FPHS Parent and Student Memo
August 30, 2021
Franklin Pierce High School
FPS District Equity Statement
DISTRICT AREAS OF FOCUS AND IMPROVEMENT:
- Equity and Social Justice
- Improved Instruction
- Family and Community Partnership
Our Equity Team would like to partner with our parents and students to fulfill our mission to support our students, staff, and families by identifying and dismantling systems that perpetuate, exacerbate, or produce inequities based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. If you would like to collaborate with us, please let us know HERE. If you want to learn more about our commitment to EQUITY and ANTI-RACISM, feel free to contact any of our FPHS Equity Team members: Hartley, Marzano, Wright, Laban, Apelu, Brist, Call, Chapman, Detweiler, Fineman, Goodrum, Inman, Kaunda, B. Lee, Martin, Plaskett, Quill, Roscoe, Scroger, Shoopman, McNeil, Wacker, Tracy, and T. Johnson.
Dear Parents and Students,
- Schedule this week: Monday: no school; Tuesday: all classes meet, see schedule below; Wednesday: A Day (students attend periods 1 through 4); Thursday: B Day (students attend periods 5 through 8); Friday: no school.
- FPHS Student Laptops will be distributed on Wednesday 9/1 and Thursday 9/2.
- Our Back To School Night for September 8 has been CANCELLED due to Covid safety guidelines.
- Please, support FPHS VOLLEYBALL by purchasing some really cool gear right HERE!
- Find more info on Tacoma Pierce County Health Department School Guidelines HERE.
- We are still finalizing student schedules for 2021-22. Once they're complete, they'll be available on Skyward Family Access. Students will also receive copies on their first day of school.
- See HERE for information about student bus routes.
- Make sure you're following us on Social Media: FPHS Facebook page; FPHS Twitter page; FPHS Instagram page.
Visit HERE to view previous Parent and Student Memos.
Please, make sure you have all the info below. We miss you and wish you all the very best. Stay safe and be well!
Freshman Welcome Videos Below:
Back to School TIPS for PARENTS:
- Is your child still on "summer" hours and staying awake until midnight, 1am, or 2am and not waking up until 10am, noon, or later? The time to establish a new habit and routine for sleeping is NOW. Don't wait until the night before school starts. Teenagers need 9 hours of sleep per night.
- The number one reason students are staying up late at night and even into the early morning is because of easy access to digital devices and electronics in their bedroom (tv, computer, phone, games, etc.). We recommend removing these distracting devices from the bedroom so that students can focus on sleep.
- If your child will ride the bus, make sure s/he knows the bus stop and pick up time. You can check HERE . Also, remember that on the first day of school, Freshmen will be picked up at their "normal" time in the morning, but 10th through 12th graders will be picked up 3.5 hours after their normal pick up time. This is for the first day of school only.
- When your student gets his/her schedule, please make sure to print a back-up copy and have him/her take a picture of it if s/he has a phone.
- Due to Covid Safety Guidelines, we will not be able to serve breakfast in the morning. (Students will be able to pick up breakfast items when they pick up their lunches.) Please, make sure students are eating a healthy breakfast in the morning before coming to school.
- Students should bring minimal supplies to school on the first day (pens, paper). Individual classes may require additional materials. Teachers will share that information with students during the first few weeks of school. Most work will be done on student laptops.
- During the first two weeks of school, please email all of your child's teachers to introduce yourself, make sure they have your contact information, and share any tips that would be beneficial for them to know about your child and his/her strengths and challenges in school.
- If you need to update your information in Skyward, please do so through Skyward Family Access. There is a link provided on the district website HERE.
- Have a "family talk" before the first day of school. Talk about your child's short and long term goals. Talk about how important it is to be successful this year in school in order to stay on track toward those goals.
- Once school starts, try to consistently sit together as a family to talk about how school is going. Rather than asking "How was school today?" instead ask questions like "What did you learn in school today?" or "Tell me about what you're learning in your English class."
COVID Safety Guidelines and FAQs:
- Will students be checking in at the beginning of school in the commons and completing daily health attestations like we did in Spring? No, but for everyone's safety, please stay home if you are sick or have any Covid symptoms.
- Will there be social distancing? Yes. Current guidelines require 3 feet of social distancing between students while in the classroom and recommend 6 feet between students during lunches and in common areas as much as possible (ex: hallways during passing periods). Guidelines require 6 feet of social distancing between staff and students at all times.
- Will we be wearing masks? Yes, all students, staff, and visitors are required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.
- What other precautions are being taken? Our Maintenance team has adjusted our HVAC systems campus-wide to maximize outside air flow and increase filtration. Our Custodial team will continue to focus on cleaning high-touch areas throughout the day. Desks will be cleaned between periods with soap and water.
- What if there's a positive Covid case? Staff or students with Covid symptoms should self-isolate immediately. If staff or students are already on campus, they will be isolated immediately and sent home as soon as possible. Staff or students displaying symptoms should seek medical attention immediately. If staff or students test positive, they should notify school administrators immediately and not come to school. Contact tracing will be conducted by school administrators and the TPC Health Department. Students or staff in close contact according to TPCHD guidelines will be notified and required to self-isolate.
- Will breakfasts be served? Like last Spring, breakfasts will be "grab and go" only and available when students pick up their lunches. We will not be serving breakfasts in the mornings.
- Will lunches be served? Yes, students will be divided into three lunch groups (1st lunch, 2nd lunch, 3rd lunch). Lunches will be picked up in the cafeteria and can be eaten in the Cafeteria, Commons, or Corrigan Room (as overflow only). Like last year, students must eat lunch in an assigned seat for contact tracing. "Grab and go" breakfasts will be available at the lunch pick-up stations.
- Is fully remote or hybrid learning an option? We do not have a hybrid option available this year. Our students and staff are back in school full-time. The fully remote option is a Choice Transfer option, which means the student would withdraw from FPHS and enroll in an online academy. The student would not be attending classes with FPHS, but the student could still participate in athletics with FPHS as a home school if desired.
First Day of School: Tuesday, August 31.
- 8:15am to 11:15am: Freshman Orientation. This is for FRESHMEN ONLY! Teachers and student leaders will help our newest Cardinals acclimate to our school campus and school-wide expectations.
- Freshmen will be served lunch from 10:45am to 11:15am.
- 10th, 11th, and 12th graders will not arrive to FPHS until 11:05am. The buses will be running a morning route for Freshmen only and a second route for 10th, 11th, and 12th graders.
- VERY IMPORTANT: Lunches will not be served for 10th, 11th, and 12th graders on the first day of school, so please eat before you arrive.
- After Freshmen Orientation and after 10th, 11th, and 12th graders arrive, all students will attend their classes briefly to meet their teachers based on the following schedule:
- Cardinal Connections (Advisory): 11:20 – 12:05
- Period 1: 12:10 – 12:25
- Period 2: 12:30 – 12:45
- Period 3: 12:50 – 1:05
- Period 4: 1:10 – 1:25
- Period 5: 1:30 – 1:45
- Period 6: 1:50 – 2:05
- Period 7: 2:10 – 2:25
- Period 8: 2:30 – 2:45
Students, if you ride the bus, please make sure you write down your bus number so that you can find it again at the end of the day. Also, at the end of the day, our buses load in two different locations (near the gym and in the student parking lot). In the morning, please, make sure you ask your bus driver where you will find him/her at the end of the day.
Attendance Reminders:
- There is no longer a "Present Online" option for students. All students must be physically in their classroom to be marked Present. Students out on a mandatory quarantine will have a separate excusal code for days missed.
- If a student has missed seven (7) days of school during a school year, our district requires third-party documentation to excuse all future absences, late arrivals, and early dismissals. Qualified third-party documentation includes a note from a doctor, dentist, therapist, psychologist, etc. which lists the specific dates of absence to be excused. If you cannot take your student to the doctor, they may go to the school health room. If the school nurse determines that the student is too ill to stay at school, the absence will be excused.
- Automated Attendance Calls : Unexcused absence calls are made each morning (after periods 2/6) and each evening to families of students who have missed all periods for that day without excuse.
Calendar Items:
- Aug 31: First day of School
- Sep 1, 2: Laptop distribution
- Sep 3: No school
- Sep 6: Labor Day -- no school
- Sep 14: Picture Day
- Sep 15, 22, and 29: Early release Wednesdays
Daily Bell Schedules
Advisory classes will meet on M, T, Th, and F.
Most Wednesdays will be early dismissal.
See bell schedules below.
SEPTEMBER Culture Calendar
SEPTEMBER is ...
- ROSH HASHANAH. Learn more HERE.
- 9/5: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CHARITY. Learn more HERE.
- 9/7: LABOR DAY. Learn more HERE.
- 9/11: 9/11 REMEMBRANCE DAY. Learn more HERE.
- 9/16: MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY. Learn more HERE.
- 9/17: CONSTITUTION DAY. Learn more HERE.
- 9/21: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE. Learn more HERE.
- 9/30: ORANGE SHIRT DAY. Learn more HERE.
The Cardinal Character Trait for SEPTEMBER is INCLUSION. Learn more HERE.
LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL:
Family and Community Engagement
The Franklin Pierce High School Food & Hygiene Pantry is available for all students and their families.
Use this LINK to view our current food & hygiene pantry options. Please mark the items you need and staff will put together a bag or box. We will contact you when your bag is ready for pick up or delivery.
Additional ways to request items: You can request a paper copy of this form by contacting Bonita Lee at blee@fpschools.org or call 253-298-3837 to request items via phone.
The Ambassador Program at Nordstrom is Back!
In this program, participants will have the opportunity to participate in meaningful conversations, explore career interests, ask questions, get advice, and be surrounded by a supportive network of peers and professionals in the fashion and retail industry. Participants will have access to professionals in areas such as merchandising, design, technology, finance, styling, selling, and marketing/social media.
This program takes place from September 2021 to May 2022 on selected Saturdays at 10 Pacific Time. Participants can join meetings that are most relevant to them – attendance is not mandatory.
- The application for the 2021-2022 program will open on Monday, August 9th, 2021, and close on August 31st at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Apply HERE!
- The program is for people in the United States age 14-22 with access to phone/computer & internet to join monthly meetings. Meetings will be 1 hour long.
- This program will take place digitally to ensure all interested participants can have access. No need to be near a store!
- This is an unpaid program. Participants do not have to pay to join.
Social Justice, Equity, and Anti-Racist Resources:
- Latino or Hispanic? What's the difference? Learn more in the video below.
The first step in ALLYSHIP is LISTENING.
The second step is BELIEVING.
The third step is ACTION. Get involved and create the positive change you want to see in the world.
FPHS Sports!
FPHS Athletes and Families,
Fall sports is right around the corner! Football has already started and the remaining fall sports start Monday! FPHS would like to ensure that as many athletes as possible are at turnout for the first day of practices. For those athletes interested in swim, we are currently in the same circumstance as last year. We are working on a partnership with a pool facility in order for our program to practice and compete. Any updates on that will be communicated through this Memo.
Please also be aware that the safety protocols and practices surrounding Covid and our athletic programs is constantly changing. Communication with families on what that may look like will come through the memo and our coaches for each of the fall sports.
For more details or information on what you will need on the first day of practice, please use the contact information provided below for the coach of your program.
Here are the official start dates for the fall season.
- August 18th – Football
- August 23rd – Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Swim, Volleyball, and Cheer
Prospective athletes and their families need to:
- Register student athletes in familyID (FPHS Sports Registration link below)
- Ensure you have a current physical within the last 2 years and that it is on file at the high school
FALL
Football
Trevor Hanson
Cross Country (B&G)
Jesse McNeil
Golf (Boys)
Colin Horak
Golf (Girls)
Jeff Melvard
Soccer (Girls)
Kyle Wynkoop
Swim & Dive (Girls)
TBH
TBH
Tennis (Boys)
Tyler Parsons
Volleyball (Girls)
Tiffany Disney
Cheerleading
Trisha Tracy
Pierce County Skills Center:
Greetings from PCSC: Welcome back! Our back to school newsletter can be found HERE as well as our Facebook page.
- LINK for 2021-22 PCSC Student Handbook.
- PCSC Main Office: 253-800-4800.
Application Questions contact Paulla Hockaday - phockaday@bethelsd.org - 253.800.4800
Application links, in English and Spanish, can be found on our website. https://www.bethelsd.org/domain/4387
First Day of School - Tuesday, September 7th. Session Times: AM Session - 7:55-10:25; PM Session - 11:15-1:45.
Resources
School Resources:
- District Website: https://www.fpschools.org/
- Franklin Pierce HS Website
- IT Help Desk for Students and Parents: 253-298-4647, 7:30AM to 4PM.
- Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
- FPS Breakfast and Lunch Program: www.fpschools.org/meals
- FPS Education Resources: https://www.fpschools.org/exended-closure-resources-and-information/closure-educational-resources
- Want to add Canvas to your phone? Android or iOS. Once you download the app, search "fpschools" to find our district.
- FPHS Facebook page.
- FPHS Twitter page.
- FPHS Instagram page.
- Information about GRADES and GRADING.
- Information about BUSES.
- District CALENDAR.
- Information about ATTENDANCE.
- How to access and use DORA.
COVID- 19 Resources:
- District Website: https://www.fpschools.org/
- Gov. Inslee's COVID-19 updates web page: https://www.governor.wa.gov/tags/covid-19-coronavirus
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Community Resources:
- District resources and partners: https://www.fpschools.org/departments/family-engagement-office/community-resources
- Check with your phone and internet provider: many providers are offering free and/or unlimited data, internet etc. during the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.
- Financial Resources: https://dfi.wa.gov/coronavirus/financial-resources