The Community Champion Chronicle 🏆

Lang Families,

As we wrap up Week 7 and begin Week 8, our focus remains on preparing students for success on the upcoming District Standard Mastery Check (SMC 1). These important assessments help us measure how well students are mastering grade-level standards and guide us in providing the right support.

Over the past week, teachers have been reviewing 6-Week Assessment results to identify strengths and areas for growth. The next step is reteaching and practicing in areas where students need extra support. Every small step forward adds up, and together, we can help students build confidence and success.

📘 STAAR Reference Materials
When students take the STAAR this year, they will be allowed to use certain approved reference materials during testing. Teachers are already practicing with these tools in class so students will feel comfortable and prepared. Families can help by encouraging their child to use these supports during homework or practice.

🎉 Homecoming Week
This week is Homecoming at Lang—a special time to celebrate our Champions both in the classroom and on the field. Thank you for showing your support, whether it’s attending a game, cheering from the stands, or simply encouraging your child to take pride in being a Lang Champion.

🏪 Pioneer Bucks Store – Opens Friday, October 3
We are excited to relaunch our Pioneer Bucks Store, where students can “spend” the Pioneer Bucks they earn through academics, i-Ready lessons, positive behavior, and growth. This is one way we show students that hard work and effort pay off.

The store is completely funded by donations, and we are currently accepting contributions from families and community partners. Items such as school supplies, snacks, gift cards, and small prizes make a huge impact on student motivation. Every donation—big or small—helps us celebrate and encourage our students.

If you are interested in donating, please reach out to the front office for details on how to contribute. Together, we can make the store a true reflection of our community’s belief in our students.

Thank you for your partnership in building a culture of growth, grit, and greatness. With your continued support, we are guiding every child to become a Champion in the Making. 💜💛🏆

With appreciation,
Jessica Weems
Principal, Harold W. Lang Sr. Middle School

Familias de Lang,

Al cerrar la Semana 7 y comenzar la Semana 8, nuestro enfoque sigue siendo preparar a los estudiantes para el éxito en la próxima Evaluación Distrital de Dominio de Estándares (SMC 1). Estas evaluaciones son importantes porque nos ayudan a medir qué tan bien los estudiantes están dominando los estándares de su grado y nos guían para brindarles el apoyo adecuado.

Durante la semana pasada, los maestros revisaron los resultados de las Evaluaciones de las 6 Semanas para identificar fortalezas y áreas de crecimiento. El siguiente paso es volver a enseñar y practicar en las áreas donde los estudiantes necesitan más apoyo. Cada pequeño avance suma, y juntos podemos ayudar a que los estudiantes ganen confianza y logren el éxito.

📘 Materiales de Referencia STAAR
Cuando los estudiantes tomen el STAAR este año, podrán usar ciertos materiales de referencia aprobados durante el examen. Los maestros ya están practicando con estas herramientas en clase para que los estudiantes se sientan cómodos y preparados. Las familias pueden ayudar animando a sus hijos a usar estos apoyos en sus tareas o prácticas en casa.

🎉 Semana de Homecoming
Esta semana celebramos el Homecoming en Lang, un momento especial para reconocer a nuestros Campeones tanto en el salón de clases como en el campo. Gracias por demostrar su apoyo, ya sea asistiendo a un juego, animando desde las gradas o simplemente motivando a su hijo(a) a sentirse orgulloso de ser un Campeón Lang.

🏪 Tienda de Pioneer Bucks – Abre el viernes 3 de octubre
Estamos muy emocionados de reabrir nuestra Tienda de Pioneer Bucks, donde los estudiantes pueden “gastar” los Pioneer Bucks que ganan a través de sus logros académicos, lecciones en i-Ready, buen comportamiento y crecimiento personal. Esta es una manera de mostrar a los estudiantes que el esfuerzo y el trabajo duro valen la pena.

La tienda está completamente financiada por donaciones, y actualmente estamos aceptando contribuciones de familias y socios de la comunidad. Artículos como útiles escolares, refrigerios, tarjetas de regalo y premios pequeños tienen un gran impacto en la motivación de los estudiantes. Cada donación, grande o pequeña, nos ayuda a celebrar y animar a nuestros estudiantes.

Si desea hacer una donación, comuníquese con la oficina principal para más detalles sobre cómo contribuir. Juntos podemos hacer que la tienda refleje el compromiso de nuestra comunidad con nuestros estudiantes.

Gracias por su apoyo constante para construir una cultura de crecimiento, perseverancia y grandeza. Con su colaboración, estamos guiando a cada niño a convertirse en un Campeón en Proceso de Formación. 💜💛🏆

Con aprecio,
Jessica Weems
Directora, Harold W. Lang Sr. Middle School

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

Estimados Padres y Tutores,

¡Su voz es importante para nosotros! 💜

Los invitamos a tomar unos minutos para completar nuestra Encuesta de Padres de Otoño. Sus comentarios nos ayudarán a fortalecer nuestra escuela, apoyar mejor a nuestros estudiantes y continuar construyendo una relación positiva con las familias.

🔍 Por qué su opinión es importante:

• Nos ayuda a mejorar lo académico y la instrucción.

• Orienta cómo nos comunicamos con las familias.

• Da forma al ambiente escolar y a la experiencia de los estudiantes.

Todas las respuestas son confidenciales. Gracias por compartir sus ideas y por ser una parte tan importante de nuestra comunidad Lang.

¡Juntos, somos Campeones en Proceso de Formación!

Atentamente,
Bianca Robles
Especialista de Apoyo a Padres

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.

All student is the building have received their ID Badges on Wednesday Sept. 17th, the policy for the badges 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.

Dallas ISD wants everyone to know what bullying is and how students, parents, teachers and staff can create positive change and emphasize respect and inclusion across the district. October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Though it can take many forms, bullying is usually:

• Verbal: Hurtful name-calling, teasing, gossiping, making threats, making rude noises or spreading hurtful rumors.
• Nonverbal: Posturing, making gang signs, leering, staring, stalking, destroying property, using graffiti or graphic images or exhibiting inappropriate and/or threatening gestures or actions.
• Physical: Hitting, punching, pushing, shoving, poking, kicking, tripping, strangling, hair pulling, fighting, beating, biting, spitting or destroying property.
• Emotional (psychological): Rejecting, terrorizing, extorting, defaming, intimidating, humiliating, blackmailing, manipulating friendships, isolating, ostracizing, using peer pressure or rating or ranking personal characteristics.
• Cyberbullying: Sending hurtful or threatening messages, spreading rumors online, sharing embarrassing photos or videos, impersonating others, excluding individuals from digital groups, or using social media, text, email, or other technology to harass, intimidate, or humiliate.

Reports of bullying should be made as soon as possible after the alleged act or knowledge of the alleged act.

Encourage any student who believes that they have experienced bullying or believes that another student has experienced bullying to immediately report the alleged acts to a teacher, counselor, principal or anonymously at www.dallasisd.org/saysomething. A report may be made orally or in writing.

We all play a role in keeping our communities safe, and together, we can improve the well-being of students, staff and families across the district.

To learn more about the district’s bullying policy, visit https://www.dallasisd.org/bullying.

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