Shepton High School

August 31st - September 4th:

Remote Learning Continues

Next Week:

9/7 - Labor Day (Student / Staff holiday)

9/8 - Student holiday / staff work day

9/9 - Face-to-Face learning begins (Full details to be sent by 9/5)

As we all navigate through this unique school year, we will need to adjust to many changes, like student attendance. First and foremost, your student needs to login every day through WebDesk. As a reminder, your student’s teacher has full control over his/her attendance.

**UPDATED - In an effort to help make attendance taking more efficient for both students and teachers, each teacher will now have the ability to utilize a simple Google Form for students to submit during Asynchronous learning. This will be an additional way for teachers to monitor attendance and will address any inconsistencies that may exist. This will take effect the week of 8/31 and will be communicated by the classroom teacher.

Whether it is an asynchronous or synchronous day of learning, attendance is taken every day for every class.

If for some reason your student did not attend class (during synchronous learning) or login (during asynchronous learning), he/she has until 11:59 pm of that same school day to login, complete, and submit work to the teacher. The next day, that absence will be reconciled by the teacher as they check work submitted. With that being said, you may receive an automated phone call in the evening stating an absence. These calls are a reminder that the student still has a chance to login and reconcile the absence.

If you have any questions regarding your student’s attendance, it must be addressed with your child’s teacher. Send them an email and/or voicemail with your concerns. If a student has an appointment and will be missing class, he/she can email the teacher and let them know they will not be present. Please understand your teacher still has to mark that child absent as they are not in class. Again, you will receive the automated phone call to remind you the student has until 11:59 pm to login and complete any work assigned.

For excused absences, please continue to email or fax any medical or parent notes to the Attendance Clerk, Jo Woodland, at Jo.woodland@pisd.edu.

For consistency, Shepton teachers will post the following:

Week At a Glance:

As pictured below, each teacher will post this weekly summary in Google Classroom by 9 am every Monday.

Asynchronous Learning:

Each teacher will post their asynchronous learning on Google Classroom by 9 am each day.

Here is our schedule during full remote learning from 8/17 – 9/4. As a reminder, synchronous will be ‘live’ via Google Meets as you did the first 3 days of school. Please check with your teacher for the asynchronous expectations.

Reminders:

• Students must attend 2nd period synchronous every Monday @ 9:53 am.
• Every teacher has a Google Classroom for every period.
• Synchronous 'live' learning occurs through Google Meets - directly linked to Google Classroom.

Two words added to our vocabulary that we weren't using 6 months ago. Here is an overview of what they mean.

Remote Synchronous Learning is defined as two-way, real-time, live, instruction between teachers and students, through the computer or other electronic devices. Students enrolled in PISD School@Home will be assigned a virtual class schedule and must be available for live, synchronous instruction during each school day.

Plano ISD student expectations for synchronous learning:

• Students attend class on time, per their class schedule.

• Students will follow Plano ISD dress code.

• Students are ready to engage and learn.

• Students should have a designated, distraction-free workspace to engage in learning.

• Students will show their face on the screen to engage with the teacher virtually.

• Students will participate in the class activities, discussions and assignments.

Remote Asynchronous Learning is a curricular experience where students engage in the learning materials on their own time, interacting intermittently with the teacher via the computer or other electronic devices. In this setting, teachers will provide instruction, learning resources and support through the use of Google Classroom.

Plano ISD student expectations for ​asynchronous learning:

• Students will complete asynchronous activities assigned each day.

• Students show proof of participation in daily virtual instruction by satisfactorily completing assignments to demonstrate evidence of student learning, e.g., video, picture or activities submitted as lessons and/or completing assignments.

• Students and parents will communicate with the teacher when needing additional assistance, tutoring, etc.

Learn more here - Plano ISD Return to School 2020: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mqcqHcr3VOnzVycLfEXtSfHUBflzsX__Q2DxWS-FM4w/edit?usp=sharing

Curbside meal pickup will be available Monday - Friday from August 12th through September 4th @ Shepton HS. This service will be provided on the West side of our campus, through the bus lane, by the cafeteria entrance.

Due to the unprecedented complexity of creating student schedules this school year, we are very limited with options for schedule changes. Therefore, we are not accepting teacher change requests for the first 9 weeks (For example - you have Mr. Smith for Spanish and you 'wanted' Ms. Jones). Likewise, we will not accept period change requests (For example - you are in Biology 1st period and you want it 2nd period ). The only change requests we will take at this time are for those that are in the wrong class due to an error (For example - you are in English I and should be in English I Honors).

If you have a question regarding your student's schedule, please reach out to your student's counselor or fill out the following form https://forms.gle/dZYK4q3UMNfvW7Am7

Our counselors are working around the clock to make the changes when/where appropriate. Please continue to check parent portal to be informed of when the schedule change has occurred. If you are changing teachers or class period, feel free to email that teacher to request the necessary Google Classroom information. Our teachers will continue to monitor their rosters and will reach out to new students as soon as possible as well!

How to contact your counselor?

You may contact your counselor via email or by phone. Counselors will return your phone call or respond to your email as soon as possible. Please understand at the beginning of the year, there may be a slight response delay due to the high volume of emails and phone calls. Counselors are happy to answer any questions you may have.

The Shepton counselors would like to invite each and every student to a brief virtual meeting to check in and see how things are going. It is a great opportunity to ask questions. Look for an email from your counselor inviting you to sign up for an appointment.

Also, take a moment to check out our virtual office:

Why do we want students to use PISD Chromebooks?

This might help answer your questions about why students need to use a PISD Chromebook:

https://www.pisd.edu/Page/23887

Student Email:

Based on our virtual experience in the spring, every secondary student now has a student email through the district. For details click here: https://www.pisd.edu/studentemail

Tech issues / Difficulty logging in / No internet?

Contact our CTA (Campus Technology Assistant):

Karen Hosein

shepton.cta@pisd.edu

469-752-7606

Still need a Chromebook or textbooks?

If you were unable to get your supplies and/or had a change and need a different textbook, please contact Athanasios Icossipentarhos (athanasios.icossipe@pisd.edu).

Reserving Library Books:

Please view this video on how to place a library book on hold at Shepton by clicking on the link below. Then, join the Book Pick-Up Remind by texting 81010 and entering @a2c7c9e to communicate a time on Thursdays between 8:30-11:30 when you would like to pick-up the book curbside. This will be the only time to pick-up library items until we are back face-to-face in September.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15kZz8Ip-Zz3srtLID4otxtZEK51W5hFu/view?usp=sharing

Our Super Stallion Staff is working hard to prepare quality online instruction for your kiddos. Please check this page to get to know each of your student's teachers. This site will be updated this week to reflect each teacher's schedule, contact information, and more...

https://www.pisd.edu/site/Default.aspx?PageType=1&SiteID=69&ChannelID=2353&DirectoryType=6

As a reminder, here are a few of our campus contacts based on your need:

Shepton Admin Team Student Support Alpha (by your student's last name) https://www.pisd.edu/Page/6601:

• A - E: Melissa Crane
• F - Lip: Kisha Mize
• Liq - Ros: Athanasios Icossipentarhos
• Rot - Z: David Jones

Shepton Counselors Student Support Alpha (by your student's last name) https://www.pisd.edu/domain/2529:

• A - Col: Angie Novak
• Com - He: Dennis Phillips
• Hf - Mol: Amber Gist
• Mom - Sc: Elizabeth Negoslawski
• Sd - Z: Kristin Decker

If you have specific questions regarding the following topics, please direct them to the following individuals:

Chromebooks: Assistant Principal - Mr. Icossipentarhos / CTA - Karen Hosein

Student Clubs & Organizations: Assistant Principal - Mr. Jones

Schedule Hold Issues: Office Manager - Ms. Platt / Finance - Elizabeth Satz

Schedule Conflicts: Contact your student’s counselor (see alpha list above)

Schedule Change Requests/Learning Environment Selection Changes: Contact your student’s counselor (see alpha list above)

Please direct district-level questions to: askpisd@pisd.edu

https://www.pisd.edu/Page/6723

Support Shepton High School by joining or renewing your membership in the Shepton Parent Teacher Student Association. This is an easy way to support the students, staff, and families of the SHS community. Membership funds help pay for teacher grants, student programs, and events throughout the year. If you haven't already, please join our PTSA & sign up for the PTSA newsletter here Shepton PTSA.

If you would like to order additional spirit wear, you may now do so online through Sunday at midnight. You will be able to pickup your order on Monday (8/17) @ SHS from 9 - 10 am or 1 - 2 pm (in conjunction with the Chromebook pickup).

Want to join the Boy Scouts of America? Watch the video below for more information.

World Wear Project

For additional information about all the activities we have going on, follow us on:

• Instagram - follow us @SheptonStallion
  
• Twitter - follow us @SheptonStallion

• Shepton HS website - www.pisd.edu/shepton
  
• Shepton PTSA website - www.sheptonptsa.org
• Shepton eNews - http://elist.pisd.edu/
• Shepton Athletic Boosters - www.SheptonStallionClub.com