Bear Bulletin
November 14, 2021
Celebrate GenTX Week This Week: Wear College and/or Military Shirts ALL Week!
Topics Included in this Newsletter
- Note from Mrs. Spencer
- Mark Your Calendars, Bears!
- SBISD Veterans Day Production Link
- SBMS Finals Schedule
- SBMS GenTX Week
- SBMS Turkey Grams
- Student Personal Device Reminders and Request
- Secondary Parent U Opportunity
- SBISD-Houston Health Department COVID Testing
- Information from Nurse Mulvey for 6th Grade Parents
- SBMS Yearbook Information
- SBMS PTA Information for 2021-2022
Message from Mrs. Spencer
Good Morning, SBMS Bears,
One more week until the Thanksgiving holiday! Thank you to each of you for all of your support of your students and our staff at SBMS. We are having such a great year! On and off through the day as I drafted this last week, I heard students preparing for band regionals, new students from other countries attempting to present recipes in English, students excited about the start of basketball season, kids reading in their Language Arts classrooms and lots of students working on becoming stronger students in a variety of disciplines. We have much for which to be thankful! Among the things I count as blessings, being part of this school community is one of them. A few things for this week:
- Student Personal Technology: Please read the article below closely and check in with your students and their devices. Student mental health, peer relationships and positive technology footprints require parental supervision and guidance periodically.
- Parent U: There is a Parent U session on Literacy for Middle School on the 16th. Scroll down for information. It is important that we keep growing our middle schoolers as readers.
- SBMS Picture Retakes, Thursday, November 18th: We are hosting picture retakes on Thursday, November 18th during lunch. Students wishing to have a retake can report to the cafeteria and they will be released to get their picture taken. No additional forms are needed, simply ask your child to remember to present themselves for the retake.
- 8th Grade Volleyball vs Faculty: On Friday, November 19th, we will host our 8th Grade Volleyball team vs Faculty Game. For this year, no guests or other grades will attend; this event will be a special event for 8th graders only. To ensure we have enough playing time and do not interrupt instruction, an alternate schedule will be held that day. You may view it by clicking here.
- End of Semester Finals Schedule: You may access the schedule here.
- End of Semester Early Dismissal: Just a reminder that the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of our last week of our fall semester are Early Release Days for secondary schools. School will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 15th- Friday, December 17th.
Please note that no newsletter will come out Sunday, November 21st. The next newsletter will be distributed Sunday, November 28th in light of our Thanksgiving break.
Thanks, all!
Stefanie
Mark Your Calendars, Bears!
Mark your calendars for a few events, Bears:
- SBMS Students should wear a military or a college shirt all week!
- SBMS 8th Grade Volleyball vs Faculty: November 19th (8th Grade ONLY)
- SBISD Thanksgiving Holiday (Student/Staff): November 22nd- November 26th
- SBISD End of Semester Early Dismissal: Wednesday, December 15th- Friday, December 17th at 12:30 p.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
This link will take you to an amended schedule for the last week of the fall semester. During that week, seventh and eighth graders will take a final in all subject areas with few exceptions. Sixth graders will take their PSAs (Priority Standards Assessments) in reading, math and science. They may have unit or regular tests in their other subjects, as well. In the spring, all students in grades six, seven and eight will take finals in most classes.
Please note that on days where there are no finals posted, students will be completing work, submitting missing assignments and making sure their semesters are closed out in regards to their grade levels. Attendance is collected every day that week, so attendance expectations are the same for each day.
Social Media Safety Request from SBMS
Each spring, we regularly see an increase in issues related to student social media interactions. Unfortunately, the increase in concerns has begun early. It would be helpful if every parent could review their child's cell phone and social media applications for the following:
- Ask your child to delete or stop subscribing to fake SBMS accounts (Instagram, maybe elsewhere) where content is unacceptable, unkind or dramatizing.
- Ensure that their accounts are set to private so no one you or they do not know can access their accounts.
- Ensure your children know every single person they are following and have connected with- some of our children haven't realized the need to decline friend requests from strangers. They may need assistance detecting fake accounts.
- Review their DMs (direct messages) in their instagram and their group texts on their cell phones. You do not want them to be part of messaging that cover unkind or inappropriate content.
- Ensure your child is not sharing an account or password with others.
- Review their pictures, as well.
We would strongly prefer that they receive this guidance from you at home so they can come to school ready to learn, free from the hurt feelings some of this is generating and the consequences that could result. It is important that students know that their technology footprint can hinder their options for admission into colleges, the military and possible job opportunities. There could be consequences at SBMS if their participation in something disrupts instruction or can be considered inappropriate or along the lines of bullying or harassment.
Conversations like this are difficult but necessary. They may not wish for you to review their phone, but doing so can prevent issues and actually help them make better choices. It is sometimes helpful to kids when they can say to a friend that they cannot participate in something because their parents monitor them. It is a nice excuse for them to have in their back pocket.
Join us for a fun evening of rhyming, blending, and manipulating sounds to build phonological awareness with our young readers. We will share plenty of family-friendly ideas and tips to support and engage your young and striving readers at home. This will be conducted via Zoom on November 16th and presented by SBISD’s Humanities, Dyslexia and Multilingual Departments. Register online through these links: English/Spanish.
SBMS Celebrates GenTX Week!
Next week our campus will celebrate Generation TX designed to encourage access and success beyond high school! All over Texas, students are making connections to each other and determining the necessary steps on the path to college and career education. Our goal in Spring Branch ISD is to support the mission of T-2-4 by helping each student attain a technical certificate, military training, or a two-year or four-year degree. In honor of this mission and Generation TX, we encourage your student to wear a college or military shirt all next week! We will play various fight songs throughout the day during passing periods and students will be exposed to the various colleges their teachers attended! This is also a great time to see what your students have been working on in Naviance. If you need assistance logging into Naviance, then please reach out to your grade level counselor.
More information about T-2-4 can be accessed here.
Thanks and Gig ‘Em!
Ms. Richie, Mr. Barry and Ms. Spencer
SBMS Turkey Grams: Send a Message of Gratitude
Students have been given time to write a message or messages of gratitude to teachers and staff, but if any families want to join in you are welcome to do so! Simply download this file, print and return to school with your student or email it to me at stefanie.spencer@springbranchisd.com. Please send no later than Monday, November 15th so I can get them to the right staff. You are welcome to use with your families, as well.
SBMS Veterans Day Performance Link
Please enjoy the Veterans' Day production that our Fine Arts team produced using student work. It is an outstanding tribute to our American heroes.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QCMoljMLEQAjf0ud0dkxqsZBRlck8AUZ/view?usp=sharing
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
SBMS 2021-22 Yearbook!
Yearbooks are now on sale for $60! Buy one here or go to tinyurl.com/sbmsyearbook
Tributes/ads for students are also on sale! When buying your yearbook, make sure you scroll to the bottom of the site and you can order a half page, ¼ page, or shoutout ad for your child. Make sure you order and finish designing this ad by JANUARY 31!
The yearbook staff would love your help gathering photos related to the following topics/events for inclusion (we need photos of the highlighted topics the most)
-Bear Camp
-Fine arts concerts/shows (band, orchestra, choir, theatre)
-Dance Club
-Football
-Your child dressed up for Red Ribbon Week
-Honors assemblies
-Volleyball
-Halloween
-Unusual pets
You can upload photos for the yearbook staff using the Balfour Imageshare app on your phone. Note: the project number is 209143 and there is NO upload code. You may also send any photos for the yearbook staff to Sara Boyle, sara.boyle@springbranchisd.com. Contact Sara Boyle, sara.boyle@springbranchisd.com with any other questions about the yearbook!
Upcoming dates:
January 1, 2022: Yearbook price increases to $65
January 31, 2022: Last day to buy and complete an AD/TRIBUTE for your student
March 4, 2022: Last day to PERSONALIZE yearbook (name stamp, activity icon)
March 15, 2022: Last day to send in yearbook photos for inclusion in the book
Sara Boyle
Journalism Teacher, Yearbook and Newspaper Adviser
Spring Branch Middle School
SBISD-Houston Health Department COVID Testing
We are pleased to announce a new partnership with Harris County Public Health to provide a mobile Covid-19 testing pilot program.
Here are details:
Location: Darrell Tully Stadium (north side of stadium)
Hours: Wednesdays only, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Duration: Pilot will run for the next 4-6 weeks
Type of Test: PCR Test – results typically in 36-48 hours
The mobile testing site is open to SBISD students, staff and families.
Individuals wishing to test at this site should register in advance at this link. Individuals may register in person, depending on availability.
Parents/guardians of minors must complete the attached Informed Consent Form. Copies of the form will also be available at the testing site.
Questions may be directed Harris County Public Health’s Testing Center at 832.927.7575.
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
PTA hosts events that support all students, teachers & staff. The tireless volunteers are constantly working for us all. Our amazing fundraising volunteers are raising money to provide staff appreciation lunches, student social activities and teacher supplies. If you don’t have time to volunteer, no worries, you can join the PTA and support our school without any time commitment. Click here https://sbmspta.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/15401 to join today.
Missed Last Week's Bear Bulletin?
Please click below by date and you may access previous editions:
- November 7th Bear Bulletin
- October 31st Bear Bulletin
- October 24th Bear Bulletin
- October 17th Bear Bulletin