
Cougar News Family Newsletter
Week 3: September 14-18
September 14-18
Instructional Delivery Choice Window Open for Changes- 9/14-9/20
Thursday, September 17th- Volleyball Game @ KMS vs. Stephenville - 5pm start time. All tickets pre-sale online ONLY- https://www.burlesonisd.net/Page/3377
Friday, September 18th- Practice MAP test in Math/Reading/8th Science classes
Sunday, September 20th at 11:59 pm- Instructional Delivery Choice Change Window Closes
Instructional Delivery Change Window
TEA allows parents to change their instructional choice at the end of each grading period.
Students may change from virtual to on-campus or from on-campus to virtual.
A form to indicate a change will be emailed out on Monday, September 14th at 8:00 am.
If you are changing your instructional choice, you must complete the form between the dates of September 14th to September 20th.
The change take effect on October 5th, the first day of the 2nd 6 weeks. This will allow our campuses two weeks to make any adjustments necessary.
Please note, IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE THE FORM, YOUR CURRENT LEARNING PREFERENCE WILL STAY THE SAME through the next grading period.
Instructional Delivery Change Timeline
September 14: An Instructional Choice Change form will be emailed out to all parents.
September 14-September 20: The form will accept responses until 11:59 pm on Sunday, September 20th.
Sunday, September 20th at 11:59 pm: No changes will be accepted for the second six weeks after this date and time.
September 21-October 2: A KMS staff member will reach out to the parent to confirm the change selection and answer any questions about the change.
Monday, October 5th: Instructional choice changes become effective. This is the first day that a student moving from virtual instruction to in-person instruction would come to campus for class.
The instructional choice change form is campus-specific. If you have children on multiple campuses, you will need to complete the form for each campus where you desire a change.
If you do not complete the form, your current instructional choice will remain the same.
If you have questions about the instructional delivery change process, please email Kalee McMullen, Kerr Principal, at kalee.mcmullen@bisdmail.net
Thanks and Gratitude
Cougar Families-
Thank you for your support as we worked through our second week of instruction, and our first full week of having all in-person learners on campus.
We are grateful for your grace and understanding as we learn to navigate these uncharted waters of virtual instruction with simultaneous in person instruction, health and safety guidelines, new processes and protocols, and general challenges. Our faculty and staff are excited to be back teaching, but we also are thankful for you patience and understanding as we work through the kinks of our new environment.
Let's make week 3 a great week!
Thanks,
Kalee McMullen, Ed.D.
Principal- Kerr MS
Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures
UPDATED Morning Drop off
We have adjusted our original drop off plan that was sent to you during the few past weeks. We are no longer allowing you to drop off your student in the second outside lane. The second lane is now designated for exiting the property. I attached a map showing the adjustments we made. I thank you for patience as we navigate balancing social distancing and kids safely exiting cars.
As a reminder of our morning drop off strategy, I have listed a few procedures that will help.-
Students should be prepared to exit the car immediately when the car stops in the drop off zone. This is different than last year. We only allowed cars to pull to the side of the school for drop off.
Unlike last year, we are using all three entrances to aid in social distancing, so students can exit the car at any time the car stops within the drop off zone.
If the student is not ready to exit, please pull around to the parking lot using the left lane.
After the student exits the car, you can pull forward to exit or move to the left lane to exit.
Athletic Event Ticket Sales
We will not be selling any tickets at the door at any of our athletic events.
Guidelines for athletic events:
-Every other row must remain open
-Families can sit in pods up to 10
-Each pod must be socially distanced at least six feet from another group or individual
-Masks are expected to be worn unless you are eating or drinking
Thank you for abiding by these expectations so we can continue to host athletic events and allow our student athletes to compete!
Virtual Counseling Center
Check out the link below for a Virtual Counseling Center that Paola Salazar, Kerr Social Worker, created.
September is Suicide Prevention Month
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. Please see the attached link for more information on how to recognize the signs and risk factors associated with suicide.
Maurie Yeoman
6th A-L, 8th
Heather Dees
6th M-Z, 7th
Digital Etiquette
Please see the graphic below for tips on how to email a teacher. Following these tips will help your teacher know all of the important information about your situation to help you out.
Match the Promise Scholarship Opportunities
The Texas Match the Promise Foundation℠ encourages families to save for college by offering competitive matching scholarships and tuition grants to students who are beneficiaries of a Texas Tuition Promise Fund® account — the state's prepaid college tuition plan.
More information can be found at MatchThePromise.org.
Kerr MS Bell Schedule
Dress Code Reminders
You will find the 2020-2021 BISD Student Dress code here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wg8o0xJB80HVjEd3EHKnuuHCGRH5_-QC/view
A few reminders about dress code:
-All skirts, shorts, holes/rips in pants must be below the fingertip.
-Crop tops are in style right now, but these are not allowed in the dress code. Shirts and blouses must coverthe entire torso at all times, even in movement.
-No spandex or leggings allowed. Pants are defined as having seams and pockets.
-No hats
-Pajamas and zip up onesies are not allowed
Cell Phone Policy
Our desire is for all students to be engaged in learning and connect with each other in meaningful, appropriate ways during their time at school.
We believe that middle school students are very social by nature, and we strive to provide ways for students to be social at school. We encourage students to have conversations and connect with those around them in classrooms, passing periods, and during lunches.
Students are not permitted to be on their cell phones during the school day. We understand that there are times where a parent needs to relay a message to a student, or when a student needs to contact their parent during the school day. We encourage parents to call the front office and we will deliver messages to students, or we encourage you to email your student information needed.
If there is a circumstance where a student needs to step out and call or text their parent, they just need to ask the teacher's permission and we will all them to do so.
Our cell phone policy is below. Please reach out to any administrator if you have questions about this policy.
We appreciate your help and support!
Healthy Practices for Healthy Cougars
If your student has a temperature of 100.4 or higher or is exhibiting COVID-like symptoms, please do not send your student to school.
Please send your student to school in a mask that covers their mouth and nose. We will have additional masks on hand for any student who needs one; however, we encourage students to wear a mask they have selected and feel comfortable in. Everyone has different preferences for design, style, and comfort.
We will also be encouraging frequent hand washing and hand sanitizing throughout the school day.
Please see the BISD Health Protocols page for more information.
Thank you for helping keep our Cougars healthy!
Teacher Hours & Response Times
Our goal is to always be prompt and responsive to your questions and concerns; however, an immediate response is not possible in most all situations.
Per BISD Board Policy, please note that teachers will respond to you within 24 hours of an email or phone call.
Setting an appointment with a teacher, counselor, or administrator is strongly encouraged to ensure the person you need to visit with is available during your call/visit. We are happy to set up virtual meetings or phone calls as well.
Homecoming Information
We are pleased to announce that BHS & CHS homecoming will be on September 24 at AT&T Stadium! This is an incredible opportunity to continue our homecoming and Boot Bowl traditions at AT&T Stadium. We look forward to kicking off another great football season with students of all ages and families joining us!
Ticket sales for games this season will be made available online the week of each game.
More details about homecoming and school procedures will be available in the next few weeks. In the meantime, let’s get excited for a great school year together! We look forward to seeing you all next week - on campus and virtually!
Kerr Middle School
Email: kalee.mcmullen@bisdmail.net
Website: https://www.burlesonisd.net/kerr
Location: 1320 East Hidden Creek Parkway, Burleson, TX, USA
Phone: (817)245-0750
Facebook: facebook.com/KMSCougars
Twitter: @KMScougars