Ridge Relay

October is a busy month - please take note of many dates below and join us at one of our many school sporting events, student activities and community or volunteer opportunities.

Also, parents, we need your assistance in reminding your students to be on their best Eagle behavior at the Vandegrift HS football game tomorrow and any events moving forward. At the last home Viper game, behaviors included playing tag/chase and roughhousing under & in the stands, throwing food and liquids on each other & other fans, and dropping items from the bleachers to the walkway below. There have been close calls with both a toddler and an elderly female being hit by liquid filled bottles that were dropped from the top row where MS students are sitting. We are addressing this at both FPMS and CRMS because we know these are not all CRMS students, but we also need to make sure everyone is aware that these actions are causing a major safety hazard for all parties and are not stopping despite multiple warnings and recent ejections from the stands. As a result, officers/administration have informed us that more strict enforcement will be taken starting this Friday. Please help us to make sure that our VHS games are fun and safe games to be fans.

Go Eagles! And Go Vipers!

Mrs. Wendy Sturdevant

All Pro Dads starting at CRMS! This new opportunity is for dads (or any adult figure in the student's life) to spend time with their children (boy or girl) at school, strengthen their relationship, connect with other CRMS dads and learn more about our school. We will host the sessions about once a month for dads to connect at school and get involved at CRMS.

Join us starting September 27th at 8:05am to learn more.

RSVP ahead of time so we have you checked-in to save time when you arrive.

Support CRMS in a PTA Membership Battle against Four Points. The principal from the losing school will wear the rival’s mascot head at the football game on October 8. Join online today!

Help save Principal Sturdevant from the shame of wearing the Falcon head like last year! Click this link to join the CRMS PTA for as little as $15.

Anyone can join PTA! It’s open to parents, teachers, grandparents, students, neighbors, friends, and anyone who cares about our school. Please join and recruit others!

We are unable to make any further updates to attendance coding for the 1st grading period (which ended September 20th) after September 30th when the cycle is locked. So if you have any last minute attendance notes for absences through September 20th, please email the notes to crmsattendance@leanderisd.org or drop the note in the front office by the end of the day on Monday.

World Teachers Day is celebrated annually on October 5th, and in 2024, it will take place on a Saturday. It's a day to recognize and appreciate teachers around the world for their role in education and the impact they have on students. Since it is on a Saturday, we are going to honor our teachers October 7-11 and this is a great way to show teachers appreciation by giving them a break or extra time to plan/grade, but also is a way for you to connect with CRMS by getting to know the staff, students and seeing how the systems at CRMS work during the school day. Please review the available lunch duty slots and click on the button to sign up. You are welcome to sign-up for as many time-slots that work for you. :)

In honor of National Bullying Prevention Month and our campus-wide Kindness Initiative, Canyon Ridge Middle School, in partnership with Four Points Middle School, is excited to welcome national best-selling author and international motivational speaker Dennard Mitchell on October 9th. He will present his anti-bullying and kindness program, Just R.E.A.C.H. One at both campuses. We believe this assembly will be a valuable experience for all our Eagles and Falcons, as we work together to foster a culture of kindness on our campuses.

Thank you to our CRMS PTA for your sponsorship and to FPMS for your partnership to bring this opportunity to all of our Eagles on the morning of October 9th!

The 7th grade State of Texas Mandated Vision and Hearing Screenings will take place on 10/8/2024 during your student's Science class. Please make sure your 7th grader brings their glasses, if they use them. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Rachael Kristoff RN, BSN

Canyon Ridge Middle School Nurse

512-570-3507

• FCA has kicked off. See Coach Woolery for more information. FCA is open to all students regardless of grade level or athletic involvement.

• Drama Club is starting! See Mrs. Roth or Mrs. Ball for more information.

• 
  

  Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Club has started too! Friday Mornings @ 8:15 am (Students must be at the Main Entrance by 8:15 to be met by Ms. Adams)

  
  

CRMS will offer the AMC 8 for 20 students in January 2025. First come first serve for registration. The first twenty students who sign up will be registered for the exam. Read about the exam here. Parents, fill out this form if you are interested in your grade 6-8 student taking the AMC 8. Families will be responsible to pay for their individual student's exam as well as a portion of the school registration fee. Payment information and next steps will be communicated to the 20 families once the slots are filled.

• Deadline to register - October 11, 2024 or until the first twenty spots are filled
• Competition date - January 23, 2025
• Location - CRMS

Contact Staci Cote with any questions.

Do you like movies? Would you like to MAKE A MOVIE? What about a Short Film?
For anyone interested in making short films: CRMS Library is hosting a Student Film Festival and Trivia Night THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17TH 6:00 - 7:30.

• Movies must be created between September 1, 2023 and October 4th, 2024 to be eligible for this Film Festival.

• All film entries are due to the Film Fest Google Classroom by midnight on October 4, 2024

• For full details, join the google classroom - Class Code: vfrketx

See your Theatre Arts teacher, Mrs. Roth or your friendly neighborhood librarian, Mrs. Wright if you have questions!

Destination Imagination (DI) is an extracurricular, school-sponsored program that fosters students' creativity, team-based problem-solving skills, and life skills. Each team must have a team manager to facilitate team practices. More information will be found on the CRMS Clubs Page. Deadline to turn in applications is October 2, 2024.

Parents, the first newsletter from the CRMS counseling office is available via the link below. The newsletter serves to highlight CRMS students, provide an overview of guidance lessons, insights from the counselor’s book study, middle school tips, and upcoming dates. Enjoy!

Counseling Newsletter – The Echo

Reflecting Positivity through CRMS Counseling Services

Volume 7 Issue 1 September 2024

The CRMS PTA Reflections Arts Program encourages students to tap their inner creativity and express themselves through their artwork. CRMS submissions are due by October 20, 2025.

For the 2024-25 school year, students are invited to reflect on a common theme — "Accepting Imperfection" — and submit original artwork in one of six categories. Click on the links listed below for category rules:

• Dance Choreography. (Spanish)
• Film Production (Spanish)
• Literature (Spanish)
• Music Composition (Spanish)
• Photography (Spanish)
• Visual Arts (Spanish)
• Accessible Arts Division (Spanish) - option for students with disabilities

Reflections has been a staple arts program in many schools allowing students to find a creative outlet in many categories.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions to our CRMS PTA Reflections Chair Swati Shah at reflections2425@gmail.com.

Referrals for G/T services are accepted year-round. Students referred for testing by October 1, 2024 will be screened to determine the need for additional GT Assessment and Identification. Those who qualify for additional assessments will be notified in October for the Winter Testing Window. Notification of results will be sent before the end of the fall semester to schedule for the spring semester based on availability. Contact your grade level counselor for the referral form.

We are in need of volunteers on October 8, 2024 from 9:30am-12:30pm at the Four Points location. Can you spare a few hours to volunteer with us at our River Place ES Location?

The volunteer links are listed below:

- Tuesday, October 8, 2024: Volunteer Sign Up Link for October 2024 at River Place ES Location

We would appreciate your volunteer support.

Best,

The LISD PTA Clothes Closet Team

Students who finish coursework have the opportunity to complete projects that interest them - any school-appropriate topic, almost any format. So like a science fair, but the project could be anything - preventing animal abuse, demonstrating features of muscle cars, code-breaking, a timeline of shoe fashion, and more. We are hosting a share fair with Four Points Middle School for students who complete projects this fall and this spring. Participating students who are responsible to come and work in the library with a pass from class can do research and project development in the library - see Mrs. Wright for passes and Google Classroom code details.

Hello families, the latest Special Programs newsletter is here! Learn about our new Assistant Superintendent of Special Programs and Services, upcoming family events, Special Education, 504, Child Find Leander Collaborative Partners, The Special Programs Parent Advisory Council, and community resources.

Leander ISD is reaching out to update you on an important, State-Mandated change* to the administration of Over-The-Counter medications during the school day.

Administration of OTC medications during the school day REQUIRE a medical provider AND parent/guardian signature.

Attention Parents! Has a teacher or staff member at CRMS made a difference that you believe merits recognition? If so, nominate him or her to receive the Golden Eagle Award. Each week, from the Eagle community's nominations, a worthy faculty or staff member will be awarded the Golden Eagle. Recipients of the Golden Eagle Award have the privilege of keeping the coveted Golden Eagle statue in their office or classroom until the next faculty or staff member is recognized. Please nominate someone today!

Golden Eagle Award Nomination Form

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/

Important Attendance Reminders:

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

• When you email the school, please include the student's first and last name and ID #. Student nicknames can cause confusion with attendance coding.Please note why the student was absent or what kind of appointment they had (medical/dental) otherwise it will be unexcused due to lack of info.

• 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 latest a student may be picked up early is 4pm due to our end-of-day dismissal.
  

• 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 1000 students so it will take 2-4 business days to show the update. We appreciate your patience and understanding that our team is working tirelessly to support all of our Eagles!

Leander ISD has partnered with MySchoolBucks as our new online store. You can easily pay online for school items and add money to your student's lunch account. We are adding new items to the store everyday.

Create your free MySchoolBucks account to conveniently and securely pay for your student’s school fees online or with the mobile app.

With MySchoolBucks you’ll be able to quickly browse school items in our School Store, be notified when fees are due, and make payments from anywhere!

Get Started Today:

1. Go to myschoolbucks.com or download the mobile app
2. Create your free account and add your students using their school name / student ID or birthdate
3. Add school items or invoices to your cart
4. Check out using your credit / debit card or electronic check.

We appreciate you using this online option as a way to help reduce the amount of physical cash and checks that our staff would need to handle for these school fees.

If you need assistance with your account, you can find helpful how-to videos and answers to commonly asked questions by visiting myschoolbucks.com. Or, you can contact MySchoolBucks directly by logging into your account to start a chat conversation or give them a call at (855) 832-5226.

Thank you,

Leander ISD

Please Note:

• $$$ account for snacks, additional food
• Snacks may not always be available all year long due to staffing shortages
• For the 24/25 school year, students who qualify for reduced price, breakfast will be free and lunch will be reduced.
• You must apply each year for free/reduced lunch.

2024-25 Leander ISD Important Bus Information: Register to Ride

All eligible students will be required to REGISTER to RIDE the bus for the 2024-2025 school year. Please use the link provided to be sure that your student is registered to ride the bus if you are planning to utilize LISD transportation services.

Reminder: All Middle School students need a laptop/device for school. If you do not own your one, you can get one from the district:

Middle School Students: $40.00 per year

A non-refundable security deposit is required to participate in this program. Sign up and pay for your student's 2024-2025 non-refundable security deposit now. All students who pay, will be issued their device the first few days of the 2024-2025 school year. Students who qualify for Free and Reduced meals will not need to pay the annual deposit but will need to turn in a signed acceptance form or register through EdPay. Click on this website: mLISD Information and Payment Website for more information and to pay the security deposit.

Hardship Scholarship opportunities are available. Please contact your child’s counselor or send an email to mlisd@leanderisd.org for more information. Please include the following information in your email:

• The student’s name

• Campus

• Student ID number

• Parent phone number

Click here for more information regarding scholarships.

mLISD Quick View Information Brochure -English

mLISD Quick View Information Brochure -Spanish

Middle School Student’s spring 2024 STAAR score results should be available to parents on the Texas Education Agency Family Portal beginning June 14th.

Directions for Accessing your Child’s STAAR Report Card from TEA:

• Click on the TEA Family Portal Login
• If you know your child’s unique access code, found at the bottom of STAAR reports from previous administrations, enter that code in the Access Code box. Enter the date of birth using the drop-down menus. Click on the blue Go button to access results.

• If you do not know your child’s unique access code, you can still access STAAR results if you know your child’s social security number and date of birth. Click on “How do I look up my access code?” link below the Sign-On Button and enter the following information:
• TSDS ID or PEIMS ID (often same as social security number)
• Child’s date of birth
• Child’s legal first name
• Click “Search”

Additionally, results may be accessed through the Home Access Center (HAC) after June 14th:

• Log into your Home Access Center (HAC) account.
• Select the Grades tab
• Select Texas Test Scores
• Click on the link to STAAR English/Spanish – this will log you into the parent portal and you will see assessment results.

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]

AP/Counselor by grade-level for 2024-2025:

• 6th: Brian Bass / Staci Cote
• 7th: Dr. Ashley Thompson1 / Kimberly Mills
• 8th: Leah Cox / Jillian Baaklini

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