Oiler Families,

It was an excellent first week and it was great seeing students back in the building after preparing over the summer for their return. In the beginning of the week we saw upperclassmen helping younger students find their way and as the week progressed students were finding their way and streamlining their path from class to class.

The first week is always full of excitement, and this year was no exception. After a busy first day of students navigating the halls and finding their classes, Tuesday brought some unexpected excitement with no water and a lack of A/C in the morning. Our maintenance team worked tirelessly to resolve the issues before the start of classes, and we only experienced one brief interruption as they reconnected the main water line.

Despite these hurdles, our students rose to the occasion. Our staff kept their spirits high and welcomed students back with open arms, ensuring a smooth and positive start to the school year. While it might have been a bit warmer than hoped, students kept a smile on their faces.

Adrian Washburn

Principal, Pearland High School

We have one more week of an adjusted bell schedule before we get back to normal and through all of our back to school meetings. The schedule for this week is posted below.

This week, we will hold Investment Days, where each class will have the opportunity to meet and go over important events, campus updates, expectations, and more. These sessions are designed to help our students stay informed and engaged with what’s happening at school. Each grade level will have a designated day to meet in the Searcy Gym.

Student safety is our top priority, which is why we will be conducting all state-required safety drills this Friday during an extended 3rd period. These drills are a crucial part of ensuring that our students know exactly what to do in the event of an emergency. By holding these drills early in the school year, we aim to prepare our students thoroughly while minimizing disruptions to their instructional time later on.

Throughout the day, teachers will review evacuation routes and safety expectations with students to make sure they are well-prepared. Please know that these drills are conducted with the utmost care and attention to student safety, and our staff is fully committed to creating a secure and supportive environment for your child.

I've received a few questions from parents and students about the recent morning changes, particularly regarding tutorials, locker room access, and arrival procedures. I want to clarify these updates and reassure you that they are designed with your child's safety and well-being in mind.

Locker Room Access:
If your child needs to drop off items in a locker room, they should enter the building from the side where their locker room is located. For students who ride the bus, they can head to either the north or south side of the campus upon arrival.

Morning Tutorials:
Morning tutorials are available for students who have been given a pass by their teacher. We gladly welcome these students as early as 6:30 AM, when the school opens, to work with their teachers.

Before-School Gathering Areas:
We have plenty of space in both the Bullard and Searcy cafeterias for students to sit and socialize with friends before school starts. Restrooms in the green areas indicated on the map (to the right) will be available for their use during this time.

Why These Changes?
A few students have asked why these changes were made. When planning this with our teachers, our primary goal was to ensure your child's safety. Allowing students full access to an unsupervised building early in the morning isn't the best option. Additionally, our teachers use this time to finalize lesson plans and prepare materials for the day. We want to make sure they have the space and time they need to get ready while we ensure your child is supervised and safe.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we work together to create a safe and productive environment for all our students.

This week, we successfully distributed over 2,000 laptops to our students! To receive a laptop, families needed to request one during the Skyward student registration process. If you didn’t select this option but now wish to request a laptop, it’s not too late. Simply log into Skyward, access the student registration, and update your request.

Once your request is updated, we will work to distribute the device to your student as quickly as possible. Our tech team will be on campus this week to continue distributing laptops to students who submit new requests or who missed the initial deadline. We appreciate your patience as we ensure that every student who needs a device receives one.

We are thrilled to announce that our Baseball Coach, Coach Rogers has been named the CenterPoint Coach of the Month for July by none other than the Houston Astros' Youth Academy! Coach Rogers will be celebrated this Wednesday at Minute Maid Park, right before the Astros take on the Boston Red Sox.

This week, Coach Gill and our volleyball team hosted one of the largest volleyball tournaments in the state! Not only did we host but our girls went 7-2 finishing 6th overall against some of the toughest teams in the state. Not only did the team play incredibly well, but parents and coaches were amazed by the outstanding behavior of our students. In fact, many remarked that they didn’t even realize we were in session until lunch began, and even then, our students remained consistently well-behaved and polite. GREAT JOB PHS!!!

I’m excited to invite you to our first “Coffee with the Principal” event, happening next Tuesday, August 27th, from 7:30 to 8:30 AM at Pearland High School. This is a great opportunity for me to get to know you, hear what you think is going well at PHS, and discuss your hopes for the school’s future.

If you’d like to join us, please reserve your spot using this link. If you’re unable to make it this time, don’t worry—I’ll be hosting more of these events in the coming months.

Next week, we’re excited to bring back Oiler Time—a dedicated period during the school day where students can receive extra help from their teachers. To ensure every student has a place to go during this time, they will be signing up for sessions using a program called RTI Scheduler, which can be found in their Clever Dashboard.

This week, students will participate in Investment Days sessions, where they’ll learn how to log in, check their sessions, and get familiar with using this new system. We’re committed to helping our students make the most of Oiler Time and providing them with the support they need to succeed.

At Pearland High School, we believe in dressing for success and want our students to present themselves in a way that reflects the great individuals they are on the inside. Here are a few key reminders for this year’s dress code:

• Student IDs:

  • IDs will be distributed at no charge on the first day of school.
  • Students are required to wear their IDs every day. This is a critical safety measure, allowing staff to identify who belongs in the building and prevent unauthorized access.

• Head Coverings:

  • Hoodies and hats: While we understand that students love to wear hoodies for warmth, they must be worn appropriately. Students will be asked to remove any head coverings, including hats, while inside the building.

• Shorts and Skirts:

  • Must be worn no shorter than mid-thigh to maintain a respectful and appropriate learning environment.

• Leggings (New This Year):

  • Stretch slacks and leggings are now allowed.
  • They must be appropriately sized meaning they should not be see-through or expose any skin.

We appreciate your support in helping our students dress for success.

Below is a link that your student can access to order the Pearland High School sweatshirt for the 2024-2025 school year. Please complete this order form and submit payment by Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. To place your order, visit the Pearland High School Web Store at the link provided above. If you need any assistance, please contact Ms. Durham via email at durhamr@pearlandisd.org. Proceeds benefit the Class of 2026.