• Attendance is taken every period at the secondary level.  If your child arrives 10 minutes after class has started, they will be marked absence for that class. If your child leaves school early, they will be marked absence for the periods they miss.  You must turn in a note regarding their absence.  Signing them out in the front office does not replace an excuse note.
• Medical and dental appointments are not counted as an absence if the student returns to school the same day as the appointment with a written note from the doctor. Students should alternate class periods in order that the same class is not missed repeatedly.
• Doctor's notes may be submitted anytime throughout the year, however a parent note must be submitted within 3 days of the last day they were absent. Notes can be turned in to the office via the student, by email to JLPham@garlandisd.net, by fax to 972-675-3077 or via Skyward. 
• You can check your child's attendance by logging into your parent Skyward account under Attendance.  If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Lavarn at JLPham@garlandisd.net.
• For more information on the district attendance policy, click this link to the district website.

• Each grade level is assigned a counselor.  Mrs. Kneedler for 6th grade, Mrs. Seepaul for 7th grade, and Mrs. Roland for 8th grade.  All scheduling questions will need to go to your child's grade level counselor via email.

• Garland ISD is a 1:1 device district, meaning each child at the secondary level is assigned a Chromebook at the beginning of the school year for them to use throughout the year.  
• The district 1:1 Policy can be found by clicking on this link and our Acceptable Use Policy can be found by clicking this link.  Additionally, Hudson has an additional Chromebook Use Policy found here this link.
• If your student needs help with their Chromebook, they can submit a ticket via Student Apps then Tech Help on their Chromebook or have a teacher submit a ticket for them.  Once a ticket is submitted, Mrs. Mathews, our CTA, will call them down to her office to address the issue.
• Per the Hudson Chromebook Use Policy above, Hudson does enforce fees for damage or loss.  This includes accidental damage.  If damage is cause maliciously by another student, your student needs to report this to a teacher, the front office or another adult staff member ASAP so that an investigation can be conducted.
• Please contact Mrs. Mathews at AMathews@garlandisd.net with any questions or concerns.

Garland ISD and Hudson Middle School take the issue of bullying very seriously.  Every student deserves a safe learning environment, free from harassment and bullying.  

• How is bullying defined: 

  Bullying is defined as a single significant act or a pattern of acts by one or more students directed at another student that exploits an imbalance of power and involves engaging in written or verbal expression, expression through electronic means, or physical conduct that:

  • has the effect or will have the effect of physically harming a student, damaging a student's property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to the student's person or damage to the student's property;
  • is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that the action or threat creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational environment for a student;
  • materially or substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of a classroom or school; or
  • infringes on the rights of the victim at school

Please review this checklist that the state of Texas uses to define if an act is bullying.

If you would like to report an incident anonymously, please click this link.  To find out more about Anonymous Alerts®  and other ways to get in touch with the district on the share and report page using this link.

• What to do if my child is being bullied or harassed?
  • You can reach out to your student's counselor, the grade level principal or the front office and make them aware of the situation.  However, an investigation cannot begin without a written statement from your student. These statements are written at school and are confidential. Your student can request a Incident Report Form from the front office. The form is then turned into the grade level principal and/or the SRO (if needed) to initiate the investigation.   
  • Based on the findings of the bullying investigation, the school may take different actions to resolve the situation, depending on what is most appropriate. These include, but are not limited to: peer to peer mediation, stay away plans, or schedule changes.
  • Should the issue continue, Hudson will follow the district's policy on bullying as laid out on the district website here.                                                                                                                     

• Where do I find the menu and pay if my child would like to buy lunch?
  • Garland ISD using the SchoolCafe app.  On this app, you can add funds to your student's account, view the menu, review your student's purchases, set purchase restrictions, and apply for benefits. More information about SchoolCafe can be found using this link.
• Can I have lunch with my student?
  • Due to limited cafeteria space and a large student body, we can not allow parents to come and have lunch with their students.  You can, however, sign your student out for their 30 minute lunch and have lunch with them off campus. They do need to be back at the end of the 30 minute lunch period.
• Can I drop off fast food for my child for lunch?
  • No outside fast food is allowed to be dropped off in the front office for students.  You may drop off a lunch box for your child and we will send a notice for them to pick it up from the front office before their lunch period.  If you would like to bring fast food for your child, you may sign them out for their lunch period and take them to have lunch with you.  They will need to be back at the end of their 30 minute lunch period.
• Can I send Uber Eats/Door Dash/etc to my child or can they order this themselves?
  • No.  If a student orders themselves food, it will be held in the front office until the end of the school day.
• Can I drop off cupcakes/treats for my child to pass out on their birthday?  This is not possible since each child has 8 classes and friends all over the building.  
• Can I have flowers delivered to my child?  We do not accept deliveries of flowers/balloons.etc. for students.  Our hallways are crowded and that is a lot for a student to keep up with during the day.  This applies to Valentine's Day as well.
• My child is in athletics and has a game after school, I need to drop off food for them.  Can I bring this to the front office?
  • The coaches will go over this in more detail when they have their parent meeting, however, food for athletes is to be dropped off on the side of the school by the gym doors and not in the front office.  The front office will redirect you to the side doors as arranged by the coaches.
• Outside food when returning from an appointment or arriving at school in the mornings:
  • If you have stopped to get your student lunch before returning to school from an appointment, and have to drop them off before they can eat it, they will be allowed to sit in the front office and finish their lunch.  They will not be allowed to take any part of it to class with them.  
  • Outside drinks (Starbucks, Dutch Bros, Sonic, etc) in to-go containers are not allowed at anytime during the school day.  Your student will be asked to finish their drinks quickly or dispose of it before being released to class.  This applies to morning arrival as well. These drinks can be easily spilled if dropped creating an unsafe situation in our hallways and classrooms.  No food or drink (other than water from a water bottle) is allowed to be consumed in the hallways during the school days.

Students of Hudson Middle School must be in compliance with the Garland ISD and Hudson dress code while within the building and at any school events.

Hudson Dress Code Policy

• Student ID must be on a lanyard and WORN around the neck at all times.
• Skirts and shorts must be below fingertip length when arms are down by your side.
• Tops must reach below belt loop level or be layered to reach this level. NO crop tops.
• Spaghetti straps, off the shoulder tops, tank tops, backless tops, see-through and lace tops are NOT permitted.
• Tops may NOT be low cut nor display cleavage. Shirts should provide coverage from the base of the neck to the shoulder.
• Leggings may be worn with a top or dress that covers the bottom.
• Pants must be worn at the waist at all times. NO SAGGING!
• Sloppy, written on, torn, frayed clothing will NOT be permitted. This includes items purchased in this condition.
• Jeans with holes may NOT be worn at anytime.
• Pants and jeans must be hemmed, may not drag on the floor, and may not have messages on the seat.
• Pajamas/pajama-type clothing and costumes are NOT allowed.
• Slides and slippers/house shoes are NOT allowed.
• Facial hair must be well groomed. Hair must be kept out of the eyes.
• Hats, caps, curlers, bandanas, sunglasses, hoodies, and hair nets are NOT to be worn at any time.
• Non-standard hair colors (purple, orange, green, yellow, blue, pink, unnatural red, etc.) are NOT permitted, including hair extensions.
• Body graffiti, piercings (other than ears) and visible tattoos are not permitted.
• NO large objects around the neck, ropes or cords as necklaces, spiked bracelets, chains that hang visibly outside the clothing, and any accessories that could be used as weapons.

Garland ISD Cellphone Policy 

New Law Restricts Student Device Use During School Day
Beginning August 11, students in Garland ISD will no longer be allowed to use personal communication devices—including phones, smartwatches, personal laptops, and wireless earbuds—at any time during the school day. This change, mandated by House Bill 1481, is designed to minimize distractions, improve focus, and support student well-being.

Please visit the Garland ISD website here for more information regarding this new law.

Consequences:

This will be updated once policy from the board has been made known.  

All questions concerning medicine and medical issues will need to be directed to our nurse, Jessica Cox.  You can reach out to her via email at JLCox@garlandisd.net. 

In middle school, your teacher has at most 8 different teacher throughout their day.  Communication between student, parent, and teacher is key for a successful education experience.  When reaching out to your student's teacher, we ask that you give them 24 hours during the school week, or until the next school day if contacted the day before the weekend or a holiday, to respond.  You are always more than welcome to copy the grade level principal on your correspondence, however your child's teacher is the first point of contact with any teacher/class specific issues. 

• How do I see my child's grades/attendance/schedule.etc. in Skyward?
  • When logging in on the Skyward app, you will click on the three lines on the top to pull down a menu.  On this menu, you will find most of the pages you are looking for and can navigate to them.
  • When logging in on the Skyward website, all of the pages you need will be in the drop down menu on the left.  Click on the plus sign to access this menu.
• I've moved and I need to update my contact information in Skyward.  How do I do this?
  • Changing your information on Skyward will need to be done by Student Services or by our campus Data Clerk, Mrs. Campbell.  
    • To change your address, you will need to provide a proof of residency in the form of an utility bill (gas, water or electric) or the signature pages of your lease/mortgage and a copy of your driver's license.  You can email these to Mrs. Campbell at JJCampbell@garlandisd.net or drop copies off at the front office.  Please contact Mrs. Campbell with any questions.
    • To change your phone number, you can contact Mrs. Campbell or Ms. Lavarn and ask them to update your phone number.
• I can't remember my the password for my parent Skyward account.
  • Please email Mrs. Campbell or Ms. Lavarn and they can send you a link to reset your password.
• There has been changes in my custody agreement/etc.
  • Issues like this will need to go through our Data Clerk, Mrs.. Campbell.  She will work with you regarding what she needs and what changes will be made in Skyward.
• I would like to change or add to my emergency contact list.
  • ​​​​​​​The front office can help you with these changes. 

Garland ISD prides itself in being one of the top districts in the country when it comes to school safety.  Please visit the Garland ISD Emergency Procedures page on the district website for more information on exactly how emergency situations are handled on campus and throughout the district.