Crockett Cougar Chatter

As you can see from this month's Crockett Cougar Chatter, September was a busy month for our staff and students and October is even more packed with exciting and important events. I'm so proud of all the work that our teachers and staff are doing in each department and PLC, and I am inspired by the hard work of each of our amazing students. Colin Powell once said, "If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude." I think these words are so true, so I encourage all of us to think in this way - even when we think we're done, let's look for ways to get a little bit better than before. It's one of the things we can do to keep rising to the top, and to continue making Crockett High School, Always Victorious!

Crockett High School will be administering the PSAT to all 10th and 11th graders and to 9th graders in the Einstein and Early College High School programs on Wednesday, October 11th. Student room assignments for the first half of the day will be posted the day of PSAT.

9th graders will participate in a variety of small group activities geared towards graduation requirements, career interests, and colleges.

10th & 11th graders will take the PSAT.

12th graders will take the TSI and/or work on college applications, scholarships, college essays, and/or financial presentations.

We will be running the following alternative bell schedule.

9:00 – 12:40 - PSAT & 9th and 12th grade activities

12:40 – 1:20 - Lunch

1:25 – 2:07 - 1st period

2:11 – 2:58 - 2nd period

3:03 – 3:44 - 3rd period

3:49 – 4:30 - 4th period

Crockett High School extends a sincere thanks to South Austin Church for sending approximately 50 volunteers to work on various beautification projects for our campus. They hung pictures, painted a classroom, covered a bulletin board, donated picnic tables, cleaned around our auto mechanics area, and made our tennis shed look like new! We are always thankful when community members invest in our school and our students.

Crockett After School Tutoring (CAST)

CAST will begin on Monday, October 2nd from 4:30-6:00 in the CHS library.

Mondays and Wednesdays - Math and Social Studies Tutoring

Tuesdays and Thursdays - English and Science Tutoring

CAST will be open for general tutorials and for students to redo assignments, if necessary. If students need to redo assignments they need to get the work from their teacher prior to attending CAST.

CAST can also be used to get attendance hours for credit recovery. If students are only there for attendance recovery, they can read a book or study. Cell phones will not be permitted, unless the assignment the student is working on requires it.

JUMPSTART

Any students who failed the following Spring 2017 courses (pending course enrollment numbers) can register for Jumpstart with their counselor.

(ALG 1, ENG 1, ENG 2, BIO, CHEMISTRY, GEOMETRY, W. HISTORY, W. GEOGRAPHY)

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays From Oct. 10th - Nov. 16th

4:30 - 4:45 PM Snacks Served

4:45 - 6:35 PM Teacher Lead Instruction

The time is almost here! Crockett students will be receiving Chromebooks in January. For more information about the Chromebooks and to give parent consent for issuing the device, please visit the website below.

https://my.austinisd.org/apps/Devices/consent.jsp

https://my.austinisd.org/apps/Devices/consentSP.jsp (SPN)

* Tuesday, October 3rd are Piano recitals in the Choir Room, 5th, 6th and 7th Periods. Faculty and Staff are invited to attend (if they have that period free).

* Selected Varsity Girls are auditioning for Region Choir on Saturday, October 14th at Bowie HS.

* Tuesday, October 17th is the FALL CHOIR/Piano CONCERT, at 6:00 pm in the Crockett PAC. All are invited, and it is FREE!!

As always, thank you for your support of these singers and pianists!

Don't forget underclassmen picture day is October 2nd and 3rd! Picture taking will be held on the cafeteria stage during English classes. Teachers, please remind students to bring their order forms with them! Crockett Staff will be taking their yearbook photos the same days during their off periods as well! Retakes are scheduled for November 13th for those who could not make the initial dates.

Life Skills science classes weeded the Crockett garden to ready it for fall planting. The weather was warm and sweat poured, but with the rain, the ground will be much easier to plant. Be on the lookout for vegetables and herbs to start sprouting soon!

Engineering students investigated the evolution of imagery from year 1800 to present. The class constructed a classroom-size camera obscura that was able to capture the images of trees situated outside the classroom. Below is a picture of the engineering students working with the camera obscura.

If you would like to purchase a Texan Yearbook at the lowest price of the year, please place your order before October 31st! Yearbooks are currently $50 with a 3-payment plan available to those who do not want to pay full price at once. You and your students can order yours at jostensyearbooks.com. (Make sure you pick Crockett High School in Austin, TX to order the correct yearbook.)

The Crockett boys' basketball program is hard at work preparing for the upcoming season, which will officially tip off on Tuesday, Nov. 14, with the second annual "Meet the Cougars Night" in the Crockett Gym starting at 6 p.m. Head coach Derrick Davis will introduce the 2017-18 Varsity squad, and they are looking to build on last season's success when they earned a trip to the state playoffs! The Freshman and JV squads will be introduced as well, and there will be music, food, prize giveaways and even an intrasquad scrimmage. So come out and Meet the Cougars!

What is Standards-Based Grading (SBG)?

A philosophy that student grades should reflect what standards they know and calls on teachers to design all instruction and assessments around those standards.

Why SBG?

SBG gives students a meaningful, realistic learning experience. It is transparent and allows for growth.

SBG Creates:

• Intentional instruction
• A system where progress can be measured per standard
• Accurate representation of knowledge
• A reduction in the number of inaccurate and/or inflated grades
• Dialogue between students and teacher about the standards
• A trusting environment that does not penalize students for mistakes made while learning

Standards Based Grading (SBG) Policies for 2017-2018 School Year

• 90% category and 10% category split (90% Power Standard Category And 10% Daily Category)
• 90% grades are all based on power standards assessed with a scaled rubric
• Minimum of one grade per week and minimum of six grades per 6-weeks
• Minimum of three 90% grades per 6-weeks
• 90% grades need to be entered the Monday before the 6-weeks grading period ends to allow students time to redo work during the final week of the 6-weeks grading period.
• Assessments can be done the final week of the 6-weeks, however, they will be put into the next 6-week grading period
• Redo work not done within a 6-weeks MUST be completed by progress report time of the next 6-weeks
• Students can retake as many times as they want without penalty prior to the next progress report following a 6-weeks grading period
• If students retake and score lower, they keep the higher of two grades

Please read the following important information regarding final exam exemptions for fall 2017:

1. Students who have earned exemptions are expected to be in attendance for the final and must be at school. Students cannot miss school and still legally be counted present. If you do not show up to the class on the day of the final exam, you will get a zero on the exam.

2. Exemptions will be granted per class. Based on attendance and grade average, students may be exempted from taking their final exam(s) in courses if ALL of the following criteria are met:

• 85 average for the semester average (1st, 2nd, and 3rd six weeks)
  
• No more than 2 absences for the fall semester, beginning October 2, 2017
  
• No more than 2 tardies for the fall semester, beginning October 2, 2017

3. Exemption from a course’s final exam is NOT granted to a student if he/she:

• has been home school suspended
  
• has been required to attend ALC
  
• has obligations or fines
  

4. AP courses may be excluded from exemptions. There will be NO exemptions for SPURS, OnRamps, and ACC dual credit courses.

5. After the semester average has been finalized, the semester average will be used as the final exam grade.

Crockett High School would like to extend our congratulations to Coach Rodriguez and Mr. Cater. Both welcomed new additions to their family.

Xávi Ezequiel Rodriguez is the newest addition to the Rodriguez family born on Friday, September 15th.

Mr. Cater and his wife, Elizabeth, had a baby girl, Heidi Laura Cater. She was born Friday, September 29th.

Welcome to the Cougar family, Xávi and Heidi. We will see y'all soon. CHS Class of 2036!

The Austin ISD Board of Trustees called for a November 7, 2017 bond election. The $1,050,984,000 bond calls for the modernization or new construction of 16 campuses, while also updating nearly every campus with critically needed capital improvement projects. For more information on how it will impact Crockett High School, please click here.

Austin ISD is hosting a series of informational open houses to learn more about the 2017 Bond and how it could affect each campus. Meetings are 5:30–7:30 p.m. For the full schedule, click here. There will be one meeting held at Crockett ECHS on October 5, 2017. A districtwide open house will be 11 a.m.–1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21, with presentations at 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.

For more information, please visit AISDFuture.com, email future@austinisd.org or call 512-414-9595. For campus-specific information, please visit our bond projects page and choose a school from one of the dropdown menus.

Early voting is Oct. 23–Nov. 3, and Election Day is Nov. 7.

Our Crockett Cougar athletes are already hard at work preparing for fall sports. Check out the football and volleyball schedules below. We are looking forward to packed stands to support and cheer on our mighty cougars!

VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE CLICK HERE

FOOTBALL SCHEDULE CLICK HERE

TENNIS SCHEDULE CLICK HERE

AISD ATHLETIC INFORMATION AND IMPORTANT FORMS CLICK HERE

Future Important Dates

October 3: Volleyball @ LBJ 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm

October 5: Late Start Day

October 5: Freshmen and JV Football @ Travis 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm

October 5: AISD Bond Informational Open-House, Crockett ECHS Cafeteria 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

October 6: Volleyball vs. Austin High - Parent appreciation night 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm

October 6: Varsity Football vs. Travis 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm

October 9: NO SCHOOL-Student Holiday/Staff Planning & Prep/Adopt a Spot Beautification Day

October 10: Volleyball @ Travis 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm

October 11: PSAT & 9th and 12th grade activities 9:00 am to 12:40 pm

October 13: Volleyball @ Lanier 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm

October 13: Fall Show: Annie Jr. 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

October 14:Tex-Ann Boosters Rummage Sale

October 14: Annie Jr. 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

October 15: Annie Jr. 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

October 17: Volleyball vs. McCallum 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm

October 17: Choir/Piano Fall Concert 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm

October 19: Freshmen and JV Football vs. McCallum 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm

October 20: Volleyball @ Ann Richards 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm

October 20: Varsity Football @ McCallum 7:30 pm to 11:30 pm

October 23: Homecoming Parade

October 24: Volleyball vs. Reagan - Senior Appreciation Night 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm

October 25: Homecoming Dinner and Pep Rally

October 25: Freshmen and JV Football @ Lanier 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm

October 26: Varsity Football vs. Lanier - Homecoming 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm

November 10: NO SCHOOL - Student Holiday/Staff Planning & Prep Day

November 14: Meet the Cougars Night (CHS Boys Basketball), Big Gym at 6:00 pm

November 29: Late Start Day

CROCKETT VERTICAL TEAM AISD Calendar

Kori Crawford

Principal

Email: kori.crawford@austinisd.org
Website: www.crocketths.org
Location: 5601 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX, United States
Phone: (512) 414-2532
Twitter: @AustinCrockett