• 🗓️ Upcoming Events & Holidays
• ✋ Standard Response Protocols & Campus Emergency Drills
• 🟢 Safe Storage
  
• 🔑 Multi-Factor Authentication Implementation
  
• 📄 Employment Verification Process - Certification
• 🌺 Hispanic/Latino Heritage Pfair
  
• 🏫 Strategic Plan Visioning Task Force
• ✍🏻 Open Enrollment is Almost Here!
  
• 🍼 PfISD Benefits Baby Shower
  
• 🎶 Fine Arts
• 🔩CTE Corner
  
• 💬 Join the Conversation!
• 🎉 PfISD Spotlight
  
• 🖊️Trustees Meeting Brief
• 👏 Staff Recognitions
  

Sep 15–Oct 15 : Hispanic Heritage Month

Sept. 26: Benefits Baby Shower

Sept. 30: Pfestival of the Bands

Oct. 3: Board Workshop Meeting

Oct. 10: Hispanic / Latino Heritage Pfair

We train our staff and students in the Standard Response Protocols (SRP); Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, Shelter, and Hold. These five simple procedures give our staff and students the tools they need to properly initiate emergency response actions for any emergency that may occur on campus.

These SRPs are practiced regularly each school year at all campuses through drills. State law dictates that number of times each semester each drill has to be practiced.

Each week we will go over one of our SRP's that will be listed below along with a brief description of the protocol. For more information about each protocol, please visit: www.pfisd.net/srp

Locks, lights, out of sight.

Lockdown is called when there is a threat or hazard inside the school building. From parental custody disputes to intruders to an active shooter, Lockdown uses classroom security to protect students and staff from threat.

Texas law now requires school districts to distribute information to parents and guardians about the safe storage of firearms. The attached information will help you learn about options for, as well as how to talk to your child and others about, the safe storage of firearms.

In 2021, 4,613 Texans experienced gun-related deaths. The Texas Department of State Health Services (SHS) reports that 55% of Texas firearms deaths in 2020 were suicides and that 59% of all suicides in Texas were by firearms. Suicide attempts involving firearms have a 90% fatality rate. Restricting access to guns is critical in reducing acts of violence, whether as self-harm or towards others. Acts of mass violence and interpersonal violence often end in suicide.

It is unlawful to store, transport, or abandon an unsecured firearm in a place where children are likely to be and can obtain access to the firearm. Under Texas Penal Code 46.13, a person commits the offense of making a firearm accessible to a child if the child gains access to a readily dischargeable firearm, and the person with criminal negligence:

• Failed to secure the firearm
• Left the firearm in a place to which the person knew or should have known the child would gain access

The penalty for allowing a child access to a firearm can range from a Class C misdemeanor (punishable by a $500 fine) to a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by a $4000 fine, a year in jail, or a combination of the two).

Texas exempts the purchase of firearm safety equipment from Texas Sales and Use Tax.

Remember, a gun should be stored unloaded in a safe or locked container, with ammunition stored elsewhere. You can learn more and find additional resources from the Texas Department of Public Safety at https://safegunstoragetexas.com.

Safe gun storage is critical to preventing suicide, unintentional shootings, and other tragedies.

In October, we will be implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all staff members. This enhancement will require you to enter a MFA code when logging into applications such as Google Drive and Gmail.

MFA provides an additional layer of security, similar to the second step utilized in online banking and other financial services. Please note that it may take a few login attempts before you encounter this change, so there is no need for concern if you are not prompted immediately.

To facilitate this transition, we are offering several methods for receiving your MFA code. Please review these detailed instructions for setting up your MFA preference. Additionally, a brief instructional video is available here to guide you through the process step by step.

Scheduled dates and locations for the MFA rollout are as follows:

• 10/03/2024 Elementary Campuses
• 10/17/2024 Middle School Campus
• 10/31/2024 High School Campus
• 10/31/2024 All Non-Instructional District Sites

Thank you for your cooperation in strengthening our security measures.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Help Desk at x40212.

Find additional helpful guides, resources, and information documents for PfISD technology resources on the Technology G.R.I.D.

As part of our annual employee verification process, all staff are required to access their certifications in TEAL to ensure that all required certificates have not expired. If any certification required for your current position has expired, follow the instructions below to renew your certificate(s) no later than October 31, 2024.

A certification audit will be conducted, and staff who have not updated their required certificates

will be identified and may be subject to pay and employment implications.

Should you have any questions regarding this process, please contact Certification Specialist,

Keitra Johnson in Human Resources.

If your certification is expired, please view the following instructions:

Instructions - https://helpdesk.tea.texas.gov/EducatorCertificationandCPE/kbadetails/?id=7eae7de1-279d-4879-887a-2c219f492bcc

TEAL - https://tealprod.tea.state.tx.us/

Celebrating Pflugerville ISD's 1st Hispanic/Latino Heritage Pfair!

We’re excited to announce the first-ever Hispanic/Latino Heritage Pfair in Pflugerville ISD. This will be an unforgettable celebration of culture, history, and community! This event is a fantastic opportunity for our students, staff, and families to come together and honor the rich traditions and contributions of our Hispanic/Latino community.

This event will include cultural booths that showcases the beauty and diversity of Hispanic/Latino heritage through food, music, art, and history,

Our EMCEE is Austin's own, Salwa Yordi! We can't wait to see you there!

The Pflugerville Independent School District (PfISD) has launched an inclusive and forward-thinking Strategic Planning initiative by creating a Task Force aimed at shaping the future of education within the district. This Visioning Task Force will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, including parents, community members, business leaders, administrators, teachers, Board members, and students, all of whom will collaborate to ensure a well-rounded and community-focused vision for PfISD. The initiative centers on a comprehensive visioning process that will result in key findings regarding the delivery and support of instruction, actionable directions for achieving these goals, and a well-defined Profile of a Learner in PfISD.

To ensure the success of this visioning process, the Task Force will meet at 6 p.m. on the dates listed below.

It is crucial that all members of the committee attend each meeting, as their participation and input will be essential in shaping the outcomes. The feedback and guidance provided during these sessions will serve as the foundation for the district’s strategies and priorities in the coming years, ensuring that the educational needs of all students are met with excellence and innovation.

Meeting Dates

• October 8, 2024
• October 22, 2024
• November 12, 2024
• December 3, 2024
• December 12, 2024
• December 17, 2024
• January 9, 2025
• January 14, 2025

Employees will soon be able to log in and enroll in benefits. The enrollment site will be open from October 1, 2024, through October 25, 2024. After October 25th the site will close and you will no longer be able to enroll for 2025 benefits unless you have a qualifying life event. Open enrollment is your opportunity to add, drop, or make changes to your benefits. Changes will be effective January 1, 2025.

There are important changes to the medical, dental, FSA, and HSA plans, making it necessary for employees to re-enroll to maintain coverage. Current plans will not roll over automatically.

Employees newly hired for the 2024-2025 academic year will need to re-enroll for benefits to have coverage in 2025. Your current benefits will end on December 31, 2024.

The 2025 Benefits Guide is included for your review before making your selections.

How to enroll:

• Visit www.pfisdbenefits.com and select "Enroll Online" OR
• Call the SMBO call center at 877-282-0808, Mon - Fri, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

The PfISD Benefits Department is available to assist with any questions via:

• Phone 512-594-0026
• Email benefits@pfisd.net
• At your campus during the HR Front Porch initiative in October

In October, the HR team will visit every campus and department to assist employees with HR-related questions, such as open enrollment, leave, compensation, certification, etc.

Please note the scheduled date and time we will be at your location.

Tuesday, Oct. 1: 2:30 - 4:00 SHES 3:00 - 4:30 WVMS

Wednesday, Oct. 2: 2:30 - 4:00 TES 2:30 - 4:00 HLES

Thursday Oct. 3: 2:30 - 4:00 NWES 2:30 - 4:00 WDES

Friday, Oct. 4: 3:30 - 5:00 HHS 2:30 - 4:00 RBES

Monday Oct. 7: 3:30 - 5:00 OC 2:30 - 4:00 CWES

Tuesday, Oct.8: 3:30 - 5:00 PHS 3:00 - 4:30 PMS

Wednesday, Oct. 9: 2:30 - 4:00 CES 2:30 - 4:00 WES

Thursday, Oct. 10: 2:30 - 4:00 ROES 3:00 - 4:30 DMS

Friday, Oct. 11: 9:00 - 11:00 Transportation 2:30-5:00 SSV/Tech

Monday, Oct. 14: 3:00-4:30 PACE/H&S/EDP/Police 2:00 - 4:00 Admin

Tuesday, Oct. 15: 2:30 - 4:00 RES 2:30 - 4:00 HPES

Wednesday, Oct. 16: 2:30 - 4:00 BHES 3:00 - 4:30 CMS

Thursday, Oct. 17: 2:30 - 4:00 DES 2:30 - 4:00 VMES

Friday, Oct. 18: 2:30 - 4:00 JCES 3:00-4:30 KLMS

Monday. Oct. 21: 2:30 - 4:00 PES 2:30 - 4:00 DRES

Tuesday, Oct. 22: 3:00-4:30 PCMS 3:30-5:00 CHS

Wednesday, Oct. 23: 2:30 - 4:45 MES 3:30 - 5:00 WHS

Thursday, Oct. 24: 2:30 - 4:00 RLES 2:30 - 4:00 PLES

Friday, Oct. 25: 2:30 - 4:00 WLES 3:00-4:30 BMS

Principals can approve up to 6% of their staff to take a state personal absence on a non-discretionary day. The request must be submitted through the employee’s Skyward Time Off at least one week in advance and the employee must have available leave.

Are you expecting? Are you planning to expand your family?

PfISD Benefits and Leave Office is hosting a district-wide shower for expecting or soon-to-be parents.

The event will provide information on maternity/paternity leave and available benefits, helping you understand and maximize your options for the upcoming benefits enrollment, effective January 1, 2025.

Please be sure to RSVP by scanning the QR code or emailing benefits@pfisd.net.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We are so excited to showcase our middle bands performing together, and each high school band and color guard program performing part of their 2024 marching show.

Student Shout-Outs, to be announced live at the event, will be available for purchase for $5.00~cash please!

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public!

Students in the Introduction to Engineering CTE class at Dessau Middle School are learning the

principles of engineering design, building teamwork and critical thinking skills, and decision- making processes. Teams of students designed prototypes using commonly available materials and then modeled them for peers in a “fashion” show.

Pflugerville ISD is proud to offer five career and technical education courses in middle school to help students explore in-demand industries, build employability skills, and experience hands-on learning in classrooms, labs, on tours, and with guest speakers. Three classes offer high school credit, and two options satisfy a local graduation requirement!

We invite you to be a part of the district's next Strategic Plan by participating in Dr. Shepherd's 100-Day Listening and Learning Tour.

Dr. Shepherd is excited to begin his role as Superintendent with a 100-day plan called "Discovering Pflugerville." He will focus on engaging with the community through a listening tour, gathering insights to shape our district’s future, and fostering a transparent and inclusive administration. Dr. Shepherd is eager to hear from you about what’s working well and where we can improve—your feedback is essential to our shared success.

This is your chance to share your insights, ideas, and feedback to help guide the direction of our schools and community. Your voice matters in shaping the future of our district!

👇Click below and let us know what you feel is working well in the district, and what you think the district needs to improve on in the survey below!

Get the inside scoop on all things PfISD! This section of the newsletter is your go-to spot for the latest on upcoming board meetings and easy access to past board meeting minutes.

Did you miss the September 19 Board of Trustees Special Meeting? Watch below!

September 19, Board Workshop Meeting

If you would like to subscribe to receive agendas when posted, please visit the Agendas and Minutes page and scroll to the bottom to complete the subscription form. Stay connected and stay informed!

Pflugerville ISD has launched a new Administration Report to promote transparency and ensure that stakeholders are informed about administrative decisions, board meetings, and district-wide initiatives. This comprehensive resource supports student success and community trust by keeping everyone engaged and informed.

To see the most recent Administration Report, visit www.pfisd.net/administrative-report.

Welcome back to our Staff Shoutout and Pfamily Kudos section! In the coming weeks, you will see messages of appreciation from parents, students, community members, and other staff members through Staff Shoutouts and Pfamily Kudos.

Thank you to our amazing PfISD staff members for everything they do for our students and community!

Want to recognize a staff member who goes above and beyond? Click here to submit your Pfamily Kuddos for the google form.

Caroline Gutierrez ECSE Coordinator (via: Devon Robertson)

Caroline has been so helpful as I transition to ECSE. I appreciate how proactive she is in her support and how easily she has made prioritizing what needs to get done first. Thank you!

Marissa Gamez, Sonya Jackson, David Hawkins, and William Jaramillo of Westview Middle School (via: Anonymous)

Huge shout-out to our admin team here at WVMS. They are working their hardest at maintaining high expectations across students and staff. They're communicating cross-level and ensuring a base standard for how things are to operate, and we've seen less problems this year and I think if they keep as consistent as they've been, which is impressive, it will be an amazing year at our school!

Allyson Petersen of CHS Social Studies and Cheer Coach (via: Mia Clark)

Ally has done a wonderful job taking over as the new Cheer Coach at CHS. She came into a difficult situation and has made a huge, immediate, and massive positive impact on the Cheer program at CHS and as a dedicated teacher in our Social Studies dept.

Our Cheerleaders are happy and the program is soaring. The showing at campus events and football games has been stellar and Coach Petersen has been a leader in growing the positive Cougar Culture at Connally this year. We love our new Cheer coach!

Mary Thompson of Riojas/2nd Grade (via: Anonymous)

Ms. Thompson is a dedicated, amazing teacher. She works with students at such a high level and provides individualized care to those who need it. She excels at teaching evidence based writing during reading, which is a skill that is tested in the upper grades. She also serves as an unofficial mentor to students she has had in prior years.

Steven Hinojosa of Hidden Lake Comm Class ( via: Anonymous)

Mr. Hinojosa stepped into this role and has been a great addition to the HLES team. His tireless efforts to help the students meet their highest potential does not go unnoticed.

Rita Aleman Instructional Technology Specialist (via: Maria)

Thank you for coming to teach my students Scratch Jr. to engage my students in our read aloud. Your kindness and patience in teaching to explain the parts of the story made a huge impact. My students learned so much, had a great time, and I can’t wait for our next lesson! Thank you for being so amazing!

Ms. Youngkin, Ms. Trish, Ms. Beeler of Riojas Elementary/Pre-K (via: Zack Krasuk and Angela Gonzalez)

Thank you Ms. Beeler, Ms. Trish and Ms. Youngkin for remembering and honoring our daughter Zoe during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Thank you for all the love you gave our daughter while she was here with us and beyond. You are amazing!!!

Coach G and Coach Salaiz (via: Wendy Quevedo)

Genesis has been an impactful addition to our team. My daughter comes home so excited about gym time and talks about all the things she is learning with coach G. Coach Salaiz is implementing dance into physical education getting our students excited about our sock hop. Our students are getting up during movement breaks and dancing the dances they are learning in the gym. Our specials teachers are so impactful in the lives of our students and I appreciate you both so much for giving our students joy during the time they spend with you.

The Pegasus Team of Ruth Barron Elementary (via: Anonymous)

The Pegasus Team is an amazing group of teachers! They make sure that all of their students are taken care of and even help students that are not in their class to make sure they have the best learning environment!
We highly appreciate their passion for the students and the help they give to fellow coworkers! Thank you Mrs. Aranda and the Pegasus Team!

Eckles, Enkhbat, Rowell, Reney of Windermere 5th grade team ( via: Willis and Greene)

Without an IC, Windermere is prioritizing PLC and processes to ensure growth. Fifth grade has embraced these strategies with open arms, diligently taking formative data, recording with fidelity, working as a team to sort students and were able to answer PLC questions 3 &4, creating focused groups and communication to parents on how they can partner with them.

Scott Benge of CHS ( via: Paul Basquez)

I want to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to the Army Instructor and his cadets for their outstanding presentation of the flags at our first safety meeting. They did an incredible job, and their professionalism and precision were truly impressive. Our department gives them a well-deserved round of applause for their efforts. This was a very special moment for all of us, and we are honored to have had their presence. Thank you Joe and Scott. We look forward to seeing you guys at our next meeting!

Megan, Monica Behr and Irene of Rowe Lane (via: Rosa Ramirez)

Team work makes a dream work! Thank you ladies for being amazing and so receptive to all the change we've had to adapt to starting off this year. Love our office dynamic. I appreciate all of you!

Gracie Ruiz of Spring Hill (via: Selena Blackmon)

Gracie is an outstanding team lead for 1st grade. She consistently checks in on her team members to make sure we are doing okay. She is always willing to answer any questions I have and I am grateful to have her on our team! Thank you, Gracie!

Ciera Tyrell ofSpring Hill SPED (via: Selena Blackmon)

Ciera consistently demonstrates unwavering support for both her students and colleagues. Her willingness to lend a helping hand and her strong work ethic make a significant impact on our school community. We are truly fortunate to have her with us!

Ms. Angela Aguila of Pflugerville Elementary school (via: Gregg and Rosemary Olanirans)
She's an excellent, awesome, & amazing teacher, very attentive and communicating at all times 😀. She responds to all our questions about our daughter's progress and always give a feedback when requested.

Ms. Alisa Norris of Weiss High School (Special Ed) (via: Gregg and Rosemary Olanirans)
Ms Alisa has been a God sent teacher to our daughter's special needs. She's friendly, attentive, and always ready to help. Our daughter has always loved and speaks good about her and will always be missed as our daughter graduated 🎓 from WHS. Thanks again for all you did.

Ms. SAMMY ( Kindergarten) of Pflugerville Elementary School (via: Gregg & Rosemary Olanirans)
Ms Sammy has been a part of our family 👪 for a very long time as 3 (three) of our children went through her kind and nurturing attentions. She's very helpful, supportive, and an excellent resourceful teacher. Thanks for all your services.

Ms. Loving and Ms. Eskew of Windermere Elementary (via: Anonymous)
Ms. Loving and Ms. Eskew are the dream team! They work so hard and fill any and every role they can to help make Windermere great! They are both always enthusiastic and ready to help however they're needed.

Mr. Sosa of PCMS-World Cultures (via:Anonymous )
Mr. Sosa does a great job of creating a positive learning environment in his Advanced World Cultures class. My daughter comes home nearly daily talking about the fun activities they do, or the positive feed back he gives or the funny "Dad" jokes he tells as he sends them off into their day. Know you are making an impact on your students and they're all the better for it. Thank you.

Jessica Brown of Kelly Lane Middle School, ELA, 7th Grade (via: Samarth Lakamraju)
Ms. Brown is a very caring and nice teacher. She is super kind and patient. She greet every single student that enters her class with a smile. She is an amazing teacher.

Jake Young of Kelly Lane Middle School, Tx. History, 7th grade (via: Samarth Lakamraju)
Mr. Young is a very nice, patient, and great teacher. He has made me super hooked on to Texas History. He is also very active and we do many hands on activities in the class. He knows so many things about Texas History and he shares all of it with us. He is the best Texas History teacher I have ever had.

Erica Valenzuela of Kelly Lane Middle School, Tech Apps, Intro. to Engineering, Professional Communications (via: Samarth Lakamraju)
Ms.Valenzuela is and amazing and caring teacher. She is super kind and caring. While teaching our class, she also teaches us respect and etiquette. She also makes us think so we can learn. She is an amazing teacher.

Martha Rios and Ms Maggie of Pflugerville Elementary (via: Wendy Quevedo)
Ms Rios and Mrs Maggie make such a positive impact in our community gracias por querer a nuestros niños educarlos con compasion y seguir persistiendo dia con dia. Forman una gran parte de nuestras vidas son la primera experiencia escolar de muchos de nuestros niños y dan lo mejor de si.

Coach Jose Flores of Weiss HS (via:Anonymous )
Coach Flores is exactly the type of coach you want your child to have for their first high school athletics experience. He is so positive, uplifting, and encouraging. We didn’t really know what to expect being relatively new to a sport in high school, but Coach Flores has made it fun. We can’t wait to see how our athlete grows this year!

Mrs. Portillo, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Shelby, and Ms. Impson of Mott Elementary (via: Vanessa Gorham)
A huge thank you to Mrs. Portillo, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Shelby and Ms. Impson for being there for my daughter when she was struggling with major anxiety. Thank you for making her feel safe, loved and getting her through the day!

ROSEANN BARTLETT of Pflugerville Middle Scool (via: Liz)
Ms. Bartlett does so much more than just teach ELA, she motivates, inspires and truly see's our kids as individuals, not just test scores. She get's their best because they want to give her their best. We are so lucky to have her at PMS

Ms. Shannon of Transportation (via: Chelsea Cohen)
Ms. Shannon is just incredible. My son just started Kindergarten and was nervous about riding the bus. She immediately put him (and me) at ease! I am so grateful knowing that our students are in safe hands with her.

Ms. Carter & Mrs. McIlhaney of Hidden Lake ES, 2nd Grade (via: The Davidson's)
Ms. Carter is very resilient and is teaching our kids to be the same. When our original teacher was moved from 2nd to Kindergarten, Ms. Carter was moved from another Elementary School to Hidden Lake. That's a big adjustment for all those involved. Ms. Carter stepped right into the classroom and won over my kiddo. You wouldn't know that he experienced such a big change. Thank you Ms. Carter and Mrs. McIlhaney for helping us stay on track and have a smooth transition.

Mrs. Hanson of Hidden Lake Elementary (via: Mah Seemion)
Our son looks forward to going to Kindergarten EVERY day. Mrs. Hanson keeps open communication with anything that is going on and is very responsive. She has been instrumental in our son adjusting to a new environment and I cannot commend her enough for everything she does for all of her students. We appreciate her very much!!

Sarrah Tolentino of HLES (via: Jessica Chang)
Thank you Ms. Tolentino for making my daughter's first year of school in Kinder an amazing year. She loves school and loves learning. Thank you for creating an environment for learning, fun and friendship.

Coach Jeff Hughes of Riojas Elementary (via: Amanda Dean)
Coach Hughes works so hard for all the students at Riojas! He’s been setting up clubs for the kids every day before school. My kids have come home talking about a martial arts demonstration that he set up for a PE class that they LOVED. He’s going to be a UIL Coach. He spends so much energy to better our students outside of the classroom and I am so thankful for all he does.

Ms. Haley Shillow of Riojas Elementary (via: Amanda Dean)
I am so grateful for Ms. Shillow!!! She is invaluable to our family. She is an amazing teacher who was able to point out some things that I needed to work on with my daughter in a way we could both understand. She has also advocated for my daughter in a way that has seen meaningful change for my daughter’s education. She has made a huge difference for my daughter and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings. She is the best!!

Jessica Brown of Teacher(ELA) (via: Matthew T)
She is a great teacher and stuff. She taught us UIL spelling very well and helped me get first and yeah she's really cool.