Jaguar Tales
September 1, 2023
Hello, Jaguar Family!
What a great week at Cedar Valley! We loved seeing everyone who was able to make it to Open House on Wednesday night. It was so nice to visit with our families to build and maintain the home-to-school connection. Our partnership is vital to student success! If you were not able to make it, most teachers will be sharing communication soon.
Our volleyball teams also kicked off their competitive season this week - with wins! Congrats to our 7th and 8th grade volleyball teams for a job well done!
Please remember that Monday, September 4 is a staff and student holiday. There will be no school on Monday. We will resume our regular schedule of classes on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
Have a great three day weekend!
Larissa Ortiz
Cedar Valley Middle School Principal
Larissa_ortiz@roundrockisd.org
512-428-2307
Reminder: No School Monday, Sept. 4, 2023
Lady Jags Volleyball!
Congratulations to our Lady Jags Volleyball teams for dominating on the court last night against Canyon Vista. Way to go!
7th Grade A won in 2 sets: 25-11, 25-12
7th Grade B won in 3 sets: 25-16, 24-26, 25-11
8th Grade A won in 2 sets: 25-20, 25-23
8th Grade B won in 2 sets: 25-19, 25-14
Thank you, PTA!
Big, big, big thanks to our PTA for providing dinner for our staff on Wednesday night. Open House night makes for a long day for our teachers and providing dinner for them was a nice way to support their work. We definitely felt the love!
Cedar Valley Tutorial Schedule
Students are encouraged to attend tutorials as needed and our staff is willing and ready to help them! Please see the tutorial schedule.
Food and Drinks
We want to remind parents that food and drinks are not permitted in the hallway. All food must remain packed away and drinks are only allowed in resealable bottles when in the hallway. If your child is trying to finish breakfast from home in the morning, we ask that all food and drinks be consumed in the cafeteria. If your child arrives with food and/or drinks from restaurants or nearby coffee shops, it will need to be finished or disposed of before entering the hallway.
Spirit Night - Wednesday, September 13, 5-8pm
SMART Tag Info For Bus Riders
Is your student a new bus rider?
Parents:Go to the SMART tag Parent Portal and register to take advantage of the SMART tag parent features.
Students: You must stop by the Jag Lobby to register for a tag with Mrs. Samuelson. Tags are NOT issued during online registration. First pass is free.
Lost your tag? Lost tags will cost $5 to reorder. Tags will not be preordered without payment, so bring $5 cash when you come to reorder.
Make sure to register!
Go to the SMART tag Parent Portal and register to take advantage of the SMART tag parent features. If you are using a smartphone, you will be prompted to save the web app to your home screen. This will place the Parent App tile on your mobile device for easy access.
SMART Tag will help…
- Improve safety and automation of tasks, better enabling drivers to focus on the safe transport of students.
- Ensure riders will load on the right bus and unload at the right stop.
- The SMART tag system wirelessly transmits information to our transportation department staff to including:
- The names of the students on board each bus.
- Notification of an approaching bus.
- The ability to view a student’s ridership activity.
CeVMS YEARBOOK 2023 - 2024
All the things you need to know about ordering the Cedar Valley yearbook and portraits this year are
noted below. You can always find the most up to date information here.
School Pictures
School picture day is right around the corner on Friday, September 22nd, with retakes/make-ups scheduled for Thursday, November 9th.
Individual school pictures will be taken by 1st Photo Texas throughout the school day. Advisory teachers will distribute the school photo order forms to students about two weeks prior to picture day. The easiest way to order is to pay online using the code provided on the order form. Students paying with cash or check, will hand their order form and payment to the 1st Photo Texas photographers on September 22nd.
Ordering a Yearbook
Yearbooks are currently available for purchase and have been selling fast! Click here to order your Jaguar Yearbook. If you order by August 25th, you get four free icons when you personalize your book, not to mention the book is only $45 - the cheapest it will be all year. After August 25th, the price goes up to $50 and will steadily increase throughout the year. There will be a few books available for purchase after we distribute the pre-ordered books in May, but they will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. The only way to guarantee a copy is to pre-order online! Seriously, don’t wait until it is too late!
8th Grade Student Recognition Ads
Don’t forget about those special pages in the back of the yearbook full of adorable pictures and sweet words from parents. Click HERE then scroll down to Recognition Ads to create and order your ad. This is a great way to congratulate and honor your child as you send them off to high school!
The deadline to purchase Recognition Ads is February 8th!
Kickin’it Back to Summer
Our CeVMS yearbook always includes a summer section to celebrate students’ summer adventures and memories. To create this spread, the staff needs your help. Thanks to everyone who has already shared some awesome summer photos! To be on this spread in the yearbook, please send your best summer photos (limit of 3 please) in JPEG format to Kathleen_Johnston@roundrockisd.org by September 29th. Please provide the first name, last name, and grade level of students in the pictures. A yearbook staff member will gather all the fun details during a short interview with their fellow Jags.
If you have any questions, please contact Cedar Valley’s Yearbook advisor, Kathleen Johnston at Kathleen_Johnston@roundrockisd.org.
Breakfast and Lunch
Our students have done a great job learning and following cafeteria expectations. The first day of school presented some challenges between lunch periods, but we have re-evaluated our systems and have made adjustments to reduce crowding in the halls.
Please review the information below as needed.
Add Funds:
You may add funds to your child's breakfast and lunch account online here.
Meal Pricing:
- Secondary Students – Lunch $3.25, Breakfast $1.50
- Reduced – Lunch $0.40, Breakfast $0.30
Free/Reduced Meals:
For faster processing, fill out your free and reduced meal application online. It is necessary to reapply each school year. Only one application per household is required and applications can be submitted at anytime during the school year.
Manage Restrictions for your child:
Cafes also offer snack (a la cart) items for purchase. Items offered differ by school level. If you would like to limit student purchasing on a la cart items please fill out our Student Account.
Cedar Valley Cell Phone Expectations
Cedar Valley is a phone-free learning environment. Phones can distract from learning, interfere with community building and connection with others, and can contribute to online conflict. Students are required to keep their phones, earbuds, headphones in their backpacks between 8:11-3:35.
Phones and headphones are allowed in the morning while they wait to be released to 1st period.
No audio should come from the phone (please use headphones).
Phones, headphones, earbuds must be put away by 8:11.
Phones are not allowed to be used in restrooms or locker rooms - this will result in immediate possession of the phone
Parents, please refrain from calling and texting your student during the school day. In the event of an emergency, please contact our main office at 512-428-2300 and we will get the message to your student.
Home Access Center Assistance
For assistance with the Home Access Center, InfoSnap snapcodes, TEA Portal access codes and address changes, please email our registrar:
vicky_escruceria@roundrockisd.org
Please include your student's full legal name, grade and date of birth in all correspondence.
For address changes you must provide the new proof of residence: Lease agreement, contract or settlement statement. The Lease agreement must name your student as an occupant on the lease.
The HAC App:
eSchoolPLUS Family, Home Access Center (HAC) Made by PowerSchool Group
Included in the official Round Rock ISD APP or download individually. Other district-approved Mobile Apps!
- Download free, iTunes App Store® or Google Play®
- Search eSchoolPLUS Family
- Then select eSchoolPLUS Family app for free download
Attendance Policies & Procedures For All Student Absences
- Students should bring their absence notes to the Attendance Office(in Jag Lobby) when they return to school from their absence(s).
- It is not necessary to call the school and report an absence.
- Students can communicate with their teachers and keep up with their assignments through Schoology.
- Absence notes are required to the Attendance Office no later than 2 days of return from absence.
- Absence notes should be from the parent/guardian and/or a medical provider if seen stating the student's name, specific date(s) missed, and reason for the absence.
- Late notes are still required to avoid possible truancy, but will remain coded as unexcused.
- Emails are not accepted as parent/guardian notes in middle or high school.
- However, we will take scanned medical notes.
- RRISD excuses student sickness and death in the immediate family.
- Please do not contact or send attendance notes for student absences to the teachers or school nurse.
- Filling out district covid reporting is recommended, but does not act as a campus absence note.
Please direct all attendance correspondence to the Attendance Office:
Dana Harrison
E-mail: dana_harrison@roundrockisd.org
Phone: 512-428-2305
Join Our Staff!
We are still looking for a few great people to join our staff. If you or someone you know is interested, please feel free to apply!
- 50% Choir
- Teacher/Coach (coaching stipend, paired with teaching assignment)
- Special Educational Assistant II
- Special Educational Assistant III (FAC Classroom) - posting link coming soon
- 50% Crossing Guard - 2 hours per day at Great Oaks, 2 hours per day at Cedar Valley, eligible for benefits
We are also looking for Guest Educators to serve our campus when our staff needs to be out. Come in as often as you are available! It's a great way to get involved without a full time commitment.
Upcoming Events
9/4 - Student & Staff Holiday - No school
9/7 - Girls Volleyball vs. Walsh (7th Home, 8th Away), 5:30pm
9/11 - 7th Grade Football vs. Canyon Vista at Canyon Vista, 5:30
9/12 - 8th Grade Football vs. Canyon Vista at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex, 5:30pm
9/13 - Spirit Night at Dairy Queen, 5-8pm
9/13 - Costa Rica Information Meeting, 6:30pm (More info. to come)
9/14 - FCA Meeting, Lecture Hall, 7:45am
9/14 - Spanish Club Meeting, Room 3110, 3:45pm
9/18 - French Club Meeting, Room 3104, 3:40pm
9/18 - 7th Grade Football vs. Walsh at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex, 5:30pm
9/19 - Debate Club Meeting, Lecture Hall, 3:35pm
9/19 - 9th Grade Football vs. Walsh at Walsh Middle School, 5:30pm
9/21 - Girls Volleyball vs. Ridgeview (7th Home, 8th Away), 5:30pm
9/22 - Picture Day
9/23 - RRISD Volleyball Tournament at Cedar Valley
9/25 - Staff Development Day (No school for students)
9/28 - FCA Meeting, Lecture Hall, 7:45am
9/28 - Girls Volleyball vs. Hopewell (7th Away, 8th Home), 5:30pm
9/29 - StuCo Meeting, Lecture Hall, 7:40am
Did you know that you can add the Cedar Valley Master Calendar to your calendar? Simply click on this link to access it and add it to your calendar!
Join PTA Today!
Visit our Cedar Valley PTA Online Store to purchase your annual PTA membership, make donations, and purchase your Cedar Valley merchandise at our one stop shop!
Cedar Valley Middle School
Vision: Fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners
Website: https://cedarvalley.roundrockisd.org/
Location: 8139 Racine Trail, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-428-2300
Facebook: facebook.com/rrisd.cedarvalley
Twitter: @cevmsjags
We are here to help:
Front Office Staff
Administrative Associate - Principal's Office: Ms. Jannina Johnson, 512-428-2316
Administrative Assistant - Assistant Principals' Office: Ms. Allison Chappelle, 512-428-2303
Administrative Assistant - Counseling Office: Ms. Marilyn Beal, 512-428-2348
Attendance: Ms. Dana Harrison, 512-428-2305
Receptionist: Ms. Allison Samuelson, 512-428-2301
Registrar: Ms. Vicky Escruceria, 512-428-2315
Counselors
8th Grade Counselor: Ms. Gabrielle Kerr
7th Grade Counselor:Ms. Elizabeth Guidry
6th Grade Counselor: Ms. Heather Mills
Administration
Principal: Ms. Larissa Ortiz8th Grade Assistant Principal: Ms. Jennifer Bingham
7th Grade Assistant Principal: Mr. Andrew Carroll
6th Grade Assistant Principal: Ms. Gorman