Panther Parent 411
Schimelpfenig Middle School - May 14, 2026
It is hard to believe that we only have 6 wakeups left in the 2025-2026 school year!
This will be my last Panther Parent Newsletter for the 2025-2026 school year. With that being said, I would like to take a moment to say thank you to you, our parents, for the continuous support you have shown me this year. It has been a true pleasure serving the Panther community again this school year.
To our eighth grade parents, thank you for your partnership in your child's education. We can't wait to see what amazing things your students do in high school and beyond. We wish each of them the very best!!
To the current sixth and seventh grade parents, I am looking forward to continuing our middle school journey next year as we work together to ensure an optimal learning experience for each of your students.
But, we are not done yet....
In order to ensure a strong finish to the school year, I want to provide you with some helpful end of year information below. Please read on for all of the details, and, as always, if you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to let me know.
I wish each of you a wonderful, relaxing, and fun summer ahead!! Enjoy!
Please review the schedule that we will be using on Friday, May 15th. The schedule includes assemblies in the morning with time allotted for all classes to meet. Our Sixth and Seventh Grade Awards Assembly will take place in the gym. Our eighth graders will use the assembly time to participate in a candid drug talk with representatives from the Plano Police Department and former Schim students currently attending Clark High School. This presentation will occur in our school cafeteria.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Due to the high demand for yearbooks, we have ordered an additional shipment with only 50 books available for purchase. Yearbooks will be sold on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last. Please see below for all of the details.
- Cost: $50
- Cash Payments Only
- Purchase Time/Location: Front Office between Friday, May 15th & Friday, May 22nd
- Expected arrival: Late June
- Pickup: Early July
Once all 50 books are sold, no additional copies will be available.
Thank you for your continued support of our school yearbook program!
Hello Panther Parents! Here is some important information from Schim’s favorite librarian:
- Library accounts: Please check with your child and your email if they need to return any library books or pay any fines on their account. If they have fines, they can pay with exact cash or a check to the school. Any books not returned will result in a fine, so let’s get those books turned in! I appreciate your assistance with this.
- Summer Reading: Please check out the following flyers for fun ways for students to continue reading this summer, including a summer reading challenge using the all new Beanstack app!
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at jessica.johnson@pisd.edu. Schim’s parents are the best! Have a fantastic summer!"
The Schimelpfenig Middle School Cheer Program is excited to invite you and your family to our 3rd Annual Cheerleading Showcase, featuring exciting performances by our current 8th grade team and our upcoming 7th grade team!
Date: May 16th at 4:30 PM
Location: SMS Gym
Admission: $5
Come enjoy an afternoon full of energy, school spirit, and fun. T-shirts and concessions will be available for purchase (cash only), so come ready to support our team and enjoy a great event.
We can’t wait to share this amazing display of Panther pride with you!
Go Panthers! 🐾
All students need to come to school with the following items
on Friday, May 22nd:Chromebook with Case
Chromebook Charger
Yearbook pen/marker (6th & 7th grade only)
The last day schedule will include periods 1-4 only.
Chromebook Return will take place each period by grade level.
Eighth graders will return chromebooks during first period and then take part in their scheduled activity day.
Sixth and seventh graders will return their chromebooks during second and third period. One of the other class periods will be used for yearbook distribution, and another will be designated for yearbook signing in grade level common areas.
- Students will be dismissed from school at 12:40pm.
If you have any questions about the last day of school, please let me know.
If your child has medication in the nurse's office, please make arrangements to pick it up before the last day of school. It must be picked up no later than Thursday, May 21st at 4pm. After this date, the nurse will dispose of all remaining medications.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Nurse Melanie Humenesky.
Summer is right around the corner, but there are a few things left to wrap up. On Friday, May 22nd, students will return their PISD chromebooks along with their plastic cases and chargers. If damage has been incurred on the device assigned to your student or if your student's electronic device and/or accessories are not returned, your student will be held financially responsible. Any items not returned to the campus will be charged to the student’s Rycor account for the following amounts:
$18.00 for the plastic case
$27.50 for the chromebook charger
$504.50 for the chromebook itself
$550.00 for the total package if nothing is returned on 05/22
While it is our hope that your student will not incur any of these charges, we still want to make you aware, so there are no surprises if a situation requiring payment arises. Please reach out to our campus technology specialist, William Brannon, should you have any questions.
Our A+ Academics team competed in a districtwide tournament earlier this month. Individual students from our team competed in a number of academic events throughout the day. A huge congratulations goes to our SMS team and their sponsor, Ms. Melanie Taylor! They were the runner up for the Sweepstakes Award for the middle school based on their overall team score, which was an accumulation of all the points scored throughout the day in all of the individual events.
In addition, we earned 3 individual medals!
Congratulations to the following individual winners:
Anastasiia G: First Place in Editorial Writing
Anastasiia G: Second Place in Ready Writing
Zoey K: First Place in Maps, Charts, and Graphs
Way to go, Panthers! We are Panther Proud of you!
This past weekend, our girls soccer team competed in their end-of-season B team soccer tournament. The competition was fierce, but our Lady Panthers outplayed everyone there, bringing home the first place trophy! Congratulations to these young ladies and their coaches on a job well done!! Way to represent, Panthers!
The Plano ISD Teacher of the Year Gala was held on Thursday, May 7th, at the Plano Event Center. Our very own Jeannie Freeman was honored for being Schimelpfenig’s 2026 Teacher of the Year, and she represented us well at this special occasion.
Congrats, Jeannie! We are so proud of you!!
Simply complete this form to share your thoughts and feedback! This is just another way to keep the line of communication open while we partner with you to make the educational experience for your students the very best that it can be. QR codes are available in the front office for you to use as well.
Please let me know if you have any questions about this process.
We are so excited to celebrate our students and their accomplishments at our annual student awards ceremonies this year!
Our Sixth & Seventh Grade Awards Assembly will take place this Friday, May 15th. You will receive notification in advance if your student will be getting an award, so you can make plans to attend if you so choose.
Our Eighth Grade Awards Ceremony is set for Wednesday, May 20th, at 6:30pm in the Schimelpfenig Gymnasium. We will be celebrating all of our eighth graders at this event, so please make plans to attend.
In addition, our Eighth Grade Class will have several additional activities to celebrate the end of middle school milestone including a breakfast, a spring social, and a special outdoor activity day. Information regarding these events was sent out to eighth grade parents earlier this semester. It will be a memorable experience for our eighth graders as they close out their middle school years.
On the last day of school, Friday, May 22nd, all students will return their chromebook, chromebook case, and charger. Eighth graders will participate in their special outdoor activity day, and sixth and seventh graders will have the opportunity to pick up and sign yearbooks.
We are looking forward to a fun ending to a great year!
Like last semester, we will be using a traditional format for our exam week schedule. We will have one block of time scheduled for each of the class periods Monday through Thursday.
During these blocks, teachers will give MAP tests for their own content areas, and high school course exams will be administered.
In addition, chromebook return will take place on Friday, May 22nd, along with some end of year activities for our students. Please take a look at the 2026 Spring Semester Exam/MAP Schedule and, if you have any questions, please let me know.
Please see the list of important dates below and mark your calendar, so you can plan accordingly. If you have any questions about any of these upcoming events, please do not hesitate to let me know.
- 05/15: Sixth & Seventh Grade Awards Assembly
- 05/19: Eighth Grade "Breakfast & Books" (before school - Serving will begin @ 7:15am. )
- 05/19: NJHS Induction @ 6pm
- 05/20: Eighth Grade Awards Ceremony @ 6:30pm
- 05/21: Eighth Grade Spring Social (Dance) 7pm-9pm
- 05/22: Chromebook Return
- 05/22: Eighth Grade Activity Day
- 05/22: Sixth and Seventh Grade Yearbook Signing
- 05/22: Last Day of School!! (Half Day - Dismissal @ 12:40pm)
All rising seventh grade students (current sixth graders) will require the following immunizations by the first day of the 2026-2027 school year.
- Meningococcal Vaccine – One dose required on or after 11th birthday
- Tdap Vaccine (Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis) – Booster dose required if at least 5 years have passed since the last dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine.
Proof of these immunizations will be required to begin school for the 2026-2027 school year. A hold will be placed on your student's schedule for the 26-27 school year if proof of immunizations is not received before schedule release in early August. Please check your child’s immunization records now and provide proof of immunization to our school nurse as soon as the vaccine is received, as this will provide faster service for your student’s schedule release.
If you have questions or need further assistance with vaccination records, please contact our School Nurse Melanie Humenesky at melanie.humenesky@pisd.edu or visit http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/default.shtm for more information.
I have had a number of parents who have asked if there is a Schim Staff favorites list available. The answer is yes! If you would like to show appreciation or recognize a staff member in a special way as we close out the school year, please feel free to reference the staff favorites list for ideas.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
The front doors open at 7:50am, and our first bell rings at 8:20am. First period begins at 8:25am when the tardy bell rings. Students are marked tardy when they arrive after 8:25am.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
In order to help campus staff appropriately schedule classes for the upcoming 2026-27 school year, families are asked to complete an Intent to Return form for currently enrolled students.
The form is currently available on Skyward Family Access to the primary guardian. Please complete the form as soon as possible since planning for the upcoming school year is already underway.
If your family does not plan to return, families are still asked to complete the Intent to Return form since this information also helps with planning.
Thank you for your assistance in helping schools with planning for the upcoming 26-27 school year.
Please take a moment to log into Skyward and review your student's information. We especially want to ensure that we have a current phone number and e-mail address on file for each parent and/or guardian.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact our registrar, Debbie Collins, at debbie.collins@pisd.edu.
Attention All Future Wildcat Athletes!
Please see the flyer below for a list of all of the upcoming summer sports camp opportunities through Plano Senior High. Registration information along with dates, locations, and cost for each camp are listed below.
As parents, you have the ability to review instructional plans for your child’s classes. Visit https://www.pisd.edu/students-families-a6/instructionalplans to view the instructional plans and learn more about your child’s learning experience.
As we continue working together to ensure your child’s success, I want to take a moment to reinforce our communication protocol for addressing concerns or issues that may arise during the school year.
In Plano ISD, we believe that open and direct communication is the foundation for resolving most concerns efficiently. Concerns should always be addressed at the level closest to the issue. In most cases, this means reaching out to your child’s teacher first. Our teachers are directly involved in your child’s day-to-day experience and are in the best position to respond to questions or resolve any concerns. Communication between parents and teachers is essential in ensuring that we are all on the same page regarding your child’s learning experience. If you find that an issue persists after speaking with the teacher or requires further attention, please feel free to reach out to me or a member of my administrative team.
For concerns that require additional attention, we invite you to visit www.pisd.edu/complaintresolution. This resource provides topic-specific steps for effectively resolving student and family concerns, along with sample email messages you may consider when contacting your child’s teacher.
Please understand that, while our staff members are committed to responding promptly, the demands of the school day may occasionally delay immediate responses. We appreciate your patience and understanding in these instances.
We deeply value your support and trust as we work together to create the best possible environment for your child. Thank you for helping to ensure that communication remains clear, courteous, respectful and productive.
We are excited to share an update about Sora, our district’s digital library platform for eBooks and audiobooks. Sora provides students with access to age-appropriate digital books to encourage self-selected reading, curiosity, and a lifelong love of reading.
Student access to Sora became available on Monday, October 20th. On this same date, new parental control features became available, giving parents and guardians more flexibility in guiding their child’s reading choices.
With the new parental control features parents and guardians can:
Lock titles to prevent students from borrowing or reading them.
Unlock titles to make them available again.
See child’s loan history.
How it Works:
Navigate to soraapp.com from any computer or the Sora app on a smartphone or tablet (Apple Store or Google Play).
Log in to your child’s Sora account with their Plano ISD credentials.
Go to Settings > Support > Parental Controls.
Create a secure PIN to set up Parent Mode.
In Parent Mode, you can lock or unlock titles
Exit Parent Mode to return to the student experience.
Step-by-step instructions and screenshots are provided on the Plano ISD Library Parent Options webpage to help you set up and use Parent Mode.
We deeply value your role in supporting your child’s reading journey. Our goal is to provide students with safe, flexible, and engaging reading opportunities while giving families tools to guide and personalize access.
If you have any questions about using Sora or parental controls, please reach out to our librarian, Jessica Johnson at Jessica.johnson@pisd.edu.
Thank you for your partnership in fostering a love of reading for every student. We value your feedback and encourage you to recommend books for our school library collections through https://bit.ly/PISDbookrecommendation.
As we begin the second nine weeks, please review our arrival and dismissal procedures listed below. By taking these small steps, we can ensure that all of our students arrive to and leave from school safely each day.
- Please adhere to the signs posted in the circular drive and on the streets.
- Students should always use the crosswalks when crossing the street.
- When exiting the carpool lane in front of the school in the morning, please turn right only.
- Please refrain from using the parking lot next to the tennis courts as a drop off or pick up location. This parking lot is designated for special education students needing extra time and assistance.
- Please refrain from dropping off your student along Maumelle. When you stop, it hinders the flow of traffic and, more importantly, it could put your student's safety at risk if they need to cross the street.
- While in the carpool lane, please make sure to pull all the way forward along the curb before dropping off your student.
- Dropping off or picking up your student from the outside lane of the carpool is prohibited. This is a major safety issue, as students must cross in front of other cars to get to the sidewalk.
- Please remember that our school zone is a phone-free zone, so please adhere to this.
Thank you for your continued partnership on this!
Parental Consent for Medical and Mental Health Support
Texas law (Senate Bill 12) requires parents to give consent before schools can provide students with certain physical or mental health services. Parents must complete a School Health Services Consent Form for each of their students in Plano ISD.
The consent form is available in Skyward Family Access and should be completed as soon as possible, so your child can continue to receive health services at school. Without this consent, nurses, counselors and staff will not be able to provide certain services. Please visit this link for more information and details.
Cell Phone Use
Texas law now prohibits students from using any type of personal communication device during the school day. Cell phones, smartwatches, personal tablets, smart glasses, laptops, headphones, airpods, and any other personal device capable of telecommunication must be powered off and stored in your student's backpack before entering the school building. All personal electronic devices must remain powered off and out of sight throughout the school day. This expectation applies during class time, passing periods, lunch, while in restrooms, and anywhere on campus during the instructional day. Students may turn on and use electronic devices once they have exited the building following afternoon dismissal. Teacher/coach discretion will be utilized regarding phone usage for extracurricular after school activities. If a student needs to call home during the day, they may use a school phone in the front office. Please call the front office should you need to get a message to your student during class. We will be reviewing these guidelines with students during class tomorrow.
PHONE ENFORCEMENT & CONSEQUENCES:
To ensure consistent expectations, all staff will teach, reteach, and reinforce the district’s guidelines during the first week of school. Violations will be addressed as follows:
1st Offense:
The student receives a warning.
- The staff member reteaches expectations and instructs the student to turn off all devices and store them in their backpack or bag.
- The parent/guardian is notified by phone or email.
2nd Offense:
- The device is confiscated and secured in the front office and must be retrieved by a parent or guardian.
- The parent/guardian is notified by phone or email.
- One day of In-School Suspension (ISS) will be assigned to the student.
3rd Offense:
- The device is confiscated and secured in the front office and must be retrieved by a parent or guardian.
- Three days of ISS will be assigned to the student.
- The student will be required to check in their devices each morning at the designated location and retrieve them after school for the remainder of the school year.
4th or Subsequent Offenses:
- The student may be placed at the District Alternative Education Program (DAEP).
If you have any questions, please let me know.
All students are required to wear their student ID badge at all times. This is a district policy for all secondary schools to ensure the safety and security of our campus. Following several serious incidents in the state of Texas over the last few years, Plano ISD and Schimelpfenig Middle School increased and improved badge and safety measures to ensure all students are easily identified. Students wearing their badges allow staff members to quickly and easily identify people that should not be on campus.
The district policy states that badges must be visible on a lanyard around the student's neck. Initially, a lanyard was issued to each student, but students may wear an alternate lanyard of their choosing if they prefer. Badges should not be cut, bent, or covered with stickers. Damage to the badge will result in a needed replacement.
The initial badge AND temporary badge are both issued for free. Replacement badges are $5. Replacement badges are issued from Ms. Butler in the front office. If a student forgets his or her badge, then the student should report to the front office, and Ms. Butler will issue a temporary sticker badge good for that day only. Each time a student forgets their ID and receives a temporary one constitutes a badge violation.
During the first couple of weeks, we gave our students grace and consistently reminded them that we would be assigning discipline for students who violate the badge expectation. If a student receives two or more badge violations in a five-day period, they receive Friday After Hours for that week. Friday After Hours takes place the last day of the week, usually on a Friday, from 3:50pm-5:50pm. Friday After Hours will begin after Labor Day.
If you have questions regarding badges or the badge procedures, please let us know.
Shorts, including athletic shorts, must extend beyond the buttocks.
No pajamas, houseshoes, or slippers may be worn to school.
Excessively loose or tight garments are not acceptable.
Underwear-type sleeveless shirts, spaghetti straps, tank tops and tube tops are not permitted.
Hard-soled shoes must be worn at all times.
Sunglasses, caps, hats, raised hoods, etc are not permitted.
Students in violation of the student dress and grooming code will be expected to change to appropriate attire or will be subject to other disciplinary action.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Crop Tops - If your student raises their hand and you can see their stomach, the shirt is too short and will be asked to change.
Shorts and Skirts - Bottoms must cover the entire buttocks area.
Hoodies - Students can wear a jacket with a hood, but the hood must remain off their head during the school day or the student will have to take off the jacket.
Hats - Any item that covers the head is not allowed. This includes baseball caps, beanies, etc. Religious coverings are allowed.
Like last year, students were issued chromebooks and chargers during the first week of school. If damage is incurred on the device assigned to them or if your student's electronic device is lost or stolen at any point throughout the year, students will be held financially responsible. While it is our hope that we will not see any of these concerns this year, we want to still make you aware of the charges, so there are no surprises if a situation requiring payment arises. Please reach out to our campus technology specialist, William Brannon, should you have any questions.
Chromebook: $550
Chromebook Charger: $27.50
It is an expectation that your student's chromebook comes to school every day fully charged. In addition, chargers should be brought to campus daily, as there are no extra chargers in the classroom. This is a school-issued device and should be treated as such. Stickers and writing should not be placed on the device. Thank you for your partnership in ensuring that your student adheres to these expectations.
Bethany Jacobson is the Campus Title IX Coordinator for the 2025-2026 school year. Ms. Jacobson will address employee and student concerns or inquiries regarding discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment. Reports can be made at any time and by any person, including during non-business hours, by mail, email or phone. During district business hours, reports may also be made in person.
Mrs. Kristen Kinnard
Schimelpfenig Middle School
Email: kristen.kinnard@pisd.edu
Website: pisd.edu/schimelpfenig
Location: 2400 Maumelle Drive, Plano, TX, USA
Phone: 469-752-6410