Sem Connection
October 30, 2020
Sem Elementary
Email: sem@friscoisd.org
Website: http://schools.friscoisd.org/campus/elementary/sem/home
Phone: 469.633.3575
Facebook: facebook.com/SemElem2019
Twitter: @SemElementary
From Principal Mira and Mrs. Collins
November is the month of GRATITUDE...appreciating what others have done for you, and in turn, feeling compelled to do the same for others. Gratitude is the opposite of entitlement. It is an attitude of being grateful. As a school, we are certainly grateful for the partnership with our families. This school year is unique, and we are doing our best to meet the challenges minute by minute. We do not take your support lightly, nor do we take it for granted.
It's important that students learn the value of gratitude as soon as they begin to talk and apply it do their daily lives. Our goal is to intentionally model this mindset throughout the day, so that our students can see how it makes them feel. Students should, in turn, want to make others feel the same.
Students should know that gratitude:
- helps them make more friends.
- will help them have better emotional and physical health.
- enhances empathy and decreases aggression.
- helps us sleep better, and improves our self-esteem and mental strength.
By showing gratitude, we are not down-playing our current struggles. We simply don't want to harp on them, but celebrate what we've accomplished and the opportunities available.
Again, as your campus administrators, we are truly grateful for each member of the Sem Community. We are truly #StrongerTogether!
Sincerely,
Principal Mira and Mrs. Collins
Sem News
Sem's Teacher of the Year
MRS. GINA MAHAFFEY!
Spelling Bee for 4th and 5th grade students
Dear Parents,
This year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has developed an online testing platform that will allow Sem to host a school spelling bee program, whether your children are learning in classrooms or remotely from your homes. All students in grades 4th and 5th are eligible to participate.
In place of our traditional spelling bee program, we will hold two levels of competition through online spelling tests. The grade level test will be on Friday, December 4th. If you are wanting your child to participate please fill out this form by Friday, November 20. I will register your child with his/her FISD email address and create an account for them with Scripps in order to participate. Attached to this email you will find the list of words to study to prepare for the grade level bee.
Your child must complete the test during a zoom meeting, and these tests can be taken on any device with a web browser, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. You will be emailed the link to the zoom meeting for the grade level bee the week of December 4th.
The 6 students from each grade with the highest scores will move on to compete at the school level. This year, our school-level competition will be administered via online test. If your child is one of the students that advances to the school-bee they will have to come to the school building to take the online test.
Our school champion will then move on to represent Sem in the Frisco ISD district spelling bee, which will include an online test in lieu of an oral spelling bee.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions about our school spelling bee program. I look forward to having your child compete to represent our school!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Mahaffey, Spelling Bee Sponsor
Counselor's Corner
Resources from Mrs. Jones
News from Nurse Madden
Masks are required for all students and staff during arrival, dismissal, and transitions within the school. Staff members have to wear masks the entire day, as well as our 3rd-5th grade students (unless they are eating or engaging in extreme physical activities). K-2nd grade students do not have to wear a mask when in the classroom, but all students are socially distant in their classrooms.
Please see the attached document to learn which type of mask is best.
Library Updates from Mrs. Price
Reminders
- Student lunch: Please continue sending your child with lunch every morning. We do not have the lunch boxes outside this year.
- School Internet is Down: If the school internet is down, we will attempt to send a message via Facebook, Twitter or school messenger. Students should continue to work on asynchronous activities until we are able to get back online.
- School Drills: During a school drill, all instruction stops. Teachers are not aware of when these drills will occur, but if they are on Zoom, they will notify the class. Instruction will resume at the conclusion of the drill.
- Unable to Connect to Zoom: Email the teacher and let them know that you are having difficulties accessing the class. If this is an ongoing problem, it might be your internet connection.
- Home Internet is Down: If your home internet is not working, if possible, notify your child's teacher via email or by calling the school. Your child will not be penalized.
- Carpool: Parents need to stay inside their car during morning drop off and after school pick up. If your child needs assistance, please pull to the side and allow traffic to flow.
- PTA: Join the PTA, because we are stronger together.
- Virtual Students: Please make sure your Virtual Academy student is completing 1 art, 1 music, and 3 PE assignments during specials time each week. The skills we are practicing and assessing are compounding and built upon each week. If a student misses an assignment, it will make future assignments harder to understand and complete. When your student returns to face to face learning, they will be behind if they have not been keeping up with specials assignments. Specials assignments are graded with an S for Satisfactory work (turned in on time and understanding is shown) or a U for Unsatisfactory work (not submitted and directions are not followed or completed).
Important Links
Important Resource Links
At Home Technology Information
Informational Links Related to COVID
Zoom Updates
If your student is having trouble with Zoom, the application may need to be updated. In order to update, open your zoom app and click the icon at the top right
Click Check for Updates and it should automatically start downloading the update
Once it's finished downloading click the BLUE UPDATE button and zoom will finish updating!
Here is a link for more information on updating: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362233-Upgrade-update-to-the-latest-version
They Can Do It!!!
If you need to conference with the teacher, please send an email to schedule an appointment.
Our teachers need to see what your child can do independently. Please let your child's teacher correct the work and provide feedback.
Student Absences and Attendance
School starts at 7:45 am. Tardies will be counted for students arriving after 7:45 am.
School ends at 3:05 pm.
We will no longer accept paper notes from the doctor. Any notes or letters will need to be uploaded to the "Report the Absence" tab on the Sem website.
The complete Attendance Procedures are attached.
Grading Policy
Guidelines for Grading
- Grades reflect the student’s relative mastery of an assignment.
- A sufficient number of grades are taken to support the grade average assigned.
- The District shall permit a student who meets the criteria detailed in the grading guidelines a reasonable opportunity to redo an assignment or retake a test for which the student received a failing grade.
Elementary Tutorial
Guardian & child must be present
You must be in your FISD email/google**
Important Dates from #TeamSem
November
- 3rd-Election Day
- 11th-Virtual Veteran's Day program
- 12th-Fall picture retake
- 16th-2nd nine weeks progress (date is subject to change)
- 23rd-27th-Thanksgiving Break
Get Connected!!!
Facebook: facebook.com/SemElem2019
Twitter: @SemElementary
Sem PTA:
Facebook: Sem Elementary PTA
Twitter: @pts_sem
Instagram: SemElementaryPTA
Together WE ARE Stronger!