Bear Bulletin
January 16, 2022
Reminder: Monday is an SBISD holiday in observance of MLK, Jr. Day!
Topics Included in this Newsletter
- Note from Mrs. Spencer
- Mark Your Calendars, Bears!
- Thank You, SBISD Board of Trustees!
- Message from Ms. Collier to 8th Graders Attending SWHS Next Year!
- SBISD Math Pathway Meetings for Current 5th Grade Parents
- SBISD Choice and Transfer Program Information
- SBMS Needs Your Ties!
- SBMS Yearbook: Be Sure to Order ASAP!
- Mark Your Calendars for SBISD Parent: Healthy Relationships Online and In-Person!
- Information from Nurse Mulvey for 6th Grade Parents
- SBMS PTA Information for 2021-2022
Message from Mrs. Spencer
Good Morning, SBMS Bears,
I hope you are having a nice weekend and for those of you who ran in this morning's marathon, half marathon or 5K, job well done! I am thankful the weather was on the chillier side for runners, although the wind yesterday was a bit much!
Last week was a great week, Bears! Each year, we hold multiple safety drills so kids and adults know what to do if there is a fire, weather or other event that requires our action. Last week, we hosted the SBISD Police to conduct a campus lock down drill. We had kids "planted" in the hallway to see if our procedures would work to keep them safe and they did! Kids and staff did an awesome job! We regularly invite our campus police department to train their dogs on campus and give us feedback on our drills so kids and staff see our SBISD Police Department Officers as trusted adults who help keep us safe.
As we make our way through January, we begin to see transition events for rising 9th graders (current 8th graders) and rising 6th graders (current 5th graders) on our calendars. On the 26th during our PTA meeting at 11:30 a.m., we will welcome high school principals, Lisa Weir (MHS) and Jennifer Collier (SWHS). It should be a great meeting for everyone, not just 8th grade parents. You are welcome to share this newsletter with friends and neighbors who might be interested in making the transition to SBMS. We are hosting tours so if prospective parents wish to attend, they are most welcome to call the front office at SBMS to find out when the next few are so that they can find a time and date that works for them.
As you may have seen in social media postings, the pandemic continues to place strains on educators and while SBMS has been very fortunate throughout the past two years, we do have to cover classrooms from time to time. I cannot express my gratitude enough to our SBMS staff for their professionalism, concern and care for our kids and kindness they extend to each other. Here is what we need:
- Disposal of Trash: Please ask your students to pick up after themselves. As you are fully aware, middle schoolers (and any child probably) demonstrate tremendous proclivity in leaving a detritus trail. I need to lighten the load of our custodian and our teachers by asking each child to pick up after themselves to adults can focus on cleaning (custodian) and teaching (teachers).
- Cell Phones: Please remind cell phones need to be put away. Do not text your child during class time or answer them during class time. I can imagine that might be difficult, but their attention needs to be on instruction. I can assure you that if they are texting you, they are also on social media and texting others. The phone needs to be put away.
- Spring has sprung: Teachers may be reaching out to you to partner with you related to behaviors that your child is demonstrating that could use refinement or cessation. Please know the teacher is asking for partnership and assistance. Your support of the classroom teacher and reminders and/or consequences at home send huge messages of support to our hard working staff. Middle school can be awkward, but our kids can rise to any expectation given to them!
A few informational items:
- Thank you for your attention to our COVID updates. Please note that letters reflect lab testing, not COVID home testing.
- 8th grade parents: please join us at the next General PTA meeting on January 26th at 11:30am to hear SWHS principal, Jennifer Collier, and MHS principal, Lisa Weir, discuss transitioning from middle school to high school. There are so many exciting changes on the horizon for our 8th graders, don’t miss this great opportunity to kick off their high school transition with answers to all your questions.
Thank you to all who have donated ties for our 8th grade students- we still need a few (ok, a lot) more! Please check your closets to see if you have any you can donate!
Let's have a great week, Bears!
Stefanie
Mark Your Calendars, Bears!
Mark your calendars for a few events, Bears:
- January 17th: Student and Staff Holiday
- January 18th (6th), 19th (7th) and 20th (8th): Grade Level Honors Assemblies at 8:45 a.m.
- January 26th: General PTA Mtg w/ Lisa Weir & Jennifer Collier (MHS & SWHS Principals)
- Parent U: Promoting Healthy and Safe Relationships Online and In Person: February 17th from 6-7 p.m. via Zoom.
- February 17th: SBMS 8th Grade Reading/Language Arts State Field Testing for STAAR.
- February 23rd: 8th Graders Visit Zoned High Schools
Rising 6th Grader Events (Current 5th Graders):
- February 9th: Elementary students from our zoned feeders visit SBMS during the school day.
- February 15th at 6 p.m.: Rising 6th Grade (Current 5th Grade) Parent and Student night at SBMS. Join us for a presentation on the course selection sheets and visit with our Orchestra, Band, Theater Arts and Choir staff.
Rising 9th Grader Events (Current 8th Graders):
- January 19th: SWHS Course Selection Event from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- January 25th: 8th Grade students will visit with high school counselors during their Social Studies classrooms related to course selections.
- January 26th at 11:30 a.m.: Principal Collier (SWHS) and Principal Weir (MHS) will join our PTA meeting to discuss transitioning from middle school to high school.
- February 23rd: 8th Grade students will visit their zoned high schools, SWHS or MHS.
Additional calendar tools:
- SBMS Google Calendars: SBMS uses a few calendars to help parents stay informed on events at school. The SBMS Public Calendar covers all academic and band/fine arts activities. The SBMS Athletics Activities Calendar covers the different athletic games we offer throughout the year. Please note neither calendar is up to date as of yet. Once game schedules are set by the district and other dates finalized by SBMS in relationship to Fine Arts, we will post these to the calendar.
- SBISD Calendar: English/Spanish
Thank You, SBISD Board of Trustees!
Information for 8th Graders Attending SWHS Next Year!
Hello, Future Tigers!
We are so excited to begin working on your transition to Spring Woods High School for the 2022-2023 school year. I know it is hard to believe that we are at a point where we are beginning to talk about High School! This year we will be holding a Course Selection Event at Spring Woods High School on Wednesday, January 19th from 5:30pm-7:00pm. This event will allow you to meet the faculty that will be educating your child, learn more about the course offerings, as well as clubs and organizations available on campus. Our hope is this event will prepare you and your student for this important next step on their educational journey.
Click here to find a letter with more specifics regarding our event on January 19th. We look forward to seeing you there! We look forward to beginning to build a relationship with you and your child!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Collier
Principal/Lead Learner
Spring Woods High School
713-251-3100
jennifer.collier@springbranchisd.com
Our mission is to guarantee exceptional standards for academic scholarship, integrity and responsible citizenship to every student, every day.
SBMS Needs Your Ties!
Each year, one of our PTA subcommittees works to bring in programming for students related to Character Education. In years past, we have brought in speakers on topics like vaping, online safety and the like. This year, our focus will be on etiquette (table manners, managing place settings at a table, thank you notes, greetings) and presenting your best self. Our presenter is well known in the Houston area: Helen Perry of Eti-Cool. Presentations will be in person for our 8th graders and broadcasted at later dates to sixth and seventh grade so all students can benefit from the content. We are so excited about these presentations and are grateful for our PTA subcomittee members for heading up this work.
During one of our presentations, students will learn and/or practice how to tie a tie. To do this, we need tie donations! Please raid your closets to help our 8th graders with learning how to tie a proper tie. We will place them in the Bear closet for kids who need them afterwards for the 8th grade dance, sibling's graduation, Easter or other events. To ensure we have all we need, please donate them no later than January 24th. Ties need to be gently worn and interview-ready! IF you would like to donate brand new ties, we would be happy to take them and will raffle them off to interested students!
• Benefits of enrolling in accelerated mathematics
• How to qualify for each pathway
• Summer 2022 Jump Start Program
www.springbranchisd.com/parentu
Choice in SBISD begins when you decide to raise your children in our community. We offer students and their families a wide range of school choices. We are committed to preparing all students to achieve our T-2-4 goal and successfully complete a technical certification, military service or a 2-year or 4-year degree.
What is the difference between the Choice Program and Transfers?
- The Choice Program is for current residents of SBISD and requires a lottery for admission.
- The Choice Program includes Elementary Dual Language, Secondary Dual Language and Charter.
- Out-of-District applications are not eligible and will not be processed (with the exception of current, full-time employees who live outside the district).
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Transfers to non-Choice schools are available to all families, including current residents of SBISD and, also, families not currently residing in SBISD.
- Current residents of SBISD who would like the opportunity to attend a non-Choice SBISD school, other than their zoned school, are eligible. In addition, families not currently residing in SBISD (not zoned to an SBISD school) and would like the opportunity to attend an SBISD school are eligible.
- Acceptance is based on the number of available openings, by grade level.
Please visit the SBISD Choice and Transfer Program website by clicking here.
SBMS 2021-22 Yearbook!
Yearbooks are now on sale for $65! Buy one here or go to tinyurl.com/sbmsyearbook to buy your book before they SELL OUT! There are only 100 yearbooks left for sale so get one while you can! We CANNOT order more yearbooks if we sell out when they arrive in May.
Tributes/ads for students are also on sale! When buying your yearbook, make sure you scroll to the bottom of the site and you can order a half page, ¼ page, or shoutout ad for your child. Make sure you order and finish designing this ad by JANUARY 31!
The yearbook staff would love your help gathering photos related to the following topics/events for inclusion:
-Fine arts concerts/shows or your child practicing/rehearsing for them (band, orchestra, choir, theatre)
-Basketball
-Any pics of your child with their friends/doing an activity related to SBMS
You can upload photos for the yearbook staff using the Balfour Imageshare app on your phone. You will create an account and can upload photos from your camera roll. Note: the project number is 209143 and there is NO upload code. You may also send any photos for the yearbook staff to yearbook adviser Sara Boyle, sara.boyle@springbranchisd.com. Please keep in mind we are trying to include as many students as possible so we are trying to include individual students a max of 3 times in the book!
Contact Sara Boyle, sara.boyle@springbranchisd.com with any other questions about the yearbook!
Upcoming dates:
January 31, 2022: Last day to buy and complete an AD/TRIBUTE for your student
March 4, 2022: Last day to PERSONALIZE yearbook (purchase a name stamp or activity icon for your yearbook)
March 15, 2022: Last day to send in yearbook photos for inclusion in the book
Thank you!
Sara Boyle
Journalism Teacher, Yearbook and Newspaper Adviser
Spring Branch Middle School
Buy a 2021/2022 yearbook here!
A Word from the SBMS Library
Overdue Library Books
Please remind your students to turn in overdue library books. They receive an email notice each week with a list of overdue books. There is a cart located outside the library entrance for book returns.
Aaryn Silva
Librarian
Spring Branch Middle School
6th Grade Parents: A Word From Nurse Mulvey
6th grade Parents:
If your child gets any new vaccines this school year please turn in a copy to the nurse. This will help prevent any delay in enrollment for 7th grade.
A Word from the SBMS PTA
Did you know that PTA does much more than fundraising? PTA's mission is to make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. We are an advocacy organization and our list of "PTA Purposes" are:
- To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community and
- place of worship
- To raise the standards of home life
- To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth
- To bring into closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers
- may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth
- To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental social and spiritual education
Parents aren't required to volunteer and can still join without providing any time commitment.
Dues as low as $10 allow parents to become voting members, which means they have a VOICE. Parents can save money as a PTA member and receive special discounts and perks, learn how. PTA Membership provides instant support for our students. It's a great way to stay informed about what's happening at our school and connect in meaningful ways with other parents. Our motto is "Every Child. One Voice." Join us Bears!
Find us on social media. For a complete list of links, visit the SBMS PTA website
Missed Last Week's Bear Bulletin?
Please click below by date and you may access previous editions:
- November 7th Bear Bulletin
- October 31st Bear Bulletin
- October 24th Bear Bulletin
- October 17th Bear Bulletin