The Pride of Palo Alto

Patriot Families,

We had a fantastic start to the school year, and I hope your week at home went just as well! Our staff is committed to building strong relationships with students and families, and we’ll continue that work this week.

We will hold Patriot Culture Meetings for each grade level through PE classes (6th & 7th grade) and CCE/Tech Apps classes (8th grade) this week. This is an important time for us to share our vision for the future, the expectations we have for our Patriots, and the Student Code of Conduct (SCOC). We want every student to take pride in being part of our school community!

Students will watch the SCOC video tomorrow (Monday) during 2nd period. All students are required to follow the KISD Student Code of Conduct (SCOC) and campus expectations. Failure to follow any campus expectations or the SCOC may result in a discipline referral and serious consequences. You can review the entire SCOC at the link below:

o https://killeenisdtx.sites.thrillshare.com/o/kisd/page/student-handbook-code-of-conduct

Last week, we introduced our campus expectations and daily procedures. At Palo Alto, we believe that learning is our students’ profession—and just like in any profession, success comes from knowing the expectations, working well with others, and having a little fun along the way. I’ve included the slides we shared with students so you can review them at home too.

We are looking forward to another amazing week. If you have questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to help.

With Patriot Pride,
Christina Harris

• Students are required to enter the building at Door 17. Students should take their binders out of their bags in order to speed up the entry process. They should also have their phones turned off and ready to place in their Yondr pouch.
• Students dropped off after 8:10am must enter through the front office at Door 1 to receive a tardy/late attendance pass.
• Students have a 4 minute passing period between classes, which is ample time for them to get to each class. This week we have given a lot of grace to students as they learn the layout of our campus.
• Starting Monday, August 18, 2025, students will receive consequences for being tardy to class. Once the tardy bell rings, they will be marked tardy in Hero and we will follow the SCOC. You should receive an email notification every time your student is tardy.
• All students, staff, and visitors are required to wear an identification badge (ID) daily. We must be able to identify everyone on our campus. Visitors must walk through a metal detection system at the front office (Door 1).
• Students are required to wear their ID (or a temporary) all day every day as soon as they receive it. Failure to follow this expectation may result in severe consequences. Safety is our #1 concern, and it is imperative we know every student on campus is officially a PAMS student.
• Students and staff should never let anyone in an exterior door, and all classroom doors must remain locked and closed during instruction. Failure to follow this expectation will result in severe consequences (out of school suspension/In school suspension/and possible DAEP placement).
• Students who must leave the classroom for any reason during instructional time (ex: restroom) must have a pass while in the hallway and have their school ID displayed. Any student who does not have a pass or is somewhere in the building where they are not permitted may receive immediate consequences.
• Yondr pouches have been issued to 6th and 7th grade students last week. We will be issuing to 8gh graders this week and any remaining 6th or 7th graders. Whether students have their pouch issued or not, the expectation is all personal cell phone/electronic devices should never be seen nor heard at anytime during the school day.
• Failure to follow this expectation will result in consequences to include confiscation and possible requirement for parents to pick up the device. Additionally, consequences may result in placement at DAEP.
• Students are expected to be in dress code when they arrive on campus and remain in dress code throughout the school day. Failure to follow this may result in serious consequences.
• Consequences for dress code will begin Monday, August 18, 2025, which may include sending them home to change.
• Additionally, should students bring any illegal items or items prohibited by the campus/district, they will receive consequences to the fullest extent possible. Prohibited items are also left to the discretion of administration. We ask parents and community members to remain vigilant about what students bring to school. Parents should check their child’s belongings each day before they leave home.

We greatly appreciate your support, and look forward to seeing you at many of our upcoming events!

Tuesday, Aug. 19

• Testing Bell schedule for I-Ready BOY math testing

Wednesday, Aug. 20

• Band Parent Meeting in cafeteria (5:00-7:00PM)

Thursday, Aug. 21

• Football, Cross Country, and Volleyball Parent Meeting in cafeteria (5:00-5:30PM)

• Sports Physicals in gym (5:30-7:00PM)

Bus Route information was made available to parents/guardians via Home Access Center for those who are eligible and requested transportation.

Expect transportation delays the few days of the school year. However, Killeen ISD provides

the Edulog Parent Portal Lite smartphone app to help you receive information about your student's

bus ride. The app allows you to see real-time information about the location of your student's bus

and will alert you when the bus is getting close to the bus stop.

Drop-Off & Pick-Up Map for Cars and Buses

Please notice the drop off and pick up areas for cars at PAMS. For the safety of our students,

please do not drop off in the bus loop.

Parents/Guardians should only be driving in the yellow area indicated on the map.

The red area is for buses only. Parents who enter the red area are putting students and staff at

risk as there is limited visibility when buses are present.

Patriot families should be able to access your student's schedule in Home Access Center (HAC) this week. HAC is a valuable resource and is one way that teachers communicate your student's progress throughout the year (see attachment below for information about HAC). If you need assistance with it, please reach out to our parent liaison, Brittanee Warren (Brittanee.warren@killeenisd.org).