Bear Bulletin
March 20, 2022
8th Grade Science and Social Studies Practice STAAR occurs Tuesday & Wednesday!
Topics Included in this Newsletter
- Note from Mrs. Spencer
- Mark Your Calendars, Bears!
- Practice STAAR for 8th GradeTo-Dos!
- SBISD Transfer Process
- SBISD Rank One Paperwork
- SBMS 2021-2022 Soccer Try Outs!
- Rising 6th Grader Toolkit (Current 5th Graders)
- SBMS Bear Camp: Mark Your Calendars!
- Save the Date for Spring Branch Super Saturday: Unity in Our Community
- SBMS Yearbook: Be Sure to Order ASAP!
- Information from Nurse Mulvey for 6th Grade Parents
- SBMS PTA Information for 2021-2022
Message from Mrs. Spencer
Good Morning, SBMS Bears,
I hope each of you enjoyed a lovely spring break. I have a feeling every one of us needed a slower pace, some rest and relaxation! As we begin the last nine weeks of the school year, a few reminders:
A few informational items:
- Chromebooks: Students are required to bring their fully charged chromebook to and from school each day. We will be doing a check on all devices in the next few weeks to ensure devices are in their proper working order and any tickets for repairs or lost devices are placed at that time. This is super important because ALL of STAAR testing is conducted online and student devices need to be in good working order in advance of that testing. Please check in with your child and review their device and accompanying chromebook charging cord. This link will take you to resources for managing your digital device or reporting a lost, stolen chromebook and lost or broken case or charger. If your child's device needs repair, he or she may inform his or her BPT teacher tomorrow and they will instruct them on completing a repair ticket.
- Cell Phones: We are reemphasizing the use of the cell phone caddies to students. Placing their phones in the caddies reduces social and behavioral issues tremendously and allows students focus on their academics. Brain theory supports this very clearly. Please reinforce your expectations that students follow this school rule and practice. We have been moving to students having to check in their phones each day with assistant principals when they are reluctant or recalcitrant to adhere to this practice.
- SBISD Police Request: Please stop picking up children along the feeder to I-10. It is truly an unsafe behavior for you as a driver, our students and the officer helping with traffic.
- 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:
SBMS Practice STAAR Dates:
- Tuesday, March 22nd: 8th Grade Science Practice STAAR
- Wednesday, March 23rd: 8th Grade Social Studies Practice STAAR
SBMS 3rd 9 Week Honors Assemblies (SBMS Auditorium):
- 6th Grade: April 5th at 8:45 a.m.
- 7th Grade: April 6th at 8:45 a.m.
- 8th Grade: April 7th at 8:45 a.m.
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
Raising Canes: Wednesday, March 23rd (Despite Practice STAAR, Promise!)
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
8th Grade SBMS Practice STAAR To Dos! (i.e. No Lunch Delivery, Pls)
As you read above, we are hosting our SBMS Practice STAARs this week for 8th Graders in Science and Social Studies. These exams are conducted online and students will need to bring their fully-charged district allocated device and charger for testing. These practice exams are super important for the following reasons:
- The outcomes guide teachers on who needs help on what objectives in what subjects.
- Practicing the logistics prevents issues on the day of real STAAR testing and that helps students perform better and protects against mistakes teachers could make that hurt either the confidentiality, security or logistics of the exam.
It is important that each child: a) does his or her best on the exam to prevent their inclusion in intervention or reteaching opportunities they do not need, b) follows the directions and expectations for our school so that testing ~400 8th Graders goes really well.
SBMS Practice STAAR To-Dos:
- Ensure your student gets a nice night of sleep and eats a nice breakfast. SBMS breakfast line will be open and ready for breakfast eaters at 8:15 a.m.!
- Students need to review their testing locations provided the day before and arrive to that classroom before 8:40 a.m.
- Smart watches and phones MUST be turned off and collected by the teacher. You may wish to leave smart watches home. Students whose device is tailored for medical monitoring (diabetes or cardiac monitoring) will be excused and have been denoted in our testing security plans. Their devices will be monitored by teachers.
- Lunches: Students should bring their lunch or pick one up from our cafeteria. We will not be hosting lunch delivery on practice STAAR or STAAR dates. Raising Canes on the 23rd won't be affected for 8th graders, please know!
Please do NOT pick up children early from school that day. A copy of our schedule for testing on Tuesday and Wednesday will be emailed Monday morning to each 8th grader and their families.
The Transfer Application is open Feb. 14 - March 25, 2022. Transfer applications to non-Choice schools are available to Spring Branch ISD full-time employees, Spring Branch ISD residents and non-residents. Please click here for more information.
SBMS Soccer Try Outs & Required Rank One Paperwork!
Calling All Soccer Players! SBMS would love to have lots of 7th and 8th graders join us for try-outs for this year's soccer season! In order to participate, students must:
- Attend all three days of try-outs: March 21st, 22nd and March 23rd at the times listed above for your grade level.
- Have submitted ALL athletic paperwork (physical from a doctor and your Rank One paperwork). To access Rank One Paperwork, use this link.
Don't let a missing physical or paperwork stand in your way! Spring Break gives parents and students time to go get those physical done and that paperwork submitted if you haven't already done those things. If you need information on medical centers in our area that offer low-cost physicals to student athletes, please contact our any of the following:
- Ms. Spencer, Principal of SBMS
- Ms. Peralta, CIS Case Manager at SBMS
- Ms. Mulvey, SBMS Nurse
- Ms. Whitney, SBMS Campus Athletic Coordinator
Questions? Please see one of the SBMS coaches.
Rising 6th Grade Toolkit- Share with Your Friends!
Dear Parents of Rising 6th Graders (Current 5th Graders),
Click on the image above or use this link to access the following resources for our school:
- Rising 6th Grade Parent Meeting Presentation
- Electives Descriptions
- Performing Arts Flyer
- AAC (Advanced Academic Course) Information (previously Pre-AP)
- Course Selection Sheets
- Recording of our Rising 6th Grade Parent Meeting Presentation
For those of you who are interested in learning more about SBMS courses, the SBISD Course Catalog document is an excellent resource. Please refer to the English or Spanish version.
Mark Your Calendars for Bear Camp 2022!
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
SBMS 2021-22 Yearbook!
Yearbooks are still on sale for $65! Buy one here or go to tinyurl.com/sbmsyearbook to buy your book before they SELL OUT! There are only 50 yearbooks left for sale and we cannot order more!
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)
- 7A and 7B Girls Basketball, 8A Boys Basketball
- Track/Cross Country
- -NJHS/Student Council
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.
Contact Sara Boyle, sara.boyle@springbranchisd.com with any other questions about the yearbook!
Please note that March 15th was the last day to submit photos for inclusion in the yearbook.
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:
- February 13th Bear Bulletin
- February 6th Bear Bulletin
- January 30th Bear Bulletin
- January 23th Bear Bulletin
- January 16th Bear Bulletin
- January 9th Bear Bulletin
- November 7th Bear Bulletin
- October 31st Bear Bulletin
- October 24th Bear Bulletin
- October 17th Bear Bulletin