The Hawk Report
Christa McAuliffe MS Parent Newsletter - Week of Sept. 19th
A Message From Our Principal, Mr. Lemon
Greeting Hawk Nation Parents and Students,
The first grading period is moving quickly! This week, you will have access to your student(s) second progress report of the year. If your student is an athlete, this is also the time in the grading period when a student can lose eligibility if they have a grade lower than a 70. We know that all of our Hawks are working hard in and out of class, and look forward to seeing the great grades that support that!As we prepare for the upcoming week, please keep the following important updates in mind:
- No School on Friday (9/23)! This Friday is a Staff Development Day for all FBISD schools. Because our teachers will be learning valuable information that supports their professional growth and provides additional tools they can use with our Hawk Scholars, students will not come to campus on Friday.
- Progress Report 2 grades post Tuesday (9/20) afternoon! Please review your student's Skyward account and make sure that all assignments have been submitted and grades are passing (70 and above). We are encouraging students to strive for A's & B's as we know that our Hawks are more than capable of high academic success.
- Morning Safety! Please remember that students should not arrive on campus before 8:00am as they are unsupervised during this time. We have noticed that some students arriving prior to the doors opening are leaving campus and walking to Dollar General to make purchases; this practice is prohibited. Please remind your Hawk of these expectations and assist us in ensuring that all of our students are safe.
- Parents We Need You! We are preparing to start up the CMMS PTO again, and need your help with making it a success. The Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) is a nonprofit group comprised of parents, teachers, and staff dedicated to improving the educational experience of all students at CMMS. They help organize special events such as the 8th Grade Prom/Week, Teacher Appreciation, spirit shirt designs and sales just to name a few. If you are interested in helping bring this important organization back to our campus, please email our Parent Liaison, Mr. Blackshire, at Terrence.Blackshire@fortbendisd.com.
- Attendance Matters! Each instructional day is filled with new material and additional opportunities for student growth. It is essential that we have our Hawk Scholars in attendance each and every day, for the entirety of the day. Please remember that Texas has a 90% rule that states that a student must be in attendance 90% of the time to receive credit for a course. Should an emergency or illness arise and your student must be out, please be sure to send a note to Ms. Katrina Taylor, CMMS Attendance Clerk, at Katrina.Taylor@fortbendisd.com, so that the absence can be excused.
- As previously mentioned, we had our Code of Conduct talks the first week of school, where we discussed expectations with each grade level. We have included a copy of that presentation (click here), and encourage you to continue speaking with your student about following expectations while on campus.
Let's continue to work together, and please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions or concerns. Remember, we are Hawk Nation... Hawk Proud!
Mr. Trevor Lemon
Principal, Christa McAuliffe MS
CMMS Counselors Corner
The Lending Library - Parent Agreement Forms Needed ASAP
Don't Forget These Important Tasks...
FBISD Whole Child Health Initiative
As a part of the Whole Child Health Initiative, Fort Bend ISD is excited to present our first parent webinar of the 2022-23 school year: " Mental Health is for Everyone". The parent webinar will be held on Wednesday, September 21st at 6 p.m. During this session, FBISD's mental health counselors will educate families on the District’s campus-based services targeted to normalize and identify emotional challenges across cultures. Whole Child Health, focuses on Whole Child Health, is aligned with FBISD's Profile of a Graduate, and is committed to supporting and developing the mental, behavioral, social, emotional, and physical health of all students in FBISD.
Just a Few Reminders...
Sorry... No Student Deliveries!
Early Pick Up Must Be Before 3:40pm
No Cell Phones and Earbuds, 8:25am-4:10pm
Student Activities
Athletic Clear Bag Regulations
Voter Approval Tax Rate Election
During its Monday night regular business meeting, the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees approved a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) for the November 8, 2022 election.
The state legislature requires voter approval of a tax rate increase that generates additional revenue for public schools.
Voter approval of the proposed tax rate of $1.2101 (the same rate as last year) will generate additional revenue. The District is planning to use the additional revenue to:
- Address the deficit
- Provide funding for safety measures, including assigning police officers to every elementary school campus
- Allow increased compensation for teachers, raising starting pay to $60,000 for 2022-23
- Allow for increased compensation for auxiliary staff and paraprofessionals
- Allow for long-serving staff to receive years-of-service supplemental pay for their commitment and dedication to FBISD
Fort Bend ISD has a $47 million deficit due to lower than projected student enrollment growth, increased staffing for special education students, past decisions about budgeting for innovative academic programs, expiration of government funding received during the pandemic, and inflation.
A VATRE is one component in a two-part approach to eliminate the District’s deficit. The other component is strategic budget tightening. FBISD has already reduced its spending by $15.4 million as of June 2022.
With a successful VATRE, the tax rate will be $1.21 for every $100,000 of property valuation. That’s $1,210 per year or $101 per month per $100,000 of valuation.
There would be $0 impact on the property taxes for those with over 65 or disabled exemptions, although taxes may increase because of any new improvements made to homesteads (such as an addition or pool).
Visit www.fortbendisd.com/vatre for more information.
Helpful Items You May Need
Parent Information Regarding Safety Drills / Procedures (English)
Parent Information Regarding Safety Drills / Procedures (Spanish)
FBISD 2022-23 Instructional Calendar (English)
FBISD 2022-23 Instructional Calendar (Spanish)
CMMS 2022-23 Administrative Team
Mr. Trevor Lemon
Dr. Kimberly Johnson
Mr. Blake Wilson
Mr. Brandon Woodard
Mrs. DeeDe Burke
CMMS 2022-23 Counseling Team
Ms. Twana Jones
Ms. Nancy Lake
Ms. Monica Doxey
Christa McAuliffe Middle School
Website: https://www.fortbendisd.com/cmms
Location: 16650 South Post Oak Road, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 634-3360
Twitter: @CMMS_Hawks