Bear Bulletin
February 6, 2022
Happy National School Counselors' Week to Our AWESOME Counselors!
Topics Included in this Newsletter
- Note from Mrs. Spencer
- Mark Your Calendars, Bears!
- SBMS CIT Needs YOU!
- 7th Grade Author Visit on Monday!
- 6th and 7th Grade Course Selection Videos. Forms due February 6th!
- SBISD Credit by Exam: Applications due Feb 14th!
- Eti-Cool Handouts for SBMS 8th Grade
- Save the Date for Spring Branch Super Saturday: Unity in Our Community AND Event T-shirt Design Competition Opens!
- 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,
Happy Sunday, Bears! I hope all fared well with the weather Thursday night and Friday morning. I read about only one water issue and loss of power on social media pages, so my hope is that few were affected. While an inconvenience for all, I hope students, staff and families were able to use the day to rest, too.
Last week, our Campus Improvement Team met and discussed our progress on implementing our goals and objectives for this year. I am excited to report we are making great strides in instructional planning and supports we have created both through the PTA and our campus actions towards translation services to families. Late last week, we received our translation devices so families can attend campus meetings and hear translations right along the speaker. As long as we have a translator for the language of need, we will be able to translate! Kudos to our teaching staff for their efforts and to the PTA for their work to include all of our community!
One topic we did discuss at the meeting was that we are in need of parent support ideas. We discussed the possibilities of a book club, but then thought parents might enjoy a speaker on a topic or two. Topics could include preparing your child for high school, college, course selection, interpreting PSAT results, preparing for the SAT or social emotional supports like navigating technology or the like. If you have a topic of concern that you would be willing to share with me, please email me at stefanie.spencer@springbranchisd.com and we will see what topics we receive and what speakers/supports we can find to address them.
A few informational items:
- SBISD Police Request: SBISD Officer Hernandez shared he remains concerned with parents picking up in the former Georgia's or the Tall Plants parking lot. While we do not govern these locations, it is my hope that despite the inconvenience of maybe waiting a few minutes longer to pick up your child by pulling up in front of the school you will honor the request from the officer. For everyone's safety (students, the officer, you as the driver, and others en route on the feeder), we need pick up locations to be relegated to Parent Circle, Band Circle and NOT along the feeder of a highway.
- 8th Grade Dismissal From Lunch: We need your help. 8th Grade students (as we expect in all grade levels) are to wait to leave their lunch table "sections" until an administrator clears them to leave. We do this to ensure that students are given ample space to traverse exits and hallways. Students are not always following those procedures and are leaving in advance of their dismissal. This is a safety hazard we will be addressing, but we need parents to discuss the importance of: a). following directives from a principal as most directives are related to safety, b). each of us has a responsibility to ensure our hallways are safe. For an eighth grader, it probably feels that they have matured beyond being dismissed from a section, but they just need a reminder that we are all dismissed from sections in different ways. The example of traffic lights and traffic congestion may prove helpful as you speak to them- we all can't go at once or it slows us all down. Please speak to them to reinforce the messaging we will share this week.
- SBMS Lost and Found Items: All items will be disposed of the first week of June. Please ask your child to come visit the Lost and Found in the office- or you are welcome to visit, too!
Let's have a great week, Bears!
Stefanie
Mark Your Calendars, Bears!
Mark your calendars for a few events, Bears:
- Feb 6th (Changed due to school closure): 6th and 7th Grade Course Selection Sheets
- Feb 17th: Parent U: Promoting Healthy and Safe Relationships Online and In Person: 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):
- February 23rd: 8th Grade students will visit their zoned high schools, SWHS or MHS.
SBMS Events for 8th Graders:
- April 30th: 8th Grade Dance from 7-10 p.m.
- May 26th: 8th Grade Farewell Ceremony at 11 a.m
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
SBMS Campus Improvement Team (CIT) Needs YOU!
Each year around this time, we actively seek members for our Campus Improvement Team for the next school year. This team, often called the CIT, meets 6 times a year and works to support the implementation of our Campus Improvement Plan. We need a variety of members serving on the committee: staff, parent, community and business representation. These members work together to share ideas and feedback around instruction, school programming and ways we can include and support our entire community (staff, parents and students).
If you would like to hear more, you are welcome to reach out to me to ask questions. Otherwise, submit your super brief application to me and a lottery will be held in early March. Applications are due to my office by February 25th. Click here to access an application. If you do not have access to a printer or have difficulty using the link, I am happy to send one to you via email or hard copy!
SBMS TAPR (Texas Academic Performance Report) and Federal Report Cards
In late fall, TEA released the 2020-2021 Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR), and more recently the Federal Report Cards. These have been posted to our campus website. The School Report Card (SRC), scheduled for release on February 3, will be posted by early next week. Campuses are required to publish and distribute these reports. SBISD satisfies this requirement by (1) posting these reports on the district/campus websites, and (2) providing a printed copy to anyone upon request.
Parents may locate these reports by clicking here (I simplified the target for you specific to SBMS) or visiting our campus website and following these directions:
- Locate the tab entitled, About.
- Click on the button, Campus Plans and Reports. This is the site where a variety of documents are posted. There you can find campus state ratings and each of these reports.
There are a variety of reports TAPR, SRC, and for Title I Schools, the Federal Report Card found there, including:
- 2019-20 TAPR (Texas Academic Performance Report)
- 2019-20 Federal Report Card
- 2019-20 TEA Campus Report Card
- 2019-20 School Rating
Due to the cancellation of the STAAR test in spring 2020, STAAR progress data on the TAPR are from the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years. No School Progress data are reported on the Federal Report Card.
Seventh Grade Author Visit Reminder: February 7th
UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENT!
Author Pam Muñoz Ryan will be visiting SBMS on February 7th to talk to all 7th graders about her new novel, Solimar: The Soul of the Monarch. This is our first in-person author event since March 2020 and we are thrilled to partner with Blue Willow Bookshop to bring this opportunity to our 7th graders! Pam Muñoz Ryan is a New York Times bestselling author who has written over forty books, including Esperanza Rising, Becoming Naomi León, and Echo, a Newbery Honor book. Born and raised in Bakersfield, California, many of Ryan’s stories reflect her half-Mexican heritage.
About Solimar:
On the brink of her Quinceañera, and her official coronation, Solimar visits the oyamel forest to sit among the monarch butterflies. There, the sun pierces through a sword-shaped crevice in a boulder, which shines on her and sends the butterflies humming and swirling around her. After the magical frenzy, she realizes she's been given a gift—and a burden: she can predict the near future! She has also become a protector of the young and weak butterflies. Shortly thereafter, a neighboring king attacks and the villagers – all except Solimar – are taken hostage. Can this princess-to-be save her family, the kingdom, and the future of the monarch butterflies from a greedy and dangerous king?
This visit is only possible thanks to our partnership with Blue Willow Bookshop, which relies on book sales to continue offering such opportunities in the future. To order a signed copy of this book, please click this link; orders are guaranteed if received by Feb. 1.
7th grade parents/guardians may opt out of this opportunity by completing this form by February 1st. Students will participate in an alternative activity during the time of the visit, if a parent so chooses.
Interested in purchasing a signed copy of Solimar, even if you don’t have a 7th grader? All students are welcome to buy a copy at this link. Books will be delivered to students after the event.
Aaryn Silva
Librarian
Spring Branch Middle School
6th and 7th Grade Course Selection Presentations. Selection Sheets are due Feb. 6th!
Last Friday morning, your students listened to a presentation over course offerings for the 2022-2023 school year. Your students also received a course selection sheet to complete and return to their Science teacher by Monday, February 6th. The presentations are included below for your reference.
6th Grade Video: https://youtu.be/wQDOpB5S0tU
6th Grade Slideshow: https://tinyurl.com/sbmscourseslides7
7th Grade Video: https://youtu.be/KVEkEQX5V5g
7th Grade Slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lAnewOX3VpmY6P-65W3K94ku_bTmFm7M5_DrPxNnaVU/edit?usp=sharing
Save the Date for Spring Branch Super Saturday (4/23): Unity in Our Community AND Event T-shirt Design Competition Opens!
Save (and share!) the date to celebrate SBISD’s 75th Anniversary at Spring Branch Super Saturday: Unity in Our Community, April 23 from 9am-noon at Tully Stadium!
Spring Branch Super Saturday will bring together the entire community to showcase the best of Spring Branch students! Designed by a team of more than 80 high school students from throughout the district, Spring Branch Super Saturday is an event for the whole community. Enjoy student showcases, food trucks, live music, arts & crafts, and SO MUCH MORE!
NOW OPEN! Event T-Shirt Design Contest!
Share with your student artists, designers, and creatives for a chance for their design to be worn by hundreds, maybe thousands of people! Deadline for submissions is Feb. 2. More details below!
Key Information:
- Submission Eligibility requirements:
- Must be Spring Branch ISD students (elementary, middle or high)
- Must complete the Google Submission Form (https://forms.gle/y5Dn89zaittZZ2dA8)
- Can be submitted by an individual or a group of students - Design requirements:
- Incorporate the event name and tagline, “Spring Branch Super Saturday: Unity in Our Community”
- Represent all of SBISD (no single school logos)
- Single-color design
- Designed for the front of a t-shirt
- No inappropriate images or phrases
SBISD Credit By Exam Window Closes February 14th!
Hello Students and Parents:
The spring window to apply to take a CBE (Credit by Exam) and EA (Exams for Acceleration) is open.
Here is the district flyer for additional information:
The window closes February 14, 2022, no exceptions. The testing window will be on SBMS campus from March 21-April 1.
If you or your child would like to apply, please contact the grade level counselor listed below.
Grade 6: Marissa Richie- marissa.richie@springbranchisd.com
Grade 7: Stephanie Blackmon- stephanie.blackmon@springbranchisd.com
Grade 8: Marco Garcia- marco.garcia@springbranchisd.com
Accessing 8th Grade PSAT Results Information
1. 1. Visit the site: https://studentscores.collegeboard.org/home
2. If you do not have an account, then scroll down to the bottom and click ‘Create Account’
3. Fill in your student’s information: name, birthday, etc.
4. Create a username and password: write this down and keep it somewhere safe! You will use the same account in the future for college board
5. You can complete the parent information as well and allow the system to CC you on all emails
6. Once you complete the account registration you should have access to tests previously taken
Eti-Cool Presentation Handouts for Parents
SBMS 2021-22 Yearbook!
AD DESIGN DUE DATE: 2/7
Yearbooks are still on sale for $65! Buy one here or go to tinyurl.com/sbmsyearbook to buy your book before they SELL OUT! We only have 85 yearbooks left for sale and may sell out before they arrive to school. We CANNOT order more yearbooks if we sell out when they arrive at the end of the year.
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:
- 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
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