Sugar Land MS Titan News
Week #7 - September 28, 2020
Greetings Titan Families,
We would like to congratulate our 25 eighth grade students who were inducted into the SLMS chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) this past Thursday evening in a special online ceremony! All of these students represent the NJHS' five pillars of Scholarship, Service, Leadership, Character, and Citizenship. Congratulations again, students!
We are in the final week of our fully online learning model, and on Monday, October 5, some students will be experience a transition to face-to-face learning (those who selected it), while others continue in the online learning model. Regardless, many, if not most students will experience some kind of change: either a change in teacher(s) or a change in class periods. Some students will experience both. Staff members are in the process of finalizing schedules for the transition into these two learning models. However, schedules will not be final until October 2. As staff works to finalize, students may see changes in Schoology or in Microsoft Teams. These changes are not final until October 2, and even then, there may be some inconsistencies with some students' schedules. We appreciate your continued patience as we finalize schedules. This has been a most challenging process to undertake.
Students who selected the face-to-face learning model will transition to campus with this schedule:
- Monday, October 5 - Sixth Grade
- Wednesday, October 7 - Seventh Grade
- Friday, October 9 - Eighth Grade
Seventh and Eighth graders who are awaiting their transition to F2F learning will attend their classes online until the day they transition to campus using Teams invitations teachers send to them. These invitations will be coming sometime during the day on Friday, October 2. But even though these students will attend their classes online through Teams until the day they transition to campus, they will follow the face-to-face class schedule while they attend online. In some cases where a teacher may have multiple grade levels in the same class period, a seventh or eighth grade student may have work assigned to complete asynchronously until their transition date. See a visual adaptation of the schedule below or by clicking here.
Much like we did before the start of the school year, we are scheduling virtual orientations to aid in the the transition to our new schedule. We have tentatively scheduled these for Thursday, October 1, and Friday, October 2, at 6:00 PM both evenings. We will provide you with a follow-up message about these opportunities by Tuesday, September 29.
As outlined on the FBISD Relaunch webpage, Fort Bend ISD has developed comprehensive health and safety protocols to mitigate the spread of illness in our schools and facilities. These include mandatory face coverings at all times for students and staff, no-contact temperature checks, and daily wellness screenings, a part of which must be completed each day in Skyward Family Access for any student to gain access to the face-to-face learning environment.
In addition to enhanced cleaning procedures by our custodial staff, multiple signs will be posted around campus to remind students of our protocols, student transitions will be staggered to reduce the number of students in hallways at the same time, and other parts of the school day will be modified to observe social distancing. learn more, please visit www.fortbendisd.com/relaunch.
This newsletter contains the following topics (almost all of them are brand new):
- Week At-A-Glance
- Visual Schedule
- Immunization Information - HARD DEADLINE of October 15, 2020
- Student Daily Wellness Screenings
- Facial Coverings
- Reporting a Positive Case of COVID-19 or Exposure to a Positive Case
- Preparing to Return to SLMS In Person
- Student Mental Health Needs Assessment
- Attendance Information from Mrs. LaVergne
We continue to ask for grace and patience as our plans take shape. Thank you for your time and support of our school. Our priority is to serve our community in the best way possible.
Sincerely,
Keith Fickel, SLMS Principal
#GracePatienceOptimism
#BetterTogether
#InfinitePossibilities
#TitansOwnIt
The Week At-A-Glance
Upcoming Dates
- October 5 - start of new F2F / Online Schedule
- October 5 - Sixth grade students who selected F2F Learning Model return to campus (seventh and eighth graders continue working online but using the the F2F schedule)
- October 7 - Seventh grade students who selected F2F Learning Model return to campus (join the sixth graders already on campus; eighth graders continue online)
- October 9 - Eighth grade students who selected F2F Learning Model return to campus
- October 12 - Start of Term 2
TBD: Virtual Orientations to prepare students and parents for the transition back to school and into the two learning models. These will occur sometime mid-week the week of September 28
Immunizations - Hard Deadline of October 15, 2020
School vaccination rules remain in effect for the 2020-21 school year. State law requires all students, both online and face-to-face, to be fully vaccinated against the specified diseases. Fort Bend ISD is requiring all students to be up to date, in the process of receiving vaccines, or have a valid exemption on file by October 15, 2020. Any student not in compliance by this deadline shall not be permitted onsite for coursework or activities until proof of inoculation is received.
Please send records to angela.lincoln@fortbendisd.com or fax records to 281-327-8745. Nurse Lincoln has emailed noncompliant letters so that you are aware of the immunizations your child needs, if any.
To find out more information regarding immunizations, visit the Texas Department of State Health Services web page.
Student Daily Wellness Screenings (Information from FBISD)
Each morning, a District staff member will conduct no-contact temperature checks for all students and staff entering the building. Please allow for additional time during morning drop-off so that wellness checks can be conducted as students and staff arrive.
Parents will also be required to complete a daily pre-screen questionnaire, found on Skyward Family Access, for each student prior to 7:15 a.m. for elementary students and prior to 6:45 a.m. for secondary students. Parents are required to complete the Daily Wellness Screening before the student reports to school each morning to ensure a faster check-in process. This form must be filled out each morning, and cannot be completed before midnight. Note: Secondary (middle and high school) students will have the option of completing the Daily Wellness Screener within Skyward, using their own Skyward credentials.
Wellness Screening Process
Parents can access Skyward Family Access on their home computer, laptop, tablet or mobile device. (The Skyward Family Mobile Access app is available in the following app stores: Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon and Windows Phone Store.)
- Log in to your account in Skyward Family Access
- Select “Today’s Screening."
- Complete the two Wellness Screening questions, and click “Save.” Based on your response for each student, a Wellness Screening Report will appear, with a green circle and a checkmark, indicating that your child is clear to attend school; or, if you’ve indicated symptoms, exposure, or a positive case, the system will provide next steps.
Note: Please be mindful as you submit the wellness screening, as only one submission is accepted each day, and cannot be altered once submitted. Students with cell phones should be prepared to show their results on the app to expedite the wellness screening process.
FBISD does not allow students with a fever over 100.0 degrees or greater to enter or remain in a building, and should a student exhibit any symptoms of respiratory illness or a fever of 100.0 degrees or above during the school day, they will be isolated from other students until they are picked up. They may only return to school when the following criteria are met: at least 24 hours has passed since they have had fever without the use of fever-reducing medications; AND the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough or shortness of breath); AND at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. If the student wants to return after 72 hours, the student must obtain a medical professional’s note clearing them for return based on an alternative diagnosis or provide the school with a negative PCR COVID-19 test.
Facial Coverings (Information from FBISD)
For the safety of students and others, all students and staff are required to wear a face covering (cloth or disposable, that fully covers their nose and mouth) throughout the day. We understand that it is not possible for children to wear a face covering at all times, particularly when they are eating or drinking, and other protective measures will be used during these times. We ask that you speak to your students about wearing their facial covering for an extended period of time, as well as following safety guidelines including social distancing and frequent handwashing. Please also monitor your child’s health for the presence of any symptoms of COVID-19, particularly if you think they have been exposed. Note: Per CDC guidelines, a face shield can be worn in addition to a face covering, but not in place of a face covering.
Reporting a Positive Case of COVID-19 or Exposure to a Positive Case
To ensure the safety of all staff and students, it is critical that families report all positive cases of COVID-19, or exposures to a positive case of COVID-19, immediately. If your student tests positive for COVID-19 or is exposed to a positive COVID-19 case, please notify the District by reporting within the Daily Wellness Screener in Skyward Family Access.
Preparing to Return to SLMS In Person
With the implementation of new health and safety protocols on all FBISD campuses, parents should start now to prepare their students for the return to in-school instruction. We have included useful guides that may be helpful to families, the “10 Ways to Prepare Your Child for School” one-pager, and an educational video PSA targeted to elementary students to help start the conversation about COVID-19 precautions being taken at your school. The health and safety of our FBISD students and families remain to be our highest priority. For more information on how the district is fulfilling our mission during the COVID-19 Pandemic go to www.fortbendisd.com/reimagined. Even though the video is an elementary video, it fits perfectly with what we are doing at SLMS.
Student Mental Health Needs Assessment -- Info from SLMS Counselors
As educators, we understand student mental health plays a key role in their ability to succeed in school. Fort Bend ISD is committed to working with you, not only in the academic education of your child, but also to ensure students reach their full potential socially and emotionally.
Each year, we provide students an opportunity to share their thoughts, feelings and social/emotional needs using a Needs Assessment. It is our priority to ensure students have timely, responsive, and effective social and emotional support continuously throughout the school year. The Needs Assessment allows us to recognize and respond to students’ social/emotional needs as well as promote the wellness and development for all students.
The Needs Assessment addresses the following areas:
- Social/Emotional supports
- Sense of belonging
- Safety
- Post-secondary readiness
- Mental health stressors
- Thoughts of harm (self and others)
The Needs Assessment may pinpoint a concern, offering us the ability to secure additional assistance for students. This means that the assessment results may be shared with targeted campus and district staff if the assessment results reveal a potential concern. All assessment results will be kept confidential, stored separately from academic records.
Sugar Land Middle School will make the Needs Assessment available to students using Naviance from October 19th to October 30th. Prior to its release, students will receive information about the Needs Assessment from their school counseling staff.
If you desire to opt-out of your child completing the Needs Assessment, please use this link: Opt-Out Form
Attendance Information for Parents
Parent notes are required for all absences within five days from the absence date. Notes must include full student name as well as the reason for the absence (including technical difficulties). If a student misses a synchronous engagement, they are counted absent.Please email all absence notes to AttendanceSLMS@fortbendisd.com. Contact our attendance clerk, Mrs. LaVergne, at (281) 634-3089 if you have questions.
Important Contact Information
- Assistant Principal - Dr. Dawn Rogers (dawn.rogers@fortbendisd.com)
- Counselor - Eleni Smith (eleni.smith@fortbendisd.com)
Seventh Grade
- Assistant Principal - Luster Goodwin (luster.goodwin@fortbendisd.com)
- Counselor - Kim Seright (kimberly.seright@fortbendisd.com)
Eighth Grade
- Associate Principal - Monika Martin (monika.martin@fortbendisd.com)
- Counselor - Nafecia Brinson (nafecia.brinson@fortbendisd.com)
Attendance - Mary Beth LaVergne (mary.lavergne@fortbendisd.com)
Registrar - Tandi Phillips (tandi.phillips@fortbendisd.com)
Nurse - Angi Lincoln (angela.lincoln@fortbendisd.com)
Campus Secretary - Mary Connealy (mary.connealy@fortbendisd.com)
Counselor Clerk - Carmen Brantley (carmen.brantley@fortbendisd.com)
Assistant Principal Secretaries
- 6th and 7th Grade - Tina Garcia (diamantina.ibarragar@fortbendisd.com)
- 8th Grade - Sherri Woodcock (sherri.woodcock@fortbendisd.com)
Sugar Land Middle School
45 Years
1975-2020
Inspiring and equipping the young men and women of our community for futures beyond what they can imagine since 1975.
SLMS Campus Mission Statement
Working collaboratively, the Sugar Land Middle School Professional Learning Community will commit to creating a safe environment with high expectations leading to physical, social, emotional, and academic success for all Titans.
#TitansOwnIt
#BetterTogether
#InfinitePossibilities
#GracePatienceOptimism
- 8:00-4:00 Monday-Friday
Email: keith.fickel@fortbendisd.com
Website: www.fortbendisd.com/slms
Location: 321 7th Street, Sugar Land, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 634-3080
Twitter: @SLMSTitans