Panther Press Volume 28
Excellence,Everywhere,Everyday
Greetings Panther Nation
Happy Mother's Day to all our wonderful mothers, grandmothers, and anyone that has provided the love, especially when we needed it the most. I hope your day was filled with all the love you deserve and you were all surrounded by family on this special day. I hope you took the time to enjoy and relax.
Thank you for your patience as we develop plans to end the school year successfully. This update includes information for seniors regarding pick up of caps, gowns, and graduation announcements and reminders for AP students about accessing AP exams next week.
Updated Graduation Information
May 5th, 2020: Guidance for Graduation and End-of-Year Ceremonies During the COVID-19
The following requirements apply to graduation and end-of-year promotion ceremonies to be conducted in May 2020 and thereafter.
As the public health situation changes, these guidelines may be modified.
With the issuance of Executive Order No. GA-21, issued on May 5, 2020, Texas continues the reopening of services in response to the COVID-19 disaster. While schools remain closed to normal in-classroom attendance for instruction, schools seek to fulfill the traditional functions of providing graduation and end-of-year promotion ceremonies. In accordance with Executive Order GA 21, the Texas Education Agency provides the following guidance for graduation and end-of-year promotion ceremonies. This guidance will be updated as more information about COVID-19 spread in Texas becomes available and is subject to change.
In order for a school system to determine if a planned graduation or end-of-year promotion ceremony is permissible under Governor Abbott’s current COVID-19 disaster orders, as well as any local orders not in conflict with Governor Abbott’s orders, a school system is advised to first consult with its legal counsel regarding such planned activities. Assuming its legal counsel considers the planned activities permissible, the school system could then seek written approval from applicable local jurisdictions tasked with enforcement of COVID-19-related gubernatorial or local orders to engage in the planned graduation or end-of-year promotion ceremony.
Participation by a student or family member in a ceremony is voluntary and may not be required or compelled by the school.
In-person indoor ceremonies are not yet permitted under current executive orders related to public health.
4 types of ceremonies are allowed:
1. Completely virtual
2. Hybrid ceremonies
3. Vehicle ceremonies
4. Outdoor in-person ceremonies
Graduation Survey
Cap and Gown pick-up date will be May 27, 2020.
With that being said, we need you to make sure that you have ordered your cap and gown. If you have not already, please visit dallasbalfour.com and make that order as soon as possible.
Again, we appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we all attempt to navigate through this difficult time.
Congratulations Seniors
We LOVED getting to see our seniors last week. We have missed them so much. It was emotional, it was exciting, it was bittersweet. Yard sign distribution was a success! Thank you to the faculty and staff who came out to help celebrate our seniors.
If you didn't get to pick-up your sign, there will be another opportunity on May 27.
Seniors 2020 Frequently Asked Questions
Advance Academic Updates
AP Exam Information
AP exams for students begin next week. Teachers and students have been diligently preparing for these exams. Parents and guardians can help students confidently prepare for exam day by
checking out the 2020 AP Testing Guide and watching the overview video. The comprehensive guide will help you walk through exam preparation, and the video will give you a sense of what students should experience on exam day.
Encourage your student to practice with the exam demo. You and your students now have access to an exam demo. Students should use the demo to practice the different ways to submit exam responses.
The most important step all students should take right now is to make sure they can log onto myap.collegeboard.org. Everything related to AP exams this year will be sent to the email address students have associated with this account. If students have any questions, they should contact their AP teacher.
Extended time for those with that accommodation are automatically built into the AP software and online AP exams are compatible with assistive technology and zoom functionality.
Students with technical or other issues on testing day will be directed to complete an application for late testing in June. Please note that Internet Explorer is not compatible with AP testing.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your scholar’s teacher or Amy Anderson at aanderson@duncanvilleisd.org.
#WeAreDVille
Progress Report
Your child’s progress report for the 4th 9 weeks is now posted to Skyward Family Access for you to review. You can access your child’s progress report by logging into your Skyward Family Access account. If you need assistance with your password visit www.duncanvilleisd.org. Click on Parents/Skyward Family Access Help. A Frequently Asked Questions link will give you the guidance to access your password.
Due to our current circumstances, the progress report is being provided to communicate the work your child has submitted to date. We recognize some students have been delayed in getting started due to access to technology and/or receipt of work packets. It is not too late to submit any missing assignments. The progress report serves as a reminder of the work your child still needs to complete.
Earlier this month, Dr. Smith notified families of the adjusted grading guidelines for our district. I am including the grading guidelines chart here for your reference. We want every student to continue to engage in daily learning activities and submit their best work. Please review your child’s progress and communicate to your child’s teacher any questions or needs. We are here to support your student during this unprecedented time.
OnRamps Parent Pamphlet
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN TAKING ONRAMPS COURSES?
Why OnRamps Dual Credit from UT?
Many of our best-prepared students –even those who have taken the most rigorous coursework offered to them-still struggle in entry-level courses at universities. OnRamps Dual Credit gives high school students the opportunity to earn college credit from The University of Texas at Austin while engaging with rigorous content and practicing crucial skills to prepare them for success in university-level coursework.
Not only is OnRamps Dual Credit a cost-effective way for students to earn college credit, these Dual Credit courses provide some safety nets for students that is typically not part of the Dual credit experience, making OnRamps Dual Credit a solid option for students in Duncanville ISD.
What is OnRamps Dual Credit from UT?
OnRamps Dual Enrollment is a blended learning course to be offered to juniors and seniors for dual credit from the University of Texas at Austin.
OnRamps Dual Enrollment is an opportunity for students to receive UT content and UT credit without having to pass the TSI assessment. OnRamps Dual Enrollment courses are developed by the faculty at The University of Texas at Austin. DISD teachers receive course materials that:
- Align directly with content and skill expectations of entry-level university classes
- Applies the latest research about how students learn best.
OnRamps Dual Enrollment is an economical way for high school students to earn three to six hours of college math credit or college english credit prior to high school graduation.
Available 2020-2021 OnRamps Courses:
- Introduction to Rhetoric: Reading, Writing & Research/English 4
- College Algebra
- Discovery Pre-Calculus
Tools to Learn More
For more information, please visit UT OnRamps Overview
For a fun, informative video, please visit UT OnRamps Video
For information about the Pre-Calculus Course, please visit Pre-Calculus
For information about the College Algebra Course, please visit College Algebra
For information about the Rhetoric & Writing (English 4) Course, please visit English 4
If interested in taking an OnRamps course, please contact your counselor.
Skyward Update
If you need to update your email address or phone numbers, please know you can make those changes in Family Access.
Follow the steps below on how to make those changes in Family Access:
- Log into Family Access
- Click on My Account (top right corner)
- When the Account Settings screen opens, there is place for your email address and up to three phone numbers.
Please note – Each parent/guardian can enter one email address to receive communication via Skyward Message Center.
- Once changes are made, click Save.
If you're unable to log into Family Access, please try this additional options.
- Use the Forgot Your Password link from the Family Access login page
Need a Transcript or VOE? We are here to help!
If you are needing a Transcript for Scholarship Application or VOE, we are able to help you remotely via email! See directions below. Please allow 24 hour (business day) turn around on all requests.
Transcript for a Scholarship Application
- Email Marya Dancer, DHS Record Clerk @MDancer@duncanvilleisd.org
- Include full student name and ID number
VOE (Verification of Enrollment) for Driver's Permit/License
- 9th Grade, Email Brigitte Neal, Attendance Clerk @BNeal@duncanvilleisd.org
- 10th & 11th Grade, Email Anne Kimple, Attendance Clerk @ AKimple@duncanvilleisd.org
- 12th Grade, Email Elsa Gonzalez, Attendance Clerk, @ Elsgonzalez@duncanvilleisd.org
- Include full student name and ID number
DHS Library Still Open Online
Hi DHS Students!
We wanted to remind you that the library is still here to serve you virtually. We have a number of eBooks and audiobooks available through our Sora app so you can still check out books digitally! We also have a variety of online databases to help you with research, as well as individual codes to Open eBooks for authentic, safe online access to hundreds of popular books.
Miss chatting about books, anime, and more? We do too! Let’s meet virtually. Use the codes below to join our “clubs” via Google Classroom and check the stream often for updates. We are here to help with access to any of these resources. If you’re not able to find a book you’d like or if you need help finding resources for your research, please email us and we will be happy to help.
Anime Club Google Classroom code: pfqtri2.
Book Club Google Classroom code: kg44oi4
#WeAreDville
Mrs. Austin and Mrs. Garcia
DHS - Learning Online
Click here to directly access DHS learning online resource. For your convenience, individual grade levels have been provided below.
Remote Learning Tips
By now, you have already received work for various classes. It is really important, now more than ever to stay on top of your work. Here are a few tips to help you make your time meaningful and productive:
1. Try active study. This means asking yourself questions before, during, and after your studying. Questions such as, what do I already know about this topic, or while doing the work, what did I just read, can I paraphrase it, and then when you are done, what do I need to review before studying again.
2. Get a good night's sleep. It is really important to maintain a regular bedtime routine.
3. Study at the right time. This could be early morning or later in the day. You know yourself better than anyone, find the right time to do work.
4. Have a designated study area. This could be the kitchen table, or at a desk, if you have one. It is really important, though, to study away from the TV or other screens, such as your phone.
5. Eat properly. If you can, have snacks ready to go before you study.
6. Get chores out of the way. Many of your parents or guardians may have given you chores to do while you are at home. If this is the case, make sure they are done before studying.
7. Create a timetable. This is a fancy way of saying come up with a schedule. This means figure out how much time, and none is not an option, you need to spend on each subject. For instance, maybe you need to schedule more time for language arts, but not as much for social studies.
8. Set a timer. Your phone has one important use while you study, it has clock. If you know how, set a timer so you can keep track of your time spent on each subject.
Duncanville ISD family,
During this time when Duncanville ISD is closed due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we remain committed to taking care of children, in particular those who depend on meals served at school each day.
Beginning Monday, March 23, district nutrition services staff will distribute grab-and-go lunches to all school-age children.
The child does not need to be a student in the district. The child must be present to receive a meal and there is a limit of one meal per child. The lunches will be distributed through curbside pickup at the following schools.
Meal distribution will take place starting Monday, March 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Monday through Friday.
Fairmeadows Elementary School
101 E Fairmeadows Dr.
Duncanville, TX 75116
Merrifield Elementary School
102 E. Vinyard Rd.
Duncanville, TX 75137
Hyman Elementary School
8441 Fox Creek Trail
Dallas, TX 75249
Kennemer Middle School
7101 W Wheatland Rd.
Dallas, TX 75249
If you have questions about this program, email Director of Nutrition Services Donna Woodard-Thomas at dwoodardthomas@duncanvilleisd.org. Thank you.
STAAR TEST CANCELLED
What you Need to Know About Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
Stop the Spread of Germs
Michael McDonald
Location: 900 West Camp Wisdom Road, Duncanville, TX 75116, USA
Phone: 972-708-3700