HPES Parent Update
05/04/2020
From the Principal
Highland Park Parents,
First, let me say I hope you and your family are safe and healthy as you read this newsletter.
This week is Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week and we want to show our teachers and staff how much we love and appreciate them! Please help us show our fabulous teachers some much needed love and appreciation by having your child participate in the virtual activities above, I know it would mean the world to our staff!
Like many things right now, Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week feels quite a bit different than ever before. I would like to extend sincere thanks and appreciation to YOU for taking on the role of being your child's teacher this last month! Your hard work, dedication, commitment, and love for your child has not gone unnoticed! Thank-you for helping us continue to grow your child academically. Parents, I hope you have given yourselves some grace, and a huge pat on the back, because you deserve it!
From all of us at HPES, we appreciate you, you matter, and you are "essential"!
Thank you for all you do for our Highland Park Bulldogs!
As always please do your best to stay healthy!
Warm Regards,
Lizbeth Ruiz
THANK-YOU PTO!
I would like to extend special thanks to our PTO committee, for providing each staff member a family meal from Taqueria Guadalajara to enjoy during Teacher Appreciation week! Thank-you PTO, our teachers are ecstatic!
Monday Morning Announcements
Click on the link to access this week's Monday morning announcements: https://www.facebook.com/HighlandParkES/videos/649789019195173/
Principal Read Aloud
Please let our bulldog know I will be sharing the Monday Morning Read Aloud on our campus Facebook! I hope they enjoy this weeks story!
Principal read aloud this week is "A Letter to my Teacher" written by Lynn Plourde
Click here for the English read-aloud :https://www.facebook.com/HighlandParkES/videos/548345249199906/
CURBSIDE STUDENT BELONGINGS PICK UP THIS WEEK
Our staff will be May 5- May 7 between 8:00 - 11:00 am, or 12:00-3:00 pm. please make every effort to retrieve items during these dates and times. If you are unable to make the assigned time, please contact your child’s teacher and we
will communicate alternate arrangements.
Keeping everyone’s health and safety in mind, this will be a curbside pick-up process.
School personnel will wear gloves and will disinfect all plastic bags before handing them to
parents. Please see schedule and map below to pick up your child belongings.
Please respect social distancing at all times, as your health, and the health and safety
of parents, students and staff, is our utmost priority.
Curbside Pick-up Schedule
- TUESDAY-THURSDAY (5/5-5/7)
- 8:00 – 11:00 AM
- 12:00 – 3:00 PM
Parents will drive to cafeteria door for Student Material Pick-up to give Student(s) Name/Teacher. Parents can help by having this information on a sign on the dashboard or window.
Staff will gather student materials and deliver curbside on a cart.
Parents will exit vehicle to collect materials.
Parents will drive to Student Material Drop-off to return any school materials (library books, guided readers, etc.). Please have materials in a bag labeled with Student Name/Teacher.
2ND ROUND OF STUDENT MEDICATION PICK UP THIS WEEK
We will be doing another District wide medication pick up on May 6th and 7th from 2pm to 6pm both days. Nurses are also available to be on your campuses when students are coming to pick up items. Please let them know these times as well. Once all these times have passed, medications will be discarded as they are at the end of every school year per policy.
PK & KG REGISTRATIONS THIS WEEK
PFISD is preparing for a “contactless” registration process for PreK and K students beginning May 4th. Families will pick-up a registration packet from their school and return it.
Pick Up Dates and Times
• May 4th (8:30 am to 12:30 pm) or May 5th (8:30 am to 12:30 pm) or May 6th (4:00 pm to 6:00 pm)
Returning Packets Dates and Times
• May 6th (4:00 pm to 6:00 pm) or May 7th (8:30 am to 12:30 pm) or May 8th (8:30 am to 12:30 pm)
Families who miss the pick-up packet dates will need to contact the campus registrar to make arrangements for packet pick-up.
We anticipate the PfISD website being updated with PreK and K registration information at the end of the week. The updates will be found here:
http://www.pfisd.net/Domain/1581
As a reminder Proof of Residency requirements have been updated for SY 20-21. The website has the updated information.
A Note from the Counselor; Anna Vazquez
MEET THE TEACHER & PARENT ORIENTATION DATES SET FOR 2020-2021
Meet the Teacher night is scheduled for Tuesday August 11th.
Parent Orientation is scheduled for Thursday, August 27th.
PTO UPDATES!
We are lucky to have such a wonderful PTO at our school who helps us in so many ways on a daily basis!!! Please consider joining this wonderful group of parents and join HPES Team!
Application of Interest:
- Google Form: https://forms.gle/oBpWiZ6YA4zddNUu7
Application of Interest Descriptions:
- Catch up on what was discussed at our April 2020 PTO Virtual Meeting. Click on link below to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOZrjB3da3k&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0mXNSCYX9fMdGSewT-EsF6vF_3Y8RwnbBJgO7NcS32205-5laGcH6j7Vw
Stay connected with the HPES PTO!
- Website: https://hpespto.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highlandparkelementarypto/
- Instagram: @hpes.pto
- Text at @HPESPTO to 81010 to get event info via text!
Grading Guidelines
Just as we have transitioned from our brick and mortar buildings to our homes, this unprecedented situation has also caused us to reconsider and transition our grading policies, regulations, and guidelines to fit our new reality. After much discussion and careful thought, our Board of Trustees approved adjusted grading guidelines and policies for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. We believe these new guidelines will allow us to measure a students' mastery of the district curriculum, provide timely and meaningful feedback to students and parents, and allow for multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of learning while at home.
A detailed outline of our COVID-19 grading guidelines can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_1EQXrcM_Vq-DpZW25nERzY3hoapxpyRcsJydp1_8yM/edit?usp=sharing.
This outline will also be shared on our Remote Learning Website and the district's Coronavirus webpage.
Highlights of the COVID-19 Grading Guidelines include:
- PK-8 grade assignments/4th 9-weeks/semester grades will be evaluated using a Pass (P) or Incomplete (I) system.
- 9-12 (including middle school courses that issue high school credits) assignments/4th 9-weeks/semester grades will receive numerical grades; grades below a 70 will earn an Incomplete (I).
- The calculation of the grade point average and class rank for the classes of 2021, 2022, 2023, [and 2024 (note: for current eighth-graders taking high school-level courses, e.g., algebra)], will not include grades from the 2020 Spring semester.
- For graduating Seniors, final GPA and class rank will be determined using final semester grades from Fall 2019.
Again, there are more details outlined in the complete COVID-19 grading guidelines linked above. Please reach out to your campus Principals with questions or if you need support implementing these guidelines.
Important Staff Contact Information
Teachers and campus administrators have Google Voice accounts so that they can call parents. Many of us do not answer phone calls from numbers we do not recognize. (Trying to avoid telemarketers!) If a staff member calls you and you don't answer they will leave a message. Please check your messages. You can call the staff member back using that same phone number.
Teachers are available to support distance learning from 9:00 - 12:00 Monday through Thursday. That entails answering questions, giving feedback, technical support, etc. During this time, they are required to be available to all students and parents in their class.
In addition, teachers have designated virtual conference times set aside to conference with parents should the need arise. Please see conference times below:
PK: 10:15 - 11: 05 a.m.
Kinder: 11:00- 11:50 a.m.
1st: 9:00-9:50 a.m
2nd:11:00-11:50 a.m.
3rd:1:30-2:20 p.m
4th: 11:00- 11:50 a.m.
5th:9:10- 10:00 a.m
Intervention:1:00- 1:50 a.m.
Special Education: 11:00-11:50 a.m
Specials:11:00-11:50 a.m.
If you would like to have a parent conference, please email your child's teacher and they can set up a conference with you.
A note from our Librarian; Ms. Reyes
Let's keep our students reading!! Click on the link below for some really great ideas in English and Spanish!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17QzoXavFZ_JgUDfkivGpF7qYD0PnvhkEpiDEkVIwuNE/edit?usp=sharing
Section 504
Section 504:
All student plans have been emailed to parents. Do you have questions about the plan? Not sure what accommodations are? You may contact Anna Vazquez @ anna.vazquez@pfisd.net
Special Education
Students currently served under Special Education will continue services. Our Special Education team is collaboration with our classroom teachers to ensure that we are best serving each student. Emails and ARD invitations will come from Miranda Barcena. Please contact your child's teacher or our Assistant Principal Jesus Olivas at jesus.olivas@pfisd.net if you have questions.
Gifted & Talented Information
Parent notification letters have been mailed to students nominated for Gifted and Talented. Please check your mailbox this week for results. You may contact Anna Vazquez @ anna.vazquez@pfisd.net with questions.
Backpack Pfriends:
Students receiving Backpack Pfriends will have the option to pick up items Thursdays at any pick up location. You will need to verify your student’s name and campus to receive your items.
Let's Talk Platform
Administrators are Dividing and Conquering
HPES Families, we appreciate all the support and encouraging words we have received as we roll out distance learning. Nothing can replace face to face interactions with our young bulldogs but we are excited to see them be delighted to continue to learn and achieve greatness under these unprecedented circumstances. With that being said we still have over 700 kids and 80 staff to communicate via email with daily. Our administrative team has decided to divided and conquer so we can make sure everyone is taken care of in a timely manner. See below our new communication guide (this will help you get your questions and concerns to the correct administrator):
Anna Vazquez: PPCD(Pegasus)/PK, and Office Staff
Lizbeth Ruiz: Kinder, 1st Grade, Intervention team
Gina Lochner: 2nd Grade and 3rd Grade
Jesus Olivas: 4th Grade,5th Grade, and Special Education team
If you reply to this HPES Parent Newsletter, please include your child's name and grade in your reply. I recently realized some of the correspondence was going to my spam inbox and I have fixed the issue. If you had sent me something and received no response, please email me once again. I am now checking my spam inbox daily as well. I try really hard to respond within 24 hours!
Help your neighbors stay informed
We have many email addresses and families that are on this email list, however, if you hear that someone is not receiving my emails or district emails, please send their email address and name to me at lizbeth.ruiz@pfisd.net. Spread the word! The more informed we are, the better!
REMOTE LEARNING PACKET LOCATIONS
Remote Learning Packets are now available via newspaper mailboxes at the following locations:
Pflugerville High School
Dessau Middle School
Kelly Lane Middle School
Park Crest Middle School
Westview Middle school
Copperfield Elementary
Northwest Elementary
Pflugerville Elementary
Wieland Elementary
Windermere Elementary
They are placed at the grab-and-go meal locations across the district. Packets will be returned at the same locations from 8-9 am and 11 am – 1 pm on Mondays .
Curbside Meals Update-
Pflugerville ISD is providing free grab-and-go breakfast/lunch/ dinner meals to all PfISD students at ten locations across the district. Grab-and-go meals will be available for curbside pickup at the following times. Families can pick up meals curbside in the carpool lanes at the campuses listed below. Parents may pick up breakfast and lunch at the same time. For those who do not drive and need to walk to pick up the meal, you will be allowed to walk and pick them up to go. Access to enter the buildings will not be available.
- Breakfast: 8 - 9 a.m.
- Lunch: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Texas Department of Agriculture recently adjusted requirements for parents picking up meals without children present. Pflugerville ISD will begin going forward with TDA guidance starting Monday, April 6.
What to expect at each meal distribution site:
1. Be prepared to present one of the following through the window upon meal pick-up:
- Official letter/email from school listing children enrolled
- Individual student report cards
- Attendance record from parent portal of school website
- Birth certificate for children
- Student ID cards
2. Parents may not receive meals for other children.
3. Each meal provided to parents on behalf of children must be documented by the organization.
- Pflugerville High School
1301 W. Pecan Street
Pflugerville, Texas 78660
- Dessau Middle School
12900 Dessau Road
Austin, Texas 78754
- Kelly Lane Middle School
18900 Falcon Pointe Blvd.
Pflugerville, Texas 78660
- Park Crest Middle School
1500 N. Railroad
Pflugerville, Texas 78660
- Westview Middle School
1805 Scofield Ln.
Austin, Texas 78727
- Copperfield Elementary
12135 Thompkins Drive
Austin, Texas 78753
- Northwest Elementary
14014 Thermal Dr.
Austin, Texas 78728
- Pflugerville Elementary
701 Immanuel Rd.
Pflugerville, Texas 78660
- Wieland Elementary
900 Tudor House Rd.
Pflugerville, Texas 78660
- Windermere Elementary
429 Grand Ave. Pkwy.
Pflugerville, Texas 78660
TROUBLE PICKING UP FOOD OR PACKETS FROM ONE OF THESE LOCATIONS?
Please reply to the Highland Park Newsletter email. We will contact you to help find a solution so that your child will be able to get their meals and/or paper based learning.
If you know of someone else who might be having difficulty going to pick up the food or paper based learning, please let us know as well.
EDUCATING WITH ZOOM
Teachers and staff have the opportunity to use Zoom as a way to communicate with your child(ren) to provide instruction and support through technology. Zoom is a leader in modern business video communications, with an easy and reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, collaboration, chat, and webinars on mobile devices, desktops, phones, and room systems.
As we start educating with Zoom, we want to share some rules with you and give you the opportunity to exclude your student from live interactions. All meetings will be held under district- established guidelines.
Click this link and complete this form ONLY if you would like your child to opt out of zoom lessons. https://forms.gle/RiduyPKn5KmA3qEQ9
In addition, some teachers have opted to use other district approved platforms to send pre-recorded lessons to students such as Class Dojo, Seesaw, Classtag, and Google Classroom. Please double check with your teacher on what platform they are using.
PARENT ADVICE FOR MONITORING TECHNOLOGY
Parents,
Monitor, monitor, monitor your children's access using phones and computers during these next couple of weeks and beyond. Adults outside of education, with bad intentions, may be using this unprecedented online access to communicate with children. Students will also be reaching out to one another to connect during these uncertain times and we are not available to assist in monitoring these interactions and conflicts that arise.
Suggestions for safe usage:
- You should be able to access your child's technology at any time.
- Check their last post, Tik Tok upload, Instagram dms and text, etc..., frequently.
- Check their stored photos
- Have online access in an open space such as the kitchen or living room - if a bedroom is the only option, the door should be open, and make the rounds frequently to check on their activity.
Sending a student into a closed bedroom for hours with an unsupervised laptop or cell phone can be very dangerous for children. Let us know how we can help!
ELECTRONIC DEVICE ACCESS
If your student does not have access to an electronic device or Internet, please use one of the links below to apply for technology assistance.
CANCELED EVENTS
Due to the ongoing circumstances all scheduled activities related to Pflugerville ISD schools are cancelled during the school closure. This also includes all district and campus events and competitions.
Access Clever at Home
Clever is a portal that PfISD uses for students to access many educational resources.
Go to PfISD.net>student tab>clever. The login is your student’s “s” number and password. Most students have this memorized by this point. If not, reach out to your child's teacher.
Click on the link below to watch a video that will teach you how to access CLEVER from home!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GwVgmDFWknECL6MzP5N3WT-DDO8haOvh
FREE ONLINE READING RESOURCE TO USE AT HOME
MYSTERY SCIENCE
Great news. Mystery Science has opened up all their videos for distance learning. Your student can look at which videos are of interest, and there are some fantastic ones. Happy viewing.
FREE HOME ACCESS FOR STUDENTS TO ABC MOUSE, ADVENTURE ACADEMY & READING IQ DURING SCHOOL CLOSURES
Age of learning is providing free resources while our campus is closed. All three programs can be used on tablets, computers, and smartphones. Click on the link below and follow the instructions.
https://www.ageoflearning.com/school_closure_pdf/ParentLetter_AofL_SCHOOL7581.pd
CHARACTER AND FITNESS VIDEOS AT HOME
We hope this resource serves not only as a helpful diversion while the kids are home, but also as an opportunity for families to engage in character-building conversations while also staying active at home.
http://boosterthoncharacter.com/
Code: ONLINE
* There’s no cost to register
* 75 + streaming videos with character topics and fitness exercises (PBIS, SEL, STEAM, etc.)