FPHS Parent and Student Memo
March 30, 2020
Franklin Pierce High School
Weekly Thought
Dear Parents and Students,
I hope that you and your loved ones are well in this strange and difficult time. We are committed to continuing to serve our students and families during this school shut down. If you haven't already seen my memo from last week, please check your email. It contains important dates, information, and resources for all students and families. I will continue to communicate with you weekly as we receive new updates and guidelines from the state and from our district.
Our teachers and staff have been working diligently to provide services and supports for all of you. Our primary mode of communication is via email. Students, please make sure you're checking your emails daily. You should have received several items from your teachers to support your school work during this shut down.
Parents, you have received several items of communication as well. If you need to update your email and/or phone number in Skyward, please do so through Skyward Family Access. If you're unable to do this, please notify our registrar directly at sfintak@fpschools.org.
It's very important for us to stay connected during this time and understand that this is not a "break" or a "vacation." This is a temporary separation in an attempt to slow down the spread of COVID-19. However, the teaching and learning is still taking place. Students have an opportunity to get caught up and continue their learning via Canvas and should be doing so each day. Teachers are uploading lessons, materials, and resources daily.
A special note for SENIORS and parents of SENIORS: I know this is extra stressful for you. Hang in there! One thing's for sure, you'll always remember your senior year, Class of 2020! For right now, all graduation plans remain as scheduled. As we receive new updates from the state, we will provide them. Make sure you're caught up on your portfolio requirements. Make sure you're passing all of your current classes. If you have questions, please reach out to your teachers and counselors right away.
We wish you all the very best. Stay safe and be well! We're all in this together!
For this week (March 30 - April 3)
- Check your school email daily. You should receive an email from your teachers this week.
- Check Teacher Ease for missing assignments.
- Begin making up any missing or late assignments for classes or Advisory (portfolios).
- Submit assignments to your teacher via Canvas or email (as directed by your teacher).
- Email your teachers with questions.
- Check Canvas for class materials and resources.
- Work on the enrichment activities provided by your teachers in Canvas.
Priorities for Parents:
- Check your email daily. You should have received emails from your child's teachers this week regarding assignments.
- Monitor your child's grade and progress via Teacher Ease.
- Designate specific blocks of time each day for your child to work on missing work and enrichment activities.
- Email teachers or staff with questions.
- Your child should spend time reading for at least 30 minutes daily.
- This week, your child is receiving new enrichment activities from teachers via Canvas. He or she should spend some time each day working on these assignments.
- Your child should be getting some exercise and physical activity each day.
- Your child's "screen time" should be limited each day. The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of 2 hours per day.
- Your child should still be getting about 9 hours of sleep per night in order to perform at his or her best.
- Your child should be learning new things each day: new cooking recipes, chess, backgammon, how to balance a checkbook, follow the stock market, listen to a podcast on real estate investment, learn how to change the oil in a car, the history of [fill in the blank], take a virtual museum tour, write a letter to a local legislator, research your family tree, plan a vacation, etc. The list is only limited by your imagination and your child's interests.
Resources
School Resources:
- District Website: https://www.fpschools.org/
- IT Help Desk for Students and Parents: 253-298-4647, 7:30AM to 4PM
- TED Talks: a great place to learn from some of the world's brightest minds on a variety of subjects: https://www.ted.com/talks. Listen to a new one every day!
- Free library card with access to audiobooks: https://www.piercecountylibrary.org/services/library-card/library-card.htm
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.
Cardinal Culture
Spreading Kindness Like Confetti
Dear Students and Parents,
Pick a handful of staff members (past or present) to celebrate and send them a message of kindness and affirmation via email.
Even though we're apart, we can still set the tone for our school culture.