Douglas MacArthur High School



891540-139700Douglas MacArthur High School North East Independent School District________________________________________________________________________________________________2923 MacArthur View, San Antonio, Texas 78217 (210) 356-7600 Fax (210) 650-119500Douglas MacArthur High School North East Independent School District________________________________________________________________________________________________2923 MacArthur View, San Antonio, Texas 78217 (210) 356-7600 Fax (210) 650-1195September 7, 2020Dear Parents/Guardians,LABOR DAY – My father was a railroader. I remember his leaving in the dark hours of the morning and returning in the late hours of the afternoon. Every Labor Day we would attend the railroad picnic. I got to meet the men my father worked with. Some of them were young, and some were older, but they all had hands that were rough and calloused, and you could feel their years of hard work when they shook your hand with a firm and hardy handshake. They were different ages, colors, and of different ethnicity, but they all had one thing in common; they worked hard. They all wanted to provide for their families and so they acted with integrity, giving the very best on the job so they could give the very best to their families. I hope that you all had a great Labor Day holiday. I send out a cheer to all of you, men and women, who give their best every day to bring the best back home. I salute you all. You are a big part of the spirit of Brahmaland. May you prosper in all your endeavors. Go Brahmas! Is your friend or neighbor not receiving updates from NEISD or MacArthur?If you know of any MacArthur family that is not receiving updates from our school or NEISD please share these directions below with them. HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Stay connected with NEISD via text, phone, and emailIf you have unknowingly ‘blocked’ messages in your Skyward account, click here to find out how you can unblock your numberHere is all the news for the week:ANNOUNCEMENTS-PHASE I - The Phase I transition will begin on Tuesday, September 8th.? Everyone who will attend has been contacted by phone to confirm a seat.? If you did not receive a call and speak directly with someone, you do not have a seat.? Please do not send your child to school on Tuesday the 8th.? Students who do not have a confirmed seat will be sent home. ?We wish all of our students could return, but we are limited in the number of students we can take at Phase I. All other students will continue with remote online learning from home. Students who did not get a seat in Phase I, will have an opportunity for a seat in the next phase.? Thank you so much for your support and understanding.La transición de la Fase I comenzará el Martes 8 de Septiembre.? Todos los que asistirán han sido contactados por teléfono y se ha confirmado un asiento.? Si no recibió una llamada, y no habló directamente con alguien en la escuela, no tiene asiento.? Por favor, no envíe a su hijo/hija a la escuela el Maretes 8 de Septiembre. ??Los estudiantes que no tengan un asiento confirmado serán enviados a casa.? Deseamos que todos nuestros estudiantes puedan regresar, pero estamos limitados en el número de estudiantes que podemos tomar en la Fase I. Todos los demás estudiantes continuarán con el aprendizaje remoto en línea desde casa. Los estudiantes que no obtuvieron un asiento en la Fase I, tendrán la oportunidad de obtener un asiento en la siguiente fase. Muchas gracias por su apoyo y comprensión. PROGRESS REPORTS - Progress Reports for the first three weeks will be available this week. The reports will be paperless and will be available starting Friday, September 11th. The Progress Reports will be available electronically through family access and student access.? If a parent does not have a family access account, they can also get the report through their child’s student access account. Parents needing help can call the NEISD Help Desk.BRAHMA BUCKS/MEET THE TEACHER - PTSA Brahma Bucks Night is only one week away. It will be held on Tuesday, September 15th. This is an opportunity for you to meet your child (ren)’s teachers and see what is available for them at MAC. This will be a virtual event, due to COVID restrictions. The advantage is that you will be able to watch the presentation whenever you wabt and as often as you want. There will also be a chance to join PTSA and get involved at MAC. PTSA will be taking donations (hence Brahma Bucks) which will go right back into the school. So, make plans now to join us online for Brahma Bucks Night and be part of what is going on at MAC! Go Brahmas!MEET THE BRAHMAS! – Did you miss our Virtual Meet the Brahmas celebration last week? It’s now available on the MacArthur High School YouTube Channel! Celebrate our MacArthur athletic and spirit programs whenever you like by visiting: . Let’s keep that Brahma spirit up! Go Brahmas!SENIOR INFORMATION – Congratulations Seniors, you made it to your senior year! Attached is a flyer with information that you need as we begin the 2020-2021 school year. Your Sponsors, Ms. Moyer and Ms. Cox have put together information you need about your senior year. Please take time to review this information. Parents you should review it as well. This is your year, whether we are virtual or in-person. Let’s make it the best ever! Go Brahma Seniors! STAFFING AND CLASSES - Staffing of the District’s schools is based on projected enrollment figures. The process of staffing begins in February preceding each upcoming school year and continues after the school year begins. As principal, I will be working daily with Central Office personnel on staffing allocations in order to finalize the 2020-2021 class schedule for all MacArthur students. Due to District budgetary constraints and state law mandating class sizes in grades Pre-K through 4 – as well as course qualifying factors at the secondary level – it may be necessary to revise your child’s schedule during the first three to six weeks of the school year. We will try to avoid this if possible; however, we want to inform you that it might be necessary to consolidate classes and move teachers between classes, grade levels, or schools. We will notify parents whose children are affected as soon as possible.If you have any questions at the time, please contact me at my office or contact my assistant principals at (210)356-7600.La dotación de personal a las escuelas del Distrito se basa en la proyección del número de estudiantes que se matricularán. El proceso de dotar personal comienza en febrero, antes del próximo a?o escolar y continúa después de que empieza el a?o escolar. Como director, trabajaré diariamente con el personal de la Oficina Central acerca de la asignación de personal para finalizar el horario de clases del 2020-2021 de todos los estudiantes de la escuela MacArthur.Debido a las restricciones presupuestarias del Distrito y al mandato de la ley estatal acerca del tama?o de las clases de Prekindergarten a 4o grado– como también a los factores que estipulan los requisitos de los cursos a nivel secundario– puede ser necesario hacer ajustes en el horario de su hijo/a durante las tres o seis primeras semanas del a?o escolar. De ser posible trataremos de evitar hacer esto; sin embargo, queremos informarle que puede ser necesario consolidar clases y hacer cambios de maestros entre clases, niveles de grado o escuelas. Nosotros notificaremos lo más pronto posible a los padres cuyos ni?os sean afectados.Si entonces tiene preguntas, por favor comuníquese conmigo o con mis subdirectores, por el número de teléfono de la escuela (210)356-7600.CENSUS 2020 - Time is running out – get counted now! Only 62 percent of San Antonio households have responded to the 2020 Census. The deadline to complete the census is Sep. 30, 2020. If you have not already responded, please visit ?to complete the Census?questionnaire online or call (844) 330-2020 – English / (844) 468-2020 -- Spanish to speak with a live Census employee who can help you complete the questionnaire by phone.??There are only nine questions, and responding is easy, safe and secure.? As you know, the Census impacts school funding, transportation, federal representation, and many other areas of our local, state and federal governments. Make sure you are counted!IMPORTANT REMINDERS - Bell Schedule - I have attached our Bell schedule for this school year. This is the same schedule we will use for both online, and when we have in-person classes. The classes are spread out over two days. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we will have periods 1 through 4, and they will be 60 minutes long. On Tuesday and Thursday, we will have periods 5 through 7 and they will be 90 minutes each. Lunch is included but is not a separate period as in previous years. You will also see that from 8 to 10 am is blended learning. Students will be able to receive tutoring and assistance according to the teachers’ posted schedule, except for Wednesday mornings, which is dedicated to faculty and department meetings. Below is a link to a video explaining the schedule in more detail. you know from this past week, this year classes will begin at 10:00 am and will end at 3:25 pm. There will be another blended learning time just like in the morning, starting at 3:30 pm. Teachers will be available according to their posted schedule, until 4:30 pm. Morning and afternoon blended learning times will also provide for practices and rehearsals for any extra-curricular activities. During virtual learning and Phase I and II, attendance will be taken at the beginning of each period based on when the student enters the virtual classroom. If for some reason a student cannot make it into the synchronous (live) time they can still be counted present for the period as long as they log in through the NEISD Launchpad into the Google classroom by 5 pm. As long as students log in and complete the daily assignment before midnight of the same day, the teacher will see that they logged in and will be able to change the attendance the next day. According to the minimum time schedule required by the Texas Education Agency, if a student exceeds five (5) absences per course, he/she will be subject to loss of credit for that course. Students will have to work with their assigned Assistant Principal to work out credit recovery. We will provide additional information as we approach in person classes.Help Information – You can also find helpful information on the campus website at: under the link titled “How to Start Your School Year Virtually.” For helpful information with questions about student logins and email addresses you may click on the following link: Student Login and Email TipsThe district has also provided an excellent video on what to expect during virtual learning. You can watch the video in English at: High School. You can also watch it in Spanish at: . Textbooks – Textbooks for AP classes were distributed last week. All other classes have online resources available and/or online textbooks. However, if a student desires a textbook, they should speak with their teacher. If you have questions you can email Mr. Villanueva, Assistant Principal over textbooks at cvilla3@, or Ms. Bustinza, Administrative Assistant at jbusti@. We look forward to working with everyone. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need assistance or have any questions. Remember, together we can accomplish VIRTUALLY anything!Health and Wellness - Our North East ISD community is facing more obstacles than ever in and out of the classroom. This is always a challenge; teachers, staff, students, and parents are now navigating the unknowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. While mental health and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) have always been important to NEISD, the added pressures brought on by COVID-19 prompted the District to focus our support systems so help is more accessible to our community.NEISD wants its employees and families to put their own mental health, and overall wellness needs first. The District's Student Leadership & Well-Being team launched a new website focused on offering adult wellness resources, from mental health hotlines to virtual fitness classes, professional counseling, and more. This one-stop webpage houses the many programs available to NEISD staff and families. Mental health education and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) remain a priority for NEISD. To help empower and train staff and parents, the District has partnered with health centers like Laurel Ridge, Deer Oaks, Clarity Child Guidance Center and Communities in Schools. Visit adultwellness. to learn more about the programs and resources that are currently available.ACTIVITIES –Athletics - MacArthur athletes will move forward with their practices this week. Football, volleyball, cross country, tennis, and golf continue to prepare for the season ahead. To ensure the safety of our athletes and staff, mandatory procedures were established and followed, including masks and social distancing. The timing of training sessions before and after school allowed ample time for student athletes to be home for distance learning during the school day. These changes in routine have not compromised the overall goals of the MacArthur Athletic program. Our Brahma athletes and programs were recognized at our virtual Meet The Brahmas last Thursday. We are excited and look forward to seeing our Brahmas back in action. GO BRAHMAS!Dance and Cheer – The first day for Varsity Dance on Campus began this past Friday. Cheer, and Pep will begin practices this week. Our Directors will be contacting Parents and students with more information. We look forward to having our Brahma Spirit teams back in action. Go Brahma Spirit!DEPARTMENTS-FROM OUR MAC LIBRARY – The MacArthur Library is dedicated to serving our students, even from a distance. Here’s some information to kick start your digital learning experience:Phases 1-3 in the Library: Per district safety guidelines, the library will not be checking out print library books during Phases 1-3. Please see our Digital MacArthur Library Introduction to see a tour of our MacArthur Library Website and see how to check out ebooks and audiobooks in Sora. Explore our interactive virtual library to find collections of ebooks by subject and genreGet to Know Your Library Digital Resources: There are a wealth of digital resources available to students through our Library Resources folder in Launchpad. See our NEISD Electronic Resources Guide. The icons on the list show how students will see them in Launchpad. Each icon on the list also links to a basic tutorial as well.Ebooks and Audiobooks in Sora: If a student searches our library catalog, they will only see books that are available online. Explore our Sora Reading App Learning Menu to found out more about features of the Sora online reading app and see a quick start video. The Sora reading app connects to all the same content you can also find in the NEISD OverDrive app.Expand Your Sora Collection with San Antonio Public Library: Students can connect their NEISD Sora account to the San Antonio Public Library for access to even more digital titles. Click here to see instructionsSora Scavenger Hunt: To help our students learn how to navigate our Sora collection and practice using its features, the library is offering a Sora Scavenger Hunt Promotion. Students who complete the scavenger hunt will be entered into a prize drawing. Library Virtual Office Hours: Need some quick help or want to chat with the librarian? The library offers virtual office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment between 3:30pm and 4:15 pm. Students can log into our Virtual Mac Library page to reserve a time each week. Online Textbook Guide: Not sure how to access your course’s online textbook? See our Online Textbook Guide to figure out how to access your online textbooks in LaunchpadStudent Login and Email: Here is a quick refresher for how to log into your NEISD student account and/or email.Sora Achievement Badge Prize Promotion: Students can earn digital achievements as they use the Sora app and the library is offering prizes for the badges students earn. When students are able to return to campus, they can redeem prizes for the various digital achievement badges they have earned. Click this link to see the prizes you can earn with each set of Sora achievement badges.College, Career, and Military Readiness: Check out Learning Express and PrepSTEP, a fantastic college, career, and military readiness resource that is available in the Library Resources Folder in Launchpad. Students can create their own free account to save their progress on online practice tests, career prep resources, and college and scholarship searches. Library and Technology Refreshers for Students: In this 8 Things You Always Wanted to Know About the Library but Were Afraid to Ask learning menu, you can find important library and technology refreshers for digital resources, ebooks, digital note taking, MLA style, , student logins, and email accounts. Parent OverDrive Accounts: Students already have their own OverDrive accounts, but if you would like to have your own parent account to access ebooks and audio books in OverDrive, please complete this Online OverDrive Parent Registration Form. Please allow 2-3 days for the account to be built. Existing parent accounts must be renewed each year by completing the registration form.Stay Connected: Follow us on twitter and Instagram @MacArthurLib. Visit our Mac Library Website for more great resources and informationGo Brahma Library!MAC COUNSELORS’ CORNER – IMPORTANT SENIOR ANNOUNCEMENT?-?Your preliminary 6th semester rank will only be available until September 10th. If you would like to request a transcript to be sent to a college or university with your preliminary 6th semester rank from 6/16/2020 you must request a transcript by?September 8 at 4:30 pm. The link to request a transcript is:?. A parent authorization form must be completed for students under the age of 18.Senior Parent Night: Seniors viewed their Senior Seminar presentation through their English IV class this week. Our senior parent night presentation covering the information discussed in Senior Seminar is now available on the Counselors Corner of the MAC website.? Google Classrooms -?Students have been invited to join the Counseling Google Classroom. We encourage students to join as we will be posting important and helpful information and announcements for students throughout the year. Counseling google classrooms will be by grade and information provided will be grade level specific. There will be no assignments or grades given. It is an additional helpful resource for students to use.?AP Classes?- For students taking AP courses, please use the following link to find the "AP Registration Student's To Do List." Other helpful AP information is also provided on this page.?October 23 is the fall registration deadline for AP exams.? Support Line:?We have a counseling support line available students and parents can call?Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm for counseling questions and concerns. The number for MacArthur is 210-356-7619?Registration?-?If you need to register your child or you need registration information, please call (210) 356-7629.? You will be provided with information for online registration.?In-person registration will be by appointment only and will only be if necessary.??For online registration, please click on the link below.?NEISD Register Here First!!?Counselors are available for students and parents through phone, email and zoom Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Counselors are assigned alphabetically by student's last name. You can find your counselor's name and contact information in the "Counselors Corner" of the MAC website under "Find my counselor."Go Brahma Counselors!FROM OUR FAMILY SPECIALIST – MASK MAKERS: The organization Superhero Mask Makers has reached out to us to participate in this project. This would be a good way for our campus to assist with donations of items needed for the masks. All masks made with the donations received will be donated to all NEISD schools. Attached is a flyer with more information. If you have questions you may contact our Family Specialist, Ms. Jaramillo at ejaram@, or you may call (210)356-7706. Thank you for all your support!HERE TO HELP!: As we consider the days that are ahead of us, we know that Covid-19 will continue to bring many challenges to all of us. Be certain that the MAC team is ready to assist you an any way we can.? All you have to do is reach out to us. We want for parents and students to know that our Family Specialist, Ms. Jaramillo is available for any assistance you might need. For complete information, please see the attached flyer.FROM OUR MAC CLINIC – Please remember that students must have current immunizations, even for online learning. This is a legal requirement. Please make sure that your child’s immunizations are up to date.PARENT INVOLVEMENT-MAC ORCHESTRA BOOSTERS – If your child is a part of Mac Orchestra, you need to come out and be a part of this great group of parents.? All are welcome. Go Brahma MOPA! MAC CHOIR BOOSTERS – If your child is in choir then you need to come out and join this great group of parents and support MAC Choir. Go Brahma Choir Boosters!MAC BAND BOOSTERS – If your child is a member of our awesome Brahma Band, then you need to come out and be a part of these awesome parents.Please remember, for the latest updates and information as well as current news, information, and schedules, join us on Facebook (Mac Band Parents), Twitter (@MacBandParents), and Instagram (@MacBandParents), or log in to your Charms account. Go Brahma Band Boosters!MAC ATHLETIC BOOSTERS – Meet the Brahmas is coming up this Thursday, September 3rd. It is also a great opportunity to join our Athletic Boosters. If your child is a Brahma Athlete or you are just looking for a way to be involved, you need to come out and be a part of these great parents. If you want to keep up with our Boosters, check out the Brahma Booster Club Facebook page link:? Sports Program and Baby Calf Ads –?Our Brahma Boosters are now accepting ads for the 2020-2021 All Sports Program. This is an excellent opportunity to promote your business. The ads are not just for businesses. You can also purchase a personal ad to support/give a shout out to your athlete, dancer, cheerleader, etc.Please see the attached form. In addition, the annual Baby Calf ads are now being accepted as well. This is an opportunity to put your seniors’ baby picture in the All Sports program, which is another great MAC tradition. Please see the attached form and secure a spot for your Baby Calf!Go Brahma Athletic Boosters!PTSA – GOLDEN APPLE AWARD!: Congratulations to our awesome Brahma PTSA who earned the 2019-2020 Golden Apple award!! The North East Council of PTA’s is especially proud of the Golden Apple Awards.? Golden Apple shows the support of 100% Faculty and Staff at our school.?? ??To celebrate this accomplishment MacArthur will receive a yard sign, which was shown at the September 8th Delegate meeting.? This yard sign will be displayed proudly outside and in sight of parents, teachers, and visitors to our campus.? The sign will be used year after year with new apple stickers being added for each year you receive the award.? Congratulations to our Brahma PTSA, and congratulations and thanks to our Brahma faculty and staff! ?PTA Reflections Competition: Hello Students! PTSA is holding a National PTA Reflections Competition for areas of music, dance, literature, photography, film, and visual art. Due to the pandemic, All Items will be turned in digitally by October 27, 2020. Please get with your teachers for information if you are interested. Also, PTSA would like to take this time to thank all teachers, coaches, janitorial staff, and the administration for all your hard work and dedication during this crazy start of the new school year!Join PTSA!:The MacArthur PTSA is a vital link in connecting with our parents and families and a great way for every parent to be involved. The beginning of a new school year means it is time to show your support for our students, our school, and our community. We invite all students, parents, and teachers to join! The PTSA is here to advocate and positively influence the lives of all children and families. Make a difference and get involved! To join PTSA, please go to the following link: We want to remind the Mac Family and community to please remember to check out the PTSA website and blog for important information on what is happening at MacArthur!This is a great resource and it can be found at: . Go Brahma PTSA!COMMUNITY-COMMUNITY EDUCATION - Community Education will be offering virtual college prep classes this fall! Join Caleb Pendleton in How to Win Scholarships for College where he will share tips and techniques to apply for and win college scholarships. Doorway to College will be offering PSAT/SAT and ACT Exam Prep classes this semester as well. Visit webinars and use coupon code: NEISDTestPrep upon checkout for a discounted rate. Click here to view a digital flyer or call 210-407-0145 for more munity Education is also excited to continue offering driver education to students all over the District! Classes this semester will be online, while behind the wheel instruction will continue with COVID precautions in place. For more information, click here or call (210) 407-0170!? We hope you will take advantage of these great opportunities from our NEISD Community Education!? For complete information on Community Education offerings, please click on the following link: REGISTRATION – Voting is a precious right and your vote makes a difference. Do not be silent; let your voice be heard. Each High School Principal is a Deputy Voter Registrar by law. I want to encourage you to make sure you are registered to vote. If you or your child need to register, you can get a registration card at MacArthur in the Principal’s Office. You can either send it in yourself, or turn it in, and we will make sure it is turned in for you. Go Brahma Voters!BRAHMA FANS – We want to remind all of our parents, students, and guests who attend games or any event at home or away, that we need your assistance to ensure that we observe appropriate spectator behavior. It is okay to disagree with a call and to be a little loud when supporting our Brahmas. It is not okay to be disruptive or engage in personal attacks or confrontations with Coaches, referees, or students. Anyone causing a disturbance or verbally abusing the officials, coaches, or students will be removed from the game and may face removal from all athletic events. Please let the coaches take care of the coaching and dealing with the officials. It is extremely important for us to model appropriate behavior at any function. Your cooperation and support is greatly appreciated. Go Brahmas!Here are the events going on in Brahmaland: Monday 090720:Labor Day Holiday Tuesday 090820:Fourth week of school – Online ContinuesFirst Day of Phase I; Confirmed students ONLYWednesday 090920:All Teachers Conference Period 8:45 to 9:55Thursday 091020:N/AFriday 091120:N/ASaturday 091220:N/ASunday 091320:N/AMonday 091420:Labor Day HolidayHave a Great Week!Peter MartinezPrincipal, MacArthur High School“An Investment in our children pays the best interest of all.” ................
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