April 6, 2025
Hello Sycamore Springs Middle School Families,
Happy Sunday! I hope you and your family are enjoying the weekend and cooler weather. Last week was amazing. The spring dance was a ton of fun! Thank you to Student Council, Mrs. Cornelison, Mrs. Johnsey, and Mrs. Sisk for going above and beyond to make the dance such a huge success. Thank you to all the parents who donated supplies for the dance and thank you to all the teachers and Deputy Salazar who volunteered their time to help chaperon the dance!
We have another busy week ahead of us this week with STAAR testing, and with soccer, tennis, and golf all having games this week.
As always, if you need anything or have any questions, please contact your student's teacher, counselor, or administrator.
Go Tigers!
Sincerely,
Kelly Miller
Principal
STAAR Testing
All tests will start promptly at 9am. PLEASE have students to school on time. Please avoid these dates for appointments. Students will be required to stay in the testing environment until the test has concluded. They can read or sleep when they finish the test. Please DO NOT plan on picking your child up when they are finished. This is extremely disruptive to others still testing, and it is logistically difficult for staff when we are in a testing environment. Per Texas Education Agency, students may not have phones or Apple watches on their person during the test.
Please partner with us during STAAR testing to put SSMS's best foot forward. This data is important data for us as educators, and it is also how the State and community view our school. Let's work together to give our students the opportunity to do their absolute best.
April 8...6th Grade Reading/ELA STAAR
April 9....7th & 8th Grade Reading/ELA STAAR
April 10....Reading/ELA Makeup STAAR
April 15....8th Grade Social Studies STAAR
April 16....8th Social Studies Makeup STAAR
April 22....8th Grade Science STAAR
April 23....8th Grade Science STAAR Makeup STAAR
April 29....6th Grade Math & Compacted Math STAAR
April 30....7th & 8th Grade Math & Algebra EOC STAAR
May 1... Math Makeup STAAR
Reminders for STAAR Testing Days:
- Students have the entire school day for the test (9:00 - 4:15 pm).
- Students need to bring their Chromebooks fully charged.
- Try to not schedule any doctor's appointments during STAAR testing days.
- Students who are STAAR testing will not be allowed to leave during the testing session.
- Students are encouraged to bring a snack and a water bottle.
FAQ's About STAAR Testing
1. If my child doesn't pass the STAAR, will they be moved to the next grade level?
- Yes. STAAR will not prevent a student from moving to the next grade level.
2. What score does my child need to get to pass?
- The scores change every year. Click here to see what scores have been required in years past.
3. What are the categories for passing STAAR?
- Student performance on STAAR is separated into four performance categories—Masters Grade Level, Meets Grade Level, Approaches Grade Level, and Did Not Meet Grade Level. Students who achieve Approaches Grade Level or higher on STAAR have passed the test.
4. I heard we can "opt out". Is that true?
- No. The state does not allow students an option to "opt out". If a student does not take the test, that student's STAAR score is recorded as a zero and that student is coded as a STAAR failure. This means they attend required tutorials the following year under HB1416 requirements laid out by the legislature. Additionally, that failing score negatively impacts the school's and district's STAAR data for accountability purposes.
Please see the schedule for STAAR tests here.
Play It Safe - Access to Video Library
April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. In honor of this month, Play It Safe is offering free access to all of the child safety videos. These are the same videos that the counseling department presents to students who have parental consent to attend the child safety lessons. However, the video access does not include access to the script. For more information click on this flyer.
2025-26 INCOMING 7TH GRADE TEXAS IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS
Texas school immunization requirements are determined by the state legislature and set by the Texas Department of State Health Services, in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency.
All incoming 7th graders are required to have two immunizations:
1. Tetanus, Diphtheria and Acellular Pertussis-containing vaccine (Tdap): 1 dose within the
last 5 years to be valid.
2. Meningococcal Vaccine (MCV4): 1 dose of the quadrivalent vaccine on or after a student's
11th birthday to be valid.
or
Reasons of Conscience Exemption
If your child has already received these immunizations, you may drop off, fax (512-858-3699), or email (blair.smith@dsisdtx.us) the updated record at any time.
Please note: We can only accept a record from an electronic health record system if it includes the clinic's contact information and the provider's signature/stamp. A screenshot or print-out from your child's patient portal does not satisfy this requirement.
Your child’s immunization status is available for you to view in Skyward. Go to Family Access and click on the ‘Health Info’ tab located on the left side of the page.
Class schedules will not be released and students will not be allowed to start on the first day of school, August 13th, 2024, until an updated immunization record has been provided. Thank you for your understanding.
Please contact me with questions.
--
Blair Smith, RN, BSN
Nurse|Sycamore Springs Middle School
512-858-3604
Fax 512-858-3699
UIL Winners and Recognition
On March 5th and 8th, our UIL academic teams proudly represented Sycamore Springs Middle School as they competed against six other schools. In the weeks leading up to the event, students dedicated themselves to honing their skills, while their coaches worked to prepare them for success across various academic categories. We are deeply grateful for our coaches’ hard work and incredibly proud of our students for their outstanding achievements. We’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate the winners listed below:
Eyan Sebastian: Science 7th Grade 4th Place
Samyak Gnawali: Ready Writing 7th Grade 1st Place
Eyan Sebastian: Chess Puzzles 7th Grade 3rd Place
Alexandra Jackson: Editorial Writing 8th Grade 1st Place
Aarav Haynes: Number Sense 6th Grade 5th Place
Stephen Wetzel: Number Sense 6th Grade 6th Place
Townes Pharr: Number Sense 7th Grade 4th Place
Johns Kurian: Number Sense 8th Grade 3rd Place
Tivi Collodora: Social Studies 8th Grade 1st Place
Alexandra Jackson: Social Studies 8th Grade 2nd Place
Bella Blanchard: Social Studies 8th Grade 5th Place
Aditi Vishnubhatla: Spelling 6th Grade 1st Place
SSMS PTA Updates:
The SSMS PTA nominating committee is thrilled to announce the slate of elected officers for the 2025-2026 executive board. Join us on Friday, April 11th at 8:15AM in the Sycamore Room for our election meeting. We will also have a special guest presentation in regards to the 2025 school bond that will be on the ballot in May. Interested parties for the role of council delegates and parliamentarian should contact president@ssmspta.org RSVP for the General Membership Meeting and suggest topics through our SSMS PTA Linktree: https://linktr.ee/SSMSPTA
Please join us for DSISD Board of Trustees Candidate Forum on Monday, April 14 from 6:30 - 8:00pm in the Center for Learning and Leadership (300 Sportsplex Drive) in the Live Oak Room. All candidates for the DSISD Board of Trustees have been invited by the DSISD Council of PTAs. Submit questions for the candidates here. For inquiries, please contact: advocacy@dsisdcouncilpta.org
SSMS Teachers are either dangerously low or out of supplies to keep our kiddos comfortable with the germs and allergies around. If you would like to send in tissues and/or disinfecting wipes, please bring them in, send them with your student, or you can send them easily through our "Sniffles, Tigers, and Germs, Oh My!" Amazon Wishlist. Thank you for supporting our school!
The SSMS PTA is offering a new way to see our school in action! In an effort to increase family engagement, we will be doing parent-to-parent campus tours to give you a firsthand view of what our students and teachers do each and every day - sign up here!
The SSMS PTA and the SSMS Staff have been so grateful for the help we've received this year! The teachers get so much time back to spend in their classrooms with all of our children and will be able to start the New Year off with a little more ease. Sign up here!
We appreciate everyone that has joined SSMS PTA this year! If you haven't joined yet, please consider! It is open all year to new memberships, we appreciate each and every one of you. Go to joinpta.org to join.
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