Huggins Paw Print
August 7th
Huggins Elementary
Website: https://www.lcisd.org/campuses/huggins/home
Location: 1 Huggins Drive, Fulshear, TX, USA
Phone: 832-223-1600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HugginsHounds/
LEVELING UP IN 2020
Howdy Hounds!
The countdown has officially begun for the start of the 20-21 school year! We have missed our hounds tremendously and can't wait to see them again...through on-campus or virtual instruction.
As you know, Commitment Forms are due this Sunday, August 9th by 11:59pm. If a commitment form is not completed, the student will be placed in on-campus instruction for the first nine weeks. I know that many of you have had lots of questions regarding the procedures for on-campus and virtual instruction. LCISD's Return to School Guidelines are located at https://www.lcisd.org/about/lamar-cisd-covid-19-coronavirus-updates
Furthermore, I have added a Frequently Asked Questions section below based on feedback I have received from parents. Please be sure to scroll down, as there is lots of important information about our back to school process at Huggins. As always, if you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to me.
While I know this can be an unsettling time for families, my hope is that the start of school will provide our students not only with the academic experience they need, but also social-emotional support and stability as we continue to navigate uncharted waters. Our counselors have provided some great information below on how we as adults can make the transition back to school positive and exciting, regardless of the changes to our process.
On Monday, we are welcoming our staff back to campus for professional development. We will be spending the next two weeks providing training, collaborating with teams, and planning for instruction in preparation for the school year. Focus will be placed on virtual instruction, on-campus instruction, and health and safety protocols.
Please know that whether you choose on-campus or virtual instruction...we will be READY for a fantastic year!
Sincerely,
Bethany Cunningham
Principal
Huggins Back to School Google Forms
An Important Message from our Counselors!
“Hi! Welcome to Kindergarten! I’m your teacher❤️💙, I’m so happy you are in my class! 😁 Look at my cool face shield!! Do I look like an astronaut? 👩🏻🚀 Maybe you’ll get an astronaut helmet too!”
Maybe you’ve seen this post by kindergarten teacher, Dana Stephenson Kimmell, circulating on social media. Isn’t her excitement contagious?! It makes us want to go to kindergarten with her! At Huggins, we are doing everything we can to get ready for our Hounds to return to school in a safe, positive environment, just like we do every year. We would LOVE your help in making sure our Hounds have positive, open attitudes about this new and different school year, whether they are learning in person or virtually. In the same way that our positive attitudes are contagious, our worries and negative attitudes are also contagious. How our Hounds handle new situations is largely dependent on the examples they see – that means teachers and parents! Think about how you are talking about returning to school when your Hounds are listening. Even if they aren’t part of the conversation, they are listening and internalizing your attitudes. Below are just a few things that might be strange this year and some ways you can help calm their fears and encourage them to look for the positives. How many cool things can you come up with for the way you are returning to school?
Masks – It’s hard to tell when someone is smiling with a mask on, but we just have to change where we are looking. Along with our mouths, we also use our eyes to smile. Practice putting on your mask and smiling with your eyes. Do it in front of a mirror, with each other, with friends.
Social Distancing – While some things will be more spread out, some social distancing has always happened in school. We will have our own space and won’t have to worry about someone wiggling the desk right next to us. We get to have our own supplies and hang on to them!
Sitting in front of the computer “all day” – You won’t be glued to the computer! Your schedule will be flexible. There will be some time that you have to be online with your teacher/class. And there will be lots of time that you get to do your work at your own pace. Maybe you get to play with your dog at recess, or do math with your cat on your lap. Plus, you get a stinky feet pass every day!
As Ms. Kimmell said in her post, there are so many ways we are preparing for your kids to return to us. There are some new things, but there are also countless things we do every year to keep your kiddos safe. We are prepared to approach this year and all the change it will bring with positive attitudes and humor. We hope you will do the same!
Commitment Forms
On-campus instruction school hours will be 7:30am-2:55pm each day. Doors will open at 7:00. This year, students will go straight to their classrooms at 7:00. Breakfast will continue to be offered. The Disease Activity Level each week will guide campus procedures (click here).
Virtual Instruction will include a mix of asynchronous and synchronous learning. This means that students will engage in both direct, live instruction with his or her teacher and self-paced learning. The virtual learning teacher will work collaboratively with parents to develop schedules to support a highly engaging and rigorous learning experience. Daily attendance will be taken and grades will be assigned.
Commitment forms are due August 9th, but we are highly encouraging our families to turn them in as soon as a decision has been made. This will greatly help us with planning for the school year, as many of our logistical plans depend on this information. If you choose to go ahead and submit your form, please know that you can go back in until the 9th to make a change. If a selection it not made by August 9th, your child will be placed in on-campus instruction.
Click here for instructions on how to complete the 2020-2021 Commitment Form through the Skyward Family Access Center.
Lamar CISD understands that family sentiments and needs may change as COVID-19 conditions evolve or if the District adjusts its plans based on new directives from the State. As a result, parents will be able to change their students' learning model at the end of each grading period.
If you pre-registered your student but have not yet been admitted, we are actively processing new students. You will be able to access the commitment form in Skyward once your student is admitted.
Elementary Grading Periods:
1st 9 weeks ends Oct. 23
2nd 9 weeks ends Jan. 15
3rd 9 weeks ends March 26
4th 9 weeks ends May 27
Frequently Asked Questions
Please note that changes to our campus logistics could be altered throughout the year as we receive local, state, and federal guidance regarding school procedures.
1. How many students will be in each class? Class size will depend on the number of students who choose to participate in on-campus learning. Desks or tables will be socially distanced as much as instructionally possible.
2. Will students participate in specials? Yes, both on-campus or virtual students will participate in specials. Because these areas are considered "common areas", masks for all grade levels will be required. Students will be able to remove their masks during physical activity in PE.
3. Where will students eat breakfast and lunch? At this time, students are scheduled to eat breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria. We will be operating at 50% capacity, and students will be seated in every other spot. This means that a table that holds 24 students will have 12 students instead to allow room for spreading out.
4. Will students have recess? Students will attend recess after lunch. Classes will be placed in play "zones", and the classes will rotate through the zones each day. Students will not be required to wear masks at recess.
5. Can I come tour the school? At this time, we are not allowing visitors on campus.
6. Will we have Meet the Teacher? Yes...we will be holding a virtual Meet the Teacher for all students. Please see the schedule below.
7. Will I be able to walk my student to class on the first day? In order to limit exposure, parents will not be permitted to walk their students to class on the first day. We know this is disappointing, but please read below to learn how we will be structuring arrival on the first day to make it FUN and EXCITING for our students.
8. If my child does virtual instruction, will they be required to sit in front of the computer all day? Students that are in virtual learning will not need to be logged in all day. The virtual teachers will work with the parents to develop a schedule that will consist of some scheduled face-to-face time during the school day via Zoom for small group instruction. The students have until 11:59 each day to complete any assignments that were due for that day (to provide families some level of flexibility). For instance, the teachers will schedule Zoom meeting for small group instruction in reading, writing, and math. The mini-lesson will be prerecorded for students to watch during the day on their own and independent activities will be assigned for them to complete at any point during that day. Science and social studies will be asynchronous as well…so families have some flexibility during the day to complete those lessons. Small group lessons usually last about 15 minutes…so if you do that for reading, writing, and math you are looking at about 45 minutes per day of live Zoom instruction. Parents will have flexibility to schedule time for the asynchronous lessons for the day. Some students will need more face to face time with the teacher and we will work with the parents to get those times scheduled. The virtual teachers will provide sample schedules for families.
9. Will I be able to come to school and have lunch with my student? Unfortunately, there will be no lunch visitors during the first semester. Students will need to come to school with a packed lunch or buy their lunch in the cafeteria.
10. If my child does virtual instruction the first nine weeks, will they have the same teacher if they transition to on-campus instruction the second nine weeks? If a student transitions during the second nine weeks, the student's teacher will change. The teacher will be determined by looking at the number of students in each class.
11. Will students participating in on-campus instruction be required to stay at their desks all day? While we will be socially distancing desks and tables as much as instructionally possible, we will also be able to provide small group instruction and partner work by maintaining social distancing.
12. If my child is participating in virtual instruction, how is attendance calculated? Please click here to review TEA's Frequently Asked Questions regarding Attendance and Enrollment for the 20-21 school yea. https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/covid/SY-2020-21-Attendance-and-Enrollment.pdf
Please be sure that you have carefully reviewed the Elementary Guidance Documents here.
https://www.lcisd.org/about/2020-21-return-to-school/fall-2020-guidance---elementary
Back to School Drive-Thru
Thursday, Aug 20, 2020, 09:00 AM
Huggins Elementary Car Rider Line
Save the Date for Virtual Meet the Teacher!
Friday, August 21st
Pre-K/Kindergarten: 12:00-12:30
First Grade: 12:30-1:00
Second Grade: 1:00-1:30
Third Grade: 1:30-2:00
Fourth Grade: 2:00-2:30
Fifth Grade: 2:30-3:00
Beginning of Year Forms
Online forms are now available and need to be submitted no later than September 18th. Your child's schedule will not be available online through the Family Access Center until all of the beginning of year forms are completed for your child and after the campus has released schedules. It will be imperative that the forms are completed to participate in Meet the Teacher. Student schedules will be available for viewing on Wednesday, August 19th if forms have been completed.
Instructions, important dates, and technical assistance regarding the online forms can be found by clicking below. Included on this page is a link to reset your Family Access username/password if you have forgotten it.
For those of you who need access to a computer or the internet, computers will be available on campus Monday-Thursday 8:00am - 4:00pm. Please call 832.223.1600 to schedule an appointment.
First Day of School Procedures
During the Drive-Thru pick up, you will find six colored dot labels with your child's name and teacher name. We are asking that for the first six days of school, you place a label on the front of their shirt. These labels will be custom created to help us determine where your child's classroom is located in the building. For instance, we have 5 colored instructional pods in the building and three grade levels in the portables. If your student is a kindergartner and his/her teacher is located in the yellow pod, he/she will receive six yellow stickers with their name and teacher's name. We will be assigning colors for grade levels in 3rd-5th as their classrooms are in the portables.
Our doors will open on Monday, August 24th at 7:00am. Staff Members will be stationed throughout the building to assist students as they head to the teachers' classrooms. If your child rides the bus/daycare van, they will be unloaded from the bus porch, and students will be guided through the gym to classrooms. If your child will be coming by car, all parents will utilize the car rider line. Parents will not be permitted to park and walk their child to the door. This year, we are asking students to open the car doors themselves if possible to exit the vehicle to minimize staff members exposure to multiple car doors. Of course we will have staff stationed down the car rider line to help as needed! If students are in third - fifth grade, they will be able to head to the portables from the front access gate (minimizing the number of people in the hallways). All kinder-second students will enter through the front doors. We will have balloons hanging by color to create a "path" leading students to their color pod. The students will follow the path to their designated pod and into their teacher's classroom. As I mentioned before, we will have staff stationed throughout the building and extra support out front for our friends that might be feeling nervous or needing a little extra guidance.
We are asking all parents to be patient in the drop off line as we expect the line to move more slowly than in previous years. We will not count tardies the first week of school as long as we still have cars in line. Please help us out by having your child ready to exit the car. For our little ones, you may want to practice how to unbuckle, put on backpacks, put on their masks, and open the car door. All students will need to exit the car on the passenger side.
This process is going to be a combined effort between parents and school staff. Please talk to your students about what to expect the first day and how the process will work. Have them practice the steps and provide reassurance that they will be okay and that there will be people there to help. Let them know how excited we are to see them and how much their teacher already loves them! We know this is less than ideal...but rest assured that your child will be greeted by an eager staff that is ready to welcome them to the 20-21 school year with open arms!
Please click the PDF below to review the car rider map and process.
SMART TAGS
Face Coverings
Students are required to bring two dress code approved masks/face coverings daily. One will be worn, and one additional mask/face covering will be brought in a sealed/ziploc bag. Labeling of the masks with a student name is suggested.
Mask questions we have received:
Can my child wear a mask or a face shield? Yes, masks and face shields are both approved. Students are not required to wear a mask under their shield.
Can my child wear a neck gaiter/buff? Yes, these are also approved.
Does the mask have to be a Huggins uniform color? No. Masks may be any color or design. However, no inappropriate language or images will be allowed.
***Please note that BSN Sports has graciously donated Huggins Hounds lanyards that will be given to students on the first day of school. Students will be able to use these lanyard to attach their masks so that they do not get lost.
Please click below for more information regarding face coverings.
How the District Determines Disease Activity Levels
LCISD Calendar
Huggins Dress Code
Students can wear Huggins Spirit Wear or solid colored polos in red, white, navy, light blue or black any day of the week. Bottoms must be denim (no embellishments or tears), khaki, black, or navy blue athletic shorts, slacks, shorts, skirts, skorts, capris or a dress. A few days of the week have themes but students are not required to participate.
Monday - Leveling Up in 2020! Students are encouraged to wear a shirt/dress coordinating to our video game theme.
Thursday - Students can support Roberts Middle School, Leaman JH and Fulshear HS by wearing purple.
Friday - Huggins Spirit Day!