Dear Dragon Families,

Welcome Back, Dragons!

Hope you had a restful weekend! Our students are continuing to build their legacy of excellence. Together, we will strive to create a #destinationlegacy for all our students. Here's to a year of learning, growth, and success!

Friendly reminder - We will require a physical official state/federal ID when entering our campus and/or participating in any event as per district policy. Please don't forget your physical official state/federal ID.

Week EVENTS -

Nov 11 - No School - Veteran's Day

Nov 12 Parent Cafe 9-11am

Nov 15 Military Social @2-3pm

A couple reminders -

Please drop off/pick up middle school students by the middle school drop off/pick up. We are noticing and advising many 6th grade parents of this. Please DO NOT drop off/pick up by PK-2nd grade drop off/pick up entrance. We will be asking you to go around.

Review the following for this month -

• Arrival/Dismissal - Guidelines on drop off and pick up

• Attendance - Guidelines
• Cafeteria Section - Submit Lunch application before you get charged
• Flyers Section - Athletics Dates/Practice times/Physicals info
• Schedules - Guidelines

• Tardy Policy - Review guidelines
• Uniform Policy - Review guidelines - ONLY DRUGAN hoodies allowed

We ask for your support to help our scholars with the following:

• read daily for 20 minutes (anything of interest to child);
• practice addition & subtraction facts (these bring confidence);
• practice multiplication & division facts (upper grades need for problem solving);
• go to bed early enough to be ready to learn the next day; &
• continue to communicate with classroom teachers

I will send an updated newsletter every Sunday evening. You will see that it has everything and anything you might have questions about. The first 2 sections I recommend you read are the Message from the Principal and Calendar of Events for the month. Everything else is on the table of contents by alphabetic order.

Thank you for your continued support! We are blessed with an amazing learning community!

United, we are creating #destinationLegacy at Drugan!

Respectfully,

Frenda Serda-Gerardo

Proud Principal of John Drugan School

Office Number: 915-937-6802

Here is a calendar of events that will take place at our school for our scholars. Mark your calendars at home and let's make it a great year!

🟦

Nov 11

No School - Veteran's Day

Nov 12

Parent Cafe 9-11am

AHS Spirit Shirt w/ uniform pants

Nov 13

College Shirt w/ uniform pants

Nov 14

Nov 15

Drugan Spirit Shirt w/ uniform pants

Military Social @2-3pm

🟦

Nov 18

Interim Benchmark - 8th grade Social Studies

Free Dress ONLY if EARNED (See Dress Code for guidelines)

Nov 19

Interim Benchmark - 3rd-8th grade RLA

Nov 20

Interim Benchmark - 3rd-8th grade Math/Algebra

AHS Spirit Shirt w/ uniform pants

Nov 21

Interim Benchmark - 8th grade Science

Make-up 3rd-7th grade

College Shirt w/ uniform pants

Nov 22

Interim Benchmark - Make up

Drugan Spirit Shirt w/ uniform pants

🟦

Nov 25-29 THANKSGIVING BREAK - NO SCHOOL

🟦

Dec 2

Free Dress ONLY if EARNED (See Dress Code for guidelines)

Dec 3

Dec 4

AHS Spirit Shirt w/ uniform pants

Dec 5

Holiday Pictures

College Shirt w/ uniform pants

Dec 6

TEAM SISD All-Stars @8:15am
Drugan Spirit Shirt w/ uniform pants

We are excited to serve your needs. Here is a listing of our administrative staff:

Frenda Serda-Gerardo, Principal

Email: fserda@sisd.net

Office Phone: 915-937-6802

Raquel Alva, Assistant Principal

Email: ralva@sisd.net

Office Phone: 915-937-6804

Grade Levels: 1st/2nd/3rd/5th/7th

Cynthia Mercado, Assistant Principal

Email: cmerca@sisd.net

Office Phone: 915-937-6803

Grade Levels: PK/K/4th/6th/8th

As always, we are honored to work with each of you! Do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have about the new school year!

Arrival & Dismissal

Arrival and Dismissal will be one of our greatest challenges. Please be patient and kind. We will have all staff on duty to assist and create a system that is safe and efficient.

If your child will have to cross to the passenger seat, an adult will escort him/her to the other side of the vehicle.

For Dismissal, we do ask families to ensure their SIGN with child's name in posted in the front windshield so that we can read & call out the name.

Parents please remain in your cars in the pick up/drop off lane. If you are sending grandparents, please let them.

Middle school students need to be picked up in the middle school drop off/pick up zone. If parents are in the PK-2nd grade zone, they will be asked to move as it is creating traffic pile up for PK-2nd grade.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Attendance

If your child is absent, we must have a doctor's note or a personal note explaining why they were absent upon their arrival. NEW: District policy indicates parents/guardians have 72 hours to submit excuse notes justifying child's absence.

Attendance is vital to our scholars' success. Every absence, scholars lose 7 hours of skills, strategies, and support for learning.

We track attendance daily and will communicate with families when children have 5 absences & tardies to establish a Loss of Credit Contract. Our goal is for your child to be healthy and at school without losing credit.

COVID & Absences

If a student tests positive with COVID, child must see a doctor to get a test and be diagnosed with COVID. If parents submit a home COVID test, it will NOT qualify for the Q code of Quarantined. Therefore, these absences will count towards Loss of Credit. Ensure your child is seen by a doctor and diagnosis is sent as an excuse for absences to qualify for Q code.

Reporting Absences

If you need to report an absence, our PEIMS Clerk will be able to assist you. Our team will be receiving the email to help assist you. I will forward all of your messages to the classroom teachers so they are aware of the absence.

Email: attendancejohndrugan@sisd.net

Please include as much detail as possible:

• Child's name
• Grade
• Teacher
• Student ID
• Reason for the absence

Notes will be collected via the attendance email, handwritten, or Skyward Absence request. Be sure to include details in the note as the child returns to class.

SKYWARD Attendance - You can add absence requests for your child to indicate a day or range of days your student will not be in school. This is helpful so you can add absence requests for your child via Family Access instead of being required to send a note or email the school to enter an absence request on your behalf. For example, if your child will be out sick for the day, or if your child will be gone due to a family emergency, you can enter an absence request to indicate these details. You can also upload doctor notes. Excused and unexcused absences count for Loss of Credit.

Our 2024-25 goal is to reach 97% attendance for the school year. We know that staying healthy is as important as learning each day.

MP2 Week 4:

Elem % = 96%

Middle School % = 96%

Week = 95.74%

DRUGAN ATTENDANCE HEROES ARE 5th Grade STUDENTS! WOO HOO!

Grade Count

PK - 98%

K - 96%

1st - 93%

2nd - 97%

3rd - 94%

4th - 96%

5th - 99% - Champions

6th - 97%

7th - 94%

8th - 96%

Total 990

Attendance 96%

Stay healthy and make it count! Be at school daily! We will have a great year Dragons.

Breakfast in the Classroom

Our district will continue to provide breakfast in the classroom for ALL scholars. Breakfast in the Classroom, BIC, will be served daily from 7:30 AM to 7:45 AM. Please be on time to take advantage of the most important meal of the day.

The 2024-2025 SY Meal Application is now open. Every single student needs to complete an application. If you know you don't qualify, you need complete the application. It will allow you to click on the box that states that you know you don't qualify, add students' names, and submit.

https://www.myschoolapps.com/Home/PickDistrict

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Mercado at 915-937-6803.

For the safety of our students, we do not accept any type of deliveries to include UBER Eats, Doordash, Flower/Balloon arrangements, etc.

Monday - Uniform (FREE DRESS, if earned)

Tuesday - Uniform

Wednesday - Feeder pattern shirt with uniform pants

Thursday - College with uniform pants

Friday - Spirit shirt with uniform pants

We are starting FREE DRESS Mondays effective August 12th. In order to earn FREE DRESS on Monday, students need to comply with the following during the previous week:

1. NO Absences (including arriving late, leaving early, doctor visits, etc)

2. NO Tardies

3. NO Discipline Referrals

Students need to continue to follow DRESS CODE policy. First period teachers will check students for eligibility. If student is in free dress and had absences, tardies, or discipline the previous week, administrators will do the following -

1st Offense - 2 days lunch detention

2nd Offense - 5 days lunch detention

3rd Offense - 1 day In School Suspension (SAC)

Students will be taking at least one fieldtrip per year. If you are interested in being a chaperone, below are the guidelines.

Classes come to the Library with their teacher throughout the school. Books are checked out. Students need to keep books safe and clean in a Ziploc bag. Fees are charged for lost/damaged books based on the cost of the book. Fees will be paid at the front office.

The extended library hours for students are - 3:15-3:45pm.

Volunteer Hours

Tuesdays and Thursdays - 8-3pm

Fridays by invitation

Volunteer opportunities

Making copies
Lamination

Assisting with bulletin boards

Dance assistance

Parent Cafe

Tuesdays from 9-11am

Contact Ms. Ramirez for questions on Parent Volunteer opportunities at 915-937-6822 or email her at estrella.ramirez@sisd.net.

More news coming ...

No more schedule change requests will be accepted as per EED policy. Admin is working on schedule change requests. All requests will be completed by Friday, August, 16th.

Schedule changes will only be considered for legitimate reasons, such as: a schedule conflict, incomplete schedule, computer error, enrolled in a course with a teacher with whom the student previously failed, duplication of courses, meeting prerequisite requirements, or inappropriate placement as determined and recommended by a teacher or counselor with administrative approval.

Students may drop a course or make a schedule change with no consequences only during the first four days of the semester. Requests for course changes must be submitted in writing. [EED (REGULATION)] An administrator, counselor, or teacher shall inform students of deadlines and requirements for dropping courses or changing schedules as well as the ramifications of such a decision. Drops or changes occurring during the semester’s four-day grace period will not be shown on the student’s record. [EED (REGULATION)]

Counselors will have the form for schedule change request. They will pass the form out during lunch. It is due by Thursday, Aug 8th by lunch. All forms must have parent signatures.

We are reviewing course requests that were submitted. If it was requested previously, the request will be denied.

Our school Nurse, Susana Dorado, will continue to serve our learning community. She loves caring for our scholars and working with our parents.

Time: 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Phone: 915-937-6896

Email: sdorado@sisd.net

City of El Paso Testing COVID 19 - FREE

Testing is free and available for anyone 6 months or older.

El Paso Community Clinics (No Appointment needed)

T - F 7am-5pm Closed 12-1pm Lunch

Sat - 8-12pm

Ysleta - 110 Candelaria

Walgreens Testing

Walgreens is offering no-cost COVID-19 testing with appointment.

Go to their website.

Here is a list of phone numbers, emails and the team members who will assist you with any questions you may have:

Drugan Office 937-6800 For any questions or concerns

Ms. Gerardo, Principal, email: fserda@sisd.net, 915-937-6802

Ms. Alva, Assistant Principal, email: ralva@sisd.net, 915-937-6804​

Ms. Mercado, Assistant Principal, cmerca@sisd.net, 915-937-6803

Ms. Arostegui, Counselor, email: sarost@sisd.net, 915-937-6818​

Mr. Leyva, Counselor, email: rleyva06@sisd.net, 915-937-6812

Ms. Dixon, Librarian, email: ldixon@sisd.net, 915-937-6823

Devices need to be fully charged at night. Don't forget to bring your charger.

Technology Weekly CHECKS

Every Friday - PK-8th grade teachers will complete technology checks at 8:36-9:06am for their class.

Teachers will -

1. Have students Shut down laptop from the power window
2. Once Laptop has completely shut down, have student log in and wait for the 'Logon Scripts' black box to pop-up on the screen (this indicates that the laptop is being updated by the district).

3. Verify that the student can log in to Eduphoria, Clever and has Wi-Fi connectivity.

4. Verify that all keys are working correctly

5. Verify that each student's audio is working correctly (and audio works through headphones)

6. Verify that each student has a working charger

Download Ride 360 app to be able to locate your child's location on the bus.

Bus routes are attached below.

Riding the bus is a privilege that will be removed is student is not following the Student Code of Conduct handbook.

Email: fserda@sisd.net
Website: https://www.sisd.net/o/johndrugan
Location: 12451 Pellicano Dr, El Paso, TX 79928, USA
Phone: (915) 937-6802
Twitter: @JDrugan_K8

We are committed to helping all of our scholars to achieve high levels of learning required for success.

BEYOND EXCELLENCE