Titan News
Week of May 25, 2020
Final Week of School!
Well, it has finally arrived -- the final week of the school year. It has been an interesting journey, for sure, and our hope is that you and your family are in a good place at this time. We recognize that even though the school year ends, many of the challenges associated with the world-wide pandemic remain. Please know that we are here to assist you even through the summer months should you need it. Know, also, that despite not knowing exactly how next year will "look" or operate, the district is fully working out a number of the most reasonable potential scenarios so that when the time comes for a decision to be made and announced to the community, much, if not most of the infrastructure and plans would be in a solid place, ready for implementation. Simultaneously, the district is working to ensure the systems and structures within these various scenarios are such that if the format of school needed to shift for some reason, the plans from one system may shift easily into another, as needed.
In this week's message, please take special note of the items related to Grading at the End of the Year, information related to Student Item Pick-Up, as well as a way for you and your family to participate in recognizing our amazing Crossing Guard and Special Education Teacher, Doyle McDaniel, who is retiring. May is also Mental Health Month, and this newsletter has some resources regarding that.
Thank you for supporting SLMS this year, and we wish everyone a safe, happy, and healthy summer break. We will continue to post information on our website, as well as occasionally send out a Titan News update (maybe every 2-3 weeks or so). Our summer office hours, starting Monday, June 1, will be Monday-Thursday from 7:30-5:30, with office closure during lunch from 12:00-1:00.
Sincerely,
Keith Fickel, SLMS Principal
Week of May 25, 2020 - At a Glance
Help Us Honor Mr. McDaniel Upon His Retirement - Crossing Guard and Special Education Teacher
At end of every school year we set aside a time to honor staff members who are retiring from their teaching career, and this year we celebrate Mr. Doyle McDaniel. Mr. McDaniel is a US Army veteran who joined the Sugar Land MS family in November 2012. Over the course of 8 years, he served with distinction and honor as a special education teacher and as our always-smiling, always-pleasant, and always-present crossing guard. Mr. McDaniel was unable to complete the school year, but he misses students, parents, and staff tremendously. Many students and parents reached out to staff asking about him.
Therefore, in his honor, we want to compile a video containing well wishes from staff, students, and parents upon his retirement. There will be a yard sign in front of the school this Tuesday, May 26, from sun up to sundown, in addition to a special message on the west side of our marquee. Please stop by the school, record a short video or take a picture. Please send your photo and/or video to amy.wright@fortbendisd.com as early as possible that same evening (Tuesday), so that we have time to put together the presentation for Mr. McDaniel, scheduled for this Thursday, May 28, during a virtual staff celebration. We want to show Mr. McDaniel how much he means to the SLMS community and to let him know that while he will be missed, we also wish him well in the next chapter of his life’s journey.
Thank you for partnering with us in this opportunity to honor an individual who has given so much to our community and who means so much to so many.
GRADING AT THE END OF THE YEAR
The final report card will be available for viewing in Skyward Family Access by 4:30 PM on Friday, May 29. Of particular note will be the T4 mark of either M (Met Standard) or DNM (Does Not Meet Standard) and the Final Grade for each course.
This week teachers will contact the parents of students who will fail their course for the year with a numeric grade below 70. For students who fail a core course(s), students will be expected to enroll in Summer School (see separate article about Summer School further down in the newsletter). They are calling this week because registration for Summer School starts Monday, May 18 and runs through Friday, May 29.
Additionally, this week is the week where students will have their final engagements with their classes and where they will have their last opportunities to submit assignments for teachers to consider for determining proficiency. This is important because the T4 mark of M or DNM will be determined by the evidence in the assignments that students submit. Students who pass for the year with a 70 or higher in any course(s) but are on track to receive DNM for that course for T4 will be required to take a T4 Assessment as a "last chance" to demonstrate proficiency and to have an opportunity to earn an M for T4. Families with students who fall into this category will also be contacted by the teacher to ensure their awareness of the T4 Assessment, which will occur between Noon on May 26 and midnight on May 27 (see calendar above).
Given all this, it is crucial this week that students submit assignments that demonstrate proficiency, and if you are notified that your child will need to take the T4 Assessment that they do their very best on it. But they can avoid the T4 assessment by ensuring that this week they submit any missing assignments, and do so with their best effort so that their teacher has clear evidence to mark them as M (Met Standard) for T4.
We wish success for all of our students at the end of the year!
Student Item Pickup - Update
If you still have things at school you would like to collect, including medication from the clinic, we will do this in a quick, pass-through on Tuesday, May 26. A crew of SLMS staff members has consolidated items from your child's hallway locker and PE locker. Please bring any textbooks (non-consumable), library books, or school-owned equipment for drop-off, as well. Parents will drop off their child in the circle drive by the front office. The student will enter the building and collect their personal items (staff will direct them where to go). All PE and band items are in Room 201, right next to the entrance. 7th and 8th grade students' items are bagged by locker number in the hallways on the first floor, and 6th grade items are bagged by locker number and in the hallway upstairs. Parents will pull forward and wait for their child to exit the building at the last exit from the building on the circle drive. See map for details. This is the schedule:
Student Item and Clinic Medication Pickup - Tuesday, May 26
- 8th grade - 1:00-2:00
- 7th grade - 2:00-3:00
- 6th grade - 3:00-4:00
Note that it is not necessary for a family with multiple children attending SLMS in different grade levels to have to come to campus more than once. If you have multiple children attending SLMS, we can take care of all of them at once when you arrive on May 26.
May is Mental Health Month
COVID-19 is teaching us that mental health is just as important as physical health. Yet there is still considerable stigma surrounding mental health and mental illness. You can help change that by being informed of nine ways to fight mental health stigma. Also, check-out the FBISD Behavioral Health and Wellness Weekly Parent Newsletter offered in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese. Read the publication to receive creative tips on relating with your children while supporting their, and your, mental and physical health. FBISD also has tele-counseling resources for parents and students district-wide. You can call or email your student’s school counselor for more information. Finally, visit FBISD’s COVID-19 Social Emotional Supports website for more mental health and self-care resources.
Girl Scout Silver Award Project
Students from Girl Scouts troop 883 are doing their Silver Award Project and will be gathering donations of coloring books, small packs of crayons, colored pencils, markers, and game books for older children, such as crossword or word puzzles. These items will be distributed to the patients at Texas Children’s Hospital. Due to this pandemic, since schools have been canceled and not all parents want their supplies back, these girls would appreciate any donations of unwanted but still usable supplies. We will have a receptacle in place on campus for these donations to be made.
Campus Improvements and 2018 Bond Update
We thought you would appreciate an update regarding all of the work underway or about to get underway at SLMS related to improving the building.
Currently Underway:
- Renovation of all restrooms in the building (complete by August 2020)
- Refurbishment of the Elevator (complete by mid-June)
- Fine Arts Addition - Adding Choir and Orchestra Rooms (complete by June 2021)
- Theater - Updating Theater room and converting current Orchestra room into a Black Box Theater (complete August 2020)
- Seventh Street Improvements (City of Sugar Land) - expected completion July 2020
Getting Underway Soon:
- Football field - Turf and Track installed behind the campus (North side) - Completion TBD
- Wayfinding Signage Inside building - signage to help navigate interior corridors - Complete November/December 2020
- Furniture - new teacher desks & chairs, new library furniture, Flexible learning space created in upstairs computer lab (complete June 2020); student desk/chair replacement coming in Summer 2021 (delayed due to COVID-19)
- Electronic Marquee (completion TBD)
Summer School 2020
The middle school summer program is available to students in grades 6-8 and will be offered June 8 through June 25. At the middle school level, credit recovery online courses are available in Math, ELA, Social Studies and Science. Registration begins Monday, May 18, and closes Friday, May 29.
Program Costs
The cost for original credit courses is $125 ($65 for students with Reduced Lunch status and $50 for Free Lunch status). The cost for AP courses range can range from $225 to $350.
Technology Needs
Students who were issued a loaner laptop from FBISD during the Spring semester will keep the laptop for use during summer school. Students who need to check out a laptop for summer school purposes, may visit one of the device distribution locations (Austin High School or Dulles High School) from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 pm. on the following days: May 26-28, June 2-4 or June 9-11.
Parents are asked to contact their child’s counselor regarding summer school credit recovery, original credit, Pre-AP and AP classes. School counselors can also provide families with assistance in registering for courses online.
- 6th grade - Mrs. Seright (kimberly.seright@fortbendisd.com)
- 7th grade - Ms. Brinson (nafecia.brinson@fortbendisd.com)
- 8th grade - Mrs. Smith (eleni.smith@fortbendisd.com)
To learn more about summer online learning opportunities, visit the FBISD Summer School Website.
Online School Supply Orders thru May 28
School supplies are available for convenient online ordering through May 28. Visit our School Supply Web Page.
Sugar Land Middle School
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
Regular Office Hours
- 8:20-4:20 Monday-Friday
Summer Office Hours - Starting Monday, June 1
- 7:30-5:30 Monday-Thursday (Closed Friday)
- Closed 12:00-1:00 for lunch
Email: keith.fickel@fortbendisd.com
Website: www.fortbendisd.com/slms
Location: 321 7th Street, Sugar Land, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 634-3080
Twitter: @SLMSTitans