Prosper High School Newsletter

Eagle Nation,

We had another great week at PHS! A special thank you to Mrs. Viars for her work in getting everything organized for STAAR testing last week. Even though the Texas Education Agency and the ETS testing service failed to make sure that the online English 1 STAAR test functioned last Tuesday, Mrs. Viars quickly adjusted our plans for the day and we were able to get the kids into their classes and back to learning. Thank you to the administrative team for their assistance in this as well. Finally, thank you to the kids and staff for adjusting to the failure on the part of the Texas Education Agency and ETS to make sure that online English 1 testing would be functional. What I loved seeing in real-time last week was how everyone at PHS quickly adjusted to get our students into their classes where real learning occurs every day! As mentioned last week, we will be judged on how well our students do on assessments like the English 1 STAAR test (when it is actually accessible from ETS), but adjustments like we did last Tuesday are just a small glimpse of the greatness of our kids and staff at PHS. We are more than a single test on one day.

Due to the failure of the Texas Education Agency and ETS to make sure that the online English 1 STAAR test was functional last Tuesday, we will lose another day of instruction and learning by giving the online English 1 STAAR test tomorrow. Those taking this test received communication about their room assignment and we will have administrators in the halls to assist.

It may seem that I am being a little harsh on the Texas Education Agency and ETS, and I admit that I am. We lose several days a year to STAAR testing and there is too much emphasis placed on these tests cannot show the real academic growth of students. In PISD, we are building a better accountability system. Dr. Ferguson is guiding us in the development of a comprehensive, community based accountability system that does include STAAR scores (because we are required to have them by TEA and our legislative friends in Austin), but it includes so much more. This is a little bit of a teaser and we will have more information soon. You are going to be so proud of what we develop with the input of our kids, our parents, our community, and our staff!

Connect & Grow

Have you ever noticed that the little things that we do make the biggest impact? Sometimes the most simple and kind gestures will leave a substantial mark on the lives of others. For example, last Thursday, as one of our lunches was ending, Elayna Judd, one of our amazing students, showed what it means to serve others. There was a pile of trash on one of the cafeteria tables where Elayna was not sitting, but she stopped to help our custodians dispose of the trash. This simple gesture had a substantial impact not only on our custodians, but also on the administrative team who was helping to clean the tables, and the other students who witnessed Elayna. This simple and kind gesture is an example of the things that we see our kids doing everyday at PHS. We are blessed with the most wonderful kids and we know that their character is molded at home. We appreciate you sending us your best every day and we are proud to partner with our parents in shaping the lives of our kids. Thank you, Elayna, for being an incredible example for all of us on how we can grow through service to others.

And speaking of service to others...if you would like to be involved with our PHS Parent Welcoming Committee, please complete the form found in this link. There is no obligation by completing the form and we will have an informational meeting (in-person and virtual options) in the near future. Thank you for your consideration in connecting with our new parents and making them feel at home in Prosper ISD. Thank you to those who have already responded when we sent the link on Friday. Over and over again, our parents show what it means to give back to others and I thank you for modeling the behaviors that we want our kids to have by the time they graduate PHS.

Just below this section, you will see a flier for a fundraiser at Texas Roadhouse on Tuesday night. Thank you to Ashley Abrahams, Landry Long, Tyler Mercer, and Savannah Yager (PHS 9th Grade Student Council Members) for organizing this fundraiser for My Possibilities, a non-profit organization where graduating high schoolers with intellectual and developmental disabilities are provided with job opportunities and life skills to help them succeed.

Email: jmburdett@prosper-isd.net

Office: 469.219.2185

Cell: 469.573.1488

I am currently reading The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon.

STAAR testing is fast approaching and all students are expected to take STAAR tests on campus to meet graduation requirements and MUST use a district-issued Chromebook for all tests.

NO PERSONAL DEVICES are allowed for use on STAAR tests.

Please note the following if your child needs a district-issued Chromebook:

Chromebooks must be requested via the calendar link below and must be picked up at Prosper ISD's Central Administration Office (605 E. 7th St, Prosper, TX 75078)

Please select a time here: https://calendly.com/technologyhomehelp/15min

STAAR End-of-Course, high school exams are required for graduation.

STAAR Dates:

• May 4th - Algebra 1 - 9th grade students currently enrolled in the course
• May 5th - Biology - 9th graders & US History (including dual credit students) - 11th graders
• May 6th - Makeup day for Algebra I, Biology, and US History

*Students who do not test in Spring will have an opportunity to test on June 22nd at Rock Hill High School and then again in December 2021.

Students who will be Juniors and Seniors for Fall 2021 and have signed up for dual credit courses for Fall 2021 please visit our new dual credit blog to review detailed information about enrollment with Collin College.

Here are your upcoming key dates for Dual Credit this year:

• April 20th: Online registration opens for Collin College through CougarWeb
• May 14th: Last day to register for dual credit classes for PISD students
• May 21st: Last day of school for PISD
• July 21st: Last day to pay for classes at Collin College. Failure to complete payment or set up a payment plan will result in you being dropped from registered classes and not reinstated.

Questions? Please contact your counselor.

ADVi is a chatbot who can answer your questions about attending public colleges and universities in Texas. ADVi, short for “adviser”, is free for Prosper HS students and can answer your questions 24/7/365. To start a chat with ADVi, just text "college" to 512-829-3687.

You can ask ADVi anything – no question is too silly or too hard! You can ask questions like: What is ApplyTexas? How long does the FAFSA take? What is the TASFA? Where can I look for scholarships?

ADVi was created by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and is made possible through a partnership with AdmitHub. Learn more at www.askADVi.org.

This list contains the test-optional colleges that changed their admission policies due to COVID-19.

Need to make an appointment with your counselor- virtual or in-person? Order a Transcript? Attendance check-in/out information, and Community Resources

Check out the Virtual Counseling Office.

They will assist you with all of your college questions, applications, ACT/SAT registration, and FAFSA. The GO Centers will be open Monday - Friday: 8am – 8pm

How to access the Chat: Please click here. Then click on the chat feature.

Check out the April Career Spotlight- Business

For more information contact: Alicia M. Schulze (aschulze@prosper-isd.net)- College and Career Counselor - Collin College for Prosper and Rock Hill High Schools

The application deadline is Monday, April 26th. Be sure and have your two teacher recommendations completed before this deadline. The application can be found here

If your student received a COVID vaccine, please send in documentation to the clinic (skstewart@prosper-isd.net), to include on your school vaccination record. *Note that Prosper ISD does not require students to be vaccinated for COVID-19

Reference the Prosper High School's website throughout the year for senior updates.

Over 14 years ago, a group of Prosper High School parent volunteers created a non-profit, PHS – Project Graduation. The goal was to follow the national charter, which promotes drug and alcohol alternatives for students on the night of their high school graduation. The event was typically at a venue in Frisco, started at 11 pm on the night of graduation, and concluded at 5 am the following morning. Tickets were sold for the event to cover both the cost of the venue and to purchase prizes for the seniors. Ticket prices have varied over the years from $50 to $150, depending on the class size and the price of the venue. More Information

Prosper High School PTO is a volunteer organization made up of parents, teachers, administrators, and support staff who are all dedicated to the successful education of our children. Click here to go to our website and become a member. We hope if you have some time that you will volunteer with us. Please let us know your interests and availability and we will find a spot for you.

The next PTO meetings will be held virtually on April 1st at 10am.

More PTO information can be found here

Spiritwear- Check out the new Spiritwear available for purchase on the PHS PTO website.

Check out EagleNationOnline.com every day for news about students by students.

Parents Spanish Newsletter

Our Hope Squads will sell "Be Kind" yellow T-Shirts as a symbol to simply be kind to one another, which is why you often see "yellow" shirts scattered throughout our district on Wednesdays each week. This stems from supporting our cause of suicide awareness and prevention.

To purchase a shirt, log in to My School Bucks, Go To School Store, Look for Hope Squad T-shirt, Select T-Shirt option (See options below) Student Name. Homeroom = 1st Period Classroom

Orders will be placed at the end of each month with delivery to campuses the following month. 1st Period teachers will hand them to students when they arrive.

PISD will continue to light up the new Children's Health Stadium every Wednesday evening as a simple reminder for our community to show kindness and compassion to one another. If you find yourself driving around Prosper on Wednesday evenings, drive by the stadium to enjoy PISD's symbol for kindness.

May 3- Student Holiday / Staff Professional Learning

Saturday, May 22, 2021- Class of 2021 Graduation - 7:30 pm at Children's Health Stadium

Tuesday, May 25, 2021- (Graduation Rain Makeup date) - 7:30 pm at Children's Health Stadium.

A huge THANK YOU to our families who have taken the precaution of keeping students home who are displaying symptoms of sickness. This is helping to prevent the spread of illness whether it is COVID-19, a cold, or other yuckiness! Parents should review the COVID-19 Screening Questions on the District website each day before sending their child to any in-person Prosper ISD activity. If your child tests positive, has been exposed to a COVID positive individual, or has one or more of the symptoms on the screening questionnaire, use the link at the bottom of the questionnaire to notify the school nurse and do NOT send your child to school until receiving clearance to return from the school nurse. Please do your part and keep your student home if he/she is displaying symptoms of sickness.

*If your child has a chronic condition that presents as one of the symptoms on the screening questionnaire, it is recommended that you contact the school nurse and your child's teacher about the chronic symptom so that both of these key school personnel are aware.

Please give us a two hour notice for checking out your student. This will give us enough time for us to get your student ready for you when you arrive. Please email at least two hours in advance to phsattendance@prosper-isd.net. This email is accessed by our House Secretaries to identify who needs to check out from school. Please call when you arrive at the front of the school, but do not try to enter the building. We are closed to visitors unless you have an appointment. Once a member of the Administrative team or a member of our Prosper ISD Police Department verifies the identity of the parent/guardian, your student will come out to your vehicle. When your student returns, he/she will go to their House office to submit their absence note.

We have received further clarification from the Texas Education Agency on attendance procedures. Beginning Tuesday, October 13th (the start of the 2nd nine weeks), a student will be counted present or absent based on their chosen Method of Instruction (MoI): in-person or virtual.

• Students who are in-person learners will be counted present only if they are physically in the class when the teacher takes attendance. Otherwise, they will be counted as being absent. Students who are not physically in class can still log in to the Google Classrooms and online class meetings for learning purposes, but they will be counted absent.

• Students who are forced to quarantine by the school nurse due to COVID-19 protocols will automatically be switched to being a virtual learner during the mandatory quarantine period. For students who are forced to quarantine, but have an in-person only class(es), the student will have an excused absence with the code “E-PN”. Students under quarantine are responsible for all missed work and encouraged to communicate with their teachers. We will switch the student back to in-person learning at the end of quarantine.

• Students who are virtual learners will be counted present when they log in to the Google Classroom/Meet by the time the teacher takes attendance and they are to remain active for the class. Teachers will determine if the virtual student can turn off their microphone and/or their camera based on the needs of the lesson. Students who do not comply with the teacher’s directive for microphone/camera operation may be counted absent due to inactivity during the class. Virtual students who are enrolled in an in-person only class will continue to attend these classes in-person, as they have been.

Tip411 is a new tool to enhance student safety. It is an internet-based communication system that gives students or any concerned citizen a means to quickly and anonymously report threats, potential self-harm, concerns, suspicious or criminal behavior at school or beyond school hours regarding PISD schools, students and/or staff.

When you submit a tip, it is sent to a 3rd party tip service acting as a privacy buffer between you and the Prosper ISD Police Department to preserve your identity and contact information. If you have a tip for the Prosper ISD Police Department please use any of the options on this page to provide important information on crimes or criminals that will help us to keep Prosper ISD safe for everyone.

Tip submissions may not be received until the following day. In case of emergency dial 911.

Email: phsinfo@prosper-isd.net
Website: https://www.prosper-isd.net/phs
Location: 301 Eagle Drive, Prosper, TX, USA
Phone: (469) 219-2180
Twitter: @ProsperHS