Jag E-NEWS 4.10.20
FBISD Schools are currently closed through May 4, 2020.
JAGS ARE ON THE MOVE!
Parents,
We hope this message finds you and your family safe and well. Thank you all for participating in our virtual fire drill Tuesday. We will continue to add campus-wide activities for our staff, students, and families to make connections and to see each other. We really miss the students.
We had a successful week of student online engagement, with approximately 60% of our students connecting with their teachers in online experiences. These were designed to lead into the formal online learning with district curriculum, which began on Friday, April 3. We have seen an increase in students logging on to schoology to retrieve their assignments since April 3. We would like to see an increase in the number of students actually completing assignments and submitting them. Please check with your child daily and ask them questions such as: Which classes/teachers did you engage with today? Did you log into their schoology office hours? What are you learning in the subject? Do you understand it? What is the assignment? Do you need any help? And don't forget to encourage your child to read for 30 minutes daily.
We are all doing our best to engage in this new online learning experience and we need your assistance to ensure your child continues to make progress. If your child has not yet engaged with any online learning, you may receive a call from our staff. Because they are using personal phones, the number may show up as blocked. Please answer the call, we just want to know how we can help your child to continue learning.
If you or someone you know from our Jaguar community is having challenges or difficulties, please contact your child's grade level administrator or counselor (links below). Be sure to check out the recently added FBISD Parent Training resources, where live question and answer sessions will be held each Tuesday and Thursday regarding an array of topics.
We do have an updated grading system and teachers will be sharing details with all students about Term 3 grades and Term 4 grades. An overall view of the grading system was sent to all parents via Dr. Dupre's message, and it is provided below for you to access. Thank you for your patience and keep asking questions so you can receive correct and updated information, as it changes rapidly.
Remember, Friday and Monday are still designated as STUDENT HOLIDAYS on our district calendar, so there will be no lessons posted for those days. Students can work at your request, but it is not mandated by the school for both Friday and Monday.
In closing, you may be interested in this article by Tim Elmore, from Growing Leaders, titled, The Most Important Responsibilities Every Student Needs to Own. At SMS, we are focused on helping students to own their learning and behavior, and this article speaks directly to that effort. We appreciate you, we miss the kids and wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.
Enjoy pictures of our virtual fire drill throughout this newsletter.
Cholly Oglesby
Principal
Sartartia Middle School
DR. DUPRE'S MESSAGE ON GRADING
EXCERPT about Middle School: At the elementary and middle school level, the final grading period will not be used to determine the final average calculation. This means the average from the first three grading periods will be used to determine final averages, and the final grading period’s “Met Standard/Did Not Meet Standard” will be used as an indicator to determine student readiness for promotion and/or retention. Remember, right now, our focus is on supporting students in a time of crisis. We want students to learn and grow so that they are prepared for what’s next, without fear and penalties.
Please read the full message provided in the link below: Update-Grading, GPA...
Autism Awareness Resource
We want to share a useful resource for all families, specifically those living with autism: https://www.autism-society.org/covid-19/
Included you will find some fun coloring pages for your family to share.
FBISD Online Technology Expectations for Students (Download)
DONATE TODAY: Fort Bend Education Foundation
During this COVID-19 pandemic, students are forced to stay at home. But learning must go on!
The Fort Bend Education Foundation needs your support in providing a high-quality, online education as well as food, toiletries and other needs, to all students of Fort Bend ISD during this difficult time.
Donate today! https://bit.ly/2wQZAXp
Please free to share with family and friends.
Online Learning Schedule Information
Middle School Online Learning Schedule
Lessons/Activities will be posted for the week to allow for flexibility in your child's schedule, but we do ask that lessons/assignments are submitted to teachers when they are completed.
The purple schedule below shows how each week is organized.
- PE/Health/Kickstart: See website resources & videos, and the items your teacher places into their Schoology folder
- Non-HS Credit Electives: Teachers will post online learning activities to support students. Instruction and completion of these online learning activities will not exceed 30 minutes per week
- CTE Courses for High School Credit: May require additional instructional time per week due to course requirements.
SMS Campus Teacher "Office Hours" and Virtual Conferencing Schedule
TIPS from the TEAM
As we are working towards our new normal, we thought we would send you a few resources and you can view the FBISD Behavioral Health & Wellness page. The first link is for all SMS students and is a link geared towards different activities and apps that your students can use while home these next few weeks. Inside the link there are steps to go to websites like Khan Academy to brush up on some academic skills or maybe your student would like to learn a new language and can download the Duolingo app. There is a variety of activities and apps in this link that can keep kids and adults alike stay busy and engaged during this time.
Click here for those fun free apps: https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/03/19/free-apps-and-things-to-do-from-home-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic
The second resource is for adults— as public conversations around coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) increase, children may worry about themselves, their family, and friends getting ill with COVID-19. Parents, family members, school staff, and other trusted adults can play an important role in helping children make sense of what they hear in a way that is honest, accurate, and minimizes anxiety or fear. CDC has created guidance to help adults have conversations with children about COVID-19 and ways they can avoid getting and spreading the disease.
Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019: https://consciousdiscipline.com/covid-19-five-helpful-responses-for-families/?mc_cid=89fc7c1740&mc_eid=730c82b83a
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/talking-with-children.html
Connect using Schoology
As we are transitioning to online/virtual learning, besides regular emails, Schoology is the district platform that Counselors will be using to communicate with our students. We have each created a Schoology group as a way to not only connect with our students, but to also provide resources, guidance lessons, hold virtual conferences, and offer other forms of support.
Please encourage your student to use the code below to join their grade level Schoology group
SMS 6th Grade (2019-2020)
RGNW-SBRK-KB4CS
SMS 7th Grade (2019-2020)
B8X5-Z8F4-DKTBR
SMS 8th Grade (2019-2020)
FQKR-PXWR-2VHN3
All counselors have their virtual office hours from 3-4pm each day.
NJHS Applications/Info
If your child is applying for NJHS the application process, inductions and service activities are suspended until campuses reopen and classes resume. Please tell your child if any new information is given to us, we will communicate that as soon as we receive it.
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**As always, if you have any questions, you can email your student’s counselor directly and we will set up a time to talk to you. Additionally, should your student need to speak with their counselor they can use the “request to see the counselor form” on our website: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=QWJ9SRo5d0KRrL3SqZ9wVAlK8ATazN5OobLp8Vxi61hUNFdOVUUwMFpRUlJaWVowOFBHWTE2SFVUUS4u
Thank you so much for everything you are doing for your child. Stay safe and healthy!
We wish you all well during this time.
The SMS Counseling Team
7th GRADE STUDENTS: Schoology Group Announcement
Schoology Information
Please visit www.fortbendisd.com/covid19 for the most up-to-date information regarding the district closure and Fort Bend ISD's COVID-19 response. If you have any questions that require immediate assistance, please call the Fort Bend ISD Information Hotline at 281-634-0043. This call center is available to assist between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Assistant Principals & Counselors
Courtney Border-Assistant Principal
courtney.border@fortbendisd.com
281.634.6314
Brandi Goodly-Counselor
281.634.6318
7th grade
Dr. Sunday Johnson-Associate Principal
sunday.johnson@fortbendisd.com
281.634.6316
Rachel McCune-Lead Counselor
281.634.6319
8th grade
Paul Wells-Assistant Principal
281.634.6331
Kat Friedel-Counselor
katherine.friedel@fortbendisd.com
281.634.6320
Sartartia Middle School
Help us grow our fan base! Follow us on:
Twitter @sms_jaguars
Email: cholly.oglesby@fortbendisd.com
Website: www.fortbendisd.com/sms
Location: 8125 Homeward Way, Sugar Land, TX, USA
Phone: 281-634-6310
Twitter: @sms_jaguars