Ridge Relay

This Friday (12/2), is our annual Volleybrawl game hosted by Student Council. After school on Friday, the football players will play against the volleyball players in this fun, fundraiser event! Buy your tickets online now.

Info for this Friday (12/2) Night's regional playoff game between VHS and Dripping Springs:

• Please note that athletes, cheerleaders and dance team will NOT be able to use their athletic pass for entrance into the game. If they do not have a ticket prior to the game selling out, they will not be able to attend. Duplicate tickets will not be allowed into the game. The QR code will only be scanned once, and will show up invalid they try to scan again. Do not share QR codes or risk not being able to gain entry. Get tickets here.
• They will not have reserved parking or seating for playoff games. If spectators enter the gates early to claim their seats, they will not be allowed to leave the stadium and re-enter. Again the QR code will only be scanned once, and will come up invalid if they try to re-enter.
• They are also NOT accepting Leander ISD employee badges for this contest.

Go Eagles! And Viper Strike at their Regional Final playoff game on Friday - Go Vipers!

CRMS Yearbooks are on sale now! Click here to get yours today for the lowest price of the year; $40 until January 1st! (Goes up to $45 after 1/1/23.) Additionally, there are 8th Grade Shouts Outs available for purchase which allow families to design a special message with photos and text for their current 8th grader.

Note: We apologize for the typo in the Nov. 11 Ridge Relay of saying it was $35. That was our understanding, but Balfour determined it would start at $40 and go up to $45 after 1/1/23.

Dear Parent/Guardian:

CRMS will do spinal screenings on December 5, 2022. State law says that schools must screen female students for spinal problems at age 10 and 12 (5th and 7th grade). Male students will be screened at age 13-14 (8th grade). All new to district students in High School will be screened, unless we have documentation of screening from a Texas school. Trained screeners will check your child for signs of spinal problems like scoliosis.

Catching a spinal problem early can make the treatment much easier. Not treating spinal problems can lead to serious health problems. The screening is simple. Screeners will look at your child’s back while he or she stands and bends forward.

Important Recommendations:

● All students will have to remove their shirt for the exam.

● Girls should wear a sports bra or two-piece swimsuit top.

● Boys and girls will be screened separately and individually.

The school will send you a letter if your child does not pass the screening. The letter will tell you how to follow up with a doctor. This screening is not a medical exam. Your child still needs to see a doctor for checkups.

If you do not wish to have your child screened for religious reasons, you must submit an exemption to the school no later than December 1, 2022.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Rachael Kristoff RN, BSN

Canyon Ridge Middle School

rachael.kristoff@leanderisd.org

512-570-3507

Our area schools are having an ESL family night for Laura Bush, Steiner, River Ridge, River Place and Grandview Hills Elementary campuses and CRMS. It will be in the River Place MPR on Tuesday, November 29th at 5:00-6:30.

Family Information Night is an opportunity for all of the families with emergent bilingual students in the Four Points area, district staff (including elementary & middle school ESL teachers), and community members to gather to learn more about the ESL program, share resources, and celebrate. It is also a great opportunity to make new friends and share in some fun!

Please plan on coming to learn more about the ESL program and how you can help your child at home.

Click on the ESL Family Night Invitation to see all of the fun activities we have planned for the evening!

Thank you to those of you who were able to join us for our first PTA coffee talk in October to preview and have a thoughtful conversation about the challenging but important topic of Bullying Awareness. Mrs. Cote and I took your questions and feedback and debriefed with our admin and counseling team. We worked to make some adjustments to the video and our lessons, and now we would like to offer another opportunity for parents to preview and give input before moving forward.

The second and final opportunity for parents to join us for a preview of our follow-up lessons (that will take place in January) will be on Thursday, December 1st at 4:45pm at CRMS. At the coffee talk sponsored by our CRMS PTA, we will also have a CRMS administrator and counselor in attendance to answer questions you may have at that time. We ask that you RSVP on the Dec 1 Parent Preview Sign Up Form.

In January, 8th grade CRMS students will be shown video clips only as part of a bullying awareness lesson only if a parent chooses to opt IN their child. To opt IN your child, please complete the Opt IN Form by Friday January 2, 2023.

Shoe Drive Update! All types of outgrown or unwanted gently used shoes are welcome so go ahead and clean out your closet -- we'll take outgrown or unwanted cleats, sneakers, sandals, dress shoes, boots, flats. Please band pairs or tie laces together and drop them off in the lobby at Canyon Ridge MS.

Join us for a Spirit Night with Dream Dinners NW Austin to support CRMS. Order 3 medium-sized prepared meals for $60 and Dream Dinners will donate $10 from each order to the PTA. Pick up your meals at the school on December 14 from 5-6 PM. All orders must be placed by Sunday, December 11 at 5:00 PM

*Randall's has agreed to add CRMS to the Good Neighbor Support program and it is SO easy! Email below, then do your regular shopping and Randall's will donate back to the CRMS PTA.

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]

*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.

We have a new CRMS Spelling Bee Champ—Congratulations to 7th grader, Bharath Kampillil! We are so proud of our spelling finalists! Thank you to all of our Eagles cheering on this afternoon: #StrongerTogether

Proud of our Region Orchestra students performing at such a high level! Thankful for their hard work and the dedication of our band directors as we started Thanksgiving break.

This is a friendly reminder that it is flu season. We currently have many students out sick. Our first priority is to make sure that those that are not feeling well stay home and get some rest so those that are healthy stay that way. If your child is sick, please have them stay home. If your child has a fever, district policy states that the child must be free of a fever, without the use of any medications, to be able to return to school. Please let either the nurse know if your student tests positive for the flu. Your child's doctor will let you know when the student is able to return to school. Thank you for your efforts and help. - Nurse Kristoff rachael.kristoff@leanderisd.org

It’s Cold and Flu season

Here are some friendly reminders to help stay virus free this season:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds
  • If soap and water not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your Cough; Cough and sneeze into a tissue then throw it away, or cough and sneeze into your upper shirt sleeve, completely covering your mouth and nose
  • Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, and objects such as toys and doorknobs
• Talk with your medical provider about getting a flu shot.
• Stay at home while you are sick.
• Call and inform the school nurse of confirmed Flu diagnosis.

LISD follows the Texas Department of Health Guidelines for illness-related exclusions from school. A student will be sent home if they have a fever of 100.0 Fahrenheit or above or any other contagious symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, etc.) and will need to remain home until symptom free for twenty-four (24) hours, and without the use of medications.

• Absence notes should be emailed to crmsattendance@leanderisd.org within 48 hours.
  

• When you email the school, please include the student's first and last name and ID #. Student nicknames can cause confusion with attendance coding.

• If you will be picking up your child from school early, please call the school (512-570-3500) ahead of time to let the Receptionist know. This allows our Receptionist time to get a pass written ahead of time and helps to move the process along more quickly.
  

• The only people who will be permitted to pick up a child will be parents/guardians and those individuals listed as an emergency contact in your Home Access Center (HAC). Due to safety reasons, we are no longer allowing a parent to call in and give permission for someone to pick up your child during the school day other than those listed in HAC.

  We do not allow early pick up after 4:00pm.

• If you feel like there is an error for a particular class period, please email the teacher directly first. For example, if your student was tardy and the teacher accidentally already marked the student absence, email the teacher because the attendance office has to have it in writing from the teacher before attendance can update anything

• There is a turn around time in updates if a student was with the nurse, AP, counselor, etc. It is not necessary to email the attendance office. Please remember that we have over 1100 students so it will take 1-2 business days to show the update. We appreciate your patience and understanding that our team is working tirelessly to support all of our Eagles!

Thank you CRMS community for joining PTA—your donations are funding teacher gifts that directly support students in CRMS classes! #StrongerTogether

These hotspots are intended for those who have limited or no internet access at home, which impacts their ability to do homework. The hotspots connect them to the internet through cellular networks instead of your traditional cable/broadband networks that may not be available or affordable to some students.

Here's the link to a form the students/families need to fill out to request a hotspot.

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 2022/2023 testing. Testing date for spring 2023 is February 3, 2023 on the CRMS campus. The deadline to register for spring testing is January 20, 2023. Testing slots are limited due to the nature of the test and classroom capacity. Once the slots are full, your child can be added to the fall 2023 list. Testing is open to all grade levels, but recommended for 7/8 graders.

Leander ISD middle school students receive yearly prevention lessons in order to promote and support wellness, healthy choices, and a drug-free lifestyle. See lesson dates and parent information below. Contact your grade level counselor with any questions.

6th grade lessons on October 4-6, 2022

6th grade ATOD Lesson Parent Information - English

6th grade ATOD Lesson Parent Information - Spanish

7th grade lessons on October 18-20, 2022

7th grade ATOD Lesson Parent Information - English

7th grade ATOD Lesson Parent Information - Spanish

8th grade lessons on November 29-December 1, 2022

8th grade ATOD Lesson Parent Information - English

8th grade ATOD Lesson Parent Information - Spanish

"8th Grade Parents--save the dates! Information will begin to be updated on the VHS Counseling Website as the dates get closer. Be sure to check there for all VHS related information!

**These dates are accurate as of 10/14

January 12 // 8th Grade Family Night (5:30pm) & Viper Night (6pm)

• counselors will provide a high school academic planning overview to 8th grade families

• students and families will have the opportunity to further explore course options by continuing on to Viper Night

• Viper Night will include an elective fair, club & org fair, breakout sessions, and student panels

January 18 - 19 // Four-Year Planning & Course Selection Overview with VHS Counselors (2 days at each school)

• VHS counselors will visit Canyon Ridge Middle Schools to provide a high school academic planning overview to 8th grade students

• students will submit tentative course requests

• students and their parent/guardian will be emailed a PDF copy of these tentative requests

• choices are editable - a new PDF copy of updated courses will be emailed after each edit

January 24 - 25 // 8th Grade Individual Student/Counselor Conferences (Jan 25 - CRMS)

• VHS counselors will meet individually with 8th grade students to review four-year plans and course selections

January 27, 4pm

• deadline to lock in initial course selections for the 2023-24 school year while there will be additional change opportunities, finalizing your requests as early as possible provides the highest likelihood of being placed in the classes you want

Did you know that virtual learning is still offered in Leander ISD as a school of choice? If you know of a Leander ISD student that may benefit from virtual learning they are still enrolling students in grades K-8. Here is the informational flier with more details. Reach out the remotelearning@leanderisd.org with any questions.

Did you know that we have student-created clubs at CRMS like D&D gaming for students?!?! Along with Library/Book Club, Eagle Allies, Art club and so much more! Check out our clubs & activities website and if there is something new you want to add there is a link at the top to help you get a new club started too:

https://sites.google.com/leanderisd.org/crmsclubs/clubs-home

Our students love our outdoor “recess” time after lunch each day but our basket of sports equipment is almost empty. If you have any sports equipment in your garage that you would like to clean out and donate, we will gladly accept footballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, kick balls and basketballs. It does not need to be new--we welcome used equipment that we can put to good use for all of our students. Please drop off your donations anytime during school hours in the front office. Thank you for helping to provide for this valuable outdoor time for our Eagles!

The South Location of the Leander ISD PTA Clothes Closet is up and running! This resource provides free clothing to families with students who reside within the LISD boundaries in grades PRE-K through the SELF (18+) program. The South Location can be found at River Place Elementary School in Portable #3 & #4. See flyer for address, shopping dates, and shopping hours.

If you would like to contribute to the clothes closet, you may donate gently used shoes and clothing at the green bin outside of Four Points Middle School located near the football field. Additionally, you can help out by purchasing off of their Amazon Wish List.

To complete or renew your volunteer registration, click the appropriate link:

New volunteer in LISD | Returning LISD volunteer

Back-to-School Resources:

• Back-to-School CRMS Parent 2022 Webinar for all families Recording (from 8/8/22)
• CRMS Virtual Open House 2022

We are reaching out to let you know of some updates we have made to cell phone practices currently in use on our campus for 2022-23.

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 2022-2023 school year. As these new rules are implemented, the CRMS team will meet periodically to gauge the impact of the changes, and suggest adjustments that need to be made as needed.

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.

Student Pick Up Rules

If you will be picking up your child from school early, please call the school ahead of time to let the Receptionist know. This allows our Receptionist time to get a pass written ahead of time and helps to move the process along more quickly.

The only people who will be permitted to pick up a child will be parents/guardians and those individuals listed as an emergency contact in your Home Access Center (HAC). Due to safety reasons, we are no longer allowing a parent to call in and give permission for someone to pick up your child during the school day other than those listed in HAC.

We do not allow early pick up after 4:00pm.

Transportation Changes

If you need to change your child’s transportation for the end of the school day, please call the school to let us know. Parents must call to make the change – students are not permitted to make their own changes. Transportation changes will not be accepted after 2:00pm.

Beginning this 2022-23 school year, meals for Leander ISD students will be provided by Sodexo, a food-services provider committed to improving the quality of life of students within districts they serve through quality food services.

All students who qualify for free and reduced-price (F&R) meals during the 2022-23 school year will receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. Due to a partnership with USDA, reduced-price meals will be free for the 2022-23 school year.

For elementary students who do not qualify for F&R meals, prices are remaining the same as they were in 2019. 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.

We recognize that there have been some bus delays, issues with SMART Tag, and weather in the past few days. We know this has been frustrating for our families and apologize for the inconvenience. We appreciate your patience and support as we are working out the kinks with our new system and expect to be on track with expected pick-up and drop-off times soon. Please go here for information and to sign up for the SMART Tag portal.

Bus Routes & Bus Stops

2022-23 Bus Route Information will be available after Friday, August 5, 2022. To maximize efficiencies and ensure students arrive at their respective campuses safely and on time, bus stops will be located on main roads and centralized, near neighborhood parks, pools, mailboxes and campuses, wherever feasible. This will potentially reduce the number of bus-stops in a sub-division from prior years, reduce the number of miles on each route and the time it takes to run the route.

Get Ready for Smart-Tag

After a successful pilot roll-out at several LISD Campuses, Smart-Tag will roll out district-wide for the 2022-23 School Year. This system provides real-time route information to drivers, campuses, and families letting them know where the bus is, approximate arrival time, if a student loaded the bus and also ensures they do not get on the wrong bus or off at the wrong stop. Find out more information here. And you can get a jump start and pre-register with Smart-Tag.

We are looking for community members to join our CRMS team as a substitute. It is a great position that doesn’t require teacher certification or a specific college degree where you can support students and teachers, get paid, follow the school calendar to be off during holidays with your children and have the flexibility to choose what days (or even half-days) you work. Email Wendy Sturdevant or visit the substitute site for more information today!

For the most up-to-date information regarding LISD’s COVID-19 protocols, including a quick reference guide and frequently asked questions, visit our COVID-19 Health Protocols page.

Beginning last school year, all tickets for all high school and middle school athletic events hosted at LISD facilities will be sold online only. There will be NO cash sales at the gate.

Tickets can be purchased through link on the athletics webpage:

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

*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

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!

AP/Counselor by grade-level for 2022-2023:

• 6th: Leah Cox / Staci Cote
• 7th: A-K Leah Cox & L-Z Cassandra Ricks / Sabrina Anderson
• 8th: Cassandra Ricks / Katie Young

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