FPHS Parent and Student Memo
November 22, 2021
Franklin Pierce High School
FPS District Equity Statement
DISTRICT AREAS OF FOCUS AND IMPROVEMENT:
- Equity and Social Justice
- Improved Instruction
- Family and Community Partnership
Our Equity Team would like to partner with our parents to fulfill our mission to support our students, staff, and families by identifying and dismantling systems that perpetuate, exacerbate, or produce inequities based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. If you would like to collaborate with us, please let us know HERE. If you want to learn more about our commitment to EQUITY and ANTI-RACISM, feel free to contact any of our FPHS Equity Team members: Hartley, Marzano, Wright, Laban, Apelu, Brist, Call, Chapman, Detweiler, Fineman, Goodrum, Inman, Kaunda, B. Lee, Martin, Plaskett, Quill, Roscoe, Scroger, Shoopman, McNeil, Wacker, Tracy, T. Johnson, Henley, Hill, and Gilbert.
Dear Parents and Students,
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Do you know someone who might be interested in working for Franklin Pierce Schools? We have current openings for para-educator positions, custodial positions, and bus driving positions. We offer a great working environment, competitive pay, and great benefits. Please, visit our Careers page HERE to see what's available.
Wednesday is a half-day this week (11:15am dismissal).No school Thursday or Friday.
If you ever need to see our Daily Bulletin announcements, use this LINK. Running Start and Pierce County Skills Center students, please use this link to keep up to date with FPHS announcements.
- Schedule this week: ABA - -. Link HERE to see the A Day / B Day calendar for the year.
FPS COVID Dashboard HERE.
Visit HERE to view previous Parent and Student Memos.
Please, make sure you have all the info below. We miss you and wish you all the very best. Stay safe and be well!
Meet Our Cardinal Staff:
Name: Rhea Goodrum
My Role at FPHS: Library Media- Tech
Favorite Hobbies: Walking in nature, gardening, reading in hammocks and most of all creating meals with family and friends sharing stories.
Favorite Book: Since 1995, The Color Purple by Alice Walker and now in 2021, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Favorite Quote: "Be a good friend to yourself. Be kind to others. Lead with LOVE to leave this place and others better than you found them."
Meet Our Cardinal Staff:
Name: Marcus Disney
My Role at FPHS: Physical Education teacher, Girls Basketball Coach
Favorite Hobbies: Golf, Basketball, Hanging out with Family and Collecting Sports Cards
Favorite Book: The Energy Bus By Jon Gordon
Favorite Quote: “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” John Wooden
NOVEMBER Culture Calendar
November is ...
- Native American Heritage Month. Learn more HERE.
- National Adoption Awareness Month. Learn more HERE.
- Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Learn more HERE.
- 11/1: Dia de los Muertos. Learn more HERE.
- 11/11: Veterans Day. Learn more HERE.
- 11/14: Diwali. Learn more HERE.
- 11/16: Dutch American Heritage Day. Learn more HERE.
- 11/26: Thanksgiving
Cardinal Character Trait for NOVEMBER: RESPONSIBILITY
Kudos to our ASB students for putting together this Veterans Day video assembly!
LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL:
Family and Community Partnerships:
The Franklin Pierce High School Food & Hygiene Pantry is available for all students and their families.
Use this LINK to view our current food & hygiene pantry options. Please mark the items you need and staff will put together a bag or box. We will contact you when your items are ready for pick up or delivery. Items can be requested twice a month. Additional ways to request items: You can request a paper copy of this form by contacting Bonita Lee at blee@fpschools.org or call 253-298-3837 to request items via phone.
In community with families and partnerships, we are here to help point you in the right direction to local resources. If you have a specific need, contact Bonita Lee at blee@fpschools.org or call 253-298-3837.
Social Justice, Equity, and Anti-Racist Resources:
From the unique agreement with local, state and federal governments to the sources of income, Washington state tribes operate differently. Protecting the environment, building communities, and preserving culture are just a few of the main guiding principles that Native people in Washington live by. Learn about how for tribes, "the bottom line isn't always the bottom line."
The first step in ALLYSHIP is LISTENING.
The second step is BELIEVING.
The third step is ACTION. Get involved and create the positive change you want to see in the world.
Winter Wishes is BACK!
In an effort to build community and promote selflessness, FPHS staff and students will be teaming up to spread some winter cheer for students at Central Ave Elementary School by giving each student a giftbag of goodies. We are looking for donations of new books, candy canes, individually wrapped cocoa, gift bags, elementary age toys like playdough, pop its, fidget spinners, or anything else that can be given to a whole class of elementary aged students. Please contact mshoopman@fpschools.org if you would like to help!
See what Winter Wishes looked like in the past when we visited Midland Elementary School HERE.
Restorative Practices
In communities across the country, school discipline policies became increasingly more punitive in the 1980s in response to the call for “zero tolerance” of youth behavior. The use of exclusionary discipline policies, such as suspensions, expulsions, and referrals to law enforcement, increased for even the most minor of offenses, like being late to school or talking in class. Rather than support students in their development, these school policies push students out of the classroom and hinder opportunities for quality education. For some students, these discipline policies push them out of school long before graduation. Rarely do these harsh practices change student behavior; rather they actually worsen students’ attitudes towards school by removing them from class and isolating them from their peers. These practices can damage the sense of community within a school. As a result, Restorative Practices in schools have been implemented as a way to help with some of the student discipline concerns. Restorative practices include things like building strong relationships among students and teachers, fostering a strong sense of community in the school and a sense of ownership. Restorative practices are about making things right instead of coming from a punitive approach. Restorative practices build community and promote healthy relationships among educators and students in order to teach the social-emotional and conflict-resolution skills necessary to reduce conflict. If you would like to learn more about how these practices will be implemented at FPHS, please reach out to Ms. Chapman for questions or more information. bchapman@fpschools.org
Pierce County Skills Center:
On November 22nd, our teachers will make additional parent/family notification of any student in jeopardy of failing T1, students earning a C- or below. PCSC admin will forward the same information to counseling teams by November 23rd. No news is good news!
End of Trimester 1 - Tuesday, December 7 (Early Dismissal, No PM Session)
Calendar of Events
- November 24-26 – Thanksgiving Break – No School
- December 7th - Early Dismissal - No PM Session - End of 1st Trimester
- December 8th - Staff PD - No School for Students
- December 15th - Late Start - No AM Session
- December 20-31 - Winter Break
- LINK for 2021-22 PCSC Student Handbook.
- PCSC Main Office: 253-800-4800.
Application Questions contact Paulla Hockaday - phockaday@bethelsd.org - 253.800.4800
Application links, in English and Spanish, can be found on our website. https://www.bethelsd.org/domain/4387
Cardinal Sports:
Resources
School Resources:
- District Website: https://www.fpschools.org/
- Franklin Pierce HS Website
- IT Help Desk for Students and Parents: 253-298-4647, 7:30AM to 4PM.
- Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
- FPS Breakfast and Lunch Program: www.fpschools.org/meals
- FPS Education Resources: https://www.fpschools.org/exended-closure-resources-and-information/closure-educational-resources
- Want to add Canvas to your phone? Android or iOS. Once you download the app, search "fpschools" to find our district.
- FPHS Facebook page.
- FPHS Twitter page.
- FPHS Instagram page.
- Information about GRADES and GRADING.
- Information about BUSES.
- District CALENDAR.
- Information about ATTENDANCE.
- How to access and use DORA.
COVID- 19 Resources:
- District Website: https://www.fpschools.org/
- Gov. Inslee's COVID-19 updates web page: https://www.governor.wa.gov/tags/covid-19-coronavirus
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Community Resources:
- District resources and partners: https://www.fpschools.org/departments/family-engagement-office/community-resources
- Check with your phone and internet provider: many providers are offering free and/or unlimited data, internet etc. during the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.
- Financial Resources: https://dfi.wa.gov/coronavirus/financial-resources
Covid Safety:
The guidance around how schools respond to COVID-19 is always changing. We continue to work with state and local health and education officials to incorporate convenient strategies to keep students, staff and families healthy and safe. This email provides important updates about new quarantine guidelines, the Test to Stay program, vaccinations and the FPS COVID-19 Hotline. To learn more, visit www.fpschools.org/COVID19.
Quarantine Guidelines
Exposure | No Symptoms | Vaccinated:
Students who are vaccinated do not need to quarantine unless symptoms develop. Testing is still recommended for these individuals at day 5-7 following exposure.
Exposure | No Symptoms | Testing | Not Vaccinated:
Students who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 but have not experienced symptoms and have a negative test between days 5-7 can end quarantine and return to school after 7 days following exposure.
Exposure | No Symptoms | No Testing | Not Vaccinated:
Students can return to school after 10 days without testing if they have not experienced symptoms.
Exposure | Test Positive:
Students who test positive for COVID-19 will still need to isolate at home for 10 days. Students who present to school with symptoms of COVID-19 will need to isolate at home for 10 days, or can return sooner with a negative COVID PCR test and improvement of symptoms.
Test-to-Stay Program
If the exposure occurred at school, students can be enrolled in Test-to-Stay and complete a modified quarantine, while continuing to attend school. There is an option to access testing at school. Families must sign up to enroll in the program and schedule a testing appointment.
Vaccinations
Students who are vaccinated do not need to quarantine unless symptoms develop. Testing is still recommended for these individuals at day 5-7 following exposure. To learn more about child vaccines, please click here or log on to the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department Pediatric Vaccine Webinar tonight from 6-7pm.
Franklin Pierce Schools will be hosting vaccine clinics at 315 129th St. South Tacoma, WA 98444 for children ages 5-11 for interested families on the following dates:
- Wednesday, November 17, 2021 from 1-5pm (Pfizer Child Dose 1; Pfizer Adult Booster)
- Wednesday, December 8, 2021 from 1-5pm (Pfizer Child Dose 2; Pfizer Adult Booster)
- Friday, December 17th from 1-5pm (Pfizer Child Dose 1; Pfizer Adult Booster)
- Friday, January 7th from 1-5pm (Pfizer Child Dose 2; Pfizer Adult Booster)
COVID-19 Hotline
Franklin Pierce Schools now has a COVID-19 hotline in English, Spanish and Tagalog at (253)298-3099 for FPS families with questions about COVID-19 information with Franklin Peirce Schools.
Stay safe and healthy!