
Cougar News Family Newsletter
Week 5: September 28 - October 2
September 28 - October 2nd
MAP Testing in 8th Grade Science & Makeup Testing
Tuesday, September 29th- Football vs. Cleburne Smith- 8th @ KMS, 7th away. Games start at 5pm. All tickets sold online.
Thursday, October 1st- Volleyball vs. Granbury Acton @ KMS. Games start at 5pm. All tickets sold online.
Friday, October 2nd- Last Day of the 1st Six Weeks
Family Engagement
Aggie Homework Helpline
Need Tutoring? Check this out from Texas A&M!
Education major students at Texas A&M are offering free tutoring for students K-12 Monday-Friday (over the phone or Zoom) through their program, the Aggie Homework Helpline.
A parent/guardian would have to sign up for the student.
They have two options:
They can sign up for a Regular Homework Helper (set days and times every week), or
Sign up for an On-Demand Homework Helper (last-minute request for tutorial)
A Message From the Counseling Center
Signs your child might be suicidal. What to watch out for and how to help. Maurie Yeoman 6th grade A-L 8th Heather Dees 6th M-Z 7th
Virtual Learners- Cameras On!
If you are the parent of a virtual learner, please remind your student to turn on his/her camera during virtual learning.
Being able to see your student helps in a variety of ways. First of all, it helps us establish a connection with your student during class. As teachers, we want to be able to see your student to observe their work, answer questions, and check in throughout the learning process.
Additionally, teachers need to verify your student's presence for synchronous learning.
Lastly, some of our virtual learners are not staying engaged and attentive during class. They have told us their camera is off so they can leave the room, go back to bed, or play video games. This will make being successful in virtual learning incredibly challenging for your student.
Thank you for talking to your virtual learner about keeping their cameras on during class time.
If you have specific concerns, please reach out to your student's teacher(s). We are always happy to help!
Thanks for your support!
Students Moving from Virtual to In Person
To help ease the anxiety, we are offering a one hour window on Thursday, October 1st for the student and one parent/guardian to walk the student's schedule prior to returning to in-person learning on Monday, October 5th.
The building will be open from 4:30-5:30 pm for students transitioning to in-person learning to walk their schedule. Teachers will not be on site during this time. We will have administration present to help direct you.
For those who are unable to attend on this afternoon, we will help you when you come back to campus. We are excited to welcome you back and we will make it a smooth process for you.
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
-All student spectators must be accompanied by a parent to games
Thank you for abiding by these expectations so we can continue to host athletic events and allow our student athletes to compete!
Changes to Athletic Tickets
1. Ensure a safe environment that meets the standards set by TEA, UIL & State & Local Health Authorities
2. Allow all parents to watch their children compete
Beginning on Tuesday, September 29th, we will be selling tickets by the game/match. For example, we will sell ticket to the A-team game/match, B-team game/match and C-team game/match.
This allows us to sell a greater number of tickets over the course of the evening. We respectfully ask that you leave after your child's game so we remain under the capacity threshold for each individual game.
We want to continue to offer as many tickets as possible throughout the season, but we also must ensure we are complying with required occupancy, social distancing, and other requirements.
Thank you for your help!
RECURRING INFORMATION BELOW
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!
Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures
REVIEW:
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.
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.
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