Skaggs Elementary Newsletter
December 17, 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Our teachers have been working endlessly to bring normalcy, fun, and rigor to our learning. As I joined the virtual assemblies today, I marveled at the amount of preparation and daily planning they do to show each child how important they are to our Skaggs community.
Yesterday, we were super excited to recognize Mrs. Estep as our 2021 Teacher of the Year. At the same time, we were able to see how our school is packed with the most dedicated teachers. We are grateful for their urgency for their students.
And, of course, our Stars complete the uniqueness of our school. I may be biased, but I don't think that there is another school that is filled with students like ours. They are smart, motivated, and disciplined. But most importantly, they are kind and compassionate! They truly care! Their words and actions prove it every day; know that when I say "they" I include all of our students. It is always a challenge for us to pick the Principal Award winners each nine weeks. Please check below for those students who were recognized at the assembly today.
I am proud and humbled to be a part of this school. I honestly cannot ask for more because I have the best job!
Thank you, thank you! I wish you a wonderful winter break with your family!
Karen Lee
Early Release Tomorrow (12/18) at 12:00 PM
Important Dates
December 18 - winter fun day/early release at 12:00
December 21 - January 4 - winter break
January 5 - school resumes/start of 3rd Nine Weeks - changes to learning environment take effect/report cards available for grades 3-5 in parent portal
January 8 - science & engineering fair projects are due
Jan. 11-15 - College Week (see attached parent letter)
Jan. 18 - MLK Holiday
Jan. 28 - Spring Picture Day
Feb. 8-12 - Friendship Week
Feb. 12 - Friendship Parties
Feb. 15-16 - Student Holidays
Teacher of the Year
Congratulations! PTA Reflections
Many of our students received awards at the District/Council Level. From there, only ONE Award of Excellence per group could move on to represent Plano ISD for a total of 23 items across all age groups and categories. One of those is our own student! Rohith Krishnan! Way to go, Rohit!
Congratulations - MLK Writing Contest Winner
Changes to Definitions of Close Contact and Quarantine Period - effective January 1
In collaboration with the Collin County Health Services Department and Dr. Gamber, our Public Health Authority, the definition of a close contact will be revised on January 1, 2021. Additionally, the quarantine period will be revised to align with the Centers for Disease Control updates.
- revised close contact definition = Being within 6 feet of an infectious person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more during a 24-hour period; additional factors, such as consistent and proper masking, may affect this determination.
- proper masking = both the infectious individual and potential close contact are wearing a multi-layer face mask that covers the nose and mouth and fits around the nose and chin.
- revised quarantine period (for those considered close contacts) = 10 days
Free Meals for Students Extended
The United States Department of Agriculture has extended nationwide flexibilities which allow all Plano ISD students to receive free breakfast and lunch through the end of the school year.
Weekly meal bundles will be available every Tuesday after winter break starting January 5, 2021. Meals will be provided from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and 4:45-6:00 p.m. at Clark, McMillen, Shepton, Vines, and Williams high schools. Anyone picking up meals for students, without the student present, must bring appropriate documentation in the form of a school issued ID, report card, parent portal attendance summary form, or birth certificate. For more information, visit our website at www.pisd.edu/grabandgo.
2021-2022 Plano School Calendar Approved
The Plano ISD 2021-2022 school calendar was adopted by the Plano ISD Board of Trustees at the December 8 meeting. The first day of school for students will be Wednesday, August 11, 2021, and the last day of school will be Friday, May 27, 2022.
Family Holiday Food Distribution
Minnie’s Food Pantry is hosting a holiday family food distribution this Saturday, December 19, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at 661 18th Street in Plano. Distribution will include boxes of non-perishable items, along with fresh meat, fresh produce, dairy and bakery items (while supplies last). For more information, visit the Minnie’s Food Pantry website.
Words at Heart
2nd - 5th graders, Plano West Senior High will be offering a program called Words to Heart which will pair up high schoolers with Skaggs students. The goal is building connections, providing an older student for our stars to talk to during these challenging times.
This program will start in December and continue through the 2020-21 school year. Students who sign up will be expected to write one letter once a month. Students will receive a google classroom reminder to write their letter and suggestions of topics to write about. F2F students can bring their letters to school on their scheduled date; remote learners will be able to drop their letters off at Skaggs.
There are 43 slots available on a first-come first-served basis. Sign up here if you're interested.
Plano ISD After School Coding Club Supported by Finastra Volunteers
Plano ISD and Finestra are partnering to offer free after school coding clubs for elementary students in grades three to five starting Monday, January 25, 2021. Interested students will need to complete a Google form to request to participate. There are limited spots with a waitlist for possible additional spots. Priority will be given on a first submitted first selected basis. 2021 dates will prioritize students who have not yet participated in this opportunity during the spring semester.
Each session will include a short introduction about Finastra and an hour of code activity. Sessions, including breakout rooms, will be supervised by Dan Blier, Computer Science Curriculum Specialist, Plano ISD. Volunteers will be background checked through the district’s volunteer system, Voly. In some cases, breakout rooms may be facilitated by senior high computer science students.
All sessions will be held online from 3:30 p.m. - 4: 30 p.m.
Monday, January 25 from 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Monday, February 22 from 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Monday, March 22 from 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Monday, April 19 from 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
By signing up to participate in this after school coding club, the student has permission to participate in the dates selected. Students will need a charged Chromebook and Internet access to participate in this program. The program will be offered completely virtual. Upon entering the program sessions’ Zoom, students will need to enter with their first and last name in the Zoom window for safety and security reasons. Students will participate in this program from home. No prior programming experience is needed.
To request to participate in this program, please complete the following form by Friday, January 15, 2021. Students should have parent(s) permission prior to completing the form.
Questions about this program should be directed to Dan Blier, Computer Science Curriculum Specialist, at dan.blier@pisd.edu.
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Supporting Kids in Plano - Donations Requested
Skaggs PTA is excited to partner with Wize Academy this Spring for Online Coding and Robotics Club afterschool. Please see the flyer for more details and registration information. We have limited need-based scholarships for qualifying students. Please email SkaggsElemPTA@gmail.com with questions.
Parent WhatsApp Groups
As a benefit of your membership in PTA, we are now organizing grade-level parent/guardian groups through WhatsApp to provide a place for parents to connect. This way, being able to communicate with each other doesn't depend on if you already know other parents at school. It's an equal opportunity for everybody to get "in the know" without any "who you know" barriers.
**Please answer the questions in the google form to help us create the grade-level groups. We will send out invitation links to every member who completes the survey when we launch. Parents and guardians must EACH submit a form individually.**
Minted Fundraiser
Skaggs Elementary PTA is proud to partner with Minted this holiday season for a unique fundraising program that provides 20% off on holiday cards from October through December.
Minted will donate 15% of all purchases to Skaggs PTA. This is open to all Skaggs family and friends: visit minted.com and use our promo code at checkout: FUNDRAISESKAGGS.
It's that easy - you save 20% and Skaggs PTA gets 15% of your purchase!
Yard Card Fundraiser
Skaggs PTA is partnering with Yard Card Queen, your go-to yard greeting company. 20% of every order placed using the promo code SKAGGS will be donated to our school. Head over to https://yardcardqueen.com/mckinney now to reserve your sign. Watch Skaggs front lawn during Red Ribbon week at the end of October to see what Yard Card Queen can do.
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Phone 469-752-3300|Fax 469-752-3301