Connect with PHS
A weekly newsletter - August 12, 2020
A message from Ameka Hunt, Principal of PHS
Greetings Panthers. Welcome to Pflugerville High School. I am excited to get the school year underway. As a result of the circumstances derived from the pandemic, all instruction will be delivered remotely the first three weeks of school. This year school will begin Thursday, August 13th at 9:00 AM. Student schedules have been available since August 6th. All students will need to access their schedule in Skyward prior to August 13th if they have not done so already. Details for how to access Skyward are included in the Counselors' Section of this newsletter. Expect an email by the end of today from each of your child’s teachers. These emails will provide information so students and parents have a better understanding of specific classroom expectations, and assist with successful navigation of remote learning during the 2020-2021 school year.
Since we will begin the year remotely, it’s extremely important for the PHS faculty and staff to build strong positive support for our students and the parents we serve in our Pflugerville High School Community. We encourage everyone to stay connected with us. Here are a few ways we plan to stay connected with you. Parents will receive this weekly S’more (parent newsletter) with the latest campus updates. It will be important to make sure all contact information is correct. If you are not receiving campus communication, you may need to check your spam. Please also note this newsletter is uploaded to the campus website weekly. Also, check the PHS website for daily announcements and other helpful information.
Additionally, our teachers are currently creating websites that are available on the PHS campus website. Information housed on the teacher websites will be updated weekly and contain information regarding the schedule for synchronous and asynchronous sessions along virtual classroom orientations for parents and students as well as additional information. For your convenience, I have included the link to access teacher websites https://www.pfisd.net/domain/1575. Encourage your child to visit each of their teacher’s websites prior to the first day of school. (Please note, some teachers are making adjustments to their websites, so some websites may currently be unavailable; However, all teacher websites will be finalized by 4:30 p.m. today).
In our effort to provide the best possible remote learning experience, Pflugerville High School is the first and only campus in PfISD to hire a digital learning instructional coach, Ms. Meg Jameson. Ms. Jameson will provide instructional technology support to teachers, and our students will reap the benefit of quality instruction. Ms. Jameson is featured in this newsletter as well. Please watch her video tutorial on how to locate and navigate teacher websites.
Please continue reading this email for other helpful resources and information. Once again welcome and I wish you all the best for an amazing school year.
Sincerely,
Ameka Hunt
PHS Principal
Meet the PHS Administrators
We are excited to announce our leadership team who will continue to support the student body of PHS. Please contact your administrator with any questions or concerns you may have. Assistant principals will support students based on their last name. See the information below for details.
PHS Administrative Team:
Ameka Hunt - Principal
Dr. Emily Delgado-Associate Principal
Dr. Sara Butler-Intervention & Testing Principal
Argie Flores- Principal (A-E)
Sara Dardeau- Principal (F - Lon)
Crystal Keck – Principal (Loo - Riv)
Dr. Cristobal Saldana - Principal (Ro - Z)
Tips to Successfully Navigate the First Day of School and Virtual Learning at PHS
Tips to Successfully Navigate the First Day of School and Virtual Learning at PHS
Attendance will be taken daily. It is imperative students complete assignments everyday each period in order to be marked present. Remote learning sessions will include synchronous sessions( Two-way , real-time/live, virtual instruction between teacher and students), and asynchronous sessions (Instruction that does not require having the instructor and student engaged at the same time). All students will need to log into their teacher’s Google Classroom via the PHS website at the appropriate times to engage in synchronous sessions. Students have until 11:59 PM everyday to submit asynchronous assignments. Please review the schedule below for class times this week.
Parents and Students - Digital Learning Video
Parents and Students,
Meg Jameson, our Digital Learning Instructional Coach, has prepared a short video introducing you to PHS Digital Learning. Click here to learn how to get information this year and how to find teachers' webpages.
The video explains what you'll find on each teacher's webpage:
- Google Classroom
- Virtual open house
- How to page
- Weekly video announcements
Be sure to watch the video today and get a great start on Virtual Learning.
Parents - Opt in for Google Classroom Summaries
Parents, did you know you can receive email summaries about your student's online assignments in Google Classroom? Our Instructional Coaches Meg Jameson, Tracy Stephens and Christa Rozvodovska encourage you to opt in for Google Classroom summaries.
Click here for a video tutorial that they recommend; it will show you how to receive update summaries.
Return to Learn - Remote Learning Website
Pflugerville ISD has provided a webpage with information on starting the 2020-2021 school year. Please click here to learn more about virtual learning and on-campus learning.
Freshman Orientation
Please click on the link for our Asynchronous Freshman Orientation! We are happy to welcome you to PHS! Even though we are beginning the school year virtually, we want to make sure that you have resources to connect with staff and student groups.
https://sites.google.com/pfisd.net/phsfreshmanorientation2024/home
Student Laptop Distribution
For the 20-21 school year, the District purchased new Chromebooks for all high school students. PHS has distributed about 1,000 laptops on as of today. Thank you so much to all of you who helped make this process smooth and safe for all who participated. Thanks to our awesome Panther parents and students, it has been a huge success!
If you still need to pick up your student’s laptop there is a final distribution window today, Aug. 12. The hours are 9:30-11:30 am and 4:30-6:30 pm. For more info visit https://sites.google.com/pfisd.net/laptopdistribution/home
FAQs
—-Am I required to use a District Chromebook?
No, you can use your own. However, there are advantages to having one available at home. There are programs and apps that are pushed through to the Chromebook, saving time and frustration. Some resources will require additional passwords if using an outside device. The technology help desk may not be able to provide support for issues on non-District devices. If you use your own device, remember to use Chrome as your browser.
—-I couldn’t pick up a Chromebook during distribution. How can I get one?
Chromebooks can be picked up in the front office of PHS on Mondays and Thursdays, 8:15am - 4:30 pm and Fridays 1 pm - 4:30 pm.
From our Counseling Staff
Welcome back Panthers! Your counselors are excited to work with you this year and support you through these changes! On August 6th, we opened Skyward for students to be able to see their schedules. There are still some changes happening to schedules, and schedules wont be final until August 12th.
If you are needing help logging into your Skyward account, please click here for instructions.
If you are still needing help, please use the Let’s Talk page from the
PfISD Page: https://www.pfisd.net/Page/7772.
If you have specific questions or concerns about your schedule, please contact your student’s assigned counselor.
Counselors by Last Name Alpha Split:
A-D: Ms. Powell – christina.powell@pfisd.net 512-594-0533
E-J: Mrs. Saylor-Carroll – lindsay.saylorcarroll@pfisd.net 512-594-0575
K-O: Mrs. Johnson – cortney.johnson@pfisd.net 512-594-0529
P-R: Mrs. Cable – sarah.cable@pfisd.net 512-594-0526
S-Z: Mrs. Scott – geminesse.scott@pfisd.net 512-694-0530
Additional contacts:
College/Career Counselor: Nicholas Howell - Nicholas.Howell@pfisd.net 512 594 0527
Social Worker: Ana Bowie - Ana.Bowie@pfisd.net 512 594 0539
SPED Coordinator: Valorie Salcido - Valorie.Salcido@pfisd.net 512 594 0578
ARD Facilitator: Crystal Beck - Crystal.Beck@pfisd.net 512 594 0576
LSSP: Becky Luquire - Rebecca.Luquire@pfisd.net 512 594 0602
504 Coordinator: Margaret Wofford - Margaret.Wofford@pfisd.net 512 594 0544
From our College and Career Counselor
Good Afternoon Panthers –
My name is Nick Howell and I am your College and Career Advisor! Below you will find some helpful updates for all PHS families. Please feel free to reach out to me at anytime with questions at Nicholas.Howell@pfisd.net.
College Application Presentation (all families) – PHS will be hosting a virtual College Application Presentation on August 25th, 2020 from 6:00 – 7:30 pm. During this event students can learn more about the college application process, scholarship opportunities, hear from our special guest (Rice University), and learn about the My Brothers Keeper and College Forward programs. I highly encourage all families join us. You must register by visiting this website.
College and Career Website (all families) – The College and Career Center has a new website where you can learn more about the college application process, connect with a military or career representative, request documents from PHS (transcripts, etc.), receive assistance the financial aid and scholarship process, and even schedule a meeting with Mr. Howell. Please bookmark this page as it is updated often.
Meet with Mr. Howell (all families) – I highly encourage members of the Class of 2021 and 2022 to set up an appointment with Mr. Howell (virtually) this fall by visiting this website.
SAT/ACT (all families) – If you signed up for the August or September SAT and/or ACT, please continue to check your email and College Board/ACT accounts. Unfortunately, PFISD high schools and many other testing sites have/will cancel their administration. Due to this limited ability to test, Mr. Howell strongly encourages you choose the test optional opportunity most colleges/universities are offering the Class of 2021.
Apply Texas Application Requirement (Class of 2021) – PFISD does require all students complete at least one Apply Texas application by October 1st, 2020. This will allow your student to create options down the road regardless of their path. Options will allow you more funding for college and opportunities in your future.
Scholarships (Class of 2021) – I encourage all members of the Class of 2021 to begin taking a look at scholarship opportunities available to them. Some of our national opportunities have a Fall 2020 deadline. Please visit this website for more information.
Nick Howell
College and Career Advisor
Pflugerville High School
https://nicholashowell.wixsite.com/collegeandcareer
RM #: A-103
PHS CEEB Code: 445500
From our Department Chairs
SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT
The Social Studies Department would like to give a special welcome to all our students, especially those of you who are Panthers for the first time! PHS is a great place to learn and while we wish we were on campus together we have to be smart and safe and follow guidelines right now!
In Social Studies just like all your other classes we are looking forward to seeing your faces on Zoom and interacting with you through Google Classroom. Let’s stay safe and make the best of this situation by keeping up with our coursework.
You guys are living through what will become a period of history students will study for years to come. Be a part of the story, stay engaged, stay informed, and stay safe! See you in our virtual classrooms!!
Karen Hense
Social Studies Department Chair
ELA DEPARTMENT
Dear ELA Parents,
We are excited to start the new school year and have many exciting lessons planned to further your student’s reading and writing education. Professional ELA Learning teams have been meeting over this last week to plan fabulous lessons, and we know you will like the virtual curriculum we will be presenting.
Please be on the lookout for information regarding library resources, e-book usage, and summer reading. Over the next few weeks we will be rolling out this information.
Welcome to our new ELA teachers: Michaela Lyons, Beau Hulgan, Kimberly Jordan, Victoria Guevara, Tyler Salinas, and James Duncan.
As school starts, if you have any questions for ELA teachers, please reach out. We are here to make virtual learning rigorous and relevant for all students.
Sincerely,
Lisa Wernli
PHS English Department Chair
LOTE DEPARTMENT
Hola! And Bonjour!
I write this to you as the newly appointed Dept Chair and I’d like to start by extending a huge welcome on behalf of all the awesome teachers in the LOTE Department. We are just as anxious and excited as all of you for the novelties in education that this year’s virtual start will bring. It’s going to be an adjustment, that is for sure, but teachers are pretty boss at staying on their toes, thinking on their feet, and other such foot analogies. When you love the work that you do, even vast changes are seen as an opportunity for growth and innovation.
We said “adios” at the end of the 2020 school year to two integral parts of our team: Sra Anne Dyess, who is off now comfortably enjoying retirement life, and Frau Leah Jensen, a new mother to absolute cutie Ellis Jensen. They will be sorely missed by the students they inspired to pursue the study of language.
In every end there is a new beginning, however; Mr. Luis Lopez has joined our department from Weiss High School. He will be undertaking a mixture of Spanish 1 & 2 and coaching Girls’ Soccer & Girls’ Volleyball. We welcome him to our Panther family and wish him all the best in his first year with us here at PHS.
Here’s to the 2020-2021 school year, to education of the future, and the strength we’re all going to need to work through it. Let’s get it.
Wendy Faz
LOTE Dept Chair
Breakfast is served! Free breakfast for All PfISD Students
Parents,
Pick up your free Curbside Breakfast for enrolled PfISD students at Timmerman Elementary School Mon-Fri 7:00 - 9:00 AM.
Lunches are available at standard prices, reduced prices, or free, depending on the student's eligibility. Lunches are served 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, also at Timmerman Elementary School.
Students can come by themselves to pick up meals and/or a parent/guardian can come without the student to pick up meals. Students can pick up both breakfast and lunch at the same time.
Which are the best DIY masks?
The internet is full of instructions for do-it-yourself face coverings. But which ones are really effective?
Our wonderful teachers from Family Consumer Science Department have the answer. The CDC provides accurate information and instructions for simple masks that can be made at home and may help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Check out the following link to their website.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-to-make-cloth-face-covering.html
Nutritious, Budget-Friendly Meals
In times of economic hardship, it’s great to have resources on cooking nutritious meals on a budget. Here are links for a couple bloggers to follow for ideas to feed a family on a budget without sacrificing flavor and nutrition
https://instagram.com/5dollardinners?igshid=11fi7zin50afe
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/cheap-dinner-ideas/
Family Consumer Science Department
A New Workout for a New School Year
We'd like to welcome our new Dance Coach, Ms. Adriana Cortez, to PHS. Here's her workout to get us up and running for the new school year!
10 min Abs
Warm Up
4 Head Rolls right
4 Head Roll left
4 Should rolls back
4 shoulder rolls forward
2 Grapevines right
2 Grapevines left
10 Jump Jacks
Abs
*rest 30s in between each exercise
1 min Russian Twists
1 min V ups
1 min plank
1 min side twists
Repeat 2x
Cool Down
Deep breathe in and reach up. Fold down and touch toes. Repeat 3x.
Have a great start to your school year!
¿Necesita ayuda en español?
Teléfono: 512-594-0583 (deje un mensaje de voz si no contesta)
Correo electrónco: Kristen.Hernandez@pfisd.net
Ella le brindará la ayuda que usted necesita.
Keep up to date by downloading the PHS app today
Now more than ever, it's important to keep up to date The School Info App for Pflugerville High School is a great way to stay connected and informed. Notifications are sent in real time for ever-changing situations. Be in the know—download the app today!
Click on the attached QR code or this link: http://siap.ps/eaedd6, or search for Pflugerville High School in the app store. Be sure to allow notifications so you get all the notifications and news feeds to keep current with what’s happening at PHS.
Subscribe today!
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