SLMS Titan News
Week of January 15, 2024
Principal Update
SLMS Parents and Guardians,
Congratulations to our FBISD District Rodeo Show award winners. We submitted 22 outstanding pieces of work representing SLMS, and everyone received either a 1st division (blue), 2nd division (red), or 3rd division (white) ribbon. Thank you Ms. B. Henry and Mr. Rinderknecht for your hard work leading the students!
Enjoy the weekend!
New Items this Week:
- No new items this week.
Sincerely,
Dr. Latoya Garrett
Principal
#weareTITANS
At SLMS WE model the TITAN WAY
Monthly Calendar
SLMS TAPR report
The Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR) pull together a wide range of information on the performance of students in each school and district in Texas every year. Performance is shown disaggregated by student groups, including ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The reports also provide extensive information on school and district staff, programs, and student demographics.
The 2022–23 TAPR are available for the state and every public school, district, or region of Texas.
Please click the SLMS TAPR report link below.
DreamBox Math
All students are able to improve their math skills based on their individual needs by logging into Dreambox Math. This supplemental curriculum is adaptive to ensure students, at every level, stay motivated and receive the right instruction at the right time. Please see directions for students below.
Lopez Spirit Day. Place receipt in spirit jar for a chance to win $30 Gift Card
AVID - Advancement via Individual Determination
Next year, 6th grade students will take the AVID 6 course as our Discovery course is transitioning to AVID. We are excited that our incoming 6th grade students will be able to learn and grow through this course.
Our 7th and 8t grade students are able to select this course for next year. Please see below about AVID.
Attention all 8th graders who will attend Kempner:
Interested in joining the AVID program in 2024-2025? Applications are currently being accepted through February 3rd at www.bit.ly/kempneravid . To learn more about AVID, watch the following video: AVID informational video
8th Grade Announcements
Kempner Coug Fest
January 17th 6P-8P
A great opportunity to meet teachers and student organizations. You will be able to ask questions about courses that you are interested in. High School… here we come!
Course Selection for High School
Course selection for High school will begin January 22nd-February 9th
Please start to review Endorsements HERE FBISD High School Course Selection Guide (pg. 8-10)
What is an endorsement?
Students may earn one or more endorsement as part of their high school diploma. An endorsement consists of a sequence of courses that are grouped together by interest or occupational skill. They provide students with an in-depth knowledge of a subject are or a high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand occupation.
Students will be REQUIRED to select an Endorsement
Course selection will take place in SchooLinks this year (ONLY FOR 8th GRADE)
Kempner High School Counselors will be at SLMS on January 25th in the Social Studies classes (Mr. Hotzel and Mrs. Franklin). During this time, KHS Counselors will discuss graduation plans, endorsements and start selecting courses for 9th grade. You can review the graduation requirements here -> FBISD Course Selection Guide (select the 2023-2024 High School Course Guide, pg. 4)
Ms. Brinson will revisit Social Studies classes on:
Mrs. Franklin – January 31st
Mr. Hotzel – February 1st
During this time, we will make sure that they have completed:
- Endorsement selection
- 9th grade courses (along with alternate choices)
Course Selection worksheets will be DUE TO their Social Studies Teacher on FEBRUARY 7th.
ALL information will be on the SLMS Counselor Office (8th grade tab) web page…
Credit By Exam Information (No Prior Instruction)
Exam for Acceleration/Credit By Exam provides course credit for students who are enrolled in FBISD and have no prior formal instruction in the grade level or course.
Registration forms are available through the campus counselor during the registration window (this session is January 5-12th)
8th Grade Parent Night
January 25th – 6P-7:30P in SLMS Library
Discuss PSAT (How to read the report, how to use the information from PSAT, etc.)
Guest Speaker – Jerry Daniels, Educational Consultant.
Have questions about applying for college?! It has changed so much! Come and listen to Mr. Daniels explain how you can prepare for life AFTER high school.
KHS Parent Drop-in
Kempner High School Counselors will have a Parent Drop-In scheduled for February 2nd. This will give you an opportunity to ask questions about Course selection specifically to the high school counselors. We will share additional information as it becomes available.
Support SLMS PTO through Kroger Community Rewards
The Kroger Family of Companies is committed to community engagement, positive social impact and charitable giving at the national and local levels. Every community is unique, but our common goal is to partner with the neighborhoods we serve and help the people there live healthier lives.
One of the ways in which we do this is through our Kroger Community Rewards program. This program makes fundraising easy by donating to local organizations based on the shopping you do every day. Once you link your Card to an organization, all you have to do is shop at Kroger and swipe your Shopper’s Card.
Here’s how it works:
- Go to www.kroger.com and create an account or sign in to your account.
- Go to “My Account” at the top right corner.
- Go to “Community Rewards” on the left-side menu.
- Search for “SLMS PTO” or “CN110” under “Find an Organization”.
- Click “Enroll” and confirm that you are enrolled in Community Rewards with SLMS PTO
Monthly Donations to PTO
Support our students and staff by setting up a monthly donation to PTO. You can set this automatic donation starting at a few dollars. Remember that every dollar helps our PTO do AMAZING things for our community.
Order online at https://web.treering.com/1016905758343838 (account creating required)
Pre-order to ensure your student receives their copy on distribution day in May!
Upcoming Events
- January 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
- January 17: Girls Basketball vs BMS @SLMS
- January 18: Boys Basketball @ FSMS
- January 22: Boys Basketball vs LOMS @KHS
- January 22: Girls Basketball @SLMS
- January 25: 8th Grade Parent Night @6:00 PM
Counselor Corner
SLMS Counselors
Left to Right
Nafecia Brinson-8th Grade Counselor
Eleni Smith-6th Grade Counselor
Kimberly Seright-7th Grade Counselor
PTO Updates
A Message from the SLMS PTO
Greetings Titan Families!
It’s never too late to get involved with PTO! Whether you want to be in the know on school happenings, lend a hand at the school or simply donate to an event - we accept membership involvement of all shapes and sizes. We’ve provided all the LINKS below to get you going! The PTO Newsletter has begun so please make sure to check your spam/promotions folder! As a reminder, our goals this year are to bridge the gap in funding, increase parent involvement (#1 ask of educators) and continue our campus beautification efforts (SLMS turns 50 in 2025). We couldn’t make it all possible without the support of our membership!
How can you help?
- Become a PTO Member - membership is free and includes access to our monthly newsletter
- Become an approved Volunteer - all volunteers must complete an annual district background check
- Make a one time donation via Cheddar Up or a recurring donation via PayPal.
- Upcoming Spirit Nights
- Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities - click the link to sign-up
- Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities:
- Mentor a student at SLMS - complete form and return to kimberly.seright@fortbendisd.com
- Help in the library
- Purchase Spirit Items through our Cheddar Up Store - starting October
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and bookmark our website: www.slmspto.weebly.com
Questions? Contact us at slmsmembership@gmail.com. Volunteer questions? Contact us at slmstitansvips@gmail.com
Together we are TITANS!
SLMS PTO
Campus Information
Absence Notes
Absence notes are required for all absences within five days of the absence. Please send all absence notes to:
FBISD Health and Safety Protocols & How to Report Testing Positive for COVID-19
The health & safety of students, teachers, and staff is the District’s foremost priority. Students and staff should stay home when sick and if they do test positive for COVID-19 self-report using the FBISD Wellness Screener. Individuals can return to school/work once they meet the following requirements: five days have passed since the start of symptoms (if no symptoms, five days after testing positive), improvement of symptoms, and the individual has been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.
Links: FBISD Health & Safety Protocols Webpage; FBISD Wellness Screener
Club Shirt Monday
College Shirt Wednesdays
Titan Spirit Day on Fridays
Student Dress Code
All students must adhere to the student dress code. Highlights include:
- Clothes may not show the midriff, undergarments, chest, or posterior
- Unsafe footwear is not permitted (house shoes, slippers)
- No depiction of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, weapons, and more
Please see the attached information regarding dress code.
Cell Phones Policy
Students may bring a cell phone for communication before/after school. During the school day, cell phone access is restricted and cell phones must be off and placed in backpacks. Cell phones not adhering to the school policy will be confiscated and students can pick them up at the end of the school day (for the first and second confiscation).
On the third confiscation, a parent will be required to pick up the cell phone and pay a $15 fee to SLMS. The district cell phone policy can be found in The Student Code of Conduct. Click here to access the FBISD Student Code of Conduct
If a student needs to make a phone call, we have office phones that can be accessed with permission.
Lunch Deliveries and Parent Visits During Lunch
Make sure you communicate to your student if you are going to deliver a sack style lunch.
Parents are welcome to come and eat lunch with their student. We have seperate seating available. Parents will need to check in at the front office and only bring lunch for their child.
Class Schedule
Our class schedule/bell schedule for the school year features the following:
- 7 class periods daily, with an additional Advisory period on Tuesday and Wednesday
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday will have a 7-period day (50-55 minute class periods)
- Tuesday and Wednesday will have a 7-period day (45 to 50-minute class periods) with an Advisory period between period 2 and 3. Advisory will be used as a flexible time to conduct interventions, enrichments, and campus focused lessons.
- Students will have every class every day
- Students will have the same lunch period every day
- Transitions between class periods will be 4-5 minutes in length which is enough time as the majority of student do not use a locker
Important Contact Information
- Assistant Principal - Dawn Rogers (dawn.rogers@fortbendisd.com)
- Counselor - Eleni Smith (eleni.smith@fortbendisd.com)
Seventh Grade
- Assistant Principal - Luster Goodwin (luster.goodwin@fortbendisd.com)
- Counselor - Kim Seright (kimberly.seright@fortbendisd.com)
Eighth Grade
- Associate Principal - Monika Martin (monika.martin@fortbendisd.com)
- Counselor - Nafecia Brinson (nafecia.brinson@fortbendisd.com)
Counselor Clerk - Carmen Brantley (carmen.brantley@fortbendisd.com)
Assistant Principal Secretaries
- 6th and 7th Grade - Tina Garcia (diamantina.ibarragar@fortbendisd.com)
- 8th Grade - Mayra Morales (mayra.morales@fortbendisd.com)
Attendance - Mary Beth LaVergne (mary.lavergne@fortbendisd.com)
Registrar - Tandi Phillips (tandi.phillips@fortbendisd.com)
Nurse - Gwendolyn Davis (gwendolyn.davis@fortbendisd.com)
Clinic Aide - Cathy Tekrouri (cathy.tekrouri@fortbendisd.com)
Executive Assistant to Principal - Mary Connealy (mary.connealy@fortbendisd.com)
Principal - Dr. Latoya Garrett (latoya.garrett@fortbendisd.com)
Sugar Land Middle School
48 Years
1975-2023
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.
#weareTITANS
Office Hours
8:20-4:20
Email: latoya.garrett@fortbendisd.com
Website: www.fortbendisd.com/slms
Location: 321 7th Street, Sugar Land, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 634-3080
Twitter: @SLMSTitans
Principal of Sugar Land Middle School in Sugar Land, TX. Home of the Titans!