Phillips Preparatory Newsletter
November 2021 Edition
Message from Principal Dennis
Greetings Parents!
We are well into second quarter and holiday season approaches. As the temperatures fall, make sure that students bundle up with their PPS fleece jackets or their navy business blazers. We are planning several activities for our students including Pirate Fest, a winter play, and a winter dance. It is paramount that we remain vigilant about our safety and wellness by maintaining good health practices. Our focus is on nurturing well-rounded, balanced students who thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Thank you for being active partners in this endeavor. #StayStrong
Message from Supt. Threadgill
October 22, 2021
#TeamMCPSS,
We successfully made it through the first quarter of the 2021-2022 school year. I challenged everyone to #StartStrong this year. That was proven to be an understatement in describing the performance of students, employees, and parents throughout the first quarter, as you all went above and beyond everyone’s expectations. Even while continuing to deal with a lot of uncertainty, #TeamMCPSS prevailed and will continue to #StayStrong as we proceed with the remainder of the school year.
When the mask mandate was put into place, we indicated that once COVID-19 numbers decreased, we would reassess our policy. To date, our numbers have decreased, and Mobile County is no longer in the “high threat” category, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. The current status justifies the removal of the mask mandate. Beginning November 1, 2021, masks will be optional, but still strongly recommended, for students and employees on all MCPSS campuses and offices.
While masks will be optional, we will still implement safety practices such as social distancing as much as possible, the frequent cleaning of our facilities, and the use of sanitizers. Our priority will remain the health and safety of everyone. We will continue monitoring positive cases as we approach the winter months and will adjust as necessary. Note that students who wear masks are less likely to be quarantined, in accordance with the CDC and ADPH guidance we sent to all our families. Also, students and employees who are fully vaccinated won’t need to quarantine if they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms.
MCPSS Magnet Application Window
STEM Night for Prospective Students - October 26, 2021
PHILLIPS BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR PARENTS TO NOTE
- Monday, November 1st - Signature Academy Presentations for Eighth Graders
- Wednesday, November 3rd - Council Traditional Students Visit Phillips
- Friday, November 5th - PTSA Pirate Fest
- Wednesday, November 10th - Virtual Veterans Day Program
- Thursday, November 11th - Veterans' Day Holiday (No School)
- Tuesday, November 16th - Spelling Bee
- Wednesday, November 17th - Make Up Pictures for Yearbook (Jim Owen Studios)
- November 22nd - November 26th - Thanksgiving Break (No School)
U.S. Department of Education - Character Education: RESPECT
"Respect for Others
Respect for others is based on self-respect and is summed up in the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. It is the value that makes the world a more decent and civilized place.
People show respect in many ways. They speak and act civilly—avoiding insults, cruel remarks and rude or crude language. They are courteous and considerate of others, including family members and friends, and care about their rights, beliefs and well-being. They treat others fairly and as individuals, regardless of race, sex, age or ethnic group. They display tolerance for people who do not share their personal beliefs and likes—so long as those people do not harm others.
Research indicates that children learn to respect others when they are treated with respect themselves. Constant criticism of a child, negative comments about him and failure to praise his achievements can lead the child to be disrespectful to others. Treating children with respect pays large dividends both to families and to societies as a whole.
What You Can Do
Practice respectful ways of communicating. Show your child how to talk to others with respect.
Help your child to resolve conflicts nonviolently. When facing a conflict, encourage your child to do the following: (1) Find out what the conflict is. For example, if your child is angry because his little brother barges into his room without knocking, help him to explain the conflict by using an "I" statement, such as "I feel angry when you come into my room without knocking." (2) Next, suggest different ways he might resolve the conflict. He could say to his brother, "I know I can't always hear when I'm listening to music, so you knock really loud five times—if I don't answer, then open the door." Or, "If I don't answer your knock, slide a note under the door." Or, "Let's use our walkie talkies." (3) Then have your child agree on one of the choices. (4) Finally, have him make a plan to check whether the solution is working.
Teach your child to respect the valued traditions of your heritage. Talk about family customs for showing respect, for honoring elders and for helping the community. Encourage her to do these things."
But our implementation of this increased student access to technology involves much more than can be represented by a simple ratio - more computers for students is only a part of our 1:1 initiative. Students will have access to more and better digital resources for learning and collaboration. Teachers will be supported with timely professional development opportunities, rich curricular resources, and faster access to better data to help guide instruction. Administrators will be able to make informed decisions, based on student performance data. Parents will have easier access to their students' assignments, assessments, and communications.
Our learning management system - Schoology - will communicate with our new student information system - PowerSchool - to provide parents, teachers, and administrators with current, actionable information on student achievement.
Providing each student with a computer will allow us to take even more advantage of the vast and growing availability of web-based resources.
Please visit our Resources Page for more information and guidance.
YEARBOOK ORDERS
8th Grade Advertisements for Yearbook
8th Graders' Baby Pictures Wanted!
REMINDER: MAKE-UP PICTURES FOR YEARBOOK WILL BE TAKEN ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH
Mrs. Murphy Parkes wins a NOYCE Grant
Phillips Preparatory School science instructor Natalie Murphy Parkes was surprised with a grant award from the University of South Alabama. USA College of Education and Professional Studies professors delivered materials including a Thinkpad, document camera, digital scales, cell models, and much more. Deliveries of instructional materials were made to Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program alumni throughout the district. Great job!
OCTOBER LAB AND PIRATE DAYS
Bullying Prevention Week and Red Ribbon Week
Stakeholder Partnerships
PHILLIPS VOLLEYBALL
PHILLIPS FOOTBALL
PHILLIPS CHEERLEADING
AR COMPETITION
To participate in the AR competition:
1. Select the Renaissance app in Clever.
2. Choose Student.
3. Enter your user name (your 10 digit number) and password (abc123).
4. The highest point value with at least an 85% comprehension will win the Apple AirPods, but a ticket for various other prize drawings will be given to everyone who meets their grade level point goal and maintains at least 85% comprehension.
Second Quarter Novel - 8th Grade
Extended Day
Cafeteria - November Menus
2023 Trip to Costa Rica and Panama (Not a School-Sponsored Trip)
As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, it is critical for our students to become more culturally aware, explore new ideas, and grow their potential.
Thank you for your interest about our upcoming Summer 2023 trip to Costa Rica and Panama. It's an incredible opportunity for our students to explore another place and culture, and I can't wait to see them discover more about themselves in the process. If you’ve already enrolled, welcome aboard!
Enroll here to secure your spot with our risk-free enrollment period: http://secure-web.cisco.com/1mBYS6v5UlCj9U5V8vrdAUfeigy8nolPAdj5FEQTqwtkguS0UIfl2ZJhuXc8ifXo_XDSuUAzTXNV9PlhM6fcGkRzjzK-8YZBNNyiII8lubrMCXnzf_4JEMXDNouIGsK8oOk39kv6rRV9qh5M_UOzdySnvM2cudBmlRqbQWs1k1vqzCfY3VSfvfCjbbqgd98-ROhgKEL2YHQgvYZulOkdxfz6O9mENcVQWtZvQEe9iOQG0gplhWXOORK9BvRMW9sbXZ9uwqUMgkNfHaQQqK8ploYLY8oXebE38TMhxVniZKuH0QfaHNaD03Viah0x9C2pZ/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eftours.com%2F2478352VV *Risk-free enrollment means you can cancel by February 1, 2022 and receive a 100% refund.
Have questions? The friendly folks at EF's Traveler Support team can help at 800-665-5364. And if your child has friends who haven't signed up yet, feel free to pass this message along to their families, too.
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Phillips Preparatory School
Website: www.phillipsprep.com
Location: 3255 Old Shell Road, Mobile, AL, USA
Phone: (251) 221-2286
Facebook: facebook.com/PhillipsPrepIB
Twitter: @PhillipsPrepIB