Cougar News
Week of April 17, 2023
Letter from Mr. Nelson
Cougar Nation-
After having two Fridays off in a row, I’ve also decided to phone in this Friday too. So, today’s newsletter is being brought to you by ChatGPT. I went to the free, Open AI site and simply typed “write a newsletter to middle school parents about preparing their students for a test. Make it funny.”
“Dear Parents,
We know that the mere mention of a test can cause a ripple of panic in both you and your child. But fear not, for we have some tips to help your middle schooler prepare for their upcoming test.
Firstly, it's important to create a study schedule. Your child should spend some time each day studying, but let's be honest, they'll probably end up procrastinating and watching cat videos on YouTube instead. Don't worry, we're all guilty of this.
Next, encourage your child to make study notes. However, if you see them scribbling the entire textbook onto a piece of paper, it's time for an intervention. A few concise notes are all that's needed.
Also, make sure your child is well-rested before the test. We understand that middle schoolers have a tendency to stay up late, but getting a good night's sleep is crucial. It's hard to focus when you're sleep-deprived and dreaming about unicorns.
Finally, remind your child to take breaks while studying. They can stretch, take a walk, or even dance to their favorite song. As long as they're not trying to perfect their Fortnite skills during their break, it's all good.
We hope these tips have helped you and your middle schooler prepare for their test. And remember, no matter how much they study, they'll still forget the answer to that one question they were sure they knew.
Sincerely,
The School Staff (who also have nightmares about tests)”
I hope you are as amazed as I am with how relevant and humorous (sorta) this is and take the opportunity to explore ChatGPT on your own. Many in education feel we should fear this advancement in artificial intelligence, but I say quite the contrary; we must embrace it! We’ve known for years that knowing where to find and navigate the information is more important than producing it, and this sci-fi-worthy phenomenon is just the tip of the AI iceberg which will be crashing into us all very soon.
A 20-gallon tank for “soup”: A couple of students approached me last week about a fundraising idea on campus to raise money for a new tank for their gecko, “soup.” They wanted to sell their art around the school to purchase a new 20-gallon reptile tank since soup had outgrown the old one. Well, school rules (boo) disallow this type of endeavor, so I told them that I would reach out to the masses (y’all) to see if anybody had one they wished to donate. So, if you have a 20-gallon tank you no longer need, please email me, and I will fill it full of soup.
BTW, here’s some of their art. Enjoy!
Splashfest Sponsor\Raffle donation
- Splashfest Sponsor Information
- Splashfest Raffle Amazon Wishlist Feel free to purchase an item from our wishlist and have it sent directly to Small. We will let you know when we receive it.
Splashfest is our end-of-year celebration/fundraiser where we turn the back of Small into a giant carnival, full of inflatable activities, games, food and much more! Kids can do wet, or dry activities and everyone has a blast! The money raised at this event goes directly to the departments that participate so all parts of Small are represented and get much needed funds to start the school year off right!
Save the Date May 12th
right afterschool until 6:30
More details to come!
Green Camp
STAAR Tests are coming
Chargers
Every chromebook comes with 1 charger. If your student loses that charge, you must purchase a new one. We do not have extra chargers in the office to loan or give out.
Click here to purchase or see what charger you need for the school chromebooks.
Click on image below to enlarge it.
AISD School Family Survey
Click here to Apply for Student Council for next year: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffk2_so_BTBpGz-9tmxfNsk9TzMbUkE2K9uw-lPY-3MWfCrw/viewform
Spring Break 2023
Small Middle School had the BEST time Spring Break 2023: Germany, Italy & Switzerland. Check out more photos on Instagram: @smallschool.bigworld
For more information on how you can be a part of next year's trip: Spring Break 2024: Italy & Greece, please contact sarah.dietz@austinisd.org
Volunteers:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C49A8A82FABFE3-csms
Concession Donations:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C49A8A82FABFE3-spring
Counseling Corner
Incoming 5th Grade Info
Choice Sheets: It is time to turn in your choice sheet for next year. Please go to our Counseling Choice Sheet Page. There you can learn more about what we offer, print a choice sheet and fill it out. Please turn it in asap to our front office. If you have any questions about the choice sheet, contact our counselors cynthia.diaz@austinisd.org, zahra.asadi@austinisd.org, brilina.pursche@austinisd.org
Registration:
Don't forget to register your student every year. Please visit https://small.austinschools.org/parents/registration to register your child(ren) for the 23-24 school year. You will be able to access step-by-step instructions to newly register your student or to confirm your family’s current information. Please remember that registering your child is essential for appropriate funding and staffing at our school. Feel free to contact our Family Support Line at 512-414-9187 or parenttechsupport@austinisd.org if you encounter any technical issues.
Note: Don’t worry if it says your home school and not Small. Go ahead and complete the registration, once the Transfers are completely processed, It will change to Small.
Band Instrument Selection: If your student plans to join our amazing band this year, please go to https://clintsmallmsband.weebly.com/beginning-band.html to sign up for a band instrument selection date.
Transition Events: We are offering some summer transition events to make sure your student is very comfortable coming to Small next year. Save the date...
- Cougar Camp: (Kids only) July 31st & August 1, 2023 This is a 2 day, 1/2 day camp
- Scavenger Hunt: (Parents and Kids) August 3rd, 2023 11 - 1 PM
- Parent Camp: (zoom) August 3rd, 6 to 7:30 pm - Sign-ups TBD
Communication Tools: You can get lots of information in the following places.
- This newsletter ;) - If you want to get it in your in box every week, Click here
- Our Website - Keep an eye on the Calendar and take a look at our FAQ for incoming families. It needs a little updating, but there is a lot of good info there.
- Parents of Small Facebook - Join here, Ask questions and get answers from other families from Small.
Before/After School:
- Carpool - If you would like to find others in your neighborhood that go to Small, sign up for carpool
- Cougar Club - If you would like to have your student supervised after school, Join Cougar Club here.
Austin Community College Summer Camp - FREE
We are excited to announce that we are providing our AISD Middle School Students with the opportunity to attend a FREE all day (Monday thru Friday ) summer camp during June 2023, sponsored by Austin Community College. Please share while space is available!!!!! See links below for online application, in English and Spanish. Students may choose 1, 2 or all 3 camps.
There will be (3) choices for our AISD Middle School Students to choose from, which include:
- Health Sciences - June 12 - 16, 2023, at ACC Eastview Campus, 3401 Webberview Road, Austin, TX
- Advanced Manufacturing - June 20 - 23, 2023, at ACC Highland Campus, 6101 Highland Campus Dr, Austin, TX (*note: 6/19 is a holiday - camp will be closed on this day)
- Information Technology - June 26 - 30, 2023, at ACC Highland Campus, 6101 Highland Campus Dr, Austin, TX
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057380592586
We're returning July 10-14, 2023 and Applications are out! Use the QR code on the flyer to apply today for Camp NAWIC 2023. We will be accepting 24 first year campers and 16 returning campers. Applicants will receive notice of acceptance or waitlist status by the end of April. Apply today!
All Bowie Camps
Baseball Camp
June 6-8, 2023
9:00-12:00
$175
Boy’s Basketball Camp
June 19-23, 2023
9:00-4:00 Daily
Ages: Incoming 3rd-9th graders
Price: $200
Lunch is offered for $10 Day
Link to sign up: https://forms.gle/AnUxBwUydcvffg3Y9
Cheer Camp
July 10-13, 2023
7:30-4:30
$250
Cross Country Camp
Mon-Thurs, June 5-July 31, 2023
7:00-10:00
$100
Football Camp
July 24-26, 2023
8:00-12:30
$150
Silver Star Dance Camp
June 12-15, 2023
8:00-5:00
$130 half-day / $220 full day
Softball Camp
June 5-8, 2023
9:00-12:00 or 9:00-3:00
$135 half-day / $185 full day
Order a yearbook online!
Our yearbook is a full color celebration of everything that makes Small special; it's a great fun way to preserve all your student's fond memories of Small. The price is now $40. Get your yearbook today!
Click here for the easy link: https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/2369067/Small-Middle-School/2023-Yearbook/2022092615150740089/CATALOG_SHOP/
If you have any yearbook questions, please email Mr. Shoptaw at thomas.shoptaw@austinisd.org.
Clint Small Middle School
Email: jennifer.newell@austinisd.org
Website: https://small.austinschools.org/
Location: 4801 Monterey Oaks Boulevard, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-841-6700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057069836221