The Principal's Post
Vol. 3, Issue 6 - January 2021
PGE- Preparation, Goodwill, & Excellence
The Principal’s Post runs once a month with weekly updates included in the grade level newsletters. Below are the newest dates, resources, and happenings.
General Information
Wonderful Parents and Guardians,
Thank you for your support with our in-person and remote classroom instructional programs. We know this way of teaching and learning for students, parents, and teachers has taken patience and adjustment - again thank you, everyone, for pulling together. As we move into our second semester, keep doing what you are doing and if you have any questions - please ask us!
Working together our students are achieving great things~
Wishing you all good health and much happiness,
Marci Formby
TEA & A-F Ratings For 2020-21 School Year
While the the STAAR will not be used for accountability purposes this school year; the results will be used to determine where help is needed. Please read the following excerpt from the Texas Education Agency regarding the STAAR Test.
"AUSTIN, Texas – December 10, 2020 – The Texas Education Agency announced (today) that A-F ratings would be paused for 2020-21 school year due to the ongoing disruptions associated with COVID-19. The STAAR test will proceed for the 2020-21 school year in order to provide critically important information about individual student learning that teachers and parents can use to help students grow. For those schools that incorporate STAAR results into teacher evaluations, TEA is providing flexibility to allow them to remove that component this school year.
Ensuring that STAAR is made available has been recognized as vital by education leaders around the state. STAAR results will allow schools, teachers, and parents to see how individual students are performing while also giving education leaders and policymakers across Texas a comprehensive picture of what are likely to be sweeping impacts of the pandemic on student learning, helping policymakers craft solutions for the years ahead. However, the STAAR will not be used for accountability purposes this school year." - Texas Education Agency
Find out more at tea.texas.gov.
STAAR testing will proceed so parents and educators continue to understand what students have learned this year, and to gauge the impact of the pandemic on education
Meal Pick-up
EVENING MEAL PICKUP
Keller ISD Child Nutrition
When: Wednesday, 5 - 6 pm
Location: All KISD High Schools
- KISD Child Nutrition continues to offer the option for an evening meal pickup for those families that are not able to pick up meals during the day.
- KISD will provide a week’s worth of meals one night a week. These meals will include Breakfast and Lunch.
- NOTE: if families pick up meals in the evening, they will not be able to pick up meals during the daily 11 -1 meal service.
- Families must PRE-ORDER their meals using the posted link. Please fill out an order for each child receiving a meal.
- Use QR code to open ordering form
Covid-19 Vaccination Information
Other resources include:
Tarrant County Public Health
Register for Vaccine Questionnaire
DSHS
CDC
FDA
Please take a minute to read the following reminders about COVID.
- If your child has ANY possible COVID symptoms or a fever please do not send them to school.
- If anyone in your family has ANY possible COVID symptoms or please do not send your child to school.
- If you take your student for a COVID test your child MUST stay home until you get the results.
- If someone in your family has been COVID tested your child MUST stay home until you get the results.
Email sarah.burnham@kellerisd.net and stacey.brewster@kellerisd.net if your student falls into any of the above bullet points.
Our teachers are AMAZING! Our teachers will work with parents to coordinate assignments and materials for remote work.
Thank you for your continued support!
(Special thanks to Hillwood principal, Kathleen Eckert. Great principal doing great things!)
Parent Teacher Association
PTA works at the local and state level advocating policy-makers to work together in the interest of children. Please consider supporting PTA through membership or attending virtual Rally Day: 2-22-21. Here are some of the measures the Texas State Legislature will be covering and positions held by PTA:
Public School Funding System Reform
Maintain funding for all components of House Bill 3, the comprehensive public school legislation adopted by the 86th Texas Legislature.
Special Education Funding
Monitor TEA’s Special Education Strategic Plan — corrective action taken after an investigation by the Department of Education.
Digital Connectivity for All
Pursue legislation and funding to ensure all Texas public school students have access to reliable digital connectivity and devices.
Health and Safety School Safety
Monitor school safety legislation, both implementation of laws enacted in 2019 and legislation filed in the 87th legislative session.
Vaping (and Tobacco) Flavor Ban, Regulation, and Taxation
Pursue passage of legislation to ban flavors in e-cigarettes and combustible tobacco and to regulate the sale of e-cigarette products. Pursue a tax on e-cigarette products and an increase in the tax on combustible tobacco.
Cyberbullying
Monitor implementation of David’s Law and any other legislation related to cyberbullying.
Student Mental Health
Monitor implementation of mental health legislation, including programs and services designed to help keep students mentally strong and prepared to cope, as well as systems to identify students in need of intervention. Monitor mental health legislation that is filed in the 87th legislative session.
Healthy Lifestyles
Support policies that reduce childhood obesity through education, healthy food choices, and physical activity.
Juvenile Justice Reform
Support legislation to increase the age of adult criminal responsibility from 17 to 18, and monitor funding for students in Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs.
Campus Immunization Reporting
Support legislation requiring school districts to report the number of unvaccinated students in each school so families can make the safest school-placement decision for medically vulnerable children.
Child and Youth Trafficking
Support legislation that waives criminal responsibility for children and youth when criminal activity results from exploitation by a trafficker. Monitor the state’s 2019 clemency initiative for victims of human trafficking.
Meaningful Assessment & Accountability A-F Accountability System
Monitor legislation impacting the state’s A-F system. Advocate for an accountability system that more broadly reviews school performance and includes a family engagement component.
State Assessment
Advocate for reduced emphasis on state-mandated testing that penalizes the student rather than guide instruction and identify learning problems.
Strengthen Public Schools Keep Public Dollars in Public Schools Oppose legislation that authorizes state funds be used to pay for private school tuition and related costs.
The 86th Legislative Session: Download a summary of Texas PTA's legislative work out of the 86th Session here.
Back to School - KISD Webpage
January 2021
Dec 21, 2020 - January 4, 2021: Winter Holiday Break (No School)
Jan 4, 2021 - Student Holiday
- Campus Professional Development Day
- Teacher Prep Day
Jan 5, 2021 - Students return
- Third Nine-Week Grading Period Begins
Jan 8, 2021 - Report Cards available in Aeries
Jan 15, 2021 - Yearbook Closes for all new Sales
- Early Release at 12:25pm
Jan 20-21, 2021 - Marco’s Pizza Spirit Night
Jan 22 - Feb 4, 2021 - Virtual Scholastic Book Fair
Jan 29, 2021 - Asynchronous Learning Day- Work at home day for students
Feb 5, 2021 - National Heart Awareness - Wear Red
Feb 12, 2021 - Asynchronous Learning Day- Work at home day for students
Feb 15, 2021 - District Holiday (No School)
Feb 17 - 25 - Boosterthon
Feb 26, 2021- Asynchronous Learning Day- Work at home day for students
Mar 15-19, 2021 - Spring Break (No School)
Apr 2, 2021 - District Holiday/Bad Weather Make-Up (No School- unless used for a snow day)
Apr 16, 2021- Asynchronous Learning Day- Work at home day for students
Apr 30, 2021- Asynchronous Learning Day- Work at home day for students
May 27, 2021 - Last Day of School Early Release at 12:25pm
May 28, 2021 - Teacher Prep Day
About Us
Email: marci.formby@kellerisd.net
Website: https://www.kellerisd.net/PGES
Phone: 817-744-5400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parkgleneskisd/
Twitter: @ParkGlenES