Jag E-NEWS
FBISD schools are currently closed until April 10, 2020.
JAGS ARE ON THE MOVE!
Like many of you, I am watching all of the news networks, 24/7. As we sift through the news briefings, we are looking for a silver lining…
When negativity arises, we look for the positives…hoping that good still resides in some corner of the world. I am an optimist, but also a realist. This microscopic “nothingness” has created havoc of global proportions. And, we see it.
It seems endless…yet, we HAVE to maintain hope. To fulfill that hope, we must be real about our efforts.
So, let’s continue to educate our young, corral our youth and protect our elderly. Social distancing will be the phrase by which we live by for a good while. But rather than talk about it, let’s take action and put it into practice. As the experts claim, this will help “flatten the curve.” It has made a difference in places like Taiwan and should impact our cities like San Francisco and NYC, who are employing curfews at this very moment. By being hygienic and maintaining social distance with EVERYONE, you are being kind.
Your overall wellness during this time is paramount. Anxiety and paranoia around the impact of this virus is becoming more and more an issue. Please keep a consistent schedule for yourself, take time to engage/communicate instead of isolate, and reach out to your Jaguar family.
Thank you for those that participated in our virtual spirit week. We loved seeing your pictures and it made us feel somewhat "normal", so we've created a google photo album where students, parents, and staff can add selfies/pictures while you are at home. Access to this photo album is on our Library Schoology page titled "Extended Break Selfies". The Library Schoology course code is WP6Q-TM7S-8D848. Please continue to send us your photos so we can add them to Twitter, Instagram, and our weekly newsletter!
This week, let’s start a movement of positive words! Write words of encouragement on your driveway to lift your neighborhood up. Sidewalk chalk is cheap and easy to find. Share your photos in our Library Schoology Page. #rootedinlove
You are loved and missed!
Cholly Oglesby
Principal
Sartartia Middle School
Visit www.fortbendisd.com/covid19 for the most up-to-date information regarding the district closure and Fort Bend ISD's COVID-19 response.
Sartartia Middle School Health Norms
Dear Community
As a reminder, Fort Bend ISD will begin offering Grab and Go meals at no cost to anyone 18 and under, and to students with disabilities without regards to age, at 11 campuses from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Meals will be served Monday-Friday.
Fort Bend ISD is grateful to be able to offer this service so that we can ensure that our students continue to receive helpful meals, and we are appreciative of the efforts of our Child Nutrition staff members who are making it possible. With that in mind, we ask for your patience and understanding as we begin serving these meals and continue to refine our processes to better support our families as efficiently as possible.
Please note:
· Food delivery will occur at each school’s bus line.
· In order to maintain and honor recommended social distancing in order to reduce the risk of spreading illness in our community, individuals should not leave their vehicles.
· Children do not need to be enrolled in Fort Bend ISD to get free breakfast and lunch, but all children will need to be present in order to pick up the meals. Note: Anyone over the age of 18 must be a currently enrolled Fort Bend ISD student to receive a meal. This protocol is in place so that FBISD can adhere to federal guidelines.
List of campuses:
· Travis High School (11111 Harlem Rd, Richmond, TX 77406)
· Hodges Bend Middle School (16510 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77083)
· Kempner High School (14777 Voss Rd, Sugar Land, TX 77498)
· Sartartia Middle School (8125 Homeward Way, Sugar Land, TX 77479)
· First Colony Middle School (3225 Austin Pkwy, Sugar Land, TX 77479)
· Dulles High School (550 Dulles Ave, Sugar Land, TX 77478)
· Missouri City Middle School (202 Martin Ln, Missouri City, TX 77489)
· Elkins High School (7007 Knights Ct, Missouri City, TX 77459)
· Ridge Point High School (500 Waters Lake Blvd, Missouri City, TX 77459)
· McAuliffe Middle School (16650 S Post Oak Rd, Houston, TX 77053)
· Hightower High School (3333 Hurricane Ln, Missouri City, TX 77459)
Again, thank you for your continued support of FBISD. Please continue to check the FBISD website and social media accounts for updates.
SAVE the DATE
All events have been postponed or cancelled until further notice.
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) is extending its suspension of all UIL sanctioned activities due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Texas. All contests, practices, rehearsals and workouts will remain suspended until further notice.
At this time, the earliest games and contests may resume is Monday, May 4th. Prior to this date, the UIL will allow its member schools a reasonable acclimatization period for rehearsals and practices to occur. All decisions remain flexible and will be consistent with the advice of local, state and federal officials.
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.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Updates from Nurse Ferguson
The health department has established a phone bank for those who have questions regarding #COVID-19. The phone bank that will be staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. General Public Line: 281-633-7795. Physician and Community Partner Line: 281-344-6118
Tips from the team
We want to thank you and your student for your patience and for extending us grace while we move towards this new normal. It is natural and OK to be worried. We want to reassure you that health and school officials are working hard to ensure that everyone stays healthy. We want to support you as we navigate this new place.
Our brains are trying to make sense of what is going on. This uncertainty can cause stress and anxiety. Sometimes we try to establish control by getting that last bottle of hand sanitizer, but the reality is our control is not going to come from that, our control is going to come from retraining our minds to relax. Our brains are our biggest ally, but when we are really stressed, it takes a lot of energy from our body so we have to recover. This is a good time to sleep, practice healthy eating, and focus on our diet and exercise.
We have to practice healthy coping, meditation and positive thinking strategies. This is probably the first time that we are practicing social distancing and this may lead to feelings of isolation. The key is to practice connectedness, and togetherness while distancing.
We ask that you please encourage your student to establish whether they are lonely and bored. There is a real disruption of our structure now so how do you reintegrate that into their schedule? Hopefully they can start to work on some hobbies and interests and develop some type of schedule that works best for them and for your family. We are in this for a long haul so it is important that we all reestablish our sense of purpose while we have this valuable time and reconnect with ourselves and others. This is a unique experience that will make us stronger and more resilient in the future.
The following are some recommendations that we have for your students during this time:
· Develop a schedule that works for you and your family.
· Everyday try to: read; write; or draw. Get creative
· Set up a study space that is not their bedroom. Make this space for work and not play. Try to establish a routine that closely matches your school routine.
· Brush up on their skills through Khan Academy or do some college/career exploration through Naviance.
· Monitor the campus website and these weekly emails for updates.
If you would like tips on how to talk to your child about COVID19, click here for an article that could help: https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com/blog/2020/03/how-talk-your-kids-about-coronavirus
If you would like to talk to your child about reducing stress and anxiety during this time, click here for an article that could help: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html
If you need anything at all during this time, please do not hesitate to email us.
Course selection information
6/7 Graders:
Course requests for 2020-2021 school year have been posted in the "Portfolio" tab in Skyward Family Access for verification purposes. Click on the Portfolio tab and then click on the Course Request Report 20-21. Courses listed are requests and not an actual schedule.
After reviewing your requests, if everything is correct, no follow-up is needed.
To change a selection, please complete the form: https://form.jotform.com/200788151169156
Please note: No emailed change requests will be accepted. A form must be completed.
All changes must be submitted by Friday, April 3, 2020.
8th Graders:
Course requests for 2020-2021 school year have been posted in the "Portfolio" tab in Skyward Family Access for verification purposes. Click on the Portfolio tab and then click on the Course Request Report 20-21. Courses listed are requests and not an actual schedule. After reviewing your requests, if everything is correct, no follow-up is needed. If you need to change a request, please see campus specific information below.
If you are zoned to AHS:
To change a selection, please complete the appropriate form below. Changes must be submitted by Friday, April 3, 2020. Please note: No emailed change requests will be accepted. A form must be completed.
Student Last Name A, T-Z https://form.jotform.com/200756068244152
Student Last Name B-E https://form.jotform.com/200754939393162
Student Last Name F-K https://form.jotform.com/200756857593165
Student Last Name L-O https://form.jotform.com/200756552903152
Student Last Name P-S https://form.jotform.com/200756485009154
If you are zoned to CHS:
To change a selection, please complete the appropriate form below. Changes must be submitted by Friday, April 10, 2020. Please note: No emailed change requests will be accepted. A form must be completed.
Student Last Name A, Chou: bianca.mccannlindsey@fortbendisd.com
https://form.jotform.com/200772716820150
Student Last Name (Chow - Hei): joh.wells@fortbendisd.com
https://form.jotform.com/200766084253050
Student Last Name (Hem - Liu): demetria.howard@fortbendisd.com
https://form.jotform.com/200774228119151
Student Last Name (Lobb - Parsa): lynne.shaver@fortbendisd.com
https://form.jotform.com/200774616868163
Student Last Name (Pat- Tat): ted.liu@fortbendisd.com
https://form.jotform.com/200774672222048
Student Last Name Tay - Z: Anuradha.Nigam@fortbendisd.com
https://form.jotform.com/200765266675059
If you are zoned to THS:
We have not received any information yet… stay tuned next week.
No Place for Hate
Mrs. McCune and the #SMSNPFH committee want to thank everyone who helped with this year’s Heritage Day! We appreciate you all so much and feel very thankful to be part of such a diverse and servant community.
PTO NEWS
PAWS FOR CAUSE - JAG CASH DRIVE
Support the PTO by donating to our Annual Cash Drive. Our Goal this year is $25,000. This is the only cash drive for the entire year. With the funds raised, we have plans to build a shade for the bleachers, bring in new technology for our students, fulfill our Teacher Wish Lists, support the fine Arts department and many more. If every Household donates just $10 we will exceed our goal. Now you can donate online by simply clicking the following link or simply visit our website www.sms-pto.org and click on the Donate button on the main page.
Please donate:
JOIN SMS PTO 2019-2020
It's never too late to join the PTO. There are no joining fees or forms to fill. We are still looking for enthusiastic parents for several positions. Please reach out to Lakshmi K @ koppolu.pto@gmail.com for more details.
AMAZON SMILE
Support Sartartia Middle School PTO while you shop! If you have an amazon.com account - you are eligible to help our school by simply linking your account to an Amazon Smile account. Amazon Smile will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases back to our school! And now its even easier, download the Amazon Prime Smile app on your phone and order from your phone, its that easy...
Visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/76-0690034 to sign up! It's free!
BOX TOPS GRADE LEVEL CHALLENGE
Our next Box Top fundraiser is underway! The top winner of Box Tops for Spring will receive a pizza party in the courtyard with 3 friends. Turn in your Box Tops to the front office labeled with your name and grade level or scan your receipts. The winner will be announced when classes resume after the winter break.
Also every Friday in February and March, bring in at least 5 box tops to the front office and receive a Tootsie Pop.
SHUTTERFLY PASSIVE FUNDRAISER
A Great Way to shop Gifts for the Holidays and beyond and support your school all at the same time. We’ve made it super easy (and fun) to support us. Simply shop for your Holiday gifts or home Decor through our Shutterfly Storefront to create photo books, keepsakes, gifts, home décor and more—and Shutterfly will donate 8% to our school.
Please help us spread the word by sharing this post with your Family & Friends. Happy shopping!
7th Grade Field Day is March 26th
Important Allergy Information
Please click this link to read more about our procedures for students with food allergies.
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