Cedar Park Back to School Letter
2017-2018
Dear Cedar Park Students and Families,
Hello. I hope you have all had a wonderful summer. I am so excited to be starting a new year and my second year as Principal of Cedar Park Middle School. I look forward to meeting all our new families and seeing our returning families at the many school events throughout the year, including our Back to School Night on September 19, 2017.
Students, schools and the entire educational system are more successful when we work as a team. I look forward to partnering with parents and families to help all our students find their passions and be excited about their learning. To support that growing partnership, I invite you all to get involved with our Parent Teacher Council (PTC) at some point this year. The meetings are generally scheduled for the 2nd Wednesday of the month, and we meet in the Cedar Park library. You may not be able to attend every meeting or every event, but the school and students will benefit from any time you can give.
One of our goals this year is to foster more opportunities for students to make close connections with at least one staff member. We have revised our Advisory program to include elective teachers, counselors, and administrators. Advisory sections will be smaller and allow us to get to know our kids even better. Furthermore, advisory time will allow for different activities throughout the month that will offer time for academic support, school-wide activities, and connection activities with the advisory teacher.
Finally, I hope you will engage with us on social media and follow all the wonderful things going on at school each day. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @DrShanAnderson; you can follow our school sites @CedarParkBSD. I hope you enjoy following the journey, and feel free to share and tag your moments with #CedarParkPride.
School-to-Home Communication
We will primarily use several digital forms to communicate school-wide information with families this year. Information, including monthly newsletters and special events, will be delivered via email. It is important that you keep your email address updated in our system if you change it.
Ten Minute change in Start and End Times
This year, all BSD middle schools have pushed their start and end times back ten minutes. School will start at 9:15am and students will be released at 3:50pm (except for Wednesday Early Release). This change in times will support our district transportation and ensure busses run as close to on time as possible. Front doors will open and students can enter the building at 8:55am every day.
Early Release Wednesdays
Beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, the District will implement a 90-minute early release on Wednesday afternoons to allow educators time for collaboration and professional development to address gaps in student achievement and improve teacher practice. Beginning September 13, 2017, middle schools will dismiss at 2:20 p.m.
The Early Release/Teacher Collaboration webpage has an updated FAQ and an animated video (English & Spanish) explaining Early Release and Teacher Collaboration.
PE Shirts:
We will continue to ask all students to wear PE shirts this year. If your student needs a new shirt, they can be purchased before/after school or during lunches at the student store. Shirts are $10 each. Please let us know if you need support purchasing your child’s shirt. Shirts will also be available at Wolf Day (8/25), the new student picnic, and at back to school night.
Enrollment Verification:
BSD parents and guardians now have the ability to verify their child(ren)'s enrollment information through the Online Registration system or ParentVUE. This annual paper process was formerly a part of the Back to School packet that was brought home to parents/guardians to review, update and return to the office. Verification of enrollments can now be completed online each year, which will help the district and school save money and resources.
Student/Family Handbook Review - The Formal Acknowledgement of Student & Family Handbook Review is part of the enrollment verification process. After reviewing the Student/Family Handbook (SFH), within the online enrollment verification process, you may check that you and your child have read the handbook.
Accessing ParentVUE/Online Registration - BSD parents/guardians can log on to their ParentVUE account and click on Messages to access the verification screens. Parent/guardians who need to create their ParentVUE account will need to obtain an activation key code by contacting the school.
For Help or Assistance
For an overview of the online enrollment verification process visit the How To page.
Parent Conferences:
We are extremely excited to offer two parent conference sessions this school year.
October 25-27, 2017
March 14-16, 2018
Partnering with parents is a priority for us and we understand it’s direct connection to student success. Please watch for information as the dates near that will explain how to register for a conference time.
New Staff:
We are fortunate to welcome the following talented additions to our Cedar Park Team:
Mike Alpert, Assistant Principal
Mikaela Gladstone, Drama
Katie Pearson, Humanities
Kelly Bright, SRC
Autumn Salisbury, EGC
Nate Thacker, Math
Michael Sullivan, Math
Amanda Wright, Humanities
Nate Berne, Humanities
Michael Jacobs, Science
Finally, please make note of the important upcoming dates. I look forward to meeting you all very soon.
August 25 9 am - 12 pm / 1:30-7:00pm Wolf Day
August 31 5:30 pm New student and 6th grade family picnic
September 5 9:15 am New student and 6th grade orientation
September 6 9:15 am First day of school – all students
September 19 6:00 pm Back to School Night
September 13 7:00 pm PTC Meeting – Cedar Park Library
Sincerely,
Dr. Shannon Anderson
Principal