Meet Mr. Harper, Ereckson Middle School Principal
This will be my 27th year in public education. I am returning to Ereckson where I served 13 years as an Assistant Principal. I am so blessed to have the chance to come back here to Ereckson and work with so many wonderful people.
My wife Jennifer also works in Allen ISD at Norton Elementary, our two boys both attended Green Elementary, Ereckson Middle School and graduated from Allen High School. I am extremely excited to get the new year started.
PTA Information
Attention parents! The Ereckson PTA needs your membership and support!
Just $10 helps to fund so many wonderful events and opportunities for our students and staff that they wouldn't be able to enjoy otherwise.
Please click this link to join today and help support our wonderful school community
https://erecksonpta.membershiptoolkit.com/join_PTA
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Don't forget, Meet the Teacher is Monday, August 7th.
7th graders may attend from 5pm-7pm and 8th graders may attend from 3pm-5pm.
Both students and parents are invited to attend this event together!
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It’s time to complete your volunteer background check for the upcoming school year! These expire every summer, so even if you've done one before, you'll need to reapply to be able to help out on campus.
Please go to:
https://www.allenisd.org/o/aisd/page/register-volunteer and click on Volunteer Application. Log in to your account, update any new information that may have changed over the year, and submit your application.
New Cafeteria Payment System
New Payment System Launches August 1st
Dear Allen ISD Families,
Effective August 1, payments, balance information, email reminders, cafeteria purchases, and applications will no longer be available on PayPAMS due to the transition to a new system by the district’s Student Nutrition department. Current student balances have been transferred to the new system.
Allen ISD's new online payment system for cafeteria accounts will be MySchoolBucks, which offers a convenient online service that allows you to securely pay for your student’s meals online using your credit/debit card or electronic check.
You can:
- Set Up Automatic Recurring Payments
- Track & Review Meal History
- Create Low Balance Alerts
- Make Payments with the Mobile App, and much more
Register Your MySchoolBucks account, beginning August 1st
Have a smartphone? Get the MySchoolBucks Mobile App:
- iOS (iPhone): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myschoolbucks/id661878685?mt=8
- Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hss.msb&feature=search_result
Also effective as of August 1, online applications will need to be completed at https://www.myschoolapps.com/. MySchoolApps is the fast and secure way to apply for free and reduced meals online. Applying online allows your school to process your application for meal benefits faster than ever before. Your information is protected using the highest security standards in the industry. MySchoolApps walks you through the entire application process, ensuring it’s complete and ready to submit.
If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Allen ISD Student Nutrition Department at (972) 727-0545 for further assistance.
Sincerely,
The Allen ISD Student Nutrition Team
Traffic Flow Changes
Husky Huddle
Our new students to Ereckson were able to partake in The Husky Huddle, an orientation where students were able to tour the building, meet some adults on campus, and learn a lot of great information about Ereckson. The presentations presented to students are on the Ereckson website to view at your convenience. We had a great turn out and hope your child felt the orientation was beneficial. We want to thank our teachers, PAL students, and PTA for helping us; it would not have been possible to host this event without their help!
It was also great getting to meet so many parents at our Parents in the Huddle event this week. If you were unable to attend, please click this link to view our presentation. We are looking forward to a wonderful school year!
Bus Information
Student ID
All students are required to wear a school ID. Lunch detentions will be earned for every 3 incidents without a badge. You are welcome to buy a second ID if you wish. If needed, you may purchase a new ID from the library – the cost is $2 for the ID and an additional $1 if you also need a lanyard.
Student BYOD Policy Change 2023-24
The Empower 1:1 student device program has seen a successful implementation in Allen ISD, with each student in the district having access to a device for instruction. With this implementation reaching all students and with security in mind, Allen ISD will discontinue the use of the BYOD computer device policy for students starting in the school year 2023-2024. This means students will not be able to use their own computer devices on campus when the new school year starts.
- The Empower 1:1 student device program has been established and provides a device for instruction to each student in the district.
- District devices are set up to access all the instructional and testing applications that are required for student use by grade level.
- Security and filtering policies are inherently more consistent, manageable and enforceable in district provided devices.
- The increase in online testing makes it more important than ever for students to be familiar with devices provided by the district in particular because students cannot test on their own devices.
- Technical support by both district IT staff and teachers as needed, is more effective and streamlined when students are utilizing district devices.
- Consistency of devices helps to minimize classroom downtime due to connectivity or usability issues BYODs may have.
- Allen ISD has implemented logistical processes as part of the Empower 1:1 program to make sure devices for instruction are available on campus by the start of school (distribution dates vary by campus and grade level), effectively providing district devices to all students from the beginning of the year.
Due to all these reasons stated above, starting in the school year 2023-2024, the BYOD network will be unavailable for use by the students in Allen ISD campuses.
Important information for students and families:
- Campuses will provide information to families and students regarding the dates and locations to pick up their district issued devices at the beginning of the year.
- Use of technology in Allen ISD requires adherence to the district’s Responsible Use Policy and Student Code of Conduct provided for signature as part of the back to school forms.
For additional information including BYOD policy changes FAQs, visit the Allen ISD Empower 1:1 Website by clicking on this link.
FAQs
- Does Allen ISD have enough devices for all students enrolled in schools?
- Yes. The district implemented the student Empower 1:1 program in 2021, effectively making available a device for every student in the district. To learn more about the current Empower 1:1 program including device information, grade levels and device insurance options, click here. Additional information and details for the 2023-2024 school year will be published at a later date.
- Will the district have a process to approve the use of personal devices by students?
- No. The district provides devices to all students as part of the Empower 1:1 student device program.
- What device will be provided to students in Allen ISD under the Empower 1:1 student device program for the 23-24 school year?
- Pre-Kindergarten: iPads
- Kinder-1st grade: Lenovo 500e Touchscreen Chromebooks 2nd Generation
- 2nd-11th grade: Lenovo 500e Touchscreen Chromebooks 3rd Generation
- 12th grade: Lenovo 500e Touchscreen Chromebooks 2nd Generation
- Will I have to buy insurance for the district issued device?
- Purchasing the insurance for district devices is highly recommended but not required. Damaged devices not covered under insurance are subject to repair costs. For all district device insurance information click here.
- Will students be allowed to keep their district device over the summer if attending summer school?
- Yes. Students K-8 will be able to opt-in to keep the district device over the summer even if not attending summer school. Students in grades 9-11 will take their devices home over the summer.
- Will students be able to bring their phones to school?
- The only change in policy from the IT standpoint is the ability to connect to the BYOD network. Students will continue to be able to bring their own phones to school, however, they will not be able to connect them to the BYOD network. Students also have to strictly adhere to the student handbook policies for use of phone devices during the school day.
- Will students be able to bring their own peripherals (i.e. mouse, keyboard, etc.)?
- Yes. Bluetooth peripherals are not affected by the discontinuation of the use of the BYOD network by students.
- Will the students still be able to access instructional applications such as Canvas, Google Classroom, etc., on their own computer devices at home?
- Yes.
- Will the students be able to use their own device at home to access and work on school resources/activities?
- Yes. All student based digital applications are cloud based and thus accessible anytime/anywhere provided there is an internet connection.
- Will the district provide devices for special needs?
- The district Information Technology department has worked directly with leadership in the Special Services department to plan and outfit special education programs with specific devices based on student needs. The Chromebook and iPad devices Allen ISD provides to students through the 1:1 program include usability and accessibility features to support learning accordingly.
- When will district devices be available for students for the school year 2023-2024?
- In short, at the beginning of the school year. The district has worked ahead to ensure all devices needed for the school year 2023-2024 are ready far in advance of the new school year. Campuses will communicate with parents the specifics of district device distribution in advance.
- Will CTE students use their own devices or school issued devices?
- In short, school issued devices. Allen ISD provides the technology and resources needed to effectively teach CTE courses in our classrooms.
- What happens if accidental damage to a school provided device occurs?
- For more information regarding insurance device options and the cost to replace district damaged devices click here.
- Will the district have exceptions and special allowances for students' network access for medical devices?
- Yes. Medical devices that have been connected in the past to the district network will continue to be provided with connectivity. For new requests, please contact the campus nurse.
- Will the students be able to connect their own devices to the district network?
- No.
- Will the guest network still be available to staff and students?
- The Guest network will continue to be available, however, the guest network is not intended for students use.
- Does Allen ISD have enough network bandwidth and density of WIFI to support the Empower 1:1 program with district provided devices?
- Yes.
Ereckson Middle School
Dewey O'Neill, 8th Grade Assistant Principal
Laurie Schaefer, 7th Grade Assistant Principal
Email: paul.harper@allenisd.org
Website: https://www.allenisd.org/o/ems
Location: 450 Tatum Drive, Allen, TX, United States
Phone: (972)747-3308
Twitter: @EMSHuskies