Cougar Community Newsletter

Happy Friday Cougars,

This week I am highlighting initiatives Jarrell ISD is taking to build solid avenues of meaningful communication with all stakeholders.

I have to give kudos to our Board of Trustees because a culture of communication comes from the top. Our Board is committed to listening to our students, parents, staff and community members, and I am proud this commitment drives their approach to governance.

Likewise, I cannot say enough how wonderful our partnership with the City of Jarrell is. Last year, the City of Jarrell and the Jarrell Police Department generously donated $45,000 worth of radios to enhance the district's communication with local first responders. I meet regularly with city leaders to share how we can work together. City Manager Vanessa Shrauner is even purposefully seeking student input in our city design. This is a wonderful example of bringing our students into the conversation.

As we shared last week, we met with area faith leaders and ministers to listen and collaborate. The question was asked “how can we work together to better serve our community as a whole?” We had a great meeting and those conversations will continue into the future. We will be meeting with area realtors on October 5 with a similar agenda. (Interested? Sign up below.)

I am particularly excited to share that next week, our Superintendent Student Advisory Committees are kicking off, and Staff Advisory Committee meetings are soon to follow. These meetings are focused on two questions -- “what do you like at your campus/district?” and “what would you like to change?” Great feedback came from these conversations last year and much of that feedback led to positive change. I am eager to hear from our students and staff this year.

Our campus principals are working to build two-way communication avenues too. They will be holding student advisory meetings in the near future and also scheduling open informal brown bag lunches with parents in the weeks to come. Stay tuned for more information.

At the district level, the School Health Advisory Committee will have its first meeting of the school year on Sept. 29 (details are below). This is a great opportunity for parents and community members to join the conversation around student health and wellbeing.

And of course, formal data is invaluable to guiding improvement too. Please be on the lookout for a formal climate survey coming next month. Your voice matters.

Please enjoy this beautiful weather and have a great weekend.

Go Cougars,

Toni Hicks, Ed.D.

Above: At the September 24 home football game, the 2021 Jarrell Education Foundation Grant Winners were recognized. The Jarrell Education Foundation gave out more than $19,000 in grants to Jarrell ISD teachers last spring. Learn more about JEF. Give today!

The Jarrell High School Fishing Team is already making waves! Congrats to Garrett Phalen, Tyler Howe, Ty Chase and Daniel Farr for their 5th place ranking after the first tournament of the 2021-2022 Central Texas High School Tournament Trail season and to Garrett and Tyler for placing 18th! Go Cougars! This is a parent-led program. For more information visit the Jarrell Fishing Team Facebook page.

On September 22, Jarrell ISD celebrated our awesome Information Technology staff here in Jarrell ISD. These men and women work hard to ensure our students and staff have the resources they need, and much of their essential work happens behind the scenes. We say THANK YOU to Jay Olivier, Manuel Sarabia, Matt Sarabia, Matthew Donnell, Pattrick Vasquez and Laura Cosper. They are a rock-solid team!

The Jarrell ISD community is very excited to welcome students, parents, staff, alumni and all community members to our homecoming festivities.

PARADE - October 13
Jarrell High School is hosting a homecoming parade Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. The parade will start at Jarrell Middle School and end at the entrance to the Homeplace. Wear your blue and cheer on the Cougars!

Interested in entering the parade? Sign up here. Donations are being accepted for entry fees.

Questions? Email: jenny.arnold85@yahoo.com or Jess_bolyard@yahoo.com.

COMMUNITY HOMECOMING PEP RALLY - October 13
Jarrell High School is hosting a homecoming pep rally at 7:30 p.m at Cougar Stadium following the parade. It will be a wonderful event. We hope to see you there!

HOMECOMING GAME- October 15
The Cougars will play Robinson for Homecoming on Friday, October 15. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. Tailgaters may set up in the parking lot at 6 p.m. An alumni tent will be available, and bar-b-que will be available for purchase. Alumni will have a designated section in the stands and will be recognized during the game.

ALUMNI SHIRTS
Special shirts are available for purchase $10 now through September 30. Shirts may be picked up at the Central Office Administration prior to the game.

ORDER HERE.

(sizes available Youth: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large and Adult: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, XX-Large, and XXX-Large).

Alumni webpage.

Remote Conferencing Available for COVID-positive Students and Students in Quarantine

Jarrell ISD is supporting all students who need to stay at home for COVID-positive test results or because of close contact to a positive case of COVID-19. JISD is offering remote conferencing to support students during this time. If your student meets the eligibility criteria, they may qualify for remote conferencing.

Eligible students include the following as listed by TEA (Texas Education Agency):

These two requirements must be met:

• The student is unable to attend school because of a temporary medical condition.

• The total amount of remote conferencing instruction does not exceed more than 20 instructional days over the entirety of the school year.

In addition, one of the following requirements also must be met:

• The student’s temporary medical condition is documented by a physician licensed to practice in the United States. The documentation must include a statement from the physician that the student is to remain confined to their home or to a hospital.

• The student has a positive test result for a communicable condition listed in 25 TAC §97.7.

• The student has been identified as having been in close contact with COVID-19.

Remote conferencing instructional support is a short-term opportunity allowing your child to stay within the 90% attendance requirement and not fall behind on assignments while absent. Please note, this is not remote instruction. Instead, this setting will provide up to four hours of synchronous (live) per day of teacher support from an online facilitator to assist students with assignment completion. There is also one required daily attendance meeting that is mandatory for students to be counted present for the day. To the extent possible, a dedicated certified teacher will be designated to provide the remote conferencing support throughout the duration of the student's time in this temporary setting, but it will not be the students’ teacher of record.

Please note, if you are electing this option because of COVID-positive or close

contact, you will need to provide documentation to your campus.

Any parent who wishes to have their child participate in remote conferencing will need to complete a registration form found on the Remote Conferencing website.

An email will be sent out to the students’ JISD email address when they are accepted into Remote Conferencing with instructions on how to access it. Additionally, more

information will be shared with parents/guardians.

For more information, visit the Remote Conferencing website.

Jarrell ISD is reporting exciting progress is being made on the 2021 Bond projects. Project managers are providing updates at the Bond Community Updates on the same days as the monthly School Board meetings at 5:30 p.m. at the Jarrell ISD Central Administration Building.

At the September Bond Community meeting, project managers shared the following updates:

• Jarrell High School safety improvements are underway and a new camera system is being installed.
• The schematic design for the athletic facilities was approved by the Board of Trustees on September 15. Construction plans are now underway.
• We are very pleased to share that baseball and softball turf installation is in progress. A groundbreaking was held September 18. Thanks to the foresight and leadership of the Board of Trustees, this project is on track to be completed ahead of schedule and in time for the spring 2022 seasons.
• Elementary School #3 construction plans will be complete by mid-October. The project will then start the bidding process. The groundbreaking ceremonies for Elementary #3 are being planned for November.
• The schematic design processes have begun for the expansions of Jarrell Middle School expansion and the Transportation center.
• And Jarrell ISD is in the process of acquiring land for two future school sites.

In overseeing the status of voter-approved 2021 Bond projects, the Board of Trustees is making proactive, thoughtful planning decisions and is focused on future growth.

Updates will be shared following the Community Bond Update meeting October 27 at 5:30 p.m.

Beginning Monday, Sept. 27, SmartTags will be required for students to access bus services in Jarrell ISD. Email questions to Transportation@Jarrellisd.org

More and more families are choosing to make Jarrell ISD their home. In our ongoing efforts to build meaningful partnerships, Jarrell ISD is inviting local realtors interested in learning more about the district to a meeting on Tuesday, October 5 at 2 p.m. at 508 N. 5th Street in Jarrell. If you are a realtor and are interested in attending this meeting RSVP here.

Jarrell ISD believes that parent and community involvement in our schools supports student success. We are seeking volunteers to help out inside our schools and mentors to work directly with students. If you are interested in serving our school community as a volunteer or mentor, sign up today. More information is available on the Jarrell ISD website.

Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success. Even as children grow older and more independent, families and community members play a key role in making sure all students get to school every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and on the job.

Make school attendance a priority

• Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day.
• Help your children maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
• Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day. If it is unavoidable, try to schedule appointments in the afternoon.
• If your children must stay home because they are sick, make sure they have asked teachers for resources and materials to make up for the missed learning time in the classroom. If your child tests positive for COVID-19 or is a close contact with a positive case, contact your child's teacher about Remote Conferencing.

Help your child stay engaged in school

• Find out if your children feel engaged by their classes, and feel safe from bullies and other threats.
• Make sure your children are not missing class because of challenges with behavioral issues or school discipline policies. If any of these are problems, contact the school and work with them to find a solution.
• Monitor your child’s academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors when necessary. Make sure teachers know how to contact you.
• Stay on top of your child’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated.
• Encourage your child to join meaningful after-school activities, including sports and clubs. Jarrell Middle School and Jarrell High School have tons of activities and clubs for students to get involved in. Ask your child's school for more information.
• Notice and support your children if they are showing signs of anxiety, such as headaches or stomach aches. Listen to their concerns, and if needed, ask school staff for help. Jarrell ISD's counselors are there to help. And the Jarrell ISD Family Health Clinic can also provide resources.

Absences Related to COVID-19

• If your student must miss school due to COVID-19, please contact your child's teacher about Remote Conferencing.
• Remote conferencing instructional support is a short-term opportunity allowing your child to stay within the 90% attendance requirement and not fall behind on assignments while absent.
• Please note, Remote Conferencing is not remote instruction. Instead, this setting will provide up to four hours of live teacher support per day from an online facilitator to assist students with assignment completion.
• Attendance will be taken. There is one required daily attendance meeting that is mandatory for students to be counted present for the day.
  

The Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA) is designed to help a college/university determine if students are ready for college-level coursework. The law requires all entering college students to be assessed for college readiness in reading, writing, and math unless the student qualifies for an exemption or demonstrates college readiness through successful completion of college-level coursework in the related content area.

Jarrell High School students are encouraged to sign-up and take the TSIA on campus. Click here to sign up.

Please join the Project Graduation meeting on Sept. 29 at the Sonterra MUD building. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Taber at the high school.

The Jarrell FFA is hosting a Pet Clinic Wednesday, Oct. 6 from 5-7 p.m. Masks are recommended.

Rabies: Dogs and Cats - $5

Dog Vaccines: DHLP/Parvo/Corona - $15

Bordetella (Kennel Cough) - $10

Cat Vaccines: PRCC/Feluk - $15

Complete Yearly Vaccine - $20

Also Available: rattlesnake and flu vaccines for $25 each Flea and Heartworm prevention will be available as well. For more information, email: shandy.bizzell@jarrellisd.org

A portion of the proceeds will go to the Jarrell FFA chapter.

Jarrell ISD is establishing a School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) to support the district’s efforts to assess the needs of all students and design programs to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes they will need to become healthy, productive citizens.

The first SHAC meeting of the 2021-22 school year will be Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 4:30 p.m. at Jarrell ISD Administration Building (108 E. Avenue F in Jarrell). Staff, parents and community members are invited to attend.

Questions? Contact James Larremore, Director of Operations and chair of the JISD SHAC, at 512-746-2124.

Sept. 28 - Igo ES Open House and Jarrell ES Open House

Sept. 29 - Project Grad Meeting, Sonterra MUD, 6 p.m.

Oct. 6 - Jarrell ISD Board of Trustee Meeting, Admin Annex, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 11 & 12 - Student Holiday/ Staff Professional Development

Oct. 13 - PSAT Administered to all 10th and 11th Grade and SAT administered to all 12th grade

Oct. 13 - Homecoming Parade 7 p.m. and Community Pep Rally 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 15 - Homecoming Football Game

Nov. 22-26 - Student & Staff Holidays

Jarrell ISD is located in northern Williamson County. The mascot is The Cougars. It has four campuses: Jarrell High School, Jarrell Middle School, Igo Elementary School and Jarrell Elementary. The district is home to more than 2,800 students. Enrollment is projected to double in the next 10 years.

Email: communications@jarrellisd.org
Website: www.jarrellisd.org
Location: 108 East Avenue F, Jarrell, TX, USA
Phone: 512-746-2124
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JarrellIndependentSchoolDistrict
Twitter: @Jarrell_ISD

Got celebrations to share? Send them to communications@jarrellisd.org. Thank you!

We are proud to showcase excellent students and staff. To see more, follow us on Twitter @hicksJISD ; @Jarrell_ISD; @JES_cougars; @IEScougars; @jarrell_ms; and @JarrellHS.