Renner Middle School eNews

Mustang Families-

While the 2020-2021 school year will not have a traditional start, I am confident that we can all come together to make this a great year for our Renner Mustang community.

I can only imagine the questions you and your student may have as we navigate this time of great uncertainty. District and campus leaders are working tirelessly to prepare for a smooth start on August 12 as we enter the school year online for the first few weeks.

The district will be offering teacher training, on top of what many of our amazing Renner teachers did on their own time this summer, to equip them to be prepared for any circumstance or change that may arise so that we can provide solid and rigorous instruction for our students. Your child’s social-emotional health is also vital during these uncertain times, and that aspect of their education will not fall to the wayside.

We will soon be sharing information about materials pick up (Chromebooks, necessary instructional materials, PTA school supply packs & spirit wear, etc). This will be a curbside pick up event, and it will take place before August 12. Please keep watching for updates regarding the date(s) and time(s).

As a reminder, all students will be learning at home from August 12 through September 8 (regardless of Face-to Face or School@Home selection). Unless there is a district-wide extension of remote learning, we will be ready to welcome the students who opted for Face-to-Face learning back to campus on Wednesday, September 9.

For our returning families – we have missed your students so much and look forward to connecting with them again soon. For our new families – WELCOME TO RENNER! We can’t wait to meet all of you and welcome you to the Renner Family.

Please keep reading for some very important information.

Be well,

Jill Engelking, Principal

Our Renner PTA is currently selling tax-free school supplies online for families who want to avoid the crowds in stores. Visit www.RennerPTA.org to purchase your 2020-2021 PTA memberships, school supplies, spirit wear apparel (now including masks), yard signs and car decals and more!

School supplies purchased by Wednesday, July 29th at 10 pm will be available to pick up during our Renner chromebook distribution times on Thursday, July 30th, Friday, July 31st and Monday, August 3rd.

A limited number of supply packs will be available to purchase on site with cash, check (made payable to Renner PTA) & credit card payment options.

Please contact supplies@rennerpta.org with any questions.

Renner Parents and Students:

As we enter the 2020-2021 school year with all students learning remotely, we need to schedule some days & times for parents to pick up materials that students will need in order to begin instruction.

On the following assigned days/times, parents can sign up for an appointment on Sign-Up Genius (linked below) and then drive through the Renner carpool lane to pick up the following items: Chromebook & charger, math textbook, & pre-purchased PTA school supply packs. (You can still purchase PTA school supply packs and pick them up on your designated day if you buy online by Wednesday, July 29 at 10:00 pm).

Dates/Times for pick-up: (You must sign up for a time slot)

6th Grade: Thursday, July 30 with time slots from 8:00 - 10:00 am, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, & 3:30 - 5:30 pm

Link to Sign Up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c49acae2ca0f49-chromebook2

7th & 8th Grade: Friday, July 31 with time slots from 1:00 - 3:00 pm & 4:00 - 6:00 pm

Link to Sign Up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c49acae2ca0f49-7thgrade

Any Grade Level: Monday, August 3 with time slots from 7:00 - 9:00 am & 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Link to Sign Up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c49acae2ca0f49-renner1

With all Plano ISD students beginning the year learning virtually from home, we want to ensure that every Renner student has access to a Chromebook. Each Renner student will need access to a Chromebook or personal laptop device (an iPad is not ideal for online school); if your child has access to a laptop or desktop at home, you do not HAVE TO pick up a Renner Chromebook.

IMPORTANT: YOU CAN ONLY CHECK OUT 1 CHROMEBOOK PER RENNER MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT. YOU CANNOT CHECK OUT A CHROMEBOOK FOR A STUDENT NOT ENROLLED AT RENNER.

If you still have a Chromebook checked out from our school closure in March or if you have any questions or concerns (including concerns about internet access), please contact Jonathan Loveday at jonathan.loveday@pisd.edu .

The following expectations for parents and students are in place when coming to RMS to pick up materials:

• Please wear a face covering when picking up or returning student materials.

• Follow COVID-19 preventative practices as advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• Please stay in your vehicle. Follow the curbside process provided below.

• Please do not come to the campus if you have been ill, if you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days, or if you are currently under isolation/quarantine orders.

Process for Materials Pick Up:

1. We ask that each vehicle have a sign with the Student Name and ID # and Grade Level. Please have this taped to the passenger side window and in a large, dark font to make it easy for staff to read from the curb as you pull up to the station. You may use this template if you wish.
2. In an effort to make the process efficient for all, please open your trunk and we will place materials inside the trunk of your vehicle.
3. This process will occur in the front of the school near the flagpole of Renner Middle School in the carpool lane. Please pull forward and allow spacing in between cars. After your pickup is complete, please circle the building to exit. Please follow the direction of Renner staff members while on campus to assist with the flow of traffic.
4. During this process, all Renner Staff will be following safety protocols and practicing social distancing. Masks and gloves will be worn when collecting/distributing materials.
5. Students and families will not be granted entrance into the building. All students and passengers will need to remain in their vehicles and open their trunks or provide access to their back seats at the assigned station. All interactions will be conducted curbside; we will need the ability to communicate through vehicle windows.

Thank you again to all of our families for your patience and flexibility.

The district's "Update for Plano ISD Families,” which comes from ask.pisd@pisd.edu, is a great place to find out the latest information. You can also check out the PISD website at https://www.pisd.edu/.

1) What will a typical day for online learning look like? For example, will students be required to be online from 8:25 am to 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday?

We want to avoid students being in front of their computer screens non-stop from 8:25 - 3:30 every day. We plan to have some type of rotation that COULD look something like what is outlined below: (Please remember - this is a draft and does not reflect a finalized version of what remote learning will definitely look like)

• Monday & Thursday: Periods 1, 2, 3, 4 - Synchronous learning (live on-line instruction)
• Monday & Thursday: Periods 5, 6, 7, 8 - Asynchronous learning (students work on assignments posted in their teachers' Google Classrooms, submit daily work that will count toward their attendance that day, etc.)
• Tuesday & Friday: Periods 1, 2, 3, 4 - Asynchronous learning (students work on assignments posted in their teachers' Google Classrooms, submit daily work that will count toward their attendance that day, etc.)
• Tuesday & Friday: Periods 5, 6, 7, 8 - Synchronous learning (live on-line instruction)
• Wednesdays: Social Emotional Learning, Tutorials, Intervention, Enrichment - schedule will be more flexible.
• Please note: Renner student schedules will now reflect an 8 period day (7 classes with an advisory period)
  

2) What will curriculum look like for remote learning this time? Will Edgenuity be used?

Edgenuity will not be our curriculum delivery platform when we begin school on August 12. Teams of teacher curriculum writers worked over the summer to ensure that our established PISD curriculum was adapted for online learning. Whether students are Face-to-Face (beginning on Wednesday, September 9) or in our PISD School@Home program, they will be accessing the same curriculum and completing the same assignments.

3) How will grading look this time around?

Grading procedures will mirror "normal" grading practices that students would have seen from August through February of the 2019-2020 school year. We will not be using the Met Standard (100) / Not Met Standard (69) practice that we used during remote learning from March - May of 2020.

4) Will electives such as Art, PE, Band, Choir be required and what will that look like?

Electives will be taking place both Face-To-Face & through the PISD School@Home Program. More information will follow regarding what these programs will look like. There's a possibility that we may need to co-seat some of these classes. (Co-Seat = a teacher is simultaneously teaching their class to both Face-to-Face students and School@Home students)

5) How will attendance be taken during remote learning?

Students who login to the Plano ISD WebDesk* each day and engage in teacher-assigned learning apps (including but not limited to Google Classroom) are considered “present” and will not be marked absent. Students who have not logged in by 3:00 p.m. each school day will be marked absent. This absence can be resolved if the student engages in daily learning assigned by their teachers via the Plano ISD WebDesk by 11:59 p.m. that same day.

6) Will students have access to counselors if they are having a crisis?

Our counselors will have a Google Classroom that will be easily accessible to our students. In addition to the resources posted there, counselors will be checking in often with students and will be available daily during advisory and then on our tentatively scheduled Wednesday SEL day.

7) What resources are being made available to the families who need internet services, food, or other important resources?

Renner will be issuing Chromebooks to all students (not required if you have your own device that can access webdesk), and we have several WiFi Hotspots available for families without internet service.

Curbside meal pick up will continue to be available; please read below for more information.

If you know of a family new to the Renner school zone, please share this information!

New student registration for the 2020-2021 school year is available for all grade levels. Instructions regarding registering students new to the district are available on the district website at http://www.pisd.edu/enrollment.

Each year, parents & guardians of all existing and newly enrolled Plano ISD students must update several annual registration requirements using the Plano ISD Parent Portal (https://www.parentportal.pisd.edu)

Parents must complete/update the following:

• Emergency Card
  

  • Emergency Contacts (PASAR Pickups)
  • Release Form for Publications
  • Video & Electronic display of Student Work
  • Other Student Authorizations
  • Health Information

  
  

• Registration Forms
  

• Truancy Warning Notice
• Student Policy Packets
• Statement of Consent Form
• Student Information Release Form
• PTA Consent Form
• Free and Reduced Lunch Information

• Campus Fees

• Missing Library Books & Novels
• Chromebooks Not Returned or Returned Damaged
• Chromebook Chargers
• Other fees as required by campus
  
  
• Shot Records
  All incoming 7th grade students are required to have shot records provided to our school nurse. Please email records to brandi.shrier@pisd.edu. For more information on required immunizations, please visit https://www.pisd.edu/Page/1695
  

If after you complete the paperwork you see that you have a HOLD on your account, you will need to contact rhonda.snyder@pisd.edu to find out what needs to be done in order to clear this hold.

There are three types of holds you could encounter:

• Residency hold- You will need to submit a current proof of residency in Renner's attendance zone (natural gas or electricity bill, original lease agreement, or approved certificate of eligibility to enroll form)
  
  
• School Supply Hold- This means that students have items that were not turned in from previous years. Most likely, this would be linked to a Chromebook or library books. Please contact katie.aycock@pisd.edu regarding library books and jonathan.loveday@pisd.edu regarding Chromebooks.
  
  
• Immunization Hold- These students do not need to come to campus. Please email our nurse brandi.shrier@pisd.edu and she will schedule a time to take care of this issue.

If you need help or assistance registering, check out the Parent Portal Help Page

Changes to Instructional Environment Selection ACTION MAY BE NEEDED

All students will be starting the school year in the remote setting from August 12 to September 8. On September 9, students will transition into their selected learning environment: Face to Face or PISD School@Home. The initial selection period for choosing PISD School@ Home ended on July 16.

Families now have another opportunity to opt in to the PISD School@Home learning environment if a selection was not made by the original deadline. The extended window for selection is July 24-August 6. Students will be scheduled in the selected instructional environment, which will go into effect on September 9. The instructional environment that families previously selected or newly selected will be valid through the end of the first 9-week period.

• Read more on how to make changes to your instructional environment selection
• Read parent letter regarding the School@Home and face-to-face learning environments

Centennial Parents,

Last week, we communicated that the district was requesting ALL Chromebooks be collected for updating and inventory. Today we've received NEW guidance. The only Chromebooks that need to be return are those from 5th graders going to 6th grade, students not returning to Centennial or those experience technical issues with their current Chromebook. Dates and details for the 2020-2021 Chromebook check out will be coming soon.

Chromebook Pick up and PTA Pass out (yearbook, reflections and publishing kits)

• July 27 OR July 28 7:00 AM-9:00 AM
• Drive thru the front drive. No need to get out of your car. Please place fully charged Chromebook and charger in the trunk.
• Provide a sign with student's last name, first name and grade for PTA pick up items.

Sara Stewart

Principal

Centennial Elementary

Plano ISD

469.752.0700

In partnership with the Texas Department of Agriculture, the Plano ISD Food and Nutritional Services Department will be providing free grab-and-go summer meals to the public beginning, Tuesday, May 26, 2020, at the following campus sites:

Effective Monday, April 6, new rules from the Texas Department of Agriculture require that parents picking up free meals from the district must bring documentation for children who are not in the vehicle. Please note that verification is not required when children are present with a parent during meal pickup. Acceptable documentation includes a school-issued student ID, report card, birth certificate or the verification message that parents received from the district. Learn more. See a revised list of grab-and-go meal locations as of this week.

• Armstrong Middle School *(pickup at this location is the bus lane at the rear of the building)
  3805 Timberline Drive, Plano, TX 75074
  
  

• Bowman Middle School
  2501 Jupiter Road, Plano, TX 75074
  
  

• Christie Elementary School
  3801 Rainier Road, Plano, TX 75023
  
  

• Daffron Elementary School
  3900 Preston Meadow Drive, Plano, TX 75093
  
  

• Mitchell Elementary School
  4223 Briargrove Lane, Dallas, TX 75287
  
  

• Sigler Elementary School
  1400 Janwood Drive, Plano, TX 75075

Updated curbside grab-and-go meal serving times for these locations will be from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Children 18 years of age and younger will receive a lunch for that day and a breakfast for the following day. Anyone picking up meals for students, without the student present, must bring appropriate documentation in the form of a school issued ID, report card, birth certificate or the verification letters families are currently providing during meal pick up.

The Plano ISD Food and Nutritional Services Department has established curbside meal pickup locations to provide PISD School@Home students with meals for offsite consumption on instructional learning days.

Beginning August 12 through September 4, meals will be served Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Students purchasing meals will receive a lunch for the day and a breakfast for the following day. Meals will no longer be free of charge for all students as provided during the spring remote learning and the summer feeding program. Free and reduced priced meals are available for qualifying students.

Learn more here about curbside meal procedures, locations, etc.

The Return-to-School Parent Manual initially released on July 9, 2020, continues to be revised based on feedback we have received from our parent and staff advisory groups, as well as new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and other state and local officials.

In light of the most recent announcement that all Plano ISD students will start the year for the first four weeks in a virtual environment, please refer to the PISD School@Home sections of the manual for information and expectations on learning in a remote environment for all students.

We are working on more details about implementing remote learning for all students for the first four weeks of school, including a plan to provide Chromebooks and internet support for those in need. We will be updating the website and sending frequent communications to you as plans develop in coordination with our campus principals. We appreciate your understanding as we continue to make plans for this ever-changing environment. Use the links below to view the updated plan and other back-to-school information.

• Return to School Plan: www.pisd.edu/returnplan
• Return to School Planning & Updates: www.pisd.edu/2021planning
• Frequently Asked Questions: www.pisd.edu/returnFAQ

We have continued to revise the Face-to-Face Learning sections of the manual with safety information and protocols that will be implemented once we are able to welcome students who selected the face-to-face environment to our campuses.

The following parent letter and guidance provides details for families receiving special education services regarding support for students and staff as we launch school for the new school year: 2020-2021 Parent/Guardian: Special Education Guidance Document

Plano ISD acknowledges that many students with medically-associated disabilities served through Section 504 are among our most vulnerable learners during the COVID-19 pandemic. 504 Return to School Plan

Students in grades 7-12 choosing PISD School@Home will be able to participate in on-campus practice sessions for certain extracurricular activities that contain a regular and consistent performance or competition component (marching band, color guard, JROTC, cheerleading, drill team and athletics), and whose corresponding class occurs 1st or 7th period. Students must attend practice and rehearsal sessions in order to participate in the performances or competitions. During district-wide virtual learning for all students, campus staff will schedule activity sessions before or after school in order to minimize conflicts with the virtual school day. When face-to-face instruction is available to students, PISD@Home students will be allowed to attend practice sessions that occur on campus. It will be the responsibility of the parent to transport their student to/from practice sessions, rehearsals and on-campus contests or performances.

All UIL eligibility requirements will continue to be in place and followed for all programs and participants. Parents and students choosing the PISD School@Home learning environment will need to communicate with the appropriate campus staff (music director, athletic coach, cheerleading coach, drill team instructor, etc.) of their intention to participate. Extracurricular activities will only be offered on campus in a face-to-face environment. There will be no middle school extracurricular activities from August 12-September 9. Extracurricular activities will continue to follow guidelines established by the UIL and the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

If you still have school items that need to be returned but missed our item return opportunities this week, please contact our Office Manager Rhonda Snyder at rhonda.snyder@pisd.edu to make arrangements to return them to campus.

IMPORTANT: IF YOU STILL HAVE THE ABOVE ITEMS AT HOME, THESE MUST BE RETURNED OR A HOLD WILL BE PLACED ON YOUR STUDENT'S SCHEDULE. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A 2020-2021 ACADEMIC SCHEDULE UNTIL THE ITEM IS RETURNED OR PAID FOR.

We realize that some families returning to Renner for the 2020-2021 school year will need to keep their Chromebook. Please contact Travis Ragsdale for further information (travis.ragsdale@pisd.edu).

We will also be scheduling dates for Chromebook distribution since PISD will begin the year remotely. We plan to distribute before August 12, but we do need time to complete inventory and ensure that all Chromebooks are in working order. Stay tuned to your email for more information.

For Parents/Guardians inquiring how to pay FANS negative balances:

To remove your negative balance, please mail a personal check or cashier’s check made payable to Plano ISD fpr the exact amount owed to:

Food & Nutritional Services

Attn: Emma Ramos

6600 Alma Dr Ste B

Plano, TX 75023

In order to plan for the 2020-2021 school year, we would appreciate information from families who are planning or considering a move from the Renner/Shepton attendance zone during the summer. This information is very important and helps in accounting for all students that do not return for the 2020-2021 school year. Students who are unaccounted for will be reported as dropouts. We do not want this information to follow your student.

If you know for certain or if you are considering a move (this includes your student attending a private school), please complete the information below. If you know the name and address of the school your child will be attending next year, please include that information. (This form is for Renner use only, if your plans change and your student returns to Renner/Shepton in 2020-21, this form will be discarded.)

Thank you,

Maru Lopez - Registrar

EMAIL COMPLETED FORMS TO: Maru.Lopez@pisd.edu

(If you are unable to provide a scanned copy, you may email Mrs. Lopez with the information below.)

For a printable copy of the form, click here or on the image below.

The SMU Center for Family Counseling at Plano ISD is now offering telehealth counseling services provided free of charge. Services are provided by SMU Counseling Program students during their Practicum and Internship experiences and will be supervised by SMU full-time and adjunct faculty. Services are for adults, children (play therapy), adolescents (activity therapy), couples, and families for a variety of presenting concerns including anxiety, depression, behavior difficulties (e.g., opposition, defiance, aggression), grief and loss, peer relationships, stress, trauma, career transition, and parenting.

Additionally, clients are being accepted for five new support groups: Adult Mindfulness Group, LGBTQ+ Parenting/Caregiver Support Group, Adolescent Support Group, LGBTQ+ Adolescent Support Group, and LGBTQ+ Adult Support Group.

Service hours and contact information is as follows:

Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Appointments are available - please call to schedule (469) 752-3098.

A FAQ for Telehealth Counseling services may be found HERE.

Check out the Renner PTA website for important information about our school! From this website, you can purchase your membership, check out school supplies, and buy spirit wear. It's also a great place to find out about upcoming PTA opportunities to help out Renner Middle School.

Renner PTA Website: https://rennerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/

Jill Engelking, Principal

Website: www.pisd.edu/renner
Location: 5701 W Parker Rd, Plano, TX 75093
Phone: 469-752-5800