Ridge Relay

We can't wait to welcome all of our Eagles to school this Wednesday (8/16/23)! Here are some important 1st day of school tips:

• Students do NOT need to bring supplies or laptops to school on the first day. Only bring something to write with and something to write on.
• You can view your student schedule in the Home Access Center (HAC). If you are having difficulties accessing the HAC, here is a tip-sheet to reset your password. If you still cannot get in, we will also give all students a paper copy of his or her schedule when they arrive on the first day of school. There will also be staff/signs/rosters directing students to 1st period when they arrive on the 1st day of school.
• Students should arrive prior to 9:05am so they are on time for class. In Middle School, parents do not walk students into the building so allow time to take 1st day pictures at home :)
• Please make a plan for how your child will meet you for pick-up or get home when school releases at 4:20pm. In Middle School, all students are released when the bell rings so it may feel chaotic for the first couple of days as students learn the routines.
• Allow time and PATIENCE for traffic the first week of school. It will get better and remember safety is our #1 priority!

Reminder: To get you ready for the school year, check out our Back-to-School To-do Checklist.

On behalf of the faculty and staff of Canyon Ridge Middle School, welcome to the 2023-2024 school year. As the principal of CRMS, I am proud and honored to continue to be a part of the LISD tradition of excellence and to have the opportunity to share in this unique MS experience.

Our teachers & staff have been here working and participating in their professional learning for just over a week. We will continue to learn and reflect on best practices to engage your students in their courses and support them this year. The entire CRMS faculty and staff is ready to help your students begin the 2023-2024 school year.

We had a great turn out for our back-to-school webinar, but if you missed it or have questions, here is the recording for your reference: 2023 CRMS Back-to-School August Webinar

Go Eagles!

Mrs. Wendy Sturdevant

*Open House for 6th-8th grades was Thursday, August 10th. Here is the Virtual Open House with live links for you to get to know each of your student's teachers/classes.

*Here is the Back-to-School Webinar recording for your reference and our virtual Open House information that was released on August 10th.

*Virtual Open House for 7th-8th graders, Tuesday, August 22nd: The school district has released a second possible Open House date for middle schools; however, since CRMS will be opening the building for all families prior to school starting on August 10th, we will only have the virtual Open House available on August 22nd and will not be opening the building to families.

*The last day for schedule change requests was May 26th, 2023. We cannot accommodate schedule changes due to teacher or period preference. However, if there is an error in your student's schedule please let their grade level counselor know.

*Student aide will show as both the staff and room number as "n/a." Those placements will occur by Aug 16 and updated schedule will be given to kid day one of school. For now, students know what period they have student aide, but not who they have.

*If you chose to not buy a packaged school supply pack (that was for sale in May-June), here is the 2023/24 CRMS School Supply List for the start of the school-year.

*If you pre-ordered a school supply pack in May-June, students will receive those packs on the second day of school (8/17) during his or her Science class period.

• Elementary – 7:30 am to 2:45 pm
• High School – 8:15 am to 3:35 pm
• CRMS - Middle School – 9:05 am to 4:20 pm

2023-2024 CRMS Bell Schedule

• For this school year, we will be modifying our schedule from having an Advisory period every single day to only having it on Tuesday and Thursday.

• Please note: This schedule will stay consistent even when there are holidays or teacher professional development days that affect the number of school days in a week. It is not an A/B schedule that changes by week. It will stay consistent every week by the day of the week!

• To start the school year, students will stay in 1st period for Advisory time activities like beginning-of-the-year assemblies, and then they will have assigned Advisory classes starting after Labor Day.
  

• August 7th, 6:00-7:00pm - CRMS Back to School family Webinar (Passcode: 786736)

• August 9th, 1:00-4:00pm - Eagle camp for 6th graders & new-to-CRMS students

• August 10th, 6:00-7:30pm - Open House

2023-2024 School Calendar

At CRMS, we are a 1-to-1 device campus. All students are required to have a device with a keyboard each day at school. Students may bring their own device or get a device from mLISD.

This coming school year, all 6th graders will begin receiving new devices as part of the technology rollout from the last bond election.

The payment window is now open for families to secure their students’ district-provided laptops for the 2023-2024 school year. Plans to distribute laptops will be communicated at a later date. This program is optional. A non-refundable security deposit will be required for participation. The security deposit will be waived for students who qualify for Free and Reduced meals.

Price:

Middle School Students: $40 per school year

High School Students: $60 per school year

Students who qualify for Free and Reduced meals: $0.00

(Registration through our online store, currently EdPay, or submission of a signed acceptance form is required.)

Payment methods:

A) Debit/credit cards through the mLISD website

B) Scholarship opportunities are available. Please contact mlisd@leanderisd.org or your counselor for more information. Please include the following information in your email:

• The student’s name

• Campus

• Student ID number

• Parent phone number

It’s that time of year when families need to complete enrollment verification for returning students – specifically, students who attended a Leander ISD campus in the 2022–23 school year and plan to return for the 2023–24 school year. By verifying your student’s enrollment for the upcoming year, this helps our team hire enough high-quality staff.

Here’s how!

• Log onto Home Access Center (HAC).
• Click on the Registration Icon
• Click on the Update Enrollment Tab
• Click on Start

Parents or guardians will need to complete the registration for each student on your HAC account.

For additional information check out our registration access guide. Using the Chrome browser will provide the HAC user the best experience.

Enrollment Verification FAQ

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

AP/Counselor by grade-level for 2023-2024:

• 6th: Ashley Thompson / Kimberly Mills
• 7th: Leah Cox / Jillian Baaklini
• 8th: Brian Bass / Staci Cote

We look forward to introducing you all to the new staff members at the Back-to-School webinar, throughout our events and in upcoming Ridge Relay Newsletters.

The first sale is starting now with a pre-order deadline of 8/13. For the first sale, the Cedar Park home game on 9/1, the black-out shirts are in honor of Graylan Spring, the attached flyer provides additional information along with the shirt design and pickup times.

https://www.vandegriftcheer.com/GAMEDAYSHIRTS

We will distribute all Steiner community shirts and CRMS shirts at Cups ‘n Cones. We will have four games with t-shirt sales and possibly a 5th if we make it to playoffs and/or state. The games are on 9/1, 9/29,10/20 and 11/3 for your planning purposes.

CRMS Athletic Booster Club has launched a new website! Please bookmark this site and register on the home page to receive all booster communications this year!

https://crmsboosterclub.memberhub.com

ALL BOOSTER SPIRIT WEAR IS PRE-ORDER! Form will be open August 12-25. If you are a fan or your child plays a winter or spring sport only, please order now. We will order very minimal inventory only to accommodate future family sponsorships, but THIS IS YOUR CHANCE! Represent the Eagles in style this school year.

Football, volleyball, and cross country booster registration forms will open August 12. Here is the link that will become active on 8/12. More information to come home from football equipment day and during all parent meetings that will be held after the start of school. Sign up for our newsletter on our website to stay in the loop!

Thursday, August 17

Friday, August 18

Monday, August 21

7th grade: 7am - 8:45am

8th grade: 4:30pm - 6pm

All 7th and 8th grade girls must have the following completed before tryouts begin on August 17:

1. Completed physical turned in to the coaches

2. All Rank One papers filled out online

3. Signup for tryouts

4. Complete and turn in Commitment letter

A parent meeting will be held for all parents of the student athletes that make the 2023 Volleyball teams on Thursday, August 24 @ 6pm. This is an extremely important meeting for parents, as they will have the opportunity to purchase game day meals, game day shirts and additional athletic clothes. As well as hear from the coaches as they discuss the ins and outs of the season. This meeting will be a webinar and the link to join will be emailed to parents of those athletes making the teams.

A parent meeting will be held for all parents of the student athletes on the football teams on Tuesday, August 22 @ 7pm. This meeting will be a webinar and the link to join will be emailed to parents of those athletes in football.

The Leander ISD Transportation Department uses SMART Tag – a system that provides accurate, near real-time monitoring of where and when students load onto and unload off of their school bus – to help promote student safety and security, keeping parents, school administrators and the district’s transportation department more informed.

Returning bus riders are asked to continue to use the SMART Tag card they were issued last year. If they do not have a card, the student will punch in using their lunch number (student ID) when getting on and off the bus. Bus drivers will begin to issue cards in September for new bus riders.

The online parent portal allows parents and guardians to register to receive alerts for when the bus will arrive at their child’s stop; see a live map of their child’s bus; and view a riding history for their child. Be sure to register if you have never done so.

By Wednesday, Aug. 9, 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 2023–24 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.

• Students taking PE/dance/cheer/band on campus will purchase/use a standard combo lock. You do not have to have this on the 1st day of school. More directions will be provided by the teacher for those specific programs.

• Once again this year, academic lockers will not be available, unless there is a medical need. If there is an individual medical need, please contact your student's Assistant Principal for assistance

We will be following the same cell phone procedures as last school year...

Cell phones are everywhere. They can be handy tools, but also insidious distractions. We have seen a rise in student violations with regards to the use of cell phones, AirPods, and social media on campus, which directly impacts our campus culture, student learning, and safety.

Campus Cell Phone Expectations

Maintaining the integrity of the learning environment is our top priority, which is why these changes will be implemented. We will begin using new practices, detailed below, so that students know what to expect and teachers have a consistent system to help students manage expectations.

At CRMS, students will be permitted to bring cell phones or other items used for communication. However, cell phones and all functions within the cell phone (i.e. cameras, AirPods/headphones, smart watches, and all other applications) are prohibited during class unless permitted under Section 504 or within a student’s IEP. When students walk into each classroom, they will have a secure location to safely store their silenced cell phone for the class period. Phones and AirPods/headphones may be used on school grounds before school, during lunch, and after school as long as students are not violating the District’s acceptable use guidelines.

We are aware that special circumstances arise and sometimes an important call must be made or received. Students are advised to communicate with their teachers if there are extenuating circumstances on a particular day. In the event of a true emergency, family members should call the main office at 512-570-3500 if they need to get in touch with a student.

Why the change?

We looked at data and at policies from a half dozen other school districts. We learned some important things. 95% of all middle and high school students have phones they bring to school. Some teachers allow students to use phones as part of their instruction, and others do not. However, nearly all teachers agree phones distract students in class. Most students want to be able to carry their phones, but they agree their phones can be distracting in classes. Parents want to be able to contact their kids during the school day, but they also recognize students remain focused on classwork at school.

Keeping these things in mind, the campus came to consensus on the changes above for the starting last school year.

Check out these short videos for more information:

• https://youtu.be/la1lRcq2-LU

• https://www.edutopia.org/video/theres-cell-phone-your-students-head

According to the Leander ISD Student Code of Conduct, students are required to follow the expectations around proper usage of technology. This extends to the use of personal devices while on an LISD campus. Below are the expectations copied from the handbook for your reference.

1. Violating any of the prohibited behaviors/conduct listed in the LISD Technology Resource Acceptable Use Guidelines.

2. Recording the voice or image of another without the prior consent of the individuals being recorded, or administrative approval, in any way that disrupts the educational environment or invades the privacy of others.

3. Copying, downloading, reproducing, distributing, retransmitting, redisplaying, or modifying items from the District’s website.

Acceptable Use Guidelines

Student Code of Conduct

Campus Guidelines

If a student violates the cell phone procedure during class, in the halls, restroom, etc., the following consequences will apply consistent with the gravity of the infraction.

• 1st Offense: The student may pick up his/her phone from the Counseling Office after the dismissal bell at the end of the school day.

• 2nd Offense: The student’s parent may pick up the student’s phone from the Receptionist after the dismissal bell at the end of the school day.

• 3rd Offense: The student will be assigned appropriate consequences, and the student’s parent may pick up the student’s phone from the Receptionist after the dismissal bell at the end of the school day.

• 4th Offense: The student will be assigned appropriate consequences, and the student’s parent may pick up the student’s phone from the Receptionist after the dismissal bell at the end of the school day.

During the 2023–24 school year, Leander ISD will welcome back Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE) as its food-services provider. That’s right – that means Crispitos are coming back!

All students who qualify for free meals during the 2023–24 school year will receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. In 2023–24, students who qualify for reduced-price meals will receive free breakfast meals and lunch for $0.40.

For elementary students who do not qualify for F&R meals, prices will remain the same from last year. At elementary school, the cost of breakfast is $1.50 and lunch is $2.90. For secondary students, the cost of breakfast is $1.75 and lunch is $3.15.

Parents who would like to apply to find out if they are eligible for F&R meals for their children can visit our Child Nutrition Services website for more information.

Pictures will be taken during the school day by class period. We will send home paper order forms the week of picture day. Here is the online order link.

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

Simply copy/paste the below message to send an email to good.neighbor@randalls.com with the following:

Hello,

Please link my customer account connected to phone number [type your Randall's phone number] with Good Neighbor Charity #14216 for Canyon Ridge Middle School PTA.

Thank you,

[type your name]

AP/Counselor by grade-level for 2023-2024:

• 6th: Dr. Ashley Thompson1 / Kimberly Mills
• 7th: Leah Cox / Jillian Baaklini
• 8th: Brian Bass / Staci Cote

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