March 2019

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Life Membership Banquet on March 18th

Texas PTA Life Membership is one of the highest honors that can be presented to an individual for outstanding service to children and youth.Plano ISD PTA Life Membership Banquet will take place at Marriott @ Legacy Town Center (7121 Bishop Rd, Plano, TX 75024), on Monday, March 18, 2019. Doors open at 6:00 pm.

Tuesday, March 19 - Plano ISD Council Delegate Meeting, 10 AM-11:00AM, in board room of the Admin. building located at 2700 West 15th Street, Plano, TX 75075

Vendor Fair on Saturday, April 13, 2019
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Plano Senior High, 2200 Independence Parkway, Plano 75075

Plano ISD Council of PTAs is proud to host its 24th Annual Vendor Fair for the benefit of our Plano ISD community and all organizations focused on children and their families. Our mission is focused on making every child's potential a reality by strengthening education and taking a comprehensive approach to community success. The appropriate tools can help make that possible.

Preschool – Elementary – Middle School – High School – Parents

Programs…Fund Raisers…Spirit Items…Events…Administrative Tools

Participating vendors represent a broad range of businesses focused primarily on items and services useful to PTAs and other non-profit organizations who work with children and their families. Admission is FREE and open to everyone, so bring all decision makers in your organization to get a feel for what is available to make your organization’s experience for children and their families the most valuable possible.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2018 Vendor Fair as a vendor or an attendee. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, April 13, 2019!

Did you miss the 2018 Vendor Fair?

Don’t miss out again! Subscribe here to receive a reminder and come meet the vendors. See who was there by clicking the Vendor List button below. Then, visit them often.

From Your Plano ISD Board of Trustees:

Here are some points of interest from your school board:

FEBRUARY:

In our Board Meeting –

• Closed session – consider Superintendent Evaluation
• Consent Items of Interest: Approved the following projects:
  • Refurbishments for: Haun ES and Skaggs ES;
  • Roofing projects for: Carpenter MS, Stinson ES, Huffman ES, Saigling ES, Centennial ES, Renner MS, Plano SH, Plano East SH, Rice MS
  • HVAC replacements for: Haggard MS, Saigling ES, Wyatt ES, Stinson ES
  • Football practice field Shepton HS
  • Fire system replacement for Wilson MS. Signed Order of Election for May 4, 2019.
  • Reviewed Head Start report for December 2018.
• Reports received from the administration included: Professional learning update and discussed legislative advocacy efforts.
• Policies Considered:
  • Approved FDB(LOCAL) Admissions: Intra-district Transfers on second reading.
  • Approved EIC(LOCAL) on second reading, and reviewed EIC(REGULATION) AND EIC(EXHIBIT). Note:  the board asked the administration to return the EIC (LOCAL) REGULATION AND EXHIBIT items to the board in April after considering the honors courses for band, choir, and orchestra, to consider whether a respective honors course can be designed for each.  Review guiding principles so that the resulting honors courses will be equitable (including co-seating) and within the rubric guidelines that meet appropriate rigor for honors courses.

In our Work Session –

• Closed session:
  • Consider economic development considerations
  • Discuss and consider superintendent’s annual evaluation
• Consent Items of Interest:
  • Approved appointment of Athletic Director at Plano West Senior High School – Tyler Soukup
  • Approved superintendent’s annual evaluation, discussed in closed session
  • Approved Head Start Cost of Living Adjustment Grant
• Reports:
  • Demographic report from Templeton Demographics included detail about housing and multifamily construction in the area; projected enrollment is slightly declining due to graduating classes being larger than incoming kindergarten classes; yet remains steady. 5-year projected enrollment is 51,455 and 10-year projected enrollment is 51,833.
  • Budget report – property values continue to grow but estimated at 6.5%, a slower pace. Although maintaining same tax rate since 2013, net revenue estimated to be $468 million while expenditures estimated to be $495.4 million, projecting a deficit of $27.4 million.  Recapture estimated to increase by $44 million ($211.2 million in 2018-2019 to 255.3 million in 2019-2020.)  Based on current school finance laws.
  • Pre-K report – 525 full-day pre-K students (up from 443 in 2017-2018 and 227 in 2016-2017); 1,159 half-day pre-K students; 146 Head Start students. Expansion plan for full-day pre-K includes up to 105 students in existing classrooms across the district.  Registration for all pre-K will occur at the three early childhood schools for centralization and consistency.
  • Mid-year MAP (Measures of Academic Performance) assessments. Powerful formative assessment to understand where students are in learning progression to guide instruction, to compare growth to prior mid-year points, and to predict performance on summative assessments (STAAR, SAT, ACT & college readiness.)  Anomaly identified in 6^th grade; further study is required to interpret results.
  • Advocacy efforts regarding 86^th legislative session – discussion of board members’ advocacy activities since last meeting.

MARCH:

Plano Legislative Days and TASA/TASB Legislative Conference–

• Board President Missy Bender, Board Secretary Nancy Humphrey, and Trustees Jeri Chambers and David Stolle joined Superintendent Sara Bonser, Chief Operating Officer Theresa Williams, CFO Randy McDowell, and Assistant Superintendent for Government, Community and Planning Initiatives Karla Oliver in Austin for the Plano Legislative Days. Also represented were Mayor Harry Larosiliere and City Councilmen Rick Smith and Anthony Riccardelli, Chamber of Commerce President Jamee Jolly and staff, as well as many members of the Chamber of Commerce representing the business community of Plano.
• On Tuesday, we attended the TASA/TASB Legislative Conference where we heard from Senate Chairman of Committee on Education Larry Taylor and House Chairman of Public Education Committee Dan Huberty, and Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen. Discussion included legislative priorities for this 86^th legislative session to support public education.
• On Wednesday we heard from a panel including Mayor Harry, Missy Bender, and Lissa Smith, Chair-elect of Plano Chamber of Commerce. We met individually with the delegation representing Plano: Senator Angela Paxton, Representatives Jeff Leach, Candy Noble, and Matt Shaheen. On Thursday, we attended sessions where we heard from Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen, Commissioner of Education Mike Morath, and Texas Association of Business President & CEO Jeff Moseley.  Topics included school finance, school safety, and economic development.

In our Board Meeting –

• Closed session:
  • Consider economic development considerations
  • Consultation with district’s attorney regarding civil action
• Consent Items of Interest:
  • Contract recommendations for Assistant Superintendents; Chief Officers; and 11 Senior Executive Directors
  • Contract recommendations for Directors; Early Childhood School Principals; 14 Elementary Principals; Executive Directors; High School Principals; Middle School Principals; Senior High School Principals; and Special Programs Principals Presenter: Dr. Beth Brockman, Assistant Superintendent for Employee Services
  • Review and accept the Head Start report for month of January 2019.
  • Consideration of guaranteed maximum price for refurbishments at Bowman Middle School $8,730,906.
• Items for Discussion and Action:
  • The Board approved a Resolution to extend the time period for considering the Application for an Appraised Value Limitation on Qualified Property pursuant to Chapter 313 of the Texas Property Tax Code from Texas Instruments Incorporated until April 15, 2019.
• Reports:
  • Webdesk Phase II Update - Now with Digital Backpacks. Statistics about log-ins and application launches were compelling. 
  • Advocacy Efforts regarding the 86th Texas Legislative Session – discussed information re: Plano Legislative Days (see summary above.)
• Policies:
  • Approved TASB Localized Policy Manual Update 112 affecting (LOCAL) policies on First Reading
  • Approved GKD(EXHIBIT B) Community Relations: Non-school Use of School Facilities on First 846 Reading - Review Only

To access details of board meetings and work sessions, please follow this link: https://www.pisd.edu/Page/1541. To contact a board member: https://www.pisd.edu/Page/1499

From PISD Student Services

Connections to Learning and with One Another 
"No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship."
-Dr. James P. Comer

It's "Motown Monday" at Mitchell Elementary as students with bright faces enter the school building. Principal Bob Farris gives students fist bumps while they are all welcomed by the soul-lifting musical sounds of artists such as: Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson. Soon after the bell rings and announcements are presented over the intercom speakers, all Mitchell Elementary teachers engage their students in a restorative community-building circle. A second grade teacher asked for volunteers to lead the mindful breathing activity for the morning. One student eagerly raised his hand and lead his classmates in his favorite breathing technique called the "Spiderman" strategy. He proceeded with "Breathe in......" and he asked his classmates to hold their right hand out like spiderman to "Breathe out.....". After 4 rounds of breathing, the began teacher to ask questions such as "What is your favorite activity to do with your friend" and "What is a good quality of a friend?" 

The daily ritual of community-building circles take place on several Plano ISD campuses to build and maintain healthy relationships with all students and adults involved. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines relationship skills as, "the ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups." This competency is achieved by acquiring positive communication and social skills, maintaining constructive relationships, and the application of conflict-resolution skills. Based on the PISD K-12 SEL Standards, students in elementary are taught to "recognize the difference positive and negative relationships". A positive student relationship with a teacher or other caring adults is the center of an impactful learning experience.

Parents can learn ways to cultivate this competency at home at the next Parent Engagement Session focusing on Relationship Skills. It will be at Vines High School, 1401 Highedge Dr, Plano, TX 75074 on March 21 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Parent sessions will be accessible in English and Spanish. All parents and community members are also invited to attend our inaugural SEL Fine Arts Student Art Showcase on March 20th at the Plano Courtyard Theater. Art students from all district will be able to illustrate and express the SEL competencies and core values through artistic expression. Light refreshments will be served. For more information about these upcoming events and to learn more about Social Emotional Learning in Plano ISD, please contact Sharon Bradley, Director of Family and Social Services at sharon.bradley@pisd.edu or visit www.pisd.edu/SEL.

"Welcome and Thank You" to our Community Connection Sponsors who have joined our PTA family. Their sponsorship and membership in local PTAs put them in a unique category of PTA supporters. The Council of PTAs would not be able to provide the events and support we plan and organize for local PTA leaders and families without their generosity. 

Platinum Level

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Bronze Sponsor

In Kind

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Council of PTAs Website