SLMS Titan News
Week #36 - May 9, 2022
Greetings SLMS Parents, Guardians, Students, and Staff,
Congratulations once again to all of our 8th Grade Award recipients, as well as to our newly-inducted 7th grade students into the SLMS chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). These two events occurred last week, and they were well attended. Thank you, parents, for coming and supporting your children, and congratulations to these students again! Congratulations to the Theatre students under the leadership of Sarah Kelley and Jessie Ibrahim for their superior and excellent-rated performances, as well as their theatrical design contest winners from last Saturday! Congratulations to our 28 choir students, under the tutelage of Tracy Anderson, who earned positions in the All-Region Choir last weekend! Read below, as well, regarding two amazing sixth graders whose essays were named as finalists in the annual Do the Write Thing writing contest.
Our first two days of STAAR testing went well last week, and we have several more days of testing this week and next week. See the schedule below, as well as letter, linked below the schedule, which was sent to all SLMS parents last week, regarding STAAR testing and what to expect.
Thank you, parents and SLMS PTO, for loving on our teachers and staff last week during Teacher Appreciation Week. The time and effort that went into the galactic celebration of our staff was tremendous. Thank you so much!!! (see the image that shows only a fraction of the love shown to our staff by parents and PTO!)
This Wednesday, May 11, is the yearly observance of National School Nurse Day, and our fantastic nurse, Shetal Patel, along with her clinic aide, Cassandra Rodarte, are wholly dedicated to the well-being of every Titan. Please take a moment send them a note of thanks! Nurse - Shetal Patel (shetal.patel@fortbendisd.com) Clinic Aide - Cassandra Rodarte (cassandra.rodarte@fortbendisd.com)
Please take a moment to review the items in this week's Titan News regarding the following items:
- Greetings from Dr. Latoya Garrett - New SLMS Principal
- STAAR Testing Schedule 2022
- End of Year Expectations / Final Week of School
- REGISTRATION NOW OPEN for Club Excel - Please Act Quickly to Reserve Your Child's Place
- SLMS 6th Grade Students Recognized by the "Do The Write Thing" Challenge
- Back-to-School Orientation / Titan Camp
- PTO Elections - Wednesday, May 18 at 6:30 PM
- Summer Youth Running Camp Opportunity - Premier Running Camp 2022
- Yearbook Delivery Information
- Ordering School Supplies Online for 2022-23 School Year (Current 5th-7th graders)
- 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 14 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
Greetings from Dr. Latoya Garrett - New SLMS Principal
Greetings Sugar Land Middle School Titan Parents and Students,
I am excited and honored to officially be named as the principal for Sugar Land Middle School for the upcoming school year! SLMS has a strong tradition of excellence and a close community that is committed to growing and learning together. I look forward to joining the SLMS family and meeting everyone.
I want to share a little about myself with you. I joined FBISD in 2013 as an assistant principal at Sartartia Middle School and later became an assistant principal at Dulles High School. Previously, I worked in the Dallas/Fort Worth area as an elementary school teacher, counselor, and assistant principal. I attended Texas A&M University (Whoop!) where I met my husband and later earned my doctorate from the University of Houston (Go Coogs!). My husband and I have two daughters, ages 5 and 2 years old.
I am looking forward to working alongside the SLMS family to build lifelong learners and students who exemplify our Fort Bend ISD Profile of a Graduate.
I hope to see you soon. Thank you for welcoming me into the Titan family.
Sincerely,
Dr. Latoya Garrett
The Week At A Glance
Upcoming and Important Dates
- FBISD Board of Trustees Recognition of SLMS NJHS Peer-to-Peer Mentors - May 16
- May 19 - 8th Grade Exit Event at "Main Event" – in the afternoon
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
Download parent letter by clicking the link below.
End of Year Expectations / Final Week of School
We have posted our End of Semester Schedule, including additional year-end information, 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. This information will also be sent to you via email and included in Titan News. You may download the information by clicking the link below, as well. This is the letter that will be sent to our community via email, and it contains information regarding:
- Semester Exams and Final Week Class Schedule
- What to Bring to School May 23-26
- Looking Forward to Summer and Next Year
- Back-to-School Orientation / Titan Camp
- Summer Reading
- And much more
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN for Club Excel - Please Act Quickly to Reserve Your Child's Place
Registration for Club Excel, the Fort Bend ISD Extended Learning before and after-school program for middle school students, is now open.
To register for the 2022-23 school year, parents need to complete the online registration application in EZChildTrack. An application must be submitted for any student interested in attending the program next school year including current Extended Day students. You will need to complete all registration questions, including campus and grade level, and select the program that your child will be attending for the 2022-23 school year.
There is a $50 non-refundable registration fee due at the time of registration. This fee is required to secure your child's spot in the program for the 2022-23 school year.
After the application is submitted, notification about acceptance into the program will be sent to the email address on file. Each application is reviewed and approved and this process can take up to two weeks.
The Club Excel tuition rates for 2022-23 are listed below:
Club Excel - Middle School Before and After School Program
- Morning Only - $110
- Afternoon Only - $215
- Morning & Afternoon - $270
- FBISD Employee Rate - $245
Tuition for August and December are prorated. The first tuition payment for the school year must be paid on or before August 10, 2022. A minimum capacity must be met by July 6 in order to move forward with the program opening at SLMS in August. That will not be a difficult thing to do if everyone who indicated interest earlier this spring will go ahead and complete the registration process ASAP.
For more information about the program, visit www.fortbendisd.com/extendedlearning. For questions, please contact the Extended Learning Department at extendedlearning@fortbendisd.com or (281) 634-4220.
SLMS 6th Grade Students Recognized by the "Do The Write Thing" Challenge
Over 11,000 essays were submitted to the 2022 Houston/Harris County DO THE WRITE THING essay contest, and the Sugar Land Middle School finalists are sixth graders Chloe Nguyen and Edward Lay. Their essays about anti-violence and COVID restrictions were recognized for their confidence. Congratulations, Chloe and Edward, along with their ELA teacher, Mrs. Person
Back-to-School Orientation / Titan Camp
Our Titan Camp or “back to school” orientations are scheduled as follows. Please add these dates to your calendar, and plan to attend. Additional details will be posted on our campus webpage as plans develop.
Monday, August 1
- Newcomer 7th/8th, returning 7th Grade, and returning 8th Grade
- 9:00 AM until 11:30 AM, or
- 1:00 PM until 3:30 PM
Tuesday, August 2
- Incoming 6th Grade – 9:00 AM until 12:30 PM
Summer Youth Running Camp Opportunity - Premier Running Camp 2022
Premier XC Running Camp - July 6 - July 22
The challenging and fun workouts will improve your child's running, get them into their best shape, and prepare them for the upcoming cross country season. Workout sessions will be held on Mondays-Wednesdays-Fridays with an optional long run on Saturdays.
Three levels for campers of all abilities: Advanced (current mile time of 5:59 or faster - mostly MS & HS runners), Intermediate (current mile time between 6:00-8:00 - mostly HS, MS & elementary runners) and Intro (ages 6-12). Each camp will have sub-groups of about 10 runners each so each camper will work out with others of similar abilities. This allows them to make new friends, run with kids about the same speed and share the workload of each effort. These sub-groups will be constantly evaluated and adjustments (moving runners from one group to another) will be done as needed.
For Additional Information and Registration Information, please visit: https://thedriven.net/event-registration/site.race_reg/eid/41458123459?
Premier Running Camp 2022
Imperial Park
7752 US-90 Alt
Sugar Land, TX 77478
PTO Elections - Wednesday, May 18 at 6:30 PM
Please note that the location has changed from SLMS to Kempner HS for this election.
Yearbook Delivery Information
We are working on a yearbook distribution plan that most likely will take place in the second half of May (likely after STAAR). Stay tuned for details. There will be a limited number of yearbooks available for purchase, as well.
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.
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