Bear Bulletin
March 28, 2021
Reminder: Friday, April 2nd is a Student/Staff Holiday!
Topics Included in this Newsletter
- Note from Mrs. Spencer
- SBISD Communications Survey Request
- 8th Grade Practice STAAR Information for March 30th and 31st
- Reminder for 7th and 8th Grade Parents to Check Course Verification Sheets
- SBMS Yearbook Update!
- Safety Information and Expectations for SBMS Students and Families
Message from Mrs. Spencer
Hello, SBMS Bears,
Thanks for a great start to the fourth nine weeks. Our first attempt at online practice STAAR went really well and it was great to have more kids back on campus. We are at a little over 82% of SBMS Bears back on campus. Let's keep working towards the finish line, Bears, and continue to have a great school year.
- Scores for Math and Reading Practice STAAR should be posted in Skyward as a non-grade in the next few weeks. We know you are interested in viewing the scores as parents, so this enables you to see them. We have scanned the data and teachers are using planning days to study the scores and make plans to support students in the next week or two.
- 8th Grade Science and Social Studies Practice STAAR: On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, we are holding practice STAARs for Science and Social Studies for 8th Graders, in that order. These exams are important as they tell us who needs more assistance to prepare for the real exams and where we stand. Please talk to your Bear or Bears about the importance of doing their best for themselves and for SBMS. Additionally, all students need to bring their fully charged chromebooks and charger. Please help your students remember to charge each evening and to pack their charger in their backpack. If they have Apple watches, they may want to leave them at home as all electronics will need to be stowed in backpacks during the test, rather than worn on their wrists. Tests occur from 8:40 a.m.-1: 34 p.m. each day. Our exams are denoted on our public Google calendar, if that is helpful in planning: Click Here for Public SBMS Calendar.
- Current 6th and 7th Grade Parents were sent an email by our 6th Grade Counselor, Stephanie Mikulecky (pronounced, Mikaleski), asking them to review their Course Verification Sheets in preparation for next school year. See the article below for directions if you missed the email.
See you Monday, Bears!
Stefanie Spencer, Principal
SBISD Communications Survey Request
Spring Branch ISD wants to make sure our communications are the best they can be.
We need your thoughts and feedback on the effectiveness of communications in our district.
- Are you getting the information you want and need?
- What are your most reliable sources of information?
- How do you best like to receive district and school news?
- Do you feel your voice is heard?
- Do you have sufficient opportunities to engage?
- How can we improve?
Click here and share your opinions and help us evaluate the effectiveness of SBISD communications.
8th Grade Practice Science & Social Studies STAAR This Week!
As stated in the introduction to this newsletter, 8th grade practice Science and Social Studies STAAR are being hosted this week. Please note the following:
- Tests are online this year to practice for future STAAR testing. Students will answer in the program and bubble their answers on their scantron so we can collect our own data.
- All students need to bring a fully charged Chromebook and their charger each day, please.
- Remote students have been invited, but we understand this is a personal decision. We would love to include your child so we can denote their academic progress.
- Lunch will be held in testing classrooms. Students may bring their lunches or get one from the cafeteria. Students will be given the opportunity to go to the cafeteria and return to the classroom. NO deliveries will be accepted per the LearnSBISD plan.
- Testing will occur from 8:40 a.m. to 1:34 p.m. Please do not pick students up early on either day. Future testing dates are already on the google calendar we post for SBMS Families. Please refer to it when making appointments.
Course Verification Sheets for Rising 7th & 8th Graders for '21-'22
As a final step in the course selection process for next year’s classes, you have the opportunity to verify the courses that were selected and are in Skyward. Here are the steps to verify next year’s selections:
1) Log into Skyward Student OR Family Access
2) Click on PORTFOLIO from the left side list
3) Click on 2021-2022 COURSE VERIFICATION- This will prompt you to open a document.
4) View courses.
5) Everything okay?- Nothing more is needed from you!
6) Something missing or wrong? You have two options:
- Print the document, write the changes you have in red ink and submit it to your Grade Level Counselor via email or drop off. Course Selection Sheets are attached if needed.
OR
- Email your Grade Level Counselor to submit changes.
- Grade 7: Stephanie Mikulecky stephanie.mikulecky@springbranchisd.com
- Grade 8: Marco Garcia marco.garcia@springbranchisd.com
The Spring Branch Middle School Yearbook Is Complete!
The yearbook is officially COMPLETE!! THANK YOU to every parent, student, and teacher who contributed photos. We are so grateful for your help and truly could not have done it without you.
In honor of the yearbook being finished, the yearbook staff wanted to reveal our 20/21 cover. We are so excited for you to see all of our hard work! Distribution is currently planned for mid-May.
There are only 65 books left for sale so make sure to buy yours TODAY at Tinyurl.com/sbmsyearbook
Email sara.boyle@springbranchisd.com with any questions you may have. Thank you!!
LearnSBISD Safety Reminders for SBMS Bears
As always, here are a few reminders in the hopes of keeping everyone healthy, safe, in school and a focus on student learning is maintained at SBMS:
- Report of Exposure: Please report any direct, prolonged exposure your child has had with family members or friends who have been recently diagnosed. This will help Ms. Mulvey determine next steps and lessen the spread of COVID-19. You may do so by calling 713-251-4400 or emailing Ms. Mulvey at mercedes.mulvey@springbranchisd.com.
- SBISD Health Screener: Within every edition of this newsletter every Sunday is a reminder to complete the SBISD Health Screener. Please help us keep everyone healthy, well and in school by completing that screener and refraining from sending any child to school who is demonstrating those symptoms or has exposure to someone who the family believes needs to be COVID tested. If you are unsure whether or not your child should report to school, please reach out to me, Mr. Barry, and Ms. Mulvey and we can try to help you.
- Bringing Items to SBMS: SBMS will only allow the drop off of the following: chromebooks, assignments, books for Language Arts or medicine for the school nurse. Unfortunately, we are seeing too many families dropping off items to the front office that are unrelated to these things. The LearnSBISD plan indicates no drop off of items should be occurring and that visitors to the campus are restricted. As we watch numbers of parents dropping off items to our office and numbers of COVID cases tick upwards, we are tightening up our practices to make clearer what is of necessity and what is not. To ensure that your child has a back up plan for lunch, please visit SBISD Child Nutrition and put money on their account so they can purchase a lunch: https://www.springbranchisd.com/about/departments/finance/child-nutrition-services/payments-and-refunds.
- Health and Safety Reminder: One of the many unfortunate issues related to COVID-19 is that the signs and symptoms for COVID-19 can mirror other illnesses. Our LearnSBISD plan requires parents to complete a Health Screener for their students each morning and indicates that students must not report to school with symptoms delineated within that screener to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19. When a child visits with Ms. Mulvey, our SBMS Nurse, and presents symptoms that could be related to COVID-19 she must follow a protocol that involves presenting the symptoms and context for the child (duration of symptoms, if a parent has tested positive or exposure to someone else has occurred) to the SBISD Intake Nurse and then work with the family to send the child home for a period of time. We fully recognize how stressful the "here and now" is for all families, but ask that your interactions with our nurse are kind and patient. We are happy to ask questions on your behalf and answer any questions you may have, but please know the health and safety of all students, their families and our staff are at the forefront of all that we do at SBMS. This is a very difficult year to serve as a school nurse and we are so grateful that Ms. Mulvey chose this as her life's work.
- SBISD Mask Policy: SBISD requires all school-aged students and staff to wear masks covering their noses and mouths all of the school day, except for when eating or drinking. Gaiters are allowed, but please be sure that students are able to wear them consistently and cover both their noses and mouths. Some students are having to hold their necks forward to keep their gaiters up and over their noses and mouths, so parents may wish to ask their children to wear masks if they prove easier and more comfortable for your child in that regard. Students not consistent in wearing their mask over their noses and mouths may face disciplinary consequences up to and including changing their learning model.
SBISD Health Screener for In-Person Learners
Prior to the start of the school year, all families completed the SBISD Health & Safety Protocol Parent Acknowledgement Form. Included in these protocols is ensuring that every child coming to campus has a completed SBISD Health Screener every morning.
As a reminder, the health screener can be accessed via the district website (there is a blue box on the homepage titled ‘HEALTH SCREENER’ or by clicking here.) High school students may complete their own screener, but not those of their siblings.
Parents, it is critical that you report to your child's school if your child has tested positive for COVID-19, has had prolonged (15 or more minutes) direct exposure to someone who is COVID-19 positive, or is displaying symptoms of COVID-19. Please do not send your child to school. Please do complete the health screener and report to your school attendance office or nurse immediately. Please be sure to provide your contact information including a daytime telephone number where you can be reached.
View this video to see how to turn the screener into an icon (like an app) on your phone or tablet home screen for easier access: