FPHS Parent and Student Memo
September 14, 2020
Franklin Pierce High School
Dear Parents and Students,
Well, that was a very difficult start to a school year!
We thank you and commend you for sticking with it despite all of the frustrating technical difficulties. Our district IT staff has been working around the clock to address the various issues that have been impacting our 8000 students and 1000 staff members trying to log into the system at the same time.
There is an old adage: "It's not how you start. It's how you finish." We are committed to overcoming these obstacles and providing a rigorous and relevant education for all of our students to prepare them for the many opportunities that are ahead of them.
- TECHNOLOGY ISSUES: Many students have reported success on their laptops as a result of the most recent upgrades from IT. It is critical that those upgrades be initiated on your laptops. If you are still experiencing problems with your district device, IT will be providing direct support to students and families from 9am to 3pm at FPHS on Saturday, 9/12/20. Please, bring your device during that time for help from IT. This support is available for any and all students in the district.
- MATERIALS PICK UP DAYS: Material pick up will be Tuesday (9/15) and Wednesday (9/16) from 9am to 5pm in the student parking lot. Families will enter near the tennis courts and be directed to the appropriate lane to retrieve their materials. We anticipate higher volumes of traffic later in the day and encourage you to come earlier, if possible. Teachers will notify their classes if they have materials for the course they need to pick up. Not all classes will require materials.
- Our virtual Freshman Orientation for 2020-21 is available for Freshmen and their parents HERE. You must view the Orientation from your Student Account. Sophomores through Seniors can also access this link to watch short "getting to know you" videos from their teachers.
- LAPTOP CAMERAS: All students are strongly encouraged to have their laptop cameras on during instruction so that teachers can monitor participation and check for understanding. Parents, if there are special circumstances that prevent your child from having his/her camera turned on, please notify teachers so they can be aware.
- Students, make sure you start each day like you're going to school: wake up, shower, eat, get dressed just like you would on any normal school day.
- Need a FLU SHOT? Get one for FREE at Washington High School on Thursday, October 1. More dates and locations HERE.
Stay tuned for more information and details. We wish you all the very best. Stay safe and be well!
REGULAR DAILY/WEEKLY SCHEDULE STARTING WEEK TWO: SEPT. 14
LatinX/Hispanic Heritage Month
LatinX/Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes and celebrates the contributions of Americans tracing their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean. The observance began in 1968 as National Hispanic Heritage Week. Two decades later, it was expanded to a month-long celebration, stretching from September 15 to October 15.
The timing is key. Hispanic Heritage Month — like its shorter precursor — always starts on September 15, a historically significant day that marks the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The designated period is also a nod to those from Mexico and Chile, who celebrate their independence on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.
Did you know ...
- 60.6 million Latinos make up 18% of our nation's population.
- 12 states have a population of 1 million Latinos or more: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas.
- The terms "Hispanic" and "Latino" are often used interchangeably though they actually mean two different things. Hispanic refers to people who speak Spanish and/or are descended from Spanish-speaking populations, while Latino refers to people who are from or descended from people from Latin America. LatinX is the gender-neutral form of Latino/a.
- There are 1.2 million LatinX/Hispanics serving in the U.S. armed forces.
- Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States.
- Dr. Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman astronaut to go into space.
- Mario Molina won a Nobel Prize for his crucial work in understanding how the ozone layer is formed and depleted.
- Roberto Clemente was not only a famous baseball player, he was also a humanitarian who worked in the off-season organizing charity drives, donating his time and money.
- Octaviano Larrazolo was the first Hispanic woman U.S. Senator.
- Joseph Marion Hernández was the first Hispanic Member of U.S. Congress in 1822.
- In 1990, Oscar Hijuelos was the first Hispanic writer to win a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love.
- Romualdo Pacheco was the first Hispanic U.S. Representative, elected in 1876.
- José Ferrer was the first Hispanic to win an Oscar for Best Oscar in 1950 for the film Cyrano de Bergerac.
- Carlos Juan Finlay solved the mystery of what caused yellow fever in 1881.
- Ezequiel Cabeza de Baca, New Mexico's second governor, was the first ever elected Latino governor in the United States.
- Tom Fears was the first Hispanic Football Hall of Fame inductee.
- Carlos Santana was the first Hispanic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee in 1998.
- (Source)
FPHS Sports!!!
For the latest updates and information about 2020-21 high school sports, please visit the WIAA website HERE and watch the video from Mr. McNeil below.
For the most recent modified sport season calendar, visit HERE.
As families in the Franklin Pierce School District, there are a few items you can do to help you and your child to be ready to go for 2020-21 high school sports regardless of when that occurs:
- Make sure your son or daughter has a current physical that has been completed within the last 2 years. If it expires within the next 3-4 months, we recommend getting that taken care of as soon as possible. If you have a question about your expiration date, Please email jmcneil@fpshools.org
- If your son or daughter had a physical while at Ford, we have those on file at FPHS and they will be transferred over.
- Follow the WIAA and Franklin Pierce HS on Facebook, Instagram, and twitter for continuous updates.
- Connect with coaches of your sport. Coaches have been given permission to host online meetings with current and prospective athletes. We know they would love to connect with families and athletes to be able to begin sharing important information.
Fall Coaches' emails:
- Football: Trevor Hanson, Thanson@fpschools.org
- Cross Country (Boys & Girls): Jesse McNeil, Jmcneil@fpschools.org
- Golf (Boys): Colin Horak, chorak@fpschools.org
- Golf (Girls): Jeff Melvard, jmelvard@fpschools.org
- Soccer (Girls): Kyle Wynkoop, kwynkoop@fpschools.org
- Swim & Dive (Girls): TBH
- Tennis (Boys): Tyler Parsons, tparsons@fpschools.org
- Volleyball (Girls): Tiffany Disney, Tdisney@fpschools.org
- Cheerleading: Rebecca Matthews, franklinpiercecheer@gmail.com
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.
- 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