Bear Bulletin
February 20, 2022
Reminder: Monday, February 21st is a school holiday!
Topics Included in this Newsletter
- Note from Mrs. Spencer
- Mark Your Calendars, Bears!
- SBMS CIT Needs YOU!
- Calling All Lady Bears! #SheBuildsHouston Field Trip!
- Tech Tips for Middle School Saavy Parents!
- MHS Parent Night Flyer
- MHS Golf Department Message
- SBMS TAPR Reports
- 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 AND Event T-shirt Design Competition Opens!
- 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 you are enjoying a lovely weekend. Don't forget tomorrow is a holiday for students, so we will see everyone Tuesday. In a mere three school weeks, we will find ourselves at the start of Spring Break! We can do this, Bears!
In this newsletter, there are opportunities for parents of 8th graders to connect with MHS, if that is your zone high school, content to guide you on supporting your child's use of their phone and a really cool study trip that Lady Bears can take advantage of in the coming weeks (DEADLINE TUESDAY to register, my apologies). Please encourage your friends and neighbors to skim the Bear Bulletin each week. It is meant to help support everyone in keeping up with things and knowing what is going on at SBMS. Skim through it, stop on what pertains to you or interests you and know you can always come back to it!
You may have heard that we are trying staggering passing periods among the grade levels. This means that 6th graders are dismissed a few minutes ahead of seventh grade and then seventh is dismissed a few minutes of eighth grade. Spring has sprung in middle school and this staggering has enabled us to more closely monitor students, engage with students and ensure an orderly and calm passing period for all. I hear rave reviews from some kids and then some questions of when we will resume regular passing periods from others. We certainly want to honor the voices of our children, but we also prioritize their safety and well being. At this time, we will continue this for a period of a few weeks and re-evaluate.
A few informational items:
- Please see the article on Tech Tips for Middle School Saavy Parents below. Students need to be placing their cell phones in the caddies in their classroom and not engaging with their phones until passing periods and lunch. Please assist us with that and avoid texting or calling your child during class. These boundaries are meant to allow students to focus on instruction and the friends, classmates and staff around them.
- 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.
- 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:
- February 23rd: 8th Graders Visit Zoned High Schools
Rising 9th Grader Events (Current 8th Graders):
- February 23rd: 8th Grade students will visit their zoned high schools, SWHS or MHS.
- February 23rd at 6 p.m.: 8th Grade Family Meeting at MHS (Auditorium)
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
Congrats to our District Spelling Bee Champs- BOTH from SBMS!
Katherine O'Brien and Charlotte Cagle, The Victors!
Trophies for Our Winners!
Spelling Bee Hosts and Winners
Congratulations to two fabulous SBMS Spellers: Katherine O'Brien and Charlotte Cagle! These two ladies swept the district contest placing first and second, respectively! WAY TO GO, BEARS! We are so proud of you!
Katherine O'Brien: 1st Place District Spelling Bee
Charlotte Cagle: 2nd Place District Spelling Bee
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!
Top Tech Tips for Middle School Saavy Parents!
Parents,
Trying to stay ahead of your middle schoolers in terms of technology? Here are a few things for you to check on your child's phone:
- Restrict Air Drop to "Receiving Off" on iPhones. Your child does not need to receive pictures from other people through Air Drop. This function allows phones to send pictures to other devices and the receiver simply needs to accept them. Middle School-aged students move too quickly on this in the hopes to be included and to see the pictures. Check this regularly to ensure your child is not receiving pictures he or she should not be receiving. To find Air Drop
- Review Your Child's Instagram Account. Click on their followers AND who they are following. I met with several kids who were following things that once they fully clicked on them and reviewed the content, they knew they didn't pass the following conditions: 1. The content is appropriate to have their name attached to it, 2. The content is real and accurate as depicted, 3. The content is kind. 4. They personally know them OR they are verified celebrities (that honor your family values or guidelines for them).
- SBMS has NO Instagram account. Review all accounts on Instagram that have SBMS or the blue bear icon in them and determine their worth. 99% of them are unkind and/or causing unnecessary distractions for students. Some of our kids think because they see the lifted logo, this makes it a legit account. They need to understand that they need to review and discern for themselves.
- Notifications for Apps, Texts and Calls Need to Be Silenced.
We are beginning to see more technology related issues, hurt feelings and the like. Consequences can occur at school for issues that occur off campus but affect school. Please take the time to confer with your child about his or her phone- you can tell them your principal asked them to do it.
CTE Opportunity For Girls: #SheBuildsHouston Conference!
Calling All Lady Bears!
We wold love to see lots of girls interested in attending this field trip later this month. Students will be given an opportunity to learn about career opportunities in construction through a fun, hands-on event just for girls! The event is in Alief and students will travel via an SBISD school bus with at least one SBMS chaperone. You may register using this link: tinyurl.com/SBISDshebuilds. Please do so by February 22nd.
8th Grade Dance Sponsorship and Pep Rally Info!
MHS Parent Meeting for Rising 9th Graders (Current 8th Graders)
Memorial High School is holding an Incoming Freshman Parent Night meeting on Wednesday, February 23rd at 6:00 p.m in the auditorium. Parents and students are welcome to attend this meeting. It is an excellent opportunity to meet your next year principal and counselors!
A Word from the MHS Golf Department
Parents, do you have a student who might want to play on the golf team at Memorial HS when they get there? Coach Brady and Coach Wager would love to hear from you. We would like to start a line of communication with parents for kids of all ages who will attend Memorial and are interested in playing competitive golf. We would like to become familiar with who your child is and help with their golf development the best we can. Please reach out to us via email (clayton.brady@springbranchisd.com for boys, richard.wager@springbranchisd.com for girls), we look forward to hearing from you.
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.
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!
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:
- 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