Falcon Flyer

Hi #FalconsNest Families,

In light of all the ever changing information that is out there regarding school, I will do my best to provide both a simplified view, and a more comprehensive view, of what we believe school will look like in the Fall.

I ask for your patience and respect throughout this entire process for our faculty and staff. I will always do my best to answer questions, provide information, and create an environment "in-person"' or virtually with our students well being and safety as a top priority. Go Falcons!

Sincerely,

Steve Crawford

Principal

A Simplified View

LISD currently is offering 2 formats with 100% Virtual Empowered Learning (VEL) and 100% in-person learning utilizing an alternating day (A/B) scheduling format with kids attending school every day.

Both models are intended to accomplish 3 major goals for at-home school and in-person school:

• Structure: Clear expectations for the learning process framework

• Effective Flow: Providing ability to align at-home and in-person learning structures to embrace change, choice and movement within both models

• Safety: Physical & emotional access to school

As a reminder, please note that LISD has announced that all students will begin school with 100% Virtual Empowered Learning for the first three weeks (August 13th through September 7th) of this school year. After that time period, families will select what learning option, 100% VEL (at home) or 100% in-person (on campus) works best for their family.

A Comprehensive View

Why are LISD Middle Schools moving to an 8 period A-day/B-day Bell Schedule?

LISD middle schools have decided to move to an 8 period A-day/B-day alternating block bell schedule for this school year. Like our LISD high schools, A-day will consist of class periods 1-4, and B-day will consist of class periods 5-8 on alternating days. For this school year, middle school students will attend any given class period every other day.

The decision to move to an A-day/B-day alternating block schedule with 90-minute class periods was made for several different reasons, but specifically because we believe it is what is best for student-learning during this time:

1. The optimal way to structure virtual instruction is to have a mix of synchronous (live interaction) and asynchronous learning within the same class period. With a 90 class period (45 minutes synchronous and 45 minutes asynchronous), there is time for the teacher to convene the whole class together to have a discussion, then move to small groups so students can process the information, and then pull the whole class back together for further discussion all within the synchronous instruction portion of the class period. If you try to divide a traditional 50-minute class period into synchronous/asynchronous, there is not enough time to do the synchronous instruction well within 25 minutes unless it’s a lecture every day with students taking notes; this is not optimal instruction for any student.

2. In order to staff both in-person and VEL, some teachers will be required to teach in both environments within the same school day (i.e. 4 sections of in-person and 2 sections of Virtual Empowered Learning). Thus, the bell schedule (start and end times for each class period) must be identical for both virtual school and in-person instruction.

3. For in-person instruction, after we are allowed back in the building, an alternating block schedule also cuts the number of passing periods in any given day by roughly half. Since passing periods are a time when students will not be able to maintain 6 feet of social distancing, reducing the number of passing periods reduces the likelihood of spreading the coronavirus.

What Does Socially Distanced “In-Person” Instruction Look Like?

LISD will start the school year from August 13th – September 7th with all students learning at home 100% in the Virtual Empowered Learning program. Once students are allowed to resume in-person instruction in the school building, the following procedures will be utilized daily:

• Morning Arrival: Unless there is a severe weather warning, students will not be allowed to enter the school building until 7:40 a.m. regardless of the weather outside (first period class begins at 8:10 a.m.). Please do not allow your child to arrive on campus before 7:40 a.m. to prevent students from congregating outside the building and increase the spread of coronavirus.

• Masks: Unless medically necessary and pre-approved by LISD school health officials in advance, all MS students are required to wear masks or appropriate facial coverings while on school property at all times unless eating/drinking, actively exercising in physical education, or supervised in some activity related to electives that cannot be accomplished while wearing a mask.

• Before School: Once the school doors are opened, students will be required to go immediately to their first period class of the day. Those students who wish to eat breakfast at school, will be given assigned seats in the cafeteria for breakfast and will then be required to go immediately to their first period class. Students will not be allowed to socially congregate before first period as is the usual practice at FPMS.

• Assigned Seating: Students will have assigned seats during all classes and during lunch every day. Assigned seats are necessary for the school to conduct contact tracing should there be a confirmed Covid-19 case at Four Points Middle School.

• Grade Level Hallways: We are moving teachers into groupings of rooms by grade-level or pods of ELA, Math, Science & SS to minimize the distance that students are traveling to classes and to allow for contact tracing if necessary.

• Desk Placement: Desks in classrooms will be facing forward and socially distanced as far apart as possible. Depending on the number of students who choose the in-person school option, we cannot guarantee the recommended 6 feet of spacing between student seats will occur but we will do our best to space out as recommended.

• Social Distancing In Classroom: While it goes against everything we have been working for as educators, students will not be allowed to work together in physical groups to collaborate this school year.

• Students will be able to collaborate electronically on documents using their mLISD devices or within the classroom from their socially distanced desks. Hands-on labs will be performed individually with lab materials cleaned before each student use.

• Teachers will be facilitating in-person instruction from the front of the classroom while maintaining social distancing from students whenever possible.

• Cafeteria/Food on Campus: In order to increase social distancing at lunch, FPMS is instituting two lunch periods for each grade level (6 lunches total). Students will sit in assigned seats during lunch with as much social distancing between each student as possible. Depending on the number of students who choose in-person instruction, we cannot guarantee 6 feet of social distancing.

• Other than in the cafeteria for lunch or breakfast, students will not be allowed to eat snacks in classrooms unless medically necessary and pre-approved by LISD health professionals. It is when students remove their masks to eat or drink that we have the greatest chance to spread coronavirus while at school.

• Please have your child bring a water bottle to school every day. In order to reduce the transmission of coronavirus, water fountains will be turned off in all LISD schools this year. The district is developing options to allow for students to refill their water bottles while at school, but a solution to this issue has not yet been finalized.

• Academic Lockers: Students will take their materials from class to class throughout the school day via backpacks; we will not be issuing lockers this school year to avoid students congregating. Student backpacks will be allowed in all classrooms this school year and we will be giving clear expectations for what students bring to school.

• Staggered Class Release Times: In order to reduce social congregation of students during the transition between classes (where contact tracing would be impossible), we will be staggering classes release to the next class period and closing off restroom use during this time. While we have traditionally asked students to wait till the end of class to use the restroom during their passing periods, this year it will be the opposite. Students will access the restrooms during their class periods where the number of students attempting to use the restroom at any given time is reduced.

• Afternoon Dismissal: At the end of the school day, we will stagger student release from their last period class. Students will remain in their classroom until they are released in groups:

• Students who ride the first wave of buses,

• Students who are walkers & bike riders leave campus,

• Students who are parent pick-up are released,

• Additional bus waves will be released as the buses arrive one-by-one.

What Does 100% Virtual Empowered Learning look like for my child?

Virtual Empowered Learning looks a lot like in-person instruction only done online. Each class period will be divided into 45 minutes of synchronous learning followed by 45 minutes of asynchronous learning. Synchronous learning will involve real-time, live instruction with the classroom teacher utilizing Google Meets and/or Zoom technology. With 45 minutes of synchronous instruction, many of the routines utilized by teachers in an “in-person” setting can be duplicated in a virtual session (lecture, whole-group discussion, small-group discussion, philosophical chairs, Socratic dialog, lab demonstrations, etc.).

During asynchronous learning, students can utilize their critical thinking skills to develop responses to questions or problems posed during synchronous instruction, demonstrate the creation of knowledge through research and project work, or complete other homework assignments. Teachers are still available during asynchronous instruction time to provide feedback to students virtually through small-group or individual zoom sessions and real-time feedback on electronically generated google documents.

#NurturingTheNest

#BetterTogether

LISD is asking parents to make a decision before school starts on how they wish to continue their child’s learning experience once we are allowed back into the building. The following district “Launch to Learning” documents provide more detailed descriptions about how LISD plans to open schools in August:

• COVID-19 Health Response Handbook

• Teaching and Learning Guide

• Special Programs Guide

August 5th -

6th Grade Pick-Up and Drop Off:

• 6th graders will come to pick up their Lenovo computer at the following times:

• A-F : 8 am - 10 am

• G-L: 10 am - 12 pm

• M-R: 1 pm - 3 pm

• S-Z: 3 - 5 pm

• If a 6th grader has a Chromebook from their elementary school they will drop it off while collecting their Lenovo

• For easy pick up we recommend any 6th grader coming to pick up a device will need to pay through MLISD by 8 am on August 4th.

7th & 8th Grade Pick-Up:

• Any student picking up a Lenovo device for their 7th or 8th grade year will come any time between 8 am and 4 pm.

• For easy pick up we recommend any 7th or 8th grader coming to pick up a device will need to pay through MLISD by 8 am on August 4th.

Distribution: (All grades)

• To collect your Lenovo Device and drop off your Chrome book please pull through the bus lanes located across from Monroe stadium.

1. Parents will be asked to enter the campus parking lot closest to Monroe Stadium

2. They will be asked to pull around the big U and into the bus lane into a numbered spot

1. There will be two lanes for pick-up and drop off of computers

3. As parents pull up staff members will come to their vehicle, wearing masks and gloves, and type their child’s name(s) into a Google Form; at this time the staff member will retrieve any Chromebooks the student(s) are dropping off

4. Susan Mannas and the MLISD team will look up student names to make sure they have paid:

1. Iif the student has paid they will issue a Lenovo device and log-on directions for at home log-in

2. If the student has not paid a member we will let them know they have not paid, please ask to see receipt of payment, if not receipt hand them the information for how to pay or apply for a scholarship

1. Option to pay online

Yearbooks - pick up from 8am - 5pm

Parents, please make sure you have logged in to the HAC and "registered' your student, so your student's information is up-to-date. It is required that all students have completed Returning Student Registration process. The "Guardian 1" contact for each student should have received an email last week with instructions on how to complete this task.

We want to thank our parents who have logged in to register a returning student. We understand families might be experiencing some challenges, which has led to an influx of ticket submissions. Please know we are trying our best to provide you the technical support you need. You can help us out by taking note of the following to ensure we can address your needs in the timeliest manner.

How do I get started?
Log onto Home Access Center.

1. Click on the Registration Icon

2. Click on the Update Enrollment Tab

3. Click on Start

4. You will need to complete the registration for each student on your HAC account

Visit http://www.leanderisd.org/registration to access a guide that includes these steps.

Using the Chrome browser provides the best experience.

For technical support, visit our PowerSchool Community help center or click “Help” or “Contact Us” from any form page. If you just need to reset your password, you can call the campus at 512-570-3715 instead of submitting the help ticket.

Our goal is to provide students with increased access to digital content, resources and devices to support learning anytime, anywhere. The mLISD program has been specifically created to make the best use of our resources in order to support student engagement in learning.

A fee of $70 is required to participate in this program for the 2020-21 school year. The fee for students on free and reduced lunch is $35. You can sign up and pay for your student’s mLISD maintenance fee by clicking here. All newly participating students including incoming sixth-grade students who pay for their fee will be issued their device at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. Plans to distribute laptops will be communicated at a later date.

Scholarship opportunities are available. Please contact mlisd@leanderisd.org for more information. Please include the following information in your email:

• The student’s name

• Campus

• Student ID number

• Parent phone number

Current Participating Students

If your student currently has a laptop in their possession that was issued during the 2019-2020 school year, they will need to participate in the program to keep their device for the upcoming school year. Incoming ninth-grade students, who choose to participate, will receive a new laptop at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. If the maintenance fee is not paid by [enter date] the device will need to be returned to the campus.

To ensure essential updates are received providing proper performance and functionality for the coming school year, devices must be powered on and used at least one time each week. The laptop should be powered on for approximately two to three hours during this time. For additional information regarding the mLISD program click here.

For more information on mLISD please click HERE.

From Susan Mannas - FPMS Campus Tech

Preparing for Empowered Virtual Learning

Students and Parents, planning ahead will be important to your success during virtual learning. Here are some initial steps to prepare yourself for the start of school on August 13th.

· Ensure you have appropriate technology with access to the internet (personal device or school issued computer). Mobile phones are not sufficient for virtual learning.

· Get connected to your LISD Gmail -- this will be an important line of communication.

· Set up a designated “classroom” area. i.e.- Table or Desk, tech set-up, space to work with minimal distraction.

· Begin to prepare for school hours 8:10 - 3:25 (note adjusted school hours beginning 2020-21 school year).

Student Technology

Students who are in possession of a mLISD laptop will need to pay the $70 mLISD Maintenance Fee by Wednesday August 5th in order to retain possession of the laptop for the 2020-21 school year. The fee for students on free/reduced lunch is $35 and will be reflected on the payment screen. If you are in need of financial assistance, please contact mlisd@leanderisd.org for scholarship information and include the following information in your email: Campus, Student Name, ID Number, and Parent Phone Number. If you would prefer to return your mLISD laptop, please email susan.mannas@leanderisd.org to schedule an appointment to return your device.

Tech Tips

It is recommended that students turn on and login to their laptops at least once a week leading up to the start of school to allow it to download and install any updates. Doing so daily is ideal.

If a student can’t remember their password, they should visit passwords.leanderisd.org to reset it. It may ask them to answer their security questions. If they are still unable to login please have them call the Help Desk at 512-570-5266.​

Please call the main line phone number if you need any assistance: 512-570-3700.

• July 20 - July 31: Monday - Thursday 8:00-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-5:00 p.m. by appointment ONLY
• Starting August 3: Monday - Friday regular hours

If your current 6th, 7th, or 8th grade student will not be returning to an LISD school for the 2020-2021 school year, please email our registrar, Sohela Griego at sohela.griego@leanderisd.org for help in this process. Please include where your student will be attending school for the upcoming school year.

The construction to update the security of the front entry to FPMS has begun. When completed, the entry will feature a secured vestibule.

You will see construction workers and activity on campus. Please remember, that during this time, our campus is still closed.

At the May 21 Board Meeting (opens in a new window), Trustees approved new school times for the 2020–21 school year. Start and end times for elementary, middle and high school are listed below. For campus-specific schedule information, please refer to the school website.

Elementary School: 7:40 a.m.- 2:55 p.m.

Middle School: 8:10 a.m.- 3:25 p.m.

High School: 8:40 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

August 5th - 6th Grade Virtual Falcon Camp, All grades laptop and yearbook distribution

August 11th - 6th Grade Virtual Open House

August 13th - First day of classes start online through Virtual Empowered Learning

August 18th - 7th & 8th grade Virtual Open House

Website: https://fpms.leanderisd.org/
Phone: 512-570-3700
Twitter: @steve_principal