this year’s regular legislative session. They say its sweeping language, which includes a ban on teaching that a student should feel guilt because of their race, will mean that classroom conversations about racism could unintentionally spur parents’ anger and cause teachers to be punished.

Sooner or later, in-person networking events will return. One survey published in early July found that only 13% of planners were not working on planning in-person events at that time. While the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases might thwart some of these efforts in the coming months, we will eventually be connecting face-to-face once again. And the time to prepare is now.

After more than a year of making connections via Zoom, getting back to making connections in real life might seem exciting—but also intimidating, especially if those activities have always given you the jitters. Is working a room like riding a bike? Will you engage with people effortlessly, or at least the same way you did before? Or are you doomed to stand out as the professional who couldn’t make the leap to the next normal?

When coronavirus vaccines first became widely available last spring, Etienne Montigny was skeptical.

“I was part of those people that sort of had their doubts,” the Miami high school senior told The 74.

He was worried that the development of the shot was too quick, and that perhaps the safety checks were incomplete. He opted to hold off on receiving the vaccine.

The U.S. Census Bureau plans to release next Thursday a trove of data from the 2020 census that should show Latinos have been key to the nation’s last decade of growth — launching a fight to ensure that growth is reflected in political representation.

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Remember, remember always, that all of us, you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.” This quote from the 32nd President of the United States represents what the United States is: a country built on the backs of immigrants.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports on the many ways in which immigrants contribute positively to the United States, from being an important part of the labor force to even caring for our elderly.

Sinai Cota faced many hardships in her life, but they never stopped her from becoming successful and creating a scholarship for refugees and immigrants who want to pursue a college education of their own.

The grant she created is under Urban Life, a nonprofit organization Cota was a part of when she was younger.

The 5,000 meters is a long race, so the track announcer had some time to fill with various facts about the participants.

“There are three Americans in this race,” he said.

Well, to a lot of us watching, there were actually four.

Fairfield’s Luis Grijalva — running with Guatemala, the name of the country where he was born, across his chest — ran a personal best of 13 minutes, 10.09 seconds. Finishing 12th in muggy heat that felt like 93 degrees at 9 p.m. capped a whirlwind week.