Bryant Bulletin
Weekly Campus Updates for Parents & Guardians
November 18, 2020
Bryant Bulletin Translations Available by Opening in a Chrome Browser
A Message from Dr. Rhodes
I hope all of our Bryant families have a great holiday week. Please stay safe during Thanksgiving Break.
As the winter holidays approach, if you prefer your child not participate in specific holiday-based learning, activities, games, etc. please communicate with your child's teacher(s) directly.
Finally, there is a lot of important information in this week's Bulletin. You will find KVA Opt In/Out information for the 3rd Nine Weeks, registration information for tomorrow evening's PTA General Member Meeting, as well as information regarding PTA's Party Fund, Tip Top Holiday Shop, and Candy Cane Grams.
Thank you to our Bryant PTA for working hard to reimagine traditions and provide different opportunities for all students during this time.
Meet Our Staff- Mrs. Sarah Kalfayan
Mrs. Kalfayan is part of our 2nd Grade Team at Bryant Elementary!! This is her 5th year teaching and her 1st year in Katy ISD. She earned her BS in Communication and her Masters in Teaching from the University of Arkansas. Outside of school, Mrs. Kalfayan loves spending time with her husband and 2 children, as well as watching college football. We are excited to have Mrs. Kalfayan as part of our Language Arts team at Bryant!!
From Our Counselor, Mrs. Flores
Bryant Community & Student Kindness Challenge
** Show gratitude for something within yourself, someone in your life, and something in the world. You could write a thank you card, create a thankful poster, send a thankful video, or simply show gratitude in some way for those three things. **
For the month of December, we will introduce the character trait: Creativity. Please help us kick off this trait by encouraging your child to wear blue on Wednesday, December 2nd. Throughout the month, students will engage in conversations and activities to help develop and apply Creativity in their daily lives! We hope to instill new ideas and skills students will be able to apply and utilize in school and at home related to creativity. We are using this definition at school: Creativity: Using your imagination to create something or solve a problem. If you are looking for ways to extend this trait at home, check out our K-2 resource (en Espanol) and 3-5 resource (en Espanol). For more information, contact Penny Flores, the school counselor, at penelopewflores@katyisd.org.
General Campus Information and Reminders
Changes of Transportation
Reminder- Changes of Transportation must be either sent in with your student on the day of the change by filling and printing out this form, emailing bryantelementary@katyisd.org from a registered email on your student’s account, or by coming up to the vestibule of the school with your valid ID to verify guardianship before 2pm. If emailing, please be sure to include student’s name, grade, teacher, change of dismissal (include bus #, address, and stop location if changing to bus), and the date(s) of the change. NOTE- emails sent to teachers for Changes of Transportation are not accepted. Please use the email address above.
Fall Picture Day Order Information
Fall Pictures are still available for purchase. Picture packages will only be sold online this year. Please view package information by clicking here.
Bryant School code: FM343478
Upcoming Events
11/18-12/3 KVA Opt In/Out Window for 3rd 9 Weeks
11/19- PTA General Membership Meeting, 4:30pm (See details below)
11/23-11/27- Thanksgiving Break
11/27-12/15- PTA Online Tip Top Holiday Shop
12/2- PurposeFull People: Wear Blue for Creativity
12/16- College & Career Shirt Day
12/18- School Pajama Day (school-appropriate PJs with regular shoes)
12/18- Early Dismissal @ 12:35pm
12/21-1/4- Winter Break (Students return 1/5/21)
From the District
Throughout Texas, children with disabilities that prevent them from reading standard print are enjoying the world of reading through the Talking Book Program (TBP). The TBP is a FREE service that allows students with a reading disability, like dyslexia, the opportunity to read. The TBP offers more than 125,000 titles and 80 plus magazines, all read with human narration. Materials can be downloaded via the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) Mobile app, on a smartphone or tablet. The program is completely free, with no charges and no overdue fees. For more information, visit www.tsl.texas.gov/tbp/reading_disabilities, email tbp.services@tsl.texas.gov or call 1-800-252-9605. The TBP staff will be happy to answer questions and help parents apply for service.
If your child has not been identified as having a reading disability, please be aware that Katy ISD offers audio books for all students through the following programs:
• Sora eBook/Audiobooks
• myON
• Benchmark Universe
• Istation
Contact your child’s campus for more information about Katy ISD’s audiobook programs.
En español:
En todo Texas, los niños con discapacidades que les impiden leer una impresión estándar pueden disfrutar del mundo de la lectura a través del Programa “Talking Book” (TBP). El TBP es un servicio GRATUITO que permite a los estudiantes con una discapacidad de lectura, como dislexia, la oportunidad de leer. El TBP ofrece más de 125,000 títulos y más de 80 revistas, todas narradas por humanos. Los materiales se pueden descargar vía la aplicación móvil de Braille y Audio Lectura (BARD), en un teléfono inteligente o tableta. El programa es completamente gratuito, sin cargos ni cuotas atrasadas. Para obtener más información, visite www.tsl.texas.gov/tbp/reading_disabilities, envíe un correo electrónico a tbp.services@tsl.texas.gov, o llame al 1-800-252-9605. El personal de TBP estará encantado de responder a sus preguntas y ayudarlos a solicitar este servicio. Si su hijo(a) no ha sido identificado con una discapacidad de lectura, tome en cuenta que Katy ISD ofrece audiolibros para todos los estudiantes a través de los siguientes programas:
• Sora eBook/Audiobooks (Libros electrónicos/audiolibros)
• myON
• Benchmark Universe
• Istation
Comuníquese con la escuela de su hijo(a) para obtener más información sobre los programas de audiolibros de Katy ISD.
KVA/Face-to-Face Option Window
The next window to change your child’s learning environment (from KVA to Face-to-Face or from Face-to-Face to KVA) for the 3rd Nine Weeks starts today, November 18th and ends December 3rd.
To opt in/out of KVA, CLICK HERE. If your child is not changing learning modes, you do not need to complete this form.
After the window closes, we cannot make changes for the 3rd Nine Weeks. We will be making scheduling adjustments and balancing classes prior to leaving for the winter holiday. All campuses and offices will be closed December 21st-January 1st. Teachers and staff will return Monday, January 4th with students returning Tuesday, January 5th for the start of the second semester.
FREE Rapid COVID-19 Testing Option to Enrolled Katy ISD Students
The district is offering FREE rapid COVID-19 testing to enrolled Katy ISD students. The FREE test is in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency’s COVID-19 Testing Project. The test is a saliva based method that is considered to be just as accurate as other tests, such as nasal swabs.
Students will still have the option of being administered a nasal swab rapid test by RediMD at a cost of $125, via credit card or cash at point of service. Insurance company billing is not available through this option.
Both the rapid, free saliva tests and the rapid, RediMD nasal swab tests are available at the District’s Agricultural Sciences Center located at 5801 Katy Hockley Cut-Off Road, Monday- Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. and on Saturdays 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
Appointments are necessary and can be made by clicking the icon below:
Attn: Parents of Bryant ESL Students
A la atención de: Padres de los estudiantes en el programa de ESL de Bryant
Todos los padres de estudiantes de PK a 2o grado en el programa de ESL tienen acceso a un nuevo programa llamado Ready Rosie. ¡Este programa es ideal para aprender y reforzar el inglés en casa! Haga clic aquí para más información.
Katy ISD COVID-19 Dashboard
The Katy ISD webpage contains a dashboard which provides daily updates on the number of overall self-reported COVID-19 positive cases throughout the district, and by campus. The Dashboard can be viewed at any time by visiting the Katy ISD website homepage and clicking on the COVID-19 Case Dashboard icon or by clicking below.
Katy ISD COVID-19 Mitigation Plan
The Katy ISD COVID-19 Mitigation Plan has been updated to provide the following clarifications:
- If a student that was sent home from school because they were deemed to have been in close contact and then is able to attain a negative result from an acute infection test at an approved testing location – they will at minimum need to wait until the start of the following school day before returning to school.
- If any individual is living in the same household with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19, they must:
- Notify campus nurse AND
- Self-isolate for 14 days
- The individual may return to school / work if;
- They receive an acute infection test at an approved testing location that comes back negative for COVID-19 with a medical professional’s release clearing the individual to return to school /work
- Recommended statement from medical professional allowing student to return to school, “Household mitigation has been assessed, individual is cleared to return to school/work.
OR
Self-isolate for 14 days after exposure with no further symptoms.
Click the icon below for the entire Mitigation Plan.
Katy Virtual Academy (KVA) Information
District KVA Newsletter
Bryant Morning Announcements
News From the Bryant PTA
Class Directories
We are starting to put together class directories. If you would like to receive and share classroom parent information for your child’s class, please fill out this form.
Classroom Celebration Fund
Bryant PTA General Board Meeting Notification
Our General Board meeting is coming up!
Please use this form to register to attend our VIRTUAL Bryant PTA General Meeting on Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 4:30pm. All attendees must register to attend, to allow the PTA to verify their membership. After registration closes, you will receive a confirmation email along with meeting information from our PTA Secretary. Only members will be allowed to vote on official PTA business. Thank you for your continued support.
https://forms.gle/5Pz7SyCK9UhmtSi58
On Thursday, November 19, 2020 the Bryant PTA Nominating Committee will be formed. The Committee will be responsible for slating the 2021-2022 PTA Officers.
Tip Top Holiday Shop
Candy Cane Grams
Send a Sweet Treat and help raise funds for the 5th grade End of Year Celebration!
Order 2020-2021 Yearbooks NOW!!
Parents- Get YOUR Photos in the Yearbook!!
Don't miss out on an opportunity for your student to be in the yearbook!! We want to see what your kids are doing!! Share your pictures with us. Click here for more information!!
Check out Wednesday folders and PTA Social Media for different picture challenges this year!! This year we need all the parent and Bryant Staff help we can get to make our yearbook successful!!
Visit Us Online
Click here for PTA Facebook.
Click here to follow PTA on Twitter.
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Important Reminders From Previous Bulletins
Updates to Grab & Go Meal Program
Breakfast and lunch meals are free to all students whether on campus or enrolled in KVA and using the grab n go pick up. Breakfast and lunch meals served at the curbside sites are also available to all Katy area children 18 and under.
Beginning November 3rd, two curbside Grab and Go meals sites will be added: Tompkins High School and Katy High School. Also beginning November 3rd, all curbside Grab and Go meal sites will operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays only. Patrons will pick up breakfast and lunch for Wednesday and Thursday on Tuesdays, and meals for Friday, Monday, and Tuesday on Thursdays. Meals are ready to heat and eat at home.
Curbside Grab and Go is available at: Morton Ranch High School, Mayde Creek, Cinco Ranch, Tompkins and Katy high schools from 4 – 6 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays. Meals are available at no cost to all children 18 and under. If parents are picking up meals for their children and the children are not present, identification for each child such as an ID, report card, or birth certificate must be presented prior to receiving the meals.
Students enrolled in in-person learning at their home campus are not eligible to receive curbside Grab and Go meals. Receiving the same meal at multiple campuses on the same day is not permitted.
Breakfast and lunch meals are free, but a la carte options are not. A la carte options are available for an additional cost on campus (extra entrée, chips, ice cream, water etc). A la carte options not available at curbside pick-up. To deposit funds onto your student account, please visit Pay N’ Go.
Even though meals are currently free, it is still encouraged for you to apply for free or reduced-meal benefits through SchoolCafe.com as it impacts school funding and future eligibility for your child.
Modified Phase One Safety Protocols
Effective September 28th.
- Classroom protocols modified to require students and staff to wipe down their workspace at the beginning of use. Hand sanitizer and wipes will continue to be available in all classrooms for students.
- Elementary playground equipment may be utilized by students during recess ensuring hand sanitizer and hand washing time is available immediately after use and before returning to class. District custodial staff will sanitize the playground equipment each morning prior to student use.
- Library and computer lab(s) may be utilized with the requirement of cleaning workspaces before student use. Additionally, time should be incorporated following group instruction for hand washing before returning to regular class instruction.
- Returned library book are quarantined for a 6-day period before being checked out again to students.
- Elementary & Secondary grouping of students for instructional purposes will be allowed with facial covering protocol strictly adhered to, desk shields utilized where possible and continued cleaning of workspaces by students.
- Campus events, outside the instructional day, may be allowed with supervising event staff completing a required COVID-19 safety and mitigation training. Event capacity for indoor events, outside the instructional day, may be limited and must follow current state, local and TEA guidance.
Behavior Expectations for Virtual Learning - Guidance for Parents
Behavior expectations for students enrolled in Katy Virtual Academy are the same as expectations for students enrolled in face-to-face instruction. All students are still required to follow the Discipline Management Plan and Student Code of Conduct as participation in virtual learning is an extension of the classroom. In addition to the District’s discipline guidelines, parents and guardians should be aware of the following:
A. Students must log in as themselves. Impersonating another user is a violation of the Responsible Use Guidelines and is prohibited.
B. Students will be expected to participate in discussions and activities. Additionally, it is critical for students to complete assignments independently to allow teachers to accurately identify progress. However, as established in KVA Guidelines, parents must be prepared to monitor their student’s learning and may need to provide assistance for younger students to support instruction in a virtual learning environment.
C. When logging into virtual learning sessions (i.e. Zoom):
- Students must have their video on. It is an expectation of learning to allow the teacher to check for engagement and understanding.
- If a student is using a virtual background it must not be offensive or inappropriate. Students must be prepared to hide the background or change it at the teacher’s request.
- Students must use the name that is on school record or birth certificate (names can be shortened such as : William to Will or Tamara to Tam) TBD
- Students must not share specific meeting links or passwords.
- Students must only enter their class virtual meetings they are scheduled for.
D. Appropriate school language must be used on all applications such as but not limited to: chat, discussions, whiteboards, and shared documents.
Parents will be contacted if a student violates classroom expectations or the Discipline Management Plan and Student Code of Conduct. Persistent or serious offenses will be referred to the appropriate campus administrator and additional consequences may be assigned, including but not limited to:
- Parent Conference,
- Behavior Contract,
- Recovery Time,
- Loss of Privilege,
- Overnight Suspension,
- Suspension, or
- Referral to a Disciplinary Alternative Education Placement.
Bus Safety Rules
1. Mask/Face covering should be worn on the bus and the bus stop, until further notice.
2. Observe the same conduct as in the classroom including cell phone use.
3. Enter the bus and immediately go to the assigned seat.
4. Talk in a normal tone of voice.
5. Remain seated and facing forward in the assigned seat until time to exit the bus.
6. Keep head, hands, feet, and other objects to oneself; do not tamper with bus equipment.
7. Use acceptable language; obscene, profane, unacceptable language and/or gestures are prohibited.
8. Refrain from eating and/or drinking on the bus; keep the bus clean.
9. Refrain from throwing objects within the bus or out of the windows.
10. Follow all rules outlined in the District’s Discipline Management Plan and Student Code of Conduct, as well as safety rules established by the driver.
11. Arrive at your bus stop 5 minutes before the scheduled stop-time and wait a safe distance from where the bus stops. 5 giant steps away from the stop is a good rule.
12. When the bus arrives, do not approach it until the bus has come to a complete stop. Form a single line and board the bus. Go directly to a seat and sit in a safe position. If seats are
equipped with seatbelts, they must be worn at all times as required by law.
13. When it is time to get off of the bus, wait until it comes to complete stop before getting up from your seat.
Procedures when Checking Students In or Out During the School Day
Katy ISD Legacy Parent Academy
- Wednesday, 1/20/21- Destigmatizing Mental Health
- Wednesday, 3/24/21- Managing Test Anxiety
Each Legacy Parent Academy event for the 2020-2021 school year will be in webinar format. Sessions will be translated into Spanish and posted on the Legacy Parent Academy webpage following each event. Additional information is available on the Legacy Parent Academy webpage.
MyOn Reading
Students can access MyOn using their Katy Cloud Login information. Renaissance MyOn Readers is a student-centered, personalized literacy environment that gives students access to more than 6,000 enhanced digital books. Titles are dynamically matched to individual student’s interests, grade and Lexile reading level. MyOn fosters student engagement and achievement. MyOn is a great resource for students to use to complete 20 minutes of daily reading outside of school. When a child logs in for the first time, the child will be prompted to complete a reading interest inventory and a quick reading assessment. This helps the system to match your child to texts that match their interests and reading level. Stay tuned for Campus MyOn Challenges that will be coming soon! Happy Reading!
A Parent's Guide to Navigating the KVA Classroom
While the KVA experience has opened up a whole new world for parents to see the educational world our kids live in, it does come with its challenges as well. What we have to remember is, though we are able to be right beside our child and hear more than we ever have before, this is still your child's educational experience.
A child learns so much more than academics at school. They learn independence, confidence and they begin to develop their thoughts, beliefs and ideas about who they are and who they want to become.
In the end... they grow.
Growth comes when we are faced with challenges we must solve, not by someone providing the solution. Growth comes from running into obstacles so we learn how to avoid them, and make our own path, not by someone removing everything in our way.
It is difficult to watch a child deal with an obstacle or a struggle. However, if we truly want full growth for our kids, we must learn how to navigate this new world where your child would normally be in the driver's seat.
Trust, communication, patience and understanding with one another will help us see it through so your child is the focus and their GROWTH is our goal.
Please see this list (click here) of a few Do's and Don'ts as you work with your child and their teacher through this KVA process.
Can My Child Go to School?
Front Vestibule Drop Boxes
Required Daily Self-Screening of Students
For the health and safety of all students and staff – parents are required to assist their children with a daily self screening for COVID-19 symptoms and fever before arriving to school, or boarding school transportation.
Per TEA “In evaluating whether an individual has symptoms consistent with COVID-19, consider the following questions: Have they recently begun experiencing any of the following in a way that is not normal for them?"
Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit
Loss of taste or smell
Cough
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Headache
Chills
Sore throat
Shaking
Exaggerated shivering
Significant muscle pain or ache
Diarrhea
COVID-19 Self-Reporting App, Notifications & Information
The District has a COVID-19 Reporting System in place to allow staff, students, and parents to self-report if they have received a COVID-19 positive test result. The self-reporting system enables the District’s Emergency Management team to conduct contact tracing, as well as call and notify individuals in Katy ISD buildings who may have been directly exposed to the infected person. A general email notification is also sent to campus staff and families whenever the district is informed of a potential “indirect” COVID-19 exposure in their building. Receipt of the general notification alone indicates that the recipient was not in close contact to the COVID-19 positive case reported for their building. If there is direct exposure due to improper use of PPE, individual families will be contacted.
Students and staff may report positive COVID-19 results using the COVID-19 Self Reporting app on MyKaty Cloud.
Amazon Smile
You can make a difference while you shop with Amazon. Simply shop at smile.amazon.com/ch/82-0726214 or with AmazonSmile ON in the Amazon Shopping app and AmazonSmile donates to PTA Texas Congress (Bryant PTA). Last quarter our income was $22.06!! Every little bit counts!!
To turn on Smile in your Amazon App, follow these directions:
- Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
- Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into 'Settings'
- Tap 'AmazonSmile' and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process