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 seventh edition of the FHS HOOF PRINTS. In this edition, you will find information about athletic events, academics at FHS, and other topics of interest. We will post this bi-weekly newsletter on Facebook, our high school website, and there is an option for you to subscribe to it through email. We hope you find the communication informative and interesting.

As you know, students at the high school level in Texas are required to pass five state mandated End-of-Course exams in order to graduate. These exams include the EOCs for English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology, and US History. Typically, these are given in April and May. In preparation for these critical exams, we use a benchmark test as a diagnostic tool to determine levels of proficiency and to identify students in need of additional support to prepare them for success by addressing the identified areas of need. At this time, the teachers and staff at FHS are preparing to administer these benchmark tests over the next few weeks. We will follow the schedule included below.

We ask parents to reinforce with their students the importance of approaching these benchmarks with their best effort so our data is a true reflection of a student’s current performance level. The results could require that students receive more intensive support and schedule adjustments in order to facilitate our acceleration efforts for each individual student as indicated by the data.

We remain excited about the deployment of our new technology assets in Florence ISD and the spring benchmark will be given using this technology. Please remind your student to attend school on their benchmark date with a fully charged device to ensure a seamless testing opportunity.

FHS Benchmark Schedule:

ELA I Benchmark (Freshmen and Retests) - Tuesday, February 9, 2021 from 8:15 - 11:15

ELA II Benchmark (Sophomores and Retests) - Wednesday, February 10, 2021 from 8:15 - 11:15

ELA Benchmark Window for Remote Learners - February 9-10, 2021

Algebra I Benchmark (Freshmen and Retests) - Tuesday, March 2, 2021 from 8:15 - 11:15

Algebra I Benchmark Window for Remote Learners - March 2-3, 2021

Biology Benchmark (Freshmen and Retests) - Wednesday, March 3, 2021 from 8:15 - 11:15

Biology Benchmark Window for Remote Learners - March 2-3, 2021

US History Benchmark (Juniors and Retests - Thursday, March 4, 2021 from 8:15 - 11:15

US History Benchmark Window for Remote Learners - March 3-4, 2021

Enjoy this FHS HOOF PRINTS and continue to look for them every other week!

Regards,

Steve Elder

FHS Principal

Unity is Strength...where there is Teamwork and Collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved...Mattie Stepanek

Communication with high school students is challenging at times, but incredibly important. Many teenagers aren’t eager to share personal information with anyone, and they especially seem to hate talking about school with their parents. However, the years in high school are some of the most challenging years that anyone has to go through. The relationship that is built during teenage years will serve as a stabilizing force as students become young adults.

There are many ways in which parents and guardians can communicate on the most basic level with their high school students. Daily conversations about the things that are going on in the child’s life are critical. Questions such as: “What happened at school today? What did you learn at school today? What was the best thing that happened at school today?” These types of questions get the conversation started so that you can get into some more specific topics, such as: “How are your grades? Show me your progress in Canvas? What are your biggest projects for your classes? Show me how Canvas works?” Students need to know that the adults in their lives care and monitor their academic progress. I encourage you to begin connecting with your child(ren) on a daily basis. Show them that you make time to learn about them. Show them that confiding in parents/guardians about small things is safe so that they feel confident coming to parents/guardians with the big issues.

"Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don’t listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won’t tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them, all of it has always been big stuff.” - Catherine M. Wallace

Attention Seniors! Local Scholarship season is coming up soon. To better prepare yourself for that process, start asking teachers, coaches or staff to write letters of recommendation for you. You will need those for just about every scholarship application.

Once I start receiving local scholarship applications, I will make paper copies of them available outside of my office.

FAFSA or Federal Financial Aid paperwork should be completed by Seniors that are planning to attend any college or university next year. Their website is simple and will walk you through the process.

Today’s cutting-edge, rigorous and relevant career and technical education (CTE) prepares youth for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers. Florence High School is very innovative in bringing many potential career opportunities to our students as part of our curriculum. Our teachers, as pictured above, are Dennis Bratton, Zena Smith, Melissa Rosenbusch, David Willingham, and Joel Rogozinski. The vast knowledge that these individuals have is almost beyond comprehension.

Mr. Bratton teaches everything from welding to flower arranging and is highly skilled in both areas. Mrs. Smith, new to our district this year, manages the meat market and teaches students how to handle and process meat as well as teaching horticulture and advanced animal science. Ms. Rosenbusch has tremendous skills in teaching digital audio technology, business management, and Ag Leadership. Our entire Ag department continues to grow and prepare students for careers beyond high school.

Dr. David Willingham teaches students all about the financial side of business management: accounting, business information, and manages our work/study program and students. He also amazes everyone with his Robotics skills and guides an extracurricular team in robotics. Mr. Rogozinski comes to us this year with a prestigious career outside of education. He currently instructs students in Business Information and Business Management. He also spends part of his day as a Middle School teacher.

The goal of our Career and Technology program is to teach the skills in all of these courses to help students successfully pass a certification exam at the end of the year. Once this exam is completed successfully, students receive a certificate and are highly employable immediately after high school. We continuously strive to prepare students so that they can successfully enter the workforce in an industry that interests them.

The district’s dress code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, prevent disruption, and minimize safety hazards. 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, Florence Independent School District Student Handbook Page 52 of 100

• Short shorts or wind shorts with biker pants,

• Sleepwear/loungewear (or any facsimile thereof),

• 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, • Tube tops, body suits, halter tops, racer backs, and strapless tops,

• 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, • Opaque or designer contact lenses or sunglasses,

• Distracting hair or hair color (such as but not limited to designs shaved into hair, Mohawks),

• 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 for girls (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, or

• Ear discs.

Not Permissible for Girls

• 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,

• Visible facial or body piercing jewelry, except for earrings,

• Makeup in grades prekindergarten through 5,

• Exposed cleavage, or

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

Not Permissible for Boys

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

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

• Earrings, facial jewelry, or visible body piercing jewelry,

• Nail polish or makeup,

• Hair longer than the bottom of a T-shirt collar,

• Hair falling over the eyebrows,

• Hair hiding the ears,

• Hair pinned up, pulled behind the ears, or tied in a ponytail, or

• Sleeveless shirts that expose the underarms.

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. If not corrected, the student may be assigned to in-school suspension for the remainder of the day, until the problem Florence Independent School District Student Handbook Page 53 of 100 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.

The vast majority of our students with excessive absences fail to pass their classes. Students need to be engaged in class or online in Canvas 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 Thomas Pena tpena@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