PfISD Employee Express

• 🗓️ Upcoming Events & Holidays
• 🩸 Stop the Bleed Training
  
• 🔅Solar Eclipse
• 🏫 Pre-K Eligibility Screener is Open!
• 🎣 Are you Retiring This Year?
  
• 📝 Retirement Planning Workshop
• 🔩 CTE Corner
• 🖊️ Trustees Meeting Brief
• 👏 Recognitions

Math Awareness Month

School Library Month

Apr. 4 - Board Workshop Meeting

Apr. 9 - Stronger Minds - Brighter Futures Lunch & Learn Series

Apr. 10 - College Application Process Educational Event

Welcome back from the 4-day weekend! We hope everyone had a great break.

Only 38 more school days are left of the 23-24 school year! Can you believe it? 😲

Thank you to our staff, who work tirelessly to make PfISD a great place!

In this edition of the newsletter, you will find information on the upcoming Solar Eclipse, information for those who are retiring this year, and more! ✅

Let's finish the year strong! 💪

Texas House Bill 496, Sec. 38.030 requires that each school district implements a Traumatic Injury Response Protocol for use in the event of traumatic injury involving blood loss. The bill requires that bleeding control stations are stored in easily accessible areas throughout the school, and that training is offered to all employees and students in grades 7-12.

No matter how rapid the arrival of emergency responders, bystanders will always be first on the scene of trauma. A person who is bleeding can die from blood loss in 3-5 minutes; therefore, it is important to quickly stop the blood loss.

"Stop the Bleed" is a nationwide campaign to empower individuals to act quickly and save lives.

For more information, please visit BLEEDINGCONTROL.ORG.

This training is OPTIONAL. If you wish to view a video describing the general steps of the training, please complete the following survey. https://forms.gle/ksZ1JTjWiyj9bbPs8

The video is about 20 minutes long and will be added to your Canvas account and available to view when you are able to do so. Once again, this is NOT required and is optional.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Brittany Jones, BS, RN at Brittany.jones@pfisd.net

What's Happening?

Cross this off your bucket list! Pflugerville will be in the path of totality on April 8. The eclipse will begin at 12:30pm and conclude by 3:00pm. Between ~1:35-1:40, the Sun will be completely blocked by the Moon. Students will experience nighttime darkness for about 2 minutes. Street lights will turn on, crickets may chirp, and there will be a sudden drop in temperature. All Pflugerville students will have the opportunity to experience this event on their campuses.

Glasses and Viewers

With the combined effort of PTOs, campus and district purchases, and donors, we will be able to provide every Pflugerville ISD student with a pair of eclipse glasses or an eclipse viewer.

Special thanks to the following organizations for their donations:

• American Astronomical Society

• Buccee's

• Houston Museum of Natural Sciences

• Eclipse for a Cause

• Pflugerville Education Foundation

Safety During the Eclipse

Pflugerville ISD is committed to ensuring the safety of students during the eclipse. All campuses will show a district-created safety slideshow that is tailored to different age groups and all students will stay within the PFISD fencing when outdoors. Each campus will create their own Eclipse Day plan that meets the needs of their student population and local community. Schools will share their Eclipse Day plans through campus communication.

• Pflugerville ISD One Pager About Eclipse Safety

• Total Solar Eclipse Safety from NASA

Families can choose not to allow their students outside during the eclipse. An opt out form will be sent out by your student's school with details.

Lots of Learning

A dedicated team of teachers has partnered with the science department to create a menu of lessons that can be used in classrooms leading up to April 8. Lessons span across content areas, from learning about the myths and lore around eclipses to building models of the Earth, Moon, and Sun. Special lessons will prepare younger students for what to expect during the eclipse and to practice wearing eclipse glasses properly. Light-sound devices will be used to help visually impaired students experience the eclipse.

Why join PfISD Pre-K?

• Free and tuition-based Pre-K
• Research-based curriculum
• State-certified teachers
• Full-day programs

The Pre-K eligibility screener is OPEN!

After completing the online verification screener, families can contact their home campus to make arrangements to have PreK eligibility reviewed and verified.

• Students must enroll at the campus to which their home address is zoned. Upon determination that bilingual or other services are needed for a student, the student will be enrolled at a campus with the appropriate services.
• If you are unsure of your zoned home campus, you may use the interactive boundary map to find your zone.

Are you planning to retire at the end of the current school year?

The Community Relations Department kindly asks that you take a moment to fill out the Google Form by clicking on the following link: Retirement Survey Form.

Retirees will be honored at the upcoming PfISD Employee Recognition Banquet scheduled for May 14, 2024.

If you would like to receive an invitation, be listed in the banquet program, and receive the retirement gift, you need to submit the information on the google form no later than April 15.

Employees who plan to retire are requested to inform the Human Resources Department accordingly.

You’re invited to a live webinar to learn about important topics regarding your financial benefits as an employee of Pflugerville ISD, and what steps educators need to take to prepare for retirement!

This is a retirement planning workshop provided by our third-party administrator, TCG. This webinar will be offered to all staff.

Register today down below or scan the QR code in the flyer!

PfISD introduces 4 college credentials and one apprenticeship program!

Students looking for careers in high-demand, high-skill, high-wage occupations have great

options in Pflugerville ISD. We are proud to announce 5 more programs to help students

prepare for successful careers.

Career Academies are CTE programs through which students can earn up to a Level 1

Certificate with the college partner, at little to no cost. Students complete articulated and dual

credit courses in the program area, and may take classes at the high school and/or college

campus. Students can use these certificates to stack credit toward an associate degree or

bachelor’s of applied science (where available). Students also participate in work-based

learning which may include paid internships in the field with employer partners. Completion of a

Career Academy satisfies graduation endorsement requirements, and meets CCMR standards.

Learn more about the career academies in the CTE Program Guide. PfISD offers 4 career

academies:

Advanced Manufacturing Level 1 Certificate

Austin Community College (24 credit hours)

Host campus: Connally High School (transfer eligible program)

Basic Automotive Level 1 Certificate

Austin Community College (32 credit hours)

Host campus: Pflugerville High School (transfer-eligible program)

Culinary Level 1 Certificate

Texas State Technical College (32 credit hours)

Host campus: Connally High School (transfer-eligible program)

Firefighter Level 1 Certificate

Austin Community College (28 credit hours)

Host campus: Hendrickson High School (transfer not required)

And, introducing an Electrical Youth Apprenticeship for the Construction Technology program of

study in partnership with the Austin Electrical Training Alliance and Rosendin Electric. Students

can earn classroom and on the job-site experience credit for year one of the apprenticeship

program with paid work-based learning and in-class instruction. CTE Program Guide

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

Reminder April 4: Upcoming Board Workshop Meeting

Did you miss the March 21 regular meeting? No worries! Click the link below to view the meeting video.

March 21- Regular Meeting

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

Below you will see messages of appreciation from parents, students, community members, and other staff members through Staff Shout Outs 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.

Kendra Towery of Kelly Lane MS (via: Charles A.)
She had a link to this form in an email so I decided to fill it out.

Northwest leadership Academy (Teacher and staff) of Northwest Leadership Academy (via: Bushra Y.)
My daughter started studies at this school is being like pre-k to 5th grade and also my son did. All the staff, teachers, admin, and especially the principal and Asst Principal all nice. Me and my kids miss this school. I appreciate some teachers like Miss Chavez, Miss Rodriguez, Miss Johnson, Mr King, P. E Teacher, Miss Teacher, Art teacher. Study-wise and other activities-wise this school is doing awesome 👍

Tana Ruckel of Spring Hill Principal (via: Anonymous)
I am on the last of my three children attending SHES. In the last 12 years that my children have attended SHES, there was always something missing, the principal. I see Ms. Ruckel all the time; in the crosswalk; at school events; in the parking lot. She’s always present and it’s nice to see. My kids never had that before with a principal at SHES, so it’s nice that my 5th grader gets that before she leaves. She reminds me a lot of Mr. Clayton at PMS, who is also always present (my lucky daughter gets him next year). Thank you Ms. Ruckel for being great; being there for the kids; and being there for parents.

Ercilla Paredes of Mott Elementary (via: Kyree F.)
She is very sweet and funny and makes sure we stay on top of our work, She is my fav teacher of all time

Lorraine Huber of Mott elementary kindergarten teacher (via: Maribel Q.)
Mrs Huber is always very attentive to the kids needs/ progress. My daughter loves having her as her teacher. She’s very prompt to respond any questions or concerns we might have. We can see a big improvement in our daughter since she started class with her. We’re very grateful to have her as her teacher.

• Mrs. Laura Owens of PHS (via Dr. Baker): Mrs. Owens has consistently emphasized that diverse literature for every student is equally valuable and has shown that in PHS where certain demographic groups dominate: “Books and art forms may be one of the few places where our students who are socially isolated and insulated from the larger world may meet people unlike themselves and provide an outlook for students to be accepted. Great understanding of our student population!
• PHS Special Education Staff of PHS (via Dr. Baker): One of the positive outcomes of special education services at PHS is that invaluable support has been provided by our staff, who are often short-handed, to many students who need it, particularly students with severe cognitive or sensory disabilities.
• Abigail Flax of 2nd grade Murchison Elementary (via Crystal Willis): Abbie has been a bright light since the day she joined Murchison! She was in the trenches with us during Covid, has maintained a positive spirit, and has lead our team this year effortlessly. When you need a smile? Abbie! Advice? Abbie! Ideas? Abbie! A Dr. Pepper or chocolate? Abbie! She keeps her cool in tough situations and supports our team every day. She genuinely loves her kids and does all she can to help them grow in all areas. Her kids are blessed to have her. I am also so blessed that I get to work with this wonderful and kind human being!
• Olivia Alvarez of RBES Library (via Erika Hassay): What an awesome addition to our staff Ms. Alvarez has been this year! She has worked hard to make the library a fun and engaging place for all our students and has gone far above and beyond in many ways for our school. Our students are so engaged with the Book Fairs, Accelerated Reader, Book-it!, her library "golden tickets," and even the awesome morning announcements she creates each day! Most importantly, Ms. Alvarez reaches out with kindness and warmth to each child and the staff too. We are so thankful she is a Barron Bear!
• Amanda Painter of Pflugerville Middle School (via Daniela Guardiola): Kudos to Amanda Painter for her outstanding work in her first year as an instructional coach! Her creation of effective support systems, guidance for new teachers, and dedication to co-teaching and coaching those seeking assistance truly elevate our educational community. Amanda's impact is invaluable, setting a high standard for excellence in instruction.
• Karol Slater of Pflugerville Middle School (via Daniela Guardiola): A huge shout out to Karol Slater, our phenomenal library assistant at Pflugerville Middle School! In just her first year, Karol has surpassed expectations, revamping our library's collection through a major reorganization project and spearheading engaging programming in collaboration with the ELA team. Her infectious positivity and cheerful demeanor create an inviting atmosphere, making our library a hub of excitement and learning for all of our students!
• Michael Bohler of Technology (via Margaret Dominguez): Michael has gone above and beyond supporting our 3D printer and facilitating its use with students. He’s been generous with his time and expertise in getting it set up and networked, even visiting our campus in person to get it done. I’m new to 3D printing and Michael’s enthusiasm has been contagious. Students are having so much fun creating and printing their designs and I’m more confident, knowing that I can rely on him for help. Thank you, Michael!!
• Barbara Canzonetta, Leah Magnon, Erin Leverton, and Dey Mercado of PMS (via Valorie Salcido): I can't give enough thanks to these wonderful ladies. Y'all have helped me stay (mostly) sane while I try and tackle the Multicultural Fair that I found myself buried under. If it was not for your affirmations, your help, and your willingness to do extra work, I would not be able to pull this together for our campus. Thank you SO VERY MUCH for all your help!!! *hugs hug hugs*