Grizzly Gazette- 09/12/22

West Briar's successfully Powered Up over 700 students last week. This week, Power Up staff members will be reviewing student's completion of the below steps. Beginning at 8AM, Monday- students can report to the Power Up Room to submit paperwork, make payment, and/or show completion of 3 steps and receive their laptop.

Remember- Monday, September 12th is our official Power Up Start Date:

• Here's the 3 Power Up Steps (or Power Up article below).
• Power Up is not optional- all students will check out an HISD Chromebook.
• Teachers will be facilitating learning through their Canvas course pages and all textbooks are accessible through laptops.
• Personal laptops cannot be used, students must use their HISD issued laptop.
• Laptops should be charged every night and chargers are kept at home.
• Chrome books are brand new and if using mainly for instruction, will last the entire instructional day.
• Laptop Case- should remain on the Chrome book at all times. (Removing the case could result in damage in which the student/parent would be responsible.)
• Students should have a lock and backpacks remain in lockers throughout the instructional day (along with Cell Phones).
• Remind your student to write their combination(s) down somewhere safe and give their locker combination to their Advocacy teacher so the campus keeps a copy.

Calendar Notes

• Sept 13th- Meet the Teacher Night (in-person) 5:30pm-7:30pm
• Sept 16th- 7th Grade PTO Social, 4:15pm-5:30pm (Cafeteria)
• Sept 21st- PTO Meeting + Coffee Talk w/Principal Mishlan

#GrizzliesPowerUp

To help parents stay on top of campus events, activities, and important information- we're sharing our morning announcements with the community. This includes sports tryouts, clubs, and other important information that is shared out to students each day.

Use the blue link below to access our morning announcements. This board will be updated when an announcement is made and the newest announcements will be at the top of the page.

Please visit our West Briar MS Car Pool webpage to ensure a safe arrival and dismissal of students and the West Briar community. Students should be dropped off and picked up in our Car Rider Lane only.

Please do not allow your student to walk across Park Bayou but rather encourage the use of Crosswalks. (see below)

West Briar is officially a Power Up campus for this school year. This is unlike any laptop program that West Briar has ever had. Prior to this school year, the laptops issued to students were surplus from the Pandemic Hybrid learning environment. Power Up is a districtwide initiative aimed at transforming teaching and learning. We are "powering up" our campus to create a personalized learning environment for today's 21st-century learners.

For each student to receive their loaned, new Chrome book, students/parents must complete 3 Power Up Steps (found on this page also):

1. Pay $25 Power Up Fee

• Cash or debit/credit HERE. (no checks)
• Debit/Credit purchases - we will have record of payment (keep receipt for your records)
• Cash- can show receipt as proof of payment

2. Read, review, and sign both the Laptop Agreement & the Acceptable Use Policy

• Found here or hard copies can be picked up from the Front Office.
• can be turned into Front Office or House Office (upstairs in each grade-level hallway).

3. Parent Completes the Digital Safety (initial) course

• parent watches digital safety lesson and then submits the Google Form as final step.

Students received a 2 part Digital Safety Lesson last week to ensure they understand campus Power Up procedures and expectations.

**Students will continue to receive a monthly Power Up Digital Safety Lesson through Advocacy.

Each school year, all parents must complete the Socioeconomic Form and submit the hard copy page back to the the West Briar campus. Students received this form in the First Week Packet, but we've also linked it on our website and will have copies available at Meet the Teacher Night Tuesday.

Students can turn this form into their House Secretary, a Teacher, or the Front Office.

As a Houston ISD student at West Briar MS, there are two documents that drive student expectations: The West Briar Student Handbook and the Houston ISD Code of Conduct:

• Here you will find the 2022-2023 West Briar Student Handbook
• (Includes campus dress code)
• Here you will find the 2022-2023 Houston ISD Code of Conduct
• (the page says 2021-2022, but it downloads as the 2022-2023 version)
• Parents and students should sign this HISD Code of Conduct Signature Page and turn in to the Front Office or their House Office.
  
• We will be ensuring all students have received their hard copy signature pages within the next two weeks.
  
• You or your student may request a hard copy Houston ISD Code of Conduct from our Front Desk.

Students at West Briar MS are required to follow all policies found within both documents.

Student Handbook Highlight:

• Tardies- a tardy indicates begin late to class.
• First period begins at 8:30am.
• Parents & Students can view their student's tardies in Power School (see Power School article below) for each class period.
• Tardy consequences reset at the start of every Grading Cycle.
• Multiple tardies can result in After-School Detention or other consequences.

Student Handbook Highlight:

• Lockers- Locks- There is one type of lock that is the most user friendly when using campus lockers (see pics/explanations below):

Lock #1- Best Lock for Lockers:

• This lock allows for students to share their combination with their advocacy teacher and we keep the combination on file.

Lock #2- Not best lock for lockers:

• Not wide enough to cut through should the student forget their combination.

Lock #3- Not the best lock for lockers:

• Staff cannot keep up with a key for the student should they lose the key. It will need to be cut off the locker.

**The PTO has a limited supply of locks to purchase, but you can easily purchase locks from any store/online retailer.

HISD Connect is the web portal to all things student information in Houston ISD. The HISD Connect Parent Portal allows parents to complete forms, update student contact information, and view/track grades and attendance. There is also a a corresponding Power School App (for students and parents). Parents/students can use either the app or the website to view grades and attendance.

Use the links below and videos that follow to maintain your HISD Connect Parent Portal and view student's grades/attendance:

Houston ISD Connect How To Page

• This page includes all the below videos plus more information.

Houston ISD Connect (Power School) Log In Page

In addition to becoming a Power Up campus, HISD will begin utilizing CANVAS as an instructional base for learning in and out of the classroom. The HUB will be replaced by Canvas.

• More information about the transition to Canvas can be found here: Canvas for Parents (this includes a Canvas Parent App).
• Students will be learning about how to access and utilize their Canvas management system when laptops are issued.
• Classroom textbooks will all be accessible through Canvas and Digital Resources.

In addition to their Canvas course pages, there is also the Grizzly Den Course

• Students will receive lessons, resources, and information through this Grizzly Den Course.
• Each student received instructions on how to access the Grizzly Den.

Attendance: Mr. Anderson- compassion.anderson@houstonisd.org

Registration/Enrollment- Ms. Rodriguez- laura@houstonisd.org

Nurse: Nurse Papillion- rebecca.papillions@houstonisd.org

Special Education Secretary: Ms. Aguilera- joana.aguilera@houstonisd.org

6th Grade House Secretary: Ms. Johnson- shanta.johnson@houstonisd.org

7th Grade House Secretary: Ms. Bass- vbass2@houstonisd.org

8th Grade House Secretary: Ms. Young- syoung1@houstonisd.org

Social Worker: Ms. Taylor- madison.taylor@houstonisd.org

Campus Administrators Webpage (includes new School Counselors)

Faculty/Staff Directory