Trailblazer Tribune

November 6 - November 10, 2023


PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Top Left Picture: KJTMA 7th and 8th graders visit UTA on 11/3

 Top Middle Picture: Kinder - KJTMA 7th and 8th graders visit UTA on 11/3

Top Right: Celebrating the Rangers World Series Win

Lower Left: Costume Parade on 10/31

Lower Middle: Kinder and 1st Grade Fall Fest Presentations

Lower Right: Kinder and 1st Grade Fall Fest Presentations

Congratulations to our

Students, Employee, and Teacher of the Month

Congratulations

Kinder Ava Steward - Ava Steward is a great leader.  She helps her peers with their work when needed.  She participates in all class activities.  She loves learning and she completes all of her assignments!   She is very respectful and dependable.  Ms. Mayberry 

1st Roland Tureaud - RJ is a great example of a leader. He completes all his work to the best of his ability. He demonstrates self-control in every area of the school day. He is always available to lend helping to teachers and peers.  He displays good citizenship by speaking up for himself and others in the correct way.  Mrs. Pratt 

2nd Skylar Gray – Sklyar Gray is a dedicated student. She works hard and always tries her best. She is a leader in our classroom, consistently exhibiting stellar behavior and positive interactions with classmates and teachers. Great job, Skylar! Mrs. Wright 

 

3rd Roman Deleon – Roman is an amazing scholar who always completes his assignments, assist others, and is focused.  He works hard every day. Ms. Burton   

 

4th Amare Alexander – Amare is a standout student who stays on task and focused all the time.  Ms. Shaw 

 

5th  Lucas Moten– Lucas has an innate ability to be patient with others and has a big heart of compassion to learn something new everyday.  Mr. Jacobs 

 

6th Candace Cain – Candace is a hard worker and supports her classmates. She is a dedicated scholar who goes above and beyond to help others. Mrs. Cameron 

 

7th  Desirae Johnson: Desirae is quiet, but she is hardworking and focused. She is an example of maturity and strives to be her best self.  Ms. Romero 

  

8th Joshua McClellan: Joshua is striving hard to be the best student possible. His growth and focus are amazing to see. He is a great leader within 8th grade and deserves praise for his efforts.   

Ms. Romero 


Officer Harvey Wilburn

He does an excellent job making sure we are safe on campus!!  Mrs. Jackson, Middle School ELAR 


Taylor Pugh

Ms. Pugh consistently goes above and beyond for the sake of the students and staff. #ubuntu Her positive “can-do” spirit is contagious!  Mrs. Griffith, Middle School CTE 


2nd Grade Parent, Dr. Marsha Roberson Shares during red ribbon week

Dr. Marsha Roberson, a 2nd-grade parent, spoke to our Middle School Students on the first day of Red Ribbon Week.  Dr. Roberson is a Chemist for the Drug Enforcement Agency.  She shared the history behind Red Ribbon Week, explained the role the DEA plays in ensuring the safety and health of Americans, led the students in pledging to be drug-free, and modeled the impact of deadly drugs like fentanyl on individuals.  While Dr. Roberson was speaking, the students hung on every word.  She was dynamic and impactful.  

We are always so grateful for all the parental support in our school.  Our students need every adult member of the school community to make investments in them.  Thank you, Dr. Roberson, for taking the time to have a crucial conversation with our middle school students!  The impact you made may very well save a life.

redribbonweek.mp4

PTA Pals Program Needs your support

We are starting a monitored PEER tutoring program at KJTMA.  The program is called PTA Pals.  Students and parents who volunteer to tutor with the PALs program will help students with concepts with which they struggle.  Students in 4th-8th grade can volunteer for K-8 students. Sessions will be 60 minutes and will focus on the needs identied in the parent request form.  

We will begin tutoring the week of November 13, 2023.  Parents can sign up to get assistance for students in need of tutoring using the PALs Google Form. Tutoring is available individually or in groups of four.

K-1 Character Day

Kinder through 1st Grade presented their Character Projects to one another last week.  Students shared about their character and also talked about the plot and setting of their book!  It was delightful to see their presentations.

KJTMA Halloween Parade

Parents, thank you so much for donating candy and volunterring for our annual KJTMA Trunk-or Treat event!  Even though we moved it to inside of the building, the students had a lot of fun trick-or-treating in the building!  We also appreciate our staff for going above and beyond to make sure the students had a wonderful time.

NEHS/NJHS

Our NEHS and NJHS students who were inducted last fall had a formal, in-person induction ceremony, Thursday, November 2, 2023.  These students go above and beyond in exhibiting Scholarship, Service, Leadership, Character, and Citizenship  each day.  We are excited to witness all the ways they will continue to add to the greater good of our school and community as members of NEHS and NJHS.  

3rd/4th remind codes

Parents, as we navigate the teacher vacancies in 3rd and 4th grade, please join our parent Remind.  I will add information to the remind on Sundays and answer any questions between 3:50 and 5:30 each day.  The remind codes for each grade level are as follows:



KJTMA vacancies

There is a state-wide crisis in education.  Teachers are leaving the profession in record numbers.  KJTMA is feeling the teacher shortage just like all other schools across the state of Texas.  We are currently hiring for the following positions:

It is very important that we do not fill these positions out of desperation. It is not enough to have a person in the classroom.  We need individuals who have the tenacity, resilience, determination, skill, and passion for students in our classrooms. If you know someone who has those characteristics and who would be an excellent fit for our students, please have them apply online at desotoisd.org send their resume to michelle.neely@desotoisd.org.

5th Grade Meet-the-Teacher

Mrs. Tamalin Charfauros assumed the role of 5th-grade Math teacher on Monday, October 30, 2023.  Mrs. Charfauros is a certified Math teacher with 5+ years of teaching experience in mathematics throughout the United States.  With an interest in STEM and project-based learning, Mrs. Charfauros intends to teach her students to use the 3D printer in class. Wednesday, November 8, 2023, we will host a formal Meet-The-Teacher for 5th grade parents.  The Meet-the-Teacher will be in-person, in our library from 6:00-6:45.  Mrs. Charfauros has a presentation to share, so we will begin right at 6:00.  Thank you for joining us to learn how you can partner with Mrs. Charfauros and the 5th-grade team to support our students.

Home Interventions

There are many ways to support your student's academic growth at home.  Here are a few online sites that would be helpful for students:

 XtraMath

An online math fact fluency program that helps students develop quick recall and automaticity of basic math facts. Students with a strong foundation have greater confidence and success learning more advanced math like fractions and algebra. It generates individual practice sessions automatically based on assessment of each student’s progress. xtramath.org

EBOOKS 

through DeSoto ISD

Books! Books! And More Books! - We are still a book provider! We can still provide online resources for patrons. We have eBooks, audiobooks, and interactive books available through our online catalog, Destiny. Check out a book from anywhere you have internet access. Students will need their username and password to check out an online resource.




G/T Updates

Testing will take place before the holiday break.  At this time teachers are being identified and trained to coordinate G/T services on our campus. We will continue to provide G/T services updates.

gear up-Uta

On Friday, November 3, 2023 7th and 8th grade students traveled to University of Texas in Arlington with Mrs. Williams through the Gear-Up program. During the trip, students were able to visit the Planetarium and they engaged in a self-guided tour of the campus.  UTA is a Hispanic-serving institution that strong engineering and aeronautics programs.  The College-Driven Gear Up program is designed to expose our students to a variety of colleges and universities.  Please encourage your students to use their Gear-Up bucks to go on  all of the college trips planned by Mrs. Williams and Gear Up.

kjtma 

fall picture day

Fall individual picture day is Wednesday, November 8th.  Each class has a specific time to come down to the cafe to have their pictures taken.  Students will be allowed to dress up (their attire must be school appropriate: i.e. no tears, rips or holes in pants, no sleeveless or spaghetti strap shirts).


KJ uses geometry to study the world series

Mrs. Hedge, our Algebra teacher and Math Interventionist, was in her element as she shared her knowledge of geometry with a group of students Wednesday. 

Mrs. Hedge helped students see the connection between the Pythagorean Theorem and the World Series.  Making real-world connections to things happening in the real world is exactly what we want our students to experience here at KJTMA.

RIT To LEXILES

Now more than ever in education, we have data points that can help us fine-tune our steps to assist our students.  Knowing our students' Lexile levels and growth opportunities for Math can help us take appropriate actionss at home to help our students. Reading books 50 points above your student's Lexile for 20 minutes each night and asking STAAR-like questions can dramatically assist your student with their reading comprehension and fluency growth.  To help you get started with this work, I am providing you with the following information:

MAPLexileComparisonChart (1).pdf
STAAR_Reading_Formatted_Question_Stems (1) (1).pdf

Texas Roadhouse Peanut Fundraiser

We are selling Texas Roadhouse Peanuts for $5.00 a bag in the office.  The bags come with a coupon for a free appetizer. Funds will help to support the counseling department activities. 



KJTMA Yearbooks for sale

Pre-order your 2023-2024 Yearbooks 


Act now to save on your yearbook!

 IT'S ALL

 IN THE YEARBOOK

 The memories. The friendships. The achievements. This yearbook is like no other because your student is like no other. Order them this irreplaceable piece of their history today.

 ORDER YEARBOOK ›

----------------------------------------------

MAKE IT ONE-OF-A-KIND

Personalization is easy to add. Just follow the simple instructions when ordering to add your student's name and up to four icons to the cover of their yearbook.

 ORDER YEARBOOK ›



 *Minimum purchase requirements and eligibility restrictions apply.



2020-2021 Yearbook 

$5.00 cash if your child was here during the 2020-2021 and did not purchase a yearbook, we have some left that we are selling for $5.00 each

2022-2023

If your child was here during the 2022-2023 and did not purchase a yearbook, we have some left that we are selling for $30.00 each

FREE TABLETS & INTERNET FOR QUALIFYING STUDENTS

Free tablets & internet for qualifying students

Posted on 08/04/2023

DeSoto ISD is proud to work with Public Wireless in our latest effort to provide internet access for all our students.

 

As a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) recipient, ALL students who attended the DeSoto ISD during the 2022-2023 school year are qualified. There is no risk to apply to receive a free 10.1-inch HD tablet with free internet service!

 

Along with these free tablets, each qualifying student will also be provided with a hard case cover and a screen protector. The included SIM cards provide 24/7 LTE Broadband Internet Service. WIFI access is NOT needed.

 

Parents, guardians and students will never receive a billing statement for the tablet or for the internet service. These tablets are completely free and belong to the students forever. There are no obligations or commitments. This offer is limited to only one tablet per household and tablets will be mailed to the address provided.

 

Services such as these align with the district's commitment to ensure all students, without exception, learn and grow at their highest level. These tablets will allow students to continue their education with the ability to complete assignments at home. Having access to the internet is a necessity, especially for our district scholars. DeSoto ISD continues to empower its students with the necessary tools to succeed in their academic and personal journeys.

 

To apply, visit:

https://tinyurl.com/mkfzrfe9

 

Questions, comments or concerns can be made by calling 1.800.286.5380

 

DeSoto ISD is not responsible for: misuse of the tablet/internet, tablet repairs and internet accessibility/speeds. DeSoto ISD is not the agency providing the devices and/or internet access.



Morning arrival

This is a reminder that school opens at 7:30 a.m., and classes begin at 8:00 a.m.

All students who are not dropped off by bus or daycare should be dropped off on the north side of the building in the car drop-off pick-up area.  No students unless they ride the bus or daycare should be dropped off in the front of the building.  The gates will now remain open until 8:35. If you are running a little late in the morning please drive around the building and drop students off on the Northside.   Students arriving after 8:10 will receive a tardy.  

If you arrive after 8:35 you will drop off in the front, and students will come through the front door to check in and go through the bag-search protocols as do students entering through the cafeteria. 

apps for parental control For Phones

Parents, did you know that more than 30% of the disciplinary issues that we deal with at school have a correlation to somethin that took place between students on their devices? If your elementary or middle school student has a phone, please consider adding a Parental Control app to it.  There are many apps on the market that can provide the safety coverage and monitoring for our students.  These apps allow you to see what your student is doing, as well as where they are at all times. The apps typically can not be disabled or uninstalled by students.  Every family raises their students differently.  Most students want to adhere to their parent's rules, but the pressure to fit in is pervasive and far-reaching.  Most of us were not as accessible as children are today.  Not only that, the students today have access to things we didn't have access to until we were adults. 

kjtma scripps spelling bee

We believe our students have to take to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.  This year, we entered our school in the national competition.  We have word lists at every grade level, and we will have a school-wide competition in DECEMBER.  

The Scripps National Spelling Bee has been in existence since 1925, and participating in it is a great way to improve and promote literacy for our students!  

Please encourage your students to learn their grade-level words so they will be ready for the competition.  More direction will come from your student's teachers. If your student would like a paper copy of the spelling words for their grade level they can request one in the main office.

5th grade study list.pdf
6th grade study list.pdf
7th grade study list.pdf
all grade level study list.pdf
1st grade study list.pdf
2nd grade study list.pdf
3rd grade study list.pdf
4th grade study list.pdf
8th grade study list.pdf

at-home support activities

NWEA Map gives us the opportunity to do something about our student's academic deficits and gaps.  By knowing our student's RIT scores, we can identify their lexile range.  Lexiles ranges allow us to pick reading material for our students that is appropriately challenging. By reading something in their lexile range for 20 minutes every day, your child can increase their RIT, Lexiles, and comprehension. Reading also helps us learn to stay focused, and it helps us think critically.  Now that you have your students' NWEA Map scores, please read with them each night, and ask them questions about the text. I have added a  chart to help you convert your student's RIT score to their appropriate Lexile.  You can use the LEXILE website to help you find reading material at your student's Lexile level. The at-home activities handout also has Math fluency information for you to use to help your student.

Resources for parents
MAP+Growth+Reading+Score+To+Lexile+FEB19.pdf

Food Delivery Reminder


Parents and Guardians of our KJTMA Scholars:


Please do not have food delivered to your students for lunch.  Ouside food is welcomed when parents come for lunch. 

board games for lunch

Thank you for the donations so far! We did not start games on Monday.  We are still in need of a few more games.  Your continued donations are appreciated. We are still accepting donations of the following games:


K-2


3rd -8th


Campus attendance percentages 

We did not make our goal again this week, KJTMA Family! We averaged 97%!   Let's continue to work on making sure that our students are in class!  There is a direct correlation between student academic success and attendance.  If we reach our attendance goal of 97%. Monday-Thursday, our students may have a full dress-down day again on Friday!  Please do not allow students to dress down if you do not hear from the school.  We will announce this Thursday evening via a campus phone call. Let's help our students reach the attendance goal for the week.

1st 6 weeks Campus Weekly Goal 97%

Week 1 8/14 - 8/18    

  Elementary K-5 98.79   Middle School 6-8  99.28  

Campus Total 99.03

Week 2 8/21 - 8/26    

  Elementary K-5 97.86             Middle School 6-8  94.58

Campus Total 96.22

Week 3 8/28 - 9/1    

  Elementary K-5 96.91             Middle School 6-8  93.98

Campus Total 95.445

Week 4 9/4 - 9/8    

  Elementary K-5 97.28             Middle School 6-8  96.39

Campus Total 96.835 round up 97.00

Week 5 9/11 - 9/15    

  Elementary K-5 96.68            Middle School 6-8  97.11

Campus Total 96.895 round-up 97.00

(students were rewarded with a dress down day on 9/15)

Week 6 9/18 - 9/22    

  Elementary K-5  96.5         Middle School 6-8 97.47 

Campus Total 96.98 round-up 97.00

(students were rewarded with a dress-down day on 9/22)




2nd 6 weeks Campus Weekly Goal 97%

Week 7   9/25 - 9/29

  Elementary K-5 95.92  Middle School 6-8  95.31

Campus Total 95.615

Week 8    10/2 - 10/6

  Elementary K-5 96.12            Middle School 6-8  96.39

Campus Total 96.25

Week 9    10/9 - 10/13

  Elementary K-5 97            Middle School 6-8  98

Campus Total 97.5

Week 10   10/16 - 10/20 

  Elementary K-5 96            Middle School 6-8  97

Campus Total 97

Week 11   10/23 - 10/27 

  Elementary K-5  97.00          Middle School 6-8  95.04

Campus Total 96.02

Week 12  10/30 - 11/3  

  Elementary K-5           Middle School 6-8 

PTA Updates

Our next PTA meeting is December 6, 2023 .  All meetings start promptly at 6:00 PM and end at 6:30.  We would love for you to join us for the meeting and join PTA.  Thank you for all that contributed to the Legacy Day Fundraiser.  Because of your generosity, our students will have learning opportunities in aviation, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing later this semester!


PTA is the only advocacy organization that supports ALL students.  The mission of the PTA is 'to make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.'  To articulate the mission and vision of PTA, we have outlined programming and advocacy efforts in which you can get involved. Please support the mission by joining the work. Please scan the QR Code below to join the KJTMA PTA.  Membership is $10.   If you want to join the PTA Parent Event Committee, please scan the code to join the committee!


Join us for campus clean up days the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each Month. 


Facebook- Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy PTA

Twitter- @KJTMA_PTA

Instagram- @Katherine Johnson PTA


box tops.pdf
Scanned from a Xerox Multifunction Printer (1).pdf

Safety and Operations

DeSoto ISD Standardized Dress

school store  now open 

Orders placed October 20th - Nov.15th will be delivered by 1st week of December.   

KJTMA Uniform Store


We have a few of our 23-24 spirit shirts for sale in the office. Youth sizes only for $10 each. 

dresscode.pdf

KJTMA Standardized Dress Expectations & Consessions

Some of our students are wearing colors outside the colors prescribed in the district dresscode.  The dress code colors are as follows: Solid color green, gold, black, white, or gray shirt with collar;

Thank you for helping us adhere to the standardized dress expectations this week!  Students will be in Standardized Dress UNLESS we send a notice home to parents on Thursday. Every Friday, students may wear their House t-shirt or DeSoto spirit shirt with the uniform bottoms or dark colored jeans (black, gray, or dark blue without rips). 

Dress down days will be announced through phone messages on Thursdays. If a small group of students earn an extended dress-down period, that information will be shared directly with the student and parents.  An example of an extended dress down might look like students getting honored through the PBIS system would have several days to dress down in a row. 

All KJTMA students are expected to adhere to the district guidelines for standardized dress.  KJTMA students are also expected to have a KJ patch added to the left side of their shirt.  Patches can be purchased individually in the school office or through the online KJTMA Uniform Store.  Students must wear shirts with patches Monday-Thursday.  Spirit shirts are only worn on Fridays.

Patches Available in the office

Because the patches were on back order, we understand that all students may not have patches on every shirt just yet.  However, we will keep you informed as to when we will strictly enforce the dress expectations. Our addition of the patches to the KJTMA uniform is for safety purposes. Because of the patches, not only will our students be identifiable as they travel throughout the district, anyone who is not a part of our campus will be identifiable in our school. Without exception, the standardized dress policy will be fully enforced as it helps us ensure the safety of all students.  

Middle School Badges

Badges are a part of standardized dress expectations. All middle school students must wear their badges at all times. Students who are in athletics at McCowan must wear their badges while at the other campus.  Middle school students also need their badges to enter all DeSoto ISD games. Replacement badges are $5.00.  Students who do not have their badges will be charged $1.00 for temporary badges.

The standardized dress policy will be fully enforced as it helps us ensure the safety of all students in the building.  

desoto isd sports schedules

Desoto isd Bag Policy for athletic games



Mighty McCowan Athletics

If your student has a game, you may pick them up between 3:40-3:50 in the front office.  You may park in the front parking lot (PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE BUS LANE), come into the main office, and check them out.  We will work with you to ensure you and your scholar are allowed in the parking lot at dismissal!  We are excited for our student-athletes and look forward to seeing them play as members of the Mighty McCowan teams!  Please look at the game locations and times for this week's sporting events.

A parent must accompany students attending all games, and they must have their school I.D. on at all times.  A parent must accompany students to attend the games.




opportunity for 8th grade girls

STY workshop Parent Meeting 10.2023 FINAL_10.21.pdf

Trinity Links Organization is partnering with DeSoto middle schools and high school to offer female students in grades 8, 9, and 10 to be a part of their SO SMART program.

 

The program will offer mentoring opportunities and workshops geared toward engineering, entrepreneurship, the arts, and more to the female students in the program.


Message for 7th and 8th grade Parents and students from GEAR UP



CDGU October 2023 Newsletter (1).pdf
KJTMA Remind.pdf

Volunteer at KJTMA


Opportunities available now in Voly

Morning and afternoon car line assistance, Lunchroom Volunteers, Fire Safety for Kinder-2nd grade, Trunk or Treat, Donuts for Dad, Picture Day, and Family Feast Day.

DeSoto Volunteer System (information taken from DeSoto ISD Volunteer page)

"Volunteers are very important partners in supporting the educational programs and activities in DeSoto ISD. Volunteers give their time, dedication, and encouragement to our students and school staff in various ways. Whether you are a parent, business/community partner or individual volunteer you are important to us for giving your services and time. All volunteers that engage in campus and student activities MUST complete the application process and receive a background clearance by applying through the NEW Voly Volunteer System. Thank you in advance for your generosity. 

The following steps must be completed:

1.     Click on the link https://desotoisd.voly.org 

2.     There is a Create a Volunteer Account form on the front page.

3.     Volunteers will create a Voly account by entering the required information on the home page.  

Once logged in, the volunteer will be taken straight to the volunteer application.

5.     The volunteer will need to complete the fields on the volunteer application, including the Consent for Background Check.  

6.     Once the volunteer hits Submit/Save, they will be taken straight to the Orientation Slides.  The volunteer will need to review each slide and click the check box at the end to acknowledge they have read it all.

7.     Volunteers can always go back to their application to see their status (for the background check).  An approved or denied email will be sent when the background check has been completed. *Applications may take up to 72 hours for approval 

If there are questions or concerns, contact the school volunteer liaison where you will volunteer or email volunteer@desotoisd.org (Allow 48 hours for feedback on your request). Requests made on a Friday, will receive feedback on Tuesday before 5:00 pm.  Feedback will not be provided during district holidays.

Parent volunteers help lunchtime run smoothly and can be a rewarding experience.

Are you available for 30 minutes for one day to help oversee our students at lunchtime?  If so, here's a quick video to show you how to sign up in Voly!

How to Sign Up to Volunteer in Voly - Watch Video

In this quick video, I will show you how to sign up to volunteer in Voly. I will guide you through the process of logging in and finding opportunities to volunteer. I will also demonstrate how to choose a date and time for volunteering and submit your sign-up. By the end of this video, you will know how to successfully sign up and await approval to volunteer in Voly.


If you are available and willing to volunteer for a 30-minute shift, it would greatly benefit both the staff and the students.  Thank you for considering this opportunity. Even a small commitment like this can make a big difference in our children's daily lives.


Helpful tips for lunchroom duty:

1. A raised hand with crossed fingers is a request to go to the restroom.

2. Paper towels are on the center table for students to access if they have spills to clean up.

3. Gloves are available in case you need to help open food packages for the little ones.

4. They'll love your smiles! :)


Parent Portal Access

Parent Portal Access

PARENT PORTAL PAGE

All parents/guardians will need to create a new account. Once the approval process has been completed, you will be able to view information for your student(s). To begin the registration process, Click "New Users, please register." As you register, please note that all data is case-sensitive. Do not use your student's ID number as your User Name.

District Employees: Do Not Register Online for the Parent Self-Serve Application. Contact your child's campus to have Parent Self-Serve access activated.

To register and be authenticated, you must enter the following information for one of your children:

New User Sign-In

Existing User Sign In

Please note: You MUST use Google Chrome. If you do not currently have Google Chrome installed on your computer, please CLICK HERE to download it.

If you have any questions, e-mail sheila.hardmon@desotoisd.org

Please send the following information:

The Parent Portal is an exciting opportunity for parents to become more involved in their child’s education through the convenience of the Internet. You have access to:

How frequently is my child's data updated?

Immediately! Access to your child's grades, attendance, and lesson plans in real-time. That means as soon as a teacher or administrator enters information into the system, it is available for you to access.


DeSoto Child Nutrition Application

Please complete the child nutrition application for your student.  The link is below:

DESOTO ISD CHILD NUTRITION LINK


Thank you to all the parents who have completed the survey, We are working to get all the free dress day coupons out to the students.  

Attendance Matters

23-24 BOY Attendance Letter.pdf
MiddleHigh_handout_111122.pdf
Attendance-Works-Preschool-K_in-person_101321.pdf
Prek-K_handout_FLGLR_Spanish__110421.pdf
Attendance-Works-K-1st-Get-Ready_062122.pdf
Attendance-Works-Elementary__handout_101421.pdf
Elementary_handout_SPANISH_110421-1 (1).pdf

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

Cold and Flu Season Precautionary Measures

Posted on 10/27/2022

Health officials are reporting concerns related to the spread of RSV, cold and flu, and coronavirus as the winter months approach. Help reduce the potential spread of these health concerns as we work closely with the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services to monitor trends related to such illnesses in the community. 


RSV, cold and flu, and coronavirus can spread easily from person to person, and we need the assistance of staff and parents to help reduce this possible spread. It is important to take the following precautions to help ensure the health of our community:



Dallas County Health officials recommend the following additional precautions:


It is important to note that DeSoto ISD has trained medical staff at each campus with protocols in place to handle communicable illnesses common to school districts like influenza (flu), pertussis (whooping cough), strep throat, head lice, and more. 

Additionally, DeSoto ISD has a standard practice of maintaining a clean school environment. As is customary in school districts during flu season and as has been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, we make it a point to frequently clean and sanitize our schools and classrooms regularly throughout the school day and each night during routine cleaning practices.

Student and staff safety is our top priority. We will continue to monitor the CDC and DSHS for additional information and guidance and will share information with you regarding any updates.

DeSoto ISD Academic Calendar

Please see the 2023-2024 DeSoto ISD Academic Calendar below.  Our first day of school is Monday, August 14, 2023.  We have a great academic year planned for our students and school community. 

2023 - 2024 DeSoto ISD District Calendar with Testing Dates

                                                                Counseling Department

Mission: DeSoto ISD's mission is to ensure students, without exception, learn and grow at their highest level.

Vision: DeSoto ISD is to inspire curiosity and consciousness, develop character, build courage and nurture compassion

     SAT Vocabulary Word

Help us prep your student for the SAT!  Each week, we will provide an SAT word for you and your students to discuss.  Use the word in a sentence with your student, and encourage your student to use the word in a sentence over the week.  We will revisit the words in classes during Eagle Academy and House challenges.  Have fun helping your student expand their vocabulary and prepare for the PSAT and eventually, the SAT!

Here are the words by the weeks:

Week 1: Symbiosis

Week 2: Augment

Week 3: Lackadaisical

Week 4: Decree, DeDuce

Week 5: Cower and Cranny

Week 6:  Abridge and Plethora

Week7: Copious and Miniscule

Week 8: Tenacious and Capacious

Week 9: Pacifist and Copious

Week 10: Opaque and Ostensible

Week 11:  Parallel and Truculent

Week 12: Voracious and Officious

Week 13:  Spurious and Onerous

Week #13

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KJTMA Parent Book Study

Welcome back !  I hope you had a restful and fun summer.  This year, I invite all caregivers to join me in my first ever book club.  The book that we're going to start with this year is "How Children Succeed" by Paul Tough.  After reading this book, it gave me a different insight of both parenting and education. 


This year, Mrs. Erica Broussard will be leading the book study!  We would love for you to join.  We have books available at the school for free.  Please stop by the front office if you need a book!


In chapter one, one of the items of discussion will be the acer number.  This is voluntary only.  The Acer quiz is private and is not shared with anyone but you.  

Review of "How Children Succeed"


Paul Tough is a New York Times reporter with an infinitely punnable name and a contrarian take on the best way to teach kids that, for educators, might be a bit … tough to swallow. (Didn’t even need the dad joke bod for that one!) Tough’s polemic on contemporary education, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, And The Hidden Power Of Character, has been described as “essential reading for anyone who cares about childhood in America.” The book explores how schools of all kinds operate on a flawed theory of intelligence and proposes a new way of thinking about how our kids learn. 


It's not too late to sign up. Click on  KJ Parent Book Club Sign-UP to sign up.


Mrs. Broussard will host this year's parent book club. Meeting dates are:


November 30th @ 6pm Chapters 3 and 4

December 14th @6pm Chapter 5 


All meetings virtual meetings are on Zoom.  The link is: 

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/3797888309?pwd=ynx3Cyo0vgZYudFP2gbmBJB3BAJyX3.1


Meeting ID: 379 788 8309

Passcode: kjbooks


If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Broussard at

EricaWoodardBroussard@gmail.com


Scanned from a Xerox Multifunction Printer (2).pdf
Elementary Scholarship Listing -November 2023.pdf
Middle School Scholarship Listing - November 2023.pdf
Freshman Scholarship Listing - November 2023.pdf
Sophomore Scholarship Listing - November 2023.pdf
Junior Scholarship Listing - November 2023.pdf
Senior Scholarship Listing - November 2023.pdf

Parent Survey 

Parents, your feedback is important and will help me to know how to better serve you and your scholars. Please click on this Link to take a short survey.  


PCulturalKinder.pdf
PCultural4.pdf
PCultural8.pdf
PCultural1.pdf
PCultural5.pdf
PCultural2.pdf
PCultural6.pdf
PCultural3.pdf
PCultural7.pdf
NOVEMBER 2023.pdf
DECEMBER 2023.pdf

We Want Your Feedback

We appreciate your perspective and feedback!  Please click on the image below to complete the feedback form. Let us know if there is any thing we can address for you! Please click HERE to leave feedback.

Newsletter Feedback Answers


Upcoming KJTMA Birthdays

Happy Birthday


November 5

Karter Brooks


November 6

Mrs. Chant

November 7

Ms. Dawson

Ryan Renteria

Samuel Amusan Jr. 


November 8

Paxton Williams


November 9

Maxon Crenshaw

Irye-Joyce Jackson

Charlotte Moran


November 10

DNeko Wilson

Ariana Brizuela Otento

Mason Hinton


November 11

Audrey Berry

Billy Thomas



DeSoto ISD Library Newsletter


https://www.smore.com/qvubw


Desoto public library

Pictures from the week of  October 23 - October 27, 2023

Upcoming Events for the week of November 6 - November 10, 2023

Aviation Month


Monday, November 6, 2023, B-Day 


Tuesday, November 7, 2023, A-Day


Wednesday, November 8, 2023, B-Day

Thursday, November 9, 2023, A-Day

Friday, November 10, 2023, B-Day


Save the DATES in November-Aviation Month



Primarily Parrots Permission Slip 20 PDF.pdf
Parent November 2023-Aviation Month.pdf
Donuts with Dad update 4.pdf
ThanksgivingFeast KJTMA (1).pdf
Talent Show Instagram Post (2).pdf

Dr. michelle Neely, Principal

Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy

Follow me on Twitter @MRNeely74

Email: michelle.neely@desotoisd.org

District Website:  www.DeSotoisd.org