Prosper High School Newsletter
December 6, 2020
A Note from Dr. Burdett
We had a great week at PHS and it was a thrill to see the kids after the Thanksgiving break. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Our midterm exams/performance tasks are just around the corner and I know the kids are preparing for these. We do not give exams/performance tasks early, so students who will not be here will have to take them when we return in January. Please contact the teacher of your child to determine the day/time of any makeup exam/performance task.
I want to spotlight two wonderful things about our students and staff this week. I love that our kids continue giving back to others and showing that it truly is better to give than to receive.
- Our CTE students and staff in Culinary, Horticulture, Graphic Design, and Fashion made sure that our Annual Senior Citizen Luncheon happened this year. The luncheon was a little different than the traditional sit down luncheon that we normally have, but the CTE students and staff set up a drive through at Children's Health Stadium to make sure that we could continue the tradition of serving lunch to our Senior Citizens. Through the wind and the cold, students and staff made sure that our senior citizens felt the love that we have for them!
- Our Hope Squad is doing a shoe drive through December 16th. Please consider donating new, or gently used & cleaned, shoes. We have bins outside of the front office and the students can deposit the donations there. Our goal is to gather 5,000 pairs of shoes to donate to Soles4Souls.
Friday, December 18th, is the last day for this semester and it is an early release day for students. Our day will end at 12:45 pm, so car riders please make sure that you make arrangements for picking up your student by this time.
I want to reshare information about tip411 just in case you become aware of someone who is in need of assistance due to possible self-harm. You can anonymously report this. In addition to self-harm, you can also anonymously report threats, concerns, suspicious or criminal behavior at school or beyond school hours regarding PISD school, students, and/or staff. Please see below for more information.
Submit anonymous tip to Prosper ISD
Tip411 is a new tool to enhance student safety. It is an internet-based communication system that gives students or any concerned citizen a means to quickly and anonymously report threats, potential self-harm, concerns, suspicious or criminal behavior at school or beyond school hours regarding PISD schools, students and/or staff.
When you submit a tip, it is sent to a 3rd party tip service acting as a privacy buffer between you and the Prosper ISD Police Department to preserve your identity and contact information. If you have a tip for the Prosper ISD Police Department please use any of the options on this page to provide important information on crimes or criminals that will help us to keep Prosper ISD safe for everyone.
Tip submissions may not be received until the following day. In case of emergency dial 911.
For Kids, John
Email: jmburdett@prosper-isd.net
Office: 469.219.2185
Cell: 469.573.1488
I am currently reading The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek.
Athletics
- Basketball (Boys)-both basketball teams are in full swing for the season. District play starts on December 15th for the Girls and December 22nd for the Boys. The Girls' schedule can be found here and the Boys' schedule can be found here.
- Cross Country- Congratulations to Aubrey O'Connell for placing 4th at the State XC meet over the Thanksgiving break!
- Football - Football made the playoffs by beating McKinney Boyd 29-28 on Friday. Our first round playoff game will be at Marcus High School at noon on next Saturday.
- Volleyball - Volleyball lost to Flower Mound in the Regional Quarterfinals match. Congratulations on a season full of great memories and we look forward to next year!
Band
All-Region Phase 1 Results- Congratulations to the following students who represented the highest level of musicians throughout our Region and their achievement is of great honor due to the competitiveness of this contest. Please help us congratulate all of the advancing students!
- Flute- Bridget Freeman, Maggie Lair, Emily Strong
- Clarinet- Emily Cox, Devin Pham - First Place in One of 2 "Rooms"
- Alto Saxophone- Yanhao Hu
- Trumpet- Cameron Stulting-Flores, Christian Townsend
- Trombone- Rafael Benavides - Second Place in One of 2 "Rooms", Xander Byrd - Second Place in One of 2 "Rooms", Jason Jordan, Jonah McConnell, Skylar Spears, Aidan Wilson
- Euphonium- Dahmil Capellan
- Tuba- Chet Black- Second Place, Drew Haslam
- Percussion- Johnathan Sicard
FFA TEAM
Congratulations to the following Prosper ISD FFA team members on their Sweepstakes accomplishment!
Zoe Campbell, Emily Cox, Ryleigh Faubion, Kynzlee Nuttall, Tyson English, Lauren Helbling, Kaley Kern, Lauren Marr, Sydney Topper, Emma Ortega, Josey Claggett, Emma Ortega, Maria Soloveva, Bryan Thomason, Jenna Shade, Cameron Sanchez, Rusty Joe Gonzales, Michael Factor, Ashley Manganilla, Taylor Cavender, Madelyn Goodwin, Lauren Helbling, Laci Alsdurf, Ethan Lafon, Madison McDow, Jenna Shade, Kyndall Shufordbeets, Sydney Sukenik, Tyson English, Lauren Marr, Calleigh Archer
Theatre
Congratulations to the following 23 Prosper HS Theatre students for winning at the Texas Thespian State Competition and advancing to the national competition!
- Grayson Aron, Abi Berry, Taylor Davis, Marissa Denman, Charlize Fedele, Phoenix Gothard, Lauren Grammer, Madyson Heaton, Madison (Mattie) Jacobs, Dylan Korsah, Jessie Kuhn, Carrington Langston, Sam Mackay, Grace Mason, Ailee McFarland, Emily Mongaras, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Myers, Marlee Parrish, Summer Riche, Karolina Rubio-Terrazas, John (Hank) Ryan, Sophie Sifuentes, and Madeleine Wentz.
Leveling Down from Honors or AP Class
If your student is considering leveling down from a Honors or AP class at the end of the 1st semester, please note the following required procedures.
If the student and parent want to level down, then the student needs to pick up and complete a Request to Drop an Advanced Academic Class Form from their teacher or the counselor’s office to receive a schedule change.
These steps must be followed in order to change the schedule:
- Student AND Parent communicates with the teacher as soon as possible
- Request to Drop an Advanced Academic Class Form is picked up from the teacher or counselor’s office. (or printed from this email)
- Students, parent and teacher follow the steps outlined in the form. (The teacher signature MUST be on the form.)
- Form is turned into the Counselor's office.
- Counselors will change schedule and new schedule will start 2nd semester
Our Honors/AP teachers want the opportunity to assist our students in overcoming initial hurdles and achieving their goals by working with them to meet their potential.
The attached form can be used as a guide to understanding the process. Please let your student's counselor or administrator know if you have any questions about this process. Request to Drop an Advanced Academic Class Form
Have Questions About College? Ask ADVi!
ADVi is a chatbot who can answer your questions about attending public colleges and universities in Texas. ADVi, short for “adviser”, is free for Prosper HS students and can answer your questions 24/7/365. To start a chat with ADVi, just text "college" to 512-829-3687.
You can ask ADVi anything – no question is too silly or too hard! You can ask questions like: What is ApplyTexas? How long does the FAFSA take? What is the TASFA? Where can I look for scholarships?
ADVi was created by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and is made possible through a partnership with AdmitHub. Learn more at www.askADVi.org.
List of All Test Optional Colleges 2021
This list contains the test-optional colleges that changed their admission policies due to COVID-19.
Virtual Counseling Office
Check out the Virtual Counseling Office.
Utilize the UNT GO CENTER
They will assist you with all of your college questions, applications, ACT/SAT registration, and FAFSA. The GO Centers will be open Monday - Friday: 8am – 8pm
How to access the Chat:
Please visit https://outreach.unt.edu/g-force. Then click on the chat feature.
Fall Virtual College Fairs
Thinking about college? Here's your chance to hear firsthand from those-in-the-know at hundreds of colleges and universities nearby, across the country, and around the world.
How? Attend a NACAC Virtual College Fair. See the fall schedule below. Sign up at virtualcollegefairs.org
Each virtual fair is a free, one-day event. Attend as often as you like. Parents are invited too.
Simply sign up at virtualcollegefairs.org now and register for one or more fairs. On the event date, use your phone or computer to log in. Learn, connect, ask questions, and discover your best college fit!
AP Important Deadlines
Key dates:
- March 2nd - Last day to cancel an exam and receive a full refund.
Spring 2021 Dual Credit Courses
Registration for Spring semester courses is open. Students continuing in dual credit courses MUST register for their spring classes.
Directions and needed forms can be found within the counselors' section of the PHS webpage.
Students must register for the same sections they are currently enrolled in. For example, a student in ENGL 1301 Section PR4, must register for ENGL 1302 Section PR4. A list of course registration numbers are located here.
Students already in dual credit classes who wish to change their method of instruction (i.e., virtual to in-person) should carefully follow their existing schedule in selecting the new, in-person class for Spring. Talk to your counselor if you have problems registering. Students shifting to online instruction should register for the section of their course designated PRW.
Important dates:
Oct. 27th - Dec. 2nd: Registration window. Students register for classes online.
Dec. 2nd, 8pm: Payment deadline. Students who have not paid will be dropped and not reinstated.
Questions? Please contact your PHS Counselor.
Counseling in the News
As we are entering the last phase of this tumultuous year of 2020 there are few topics more pressing in the mind of parents and teachers than screen time. Reports and studies have been recently published through the fields of medicine and sociology in an effort to answer trending questions related to screen time, raising four key questions.
A college student is coming home. This will be a familiar scenario this week for thousands of families across the country. NPR explores the details surrounding best COVID practices, and asks: Should the whole family wear masks?
The SAT and ACT have long been attacked as biased and open to manipulation, and the pandemic has helped weaken their influence. But if we understand what the tests measure, they have some value, argues an education reporter.
Seasonal affective disorder, which recurs annually, is a form of clinical depression and has the same symptoms. These can include feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue. But experts say there is a simple and effective treatment: light therapy, delivered via specially designed lamps.
The Texas Medical Association released a new chart this week that shows the riskiest holiday activities, even with social distancing and masks: Attending a large indoor celebration with singing and celebrating New Year's Eve at a crowded party.
Class of 2021
Reference the Prosper High School's website throughout the year for senior updates.
What is PISD Graduation Celebration?
Over 14 years ago, a group of Prosper High School parent volunteers created a non-profit, PHS – Project Graduation. The goal was to follow the national charter, which promotes drug and alcohol alternatives for students on the night of their high school graduation. The event was typically at a venue in Frisco, started at 11 pm on the night of graduation, and concluded at 5 am the following morning. Tickets were sold for the event to cover both the cost of the venue and to purchase prizes for the seniors. Ticket prices have varied over the years from $50 to $150, depending on the class size and the price of the venue. More Information
CLASS OF 2022
Jostens – the largest and oldest provider of class rings – is going VIRTUAL this year!
There is some very important information in this short video so please take a minute, literally, to watch it! Have fun designing and order online at www.jostens.com
If you are learning from home and would like to pick up a ring packet which contains the ring sizers they are available for pickup on campus.
Purchase a Yearbook
PHS Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
Prosper High School PTO is a volunteer organization made up of parents, teachers, administrators, and support staff who are all dedicated to the successful education of our children. Click here to go to our website and become a member. We hope if you have some time that you will volunteer with us. Please let us know your interests and availability and we will find a spot for you.
The next PTO meetings will be held virtually on December 3rd at 10am, February 4th at 10am, and April 1st at 10am.
More PTO information can be found here
PHS PTO 2020 Staff Holiday Party - $25 Gift Card Request
The PHS PTO is very excited about planning the Staff Holiday Party! We need your help with this great party. Please contribute $25 to Prosper PTO PayPal towards a gift card for your favorite staff member. Our goal is for every PHS staff member to receive a personalized gift card at the annual PHS Staff Holiday Party. Please go to the sign-up here to find out more and register.
Spiritwear
Want to help sell Spiritwear? Please click here for the sign-up for the November 20th Homecoming Football game and the December 4th Football game.
Check out the new Spiritwear available for purchase on the PHS PTO website.
Hope Squad/Be Kind Shirts for Sale
Our Hope Squads will sell "Be Kind" yellow T-Shirts as a symbol to simply be kind to one another, which is why you often see "yellow" shirts scattered throughout our district on Wednesdays each week. This stems from supporting our cause of suicide awareness and prevention.
To purchase a shirt, log in to My School Bucks, Go To School Store, Look for Hope Squad T-shirt, Select T-Shirt option (See options below) Student Name. Homeroom = 1st Period Classroom
Orders will be placed at the end of each month with delivery to campuses the following month. 1st Period teachers will hand them to students when they arrive.
PISD will continue to light up the new Children's Health Stadium every Wednesday evening as a simple reminder for our community to show kindness and compassion to one another. If you find yourself driving around Prosper on Wednesday evenings, drive by the stadium to enjoy PISD's symbol for kindness.
Calendar of Upcoming Events
December 18: Early Release / End of 2nd 9 Weeks
December 21-January 1: Winter Break / School Holiday
January 4- Student Holiday / Staff Professional Learning
January 5- First day of the 3rd 9 weeks
January 18- School Holiday
February 12- Student Holiday / Staff Professional Learning
February 15- Bad Weather Makeup Day
March 8-12- Spring Break
Saturday, May 22, 2021- Class of 2021 Graduation - 7:30 pm at Children's Health Stadium
Tuesday, May 25, 2021- (Graduation Rain Makeup date) - 7:30 pm at Children's Health Stadium.
COVID-19 Daily Screening
A huge THANK YOU to our families who have taken the precaution of keeping students home who are displaying symptoms of sickness. This is helping to prevent the spread of illness whether it is COVID-19, a cold, or other yuckiness! Parents should review the COVID-19 Screening Questions on the District website each day before sending their child to any in-person Prosper ISD activity. If your child tests positive, has been exposed to a COVID positive individual, or has one or more of the symptoms on the screening questionnaire, use the link at the bottom of the questionnaire to notify the school nurse and do NOT send your child to school until receiving clearance to return from the school nurse. Please do your part and keep your student home if he/she is displaying symptoms of sickness.
*If your child has a chronic condition that presents as one of the symptoms on the screening questionnaire, it is recommended that you contact the school nurse and your child's teacher about the chronic symptom so that both of these key school personnel are aware.
Check in/Check out Procedures
Please give us a two hour notice for checking out your student. This will give us enough time for us to get your student ready for you when you arrive. Please email at least two hours in advance to phsattendance@prosper-isd.net. This email is accessed by our House Secretaries to identify who needs to check out from school. Please call when you arrive at the front of the school, but do not try to enter the building. We are closed to visitors unless you have an appointment. Once a member of the Administrative team or a member of our Prosper ISD Police Department verifies the identity of the parent/guardian, your student will come out to your vehicle. When your student returns, he/she will go to their House office to submit their absence note.
State Requirements for Attendance Reporting
We have received further clarification from the Texas Education Agency on attendance procedures. Beginning Tuesday, October 13th (the start of the 2nd nine weeks), a student will be counted present or absent based on their chosen Method of Instruction (MoI): in-person or virtual.
Students who are in-person learners will be counted present only if they are physically in the class when the teacher takes attendance. Otherwise, they will be counted as being absent. Students who are not physically in class can still log in to the Google Classrooms and online class meetings for learning purposes, but they will be counted absent.
Students who are forced to quarantine by the school nurse due to COVID-19 protocols will automatically be switched to being a virtual learner during the mandatory quarantine period. For students who are forced to quarantine, but have an in-person only class(es), the student will have an excused absence with the code “E-PN”. Students under quarantine are responsible for all missed work and encouraged to communicate with their teachers. We will switch the student back to in-person learning at the end of quarantine.
Students who are virtual learners will be counted present when they log in to the Google Classroom/Meet by the time the teacher takes attendance and they are to remain active for the class. Teachers will determine if the virtual student can turn off their microphone and/or their camera based on the needs of the lesson. Students who do not comply with the teacher’s directive for microphone/camera operation may be counted absent due to inactivity during the class. Virtual students who are enrolled in an in-person only class will continue to attend these classes in-person, as they have been.
Contact Information
Email: phsinfo@prosper-isd.net
Website: https://www.prosper-isd.net/phs
Location: 301 Eagle Drive, Prosper, TX, USA
Phone: (469) 219-2180
Twitter: @ProsperHS