Email Archive
Email Archive
September
Sent: Sept. 29
Subject: KLMS: Survey Summary so far
I asked for some feedback and I really appreciate all of the thoughtful answers! I wanted to share a quick summary with you and reinforce that the Leadership Team and I will be looking over the details to see where we can make adjustments to help! The communication piece is definitely a big thing - please know we hear you and often have the same concerns. In the spirit of full disclosure, this summary was created using AI:
What’s Going Well
- Many parents said communication and support have been good.
- Families value teachers who send regular updates.
- Overall, parents are happy with the school experience.
Where We Can Improve
- Simplify communication: Parents would like fewer platforms to check and more consistent updates. A weekly or biweekly email with grades, homework, and events would be helpful.
- Academic information: Families want clearer details on homework, test dates, tutoring schedules, and course expectations—especially in advanced classes.
- Events & activities: Parents asked for earlier notice and clearer communication about school events, picture days, sports, and clubs. (a quick note about this... we figured out a way to get events loaded onto the KLMS Website calendar. Last year we didn't use it, but this year you will see more information there and that may help with special events. Also, in-season sport schedules have been loaded in the Athletics pages of the website).
- Student support: Suggestions included help with organization/study skills, clearer discipline follow-up, more recess/outdoor time, and support during academic transitions.
- Other items: A few parents mentioned bus delays, lunch quality, and interest in understanding safety procedures.
Takeaway
Parents are proud of KLMS and feel supported. The main request is to make communication simpler, clearer, and more consistent so families can stay connected to both academics and school life.
Sent: Sept. 26
Subject: KLMS: Presentation via Google Meets 9/30
Thank you to those of you that have completed the parent survey. We've received some great feedback and have started looking at ways we can address some of the concerns. One big theme is the various ways to receive communication can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate. If you have not completed the survey yet, we are still taking feedback! We would like answers for #1-4 from everyone, even if there is no specific feedback for #5-7. Link to survey.
One of the State requirements is for each campus to present their accountability ratings in a public meeting. This year I am trying a new format and time. Next Tuesday, Sept. 30th at 11:00AM (via Google Meets online) I will giving a presentation about the ratings we received and our goals from the Campus Improvement Plan. Link for the meeting. If you need information to dial into the meeting, please let me know and I can get the additional information for you.
One topic I will add to the meeting next is the SB 12 requirements. These are the forms that you were asked to complete in Skyward. I can offer a little more context about what they are, why we have them 6 weeks into the year, and what happens without the consent. These will not be sent via paper and must be completed on a computer (Skyward forms don't work on phones). I don't have answers to everything, but I can at least give some basic information!
Thank you for the continued partnership.
Sent: Sept 24
Subject: KLMS: Quick Survey
You are receiving this because your are a parent/guardian of a at least one student at KLMS. Traditionally, satisfaction surveys are sent at the end of the year but I want to try something different. This linked Google Form (25-26 KLMS Parent Survey) is a quick way for me to gather information on how things are going so we can make an needed adjustments NOW instead of next year.
The questions are:
- How many students do you have at KLMS?
- Is this your first year as a KLMS parent?
- How do you get information about KLMS?
- How many teachers were you able to meet at "Meet the Teacher" before school started?
- What is going well?
- What are some things you need more information about?
- Is there someone that has been especially helpful this year?
Even if you have nothing to add for questions #5-7, I would appreciate responses for #1-4. We want to make sure parents are receiving communication and understand the preferred/effective ways to get information about KLMS - events, expectations, changes, etc.
Thank you for your help and partnership!
Sent: Sept. 16
Subject: KLMS Updates
Knights, We hope these first 6 weeks have gone well and your year is off to a great start! Here are a couple of important things:
- Friday is Picture Day!! This is the official picture day for the Yearbook - we will have retakes later in the fall for absent students or actual retakes. To order online, go to: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001290908 to view products. If the link does not work, you can go to Photo Texas Photography, click school portraits, then click “Fall 2025 preorders”. Then search for “Kelly Lane MS (Pflugerville ISD) Fall 2025”. Your student can also get an order form from room 318 if you would prefer to send the form with your student on the day or pictures.
- Dress Code - We are seeing more students wearing shorter tops that expose the midriff. Please help us to ensure that the tops are long enough, or the bottom are high enough, that the bare skin between the top and bottom is not visible.
- Peanut Butter War update - the 6th grade is in the lead as of Tuesday, the 16th. Congrats 6th grade!
- Mad City Money time again! We are hosting Mad City Money, a financial simulation provided in conjunction with A+ FCU, for the 7th graders. Here is a video link that explains the event - this is a video that was actually made several years ago at KLMS. We need parent volunteers to help be merchants and with students. All parents are welcome; the event will be October 8th from 8-11. Please email Kristi Henderson at Kristi.Henderson@pfisd.net if you are interested in volunteering.
- We are now in the final phase, of the new cell phone law. The biggest change is that there are no verbal reminders before a phone is confiscated, and phones can no longer be returned directly to the students. More information can be found on the PfISD website (link), but here are some highlights:
- Consequences:
- 1st Offense - Device confiscated and returned only to a parent/guardian
- 2nd Offense - Confiscation plus lunch detention
- 3rd Offense - Confiscation plus 1/2 of ISS and a parent meeting
- Chronic Violations - Full-day ISS, behavior plan, or temporary ban of the device on campus
- Devices included (but not limited to, see website for list):
- Personal cell phones
- Tablets
- Gaming devices
- Smart watches
- Fitness trackers that can send or receive messages
- Personal computers not being used for instructional purposes
- Any other device capable of digital communication.
- Consequences:
Thank you for your continued support and partnership!
Sent: Sept. 11
Subject: KLMS: Peanut Butter Wars for a Good Cause
The KLMS Cheerleaders have partnered with the Cheesecake Factory to help with their annual "Peanut Butter Drive" for National Hunger Action Month. This will be a grade level competition for collecting the most peanut butter - including soy, sunflower, and almond butter alternatives (determined by weight, not number of containers) with a prize for the winning class. We will be collecting the week of September 15-19. Our goal is to collect 1000 pounds of peanut butter next week! All donations will go to the Central Texas Food Bank, which serves Austin and its surrounding areas, including our own community! To donate, students will bring their contribution to the cheerleaders in their grade level hallway (near upper cross hall) every morning.
Let's feed the community!
Sent: Sept. 5
Subject: KLMS: Guidance Lessons with Counselors - Action Requested
Our counselors have traditionally done guidance lessons during class for their students. Sample guidance lesson topics are learning to use Skyward, middle school 101, checking grades, character lessons on friendship/kindness, navigating School Links, and high school and career planning. Generally, they will pair up with one group of teachers, such as social studies, and deliver lessons in a small group format through the teachers schedules until all students have received the lesson (usually 2-3 days). Each grade does them slightly different so they are tailored to needs and developmental age of students.
The new State law requires that you, as parents/guardians, have the option to opt out of the lessons for your student. If you are fine with your student remaining in the lesson, no action is needed. If you would like to opt your student out of the lessons, please reach out to your students counselor:
- 6th grade: Sandra Sebesta (sandra.sebesta@pfisd.net)
- 7th grade: Desi Sauceda (desiree.sauceda@pfisd.net)
- 8th grade: Erika Gonzalez (erika.gonzalez@pfisd.net)
The 7th grade will start with lessons next week to cover Skyward, Google Classroom, Canvas, email, and counseling group options. Before a student can participate in a counseling group, a parent must give permission (so being present for the introduction does not meet a student will be in the group).
Thank you for your attention to the matter - any questions should be directed to the counselor for your student.
Sent: Sept 4
Subject: KLMS 6th Grade Dance
6th Grade Knights!
Tomorrow night is the 6th grade dance! The theme is a luau party so students are encouraged to be school-appropriate beach themed clothing (no swimsuits) or regular casual clothing.
Tickets will still be on sale tomorrow (Friday) during lunch and are $3.00 (cash only please). Tickets will be on sale at the door Friday night for $5.00. When students purchase their ticket, they receive a red wrist band that can be wore in the shower. This serves as their ticket.
There will be a cash-only concessions available for students with candy, drinks, and luau souvenirs.
Please drop off students in the front of the school, doors will open at 6:00 PM. Students must wear their IDs and show their wrist band for entry. Students needed to have their identification verified by a teacher/administrator or those needing to purchase a ticket will go to the PTO table.
Pick up is also in the front of the school at 7:30 PM.
We hope they are enjoying the year so far and are excited to see them tomorrow night!
August
Aug 28
KLMS: Safety Request
I have received a few communications lately - including parents, transportation employees, and police - that not all students are demonstrating safe behaviors while heading to/from school.
Please reinforce with your students - especially if they are walkers/bike riders - that they should:
- Stop at street crossings/intersections and verify it is safe to cross. Suggest they make eye contact with drivers whenever possible to verify it is safe.
- Refrain from looking at their phones while crossing the street.
- Cross the streets at cross walks, not running across the street. Several times they have darted from between parked cars and are not visible to drivers until they are already in the road way. Please help them by not encouraging them to run across the street in this manner.
Our top priority is that students arrive to school and return home in a safe manner. Your assistance in assuring their safety is critical.
Aug 27
KLMS: Campus Academic Advisory Committee (CAAC)
It is time to form our Campus Academic Advisory Committee for KLMS (the CAAC). We are looking for teachers, parents, community members, and business representatives to join us for five meetings this school year. The primary function of the CAAC is to review the Campus Improvement Plan, monitor the implementation of the CIP by reviewing formative evaluations, approve the budget (Spring), approve Professional Development (Spring), and engage in conversations about the needs of the campus.
The meetings are held in the KLMS Library from 6:00 pm - 7:00pm. While attendance is desired, you can still join the committee if you are unavailable for a meeting or two. Members will be randomly assigned a 1, 2, or 3 year term; but members can resign their position on the committee if needed or their membership status changes. Please complete the Google Form by Friday, September 5th if you are interested. The meeting dates are:
Sept. 23
Nov. 18
Jan. 20
Mar. 31
May 13
Aug 26
KLMS Schedule of Classes
We are excited that so many students have joined the Knight Family! At this time, we have almost 60 students more than we planned for in the master schedule and many of your students are in classes that are beyond our intended class size. In fact, nearly 50% of the sections in all of our core classes over the limit.
In an effort to balance schedules, which we believe will create better learning environments for all students, we need to make structural changes to when classes are offered. While the largest impacts will be felt in the grades/subjects listed below, please know that other classes may have to change to make all of this happen.
- 6th grade ELA, Math, and Science
- 7th grade Science and Math
- 8th grade ELA
As we change schedules, we will prioritize keeping as many schedules in tact as possible and then keeping the same teachers. The IPR ends this Friday, so schedule changes will take effect Tuesday, September 2nd. Students who will be receiving a schedule change will receive a new schedule from their counselor.
We apologize for the disruption. We understand the anxiety that this might cause and students are already attached to their schedules. Please know we would not make these changes if we did not believe it was in everyone's collective best interest.
Aug 26
KLMS: Parent Information Sessions to be Rescheduled
We apologize for the inconvenience, but the parent information sessions originally planned for tomorrow, August 27th, will need to be rescheduled. More information will be sent when a new date is determined.
Aug 22
KLMS Clubs
We are excited that students are selecting their clubs - they start Friday next week during Catapult! Almost 80% of the students have made their selection.
If a student has selected a club, they should have an email to their PfISD student account with their selection and their choice should appear on the list that was posted in the Google Classroom.
Parents/Guardians - ask students about their selection. They select one club for the fall semester and we will repeat this process for their spring selections at the end of the semester.
Students must log in through their PfISD email in order to select a club. Your student can make a selection at home if they can access their PfISD Google Account. The sign-up link is posted in their Google Classroom but can also be accessed by clicking this link (in case they can't get into the Google Classroom). Once the selection is made they should receive an email confirmation; once it is approved it will appear on the list next to their name. If a club name does not appear, that means the club is full and additional students cannot be added.
We hope you have a great weekend!
Aug 18
Updates from KLMS (in case School Status didn't work)
We hope you had a relaxing first weekend of the school year… or were at least able to catch your breath, that first week always seems so tiring.
School Status emails - parent accounts have not yet been created. If I did this correctly, this is being sent “public” and you should be able to see the entire email. Once you have an account, messages can be sent directly to classes, etc. The previous email I sent before school was adjusted and you should be able to see that email in its entirety.
Bus Riders - we are gathering more information about the StopFinder app which allows you to track the buses. We will send more information ASAP. Today, the last bus was late; however, it left KLMS about 4:00 which is significantly better than last week. The buses are starting to run more timely so hopefully no more late runs.
Student IDs - all students should have their ID at this time. If they missed going with their class, they should talk to their teacher about going to have their ID picture taken (Social Studies or Catapult teacher). Students will need to start getting temporary IDs on Wednesday if they do not have their IDs. Students are allowed to customize/change the lanyard.
Lockers - 6th graders got their lockers today and they did an amazing job! By mid-week, all students will have their locker, we will provide the lock and students are responsible for keeping their lock on their locker and locked at all times. This will make their lockers a secure place for personal items.
Our first IPR is coming up next week. IPR is Interim Progress Report - they will be available in Skyward by September 5th (maybe earlier). This IPR does not have any impact on UIL eligibility but may give you some clues about whether your student is on track with turning in assignments and preparing for class.
Clubs - by mid-week, students will be asked to sign up for a club. All students will select a club as they happen during the school (Fridays during Catapult). We aim to start clubs on Friday, Aug. 29th.
We hope you have had a relatively smooth start to the school year and look forward to an exciting year together in partnership.
Aug 15
KLMS Bus Routes
This email is primarily for parents and students that are utilizing district bus transportation. We know this week has been rough, it is not entirely surprising for the first week of school.
We have been informed that the ongoing construction impacting some routes is scheduled to be completed Aug. 18th so transportation is expecting things to ease next week.
We are working on the three routes that have been the latest the last two days - 1019, 1012, 1002 with some delays for 1031. The route supervisors have been on campus and are dedicated to resolving any issues causing delays.
We appreciate your patience as the systems get established. We received over 50 students more than we were expecting - so those last minute adjustments are unavoidable and necessary.
Aug 13
KLMS: Great First Day
We had a great first day!!! I learned today that the School Status email I sent yesterday might not have been readable by parents. Here is a copy of what I sent yesterday (with information no longer needed removed):
Are you ready??? Tomorrow is the first day of a great school year ~ it was wonderful to see so many new and familiar faces last night, we hope you are as energized as we are! Our goal is to help make the transition back to school as smooth as possible. Here is some helpful information:
Do you need bus route information? Here is the route finder (Bus Route information) to locate your bus number, stop, and times. Please expect some delays on the first day as the buses run their elementary routes before the middle school routes. There are some changes to know about: Bus numbers are now 4 digit numbers located to the left of the front door of the bus. The new system allows for buses to consistently communicate their route number without paper signs or changing locations. Do not reference the painted numbers that are located on the bumpers/sides of the buses because these are internal numbers and not used for bus routes.
You may have noticed the temperature changes at KLMS if you were here last night [Open House]. We are excited that we got a new HVAC system, but please know they are still calibrating over 90 units! If you have a student that gets cold easily, they may want to bring a sweatshirt for a classroom that is colder. We have been told to expect some temperature swings with calibration and weather changes.
The linked document, KLMS 101, is a guide for the main systems of Kelly Lane. There is information about: staying informed, attending events, getting help, understanding the schedule, class change requests, and report cards and skyward.
Dress code and materials: Students should arrive in dress code, if you are unfamiliar with the dress code, please visit the PfISD page link.
Students will need to turn off their telecommunication devices at 8:15 and store them in their backpacks for the remainder of the day. If you need to have a message delivered to your student, please use this Google Form link. The picture at the end of this email shows you what the message will look like. Please call the front office if the situation is time sensitive or it is after 2:30 as we cannot guarantee immediate delivery of notes.
Students are allowed to carry their backpacks throughout the day until lockers are issued.
Please be mindful that we will have more traffic that usual at the start of school. We are asking for extra patience at the cross walk and do not block intersections. Hopefully all of this information will help you successful navigate coming back to school. We are so excited to see everyone!
Aug 8
KLMS: Schedule Change Requests
We are super excited to see everyone soon! I know that several people have seen their schedules in Skyward. Please know that schedule changes are still be made and this is not necessarily your final schedule.
Any requests for changes might not be honored at this time, as we are placing a priority on new students that need to have a schedule. When those are complete, we can try to address requests for changes. If the change request is due to a missing class, we will address those immediately. Our goal is to make sure that all students will be able to pick up a schedule Monday night at Meet the Teacher.
Please be patient with our counselors as they work to meet everyone's needs!
Aug 6
KLMS August 11 Updates
We are excited to welcome everyone back to school next week! We have two big events on Monday, August 11th.
6th Grade Camp is for incoming 6th grade students - it will be at KLMS from 9-12. This is a PTO sponsored event and the registration fee serves as the major fundraiser for PTO. Here are some things to know about 6th grade camp:
- Students will start at the KLMS gym where they will get a schedule for the morning; this will simulate what Wednesday morning will look for them.
- They will follow a schedule designed to help transition them to middle school.
- They will end in the cafeteria at noon.
- Parents are welcome to stay and go to the cafeteria for a KLMS 101 presentation. We have done similar presentations in the past- this is best suited for parents new to KLMS or new to middle school in general. We will start at 9:15 in the cafeteria but won't be there longer than one hour.
- Click here to register. Click here for more information.
Meet the Teacher is at KLMS from 5:00-7:00 for all parents and students. This is an opportunity to meet teachers and see the school; students will receive their schedule but please know that changes might be made before the first day of school.
- 6th grade students/parents - pick up your schedule in the gym at the designated tables (tables are divided by last name).
- 7th & 8th grade students/parents - pick up your schedule in your 1st period class. We will have posters on the walls with the locations and we will post it in their Google classroom (same one from last year) on the afternoon of the 11th.
- Any 7th grader still needing immunizations will receive their schedule that evening, along with a notice that immunization records are still needed. Any 7th grade student without updated records by Wednesday morning will not be allowed to attend classes.
We look forward to seeing everyone!
Aug 5
KLMS Incoming Athletes
If your student is planning to be part of the Athletics program this year, please plan to attend a parent meeting on Thursday, August 7th at 5:30pm in the KLMS cafeteria. We apologize for the later notice; summer notifications can be tricky!