Stafford Spotlight
Stafford Middle School Newsletter - Back to School 2016
Welcome Back!
Dear Stafford Families:
We hope this newsletter finds you enjoying the summer with family, friends, and our students of course! The 2015-2016 school year was a great one. With the opening of Trent Middle School, we went from almost 1200 students to 750 students and found there to be more room in the halls. Our portables left campus and we so enjoyed having everyone back inside all day long to enjoy the culture of Stafford! As a staff we continued to get to know our students by name and need. They showed they are exemplary in every way: in the classroom, at fine arts’ venues, on the field/court, and at every competition!
For those of you who have been part of our Stafford family for a while, you will notice a change in administration when we see you again. After 8 great years together, Mrs. Duffey and Mr. Westby will no longer be a part of the Stafford staff, but will always be a part of our family. Mrs. Duffey has been named the principal of Clark Middle School and Mr. Westby will be an assistant principal at Wakeland High School. We will all miss them but wish them nothing but the best; they were instrumental in creating the wonderful place that we call Spartan Country!
Mr. Brown and Mrs. Fowler will now be serving as our assistant principals. Many of you already know Mr. Brown as he has served in the role as teacher and admin intern over the past few years. Mrs. Fowler is joining us from Garland ISD where she has most recently served as an instructional design facilitator. Each of these educators brings over 15 years of experience to our campus! We look forward to all that they will bring to our staff, students, and families. Please welcome them when you see them!
As communication is important to us, please see the newsletter provided. Should you have any questions, please contact the school directly. We look forward to another amazing year!
Sincerely,
Stafford Administration
Back to School
Back to School Dates
NEW STUDENT TESTING
August 5th – 9:00 AM
PAPERWORK DROP OFF
August 2nd & 3rd – 8:00-11:00 AM & 1:00-4:00 PM
August 4th – 1:00-4:00 & 5:30-7:30 PM
Required Paperwork includes Proof of Residency – July/August Utility Bill and an updated immunization record for incoming 7th graders. Registration must be complete before a student can receive their schedule at schedule pick up dates and attend school.
CAMP SPARTA – STUDENTS AND PARENTS
For Incoming 6th Grade and New to Frisco ISD Students August 9th – 6:00-8:00 PM
7th & 8th GRADE SCHEDULE PICK UP
August 16th – 4:00–7:00 PM
ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT PICK UP & PAPERWORK VERIFICATION
August 16th
Girls Athletics – 8th Grade 4:00-5:30 PM & 7th Grade 5:30–7:00 PM
Boys Athletics – 8th Grade 4:00-5:30 PM & 7th Grade 5:30-7:00 PM
FOOTBALL PARENT MEETING
August 17th – 6:00 PM
LAST CHANCE SCHEDULE PICK UP
August 18th – 2:00–4:00 PM (Office will be closed to visitors Thursday Morning, August 18th and Friday, August 19th for Staff Development)
LOCKER SET UP TIMES
August 11th – 2:00-4:00 PM
August 12th – 9:00-11:00 AM & 2:00-4:00 PM
August 16th – 4:00-7:00 PM
August 18th – 2:00-4:00 PM
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
August 22nd from 8:25 AM – 3:35 PM
PICTURE DAY
September 2nd
Registration for Pre-Registered and Returning Families
In May and throughout the summer, Frisco ISD emailed all returning families the Infosnap and unique snapcode information for 2016-17 school year for each student enrolled. Every student must complete this process online and turn in the required paperwork to Stafford before receiving their schedule for the upcoming year. If you did not receive the email, please contact Stafford by calling the front office at 469-633-5100 or emailing Kim Shamsy at shamsyk@friscoisd.org.
Required paperwork includes a current proof of residency (July/August utility bill, lease/rental agreement or contract on a new home). Also, all students who are entering 7th grade will be required to show proof of immunizations with nurse’s approval. This must be completed before a schedule may be picked up and the student is allowed to attend school.
You may drop off required paperwork at Stafford’s front office August 2nd and 3rd from 8:00 to 11:00 AM or 1:00 to 4:00 PM, and on August 4th from 1:00 to 4:00 PM or 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
Summer Reading
Instruction involving summer reading will begin early in the school year. Students should read the assigned texts carefully and be prepared for discussions, journals, compositions, and other assignments during the first few weeks of school. Each student is encouraged to bring the book to his/her ILA class on the first day, if possible.
School Supply List
Meet the Teacher Night
Schedule Changes
Stafford Policies and Procedures
School Hours
The school day is from 8:25 AM to 3:35 PM. Students may arrive to school NO earlier than 7:15 AM and will not be supervised until they are allowed to enter the building at 7:45 AM. Students will report to their designated location until dismissed to 1st period. For both student safety and building security, we ask students who are unsupervised to be out of the building by 3:45 PM and off campus by 4:00 PM each day. The front office closes at 4:15 PM each day.
Attendance
You want this year to be your child’s best year in school—but how do you help? Make sure your child is in school—every day! Research shows a link between being in school and doing well in school. Missing even one lesson—and not getting caught up quickly— can cause students to fall behind. Regular and punctual attendance is the greatest single factor in school success.
Please make every attempt to have your student to school on time. The first bell rings in the morning at 8:20 AM. If your child enters the building after the second bell rings at 8:25 AM, they are considered tardy. If your child must be absent for the day, please contact our receptionist by 10:00 AM. We want to make sure that each child is accounted for each day. After 10:00 AM, attendance coding will be in Home Access Center (HAC) and it will show UP (Unexcused with Parent Notification). Please note a phone call does not take place of the required written note or email and does not excuse an absence.
Here is a quick reminder of our note policy:
For ILLNESS: You can use a parent note to excuse 4 consecutive days of illness. It is coded as EP – excused by parent note. Phone calls from parents are recorded, but the absence is not excused until a note or email is received.
When a student’s absences exceed five days a doctor's note is required to excuse the absences. This means starting the 5th day, a doctor’s note is required to excuse the absence and for any additional days beyond the 5th day. Parent notes are recorded, but do not excuse the absences at this point.
For APPOINTMENTS: If the absence is for an appointment, a dentist or doctor note will be required to excuse the absence. Parent notes are recorded, but do not excuse the absence when an appointment occurs. Parent notes notifying the office of an appointment are coded as UP - unexcused with parent notification.
You have 3 days from the date of the absence(s) to turn in the doctor’s note. Doctor’s notes may be turned in to the front office or faxed to 469-633-5110.
Truancy and Attendance Requirements:
Please be aware of the following attendance requirements that are in place for the 2016-17 school year:
- Middle school attendance is recorded each class period. State law requires students to attend 90% of the class meeting times in order to be awarded credit. If a student misses more than 9 days of a class, whether excused or unexcused, in a semester, he or she will not be awarded credit for the class.
- A student with three or more unexcused absences (in any class period) will receive a truancy warning letter and be placed on an Attendance Improvement Plan. Truancy may be filed for students who have 10 or more unexcused absences in a 6 month period. When a student has missed more than 10 minutes in a class the student is considered to be absent from that class. This rule applies to students being signed in late in the morning and if they are signed out early during the day.
- When a student accumulates 5 parent notes excused or unexcused, they will be placed on an attendance contract. Absences will only be excused at this point with a doctor note.
- Written notification is required to excuse a student absence and may be submitted online via email. The notification must be received within 3 days of the absence. Doctor and dentist notes are also acceptable excuses for absences.
Sign-In and Sign-Out Procedures
To help reduce disruption to instruction, and most importantly, for the safety of our students, we are unable to have students leave their classes before a parent/guardian or an authorized person arrives and their driver’s license is verified in the front office. Only adults that you have listed as emergency contacts on your student’s Infosnap information will be allowed to check out your student.
Once the verification process has been completed, the student will then be called out of their class. Please allow extra time for this process to occur. Thank you for your understanding.
Tardies and Leaving Early
If a student is tardy to class throughout the day, the student must print a pass from the Tardy Gate. This is centrally located by the front office.
Consequences will be assigned by an administrator in the following manner:
1st and 2nd offense: Warning
3rd offense: C-Hall – 1 hour
4th offense: C Hall – 1 hour
5th offense: Thursday Night Reflection (TNR) – 3 hours
6th or more offense: Thursday Night Reflection (TNR) – 3 hours
In the event that a student arrives to school tardy, the student must check in at the front office. When a student has missed more than 10 minutes in a class, the student is considered to be absent from that class. This rule applies to students being signed in late in the morning and if they are signed out early during the day. Doctor/Dentist’s notes are required to excuse students that leave or come in after an appointment.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures
Bus Transportation
Electronic Devices
Possession/Use of Devices
Students may use their devices in the general areas of the school before the school day begins. Students may not use devices without teacher permission if they are in classrooms during tutorials or once they are released to their first class of the day. Students shall not use a telecommunications device, including a cellular telephone or other electronic device, in violation of district and campus rules. If a student uses such a device, leaves the device turned on or displays the device after this time, it will result in confiscation of the device. The device will only be returned to a parent or guardian.
Penalty for misuse:
1st offense- device confiscated and returned to the parent with a warning
2nd offense- device confiscated and returned to the parent after $15 fine is paid
3rd offense- device confiscated and returned to the parent after $15 fine is paid
4th offense- device confiscated for the remainder of the year and will be returned to the
parent after $15 fine is paid
Code of conduct discipline may be implemented for certain violations.
*Note: Students bring phones and other items to school at their own risk. Frisco ISD will not be held responsible if a phone or other item is lost, stolen or misplaced, including those that have been confiscated.
Dress Code Policy and Infractions
The dress and grooming standards of the Frisco Independent School District are meant to promote a positive, professional learning environment where the focus is on instruction and not on clothing. Clothing, hairstyles, and accessories should not be disruptive, immodest or compromise student safety. Students shall come to school looking clean, neat, and appropriate. Students in violation of the district’s dress code will be sent to the front office to change into clothing provided by the school and will not be allowed to change into their own extra set of clothing or call home for a change of clothes. Parents will be notified by an administrator for each violation.
The consequences for dress code violations are as follows:
1st offense - Warning
2nd offense - C-Hall and Parent Contact
3rd offense - Thursday Night Reflection
4th and all subsequent offenses - ISS
*Dress code violations accumulate throughout the school year and do not reset at semester. Campus administrators will have final authority regarding dress code violations.
Lockers/Backpacks
Each student is assigned a school locker to store their school supplies and personal items. Students may not share lockers with one another and should not share their locker combinations. Although students are allowed to decorate their own lockers, they may not do so with tape or adhesives of any kind. Students may not decorate the lockers of others at any time. Also, lockers may be searched at any time as they remain the property of FISD.
Students are allowed to transport their school supplies and personal items to and from school in a backpack. Once the school day begins, however, all backpacks must be stored in the student's assigned locker. Backpacks may not be carried into the classrooms, and they may not be carried in the halls or around the school.
Student IDs
Academics
Home Access Center- HAC
Home Access Center (HAC) is an internet service offered by Frisco ISD to help keep parents informed of their child's academic performance at school. Grades, absences, and tardies may be accessed through HAC by parents and students. Students may use the program to monitor their grades and check assignments. Also, parents are encouraged to check on their child’s academic progress through HAC to ensure their child is completing assignments. The completion of classroom and daily assignments has a direct effect on students’ test scores and their grades. Teachers will update grades in HAC weekly.
All 7th and 8th grade students returning to Stafford have already been assigned a User ID and password. At the beginning of the school year, new students and incoming 6th graders will receive instructions regarding the utilization of this system and will be assigned their user ID and password.
Progress reports (IPR) and six week report cards are posted to HAC. You will receive a school messenger from Stafford when progress report and report card grades have been uploaded to HAC for viewing. If your child receives a grade of a 70 or below, mandatory tutorials are recommended and noted on the progress/report card. The mandatory tutorial schedule will be available on the Stafford website (and below) and tutorials are scheduled on specific days for specific subjects. Also, please check your child’s progress report and report cards for any comments your child’s teacher might include.
Mandatory Tutorials
Teachers may assign students to mandatory tutorials to ensure academic success. These mandatory tutorials will take place before or after school during normal tutorial hours. If a student is not passing a class on the 3-week progress report or report card, a minimum of one mandatory tutorial per week for each failing class will be assigned until the next grade report is issued and the student is passing. Failure to attend mandatory tutorials will result in a teacher detention. Failure to serve the detention will result in additional consequences.
The mandatory tutorial schedule is as follows:
Monday—History
Tuesday—ILA
Wednesday—Science
Thursday—Math
Health and Nutrition
Breakfast/Lunch
Students may purchase breakfast before school or lunch during their designated lunch period. Students must have funds on their account, and these may be set up using MyPaymentsPlus.
Please see the following link for more meal account information:
More information about the Frisco ISD Food and Nutrition program can be found at:
Required Shots for All Students Entering 7th Grade
Varicella: Two doses are required.
Meningoccal: One dose is required.