FHS HOOF PRINTS

Email: selder@florenceisd.net
Website: https://www.florenceisd.net/83427_2
Location: 401 FM 970, Florence, TX, USA
Phone: 254-793-2495
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Florence-ISD-276348685879446

Welcome to our fifth edition of the FHS Hoof Prints for the 2021-2022 school year!

As we move into the second grading period of the fall semester, we remain encouraged by the attendance and academic data we have collected. Currently, our students are performing well on unit assessments and report card checks. Although regular attendance still remains a challenge for some of our students, there is marked improvement. These two factors, attendance and academic attainment improvement, are strong indicators that our FHS stakeholders are maintaining the focus on student learning. It is critical that we continue to push and pull in the same direction through communication and focus.

We are also excited to announce ongoing planning for some of our traditional events such as Veterans Day, band performances, theater activities, UIL, and other means of celebrating our students' successes. Please continue to watch for these events advertised on the FHS and FISD website, Facebook pages, and other electronic communication means.

Some of the bi-weekly content in our newsletter will include valuable process information for our parents and other interested stakeholders, pictures and information about school activities, departmental highlights, and any updates that may occur moving forward. We hope you will enjoy this newsletter format and that it will serve to further improve our communication about our "Stampede Toward Excellence!"

Best Regards,

Steve Elder

FHS Principal

Student drivers and parking lot safety are always critical areas of concern for our campus. Our students are great and awesome kids, and we want to keep them safe while they are driving to, from and around our school. Operating a vehicle safely is something that has to be addressed frequently.

There are several things that are important to continuously remind students about driving a vehicle on school property. Students should always drive very slowly anytime they are driving on school property. Students on foot can suddenly appear as they walk between parked cars. Students that are driving should always watch for pedestrians.

Students will find several speed bumps on campus roadways that are intended to maintain slower speeds. Slower speeds and easy acceleration will certainly help to navigate in a safe manner. At times, students have been known to accelerate very quickly in the parking lot in an effort to make a lot of noise and create huge amounts of black smoke. This type of behavior is extremely dangerous and could get our students in trouble with our school resource officer as he monitors our parking lots. Please remind your students drivers that it is a privilege to drive on school property and they could lose this privilege if they don’t follow safety guidelines.

Another important expectation that might not be widely known is for students to immediately get out of their vehicles and enter the school building as soon as they are parked in the parking lot. It is not appropriate for students to hang out in their vehicle or friend’s vehicles when they arrive at school. Students should also be reminded to never get in a friend’s vehicle and leave school once they have arrived at school. Last minute trips away from school at that time of the morning could easily end in an accident and that would be tragic.

Please help us as we try to enforce safety and good judgment as our students learn to become responsible drivers. We want to teach them to be mindful of their own safety as well as students around them. Teenagers rarely think that they could be involved in an automobile accident, but it happens all too frequently. Help us keep our children safe.

Rosi Tuck

Assistant Principal

As part of our continuing effort to improve the safety and security at our schools, Florence ISD is excited to announce a new partnership with The City of Florence and its Police Department for the addition of a School Resource Officer (SRO).

The SRO will help build a positive rapport with our students, present a positive law enforcement role model, expand and support awareness programs related to issues that impact our students, as well as add another layer of safety and security to our school environment.

Officer Wyatt Odom has been selected to fill this vital role. A native of Bell County, Officer Odom attended Florence ISD for all of his school years, participating in all varsity sports. Upon graduation from FHS, he obtained a Criminal Justice degree from Lamar University, graduating with honors. Though his office will be based at FHS, he will be working with students and staff at all three campuses. We are very excited to welcome Officer Odom and look forward to a successful and mutually beneficial partnership.

Ms. Bailey Champlin currently teaches AP Statistics, PreAP Precalculus, Fundamentals of Computer Science and Computer Science I.

She was born and raised in central Texas. She received her degree in Mathematics with a minor in Physics from Angelo State University.

This is Ms. Champlin's second year in the classroom. She chose FHS for the small town family environment.

During her free time, Ms. Champlin enjoys baking custom sugar cookies and spending time with her two dogs, CoJo and Zeus.

His name is Zane Busch, but most people call him "Coach Busch,." He currently teaches Biology and Pre-AP Biology at FHS. He grew up in Humble, Texas, near Houston. He graduated from Humble High School and then from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) with a degree in Biology. He taught and coached football and track for 30 years in Leander, Cedar Park and Anderson High School in Austin. After retiring, he decided that he would love to continue teaching. He finds it a joy to be able to work with students, and that is why he came to Florence.

Coach Busch has been married for 40 years to his wonderful, patient wife and they have two daughters. One is a teacher and the other is a NICU nurse. They are both married to great sons-in-law. From this he is blessed with 5 grandchildren that he and his wife love spending time with. He also enjoys just about any sport and working on his property. He lives in Liberty Hill and has 5 acres, one dog and three cats.

Coach Busch is so thankful to be here in Florence - great students and hometown spirit make it a wonderful town to raise children. He looks forward to a great year - Go Buffaloes!

Congratulations to the Florence HS Buffalo band! This past Saturday at the UIL Region 32 Marching Band Contest in Burnet, TX, the band received a First Division rating from the judges and has advanced to the UIL Area Marching Contest. The Area contest will be this coming Saturday, October 23 at Robinson HS. Superior Job Mighty Buffalo band, we are very proud of you!

Jonathan Manzano placed 9th at the District 19-3A cross country meet on October 13th in Caldwell and will be advancing to regional competition on October 25 in Huntsville.

Congratulations, Jonathan!

Florence FFA came home with the Big Tex trophy again! We donated a total of 1,788 lbs of canned food. This is the 3rd year in a row for them to receive this honor. Way to go, Florence FFA!

"A CUT ABOVE..."
Located in the small, rural community of Florence, Texas, lies one of Central Texas' best kept secrets, The FHS Meat Market. The market provides its customers with a full-service meat counter.

The Florence Meat Science program provides many opportunities for FHS students. With the first hand experience of meat processing and fabrication, students graduate with a full knowledge of the meat processing industry. Graduates of the program will receive their meat processing certification and can begin employment with above entry level wages.

This is the 27th anniversary of the FHS Meat Science Program and the 21st anniversary of the Meat Market.

Business Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. , Monday- Friday
Closed from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for lunch
*Closed on school holidays*
254-793-3955

My name is Angel Callan and I am your Afterschool Program Director for the Florence High School campus. We are here to help students, their families and teachers make this the best year ever.

The Texas Afterschool Centers on Education (ACE) program is one of the largest statewide afterschool programs in the country, serving over 180,000 students at nearly 1,000 sites. The ACE Program is administered by by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and is funded through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative of the US Department of Education. We are blessed that this program is offered at NO CHARGE to you and your student!

Our mission is to provide a fun, safe and academically enriched environment for students during out-of-school hours. Our programs and services are offered to help students succeed in school, as well as after graduation, develop leadership skills, and maintain healthy productive lifestyles.

Our program at the High School provides morning tutoring and homework help from 7:15-8:00 a.m. and then afterschool programming from 3:30-6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. The afternoon consists of the first hour devoted to homework help and tutoring. We then offer a wide variety of academically enriched activities, along with college prep and career workforce opportunities. Buses run at 6:00 p.m. to transport students home, provided they are on the district route.

For more information or questions regarding our program and services, I can be reached at 254-793-2495, ext. 5306 or acallan@florenceisd.net. Applications are available in the FHS Library. Thank you!

The district’s dress code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, prevent disruption, and minimize safety hazards and maintains a positive learning climate Certain elective courses or extracurricular activities may require more stringent dress or appearance standards than for the general student body. Students and parents may determine a student’s personal dress and grooming standards, provided that they comply with the Florence ISD Student Dress Code as follows:

• All students are to wear clean and appropriate clothing to school and to school sponsored events.

• Clothing must be modest, worn with proper undergarments.

• Students shall not wear any item that is distracting, disruptive, gang-related, drug related (includes alcohol and tobacco products), or suggestive (wording, and/or symbols, implied or otherwise).

The following are not permissible:

• Visible undergarments or lingerie (or swim suit tops visible as lingerie);

• See-through or revealing clothes of any type;

• Short shorts or wind shorts with biker pants;

• Sleepwear/loungewear (or any facsimile thereof), except for designated days established by the campus principal;

• Excessively revealing tight fitting garments (leggings, “jeggings,” yoga pants may be worn under shorts, a skirt, a dress, or tunic no shorter than one inch below the student’s fingertips);

• Oversized garments that sag below the waistline or reveal undergarments, even if the shirt is not tucked in;

• Straps hanging down when designed to be over-the-shoulder;

• Hats, caps, or other headgear including hoods (worn in building);

• Dog collars, wallet chains, or any style of chain hooked to garments;

• “Spiked” accessories;

• Body art/tattoos, unless discreet/not offensive or covered;

• Coloration on hands, face, and feet without a reason, such as theater production;

• Trench coats, overcoats, or dusters (worn in building);

• Flip-flops on Elementary Campus (unless secondary footwear is brought for physical education (PE) and recess activities);

• Ornamented body piercings (including clear), except earrings.

(Covering the ornamented piercings with band aides does not make them acceptable.);

• Pants having holes three inches or more above the mid-point of the knee unless leggings are worn underneath the pants;

• Ear discs;

• Shorts, skirts, slits in skirts and dresses shorter than one inch below the student’s fingertips, regardless of whether leggings, “jeggings” or spandex are worn;

• Makeup in grades prekindergarten through 5;

• Exposed cleavage;

• Shoulder straps less than one-inch wide (such as spaghetti straps);

• Strapless tops, spaghetti strap tops, backless tops, halter tops, tube tops, tops with large armholes body suits or off the shoulder tops are prohibited unless worn over a t-shirt with sleeves;

• Footwear not applicable for daily activity such as running/jumping (or bare feet);

• Facial hair and sideburns longer than the bottom of the earlobe.

If the principal determines that a student’s grooming or clothing violates the school’s dress code, the student will be given an opportunity to correct the problem at school and return to the classroom. If not corrected, the student may be assigned to in-school suspension for the remainder of the day, until the problem is corrected, or until a parent or designee brings an acceptable change of clothing to the school. Repeated offenses may result in more serious disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

Students shall not possess or use:

• Fireworks of any kind, smoke or stink bombs, or any other pyrotechnic device;

• A razor, box cutter, chain, or any other object used in a way that threatens or inflicts bodily injury to another person;

• A “look-alike” weapon that is intended to be used as a weapon or could reasonably be perceived as a weapon;

• An air gun or BB gun;

• Ammunition;

• A hand instrument designed to cut or stab another by being thrown;

• *A location-restricted knife;

• *A club;

• *A firearm;

• A stun gun;

• A pocket knife or any other small knife;

• Mace or pepper spray;

• Pornographic material;

• Tobacco products; cigarettes; e-cigarettes; and any component, part, or accessory for an e-cigarette device;

• Matches or a lighter;

• A laser pointer for other than an approved use; or

• Any articles not generally considered to be weapons, including school supplies, when the principal or designee determines that a danger exists.

The vast majority of our students with excessive absences fail to pass their classes. Students need to be engaged in class every day.

Our state funding is based on the percentage of students at school at 9:30 a.m. every day. Higher attendance rate = more money for resources for your student.

When a student ages 6–18 incurs unexcused absences for three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period, the law requires the school to send notice to the parent.

The notice will:

• Remind the parent of his or her duty to monitor the student’s attendance and require the student to attend school;

• Request a conference between school administrators and the parent; and

• Inform the parent that the district will initiate truancy prevention measures, including a behavior improvement plan, school-based community service, referrals to counseling or other social services, or other appropriate measures.

The truancy prevention facilitators for the district are the campus principals. If you have questions about your student and the effect of his or her absences from school, please contact the campus principal.

A court of law may impose penalties against the parent if a school-aged student is deliberately not attending school. A complaint against the parent may be filed in court if the student is absent without excuse from school on ten or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year.

If a student ages 12–18 incurs unexcused absences on ten or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year, the district, in most circumstances, will refer the student to truancy court.

Thanks for your support!

Florence High School utilizes Ascender Parent Portal as a way to keep you up to date with your child’s most current grades and attendance. This system also allows you to access progress reports and report cards as well as see your child’s schedule and immunization record. You can create an Ascender Parent Portal account by clicking the following link. https://ascportal.esc13.net/ParentPortal/login?distid=246902

If you are new to Ascender Parent Portal here are a few helpful hints:

1. The email address that you set your account up with must match the email address we have on file for you.

2. You will need to obtain a Portal ID# in order to link your child(s) grade to your account. You can obtain this Portal ID# from our Registrar by emailing a request to rlewis@florenceisd.net

3. Your User Name and Password CANNOT be retrieved by FISD.

Attendance – including absences, doctor’s notes, students needing to leave school early: Our Piems Clerk Rebecca Lewis, rlewis@florenceisd.net 254/793-2495, ext. 5336

General School Information – Our Secretary Lori Crow lcrow@florenceisd.net 254/793-2495, ext. 5380

Immunizations, illnesses, medications – Emma Gonzalez egonzalez@florenceisd.net 254/793-2495, ext, 5339

Registration, Transcripts – Our Registrar Rebecca Lewis, rlewis@florenceisd.net 254/793-2495, ext. 5336

Student Emotional Support, College Readiness, Student Schedules – Our Counselor John Tinsley jtinsley@florenceisd.net 254/793-2495, ext. 5308

Athletic Program – Our Athletic Director Drew Bridges dbridges@florenceisd.net 254/293-2495, ext. 5304

Band Program – Our Band Director Peter Acosta pacosta@florenceisd.net 254/793-2495, ext. 5361

Ideas for School Improvement, Student Discipline – Our Principal Steve Elder selder@florenceisd.net 254/793-2495, ext. 5302 or Our Assistant Principal Rosi Tuck rtuck@florenceisd.net 254/793-2495, ext, 5342