SLMS Titan News
Week #34 - April 25, 2022
Greetings SLMS Parents, Guardians, Students, and Staff,
This week celebrates Administrative Professionals Day (Wednesday), and we will be buying lunch for our amazing office staff that day. Our school could not possibly run were it not for all of our incredible support staff whom students, staff, and parents rely upon every day! Please take a moment to thank them this week with a kind note, email, or a phone call! Congratulations to Mrs. Sarah Kelley (theatre) and Mrs. Munera Moid (7th grade science) for their being awarded grants by the Fort Bend Education Foundation this week. Mrs. Kelley’s grant was in the amount of $4,271.26, and Mrs. Moid’s grant was in the amount of $4,907.00. Both will attend a ceremony at Kempner HS on May 10 where they will be recognized. Congratulations to Mr. David Sinclair (librarian) and Mrs. Natisha Henry (6th grade ELA), whose NJHS chapter has been recognized as having one of the top FBISD peer-to-peer mentoring programs. Thank you to all of our student mentors who have faithfully contributed to this amazing recognition and for adding value to your peers' academic success at school! Congratulations to the student members of the Chamber Orchestra, as well as to directors Mrs. Leslie Campbell, and Mr. Ricky Lethridge, on their UIL Sweepstakes award this past Wednesday! Congratulations, also, to the members of the Honors and Symphonic Bands, and their directors Mrs. Amanda Payne, Mr. Timothy Pallone, and Mr. Jake Peralez for earning UIL Sweepstakes this weekend! With these awards, along with the previously shared UIL awards for our Choir and Theatre programs, the arts are alive and well at Sugar Land Middle School!
Starting this week on Advisory days (Tuesday and Wednesday), all students will report to their regularly scheduled Advisory teacher, as shown in Skyward. For the last several months, we have adjusted where students go in order to provide intervention, enrichment, and other opportunities for students without changing their schedule, since it was different on Tuesday compared to Wednesdays. Starting this Tuesday, April 26, however, all students will report to their normal Advisory teacher and classroom as shown in Skyward. Log into Skyward to see who your Advisory teacher is and where they are in case you do not remember. Not all students were shifted around; some stayed with their regular Advisory teacher all along. Just check your schedule in Skyward to know for sure.
Parents: THANK YOU for your incredible outpouring of help concerning the upcoming Teacher Appreciation Week. There are a few slots left in our PTO's Sign-Up Genius to help our community show the love to our teachers and staff on May 4th. See the article further down in the newsletter about Teacher Appreciation Week for the link to help out.
Parent Support Still Needed Regarding Cell Phones, Social Media, and After School Supervision
We struggled this past week with students responding appropriately to one another and to situations that came about during the day. This was (and is) further fueled by irresponsible and incendiary posts by students on social media platforms such as Instagram, What's App, Tik-Tok, and TELLONYM. The SLMS community received a letter from me earlier in the week that restated last week's Titan News message about needing help in 5 key areas. Help is still needed from parents in these areas, but it is most particularly needed in the area of the use of cell phones and social media, as these are at the very root of the disruptions and lack of ability for many students to interact appropriately and to work through conflict. We have been made aware of multiple user accounts on Instagram and Tik-Tok related to SLMS students that essentially are breeding grounds for cyberbullying and the incitement of physical aggression between students. These accounts have been reported to Instagram and Tik-Tok, as well as to local law enforcement and the FBISD IT forensic team. It is therefore imperative that parents who choose to provide their children with a smartphone realize that they are literally giving their children the keys to the world, a world they may not be developmentally ready for, especially if there is no daily supervision or understanding of the content their children consume, produce, and participate in. Please understand that even outside school hours, children's use of devices, social media, and even simple text messaging, has a massive effect on their lives during school hours. A post from last night could be the catalyst for a fight tomorrow. To be clear, if a parent is not fully engaged with what their child is consuming and producing with the device purchased by the parent for the child, chances are that their child is in some way contributing to the concerns referenced previously. Our school's ability to support students' mental health, safety, and well-being comes in direct proportion to the level of engagement and activity of the students' parents around their children's use of social media and Internet-capable devices. What happens at home directly affects what happens at school. Therefore, we encourage parents to participate in this Tuesday's Leave Your Device at Home day, where students take a one-day break away from their devices. Participation is certainly not required, but if you want to participate, the school supports you! It is not meant to be a cure-all, but it certainly would not hurt.
We have modified some aspects of daily life at SLMS in response to the concerns we have been facing:
- Staggered passing periods (6th/7th grade move first, followed by 8th grade)
- Adjustment of dismissal procedures (dismissing car riders, bike riders, and walkers first, and bus riders about 5 minutes later)
- Cell phones turned off and in the wall pockets in teachers' classrooms during instruction; if teacher does not have a wall pocket, the phones are off and in backpacks, and backpacks are at the front of the classroom
- Refer to the email from Thursday, April 21, for additional information
We also continue to have concerns regarding after school student supervision. Some students continue to wait for hours in nearby parks and playgrounds, both city and district-owned, for parents to pick them up or to walk/bike home after school. Twice in the last week the Sugar Land Little League has reported vandalism and theft at the baseball fields at the hands of what could only be students from Sugar Land MS. We are working with the district to start a program called Club Excel in 2022-23 based on the feedback received from our community the last two weeks, which could help in this regard. My hope is to be able to share the online application and fee structure for this program in the next newsletter. But for the remainder of this year, please encourage your children to simply go home after school is out if they are a walker or a bike-rider. Though we cannot forbid students to be on city-owned property, please understand that certain kinds of behavior, even after hours on non-district property, are covered under the district's Student Code of Conduct and are subject to consequences outlined in that document, in addition to any kinds of consequences from law enforcement agencies. Know, also, that SLMS staff do not take responsibility for, nor do they monitor, the city-owned parks that surround the school.
Please take a moment to review the items in this week's Titan News regarding the following items:
- FBISD Board of Trustees Meeting April 25 - Consideration/Approval of New SLMS Principal
- Changes to After School/Advisory Interventions and 5:00 Bus Service
- April Young Citizen of the Month - Shekinah Morancie
- Heather Martin Named SLMS Volunteer of the Year
- End of Semester Expectations/Schedule
- PTO Elections, Spirit Night, and Energy Conservation Award
- Teacher Appreciation Week - May 2 thru 6 PLEASE HELP OUR PTO!
- Ordering School Supplies Online for 2022-23 School Year (Current 5th-7th graders)
- Eighth Grade Exit Celebration at Main Event - Thursday, May 19, 2022
- SLMS School Report Card
- Immunizations for Current Sixth Graders and Readiness for Seventh Grade
- Safety Reminders for Vehicle Traffic at Arrival and Dismissal
- Birthday Messages on the SLMS Electronic Marquee
- Important Contact Information
Enjoy your week, and remember there are only 24 more school days for your child to shine and do his/her best. They will go by very quickly! Thank you in advance for your ongoing support of our school.
Sincerely,
Keith Fickel, Principal
#TitansOwnIt
The Week At A Glance
Upcoming and Important Dates
- May 2 through 6 - Teacher Appreciation Week
- May 2 through 6 - Spring Book Fair
- May 19 - 8th Grade Exit Event at "Main Event" – in the afternoon (details below)
STAAR Testing Schedule
- May 5 - Grade 8 Science
- May 6 - Grade 8 Social Studies
- May 10 - Grade 8 Mathematics/Algebra EOC
- May 11 - Grade 8 Reading
- May 12 - Grade 7 Mathematics
- May 13 - Grade 7 Reading
- May 16 - Grade 6 Mathematics
- May 17 - Grade 6 Reading
FBISD Board of Trustees Meeting April 25 - Consideration/Approval of New SLMS Principal on the Agenda
The FBISD Board of Trustees meeting agenda for Monday, April 25, includes a closed session item related to considering and approving the next SLMS principal. The agenda is rather long, so that decision, if approved, may come late in the evening. Here is a link to the BOT meeting livestream if you are interested in viewing the meeting. Please expect a formal communication to be sent to you, as well, introducing the new principal, once the Board of Trustees has approved the recommendation.
Changes to After School/Advisory Interventions and 5:00 Bus Service
Starting this week, after school interventions, as well as interventions during Advisory, will no longer take place. Consequently, our 5:00 PM bus service will no longer run, as well. If you were relying upon the 5:00 tutorial bus to take your child home, you will need to make other arrangements. Our apologies for the late notice.
April Young Citizen of the Month - Shekinah Morancie
Congratulations to 8th grader Shekinah Morancie who was named as the Sugar Land Exchange Club's Young Citizen of the Month! She was selected by her teachers, and she is going to be honored this Wednesday, April 27th, at the Exchange Club's monthly breakfast meeting at Sugar Creek Country Club. The purpose of the Young Citizen Award is to identify and reward 8th students who work hard at being good citizens at home, at school, and in the community. They do not shy away when there is a job to be done. They cooperate with teachers and parents. They may be a great student, strong athlete, or talented musically or artistically. More important, they are students engaged in their community.
Heather Martin Named SLMS Volunteer of the Year
Congratulations to Mrs. Heather Martin, our PTO Treasurer, who was named as SLMS Volunteer of the Year! She was pampered with a movie and a meal last week at Star Cinema Grill. Mrs. Martin, along with all of our PTO board members, spends countless hours in service of our school, and we love and appreciate her so much! Congratulations, Mrs. Martin!
UIL Sweepstakes for Chamber Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Honors Band!
Chamber Orchestra
Symphonic Band
Honors Band
End of Semester Expectations/Schedule
We have posted our End of Semester Schedule on a special page of our campus website dedicated to the end of the year. This schedule will is for the final week of the school year, which is May 23 through May 26. We will soon post additional information regarding what to bring, how lunches will work, and more. It will also be sent to you via email and included in a future edition of Titan News.
PTO Elections, Spirit Night, and Energy Conservation Award
SLMS PTO Board Elections for 2022-23
The SLMS PTO Board Elections will be on May 18, at 6:30 in the SLMS commons, just prior to the beginning band concert that is scheduled for that evening. All interested parents are welcome to attend and step up for a role (i.e. not just beginning band parents). Contact Lisa Vogel at vogelville2@yahoo.com
SLMS PTO Spirit Night at Live Oak Grill
Join us for the SLMS PTO Spirit Night this Wednesday, April 27, at Live Oak Grill. Please mention the SLMS PTO when placing your order, and 13% of receipts will go to SLMS PTO.
SLMS Named "Best Overall School" in FBISD Energy Setback
We are proud to announce that SLMS was named "Best Middle School" and "Best Overall School" in the district competition for energy setbacks over long breaks, like Thanksgiving, Winter Break, and Spring Break. Kudos to our teachers, staff, and students, for unplugging and ensuring that energy was not wasted at the school during long breaks!
Teacher Appreciation Week: May 2 thru 6 PLEASE HELP!
The first week of May is always Teacher Appreciation Week. On Wednesday, May 4, the SLMS PTO will be hosting a dessert, snacks, and treats potluck in the teachers lounge. Let's show our awesome teachers some love with some delicious goodies from a galaxy far, far away..... Please help the PTO by donating an item(s) below. Thanks for your contribution! Drop off donations on May 4 in student drop off line or front office by 10:00 AM on May 4. Non-perishable items may be delivered on May 3.
Please click this link to sign up for an item to bring on May 4.
Ordering School Supplies Online for 2022-23 School Year (Current 5th-7th graders)
The SLMS PTO wants to make it easy for you to get your child's school supplies for the 2022-23 school year, and they have partnered with Teacher Tailored / SchoolKidz to provide a convenient, cost-effective way to purchase supplies for next year. All of the supplies for your child's grade level are included, based off of the SLMS school supply list, which was created by the teachers. The only items not included are things like PE uniforms and specialty items needed for certain elective classes. PE uniform sales will begin in late July in a separate process. A list of items needed for specialty electives classes will be shared by your child's teacher once school starts.
Here are some of the reasons to consider ordering your supplies through this program:
- No hassle, no lines to get in
- Check one more thing off of your back-to-school to-do list
- You get everything on the school supply list in the correct quantities
- Supplies are delivered directly to school in a box labeled with your child's name (one less thing to have to bring to school)
- Most items are guaranteed by the company to last the entire school year and will be replaced if that doesn't happen
- Cost-effective (kits range from $55-60), and you won't even be charged sales tax!)
- You help the PTO, which in turn helps the students and teachers!
Here is how to order:
Online
- Visit http://www.shopttkits.com, and enter our school's program code, which is 93458
- Orders are taken online through May 20, 2022
Paper Order Form
- If you need to order via a paper order form, please download and print one here, and turn it in to Sugar Land MS, along with payment to the SLMS PTO, by May 13, 2022
Orders will be delivered to the school and distributed to students at a date to be determined. If you have questions, please contact Jennifer Khorchani at jkhorchani@gmail.com.
Eighth Grade Exit Celebration at Main Event - Thursday, May 19, 2022
On Monday, April 4, eighth grade students received a paper version of the document linked below regarding their Exit Celebration at Main Event in Stafford on the afternoon of May 19, 2022. They received the paper version in their 7th period class. This event is sponsored by our SLMS PTO. It costs $25.00, all inclusive. We will board buses at 1:30, and have time from 2:00-6:00 at the venue. We will return on buses to SLMS at 6:15, where parents will need to be waiting to pick up their child in the bus ramp parking lot (but not against the bus ramp itself).
We will collect forms and money during B and C Lunches starting Monday, April 11, and running through Friday, April 29. Contact Mr. Goodwin or Mrs. Seright with questions.
SLMS School Report Card
Please visit this link to view the 2020-21 state and federal report cards for SLMS. This information was also emailed to SLMS parents on February 26.
Immunizations for Current Sixth Graders and Readiness for Seventh Grade
Your sixth-grade child did or will receive the TDAP and the Meningitis vaccines at their 11-year-old check-up. If they have had these vaccines, please provide proof of this to the clinic when your child gets them. These are the required shots for seventh grade and providing them as soon as you get them will keep your child compliant. and be one less thing for you to do in preparation for seventh grade. You may email it to Nurse Patel at Shetal.Patel@fortbendisd.com or fax it to (281) 327-8745.
Our experience has been that some parents wait until the last possible minute to be in compliance with these immunization requirements. Please help us help your child be ready for next year, as it will approach faster than you think!
Safety Reminders for Vehicle Traffic During Arrival and Dismissal
Safety is important during arrival and dismissal each day. Some things we continue to notice that we want to bring to your attention include:
- Drivers on cell phones/devices while in the car rider line
- Students entering/exiting vehicles along Seventh Street instead of in the circle drive
- Students entering/exiting vehicles in parking lots on either side of the building instead of in the circle drive
- Students entering/exiting vehicles on the drivers' side rather than the passenger side
- Drivers turning left out of the circle drive (it's a posted no left turn during school zone hours)
- Speeding in the school zone and driving too fast in the car rider line
- Parents and students crossing Seventh Street in places other than the crosswalk monitored by our crossing guard
Please help us help you and your children (and our staff) to remain safe by being mindful of these concerns during arrival and dismissal.
Birthday Messages on SLMS Marquee
Does your SLMS child have an upcoming birthday? Would you like to wish them a happy birthday on our new digital campus marquee? The PTO is coordinating birthday messages to go on our marquee as a means of raising funds to help meet needs of students and teachers. Publicizing your child's birthday is only $15.00. Please follow these simple steps to get your child's birthday announced on the marquee:
- Visit https://my.cheddarup.com/c/slmspto
- Scroll down to the "Happy Birthday Marquee" item
- Click "Add to Cart"; you are redirected to another screen where you will
- Enter information about your child and select the style of announcement you wish to see on the marquee
- Click "Add to Cart ($15.00)"
- Review your order
- Click "Continue to Forms"
- Enter your child's name and grade level
- Click "Continue to Payment" and finish your purchase
Note that submissions must be received at least two weeks ahead of the desired date to be posted on our campus marquee. Please contact Heather Martin of the SLMS PTO at heathermartincpa@gmail.com with questions. And feel free to order SLMS swag like hoodies, t-shirts, and more while you are ordering your child's birthday message!
Important Contact Information
- Associate Principal - Monika Martin (monika.martin@fortbendisd.com)
- Counselor - Nafecia Brinson (nafecia.brinson@fortbendisd.com)
- Assistant Principal - Dr. Dawn Rogers (dawn.rogers@fortbendisd.com)
- Counselor - Eleni Smith (eleni.smith@fortbendisd.com)
Eighth Grade
- Assistant Principal - Luster Goodwin (luster.goodwin@fortbendisd.com)
- Counselor - Kim Seright (kimberly.seright@fortbendisd.com)
Counselor Clerk - Carmen Brantley (carmen.brantley@fortbendisd.com)
Assistant Principal Secretaries
- 7th and 8th Grade - Tina Garcia (diamantina.ibarragar@fortbendisd.com)
- 6th Grade - Sherri Woodcock (sherri.woodcock@fortbendisd.com)
Attendance - Mary Beth LaVergne (mary.lavergne@fortbendisd.com)
Registrar - Tandi Phillips (tandi.phillips@fortbendisd.com)
Nurse - Shetal Patel (shetal.patel@fortbendisd.com)
Clinic Aide - Cassandra Rodarte (cassandra.rodarte@fortbendisd.com)
Campus Assessment Coordinator - Becky White (becky.white@fortbendisd.com)
Executive Assistant to Principal Fickel - Mary Connealy (mary.connealy@fortbendisd.com)
Sugar Land Middle School
46 Years
1975-2021
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
#NewBeginnings
#Resilience
Office Hours
8:20-4:20 PM
Email: keith.fickel@fortbendisd.com
Website: www.fortbendisd.com/slms
Location: 321 7th Street, Sugar Land, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 634-3080
Twitter: @SLMSTitans