Eye of the Storm
Week of April 26 and May 3rd
Principal's Message - Mr. Roberson
Dear Parent(s), Guardian(s) and Student(s),
This is a friendly notification of STAAR testing dates and the learning plan for the week of May 3rd for HHS students. Fort Bend ISD is required to administer the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test in person, on campus for all students in eligible grades, including those students receiving online instruction during Term 4. FBISD will also provide remote asynchronous instruction on testing days for those face-to-face students who are not scheduled for testing. There is no need to sign up for testing, we are prepared for all HHS students to be in attendance. If you miss your test date due to AP testing you will make up your test on May 7, 2021.
As a result, Hightower High School’s face to face students will engage in remote asynchronous instruction from home on the following date(s):
Tuesday, May 4, 2021:
- Who is taking the test on campus: All 11th grade students enrolled in U.S. History course and any U.S. History re-testers will participate in testing on campus.
- Face-to-Face 9th, 10th, and 12th grade students and those students who have successfully passed USH EOC will be Asynchronous working from home.
- Online learners will receive communication from their teacher informing them of their Synchronous learning for that day.
Wednesday, May 5, 2021:
- Who is taking the test on campus: All 9th grade students enrolled in Algebra I course, and any Algebra I re-testers will participate in testing on campus.
- Face-to-Face 10th, 11th and 12th grade students and those students who have successfully passed ALG I EOC will be Asynchronous working from home.
- Online learners will receive communication from their teacher informing them of their Synchronous learning for that day.
Thursday, May 6, 2021:
- Who is taking the test on campus: All 9th grade students enrolled in Biology course and any Biology re-testers will participate in testing on campus.
- Face-to-Face 10th, 11th and 12th grade students and those students who have successfully passed Biology will be Asynchronous working from home.
- Online learners will receive communication from their teacher informing them of their Synchronous learning for that day.
STAAR TEST Information:
ARRIVAL TIME: 7:00 - 7:30 AM
TEST START TIME: 8:00 AM
TEST TIME ALLOTTED: 4 HOURS with a 30 MIN lunch
STAAR EOC WAIVER INFORMATION ------Please note students that were enrolled in and earned credit for an EOC STAAR course (English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology or US History) during the 2019 - 2020 school year by Aug 11, 2020 are waived from that EOC STAAR test for the 2020 year. Those students are waived and will not have to take the STAAR EOC. Students that took an EOC course and did not master OR did not earn credit for the course is scheduled to take the STAAR. The calendar dates for STAAR EOC are below.
Spring Test Date(s)
Assessment
May 4
US History EOC
May 5
Algebra I EOC
May 6
Biology EOC
May 7
EOC Make Up sessions
Testing Procedures for all students:
Arrival:
- All students, including virtual students, MUST complete the Wellness Survey in Skyward prior to arriving on campus on test day and will have their temperature taken prior to entering the building. The Wellness Survey button is located on the student’s Skyward home screen.
- Students will be allowed to enter the building beginning at 7:00am and must report directly to the Auditorium unless picking up breakfast from the cafeteria.
- Students should plan to arrive as early as possible, as we will have more students on campus than usual and it takes time to get through the wellness screening at the door.
- Students must wear masks at all times while on campus, including when seated at their desks during testing.
- Testing room assignments will also be posted near the Auditorium and student the Main Hall way and in front of C8.
- It is vital that students arrive on time and are in their testing rooms by 7:30. This includes students who have 1st period off. Because STAAR is timed, late students cannot be admitted once testing begins.
What to bring:
- Sack Lunch
- Pencil
- Student laptops
Classroom Setup:
- 22 students per room
- Students must enter and follow safety precautions given by school.
- Students much wear a mask, students are asked to bring their own #2 Pencil, no eating in the room, and complete the wellness survey prior to entering the building.
- Students will social distance at all times.
- Students will need to bring a sack lunch.
- All testers are encouraged to bring their own pencils and erasers.
- Testers are allowed to bring their phone or other electronic devices, including air pods, smart watches, and tablets, into the testing room. They must be powered OFF and given to the proctor to hold until the end of testing. Per College Board, if a device makes noise or a tester is seen using it at any time before testing is complete, including during breaks, it is grounds for immediate dismissal and score cancellation.
- Snacks and drinks cannot be consumed during testing but there is a scheduled lunch time 11 – 11:30am
Virtual Students:
- Transportation is not provided for our virtual students.
- If students are driving, they should park in the student parking lot in the spots farthest from the door, as the closer spots have been reserved by face to face students. Drivers are encouraged to carpool, as parking is limited.
- Students not driving should be dropped off and picked up at the Auditorium/Commons entrance.
- Most virtual students will be testing in the S - Hall. However, they must still go through the wellness screening at the door prior to reporting to the Auditorium.
- Virtual students are expected to leave once the testing room has completed testing. They are not allowed to remain on campus.
Attendance:
The attendance office will code students who are testing and make any corrections necessary once testing is complete. These changes may take a day or two. If you notice an error that has not been corrected by the Monday following testing, please let the Attendance Office know.
Dismissal:
- STAAR Testing for English I and English II should end at approximately 1:30pm.
- STAAR Testing for ALG I, BIO and USH should end at approximately 12:30pm.
- Virtual students will leave campus immediately at the conclusion of testing.
- Face to face students will be dismissed to follow a modified testing schedule and will need laptops.
- Virtual students will need to leave the building once testing is over.
If you have any questions, please contact the principal Andre Roberson at Andre.Roberson@fortbendisd.com
Hightower Community
Be the voice your community needs by serving on a FBISD Community Advisory Team (CAT). The Fort Bend ISD (FBISD) Department of Collaborative Communities is creating CATs to provide guidance on the diverse needs of each feeder pattern across the District. The CATs will discuss and seek feedback on key topics that align with District goals and objectives. CATs will also serve in an advisory capacity to help identify gaps in resources needed to support student learning and development and inform the District’s strategic efforts to address student and community needs.
If you are interested in serving on a Community Advisory Team, please apply using the following link(s):
Fort Bend ISD Community Advisory Teams 2021-2022 Application
Solicitud para integrar los Equipos Asesores Comunitarios de Fort Bend ISD 2021-2022
Applications are open now through April 30.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the Department of Collaborative Communities at CollaborativeCommunities@fortbendisd.com.
FBISD Board Elections
The FBISD Board of Trustee Election will take place Saturday, May 1, 2021. If you plan to vote you may do so by visiting Hightower High School on Saturday. Voting stations will be located in the front of the building once you enter the front doors.
Hurricane Watch
This survey is an opportunity for the staff at Hightower to gauge the pulse of our students. We want to know how our students are feeling so we can hopefully better support them during the final weeks of school leading up to the summer. This will also help us plan for the 21-22 school year as well. Please have your child complete this quick 5 question survey at your earliest convenience. Thank you.
FBISD COVID 19 Safety Tips
HHS Online Learning Expectations
Side by side F2f vs. Virtual Schedule
COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocol Reminders and Procedures
Dear Hightower High School Families,
In accordance with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Texas Education Agency (TEA) guidelines, Fort Bend ISD takes immediate action when we learn of a positive case. This includes contacting the Fort Bend ISD custodial services team to initiate enhanced cleaning and disinfection of areas within the school building and bus. The Fort Bend County Health Department is also contacted and consulted as a part of our COVID-19 District team contact tracing and reporting process.
Each case investigation includes a thorough contact tracing process to identify individual(s) who were in close contact with the confirmed case. Close contacts will be instructed not to return to the school environment until after the 14-day quarantine period has passed. Case investigations consist of interviewing and contact tracing with the individual directly, as well as appropriate individuals on-site and able to provide information, while ensuring the privacy of the patient. The determination to identify a person as a close contact and in need of quarantine is based upon multiple factors including but not limited to the following:
- Amount of time an individual or individuals is determined to be six feet or closer for a cumulative 15 minutes during a 24 hour period
- The amount of time a person who tests positive was in their environment starting from 2 days before illness onset while infectious (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated
- Evaluation of what area(s) the positive case was for an extended amount of time, and what the individual was doing in those areas (i.e. rooms, cafeteria, any transportation)
- Amount of time the positive case had symptoms, and the amount of time the positive case was in proximity to others 48 hours prior to symptoms appearing
- Use of face coverings in the environment
According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported, ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. If anyone in your family displays symptoms, or tests positive for the virus, please contact your family doctor or a medical professional for assistance.
People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
As a reminder, FBISD has comprehensive health and safety protocols to help prevent the spread of illness. These include daily wellness checks, mandatory face coverings for students, staff, and visitors, and social distancing, additional handwashing and hand sanitation, as well as regular cleaning and disinfection of all buildings. We are asking our staff and families to continue to do their part by adhering to these protocols, and not reporting to their worksite or sending their child to school when they are ill.
We appreciate your continued support as we work together to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
Sincerely,
Andre Roberson
Hightower High School Principal
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Hightower High School | 3333 Hurricane Lane, Missouri City
Hightower High School
Website: www.fortbendisd.com
Location: 3333 Hurricane Lane, Missouri City, TX, USA
Phone: 281-634-5240
Twitter: @hhs_canes