Byron Nelson High School
Bobcat Camp 2013
Parent Presentation
Tonight
We want to dedicate this event in
memory of Aubrey McNeill.
LEARN, SERVE, LEAD
Vision
The vision of BNHS is to be an
exemplary community empowering
learners with the knowledge, skills,
and resources necessary for life long
success in an ever-changing society.
Campus Mission
BNHS, in partnership with students,
parents, and community, will ensure a
premier education for all learners.
Through innovative educational
opportunities students will be challenged,
engaged, and offered leadership
experiences, thereby, creating the Byron
Nelson culture.
Commitment to Graduate
Byron Nelson is a C2G Model School, and
we will do all that we can to ensure your
student is ready for college & career, the
global workplace, and personal success.
Introductions
Dr. Linda Parker – Principal
Teresa (T) Snider – Administrative Assistant
Dr. Ron Myers – Associate Principal
Jami Wilson – Administrative Assistant
(you will meet them later!)
A-C
D-G
H-L
M-P
Q-Z
Asst. Principals
Cheryl Hunt (2nd)
Paige Cantrell (1st)
Susan Moore (3rd)
Branden Richardson (3rd)
Josh Withers (2nd)
A.P. Assistants
Counselors
Sandra Drake
Paige Smith
Beth Miller
Leah Berry
Elaine Van Houten
Chris Bell
Elaine Van Houten
Shana Greenwood
Sandra Drake
(Q-T) Nedra Simmons
(U-Z) Alicia Edwards
Support Staff
• Barbara Bankston and Dee Rizer – Front Office
Staff – 817-698-5600
• Laura Weaver, School Nurse and Kristi McCamie,
LVN – 817-698-5703
• Robert Mastropiero – School Resource Office – 817698-5701
Nurse/Medicine Info
• Please communicate with Nurse Weaver about
any health concerns or issues.
• Students cannot carry medication on their person
at school. This even includes Tylenol or other
OTC meds.
• All medicine MUST be checked in with the nurse.
• Any student caught with medicine that is not
checked in will be subject to the NISD Code of
Conduct. Prescriptions are of particular concern.
Attendance
(A-L)
(M-Z)
Christine Mitchell
Kathy Custer
817-698-5695
817-698-5612
Attendance Information
• We want your student to be successful, and being in class
everyday is a necessary part of that success.
• Please call in absences by 10:00. Please state in the phone call
your student’s first and last name, reason for absence, and ID
number (if known).
• Send a note the next day. Please make sure you put the first
and last name of your child and a phone number where you
can be reached. If your child went to the doctor, please get a
medical note and send it with your student the following day.
• If you email teachers about your student being absent, please
include Ms. Mitchell and Ms. Custer on that email.
Attendance
• Unexcused and excused absences are the same, which means they count
against the student for credit and exemptions. Excused simply means we
received parent communication as to the absence reason.
• If your student is 20 minutes late to class, he or she is ABSENT.
• Every class takes attendance. If a student is at school and leaves early,
he or she is not considered present for the whole day.
• Students can be exempt for their semester exams if their grades and
attendance meet certain guidelines. Please stay up with turning in
medical notes.
• If a student has 9 or more absences in a semester, the student is
considered excessive and will be contacted by their AP about making up
time to receive credit. (90% in attendance state law)
• If a student loses credit due to excessive absences, he or she will not be
able to get a VOE (Verification of Enrollment) form for a driver’s license.
The student will have to wait until the end of the next semester, provided
he or she is in good standing, to get a VOE.
Attendance
• If you are picking up your student early, please send a note with him or
her that morning to drop off in attendance. The student will be given a
“permit to leave campus” pass with the time on it to be in the front office
for dismissal. If the student is leaving from lunch, athletics, or PE, allow
some extra time.
• Please check attendance online often. If you have a question, contact
the teacher as the attendance office cannot change anything without
written notice from the teacher first.
• If your student is involved in extracurricular activities, please give the
attendance office a day to get those absences coded. If after 24 hours
the absence is still showing as unexcused, please contact us.
• If you receive the automated phone call in the evening and you have a
question, please call us.
• We recommend having the system call to your cell phone number.
Parent Pick-Up Tips
• Send a note with your student the day you will
check them out early and have them bring it to the
office before school to get a pass. They will show the
pass to their teacher and wait for you in the office.
• No students will be allowed to check out after 3:00
p.m. without a parent note prior to the check out.
This is a closed campus, so please do not check
students out for lunch. You may bring lunch
up here and eat with them if you check in the
office first.
• PLEASE DO NOT TAKE STUDENTS OUT
DURING TESTING - testing dates will be
available on the website.
Expectations of BOBCATS!
• Be a person of character!
– Learn, Serve, Lead
• LEARN what it means to be a Byron Nelson
Bobcat.
• Get involved in school and serve the
community.
• Respect yourself, each other, the staff, your
family, and our school.
• “Know who your are and who you represent.”
PTSA
Parent Teacher Student Association
Website – www.ByronPTSA.my-pta.org
Joy Harrison - President
Rebecca Freed - 1st VP - Membership
Rhonda Arthur - 2nd VP - Programs
Annette Mallard - Treasurer
McKenna Calkin - Secretary
Nancy Olson – Parliamentarian
Join today for only $10.00
Textbooks
2013-2014
• Textbooks will be available for
checkout during all lunches
throughout the first 2 weeks of school…
• Save your back and your pocket book!!! The
majority of the textbooks are now provided
in electronic format. Please ask the teachers.
• BNHS does not have lockers.
Technology
2013-2014
• High school students are receiving new DellLattitude
10 Windows Tablets this year. There are no user fees
and there is a one-time insurance fee of $50 to insure
these devices for the length of your child’s time at
BNHS.
• Go to http://www.nisdtx.org/computingdevices for
more info on the tablets and payment.
• Students are expected to charge them each night and
bring them to school every day!!!
• Students can bring their own devices; however, NISD
software cannot be loaded on personal devices, and
the school is not responsible for loss, damage, or theft.
Tablet Distribution
• Before receiving a device, students must submit a
completed Student-Parent Device Use Agreement at
http://ws01.nisdtx.org/DeviceInfo/.
• Tablets can be picked up these dates and times:
– Aug. 22 from 1-7
– Aug. 23 from 1-5
– Aug. 26 from 1-5
• Cases have been ordered for the tablets, but there has
been a delay on delivery. If tablets are picked up on these
above dates, they may not receive a case.
• If unable to pick it up during these times, students will
receive their tablet during the first 2 weeks of school.
Extracurricular Activities and Clubs
• It is one of our
goals that every
student is
connected to an
activity.
• Extracurricular
activities are good
for college
transcripts,
especially ones that
do community
service.
• We have club days
once a six weeks.
More on Community Service
• Community Service connects with our motto
of Learn, Serve, Lead:
– Link Leaders
– Student Council
– Class Officers
– National Honor Society
– Green Cord (100 hours of service per year)
NISD Code of Conduct
Dress Code Guidelines
• Project positive self image
• Does not distract from an educational
environment conducive to learning
• Does not create a hazard to the student’s safety
• One body piercing other than the ears
• Must wear shoes or sandals (House shoes are not
permitted)
• Clothing normally considered pajamas are not
acceptable
Dress Code Continued
• Clothing should not refer (casually or indirectly) to
alcohol, drugs, tobacco, profanity, or anything of a
sexual nature
• Shall not include hats and caps, forehead bands,
bandannas, sunglasses, other head coverings, gloves,
or distracting accessories when students are inside
school buildings.
• Pants, shorts, jeans must be worn at the normal waist
level and should not reveal under garments.
• Dresses, skirts, and tunics/smocks must be at least midthigh (halfway between hip and knee). If you can’t
wear it without leggings, it is not acceptable to wear
with leggings. Tube skirts rarely follow dress code.
Dress Code Continued
• Jeans must be free of holes from mid-thigh up.
• Hair color must be of a natural color. Cannot
wear color such as lime green, blue, orange,
pink, etc…
• Sheer, see-through (mesh) shirts must have an
appropriate top underneath.
• Tank tops, spaghetti strap tops, or shirts open at
the sides are not acceptable.
ID’s
• ID’s must be visible and on the student’s upper
torso.
• Not wearing an ID is considered a dress code
violation.
• If a student must purchase a new ID, a fine of $5
will be assessed on his or her account.
• Students are only allowed to “charge” up to 10
IDs.
• Unclear record letters will go home quarterly,
and there may be a way this year to keep track
on fees online (new system!).
Tips for Success
• Help your student be organized and get into a routine
from the beginning.
• Get involved in their school and activities.
• Encourage your students to be involved in school and
to set academic goals. We want all of our students in
some type of extracurricular activity.
• Start talking about plans for after graduation. Get
them to think about their future and how to go after
their dreams/goals.
• Make sure they have their tablets/tech devices
charged, attend school daily, and are in dress code
when they leave your house.
Counselors
A-C
D-G
H-L
M-P
Q-T
U-Z
Paige Smith
Leah Berry
Chris Bell
Shana Greenwood
Nedra Simmons
Alicia Edwards (Lead Counselor)
Diagnosticians – Ann Osmus and Kristen Hildebrand
Student Services Facilitator (504s) – Brenda Guillen
Melissa Whitfield – Records Manager
Ana (Lily) Castaneda and Sheila Polk – Registrars
Homework
• Must stay on this from the beginning of the year.
• Different than middle school
• Very difficult year for 9th grade students due to more
freedom, but higher expectations.
• Please get involved and get in your child’s business!!!
• Check students grades and attendance on line
frequently.
• Find teachers net school pages and/or websites to
understand what is going on in the classroom. For
school activities, testing dates, news, and upcoming
events go to the Byron Nelson Website page
HS Credits
Credits to determine grade level
–0-5.5 credits for 9th grade
–6-12.5 credits for 10th grade
–13-18.5 credits for 11th grade
–19 and up for 12th grade
Discipline
• Follow NISD policy on discipline
• If a parent is contacted by phone for a
referral, we will also mail a copy of the
referral home and send one with the student.
• Dress Code violations- 1st offense will be
considered a warning and the issue will be
corrected. 2nd offense – In School Suspension
(ISS)
Tardies
• We want students at school and on time;
please help us with this.
• 1-3 tardies results in warnings.
• 4-6 tardies results in Extended Classroom
Opportunity (ECO) 3 hours on Tuesdays or
Thursdays after school from 4-7p.m.
• 7-8 Saturday School from 8:00 a.m. – noon
on Saturday (4 hours)
• 9 or more days will result in ISS
Link Leaders
• All of tonight’s activities were organized by the
Link Leaders organization. This group will be
helping new students and 9th graders understand
Byron Nelson and mentor them through
advisory class.
• Link Leaders will be wearing their shirts and
visiting advisory classrooms. Please encourage
your students to ask these student leaders for
help anytime.
• A special thanks to the Link Leaders and their
sponsors for planning this event.
Schedules! Schedules!
• All students will receive a NEW schedule on
the first day of school from their Advisory
teacher.
• Semester 1 may look different from semester
2. This is normal.
• There are 4 lunch periods (3, 4, 5, and 6).
• All lunches include all grade levels.
• Change of lunch period will be granted for
medical reasons only.
Reason for a Schedule Change
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Missing a class period
Already received credit for the course
Athletic reasons (switched sports, cut, etc.)
Fine Art reasons (wrong level, etc)
Need course to graduate (seniors only)
Did not request course
Change level of course (first 10 days of school or
end of each marking period)
• Please allow several days for processing a request.
How Does a Student Make an Appt
with his/her Counselor???
• Go to BNHS webpage to Counselors’
Corner.
• There is a link allowing students to send an
electronic request with a message.
• Students are welcome to stop by before
school, at lunch, or after school to see if we
are available.
Communication is Key!
So what is the process?
• Encourage your student to be his/her own advocate
and communicate with the teacher.
• Attend tutorials before school, after school, or at
lunch. Teachers will post their tutorial schedules.
• Have student make appt with counselor.
• Parent makes contact with teacher (email is usually
preferred).
• Parent may schedule meeting with teacher.
Tidbits
• School supplies
• No lockers
• Textbooks for home (available at lunch
during first 2 weeks)
• Grades Online/Home Access Center
• Username and password
More Tidbits
• Parent University (coming in Sept)
• Open House (Sept 16)
• Lunch $$$
STAAR changes! Get excited!
• Reduced from 15 tests to 5 tests!
– Algebra 1
– Biology
– Eng 1 (Reading and Writing combined)
– Eng 2 (Reading and Writing combined)
– US History
Who is my student’s counselor?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Paige Smith (A-C)
Leah Berry (D-G)
Chris Bell (H-L)
Shana Greenwood (M-P)
Surnedra Simmons (Q-T)
Alicia Edwards (U-Z) – Lead Counselor
Upcoming Events
• Meet the Bobcats – Thursday, August 22nd at the
Byron Nelson Stadium at 7:00 p.m.
• Homecoming Week – September 9th through 14th
• Open House – Monday, September 16th from 5:30 to
7:30 p.m.
• The school store is open tonight in the Student Union.
Please pick up your students at 9:00 p.m. tonight!
Welcome to Bobcat Nation!
Thank you for coming tonight!