Sycamore Springs Middle School

Hello Sycamore Springs Middle School Families,

Happy Sunday! I hope you and your family are enjoying this wonderful weekend.

Last week we had a fantastic turnout for our second annual eSports Tournament—a big shoutout to our PTA and all the parent volunteers who helped make the event such a success! Our cross country team also competed in the district meet and represented SSMS with pride.

Looking ahead, the end of our first 9-week term is this Thursday, October 9. Please make sure your student has turned in all missing work and completed any retakes. Don’t forget, Friday, October 10 is a student holiday/staff workday, and Monday, October 13 is a district holiday—we hope you enjoy the extended weekend!

This week is packed with events, including football vs. WRMS, Safe Schools vaping prevention presentations for 7th grade, our first CAC meeting, volleyball at BCMS, and the Fall Choir Concert. Be sure to check the full list of events below so you don’t miss anything.

Go Tigers!

Sincerely,

Kelly Miller

Principal

1. End of Term 1 - Thursday, Oct. 9 marks the end of the Term 1 grading period. Please check with your student to be sure all missing assignments have been turned in and that any retesting opportunities have been completed before this date. Finishing strong helps set the stage for a successful start to Term 2!

2. This Friday, Oct. 10, is a student holiday and staff Professional Development day. In addition, Monday, Oct. 13, is a district holiday, and all district offices and campuses will be closed. We hope you and your family enjoy the long weekend!

3. DSISD's Counseling Department has put together 4 virtual Lunch and Learn opportunities. Check out this flyer for details on dates, topics, and how to register.

4. Advanced Academics Information Night & GT Testing - The window for parents to request GT testing is open from October 1, 2025, through November 14, 2025. For additional information, and to access the referral link on October 1st or after, please visit the DSISD Gifted and Talented website.

5. The Book Fair is Coming to SSMS! SSMS Book Fair starts on October 20. Click here to access our Book Fair website. You will find access to set up ewallets, shop online, and other important details. Thank you for supporting our Book Fair

6. 2025-26 DSISD Taxpayer Tuesdays - DSISD has announced its 2025-26 schedule for Taxpayer Tuesdays! This community series offers parents and community members an inside look at district operations and finances, student programs and achievements, campus tours, and conversations with district leaders. Each session features a presentation on a key topic and a campus tour. Register at dsisdtx.us/taxpayertuesdays or scan the QR code in the image. We hope to see you there! ***Next Taxpayer Tuesday is this Tuesday, Oct. 7 @ Wildwood Springs Elementary. Please make sure to RSVP and arrive by 9:15 am.

7. Secondary Grading Information: Learning from Mistakes at DSISD - At DSISD, we believe that mistakes are a natural and important part of learning. That’s why students have multiple opportunities to show mastery on an assessment.

We know this may be different from how many of us experienced school growing up, but our focus is on ensuring students truly understand the TEKS (state standards). Since students learn at different rates, we want to give them every chance to demonstrate mastery.

How Retesting Works

• Before retesting, students must participate in a reteach session. This is not a repeat of the original lesson, but a chance to learn the material in a new way (small group, one-on-one, or with different strategies).

• Reteach and reassessment can happen during class, tutorials, or before/after school. Teachers will share specific expectations with their students.

• Students have 5 school days from when the grade is posted to complete reteach and reassess.

• Students may reassess once per original test, and it must happen within the same grading period.

• The reassessment may look different from the original (similar test, corrections, project, etc.).

• The higher of the two grades will be recorded, and students can earn up to 100% on a reassessment.

How Parents Can Help

• Remind your student that mistakes are a normal part of learning.

• Encourage your Tiger to take advantage of reteach and retest opportunities, especially if they didn’t pass the first time.

8. Standard Response Protocol - Each year, we review each of the protocols with our staff and students through education and drills. Please see this flyer for what each emergency protocol means and what staff, students, and parents should to do in each circumstance. For more information, visit the Texas School Safety website on SRP.

9. DSISD is hosting a NARCAN presentation for families on October 29th. The event will be held at the Center for Learning & Leadership at 6:00 p.m. Dr. Kelly Clary from Texas State University will present on the use of NARCAN as well as opioid abuse. Please use this link to RSVP. Contact us at retta.ary@dsisdtx.us with any questions

10. SMS Attendance Matters - Weekly Update: We're excited to share our attendance results for Week 8! Our overall Average Daily Attendance (ADA) was 97.2%. This continued high performance keeps us above our annual goal of 96.9% and shows the amazing commitment of our SSMS families.

A huge congratulations goes out to the 6th Grade, who continue to lead the school with an outstanding 97.6% ADA for the week!

While our total attendance remains strong, let's keep working to ensure every student is present every day. Remember that missing one block day means missing two days of instruction—your partnership in prioritizing attendance is crucial for student success!

We hope you all had a great weekend!

On October 7 & 8, our seventh graders will receive a presentation on Vaping Prevention. This will be presented by Emily Heinatz with Safe Schools in Health classes. The presentation covers the chemicals used in vapes, myths, the stress of peer pressure, and laws. Students will learn how vaping can impact their health and learn refusal skills. If you do not want your student to receive this lesson, please email their counselor and we will arrange for students to be in the Library where Ms. McCoy will monitor students.

Dripping Springs ISD has partnered with Terrace Metrics to understand & support the resiliency & well-being of our students. All 7th Grade students will have the opportunity to take this assessment on Oct. 22nd or 23rd via Tiger Win classes. Active consent is required from parents/guardians for their student(s) to participate in the evaluation. This means that we will not administer the assessment to any student with a parental/guardian consent status of no and no response consent. Only students with a parental/guardian consent status of yes will be allowed to participate. 7th grade parents will receive an email from Ms. Miller on October 6, with additional information about Terrace Metrics. On October 7, seventh grade parents will receive an email from Actionaly, which will contain the consent form. The consent form will close on Oct. 17. Before the Terrace Metrics parental consent window closes, we will host a 7th-grade parent meeting to provide information and answer questions about the Terrace Metrics Assessment. Please join us on October 9th from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. in the Pecan room at SSMS for this meeting.

September is Suicide Awareness Month. For more information, check out this flyer that has information on warning signs and steps you can take.

“The Anxious Generation” parent book study has begun. If you are still wanting to join, check out this flyer with the information and join in!

Have a great week and Go Tigers!

Ms. Dykhoff, Grades 6-8 last names A-K

Mrs. Zimmerman, Grades 6-8 last names L-Z

The end of the first 9-week term is this Thursday, October 9. Students participating in UIL (University Interscholastic League) activities must be passing all classes to remain eligible to compete. Grade checks are consistent across DSISD and follow the UIL calendar. Students who are not passing at the end of the term will become ineligible beginning Thursday, October 16.

✅ Parent Tip: Now is a great time to sit down with your student and check Skyward together to be sure all missing assignments and retakes are complete.

You can view the full UIL Eligibility Calendar [HERE].

Each year, we review each of the protocols with our staff and students through education and drills. Please see this flyer for what each emergency protocol means and what staff, students, and parents should to do in each circumstance. For more information, visit the Texas School Safety website on SRP.

SSMS Book Fair starts on October 20. Click here to access our Book Fair website. You will find access to set up ewallets, shop online, and other important details. Thank you for supporting our Book Fair

DSISD's Counseling Department has put together 4 virtual Lunch and Learn opportunities. Check out this flyer for details on dates, topics, and how to register.

Exciting new Sycamore Springs fam! Our 8th grade A basketball team has an incredible once-in-a-lifetime chance to shine on the San Antonio Spurs' court through the Court of Dreams program. They'll face off against Dripping Springs right before the Spurs take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, November 8 at 1:20 PM. See the attached flyer for all the details, and scan the QR code to grab your tickets and cheer on our Tigers!

Please join me in celebrating our amazing Tigers with September birthdays! Wishing each of you a day filled with joy, laughter, and lots of cake. We ❤️ You! Go Tigers! 🐯

Big cheers to our amazing SSMS teachers who earned a shout-out from their peers this week! Your hard work and positivity keep our campus shining bright. We’re so lucky to have the BEST staff around. Thank you for making SSMS the place to be!

Congratulations to the Tiger of the Week!

Please help me in congratulating Annesley Neumann for being our Tiger of the Week! We are so proud of all the hard work and effort you put into athletics!

We are so proud of all our volleyball players! We especially want to recognize the following players of the game from last week's game against DSMS!

Congratulations to our SSMS XC Runners of the Week! For the week of September 22nd-26th, we recognized runners who are unstoppable. These runners (and our manager) continue to push themselves through obstacles and persevere to surpass their own goals and expectations. Congratulations to Finley (7G), Liam (7B), Emma (8G), Aiden (8B) and Evan (manager). Keep inspiring and pushing your teammates and yourself...with your focus and determination, what you can accomplish is limitless!

On Saturday, September 27th, SSMS XC enjoyed a beautiful burnt orange sunrise to start another great day on the trails at Marble Falls High School for the Leo Mazano/Rick Edwards Memorial XC Invitational. We were inspired as we cheered on the DSHS Varsity and JV runners which included numerous SSMS XC alumni and siblings of current runners. Their accomplishments reminded us of the opportunities that awaited us on the trail. For SSMS XC, we posted 43 new PRs on the books by continuing to push our own personal limits. We challenged for each spot on the course and wowed our fans with our strong finishes. Congratulations to our 8th grade girls for a 2nd place team finish! As our division with the fewest runners, they were a formidable force and continue to make their presence known on the trail. Congratulations to our individual medalists: Adam (1st) for the 8th Boys; Brooke (4th) and Juliana (12th) for the 8th Girls; Theo (15th) for the 7th Boys; Finley (4th) and Alex (10th) for the 7th Girls.

Our Cheerleader of the Week is Lynley! She is one of our cutest, shyest, and sweetest girls on the team who always gives her very best to nail the routine and hit the stunt. We’ve seen her grow so much—whether she’s flying, dancing, or cheering, she always pushes to be the best version of herself. We’re so thankful for the shy smiles that turn into vibrant cheers every time she’s on the sideline!

Please help me in congratulating our Tiger Belles of the Week!!!

•SSMS PTA is asking for donations for some good ol’ fashion fun w/ gently used board and/or card games! Drop off in SSMS Front Office to be given to SSMS Admin who will decide how & when to use them-ex. during student aide downtime. You may also purchase new here on the Amazon Wish List: Amazon.com

•SSMS PTA is excited to participate in the Nat’l PTA Reflections! It encourages students of ALL ages & abilities to explore and be involved in the arts. Students create and submit original works of art in the medium of their choice— dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts — reflecting on a specific theme. This year's theme is "I Belong". Please see rules and entry form here! We would love for you to encourage your students to participate! A box for entries will be at the front desk (w/ paper entry forms) and questions can be directed to reflections@ssmspta.org. Entry forms and rules are also available on the SSMS website Let's get creative!

•In conjunction to the Head Start Award SSMS PTA has also unofficially earned the-Early Bird Achievement, Snappy Increase, and Shining Star Awards! Continue to join at JoinPTA – JoinPTA if you haven’t already to enter BOTH upcoming raffles-our next drawing is THIS month-Oct 30th-just in time for Halloween- for a YETI Hopper Flip 12!

•Save The Date: SSMS PTA General Meeting is Friday Oct 17th at 8:15AM in the Sycamore Room. Don’t forget, you can’t vote unless you’re a member: JoinPTA – JoinPTA

•2nd Annual Halloweenie Chili and Hot Dog Bar at SSMS on Wed Oct 29th! Bring your famous chili for bragging rights for the BEST or donate a dish and/or volunteer! Sign up here: SignUpGenius - Mobile

•THANK YOU to all our volunteers who consistently show up to free up teaching time to educate & mentor by simply volunteering to make copies in our workroom WEEKLY. We’re set until Fri Oct 17th?! Please, consider signing up then or another slot/s that are convenient for you. Sign up here: SignUpGenius - Mobile

Note: You must have a current background check completed with DSISD Inspiring Volunteers, Volunteering at DSISD | Dripping Springs

•On behalf of SSMS National Junior Honor Society & Ms. McGilvray: Clothes Bin have partnered to collect & recycle old clothing, shoes and textiles! Every pound of recycled items supports SSMS NJHS! Place your items in a bag that is tied closed and deposit them in the green recycling bin in our front Maroon parking lot.

•The SSMS PTA will be hosting informative Parent to Parent Campus Tours this month-Friday Oct 17 & 24th 11:30-12:15PM. Come see why SSMS received the School of Excellence Award! Sign up here: SignUpGenius - Mobile

•Exclusive opportunity for SSMS 6th-8th Graders, for Fall 25’ Oct-Dec Austin Cotillion! Register now for $50 to go back to SSMS PTA. Note: Classes 1 and 2 will be emailed if registering late!

Register: REGISTER | Austin Cotillion

•Be sure to Like & Follow our Facebook and Instagram - we post information and updates daily throughout the school year, and we’ll show up more often the more you react to the posts!

Are you looking for a way to honor a Dripping Springs ISD employee? Whether you are a staff member wanting to recognize a co-worker for a job well done or a parent who is impressed by your child's bus driver for going that extra mile, this is the program for you! Anyone can nominate any DSISD employee through the district's employee recognition program, Tiger Stripes for Staff. Click HERE to leave a Tiger Strip!

Monday, 10/6 - A Day

7th Football vs. WRMS @ SSMS; 5:00/6:30pm

Tuesday, 10/7 - B Day

7th Graders - Vaping Prevention Presentation from Safe Schools

Taxpayer Tuesday; 9:15 am @ Wildwood Springs Elementary School (RSVP at this link)

8th Football vs WRMS @ Westlake HS; 5:00/6:30pm

Wednesday, 10/8 - A Day

7th Graders - Vaping Prevention Presentation from Safe Schools

Thursday, 10/9 - B Day

CAC Meeting #1; Sycamore Room @ 7:45am

FCA; Small Gym @ 8am (permission slip required)

Parent Meeting for Terrace Metrics (7th Grade Families); Pecan Room @ 9am

Volleyball @ BCMS; 8B/7A 5:00pm & 8A/7B 6:15am

Fall Choir Concert; Cafeteria @ 7pm

Friday, 10/10 - Student Holiday/Teacher Workday

Varsity Football vs. Bowie; Tiger Stadium @ 7:30 pm (Gold Out)

Saturday, 10/11

Volleyball - District B Team Tournament @ SSMS

10/13 - Student & Staff Holiday/No School

10/14 - 7th Football @ BCMS; 4:15/5:30/7:00pm

10/15 - 8th Football vs BCMS @ SSMS; 4:15/5:30/7:00pm

10/15 - Coffee & Chat w/ Principal Miller; Sycamore Room @ 8:15 am

10/16 - FCA; Small Gym @ 8am (permission slip required)

10/16 - Volleyball @ DSMS; 8B/7A 5:00pm & 8A/7B 6:15am

10/16 - Band Booster Meeting; Sycamore Room @ 5pm

10/17 - PTA Parent to Parent Campus Tours;11:30-12:15 (click HERE to sign up)

10/17 - Varsity Football vs. LTHS; Tiger Stadium @ 7:30pm (Black Out)

10/18 - Volleyball - District A Team Tournament @ DSMS

10/20-10/24 - Scholastic Book Fair @ SSMS! 📚

10/20 - 7th Football vs DSMS @ SSMS; 4:15/5:30/7:00pm

10/21 - Fall Picture Retakes; Sycamore Room

10/21 - 8th Football vs DSMS @ DSHS; 4:15/5:30/7:00pm

10/23 - FCA; Small Gym @ 8am (permission slip required)

10/24 - Varsity Football vs. Del Valle; Tiger Stadium @ 7:30 pm (Pink Out)

10/25 - District Band Auditions

10/29 - PTA Chili Cook-off

10/30 - FCA; Small Gym @ 8am (permission slip required)

10/31 - Student Holiday/Teacher PD Day

11/4 - Taxpayer Tuesday; 9:15 am @ Dripping Springs High School (RSVP at this link)