Panther Parent 411
Schimelpfenig Middle School - December 3, 2025
I just love this time of the year and all of the opportunities it brings for us to gather with family and friends. There is a special magic in the air, and it can be felt both here at school and within our community. With the semester coming to a close, this will be my last Panther Parent 411 until 2026, so I want to take a moment to wish each and every one of you a wonderful holiday season! Please take some much needed and well deserved time to relax, spend time with family and friends, and create some special memories with those you hold dear.
We are now in the homestretch of this semester, but there is still much to be done around here in Panther Country before our Winter Break begins! Please take a moment today to read through the remainder of the Panther Parent 411, so you are up-to-date on all of the upcoming special events, service opportunities, and campus happenings throughout this holiday season. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know.
Happy Holidays! See you in 2026!
Friday, December 19th, is an early release day. Classes will end at 12:40 pm, and our front office will close at 3pm.
Winter Break for students will run from Monday, December 22nd, through Monday, January 5th. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 6th.
Beginning tomorrow, students and staff will have the opportunity to participate in a a variety of festive holiday dress up days here on campus. Please refer to the 12 Days of Cheer Holiday Dress Up Calendar for Students to see all of the details.
If you have questions, please feel free to let me know.
Make a difference this season by contributing to the student council winter canned food drive! Drop off your cans in the grade-level boxes located near the main campus entrance. No dented or damaged cans please. Donations will be accepted from Wednesday, December 3rd, until Wednesday, December 17th.
A single donation can make a big difference in someone's life. Thank you for supporting student council and our Panther community!
Think your student has what it takes to face the best of the best at the Fast Fours Volleyball Tournament? Students can sign up their team and come out to prove they are top cats in Panther Country!
What IS Fast Fours? Fast Fours is a double elimination volleyball tournament. Each match is 4 minutes long, and the team with the most points moves on in the winner’s bracket!
Teams must include 4 or 5 players and are encouraged to wear matching attire. Students can dress to the nines to really show off their team's spirit! Anyone can be on a team together: 6th graders, 7th graders, 8th graders, boys, girls, teachers, staff, and even parents!
The cost to play is $8 for a 4-player team, and $10 for a 5-player team. Cash only please! Your entry fee includes free food at the event! Registration will be open every morning in the front school entrance from now through Thursday, December 11th.
The tournament will take place in the SMS gym on Friday, December 12th from 6pm to 8pm! Come out and take part in the fun!
If you have any questions, see Coach Jones for more information.
The first semester will end on Friday, December 19th, and grades will be posted in Skyward by Friday, January 9th, 2026.
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 have times throughout the year when you would like to show appreciation or recognize a staff member in a special way, please feel free to reference the staff favorites list for ideas.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
If your student has misplaced any items here at school, please encourage them to visit our lost and found located to the side of the cafeteria. Currently, we have over lots of water bottles, lunch bags, and an assortment of hoodies and jackets within this collection. All unclaimed items will be donated on Thursday, December 18th, so please have your student check lost and found for their missing items prior to this date.
Is your child interested in the Social Studies PACE Gifted and Talented program?
PACE referral information and applications are now available and can be found online at:
https://www.pisd.edu/departments-66/advanced-academics/pace.
*Please see the Referral Information (Grades 6-8) section or access the links below to apply.
Secondary Forms (Grades 6-8): (English) and (Spanish). Early applications are encouraged.
The Spring Testing Referral Deadline is Friday, January 9th @ 5pm.
Good luck and we hope you will apply for this fun and challenging academic program!
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.
Parents and students are invited to join the science team on Wednesday, December 3rd, between 5:00pm and 6:30 pm in the SMS library for a showcase of our seventh and eighth grade Science and Engineering Fair Projects.
That evening, more than 50 student projects will be on display, highlighting the impressive work and dedication that our honors science students have shown throughout the first semester of this school year. If you are considering honors science placement for your child next year, this event offers a valuable opportunity to see the scope and creativity of the honors project. If your child is already participating in the science fair process, this is a wonderful chance to explore the remarkable investigations that they and all of their peers are currently conducting in pursuit of scientific excellence.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact our science department chair, Jeannie Freeman at jeannie.freeman@pisd.edu.
We look forward to seeing you on December 3rd!
For the last week of the semester, we will run a schedule that looks very different from our normal one. We will have one block of time scheduled for each of the class periods, beginning on Monday, December 15th, and running through Thursday, December 18th. During these blocks, teachers will give MAP tests for their own content areas, and high school course exams will be administered. If your student has a class without a MAP test or an exam to give, the teacher will have alternate activities for students to do during this block of time.
Please take a look at the bell schedule and, if you have any questions, please let me know.
The end of the semester will be here before we know it! In order to ensure a smooth and successful closeout, we want to provide you with some important information. As stated above, we will be using time the last week of school for both MAP testing and semester exams in high school credit courses. Please note that exams may NOT be given earlier than exam week. If your student will be absent during that week, he or she will need to schedule a time in January with their teacher to make up the exam. This practice ensures fidelity with all exams. Classes administering exams include Algebra I and II, Geometry, Spanish, French, Health, and Gateway to Technology classes.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Lunchapalooza is coming to Panther Country on Friday, December 19th! Lunchapalooza is a 2 hour National Junior Honor Society sponsored block lunch during which students have the opportunity to eat and take part in some fun, engaging activities with their grade level peers.
Meal tickets for this special event will go on sale on Monday, December 1st. For the purchase of a meal ticket, students will receive 2 slices of cheese pizza, a bag of chips, and a soda or water for only $8. These tickets can be purchased with cash only in the cafeteria during all lunches. Students can even buy multiple meals if they want more pizza! The deadline for meal purchases will be Friday, December 12th, and students will NOT be able to purchase meals after this date. Lunch lines in the cafeteria will still be open that day for students who prefer this option.
If you have any questions or need additional information about Lunchapalooza, please do not hesitate to reach out to Autumn Evans, our NJHS sponsor.
NJHS needs parent volunteers to help with Lunch-A-Palooza pre-sales. We are looking for 2 parents each day to man the pre-sale table in the cafeteria during lunches between Monday, December 1st, and Friday, December 12th. Volunteers will also be needed on the day of Lunch-A-Palooza for candy sales. If you are willing to help, please sign up using the links below.
Pre-sale Volunteer Signup:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EA8AF2AA3FFC61-60445993-winter
Candy Sales at Lunchapalooza:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EA8AF2AA3FFC61-60489420-lunchapalooza
It has become a tradition for our Panther Family to participate in a campus wide community service project on the last day of the fall semester. In the spirit of giving, we have once again chosen to partner with Children's Hospital in providing one of their greatest needs, blankets for their patients. December 19th will be a half day for our students, and, that morning, our students and staff will make no-sew blankets to donate to this worthy cause.
Our goal as a campus this year is to make 400 blankets, but, in order to make this happen, we will need fleece...LOTS of fleece, 1600 yards to be exact, as it requires 4 yards of fleece to make one blanket. If you know of any businesses who would like to make a corporate donation to get us started, please send them my way. Only blizzard and anti-pill fleece can be used, and, if possible, please donate in increments of two yards. We would love to be able to show our Schim spirit by using our school colors in solids, plaids, and prints, but we are happy to accept any other colors donated.
Please click on the link to sign up to make a fleece donation, or, if you prefer, a monetary donation can be made through our PTA website toward the purchase of the needed fleece. The deadline for donations is Friday, December 12th. This will allow the time needed to purchase and cut the fleece prior to the day of the event.
With your help, our Panther Family will be able to make a positive impact within our community this holiday season.
Thank you in advance for your donation.
The yearbook staff is hard at work on the 2025-2026 SMS yearbook! The current cost for a yearbook is $40 before any customization. Take advantage of this Black Friday price now through November 30th, as prices will increase after this date. Please see the information below for additional details including yearbook add ons and parent advertisements as well as the online order link and school ID code.
🐾 Schimelpfenig Middle School 2025 Yearbook! 🐾
“From Lockers to Legends, the Rise of the Panther starts here!”
From the first day of school to the last bell, your 2025 Panther Yearbook is packed with unforgettable moments, smiles, and memories you’ll treasure forever.
🖤 Inside You’ll Find:
Student highlights & candid photos
Clubs, sports, and special events
Class favorites & 8th Grade send-offs
📅 Black Friday Order Deadline: November 30, 2025
💲 Price: $40
Additional Pricing:
Cover Keeper - $1.50
Autograph Insert - $2.30
Student Name on Front Cover - $5.00
Icon - $3.50
Zoom on Current Events: $3.50
Yearbook Ad Pricing:
· Shout-out............................................................................$5.00
· Business Card Advertisement (1/8 page).............................$25.00
· Quarter Page Advertisement...............................................$50.00
· Half Page Advertisement..................................................$100.00
· Full Page Advertisement...................................................$150.00
🌐 Order Online: Click Here to Buy or Donate a Yearbook
School ID Code: 15526226
If you have any questions, please contact our yearbook advisor, Alisha Williams, at alisha.williams@pisd.edu.
The information provided at the link below is a summary of the topics covered during our Course Registration Parent Night last Wednesday, November 12th. We hope you find these details helpful as you support your current sixth or seventh grade student with the registration process for the 2026-2027 school year.
2025 Rising 7th & 8th Grade Parent Information Presentation
If you have any questions or would like further clarification, please contact your grade-level counselor. Thank you for your continued partnership!
If your student plans to participate in cross country this season, please review the list of to-do items below.
Rank One - Your student needs to be "Green".
In order to be "green", please complete ALL forms found at this link. Https://planoisd.rankone.com/New/NewInstructionsPage.aspx
Sports Physical
Your student will also need to get a sports physical completed by a doctor if they have not already completed one for athletics this school year. The link to the physical form can be found below. The physical can be completed by your PCP or through sources like Care Now.
Https://www.uiltexas.org/files/athletics/forms/PrePhysFormRvsd1_10_20.pdf
Items needed for Practice/Race Days
Your student should have a pair of running shoes for practices and meets. They should also bring multiple layers of clothing, as the weather will be changing throughout the cross country season.
Please see the tentative schedule for practices and meets listed in the graphic below.
If you have any questions regarding cross country, please contact Coach Brochtrup at chris.brochtrup@pisd.edu.
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.
Due to upgrades and enhancements currently being made to our district website, there has been a delay in updating the information normally found on our campus website and staff pages for the 25-26 school year. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Notification will be sent to parents once this information is updated on our campus site.
If you have any questions or are unable to locate information normally found on the campus website, please let me know.
Our wonderful PTA does so much for our campus from teacher breakfasts and lunches to donations to enhance learning within our classrooms as well as student social events and so much more. You can join PTA by visiting their website. Please consider being a part of this worthwhile cause.
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. Tardy enforcement began Monday, August 25th.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
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.
Many students are beginning to ask about clubs and organizations on campus. If your student would like to start a club, please let them know that they must first find a staff member to sponsor their club. The sponsor will then work with the student to complete a "Request to Meet" Laserfishe form on the PISD webdesk. This form must be initiated by the student. Once the form is approved, the student can make flyers to promote the club and set a date for an interest meeting.
This information will be shared with students during lunches and on morning announcements after Labor Day. If you or your student needs additional information, please do not hesitate to let me know.
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