Patriot Press
Parent Newsletter: Week of February 1st
Greetings Patriots
We've reached the month of February and are at the 100th day of school. I'm sure you will agree that this has been a historical school year. While we have faced challenges, we are proud of the strength and perseverance our school community has shown. As we continue full steam ahead, be reminded of the upcoming interim assessments students will begin taking starting this week.
This year TEA has recommended that ALL students take the STAAR test online, but in person. In preparation for the online assessment, we have determined that students need adequate practice to be successful in their new testing environment. During the month of February, we will be administering the Spring STAAR Interim Benchmark Assessment which is a TEA created assessment. This tool provides actionable data to help teachers monitor progress and predict student performance on the upcoming STAAR tests.
Remote learners have been invited to report to campus to take their interim assessments.
Remote learners will be dropped off and picked up at the front entrance, MUST wear a face mask before entering the building, and must be in proper dress code. All remote learners will remain socially distanced for the duration they are on campus and all safety protocols will be followed.
We appreciate your continued support as we strive for excellence!
Below, please find the Interim Benchmark schedule below:
Tuesday – February 2nd
Math – All Grades
Wednesday - February 3rd
Reading – All Grades
Tuesday – February 9th
7th – Writing & 8th - Social Studies
Wednesday – February 10th
8th - Science
Patriot PRIDE Essentials
- Doors open at 9:05 a.m. for students; school starts at 9:40 a.m.
- Breakfast is served from 9:05 a.m. to 9:35 a.m.
- Students will attend school Monday - Friday; the campus will NOT be closed on Wednesday's for deep cleaning as previously communicated
- All students MUST adhere to the dress code daily - khaki, blue, or navy UNIFORM pants; polo style, collared shirt in red for 6th graders, navy blue for 7th graders and white for 8th graders.
- Students must have a charged Chromebook or personal device daily for learning.
- All students are greeted at Threshold by every teacher!
- Electronics are used for learning purposes, not gaming or social media during the school day.
- Dismissal begins at 4:45 p.m.
- No transportation changes will be made after 3:00pm
Please Note:
Students will not be in class on February 11 and 12. Classes will resume on Monday, February 15, 2021.
Need to Stock Up on School Supplies?
Are you running low on school essentials? If so, please stop by the Spring ISD Community Engagement Center for a free supplies giveaway on Monday, Feb. 1, between noon and 4 p.m. The Community Engagement Center address is 17125 Ella Blvd.
We will be distributing items such as hand sanitizer, school supplies, toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, masks and other useful supplies. For your safety, this event will be completely contactless. When you arrive, simply pop your trunk and we will place your bag of goodies inside! We are committed to helping our families have what they need to be successful in school so please take advantage of this great opportunity!
Make Your Voice Heard!
Two instructional calendar options have been developed for the 2021-22 school year, and the district is seeking your feedback before a recommendation is presented to the Board of Trustees.
The two calendar options presented for next school year were reviewed and endorsed by the district’s Advisory Committee on Education (ACE). As you’ll see, calendar Option A has a proposed start date of Aug. 16, with the last day of school for students on June 2. Calendar Option B would place the first day of school on Aug. 11 and end the school year before Memorial Day, on May 26.
Both calendar options would include a half-day of instruction on Sept. 17 and Feb. 11, to allow for parent-teacher conferences in the afternoon. In addition, both options would include a Fall Holiday on Oct. 11 and on Nov. 2 for Election Day.
The 2021-22 Instructional Calendar Survey is located on the Spring ISD website at www.springisd.org/calsurvey. Please review both options closely and select your preferred calendar by Wednesday, Feb. 3.
World Read Aloud Day
World Read Aloud Day highlights the importance of reading aloud and sharing stories. Kids are encouraged to select a book, find a friend and read aloud. Middle school students can do this easily, by reading to a younger sibling or a neighbor. This day also encourages parents to read aloud to their children. When parents read aloud to their kids, it helps foster language development and social-emotional learning and models a love for literacy. It also creates a spark in children to become joyful readers. Other benefits of reading aloud include:
Helping children acquire a larger vocabulary
Building a connection between the spoken and written word
Helping to increase attention span
Strengthens a child’s cognition
It helps provide a safe way to explore strong emotions
Put On Your Thinking Caps!
Throughout history, people have watched nature to help them understand the world. Before modern astronomy and high-powered telescopes, people watched the patterns of the sun, moon and stars to know when the seasons would change or when to plant their crops.
This Tuesday, Feb. 2, marks Groundhog Day, most famously celebrated in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where a group of local dignitaries consult a groundhog known as “Punxsutawney Phil” to help determine when warmer weather will return. According to the custom, if the groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If not, an early spring is on the way.
Discuss with your scholar, the Winter Solstice – the shortest day of the year – or the Spring Equinox – when day and night are equal in length. Do they know that Groundhog Day falls just about halfway between? That’s one reason why – long before it was called “Groundhog Day” – it held special meaning.
The legend of Punxsutawney Phil may sound a bit silly, but Groundhog Day is a great day to talk with your children about the changing of the seasons. It’s also a great time to do some fun experiments at home with light and shadow. Younger students might enjoy a game of “guess the shadow,” where family members use a flashlight to cast shadows on the wall, then take turns guessing what they are. Older students can dig a little deeper and learn about how Earth’s axial tilt helps create the seasons in the first place!
COVID-19 Reminders
Parents, if you or your student are ill, stay home. Please always check your child’s health before sending them to school, and if they show any signs of illness, such as a cough, sore throat, runny nose or fever, please keep them home. Here are some additional reminders:
If your student has been potentially exposed to someone who is sick, please do not send them to school.
For the safety of our students and staff, if your student has been tested and is awaiting results, please consider switching to remote learning until their results come back negative.
If someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19, do not send your student to school.
BMS Virtual Help Link
Every Thursday from 1pm - 4pm, Our Counselor, Ms. Revada will be available to support students and parents with remote learning needs.
It comes as no surprise that children are more successful when they have support from their parents. Reach out and ensure your Home - School Connection is in sync:
- Show interest in their child’s education
- Improve academic achievement
- Nurture kindness, respect, and responsibility
- Boost motivation
- Support homework and study habits
- Promote good behavior and self-discipline
- Build empathy and put an end to bullying
- Communicate effectively with teachers
Riding the bus? Read this!
As we prepare to bring back our Safety-First In-Person students in phases, we’ve updated our bus routes so parents can find their child’s bus stop.
Just visit our website and type in your address, school and/or grade to get the details. Spring ISD Transportation recommends all students arrive at their designated stop at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time of the bus. It’s important that students maintain social distancing as they wait for their bus and then follow all driver directions once they board.
Students will be asked to wear their masks while riding the bus and to use hand sanitizer upon boarding. To maintain physical distancing, we will transport only one student per seat while we are operating in condition “Orange.”
Please check out our videos on all of our health and safety protocols here: www.springisd.org/reopen
Technology Help and Resources
Free Internet Hotspots Now Available
Spring ISD is excited to share that the district is providing free internet hotspots for eligible students. Families who take advantage of this free service will get unlimited data, so you won’t need to use your own. You can also connect up to eight devices on one hotspot. Most importantly, students will be able to complete their school work and homework and connect with their teachers with more reliable internet.
Spring ISD is also partnering with Comcast Internet Essentials to provide free internet services for eligible families. For more information and to sign up, please call 281-891-6850.
New Spring ISD Help Desk Hours
Spring ISD’s Help Desk currently has new hours to better support our parents and community. The Help Desk will now be open from 5 - 8 p.m. Monday - Friday for additional support. Parents also have the option to contact their student's campus for help during school hours.
Contact the Help Desk at 281-891-6249.
Log into HAC to see your child's grades!
As we prepare to release progress reports and report cards this fall, we wanted to remind you of how to check your child’s grades on the Home Access Center.
To get started, log into the myspringisd portal and into HAC. Once there, you will find a "Grades" tab. When you click on "Grades", you will see where to locate your child’s progress report (IPR), report cards and more.
Remember, the username and password you use to log into the portal is the same username and password for logging into HAC. Also, parents should log in using their credentials, not their student’s.
Staying connected with your child’s academic progress is a great way to ensure your student’s success in school. See the attached handouts (Found under "Additional Resources") in English and Spanish for step-by-step directions.
User guides can be found under "Additional Resources".
Month-at-a-Glance
Week of February 1
- 1 - 5 Counselor's Week
- 1 - Virtual Parent University (10am & 5:30pm) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84958491422?pwd=WVVtbnRzMWU2YmZ6RHBZOVd2UG8zZz09
- 2 -3 Interim Benchmark Assessments
- 4 Houston Food Bank - Mobile Food Pantry Distribution
- 9 -10 Interim Benchmark Assessments
- 11 - 12 - Intercession Days, No School
Week of February 15
- TBD
Week of February 22
- TBD
Family Cooking Time Brings Benefits to All
A top focus at the beginning of any new year is nutrition. As you look for recipes to fuel the bodies of your family, remember to include your children in the planning. This helps build relationships, kids learn and practice math concepts, and it lays out the foundation for healthy eating. KidsHealth shares some of the benefits to spending this daily routine together:
Preschoolers have the opportunity to learn how meals are put together and feel included when having a hands-on experience.
School-aged children can learn the basics of cooking. Have them show you what they have learned in math class by measuring ingredients, then bring the science in as they combine them together.
Teens will appreciate being included in the planning of meals. Have them choose what goes on the menu and explore the many different cuisines available. They will appreciate assistance in improving their cooking skills, especially as they prepare to be independent adults later on.
While cooking is a great life skill, it also helps your child practice basic math by something as simple as counting eggs, slicing a pizza or pouring water into a measuring cup.
Kids learn how to problem solve what happens if something goes wrong
Helps young kids explore with their five senses
It also helps build communication skills
Family time is important at any stage of life. Be patient and get messy as you make these experiences more enjoyable with your family. Bon appétit!
Community Information
Tips to Stay Well this Cold and Flu Season
Flu season is here and it's important that we all stay vigilant and practice healthy routines to help lower the risk of getting sick. Many of these strategies are the same ones being used to protect against COVID-19 so they are especially important to follow.
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to protect yourself and the health of people around you. Here are a few tips to help you stay healthy:
Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Wear a mask in public and when around people who do not live in your household. Ensure that your child wears their mask correctly and safely, over both the nose and mouth.
Avoid close contact with people. Staying at least 6 feet away from people who don’t live in the same household and people who are sick.
When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, throw your tissue in the closest garbage can, and wash your hands.
Keep up with well-child visits and vaccines with pediatricians.
Help your child stay active. Regular physical activity can improve your child’s physical and mental health.
Bammel Middle School
Email: noreply@springisd.org
Website: https://www.springisd.org/bammelms2
Location: 16711 Ella Blvd, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 891-7900
Twitter: @BMSPatriots