Jag E-News
Week 35: May 2-6
Hey Jags,
Last week was a full and fun week! It was a special treat for our staff to have Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck on campus Wednesday morning. We sure felt the love from all the parents that donated a cup of coffee. Thank you! This week is officially Teacher Appreciation Week and we hope that you will help us recognize and celebrate all of our teachers for the work they do with our students every day. I encourage you to write a quick email or note to your child's teachers this week. We definitely have the best teachers at Sartartia Middle School!
We also had the opportunity to induct over 130 students into our National Junior Honor Society on Thursday evening and we are looking forward to their continued commitment to academic excellence and leadership as they move into 8th grade next year. We wrapped up the week with our 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Field Day that was filled with fun activities, laughter, learning, and some competition too.Thank you to all of the parents and staff that made it a memorable day for our students.
This week we will have our 6th and 7th Grade Award Ceremonies and we begin STAAR testing. We are also recognizing Asian Pacific American Heritage Month throughout the month of May! Did you know that there are more than 20 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in America and they are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States? This month, SMS will join the district in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success.
Please be sure to read this newsletter for important updates on:
- End of Semester Schedule (begins May 23rd)
- Library & Textbook Due Dates
- Mental Health Awareness Month
- 2022-23 School Supply Orders
- Whole Child Health Parent Webinars
- STAAR Updates & Reminders
Sincerely,
Cholly Oglesby
Principal
Sartartia Middle School
WEEK AT A GLANCE
Monday, May 2nd
Principal Appreciation Day
6th Grade Award Ceremony 3:00pm (SMS Gym)
Girls Soccer vs. Fort Settlement @ SMS 5:00pm
Boys Soccer vs. Fort Settlement @ Clements HS 5:00pm
Tuesday, May 3rd
7th Grade Award Ceremony 10:00am (SMS Gym)
8th Grade Panoramic Pictures Sold @ Lunch
NJHS Parent Meeting 5:00pm (SMS Library)
Wednesday, May 4th
Algebra EOC
Spring GT Parent Meeting 6:00pm (SMS Library)
Thursday, May 5th
STAAR: 8th Grade Science
Friday, May 6th
STAAR: 8th Grade Social Studies
Last Day to Buy Ticket for 8th Grade Celebration
SAVE THE DATE
- May 10th: 8th Grade Awards 6:00pm
- May 11th: National School Nurse Day
- May 11th: Parent Webinar: "Vaping & E-cigarettes-What Parents Need To Know"
- May 18th: Parent Webinar:"Mental Health is For Everyone: Cultural Considerations"
- May 18th: All Library Books & Textbooks DUE
- May 20th: 8th Grade Celebration 6:00-9:00pm
- May 23rd: End of Semester Schedule Begins
- August 2nd: 6th Grade Jag Camp
- August 3rd: 7th & 8th Grade Jag Camp
STAAR Testing Dates
JAGUAR SPOTLIGHT
National History Day
Please congratulate the following students that competed and placed at the Texas History Day competition that was held in Austin, Texas. Several students will move on to the National History Day competition, to be held virtually June 12 – June 18, 2022. We are so proud of the hard work and dedication from all these students.
Eric Zang (7th Grade)
Debate and Diplomacy During the Louisiana Purchase: How the Monumental Agreement Came to Be
Category: Paper
Eva Rami (8th Grade)
Angela Davis: A Representative of Herself
Category: Individual Performance
Reena Dharia (8th Grade)
"Lifting As We Climb"
Category: Individual Exhibit
Kevin Li (8th Grade)
A Broken Peace - The Treaty of Versailles
Category: Individual Exhibit
Hannah Wang, Kavya Shah, Keya Shah (8th Grade)
The Rise and Fall of the 18th Amendment
Category: Group Exhibit
Vidya Ganesh (8th Grade)
The Yalta Conference
Individual Website
Kickstart State Competition
EVENTS & UPDATES
STAAR Updates & Reminders
Test Day Reminders
- It is very important for all students taking a STAAR assessment to be on time (at or before 8:40 am).
- Please allow extra travel time on these mornings due to more traffic on campus and to assist students in being relaxed and feeling confident for testing.
- Students will be provided up to 4 hours to complete the STAAR assessment.
- Students should come to school well-rested, having eaten a nutritious breakfast and be calm for testing. A full night’s sleep of 8 to 10 hours is optimal for students.
Lunch and Snacks
- All students who are taking a STAAR/EOC assessment will be eating lunch at 1:05pm on testing days.
- Lunches cannot be delivered to students during the testing day. Please plan ahead and be prepared to send lunch with your child.
- Students are encouraged to bring a healthy snack. Please be mindful that the snack is not wet, sticky, or will leave any residue on the laptop.
- Students may also bring a bottle of water to drink during testing.
Online Testing
- Students will be testing online this year and to help students become familiar with the platform, there are practice tests available at www.texasassessment.gov.
If you have any questions related to the SMS STAAR Assessment plan, please contact our Campus Assessment Coordinator, Madeline Brady, madeline.brady@fortbendisd.com
We appreciate all of the flexibility and support that you, as parents, have given to our campus during this very challenging school year. Thank you for your partnership.
Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The purpose of Mental Health Awareness Month is to reduce the stigma around mental health and to create awareness of the different components of mental wellness. As part of this month, each Monday in May (Mental Health Mondays), we’ll be sharing some brief thoughts about mental health and wellness that we hope you find useful. If you would like to talk more about any of the topics, please visit your school counselor.
Whole Child Health Webinars
- "Vaping & E-cigarettes-What Parents Need To Know" on Wednesday, May 11 at 6 p.m. In collaboration with Crime Stoppers and FBISD's Safe & Drug Free Specialists, this session will focus on what vaping and e-cigarettes are, the effects of their use, why it's illegal and the warning signs that your child may be vaping or using e-cigarettes. (Zoom Link)
- "Mental Health is For Everyone: Cultural Considerations" will be on Wednesday, May 18 at 6 p.m. During this session, FBISD's mental health counselors will focus on identifying, recognizing, understanding, and embracing cultural differences in mental health and how it is manifested. (Zoom Link)
Spring Gifted & Talented Parent Meeting
Whether you are new to the program or are a parent returning GT student, we would like to share with you information about the services we offer our gifted students in FBISD.
There will be a meeting in the Sartartia Library on May 4 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm to present our program offerings, and service options such as the GT Learning Plan and Texas Performance Based Project for our GT students. You will also get to meet the campus staff who are coordinating these programs for our gifted students.
Textbook Returns
Author Visit: Kelly Milner Halls
Author Kelly Milner Halls is an author of nonfiction for young readers and has written dozens of books such as Death Eaters: meet nature’s scavengers, and Voices of Young Heroes: a World War II book for kids. Kelly will be speaking with our 6th graders virtually on Tuesday, May 3rd during ELA classes. We are very excited to learn about her newest book The Mystery of the Titanic: A historical investigation for kids. Kelly’s website is www.wondersofweird.com.
Tardy Sweeps
2022-23 School Supplies
We are excited to offer Yubbler’s school supplies program which will help the school and make it a breeze for parents to get school supplies for next year. Yubbler.com is making our supply lists available for online purchasing at discounted prices. The best part is that Yubbler will donate 50% of the profits back to the school.
Register for a coupon code:
- Click on https://www.yubbler.com/school/sartartia-middle?couponreg=true
- The coupon code will be sent to your email! Copy and paste it in at checkout.
- Discount schedule (applies to core items only):
May orders: 15% off core items
June orders: 10% off core items
July orders: 5% off core items
What you need to do:
- Find the supply list for your child’s grade by going to this link
- Click on the purchase button (“Add Full List”) then enter your shipping and billing information1
- You can customize your cart in checkout by removing or adding items
- You’re done!
How it works:
- Supplies are shipped “Next Day” to your home.
- One click and you’re done. It’s that simple!
When:
There is no deadline to purchase supplies. However, we recommend purchasing supplies early to ensure your student has supplies for the 1st day of school.
Please email orders@yubbler.com for any questions or concerns regarding your order. If possible, please include your order number which can be found in your confirmation email.
*All transactions are processed by PayPal’s BrainTree secure online payment service*
UPDATE: 8th Grade Celebration-
The SMS PTO is sponsoring our annual end of year event for our 8th graders. The 8th Grade Celebration will be on Friday, May 20th from 6:00-9:00pm at Sartartia Middle School. The event is all-inclusive and will include food, games, music, dancing, prizes, and more. Students must purchase a wristband/ticket and sign the attached waiver in order to attend the 8th grade celebration. The last day to purchase a ticket is Friday, May 6th. Forms will be collected during lunch or can be turned in to the front office.
Outdoor Facilities for Public Use
Play Safe Football Clinics
The Houston Texans are excited to host FREE, in-person Play Safe Clinics presented by Houston Methodist! These clinics serve as exciting ways to educate kids and parents on the importance of player safety while practicing football fundamentals. With appearances from Texans players and Cheerleaders, this is an event your kids will not want to miss. Register kids ages 7 to 14, now to attend one of our two clinics in May!
PLAY SAFE CLINIC #1: Saturday, May 7 | 10 AM - 1 PM
Fort Bend ISD: Edward Mercer Stadium
PLAY SAFE CLINIC #2: Saturday, May 21 | 10 AM - 1 PM
NRG Stadium and Houston Methodist Training Center (Indoor Facility)
Register HERE.
Important Contact Information
6th Grade
Associate Principal: Dr. Sunday Johnson
sunday.johnson@fortbendisd.com
Counselor: Tanya Johnson
7th Grade
Assistant Principal: Paul Wells
Counselor: Kat Friedel
katherine.friedel@fortbendisd.com
8th Grade
Assistant Principal: Courtney Border
courtney.border@fortbendisd.com
Counselor: Amy Melby
Attendance: attendancesms@fortbendisd.com
Registrar: Alejandra Pena alejandra.pena@fortbendisd.com
Nurse: Christine Ferguson christine.ferguson@fortbendisd.com
Sartartia Middle School
Help us grow our fan base! Follow us on:
Twitter @sms_jaguars
Instagram @sartartiams_jaguars
Email: cholly.oglesby@fortbendisd.com
Website: www.fortbendisd.com/sms
Location: 8125 Homeward Way, Sugar Land, TX, USA
Phone: 281-634-6310
Twitter: @sms_jaguars