Connect with PHS
A weekly newsletter - September 11, 2020
A message from Ameka Hunt, Principal of PHS
Greetings Panther Families,
I hope this message finds you well. We are gearing up to transition into phase #2 of The Return to Learn Plan. In-person sessions are slated to begin Monday September 14th, while all other students have the option to remain virtual. This newsletter has information to support a successful transition. Campus operations will look different compared to previous years. Everyone will be required to wear a mask. Masks will be provided for students who do not have one. Students will not be able to enter the building until 8:20 am. Upon arrival to campus, students will gain access to the building at the designated entrances (Door # 35, #39, #5, and #6, Band Hall, and Athletics) for temperature checks. Once cleared for entry, students will proceed to 1st or 5th period. Signage is posted throughout the hallways to ensure students maintain social distancing during transitions. Students who arrive at campus after 9:00, will need to check in through the front office. Please continue reading this newsletter for more information.
IMPORTANT - New Schedules on Monday
From Dr. Emily Delgado, Associate Principal of Curriculum & Instruction:
New Student Class Schedules
Due to the introduction of in-person learning, course sections have been divided to in-person and virtual learning. Most student schedules have changed, but some have been changed very minimally. Due to these changes, all students should check their Skyward account for their new schedule as early as Sunday, September 13th. At this point, new schedules should be visible to students. For students that have selected in-person learning, it would be best to access the student schedule prior to reporting to campus on Monday morning. If students have not accessed their schedule or are unable to do so, upon arrival to campus on Monday morning students will be provided the information for their first period class and directed to make their way to this class. First period teachers will have paper copies of schedules for all of their students once they arrive.
New Bell Schedule
Adjustments have been made so that in-person and virtual learning will follow the same bell schedule. Please see below for a chart of bell schedules.
Google Classroom
Both in-person and virtual learners will continue utilizing digital learning platforms to engage in learning throughout the year. Maintaining continuity in the digital learning world will help to ensure the students' learning experiences continue with as few transitions as possible as we navigate learning through this COVID-19 pandemic. Any student that received a schedule change taking effect on Monday will need to manually join their new teacher's Google Classroom. Teachers will email their students with a join code. Students will enter this join code in Google Classroom, which will allow them to engage in the online learning platform.
Please Read - Student checklist for parents
Parents,
Please see the checklist below indicating what COVID-19 symptoms to screen your student for, and what to do if they are positive for symptoms.
Students - Check out HOSA on the PHS Website
Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) has a local chapter at PHS and invites students to join us if you are interested in healthcare, competition, volunteering for our community, and/or making lifelong friendships! We will meet via zoom at 4:30 pm on 09/24/2020 if you would like to learn more about how to become a member. Email any advisor (with your parent or guardian attached) to RSVP and receive the zoom information.
Emails are:
Jennifer.ortegonfeldsberg@pfisd.net
We look forward to guiding your exploration of the healthcare world!
Dori J Smith, RN, BSN
Pflugerville High School Instructor
Health Science Pathway
HOSA Advisor
Bus transportation Info
Coming Soon: Canvas for Parents!
Parents,
Pflugerville ISD will soon be rolling out a new program for virtual learning. Please click on this link for a video for parents/guardians about previewing Canvas Observer accounts to monitor their students' learning. (If you prefer to see the presentation slides, click here.)
Thanks for watching!
Meg Jameson
Digital Learning Instructional Coach
Attendance
Parents and students, please take a moment and check attendance in Skyward. The attendance icon is available!
If your student was absent from class, please know that parents, guardians and medical offices can email excuse notes to cathy.martinez@pfisd.net or fax to 512-594-0505. Please be sure to include the student name and ID in the email/fax.
Affordable Internet Options for Qualifying Families
The District is working to lessen the burden of internet connectivity some of our families may be experiencing. Over the summer, PfISD Technology increased the Wi-Fi signal on its campuses to extend into the parking lots. Students who may not have reliable internet access at home could, therefore, come to the campus and connect to the school’s Wi-Fi from the parking lot.
Also, for families that do not have internet service at home, a number of providers are offering discounts during the COVID-19 pandemic to families that are on the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), also known as Free and Reduced Lunch.
- Spectrum is offering Spectrum Internet Assist, an affordable and reliable high-speed option for $17.99 per month to families in the NSLP, the Community Eligibility Provision of the NSLP or who are on Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If you believe you qualify for this discounted internet service, visit www.spectruminternetassist.com. You can enter your ZIP code to see if the service is available in your area and complete an application form. Spectrum Internet Assist Flyer
- SuddenLink has an option for families that qualify for the NSLP as well for $14.99 per month. More details can be found at www.alticeadvantageinternet.com or call 844-358-3147 to see if you qualify. SuddenLink Flyer: English | Español
- Grande Communications also offers an affordable option for low income families through its Internet First program. Pricing for eligible families is $9.95 a month. For more information and to apply go to https://www.internetfirst.com/.
- AT&T also has options available for affordable internet during these times. More information is available on its website: https://www.att.com/internet/access/
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services
Meals During Remote Learning
Important Medication Information from Donna Bartko, Nurse at PHS
Just a reminder to please review this years Medication Policy which is available on the website here.
If your child will be taking prescribed medication at school, don’t forget to provide a completed Medication Administration Form, found here. The form must be printed out, completed, and signed by a parent or guardian. Prescription medication must be in the prescription container. Non-prescription medication must be in the original container. This form must be updated yearly and be kept on file at the Nurse's Office.
Also, don’t forget to provide Action Plans (asthma, seizures, allergic reactions) which need to be signed by the physician. You will need to call the nurse to arrange a drop-off time.
And, as always, continue practicing the three W’s!!
WASH your hands
WATCH your distance
WEAR your mask
Stay well and have a great Panther year!
From our Counseling Staff
Panther families,
Our newest counselor, Mrs. Johnson, will be expecting her baby to come as early as next week. We do have a sub who will be covering for her, Mr. Matthew Doeckel, who was a counselor at PMS for several years, so you may already know him. We wanted to give you a heads up, so when the baby arrives, you know you are covered here on campus. Mr. Doeckel will have a school email and phone for you to contact him if you need him. If you fill out any of our request to see your counselor forms, please just select Mrs. Johnson, and he will do all the follow up with you while she is out.
Connect with your Counselor - What to know how to contact a counselor or our social worker? What to know how to set up a meeting or what resources are available to support your student, check out our short video to walk you through how to connect with us: https://www.loom.com/share/a76d977d757c4fe4be4f92a5005de7f4
2019-2020 AP Exam Reimbursements – The finance department plans to process the reimbursement checks in their next check cycle, which should be 2-3 weeks. Sorry for the delay.
Pre-AP and AP Drop window will officially open on September 14th. Students feeling the need to move out of a Pre-AP or AP class should contact their teacher to start the process.
Fall Free Classes: Our application is officially open to students wanting to earn a credit through Edgenuity for First Time Credit. Courses available are: Health, Art History, Psychology and Sociology. Only 50 spots are available to students each semester. Students must be one of the first 50 to apply and attend an orientation session in order to start their course work. All course work will be completed on-line outside of their set school work. If you have questions, please contact your counselor. If you are interested, complete our registration form: https://forms.gle/oGALuGGd2sU4papY9
Thought for the week: “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” -Willie Nelson
Sarah Cable
Counselor for student last names P-R
PHS Lead Counselor 512-594-0526
From our College and Career Counselor
Mr. Howell shares important information from the College and Career center:
College & Military Representative Visits – Over the course of the Fall semester, we will be hosting College and Military Representatives virtually to assist students in learning more about their specific institution. These presentations are PFISD wide and will happen virtually. Please visit this website to sign up for each opportunity (you will need to submit the form for each presentation). I would encourage checking it often as we just added many schools this week (University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, University of Texas at Dallas, and many more).
Requesting Documents from PHS – Please visit and bookmark this website to request any transcripts, fee waivers, or letters of recommendation. You will need to submit a form for each fee waiver or transcript you are requesting. Although these items are free, keep in mind that it may take Mr. Howell 5 – 7 days to fulfill your request.
Set up an Appointment with the College and Career Center – We are now encouraging all members of the Class of 2021 to set up an appointment to meet with a member of the College and Career Center during the month of September. This individual meeting will be set up by using http://www.calendly.com/phscollegeandcareer. Once you set up a time to meet, it will give you a code to the meeting. A member of our team will be available during your requested time.
Below you will find the college visits happening next week. Students can sign up by visiting this link.
*COLLEGE VISITS FOR THE WEEK OF
September 14-18, 2020
Monday 9/14/2020
1:30 PM Rice University (Houston, Texas)
1:30 PM University of Minnesota, Rochester (Rochester, Minnesota)
3:00 PM Washington State University (Pullman, Washington)
3:00 PM Saint Edwards University (Austin, Texas)
Tuesday 9/15/2020
1:30 PM Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, Michigan)
1:30 PM Texas A&M University-Kingsville (Kingsville, Texas)
3:00 PM University of Texas at San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)
3:00 PM University of Colorado Denver (Denver, Colorado)
Wednesday 9/16/2020
1:30 PM Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas)
1:30 PM California Baptist University (Riverside, California)
3:00 PM College for Creative Studies (Detroit, Michigan)
3:00 PM Vanderbilt, University (Nashville, Tennessee)
Thursday 9/17/2020
1:30 PM Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
1:30 PM University of Houston (Houston, Texas)
3:00 PM Texas State Technical College Waco (Waco, Texas)
3:00 PM Stanford University (Stanford, California)
Friday 9/18/2020
1:30 PM Saint Cloud State University (St. Cloud, Minnesota)
1:30 PM Concordia University-Irvine (Irvine, California)
1:30 PM The University of Texas at Dallas (Richardson, Texas)
3:00 PM Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott (Prescott, Arizona)
3:00 PM University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Nick Howell
College and Career Advisor
(512) 763-2415
https://nicholashowell.wixsite.com/collegeandcareer
RM #: A-103
PHS CEEB Code: 445-500
Face Masks - From Ana Bowie, Social Worker
Pflugerville GSA is selling a $10 mask for students and staff. If you are interested in supporting our LGBTQ community, please use this form to order. https://forms.gle/BLuAdzDYPFqzEQJNA
New Resource - Relief funds
The City of Austin is offering $10 million in Relief in a State of Emergency (RISE) 2.0 funds to individuals in Austin and Travis County through RISE 2.0.
RISE 2.0 funds come after the original $15 million of RISE funds were awarded to 20 non-profits and social services agencies in May and June. Most of the funds distributed to the original 20 agencies have been exhausted. While the original RISE funds were distributed to social services agencies, RISE 2.0 funds will be distributed directly to individuals who apply and are chosen through a randomized selection process. Chosen applicants will receive $2,000 per household.
Eligibility Requirements
- At or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level;
- Resident of Austin-Travis County, Texas;
- 18 Years of Age or Older;
- Experiencing hardship related to COVID-19; and
- Have not received other financial assistance in the past 30 days.
Application Process
- Sept. 8-11: The phone bank will open for questions from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. [512-714-6950]
- Sept. 14: Households can start the application process online or through the phone bank. The online application form will be available in English and Spanish. The phone bank will be available in multiple languages.
- Online Portal: https://fund.uptogether.org/rise2
- Sept. 21: Last day for households to apply. Applications must be submitted by 7 p.m. on this date.
- Sept. 22 – Oct. 2: The phone bank will remain open during this time to answer any questions from the public.
- Sept. 23-Oct. 6: The randomized application selection process will be completed, and applicants will be notified of whether or not they were selected.
- Sept. 23-Oct. 30: Funds will be distributed to the chosen applicants.
Fund Distribution
If the selected individual applied online, they can receive the funds in the following ways:
- Direct ACH bank transfer (individuals who choose this option will receive the funds sooner)
- Virtual Prepaid Card (sent via email)
- Mailed Prepaid Card
- If the selected individual applied through the phone bank, they will receive the funds via a prepaid card distributed by El Buen Samaritano.
RISE 2.0 funds were approved on June 4 when the Austin City Council passed Resolution #20200604-049 and Resolution #20200604-040. RISE 2.0 funds will be distributed by a third-party organization that was approved through a Request for Qualifications (RFQs) process.
The third-party organizations that were chosen from the RFQ process, El Buen Samaritano and Family Independence Initiative (FII), are responsible for operating a phone bank and a centralized application and distribution process with a secure online portal. FII will manage the randomized application selection process. All funds will be distributed by Oct. 30, 2020.
While there is $10 million allotted for RISE 2.0, approximately $1 million of that fund will be used for the administrative process to distribute the funds through third-party organizations. APH expects 4,500 households to benefit from the RISE 2.0 funds.
Click here for more information.
Attention Juniors and Seniors - Remind texts
Juniors and Seniors (and Senior parents),
Be sure to sign up for Remind texts to keep up to date on:
- Information on School Year
- School Events
- College and Career Information
- Counseling Information
HOW?
SENIORS - CLASS OF 2021
STUDENTS:
Text 81010 with code below:
Last Name A-D (Student): @phs2021ad
Last Name E-J (Student): @phs2021ej
Last Name K-O (Student): @phs2021ko
Last Name P-R (Student): @phs2021pr
Last Name S-Z (Student): @phs2021sz
PARENTS:
Text 81010 with code below:
Last Name A-M (Parent): @phsparam
Last Name N-Z (Parent): @phsparnz
JUNIORS - CLASS OF 2022
STUDENTS:
Text 81010 with code below:
Last Name A-F (Student): @pfhs2022af
Last Name G-O (Student): @pfhs2022go
Last Name P-Z (Student): @pfhs2022pz
From our Department Chairs
ELA DEPARTMENT
Dear ELA Parents,
This week we would like to talk about what will be happening for our return to campus on September 14.
VERY IMPORTANT: Students will need access to a portable computer when returning to school on September 14th. Please make sure you have picked up the district provided Chromebook. This is a crucial part of all learning at this time. The following site will help you with information about laptop pickup: PHS Laptop Distribution Or you can contact Librarian Laura Owen at laura.owen@pfisd.net
For the ELA department, Zoom meetings are not optional and should be attended each class period unless otherwise communicated to the teacher. As we slowly begin our return to campus, students will have an asynchronous time in class, which is why technology is so important, and a synchronous time in class, which may take the form of a Zoom.
Additionally, summer reading will be assessed beginning 9/14. Please check out the following link for summer reading choices: 9-12 Summer Reading HS 2020.pdf If you are having an issue obtaining the book necessary to complete this activity, please reach out to the campus librarian, Laura Owen @ laura.owen@pfisd.net.
September 14 also begins the request for transfer from Pre-AP/AP courses. The process must be started with the teacher, so please reach out to your student’s teacher for the appropriate paperwork to complete this process.
Thank you to parents and students for remaining patient as we transition into our next phase of learning.
Sincerely,
Lisa Wernli
PHS English Department Chair
SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT
As we enter another transition and bring some students back to PHS, those of us in the Social Studies Department want to remind all students that you are living through an event that will be much studied and talked about for years to come. As with all major historical events, this pandemic has affected our community economically, politically, socially, and for some on a deeply personal level.
For those of you returning to PHS, be respectful of the many new rules and expectations; we are reinventing school so it can be a safe place to learn. Yes, it will be different, but the changes are to keep you (and us) safe. Be aware of expectations: always have your Chromebook, we will not be handing you work to do with paper or pen; always wear a mask, if you are uncomfortable in a mask, spend some time finding one that works for you or you are free to return to virtual learning; bring something to eat and drink during the day, you will not be going off campus to eat and water fountains are not safe.
Let’s work together to get the safety part in place so the learning part can happen. We have all heard that our grandparents walked uphill in the snow both ways to and from school; this is your story! Masks, one way hallways, assigned seats and restroom breaks, social distancing, all of that so in the end you get a great PHS education. Our commitment is to prepare you to become whatever you want to be and keep you safe in the process. There are future doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, musicians, actors, teachers and others at PHS right now working to learn and prepare themselves for careers that will impact us all.
Karen Hense
Social Studies Department Chair
FAQ: Chromebook laptop distribution
*Can students still get a Chromebook?
Many of our returning students are realizing they would prefer a Chromebook to bring back and forth to campus. Yes, they can still pick up a Chromebook.
When and How?
Monday, September 14: No Chromebook checkout while we work getting students situated back on campus.
Tuesday-Friday: Parents/guardians will need to make an appointment from 3-5pm. Contact Sara.Dardeau@pfisd.net or Laura.Owen@pfisd.net
Is a parent/guardian required to be here?
Yes, with an ID. The student does not need to be present.
Is this only for families “in need”?
No. The Board approved a 1-to-1 policy, providing EVERY STUDENT in Middle School and High School with his or her own device.
Student wasn’t issued a sleeve to protect the Chromebook.
Student should contact Laura.Owen@pfisd.net in the library and she will get one to the student.
Tips to Successfully Navigate Virtual Learning at PHS
Tips to Successfully Navigate Virtual Learning at PHS
Attendance will be taken daily. It is imperative students complete assignments everyday each period in order to be marked present. Remote learning sessions will include synchronous sessions (Two-way, real-time/live, virtual instruction between teacher and students), and asynchronous sessions (Instruction that does not require having the instructor and student engaged at the same time). All students will need to log into their teacher’s Google Classroom via the PHS website at the appropriate times to engage in synchronous sessions. Students have until 11:59 PM everyday to submit asynchronous assignments.
Return to Learn - Remote Learning Website
Pflugerville ISD has provided a webpage with information on starting the 2020-2021 school year. Please click here to learn more about virtual learning and on-campus learning.
¿Necesita ayuda en español?
Teléfono: 512-594-0583 (deje un mensaje de voz si no contesta)
Correo electrónco: Kristen.Hernandez@pfisd.net
Ella le brindará la ayuda que usted necesita.
There's an App for That!
Now more than ever, it's important to keep up to date The School Info App for Pflugerville High School is a great way to stay connected and informed. Notifications are sent in real time for ever-changing situations. Be in the know—download the app today!
Click on the attached QR code or this link: http://siap.ps/eaedd6, or search for Pflugerville High School in the app store. Be sure to allow notifications so you get all the notifications and news feeds to keep current with what’s happening at PHS.
Subscribe today!
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