Panda News
February 21, 2022
Connect with Us!
Email: sshetzer@houstonisd.org
Website: https://www.houstonisd.org/pershing
Location: 3838 Blue Bonnet Boulevard, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: (713) 295-5240
Twitter: @PershingPandas
We are only three weeks from Spring Break and 43 days from our first STAAR administration. We have a lot going on this semester so I will do my best to keep you informed through my weekly newsletter.
With STAAR approaching, I wanted to take a moment to address the importance of students passing STAAR. Students who do not pass STAAR this year will be required to participate in 30 hours of accelerated learning for each STAAR tested subject they fail. This means that a student who fails both STAAR Reading and STAAR Math would have to take 30 hours of accelerated learning in each content. At Pershing, students who fail the STAAR test this year will be placed in an intervention class next year, which means they lose an elective choice. Please make sure that you share with your child the importance of taking the STAAR test seriously. For more information on accelerated learning and House Bill 4545, please visit TEA's website.
For this current year, students who failed STAAR last year were placed in Intervention classes and Homeroom classes. The rule says that the student to teacher ratio is 3:1; however, that is nearly impossible to meet unless we have every student who needs accelerated learning come to tutorials. We can meet the accelerated learning needs through the intervention and Homeroom classes if parents sign a waiver. The waiver can be accessed in HISD Connect (same place you go to see your child's grades). Please complete the HB4545 waiver as soon as possible. Thank you!
As always, my team and I are available should you have any questions. Our contact information is below.
I hope everyone has a great week!
Steven
Week @ A Glance
February 21
- Teacher In-Service (NO STUDENTS)
- Winter Spirit Week
February 22
- NAEP Testing (Select 8th Graders)
- Pershing Softball v. Pin Oak @ Pin Oak
- Spirit Day at Shake Shack (Rice Village Location)
- "Tutu Day"
February 23
- Pershing Softball v. Presbyterian @ Presbyterian
- JJP Swim Fun Meet @ JJP
- "Pajama Day"
February 24
- Choir Pre-UIL Concert @ 5:30
- "Blast from the Past Day"
February 25
- "Shine like a Star Day" OR "Go Texan Day" attire
- Starry, Starry Night 7th & 8th Grade Dance
- Cycle 4 Ends
- Saturday Tutorials 8:00 - 12:35
March 1
- Pershing Softball v. Black @ JJP
- Pershing Baseball v. Stevenson @ JJP
March 2
- Cycle 4 Grade Verification due by 9 a.m.
- Pershing Softball v. Hamilton @ JJP
March 3
- Pershing Baseball v. Hogg @ JJP
- Pershing Baseball v. Black @ JJP
- Girls' Soccer v. Pin Oak @ JJP
- Boys' Soccer v. Pin Oak @ JJP
March 4
- Cycle 4 Report Cards go home
- Starry, Starry Night 6th Grade Dance
March 5
- Saturday Tutorials 8:00 - 12:35
Cycle 4 Ends February 25!
Winter Spirit Week
Tuesday, February 22
"Tutu Day"
In celebrate of 2/22/22, let's all wear our tutus!
Wednesday, February 23
"Pajama Day"
Students may wear pajamas (school appropriate) to school. No house shoes or slippers.
Thursday, February 24
"Blast from the Past Day"
Let's go back to the 70s, 80s, or 90s!
Friday, February 25
"Shine like a Star Day" OR "Go Texan Day"
Bling out your outfit and get ready to shine like a star.
Spirit Day - Shake Shack
Caught Being Awesome
Center: Kickstart Kids during "bow in" at tournament this past Saturday.
Right: Pershing's Kickstart Kids Karate participants. Many of our students will be moving on to regionals.
COVID Testing
Pershing will continue to offer free PCR COVID-19 Testing for students and staff on a weekly basis, with our next testing date on February 15. This testing program is completely voluntary and requires the student's parent/guardian to first provide a one-time consent by completing a digital consent form. Please see the documents below for more information. You can also click on this link https://bit.ly/HISDC19Test
Camp Spark is Coming!
Keep an eye out for the information this week!
Need Assistance?
- Where can I find contact information for my child's teacher? Our website directory is an excellent place to find our faculty and staff email addresses.
- How can I monitor my child's grades? HISD Connect Parent Portal is the spot! Click here for information on setting up an HISD Connect Parent Portal account.
- I have a question, but I'm not sure who to reach out to for an answer. If you have a question, you can reach out to your child's Homeroom teacher, Counselor, or Assistant Principal for assistance.
- I need to schedule a meeting with a teacher, what do I do? Please email the teacher(s) you wish to meet with and allow them 24 hours to respond. Teachers are provided with a planning period each day, so they will send you those times to schedule a meeting. You can also call the main office at 713-295-5240 and leave a message for the teacher.
- I feel disconnected now that my child is in middle school. How can I get involved? This is easy. Join the PTO and attend the regularly scheduled meetings. We also recommend you attend the sporting events, fine arts performances, and PTO events throughout the year.
Contact Information
Steven Shetzer, Principal
Carrie Curtis, 6th - 8th Grade & Compliance Assistant Principal,
Maria Jackson, 6th Grade Assistant Principal
Tyesha Beller, 7th Grade Assistant Principal
Alberto Fernandez, 8th Grade Assistant Principal (Discipline)
Amy Ford, 6th - 8th Grade Assistant Principal (8th Grade Activities)
Grisury Candelaria, Magnet Coordinator
Hope Goodson, Dean of Instruction
Campus Support Team
Sherman Parker, 6th Grade Counselor
Enitsha Allen-Cooper, 7th Grade Counselor
Sara Graur, 8th Grade Counselor
Alesha Rushing, Wraparound Specialist
Jolynn Vallejo, CIS Social Worker