#DragonStrong
Braver. Smarter. Stronger.
We Can See The Finish Line!
Dragon Families,
We hope this weekend's newsletter finds you enjoying time with family. On Monday, we will all enjoy a much needed "day off" to celebrate Memorial Day. Carroll ISD would like to take a moment to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice through service to our country. Losing some of our simple, personal freedoms during a worldwide pandemic only serves to remind us how precious life is in the United States of America. We are thankful and do not take for granted the men and women of the US Armed Forces who gave of themselves so that we can be free. As you celebrate this Memorial Day, let us remember their sacrifice and the families they left behind.
So, the last week of school is finally here! This time of COVID-19 emergency closure has felt more like a marathon than a sprint, but the finish line is in view and we are nearly there! Carroll ISD only has three more days of instruction left on the 2019-2020 school calendar, so be sure you read about the End-of-Year Choice Project for students below. On Friday, we will be graduating the Class of 2020 at Dragon Stadium during a modified ceremony that begins at 8:20 p.m. We cannot wait to celebrate these amazing students and their accomplishments. You can join us by watching the live stream of the ceremony on You Tube or Facebook. Carroll ISD will release the links publicly once we receive them this week! If you are the parent of a senior, be sure to read all the way through this newsletter to see new details about the graduation rain plan.
Week 10 End-of-Year Project Links Posted
We have posted all of the Choice Project links for PK-12 on the Teacher-Based Instruction portion of the website for the final week of school. Why a Choice Project? Well, a choice project allows students to explore their own passions and encourages creativity in the virtual classroom. it provides students with a choice in what they learn. This project should be stress-free. It gives your child the freedom to choose any topic that is important to them to study. You do not need to purchase anything to complete this project. The final product is a student's reflection of what has been learned and can be submitted to their teacher(s) by Thursday, May 28.
Subcontractors Test Positive For COVID-19
Two subcontractors working on the Carroll Sr. High Music Center project tested positive for COVID-19 this week resulting in a four-day shut down of the construction site for deep cleaning and disinfecting. The contractor on the project hired a professional company to come in to do a commercial-grade disinfecting of all surfaces and work areas in the construction zone. The subcontractor workers did not access other areas of the CSHS campus. This serves as a reminder, however, that the virus is real and precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 must continue. We wish these two men well in their recovery and two-week quarantine. Construction is scheduled to resume on the music center project Tuesday.
Summer School Goes Virtual
Summer School will being going virtual this year beginning June 2, and enrollment for our secondary courses is up compared to previous years. To learn more about Carroll ISD's plans, visit our Summer School FAQ online.
New School Board Officers Elected
Congratulations to our newly-elected Carroll School Board officers who were chosen by Trustees during our meeting last Monday. Michelle Moore was elected President, Todd Carlton was elected Vice President, and Dave Almand was elected Secretary. Special thanks to outgoing officers Sheri Mills and Danny Gilpin for their past service as president and secretary, respectively. They still remain on the Board as Trustees through the end of their terms.
Carroll ISD Working on Re-entry Plan
As we approach June 1, Carroll ISD would like to remind families that although Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced a phased-in reopen plan across the state, public school facilities are different and remain under the guidance of the Texas Education Agency. The Commissioner of Education Mike Morath made it clear during our recent teleconference calls that school buildings remained closed to students through June 1. The only announcement so far have been about allowing schools to hold in-person summer school if certain precautions are taken; however, CISD plans to continue its virtual summer school program online. Many CISD families are requesting the reopening of the aquatics center and other sports facilities, but we are mindful that school facilities are not the same as outdoor neighborhood or public pools. The University Interscholastic League is the governing body for high school sports and they announced just Friday that some activities may resume June 8, but only with some restrictions and precautions in place. Significant concerns exist about the lack of available cleaning and disinfectant supplies to comply with restrictions. Once graduation is over and the school year officially ends, CISD will focus its attention on the re-entry plan and announcements about summer camps and facility openings. Stay tuned to future CISD newsletters and communications for announcements about these activities.
No Changes to August 17 Start Date
There has been a lot of discussion about possible changes to the 2020-2021 school calendar, but we want to assure everyone that there have been no changes to the Carroll ISD August 17 start date. Following an unexpected announcement by Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath that school districts should consider changing their Board-adopted calendars for the fall, CISD reviewed the topic with our School Board and polled neighboring school districts to see what they plan to do. Districts in our area have said they have no plans to offer three or five extra weeks in the calendar or move up the start date in August. Keller ISD and Grapevine-Colleyville ISD have said they may add additional weeks at the end to accommodate possible COVID-19 closures. It was discussed and agreed upon last week that CISD would not start early or add COVID-19 days throughout the school year either. Instead, CISD is considering adding a couple of weeks to the end of the calendar so they can be used ONLY if needed due to periodic COVID-19 closures throughout the next school year. School officials will discuss adding two weeks in June 2021 should they be necessary. If a decision is made to add these weeks and adjust the calendar, CISD would make official announcements to all Dragon families. Because there was a lot of confusion and discussion about this topic on Facebook recently, we wanted to clarify that CISD has made no changes to the 2020-2021 calendar and does not anticipate any changes to the start of the school year. The first day of school for students in August 17, and we have an Instructional Task Force working on various scenarios as we face the uncertainties caused by COVID-19.
Teachers of the Year Interviews Posted Online
Each day last week, Carroll ISD shared the stories of our Campus Teachers of the Year. If you have missed any of the video interviews that have been released, you can see each of them on the Carroll ISD Vimeo Account.
Week 3 of Project Graduation Prize Giveaway Hosted by PTO
Congratulations to all the students who won a prize during the Week 3 Project Graduation Prize Giveaway! Be sure to watch our Week 3 Prize Giveaway. Seniors - if you have Opted In, but did not win tonight, you are automatically entered for the FINAL drawing. Because Graduation will now be held on Friday, May 29 at Dragon Stadium, we do not want to interfere with any plans the Seniors and their families may have, so we are moving the FINAL Prize Drawing to Tuesday, May 26. The PTO Prize Patrol will deliver the Prizes for Drawing #4 on Wednesday, May 27. Congratulations to all the winners! - CHS/CSHS PTO Project Graduation Committee
See that finish line? It's right in front of you. This is the final stretch, Dragons, you can do it! Enjoy your Memorial Day Holiday and then get to work on your Choice Project. We cannot wait to see you all finish #DragonStrong.
Have a great week, and we'll see all you seniors at Dragon Stadium on Friday night!
Stay safe & be well,
CISD Leadership Team
MEMORIAL DAY - Monday, May 25, 2020
Lights Shine Bright For The Class of 2020!
Valedictorian & Salutatorian Videos Coming Later This Week!
Senior Family Health Questionnaire Launches Thursday At 8 AM
Parking passes and tickets for those who complete the questionnaire will be picked up on the day of graduation between 12 and 2 p.m. at Carroll Sr. High School. You will receive information directly from CSHS on where each graduate will pick up their envelope. A copy of the rain plan and instructions for graduates/families will also be in the envelope.
Carroll ISD Announces Rain Plan For Graduation
School Officials Watching Weather Closely
Each year an outdoor graduation in Texas brings a few challenges. Sometimes it's windy, sometimes it rains, and sometimes it's hot! The rain plan for graduation this year is similar to previous years. If it is storming or raining, CISD will delay the start of graduation up until 9:30 p.m. Announcements will be posted to our CISD Twitter, Facebook and Dragon Mobile App. Students will receive notice through Remind 101. Because the ceremony lasts about two hours, if we haven't started the ceremony by 9:30 p.m. due to inclement weather, we will move it to Saturday. If delays happen due to weather on Saturday, we will continue to make announcements and wait for a break in the weather to start the ceremony. We have outlined the plan in further detail below.
Remain In Your Cars If Raining
If you arrive at Dragon Stadium Friday and it is raining, please remain in your car until we open the gates and begin the process of taking temperatures. There would no be reason to stand in the rain and get soaked if the ceremony is on a weather delay. Once the delay is lifted, we will begin allowing guests into the stadium gates. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we cannot allow guests to gather in large groups under the concourse to stay out of the rain. The best option is to watch our official social media accounts and remain in your car until the gates open for the ceremony.
Friday May 29 Rain Delay: If rain is likely to end in the early evening, Commencement may be delayed 1 to 1.5 hours, but would start no later than 9:30 p.m. If it is determined that proceeding with the ceremony is not safe, we will proceed to the dates/times below.
Saturday May 30 Make-Up Day 1: We have noted three possible Commencement start times, when weather conditions are assessed and the start time determined an announcement will be made.
- Doors open at 10 a.m./Commencement would begin at 11 a.m.
- Doors open at 1 p.m./Commencement would begin at 2 p.m.
- Doors open at 3 p.m./Commencement would begin at 4 p.m.
Sunday May 31 Make-Up Day 2:
Doors open at 1 p.m./Commencement would begin at 2 p.m.
Modified Graduation Plan Link
Go to our COVID-19 website if you want to read details about Carroll ISD's Modified Graduation Plan. This plan meets all the requirements set forth by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency. It has been reviewed and approved by our school attorney, City of Southlake leaders and the Southlake Police Department. Our goal has always been to graduate the senior Class of 2020 in their home stadium. We will be doing that on Friday, May 29 at 8:20 p.m. The district will be taking significant steps to implement safety measures and physical distancing requirements. The ceremony will be live streamed on Facebook and You Tube. CISD will share the links as we get closer to the ceremony date. Attendance is limited to parents/siblings living in the same household. Each student, staff member and guest will be required to have their temperature taken at the gate before entering the stadium. Even before that, a Family Health Questionnaire will be required for participation and attendance. You can read more about the plan on MySouthlakeNews.com or on our COVID-19 website.
Graduation Site Map
Family guests are asked to enter the Dragon Stadium site from the north (FM 1709 to Silicon Drive) and choose one of two home side parking lot entrances (north/south shown above). A Family Parking Pass will be required.
NEW - Those with Handicap Parking Passes/Seats should enter the entrance on the Home Side by the field house. Handicap parking will be located in the reserved spaces nearest the home side stands. Several rows of seating have been reserved for those requesting handicap services and their families so they can be seated near one another.
NEW - We've added a couple of additional reserved lots for staff and graduating seniors. Graduates and staff are asked to enter the Dragon Stadium site from South Kimball Avenue either near the transportation center or just south of the field house (as noted above). A Graduate or Staff Parking Pass will be required. Overflow parking for staff and graduates is in the far northwest corner of the home side parking, but will still be accessed from South Kimball by driving behind the scoreboard on the far west drive to park in the designated lots. Graduates and staff parking in the northwest overflow lots can then walk through the gated area behind the scoreboard to access the visitor side.
Police officers and parking lot attendants in orange vests will guide you to the nearest available parking space.
NEW - There are two gate entrances on the visitor side of the stadium (designated by first initial of your last name) for Graduates/Staff. Once in line, graduates will have their temperature taken, show their ticket and be escorted directly to their seat on the field.
NEW - There are four entrances on the home side of the stadium for Family guests. There will be an "X" marked on the ground showing six feet distance between families waiting to enter one of the gates to have your temperature taken. If you have a temperature of 100 or higher, you will be asked to step down to grassy area just east of the first entrance to a First Aid tent where nurses will allow you to cool down and will do a second temperature test to verify for accuracy. No one with a temperature of 100 or higher will be allowed to enter the graduation ceremony.
The yellow lines noted below are school buses that will be parked down the center of the home side to create safety barrier corridors for safe distancing while guests wait. Signage and street barricades will help guide guests on site.
Frontline COVID-19 Dragon Heroes
Dr. Sunitha Malla - Dragon Parent
We are celebrating members of our Dragon family who are on the front lines of fighting COVID-19. Pictured here is Dr. Sunitha Malla, a Doctor at WellMed caring for older adults on the COVID-19 Frontline. Her daughter, Shreya, is a first-grader at Johnson Elementary.
Thank you, Dr. Malla, for being #DragonStrong
Stay Healthy & Flatten The Curve
Key steps in mitigating exposure to COVID-19:
- Educate yourself on the symptoms and prevention of COVID-19;
- Wear a mask or face covering that goes over your nose and mouth;
- Practice social distancing and stay six feet away from others;
- Do not hold sleepovers, playdates and group events;
- Wash hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds;
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap is not available;
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash;
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands;
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
- Stay home while you have a fever or experience illness;
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Follow Us On Twitter
Email: julie.thannum@southlakecarroll.edu
Website: www.southlakecarroll.edu
Phone: 817-949-8222
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southlakecarrollisd
Twitter: @carrollisd