Ridge Relay

Hello Eagle Families,

Happy New Year! We are so excited to see students back in-person and virtually to kick-off this new semester. As we start this spring semester, we are reflecting on the great things our Eagles accomplished in the Fall and we can't wait to see what comes next as they soar to success!

This Wednesday (1/13/21), we will have our next 2-hour Early Release day. Due to a timing issue with lunches and required attendance times, we needed to modify our 2-hour early release schedule by 5 minutes in a few classes. Here is the updated 2-hour early release schedule starting for this Wednesday, January 13. We apologize for a change but this should be our 2-hour release schedule moving forward for the remainder of this school-year.

Also a reminder about changing from in-person to virtual learning: Please know we want to support your families’ decision to change to virtual at any time if that is what is best for your child and family. However, you can NOT go back and forth randomly throughout the grading period. If you are currently in-person, and want to do virtual, please email your counselor, so we can make sure you are properly coded for your learning location. When a student moves to virtual learning, they will remain virtual until January 19th or for the rest of the grading cycle. (If you are currently virtual and wanting to change to in-person next semester, please note the deadlines below to change for the 5th grading period.)

If you ever have any questions about these processes or individual needs, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself, the AP or Counselor. Thank you for your continued support of CRMS!

Go Eagles!

Mrs. Wendy Sturdevant

Eagle News 1/5/21

Instagram: Canyon_Ridge_MS

Twitter: @Sturdevant_CRMS

If you missed picture day, you have 2 options remaining:

• Photo Texas has been given permission to provide a final fall makeup date for all LISD students. These photos will be offered on Saturday, January 16 from 10am-2pm at the football stadiums at Leander HS (Bible Stadium) and Vandegrift HS (Monroe stadium). Students can go to either location.

• January 21st at CRMS during the school day: We will provide pictures outside the gym near the bus-lane for students to come take pictures. More information to come after the holiday break.
• As per our safety measures, we will follow all district safety protocols.
  

I know it seems crazy to already be thinking about next year, but we will begin that process soon. Students will be getting course registration and transition information through Advisory classes in the coming weeks. In addition, we will be hosting parent webinars to help with all of this information too. Please plan to join us. Some CRMS courses will require an application, and those will be specified on the choice sheet. For current 8th grade students, your course transition is coordinated by VHS (see below).

February 1-5:

Counselors in advisory classes for transition lesson and Q&A.

February 3:

• Webinar @ 5:30-6:00 for current 6th grade parents; passcode 672700
• Webinar @ 6:10-6:40 for current 7th grade parents; passcode 672700

February 5:

Course selection open

February 12:

Choice sheet DUE for current 6th & 7th graders.

February 16, 5:30-6:30 for current 5th grade parents

Your 8th grader has been working hard to prepare for their transition to high school! Your student should have an updated four year planning document in Google Classroom. This document is NOT their official course selections for 9th grade, however it can serve as a guide when you do start making those choices. More information can be found on Mrs. Gripentrog's webpage under 8th grade lessons.

Also, please note the following important dates for 8th to 9th transition:

• Student Information Session with VHS Counselors via CRMS Social Studies Classes - January 11th & 12th (VIRTUAL)​
• 8th Grade Parent Webinar hosted by VHS - January 12th - 6pm (VIRTUAL)​
• 8th Grade Viper Night hosted by VHS - January 14th - 6pm (VIRTUAL)​
• Various academic (including IB and AP Capstone), athletic and fine arts programs will share information with families via Zoom presentations.
• ​Student Meetings with VHS Counselors via CRMS Science Classes - January 20th-25th (VIRTUAL)​
• High school counselors will meet with 8th grade students individually via Zoom to collect their course selections.

VHS will be updating their website soon, so be sure to check back for the most update to date info.

Reminder: LifeGuard presentations will take place in 7th Grade Science classrooms January 11th - 14th as described in previous district communication. If you would like more information regarding LifeGuard Presentations, please view the link here.

Information was previously supplied back in September and parent meetings were held on October 20th & December 10th. One more parent meeting will take place in February prior to the 8th grade student presentations February 24-March 1:

Parent Workshops:

Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021 | 6–7:30 p.m.

For more information about these parenting workshops, or if you have questions about LifeGuard, please contact Alicia Westcot at alicia.westcot@leanderisd.org.

*Are you interested in helping Canyon Ridge with the science fair? There are a number of ways you can help! We need judges, hospitality room donations, etc. If you are wanting to judge or be on the approval of projects committee, we would like for you to have a background or degree in something along the lines of the following categories:

Computer science, biology, chemistry, engineering or robotics, physics, astronomy, mathematics, energy, animals, plant sciences, materials science, medical field, sport sciences, psychology, etc. If you think you fall into this category and want to judge projects please email me and let me know! If you have expertise in any of the fields listed above, you can be a IRB or SRC member who helps approve projects based on risk level, etc. The school fair is on January 21st and judging will take place in the morning and afternoon, depending on the category. Here is the form for the Judging sign up.

*If you do not want to judge or feel that you aren’t qualified to judge, there is another way to volunteer which we would greatly appreciate it! We are also hosting a hospitality room as we are going to have multiple teachers, admin, and other employees in the district help judge on campus (as students will be judged virtually), so we would love any contributions that could be made. This is an all day event, so anything from bottle water, breakfast items, or lunch items is perfectly acceptable, as long everything is individually wrapped. Here is the form to donate to the hospitality room.

-7th Grade Science (Please contact Mr. Cody Redfern with questions or to sign up)

2020-21 Yearbooks are available for sale NOW! Don't wait to preorder your yearbook for this extraordinary and unforgettable year! Yearbooks are $35 through the end of December. Starting in January, the price will increase to $40.

Did you miss out on purchasing a CRMS yearbook from last year? We still have some yearbooks available that will be sold for a discounted price of $30. If you'd like to purchase last year's yearbook, please visit the front office at CRMS with $30 exact cash or check. Books will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

Each year, LISD offers students an opportunity to take an Exam for Acceleration (EA) at no cost to the family. LISD offers multiple EA testing windows each school year. Click this link for more information and dates. Students and parents can request the exam through their grade level counselor. The next testing window and deadline to register is listed below.

Testing Window: March 1-3, 2021

Registration deadline: February 8, 2021

Logistics: Arranged with student's counselor & UTHS

Note: Students who pass an Exam for Accelerationin the March 2021 testing window will complete the 2020-2021 school year in his/her current class. Students will receive their acceleration in the 2021-2022 school year.

COVID-19 update for 2020/2021 school year: Currently grades 3-12 testing is only being administered online.

CRMS families, if your child is proficient in a language and would like to pursue testing opportunities to earn high school credit for this language, please contact your school counselor for information on 2020/2021 testing. Spring testing will be February 18, 2021 for in person students. Virtual students will be testing at home on or around this same date. Your grade level counselor will provide more info. Deadline to register for spring language testing is February 8th.

Update as of 1/4/2021:

As part of our efforts to keep our students, staff, and community safe by minimizing the spread of COVID-19 and maintaining in-person operations for students who depend on our schools, we will be limiting attendance at all athletic and fine arts events effective immediately.

Each student-athlete or performer will be allowed two spectators to attend games and events. We will permit siblings under five to attend with their parent or guardian. Coaches, sponsors and directors will contact students and families with details for their games and events.

We will notify our families of updates to this policy as we monitor the conditions of COVID-19.

To ensure you have the most accurate and up to date information on our sports schedules, please visit the Athletics Website.

• Here is the Leander ISD General Spectator information for all Leander ISD athletic events.

• Everyone entering the stadium/gyms will be required to wear a face mask the entire time they are at the school event.

• You will be asked health screener questions when you arrive and must be completed by each person attending. If you have symptoms, please do not attend.

• Stadium and gyms will have reduced, limited capacity and we will not be able to allow anyone to enter when at capacity.

• Seating will be marked off on bleachers for social distancing. Please do NOT sit on the blue tape.

• We ask that when your child’s game is over, please leave the stadium/gym, so that we can let in more families for the following games.
  

• MS game tickets will be sold at the gate of each event. No presale tickets for MS events.

• Limited passes will be accepted.

• No student athlete passes will be allowed.

• Concession stands will be open with prepackaged food items and drinks for sale.

• Hand sanitizer stations will be provided and restrooms will be open. Water fountains will not be available.

Mary Ann Kluga will be offering a winter online session of the Love and Logic course. Please check out this flyer.

The sessions begin on January 28 and continue through March 4.

Deadlines for Parents to change from Virtual to In-Person Learning & Date Students Return to In Person Learning:

• Deadline - December 11 for 4th 6-weeks beginning January 5th OR January 19th*
  

*Due to the Holiday Break and recommended local health guidelines, students who wish to change from virtual to on-campus learning, can delay their student's on-campus return date. Please see the Change Form linked above to make your selection.

• Deadline - February 5 for 5th 6-weeks beginning February 16
• Deadline - March 26 for 6th 6-weeks beginning April 5

In the fall of 2021, Leander ISD will use the label Advanced instead of Pre-AP to identify courses that are designed to challenge as well as prepare students to be successful in future AP and/or IB courses.

The College Board is requiring the use of their national curriculum in order for courses to be

labeled Pre-AP. Leander ISD is committed to differentiating and meeting the needs of each and every student as we currently do through the LISD established curriculum and instruction. Leander ISD will, therefore, not adopt the national standardized curriculum required by the College Board’s Pre-AP program. Furthermore, Leander ISD has demonstrated successful outcomes in both AP and IB programs and does not foresee any negative impact on student success as a result of not adopting the College Board Pre-AP program.

In order to simplify naming conventions of advanced course pathways leading into AP and IB,

Leander ISD will use the label Advanced instead of Pre-AP/IB. This is only a name change of

the label Pre-AP to Advanced. There will be no changes to the local Leander ISD curriculum or

expectations for students in these courses.

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

*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 has recently been 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!

**Please note that we will no longer be using the Student Google Form due to a district-wide switch to this new screener app.**

Leander ISD has licensed a NEW Frontline Health Portal to provide you with a convenient way to complete your child’s COVID-19 self-screen prior to arriving at school every day. You may download the Frontline App, or use the attached QR Code to register and login to your portal.

• Please review the directions below for setting up your portal to register and create a Frontline account. You may do this through the Frontline Health Portal app or through the web address, Click Here.

(It is recommended you use a desktop computer to register, once registered the Frontline Health App and QR code will work with ease)

• Use the primary email that you provided to the district and confirm the Portal Terms of Use.

• You will receive an email with a temporary password and a link to confirm your account.

• You will need your child’s Student ID # to add your child to the account

Important Note: All children in a family can be added to the same exact account. As well as families that have multiple homes, both parents can create an account for their child with their own email.

If you are having technical difficulties, there are two ways to receive technical support: 1) Call the Help Desk or 2) Enter a Technology Help Ticket:

1. How do I contact the Help Desk?

Call: 512-570-0566
Help Desk Hours: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F

2. Technology Help Ticket: http://servicemanager.leanderisd.org/

Thank you for your assistance with the required daily screener!

***DO NOT REGISTER IF YOUR CHILD IS STILL VIRTUAL, THIS IS ONLY FOR IN-PERSON STUDENTS***

If anyone in your household tests positive for COVID, please notify Mrs. Sturdevant or our school nurse, Rachael Kristoff, immediately. Also, since we are in between holiday breaks, if your child is in-person & was with someone over the holiday break that has now tested positive for COVID, you must notify the nurse of the exposure. We are doing our best to properly contact trace & keep all of our students & staff safe.

We encourage our families and staff to do their part to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

By coming to school, you are attesting that you confidently answered “NO” to ALL of the questions related to COVID-19 symptoms and have a very low risk of carrying or spreading COVID-19. If you answered “YES” to ANY of the questions, you are to stay home. All screening information will be kept confidential by the campus administration and the campus nurse.

Students experiencing ANY of the symptoms from the list, in a way that is not normal for the student, MUST REMAIN AT HOME and a parent/guardian should email the CRMS Attendance Clerk (CRMSAttendance@leanderisd.org) and provide the student’s Full Legal Name, Student ID Number, date and reason for absence.

***Students who are required to stay home due to COVID-19 related symptoms can still access learning virtually if they feel well enough to attend virtual classes.

@AusPublicHealth is offering risk guidance for gatherings to help keep #1LISD healthy & safe. With the recent surge in COVID cases in central Texas, we're especially mindful of how the pandemic continues to affect our community and potentially our schools. Our most important goal is keeping our campuses open so that our students can learn and our families can thrive. We can't do it alone. Please do your part to celebrate safely during the holidays so that we can support and safeguard our teachers, students and students.

To minimize the spread of COVID-19 and ensure everyone has a safe and healthy holiday season, Austin Public Health is offering risk guidance for gatherings. En Espanol

Many have generously reached out and asked how you can donate or support the teachers/school during this time.

If you are wanting to donate and unsure how, we will gladly accept donations of bottled water, paper towels, hand sanitizer or Clorox wipes on campus.

Please note: there are COVID EPA requirements on certain products so please check those before purchasing. As long as the item meets the those requirements, is sealed and brand new, we can accept deliveries of donations during office hours on campus.

As the upcoming school year takes shape, we want to ensure the information families need to make important decisions is easy to access in our Launch to Learning 2020-21 guides.

• COVID-19 Health Response

• Teaching and Learning Guide

• Special Programs Guide

We know that our community still has questions, so we’ve worked hard at cultivating an expansive, updated FAQ section of the Launch to Learning site. The latest additions will be highlighted green for a few days and then moved into a queue under the appropriate heading.

AP/Counselor by grade-level:

• 6th: Cassandra Ricks/Shirley Dean
• 7th: Mandi Vogel/Staci Cote
• 8th: Monica Diaz Carle/Lauren Gripentrog

Instagram: Canyon_Ridge_MS

Email: wendy.sturdevant@leanderisd.org
Website: https://crms.leanderisd.org/
Phone: 512-570-3500
Twitter: @Sturdevant_CRMS