I think it's fair to say this is not the Spring Break that any of us anticipated. I sincerely hope that you and your family are able to find some relaxation this week. By now, you are aware that PfISD is closed through March 27th. What happens after March 27th is to still to be determined; however, I am confident that district leadership will make a decision that emphasizes the health and safety of our community. Please know that when we know what instruction will look like beyond March 27th, we will share that information with families.
For the remainder of this week, I encourage all families to relax and reconnect in the spirit of spring break. The students worked very hard going into this break, the rest is well-deserved. When you are ready, if you need/want access to educational resources, students can access information through PfISD.net using the student log in and passwords.
Internet Educational Resources via PfSID
Online Textbooks Link. This link will bring you a page with a list of textbooks that have online versions (elementary through high school) for a variety of subjects. For middle school, you will find access to their math, science, and social studies textbooks. To access the textbooks, students use their s# and password. If you have an elementary or high school student, this link will also show you how to access those resources. There are AP textbook resources for Spanish as well as other high school subjects for older students trying to prepare for AP exams.
Clever Link. There are some resources on the Clever site (students use this at school); however, many of them require additional log ins or teacher direction. The PBS link does have videos for math and sicence with middle school level topics that do not require teacher direction.
Khan Academy Link. Some students may already be familiar with Khan Academy for math support; but there are many more academic subjects available (all core subjects). This site provides short videos on various topics with knowledge checks. Students enrolled in Math 6 through Math 8 would use the pre-algebra links for math support.
Standardized Tests
STAAR: At this time, we know Governor Abbott has waived mandatory STAAR testing for students. According to the TEA Website, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath will "issue formal guidance as those [sic] changes are finalized" by Thursday, March, 19. The US Department of Education has provided limited information about waiving the federal requirement for testing. Hopefully, we will have more infomation when Commissioner Morath issues the formal guidance. Students that participate in TELPAS testing have already completed those requirements.
AP Testing: We have a few students that take AP exams in May. At this time, the College Board has committed to flexibility to help schools and students maintain instruction and testing opportunities. How AP tests will be administered appears to be linked to whether the school is open during the dates of testing and the amount of distruption to learning. If your student was planning on the SAT or ACT test, please review the College Board site for more information.
Extra-Curricular Events
UIL has suspended all UIL events through March 29. We will communicate whether our UIL events (athletic and academic) will be postponed and completed at a later date or cancelled as soon as we know. The decision to postpone or cancel will be directly tied to the return to instruction plan (date of return and format of instruction).
Campus-Specific events. These events will either be postponed or cancelled when we know the return to instruction plan. We will communicate those decisions as quickly as possible.
Events planned week of March 23-27:
NJHS Meeting - March 23 - cancelled
District Track Meet - March 24 & 25; awaiting postponement or cancellation decision
NJHS Meeting - March 23 - cancelled
Musical rehearsals - cancelled
Spirit Assemblies - March 27; postponement or cancellation dependent on return to campus date
Events after March 27 are dependent on the return to instruction plan (dates listed below are the planned dates prior to closure). Our goal will be to maintain events as much as possible with potential format or date changes.
NJHS Induction - March 30 (postponed to ensure adequate time to complete and return packets, date TBD)
CAAC Meeting - March 31 (will happen until the school/district is closed, information will be provided to CAAC members)
Footloose Jr., the musical - April 16-18
8th grade panoramic picture - April 21
GT Showcase - April 21
Band Trips - April 29 and May 9
Athletic EOY Awards - April 28 & 29
Jr. Vase competition - May 2
8th grade dance - May 2
PTO Meeting - May 4
CAAC Meeting - May 6 (will happen until the school/district is closed, information will be provided to CAAC members)
Spring Band Concerts - week of May 18
Bookfair - week of May 18
8th grade EOY trip & Reward Day- May 26
Knight Out - May 27
EOY Awards ceremony - May 28
Please stay safe. The act of social distancing helps to protect the entire community and promotes community wellness over individual desires. As we practice social distancing, I am reminded how this need is related to our campus vision and mission.
Vision: We will produce life-long learners who have the capacity to be critical thinkers,
are ready to accept challenges, and have the resilience to overcome adversity.
are ready to accept challenges, and have the resilience to overcome adversity.
Mission: We will provide purposefully designed learning activities that:
Challenge all students to excel,
Engage all students in service learning opportunities,
Emphasize the strength of the school community over individual gain,
Value problem-solving and critical thinking over basic comprehension.
As always, I appreciate your committement and support for the KLMS Knight Community,
Dina Schaefer