Titan News
Update from Sugar Land MS - January 3, 2020
Beginnings
The great thing about a new year (and a new decade) is that it gives us all an opportunity to have a fresh start -- to hit the 'reset' button, if you will. It is my hope that you and your family had a safe and enjoyable winter break. Remember that the semester begins for students on Tuesday, January 7.
Report cards for Semester 1 and Term 2 will be published in Skyward Family Access sometime between Noon and 4:00 PM on Tuesday, January 7. If you need a paper copy of this (or any) report card, please contact Mrs. Phillips at (281) 634-3118. Instructions for how to log into Skyward are on the home page of our campus website.
I hope you will be able to join us for our January Parent Coffee with the Principal at 6:00 PM on Thursday, January 16. We will have a special guest, a dynamic and engaging student presenter from Elkins HS, who will bring an important message about prescription drug abuse titled, "Generation Rx". This is a crucial topic, as prescription drug abuse is a growing issue among students of middle school age. Our student presenter is working toward presenting at a TEDx event soon, and his message is personal, coming from the perspective of how prescription drug abuse has affected his family directly. Please join us for this important topic, presented by an amazingly talented FBISD student.Then, please consider attending the FBISD Town Hall on Vaping at the James Reese Technical Education Center on January 22. Details are in the body of the newsletter below.
Last, you will be hearing more soon about significant changes to FBISD Board Policy EIC (Local), a part of which which governs the reporting of class rank, including changes to class rank reporting for students in "Programs of Choice" (i.e. academies). These changes go into effect at the start of the 2020-21 school year with our current 8th grade students, the Class of 2024. Students currently in high school are not affected by these changes. You may wish to view a copy of the revised board policy EIC (Local), passed at the December 16 meeting of the Board of Trustees. We will include this in our Parent Coffee conversation, as well.
Here's to a Happy New Year for all of our Titans! Please return to us safely on Tuesday, January 7.
Kindest regards,
Keith Fickel, Principal
PS: It won't be long (sometime in January) before we distribute student ID badges and lanyards. Once distributed, the expectation across FBISD is that students wear them at school. When the time comes to launch, we will share our expectations with students through detailed lessons during Titan Time (Period 3), and with parents, as well. All SLMS staff have already received their new ID badges. For general information about ScholarChip ID badges, visit the FBISD Police Department website, and read their F.A.Q.'s.
Week of January 6, 2020
Upcoming Dates to Mark on Your Calendar
- Parent Coffee with the Principal - January 16 at 6:00 PM
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - January 20
- FBISD Town Hall: Vaping - January 22nd 6:00 (James Reese Technical Education Center) - Visit this Eventbrite link to register (free)
- Mid-Day Break with the SLMS Counselors - January 29 at 11:15 AM
- Kempner HS "Coog Fest", geared toward incoming 8th graders - January 29 from 6:00-8:00
Items for This Week
Ongoing Safety Concerns / Vehicle Traffic
Safety is important during arrival and dismissal each day. Some things we continue to notice that we want to bring to your attention include:
- Parents 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 on the drivers' side rather than the passenger side
- Parents turning left out of the circle drive (it's a posted no left turn)
- 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 to remain safe by following procedures related to arrival and dismissal in the areas listed above.
Older, But Important Items
Immunization Update from Nurse Lincoln - Sixth Graders
Your child did or will receive the Tdap and the Meningitis vaccines at their 11 year-old check-up. Please provide proof of these immunizations to the clinic when your child gets them. These are the required shots for 7th grade and providing them as soon as you get them will keep your child compliant! You may email it to angela.lincoln@fortbendisd.com, fax it to (281) 327-8745 or drop it off in the clinic. For any other medical concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact the clinic at (281) 634-8745.
Info from FBISD Child Nutrition Regarding Pork Products
The diversity of our school community makes it particularly important that we are as communicative as possible about everything that we do at SLMS. Therefore, please take note about information recently received from FBISD Child Nutrition about which products prepared in our cafeterias contain pork. This comes up each year, and we wanted all parents to be informed about what does and does not contain pork. See list below of menu items and what they are actually made of:
- Breakfast Sausage Pizza (turkey sausage)
- Hot Dogs (beef hot dogs)
- Sausage Patties (chicken sausage)
- Ham Sandwiches (turkey ham)
- Ham on Chef Salads (turkey ham)
- Pepperoni Pizza (turkey & beef pepperoni)
- Mega Meat Pizza (PORK)
- Sausage on a Bun (PORK)
Yearbooks on Sale! - $40
Yearbooks are on sale for $40. Tribute ads for current 8th graders may also be purchased for either $20 (1/8 of a page) or $40 (1/4 of a page). To order, simply visit https://www.balfour.com/student-info?smi=71485. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Childs at Molly.Childs@fortbendisd.com.
Laptop Lending Library
We are pleased to announce the re-launch of our Laptop Lending Library. Students will have the opportunity to check out a touch-screen laptop, with carrying case and charging cable, for two weeks, just they would check out a book. Some paperwork is required to be completed by parents, first, however. Please visit our Laptop Lending Library page or contact Mr. Sinclair, our Librarian or Mrs. Smith, our Library Aide, for more details.
Parent Volunteers
We love parent volunteers! Please renew your annual Criminal History Authorization (CHA) by visiting the district website. These reset on July 1 each year. Then, please join the PTO by visiting their website at www.slmspto.org.
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
Email: keith.fickel@fortbendisd.com
Website: www.fortbendisd.com/slms
Location: 321 7th Street, Sugar Land, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 634-3080
Twitter: @SLMSTitans