Williams News

While I certainly don't want students to focus on schoolwork the entire break, this would be a great time to check out grades in ParentPortal and encourage your child to catch up on missing assignments that teachers have posted in their Google Classrooms. The semester and grading period will end on December 21, and we want students to reach the minimum grade of 70 for the semester so that they earn credit for their courses.

I hope that everyone has a restful break! We look forward to welcoming students back to campus on Monday, November 27.

Jill Engelking

Principal

Williams High School

Nov 17, Fri TBD - Girls JV2 Basketball vs Van Alstyne @ Van Alstyne

Nov 20, Mon 10:00 AM - Boys 9B Basketball vs Prestonwood Christian Academy @ PCA

Nov 20, Mon 11:30 AM - Boys 9A Basketball vs Prestonwood Christian Academy @ PCA

Nov 21 -21, Mon-Tues - Girls JV2 Basketball Feast Week Tournament @ Denton

Nov 21, Tue 11:30 AM - Boys JV Basketball vs Rowlett @ PESH

Nov 21, Tue 5:30 PM - Girls 9A Basketball vs Keller Central @ PESH

Nov 23 - Thanksgiving

Nov 24 - Black Friday (SHOPPING FUN)

Nov 27, Mon 9:00 AM - BACK TO SCHOOL

Holidays can be tough for so many people. The Local Good Center is doing some things to help.

1. On Tuesday, November 21st from 9:00 - 11:00 AM they are giving away over 20,000 pounds of free food in their parking lot. The event is open to anyone in need and there is no need to register.

2. On Thursday November 23rd from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM They are providing a hot Thanksgiving lunch for anyone in need. No need to register, just show up.

The Local Good Center is located at 2201 K Ave. Ste A-200 and Ste C-100, Plano, Texas 75074. For more information please call (469) 366-9095 or email Hello@localgoodcenter.org.

It's officially the holiday season!!

Make your home festive and support the Starlettes at the same time. Items are shipped directly to you, so anyone can order.

Click here to place your order. Please use code WILLIATX003 when ordering.

We have great news for students who are interested in the HSA program but weren't selected in the lottery or didn't sign up in 8th grade! HSA will now be allowing current 9th and 10th graders to apply for lottery admission for next school year. Please read below for details.

The following changes will be made:

• Acceptance of current 9th grade students to join the HSA in 10th grade in the Fall of 2024
• Acceptance of current 10th grade students to join the HSA in the 11th grade in the Fall of 2024

Process:

• Interested 9th and 10th graders will fill out the selection form just like the 8th grade students
• Selection forms open Oct 30, 2023
• Selection forms will close Nov 27, 2023

• Student that are interested will be sent an email with the following information on what will be required to join the HSA in 10th or 11th grades:

· Students that enter in the 11th grade will need to take the following courses in the summer at their own expense::

o HPRS 2301: Pathophysiology: taken summer semester before 11th

o HITT 1305: Medical Terminology: taken summer semester before 11th

o HPRS 2232: Health Care Communications

o HPRS 1201: Introductions to Health Professions

· Students that enter in the 10th grade will need to take the following course in the summer at their own expense::

o HITT 1201: Introduction to Health Professions

• There will be separate lotteries for the 9th grade students and the 10th grade students.
• This lottery will take place after the number of open spots is determined and therefore will have a different timeline than the 8th grade students. This will be communicated to interested students.

• HSA Information Nights:
• Monday Nov 6, 2023 at Plano East (cafeteria) 6:30 pm -7:30 pm
• Monday Nov 13, 2023 zoom meeting 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
• Must register in advance
• Zoom Registration Link

As part of Plano ISD’s ongoing strategic roadmapping process and as the district begins work on a long range facility plan, Plano ISD families, staff and community members are invited to attend and participate in a community input meeting near you. Meetings are conveniently located at six locations throughout the district (see dates and times below).

Background

In May 2023, the Plano ISD Board of Trustees approved the new Strategic Roadmap that is inclusive of a long range plan. As such, the plan includes a strategy to study current facilities, enrollment and programs. This study will:

• Assess all of our schools,
• Analyze student enrollment at each school,
• Evaluate high-quality programming,
• Consider whether buildings are being used effectively and
• Determine whether resources are fairly distributed to support all students.

The result of the study may lead to restructuring, or “rightsizing,” school sites to better serve students. Rightsizing may involve closing school buildings or adjusting attendance boundaries within the feeder pattern to allow for a more equitable disbursement of district resources. Ultimately, the study of school building capacity will be for the purpose of supporting thriving schools, classrooms, students, teachers and school leaders.

So why are we doing this work?

District enrollment has been steadily declining over the last 12 years. Our peak enrollment was in 2012 at 55,700 students and our current enrollment is 47,800.
Some of the reasons for this decline include:

• The rising costs of homes (the average home in Plano ISD is $584,000);
• Growth in districts to our north (whose average home costs are lower than Plano ISD);
• A decrease in birth rates; which has led to
• Larger graduating classes than incoming kindergarten classes.

Visit www.pisd.edu/facilityroadmap for more information, including Frequently Asked Questions.

Meeting Locations and Times

(Spanish translators and sign language interpreters available at select meetings, see below.)

• McMillen High School
  December 11, 2023
  6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
  750 N. Murphy Road
  Murphy, TX 75094
• Vines High School
  January 11, 2024
  6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
  1401 Highedge Drive, Presentation Room
  Plano, Texas 75075
  Sign language interpreters provided
• Williams High School
  February 10, 2024
  9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
  1818 18th Street, Presentation Room
  Plano, TX 75093
  Spanish translation provided

• Clark High School
  March 6, 2024
  6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
  523 Spring Creek, Cafeteria
  Plano, Texas 75023
  Sign language interpreters provided
• Shepton High School
  April 9, 2024
  6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
  5505 Plano Parkway, Presentation Room
  Plano, TX 75093
  Spanish translation provided

Williams High School is grateful for our partnership with Lovepacs.

This year alone, we have been able to serve 20 families due to their generosity. We would love the opportunity to be able to serve more than that!

If you would like to know more about the program, please click this link: https://lovepacs.org/our-communities/plano/. Here you will find the Lovepacs Mission and Vision, ways to donate, and hear testimonials from donors and recipients.

If you are in need of Lovepacs for your family, please contact your child’s counselor.

The Plano ISD Diversity Advisory Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2023-24 Diversity Leadership Award. Please distribute the Diversity Leadership Letter to your PTA, community organizations, clubs, staff, etc. Schools are also welcome to nominate someone as a candidate for this award.

The deadline to submit the application is 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 30. Nominees and winners will be recognized at the Plano Martin Luther King Celebration on January 18, 2024.

For additional information, please contact Brian Lyons.

Temporary IDs are NO LONGER BEING ISSUED!

REMEMBER - ONLY ONE PERMANENT ID WILL BE ISSUED FREE OF CHARGE.

After one permanent ID is issued, each replacement ID will cost $5. Students can pay $5 cash or a $5.00 charge will be added to the student's account for each additional ID issued. Any outstanding balance at the end of the month will be posted to the student account.

According to the Texas Education Code 25.095, a violation of truant conduct occurs when a child has unexcused voluntary absences on Ten (10) or more days or parts of days within a six (6) month period. The Texas Education Code also states that:

• Tardies are considered parts of days.
• Excessive excused absences may require doctor or school nurse verification.

Attendance in the classroom for each period of instruction is critical for a child's success in school. It is so important that Plano ISD Board Policy FEC (LOCAL) states "a student who has not been in attendance for ninety (90) percent of the days the class is offered shall not be awarded credit or a final grade except in a course designated by the superintendent as having innovative instructional arrangements". Excessive absences or tardies may result in a referral to the Plano ISD Attendance Review Board and/or Collin County Truancy Court for truant conduct.

Please log on to the Parent Portal to view your student's attendance record or call the front office with any questions or concerns.

Parent Note:

A student has three days after an absence to turn in a note in order to receive an excused absence for permissible PISD absences. The note should include the student's name, ID number, reason, and date of absence. A parent's signature must be on the note. A parent call does not excuse the absence. We must have a note on file.

Procedure for Student Early Release:

Any time a student is required to ENTER or LEAVE school for any reason, he/she must sign in or out at the attendance office located at the front office.

If the student has a Drive Permit and you want the student to leave early, a written note or email has to be sent earlier to the Attendance Clerk, parents' signature

*This is also a great time to confirm on your emergency form which individuals are eligible to pick up your student. A sibling is not eligible to pick up unless they are designated as an emergency contact. If you have an emergency and can’t come to pick up your student and someone is going to come, please make sure that this person is in the Emergency Contact. Or send me an email to inform me about the person who is going to pick the student. The emergency form can be updated at any time with new emergency contacts and numbers. Simply go to the parent portal - Student Registration and update the Emergency Contact section.

Student Absence Request Form:

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Excused absences include temporary absences resulting from personal illness or death in the family, weather, or road conditions making travel dangerous. Absences such as vacations and trips, babysitting, working, and non-school sponsored athletic events and programs shall be considered unexcused.

For a student to make up and receive credit for work assigned during an unexcused absence, the student must submit a written notification of the planned absence to the principal one week in advance. When no prior notification is given, the student shall receive a zero for all work assigned during the absence.

If your Williams High School Student is going to be absent for more than 3 days, please fill out the "Student Absence Request" form, utilize the attachment, and submit the form to our Attendance Clerk no later than one week before the requested date of the absence.

Plano ISD families have access to GoGuardian Parent, a mobile app that gives parents/guardians the ability to manage and monitor student activity on school-issued Chromebooks during out-of-school hours (after 4:30). GoGuardian Parent is a companion to the classroom management and internet filtering tools that our district uses during the school day.

What is included in this app:

· A Top 5 summary of student browsing (apps, extensions and websites visited)

· A 30-day view of websites, videos, apps, and extensions

· The ability to block websites on school-issued devices during out-of-school hours

· The ability to pause internet access on school-issued devices during out-of-school hours, either on-demand or at a scheduled time

To access the app, please follow the instructions below:

1. Download the App from Apple iPhone App store or Google Play Store for Android
2. After app has downloaded and installed, open the app and enter the email address used to register with the PISD Parent Portal (Note: If you forget your registered email address, please reach out to our Help Desk at (469) 752-8767 or HelpDesk@pisd.edu
3. Log In/Check Email: Check your email on your phone for a link to log into the app. Tap "Verify Your Email" and it will take you to the app. You may need to check your junk mail folder. (Note: If you don't have access to your email through the device you used to log in , tap on "Login with Verification Code" and copy and paste the verification code from the email in to the app)

Please congratulate these young athletes as they are our selection for athletes of the month! Not only do these athletes excel on the field/court but they also excel in the classroom and are great leaders to their peer here at Williams. Yes, High fives are in order, and it is okay to spoil them a little this week!

Plano ISD participates in the federal meal program which provides free and reduced - price meals to students who qualify. Families who may qualify for meal benefits should complete a meal application for the 2023-2024 school year. The application is available through the parent portal or via the website at www.pisd.edu/mealprogram.

Families who already have a SchoolCafe account can sign in to complete the meal application. Families who do not have an account can create a new one by selecting that option on the SchoolCafé page. View this SchoolCafé information video for instructions on how to complete the meal application.

Applications will be processed within 10 business days. Eligibility notification letters will be sent via email. If parents have not received the letter in their inbox, please have them check junk and spam folders.

Market Street Supermarkets and Mrs Baird’s Bread are proud to bring back its popular Teachers On The Rise program to North Texas – in particular the Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Plano, Coppell and Lewisville ISDs. These two companies have hosted Teachers On The Rise for the past 13 years in West Texas/Panhandle and to host the program for our third year in North Texas to honor your great teachers. We know great things happen in our classrooms every day, and we want to hear about them from students and families.

Teachers On The Rise is a student/family nominated teacher recognition program honoring three teachers every month of the school year—one winner in elementary, one middle school winner and one high school teacher. We know you have great educators in your school, and we need your help spreading the word to students and families to nominate them. Below you will find our “quick facts” which provides the pertinent information to nominate a Williams High School Teacher.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE PROGRAM

• Tell students to log on to www.NorthTexasTOTR.com to fill out an entry form (or just google Teachers On The Rise)

• Each month, three winners will be selected (one elementary, one middle/junior high and one high school)

• Winning teachers receive $100 Market Street Gift Card and a $100 American Express Gift Card from Mrs Baird’s Bread.

• Students who nominate a winning teacher also receive a $50 AMEX Gift Card

• All DFW-area schools are eligible.

See official rules found on the entry site for complete program details.

Asian Appreciation Association - Branson.Plunk@pisd.edu

Book Club - Liz.Bode@pisd.edu

Business Professionals of America - Debra.Sepp@pisd.edu

Computing Club - Parul.Dumka@pisd.edu

Conspiracy Theory Club - Emily.Crowder@pisd.edu

FCA - Shanda.Tyler@pisd.edu

Field Type Single Line - Parul.Dumka@pisd.edu

HOSA Future Health Professionals - Deborah.Alba@pisd.edu

HOPE Squad - Jessica.James@pisd.edu

KEYSS - Lulu.Aguilar@pisd.edu

LASER - Shingyi.yang@pisd.edu

Multicultural Club - Patricia.Irias@pisd.edu

National Honor Society - Bryan.Hoskins@pisd.edu or Sarah.TiptonSmith@pisd.edu

PALS - Jessica.James@pisd.edu

Panther Den - Liz.Bode@pisd.edu

PB&Joy - Sarah.tiptonsmith@pisd.edu

Robotics - Parul.Dumka@pisd.edu

Student Council - Emily.Garner@pisd.edu

Whiz Quiz - Rima.Niyogi@pisd.edu

Women in STEM - Parul.Dumka@pisd.edu

Keep up with the latest theater news by following our Instagram account!

A - D - Christina Ballinger (starting next week), ext. 28316

E - Le - Lisa Delacruz, ext. 28314, lisa.delacruz@pisd.edu

Li - Ra - Don Stevens, ext. 28312, don.stevens@pisd.edu

Re - Z - Inge Dismuke-Stovall, ext. 28313, inge.dismukestovall@pisd.edu

As principal, I'm always happy to assist, too! You can reach me at 469-752-8310 or jill.engelking@pisd.edu

A - E - Lisa Knowles, ext. 28317 Lisa.Knowles@pisd.edu

F - I - Monica Trevino, Lead Counselor, ext. 28320 Monica.Trevino@pisd.edu

J - Pi - Sholonda Miller, ext. 28319 Sholonda.Miller@pisd.edu

Pl - Z - Chadwick Caraway, ext. 28318 Chadwick.Caraway@pisd.edu

Secretary - Alicia Kamien, ext. 28315

Registrar - Carola Garrison, ext. 28323

Support Williams High School by joining or renewing your membership in the Williams HS Parent Teacher Student Association. This is an easy way to support the students, staff, and families of the WHS community. Membership funds help pay for teacher grants, student programs and events throughout the year. We can all work together to make Williams High School the best that it can be!

Visit www.williamsptsa.org to find out how to join.

WHS students who join WHS PTSA both their 9th and 10th grade years are eligible for the Senior Scholarship awarded during the Spring of their graduation year!

Be sure to join NOW! Click here to join.