Panther Parent 411
Schimelpfenig Middle School - April 29, 2026
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.
The SMS Talent Show is this Friday, May 1st, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm in the cafeteria. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at this link. Student tickets are $3 for general admission or $4 for front row seats. Adult ticket costs range from $6 to $9.
Don’t miss a night full of fun, surprises, and amazing talent from our very own SMS school community! Hope to see you there!
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)
Next week, May 4th through May 8th, is our annual Staff Appreciation Week. On behalf of our admin team, I would like to take a moment to say thank you to all of our staff who go above and beyond for our students each and every day. If you have time this week, please take a moment to celebrate a special teacher or staff member in your child's life. Each of their contributions play a significant role in making Panther Country such a special place to be!
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.
The theater department is asking for cardboard and other recyclable material donations for an end-of-year project.
Please drop off your contributions to Ms. Wallace in room B122 by Monday, May 11th. Any donations are greatly appreciated.
We would like to recognize some of our amazing art students for their outstanding performance at the Jr. VASE art competition on Saturday, April 11th. Our Schimelpfenig artists earned an incredible 34 medals, including 16 Division 1 medals, 12 Division 2 medals, 2 Division 3 medals, and 4 Platinum medals.
Students who earned medals received the top score of 4, and our Platinum winners achieved the highest score in the entire competition!! What an amazing accomplishment!
Our Platinum Winners are:
Drucilla B
Yuxin L (who received 2 platinum medals)
Mateo S
Congratulations to all of our talented artists for their hard work, creativity, and dedication.
We are Panther Proud of you!
Our very own eighth grade science teacher, Robert Adler, was recognized at the April school board meeting for being selected as a Plano ISD Proud award winner. Outstanding staff members who embody our Plano ISD vision of being Committed to Excellence, Dedicated to Caring and Powered by Learning are selected for this honor. Please join me in congratulating Mr. Adler for this very worthy recognition.
Way to go! Your Panther Family is very proud of you!
What are GREAT DAY to be a PANTHER!! Our student athletes rocked it at the city track meet on Monday, March 30th and Tuesday, March 31st. They didn’t just show up to the City Meet… They made STATEMENTS! From podium finishes to new school records, this was a full-team showcase of speed, strength, and heart!
Our 7th Grade Girls Team battled to a strong 4th place finish while our 8th Grade Girls Team brought home 3rd overall! On the boys side, the 7th Grade Team finished in 6th place, and the 8th Grade Boys Team secured 5th place, competing every step of the way. Please congratulate the following athletes who competed in the meet and brought home awards and special accolades!!!
💥 RECORD BOOK = REWRITTEN 💥
🚀 NEW SCHOOL RECORD HOLDERS
- Andreous V – 100M (12.02)
- Alden W – 400M (1:00.10)
- William O – 400M (57.1)
- Tyler G – 300H (48.8)
- Anthony M – Discus (99’9”) & Shot Put (38’5”)
- Cooper K – High Jump (5’2”)
👑 TESSA O had NEW SCHOOL RECORDS in MULTIPLE EVENTS, giving one of the most impressive performances in program history!
- 100M (12.28)
- 400M (59.09)
- 100H (15.18)
- 300H (45.86)
- Long Jump (16’2”)
- Triple Jump (35’4.75”)
- High Jump (5’2”)
🔥 MORE RECORD BREAKERS
- Arisha J – 1600M (6:09.8)
- 7th Grade Girls 4x200 Relay Team – 1:57.06
- 8th Grade Girls 4x400 Relay Team – 4:20.97
- 7th Grade Boys 4x800 Relay Team – 1:48.92
- 7th Grade Boys 4x1600 Relay Team – 4:13.43
🥇 CITY MEET CHAMPIONS
- Arisha J – 800M & 1600M
- Tessa O – 100H & 300H
- 8th Grade Girls 4x200 Relay
- 8th Grade Girls 4x400 Relay
- 8th Grade Boys 4x400 Relay (3:57.79)
💪 BIG-TIME PERFORMANCES
- Brooklyn D, Makayen R, Claire B bringing speed and points
- Jill F, Ava K, Brynnlee F leading the distance crew
- Cooper K, double medalist in distance + high jump record holder
- Tyler G, hurdles standout
- Alex F, consistent force in 800m & 1600m
- Anthony M, dominating in throws with multiple podium finishes
This meet was about more than medals. It was about legacy. Records shattered. Champions crowned. Teammates stepping up across every event.
Please congratulate the Panther Track Team on a job well done!
On Saturday, April 18th, the SMS Speech & Debate Team competed at Plano East Senior High School. Many of the students advanced to the second and third rounds in the tournament, and several of them even placed as finalists in their respective categories. If you see the students listed below, please congratulate them on a job well done!
Humorous Interpretation: Sophia M, 6th place finalist
Dramatic Interpretation: Eleanor T, 5th place finalist
Prose: Anastasia G & Niharika K, round 2 semifinalists
Dramatic Interpretation: Lily B, Coraline L, Eleanor T, Livia G, and Shalom A, round 2 advancements
Lip Sync teams, all round 2 advancements:
Abby B & Emilia L
Eleanor T & Katerina S
Anastasia G, Vivian J, William Z, & Livia G
Humorous Interpretation, all round 2 advancements:
Jake O
Eleanor T
Maya H
Sophia M
Laura F
Coraline L
Public Forum Debate, Round 3 Competitors:
Madhav A & Merlin M
Aarav C & Om N
Milton C & David C
Jacob L & Ariv P
Ryker H & Daniel R-G
Way to represent, Panthers!!
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.
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.
Plano Senior High will be hosting their annual sports physical day on Wednesday, May 6th, from 3:45pm to 6:00pm at Clark High School. The cost is $20. Please click on the athletic physical link for additional details including registration information, event location, and required online forms.
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.
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.
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.
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