The Community Champion Chronicle 🏆

Dear Lang Families,

As we step into Week 6, I am so proud of the growth and progress happening across our campus. Our students are showing confidence, purpose, and a true excitement for learning. The energy in the classrooms and hallways is contagious, and it’s clear—our Champions are on the rise! 💜💛

🌟 Building Champions in the Making

At Lang, our vision remains clear:

• Students are tracking their data and setting meaningful goals.

• Every lesson is anchored in the TEKS, ensuring strong alignment to grade-level expectations.

• Students are not only following the Champion Playbook 📘—they are beginning to own it.

This means our students are learning how to measure their growth, reflect on their progress, and take pride in their achievements. These habits build confidence and prepare them for long-term success.

🎉 What We’re Proud Of

• Students walking with purpose and excitement in the hallways.

• Classrooms filled with engagement and joy for learning. ✨

• Champions proudly sharing their goals and action plans with staff. 🏆

🚀 Mission: LEVEL UP

We are committed to helping every student Level Up—academically, socially, and personally. We are not looking back; we are moving forward with Growth, Grit, and Greatness.

As parents and guardians, your partnership is key. Here are a few ways you can support your Champion at home:

• Ask them to share their data tracker and talk through their goals.

• Encourage daily reading, writing, and math practice.

• Celebrate small wins—growth happens step by step! 🌟

📅 Stay Connected

Be on the lookout for upcoming events, updates, and opportunities to connect with our campus. Together, we are building a strong community that champions every child’s success.

With gratitude,

Jessica Weems
Principal
Harold Wendell Lang Sr. Middle School

#WeAre26

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Your voice matters to us! 💜

We invite you to take a few minutes to complete our Fall Parent Survey. Your feedback will help us strengthen our school, better support our students, and continue building a positive partnership with families.

🔍 Why Your Feedback is Important:

• Helps us improve academics and instruction.

• Guides how we communicate with families.

• Shapes the school environment and student experience.

All responses are confidential. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for being such an important part of our Lang community.

Together, we are Champions in the Making!

Sincerely,
Bianca Robles
Parent Support Specialist

The Family and Community Engagement Office assists parents who currently have a pre-existing PowerSchool/Parent Portal account and parents who would like to create a PowerSchool/Parent Portal account.

We are currently working on getting every student's ID badge picture taken, once they have all been taken and distributed, the policy is as follows:

ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAR ID BADGES. IT IS PART OF THEIR DAILY DRESS CODE.

The ID badge policy is for the safety and security of EVERYONE on campus.

• Students will receive their first ID badge for free.
• A lost ID badge must be replaced. Replacement badges are $5.00.
• Student ID badges must be worn on lanyards around the neck.
• Replacement lanyards are $2.00.
• Student ID badges must be visible, with pictures facing forward.
• Students are not allowed to tamper or alter ID badges or photos.

Students who forget their ID badges are required to get a temporary ID sticker for $1.00 before school.

Students who are missing required immunizations have now received their second notice.

All students in Dallas ISD must have up-to-date immunization records on file before attending school, as required by the Texas Department of State Health Services and TEA. These vaccines help protect students and prevent disease outbreaks.

👉 If your child has already received their vaccines, please provide the updated records to the nurse.

👉 If your child still needs vaccines, please schedule them as soon as possible. Nurse Carrizales will begin calling parents/guardians for pickup.

For questions about requirements or exemptions, contact Nurse Carrizales at (972) 925-2423 or vcarrizales@dallasisd.org

Under Senate Bill 12, Dallas ISD (and all Texas schools) must have SIGNED parent/guardian Permission Form before providing any health-related services to students—even for simple care like band-aids or temperature checks.

Without a signed consent form, schools may only give life-saving care. To allow Nurse Carrizales & Nurse Carbajal to provide other services (such as first aid, screenings, or administering medication), parents must check “Yes” and sign the Parental Consent for School Health-Related Services form.

👉 Please complete and return this form as soon as possible. It will remain on file for the entire school year.

For questions, contact Nurse Carrizales at (972) 925-2423 or vcarrizales@dallasisd.org

As flu and COVID cases are on the rise, we ask for your help in keeping our campus healthy.

👉 If your child has flu-like symptoms, please keep them home until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication (100.2°F or higher).
👉 A doctor’s note is required if your child misses 5 OR MORE consecutive school days.
👉 For absences between 1 - 4 days, please send a handwritten Parent Excuse Note, as soon as the student returns to campus.

📵House Bill 1481 now requires Texas schools to limit or secure personal electronic devices during the instructional day. In alignment with Dallas ISD, Lang Middle School will implement the use of Yondr pouches to secure student cell phones during the school day.

Students will place their phones in a Yondr pouch, keep the pouch with them throughout the day, and return it at dismissal to be unlocked at a designated station. This new policy is designed to reduce distractions, protect instructional time, and promote a more engaged and connected learning environment.

🚫 Reminders on Prohibited Items:

Students may not bring:

• Phones, Smartwatches (Apple Watch, Fitbit, etc.), Wireless earbuds or headphones that do not fit inside their school-issued pouch

• Gaming devices, tablets, or laptops

What happens if my child needs to make a call?

Student's have been told to ask their teacher for permission to make a phone call.

📞 Students can contact parents/guardians using:

• Campus Phones (Main Office, Counselor’s Office, or Clinic)
• Email or Remind on their Chromebook

✅ Parent Tip: Check your student’s backpack before they leave home to ensure they aren’t carrying any prohibited devices.

Our goal is to protect instructional time and support student focus. Thank you for your partnership in making this successful.

Under Senate Bill 12, Dallas ISD (and all Texas schools) must have SIGNED parent/guardian Permission Form before providing any health-related services to students, this includes speaking to the counselors about topics like Bullying and harassment prevention.

This is the SAME consent form used for the nurse, teachers, athletic trainers, administrators, and other staff who supervise children. Without a signed consent form, schools may only give life-saving care.

To allow Ms. Lincecum & Ms. Sims to speak with the students, parents must check “Yes” and sign the Parental Consent for School Health-Related Services form.

👉 Please complete and return this form as soon as possible. It will remain on file for the entire school year.

National Suicide Prevention Month is recognized annually in September to raise awareness about suicide prevention and treatment as well as warning signs and how to get help when it is needed most.

Dallas ISD holds the safety and well-being of students and team members alike at the highest priority, and encourages everyone to learn the warning signs and get the support they—or those around them—need.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), warning signs of suicide include:

• Increased substance use and abuse
• Feelings of emptiness, hopelessness or being trapped
• Significant mood swings
• Talk of wanting to die or being a burden
• Withdrawal from friends and relatives
• Feelings of intense guilt or shame
• Making a plan or researching ways to die
• Eating or sleeping more or less
• Acting impulsively or recklessly

Anyone who is experiencing a crisis can get immediate support by contacting the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in English or Spanish at 988. Additionally, people can access the NAMI HelpLine from Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., by calling 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), texting “HelpLine” to 62640, or emailing helpline@nami.org.

To visit Dallas ISD’s Mental Health Services page with hotlines and text lines for support, click here.

It’s OK to not be OK.

Reach out for help, and encourage those around you to do the same. Together, we can break the stigma around mental illness and help prevent crises.

Big News, Lang Community!

The Texas Education Agency released the 2025 campus ratings on Friday, August 15, and Harold W. Lang Sr. Middle School is officially a C campus! This is a huge step forward from where we started — and it’s a direct result of the growth, grit, and greatness our students, staff, and families bring every single day.

We’ve moved up, and now our eyes are on the next prize — earning that B rating. Just like champions on the field, we will keep training, strategizing, and playing to win. Every practice, every lesson, every day counts toward our goal.

#WeAre26 – United in Growth. Driven by Grit. Destined for Greatness.

Email: jweems@dallasisd.org

Website: https://lang.dallasisd.org/

Location: 1678 Chenault St. Dallas TX 75228

Phone: (972) 925-2400

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lang_hw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haroldwlangms/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hwlangms