It’s here--the 1st day of school is this week, and we can’t wait to see all of our Eagles on Thursday, August 12, 2021! Please make sure you read this newsletter in its entirety as we try to answer all of your questions and ensure you are ready for the start of the 2021-2022 school-year...our BEST school year yet!

For the 1st day of school:

• You do NOT need to bring your computer or all of your school supplies. Students should only bring a small notebook, pencil, water bottle, and lunch (if you choose to bring your lunch). If you purchased the prepackaged school supply pack, you will receive your supplies on the 2nd day of school. If you did not purchase the prepackaged school supply pack, please bring your supplies to school on Friday, August 13th.

• All CRMS student schedules will be live in the HAC (see Home Access Center information below) this Tuesday, August 10, 2021 by 4:00 p.m. On the first day of school, you will report directly to your 1st period class. If you have any trouble accessing your schedule in the HAC, we will have rosters available to show you to 1st period when you arrive at campus. All students will receive a paper copy of their schedule in their 1st period class on Thursday. Don’t worry about not knowing where to go--we will have staff stationed throughout the campus to greet you and show you where to go all day!

• We will follow our regular bell schedule, 8:10 - 3:25 on the 1st day of school, except we will stay in 1st period longer and not report to Advisory.

If you missed our Back-to-School Eagle Camp Webinar, here is the recording from 8/3/2021. Additionally, our Presentation Slides w/ links may be accessed here for your reference. *Please note: Based on the local health department and TEA guidance, some district COVID protocols were updated after this recording. The most up-to-date COVID protocols for our school district are linked below.

Also below are important reminders and links such as Open House, Home Access Center, Bus routes, computers for school, cafeteria accounts, communication through Remind, and more!

With school starting on Aug. 12 and the spread of COVID-19 rising, Leander ISD updated our Health Response Protocols and on July 29th, elevated to a new Yellow Stage. Please review and partner with us to keep people healthy and schools open:

COVID-19 Update: New Health Response Protocols

August 6th Update to COVID Notifications, Contact Tracing and Dashboard data

Canyon Ridge Middle School will be holding our 6th Grade Open House virtually this year. The 6th Grade Virtual Open House link will be sent out via Remind and shared on our CRMS Homepage on Tuesday, August 10th by 4:00 pm for you to view at your convenience. The County Health Officials have raised the COVID-19 community spread level to “Uncontrolled Spread.” Therefore, we do not want to bring in 400+ students AND their parents at the same time into crowded hallways and classrooms potentially exposing students, teachers, and parents to COVID right before the beginning of school.

6th Grade Open House, Tuesday, August 10 @ 6:00-7:00pm

For students who were unable to attend Eagle Camp, the school will be open on Tuesday, August 10th from 6:00-7:00 pm for 6th grade students to walk their class schedule in the building with their parents before the first day of school. Teachers will not be available in person because all class information and welcomes will be sent virtually.

7th and 8th Grade Open House, Tuesday, August 17

We currently anticipate that all class information and teacher welcomes will be sent out virtually.

We appreciate your support and understanding as we open in-person schooling for all our students as safely as possible this school year. We are very excited for the school year to begin, and we can’t wait to get to know your students. Go Eagles!!!

Home Access Center (HAC) provides families with an online tool where they can view helpful student information to support and guide their children through the educational process. From home or work, at any time of the day or night, parents can access the web portal to track academic achievement.

Features include:

• Grade notifications,

• Class schedules

• Attendance records.

Visit the Home Access Center page to learn more. Please allow time for our campuses to complete schedule and teacher assignments in the coming days prior to the start of the school year.

Beginning Aug. 5, Leander ISD parents can enter their home address into Infofinder to look up their child’s bus route number, pick-up/drop-off times, and bus stop locations for the 2021-22 school year. Bus routes are subject to change, so LISD parents are strongly encouraged to confirm their child’s bus information again the week prior to the start of school.

The Transportation Department will continue to use the Remind platform to communicate delay notifications and other important updates. Bus riders and their guardians will be added to a Remind “class” for their assigned bus route.

All students at CRMS must have a working computer/device with a keyboard. If you do not have your own device, that is okay! Click on this link to sign-up/re-enroll and pay the 2021-2022 mLISD non-refundable security deposit so you can get your computer when school starts! If you pay by the 1st day of school, we will distribute laptops starting on the 2nd and 3rd days of school. There are scholarships available or reduced fees if needed.

Our schools and teachers use Remind to send text messages and emails to our parents. Make sure you log into Remind to set up your notification preferences, see archived messages, and send messages directly to your teachers and school staff. Download the mobile app (Google Play, Apple) for the best user experience.

Click here to learn more about Remind.

As Leander ISD Child Nutrition Services will continue to offer free breakfast and lunch meals to all students for the 2021–22 school year, low-cost meals are not being served at this time. To manage your student’s meal balance for snacks or extras beyond the meal service, please create your Titan Family Connect account (formerly MealTime). Leander ISD school menus, along with complete nutrition information, are available through Nutrislice.

School start and end times for elementary, middle and high school are listed below.

• Elementary School: 7:40 a.m.–2:55 p.m.
• Middle School: 8:10 a.m.–3:25 p.m.
• High School: 8:40 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

90-minute Early Release Schedule for 2021–22 School Year

• Elementary School: 7:40 a.m.–1:25 p.m.
• Middle School: 8:10 a.m.–1:55 p.m.
• High School: 8:40 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

*District Calendar linked below

As the start of the new school year is fast approaching, I wanted to remind you that the State of Texas requires all students to receive a Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap) and a Meningococcal Vaccine (MCV4) prior to the start of 7th grade. Many times, these immunizations are given at your student's well-visit with their doctor. Please review your student's immunization record and submit an updated copy to the school nurse (Rachael Kristoff). You may contact her by email or by phone for any questions. Please reference the Texas Department of State Health Services for Students for additional information.

Thank you,

Rachael Kristoff RN, BSN

Canyon Ridge Middle School Nurse

512-570-3507

512-570-9258 confidential eFax

As Leander ISD Child Nutrition Services will continue to offer free breakfast and lunch meals to all students for the 2021–22 school year, low-cost meals are not being served at this time. It is still a good idea to fill out two of the following forms:

• LISD Socio-Economic form: The Economic Disadvantaged status of each student is determined by the information provided on this form. The form itself is not sent to the Texas Education Agency nor is the income levels indicated for your family reported to the Texas Education Agency, only the status code is reported to the Texas Education Agency.

By completing this form, students may qualify for the following opportunities:

- Fee reductions for AP/IB exam

- Fee waivers for SAT/ACT college entrance exam and unlimited score reports

- Fee waivers for college application fee

- College scholarships based on financial need

- Reduced security deposit for mLISD devices

- Discount on Summer School

- Free backpack with supplies

- Fee wavier for LISD After School Enrichment (ASE) and supplies

- Fee waiver or reduction in fees for Fine Arts

• Free/Reduced Lunch Application: At this time, free/reduced lunch applications are printable and can be submitted to Carolina Arizpe at 1900 Cougar Country Dr, Cedar Park, TX 78641,or you can apply online at https://family.titank12.com/.

More information about Child Nutrition Services can be found at https://www.leanderisd.org/childnutritionservices/

Beginning this school year, all tickets for all high school and middle school athletic events hosted at LISD facilities will be sold online only. There will be NO cash sales at the gate.

Tickets can be purchased through link on the athletics webpage:

https://www.leanderisd.org/athletics_ticketspasses/

We still have a limited number of yearbooks for sale. Please stop by the school starting July 12th to purchase or pick up your pre-ordered yearbook. If you are purchasing a yearbook, the current cost is $50 and we are only accepting cash. Please reach out to Jared.Lichtenberger@leanderisd.org if you have any questions!

Turn your sound on and please watch this video from CRMS students!

*Randall's will donate to CRMS PTA if you select us as your Good Neighbor Program just because you shop there! Complete this form and then e-mail to good.neighbor@randalls.com or take to any store customer service location..

*Did you know you can buy all your Amazon purchases through Amazon Smile, and they will donate to our PTA all year long?!?! It doesn’t cost you anything and you order the same way. Just set up your Amazon Smile profile to donate to PTA Texas Congress Canyon Ridge Middle School PTA.

*CRMS PTA: If you have not yet, please consider joining the CRMS PTA. Memberships start as low as $10.

*SPIRIT WEAR: Spirit Wear is restocked. Porch pickup is very close to CRMS.

Be sure to follow Canyon Ridge Middle School PTA on Facebook and join the Facebook group for your child's grade level. Thank you for your time and all of your support for our Eagles!

AP/Counselor by grade-level for 2021-22:

• 6th: Monica Diaz Carle/Sabrina Anderson
• 7th: Cassandra Ricks/Katie Young
• 8th: Mandi Vogel/Staci Cote

Email: Wendy.Sturdevant@leanderisd.org
Website: crms.leanderisd.org
Location: Canyon Ridge Middle School, Country Trails Lane, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-570-3500
Twitter: @Sturdevant_CRMS