Sycamore Springs

Hello Sycamore Springs Middle School Families,

Happy Sunday! I hope you and your family are having a wonderful weekend. Our first week back was AMAZING! The entire building was filled with laughter and smiles as students reunited with their friends and favorite teachers. We are beyond excited for the start of the school year. If you need anything or have any questions, please reach out to your student's teacher, counselor, or administrator. We are looking forward to a fantastic school year!

Go Tigers!

Sincerely,

Kelly Miller

Principal

1. Meet the Teacher Night is August 27 from 6:00-8:00pm. This is an opportunity for you to meet each of your student's teachers and learn a little bit about the class. You will follow your student's schedule, so make sure to have a copy of it so you know where to go. Click HERE for the tentative schedule for the evening.

2. Student attendance is CRITICAL for student success. When students are out, they miss critical learning opportunities that cannot be duplicated. Since we are on a block schedule, missing one day means they actually miss two days worth of lessons. This adds up and creates learning gaps. Please click HERE (or read the Attendance section below) for more information how to report an absence, attendance office contact information, attendance times and additional information. DSISD Attendance Matters Flyer - click HERE

3. Parking and student drop-off/pick up - The first week parking/pick-up/drop-off went great! I am including our traffic pattern maps and videos for one more week as a reference.

Parking and Traffic Pattern Map - click here.

Video of Route Coming from the North

Video of Route Coming from the South

For more detailed information regarding our traffic pattern, parking lots, and bike-rider routes, click HERE.

4. Block Schedule - All secondary schools follow an A/B block schedule. Every Monday and Wednesday is an A day, every Tueseday and Thursday is a B day, and Fridays alternate between A and B days. Please see the district A/B Day Schedule to know if Friday is an A day or B day. On A days, your student will go to 1st, Advisory/Tiger Win, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th periods. On B days, your student will go to 5th, Advisory/Tiger Win, 6th, 7th, and 8th periods. Please also pay attention to which lunch your student has. It could be a different lunch on A days and B days.

5. All students should now have their Student ID. If you student hasn't received their ID yet, please have them report to the main office first thing Monday morning so they can either pick up their ID or get a temporary ID sticker. It is a DSISD secondary schools requirement for all students, faculty, and staff to wear their school ID at all times. IDs MUST be worn around the student's neck or on their shirt and not on their backpack, in their wallets/purse, or on their jeans.

6. DSISD Community Advisory Committees for the 2024-2025 school year is open through Friday, August 30. Click HERE for more information.

We were excited to welcome the students back this week! It has been an awesome week!! Students seem to be adjusting well and the energy in the building is amazing!

We are excited to kick off College Shirt Wednesdays! Please have your student join in the fun and wear the college shirt of their choice each Wednesday of the school year!

Our first Parent Book Study for this year is right around the corner! Please see the details here. We will begin the book study the second week of September.

We hope you all had a great weekend!

LaDonna Caroselli, 6th Grade A-K & 7th Grade Counselor

Sandy Zimmerman, 6th Grade L-Z & 8th Grade Counselor

We hope that you can join us on August 27 to meet each of your student's teachers and learn about their class. You will follow your student's schedule, so make sure to have a copy of their schedule so you know where to go. Click HERE for the tentative schedule for the evening.

Regular school attendance is essential and absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s education. The student and parent should avoid unnecessary absences. Please do not send student to school sick. But please DO send student to school when they aren't sick. Use the school calendar as you plan your family's vacation time. Avoid pulling students out of school for vacation!

Our critical funding time is 9:45am each day. That is the time of day that we take attendance for funding purposes. PLEASE HAVE YOUR CHILD IN SCHOOL AT 9:45am EVERY DAY!! Avoid appointments at that time.

Please check out our attendance webpage for more information.

TO REPORT AN ALL-DAY ABSENCE

• Log on to Family Access and click “Attendance” to report an absence, or

• Email or call the attendance office (512.858.3601)

IMPORTANT TIMES

• School Hours: 9:00 am - 4:15 pm (Attendance is taken every class period)

• SSMS Official Attendance Time: 9:45 am

HIGHLIGHTS

• All grade levels are subject to the compulsory attendance requirements

• Parents have 48 hours to report absences through Family Access, attendance email address, phone call, parent note, or doctor's note

• If a student misses more than four consecutive days because of a personal illness, upon return to school, the student must bring a statement from a health care provider verifying the student’s extended absence

• Texas law states that students are required to attend 90% of their classes in order to earn course credit. Students are allowed 4 unexcused or truancy absences in the fall semester and 5 unexcused or truancy absences in the spring semester

• When a student ages 6-18 incurs unexcused absences for three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period, the school will send a notice to the student’s parent, as required by law, to remind the parent that it is the parent’s duty to monitor the student’s attendance and to require the student to come to school. Please refer to the DSISD Student Handbook for complete information. Contact the Campus Attendance Clerk for additional questions.

If you need to pick up your student during the school day, please remember these guidelines.

1. Email (ssmsattendance@dsisdtx.us) or call (512-858-3611) the school before noon.

2. Be sure to include the student's name and what time you are picking them up.

3. All pick-ups are recommended to be before 3:50 p.m. If after 3:50 p.m. there may be a delay in the check-out process.

4. Make sure to have your photo ID/driver's license ready to show the front receptionist.

5. If you have requested an early pick up we will do our best to make it happen, but it is not a guarantee.

School starts at 9:00 am and ends at 4:15 pm. We follow an A/B block schedule. Every Monday and Wednesday is an A day, every Tueseday and Thursday is a B day, and Fridays alternate between A and B days. Please see the district's A/B Day Calendar to know if Friday is an A day or B day.

With the typical start of school traffic, please expect delays, particularly at the end of the day. Please make sure to follow the traffic flow and student pick-up/drop-off procedures stated below.

• For SSMS families coming from the north of campus (i.e. Belterra, Ledge Stone, etc.), please enter and exit through the entrance at the north end of the campus (see purple route on map). Follow the road alongside the football field to the back of the campus and drop-off/pick-up students near the cafeteria (Blue Lot). Parents will loop around the small cafeteria parking lot and follow the same path (see aqua route on map) to exit onto Sawyer Ranch. Video of Route Coming from the North

• For SSMS families coming from the south of campus (i.e. Highpointe, etc.), you will enter and exit through the south entrance on the elementary side of the school (see pink route on map). Parents will proceed to the back of SSE, circle through the back parking lot, and drop-off/pick-up their students in the Yellow Lot (near the SSE entrance). Video of Route Coming from the South

• For both drop-off/pick-up zones, make sure to pull all the way forward in the loading zones to help decrease the backup of traffic on Sawyer Ranch.
• Students are only allowed to be picked up alongside the curb in the designated loading zones. Please do not pick up students along Sawyer Ranch Rd or before the designated zones.
• The front lot (Maroon) is for buses, ADA access, and staff parking -THIS IS NOT A DROP-OFF/PICK-UP ZONE. You are welcome to park in the Maroon Lot if you need to come inside the campus.
  
• No student will be allowed to walk through a parking lot without an adult.
• We will have administrators and teachers helping direct traffic.

Thank you again for your patience. The safety of all students is our first priority.

Crossing guards will be at the sidewalk from Highpointe and at the top of the hill on the north side of the campus to assist pedestrians and bike riders.

Bikers entering/exiting the campus from the south (Highpointe or similar) should travel on the path from Highpointe to be escorted by the crossing guard at the pathway. Bikers entering/exiting the campus from the north (Belterra or similar) should remain on the Sawyer Ranch sidewalk until they reach the north entrance, then walk their bike across the traffic entrance and proceed to the front porch of the campus to secure their bikes at the racks by the main entrance of the school. Please remind your bikers to get off of their bikes and walk across any entrances or exits.

Last year Hays County installed signage and additional visual cues to bring attention to the crosswalk at Sawyer Ranch and White Wash Way. By law, the operator of a vehicle must stop and yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing a roadway. Please be on the lookout for our students who are crossing Sawyer Ranch and thank you for your compliance with all driver, pedestrian, bike rider, and bus safety laws.

All students should now have their Student ID. If you student hasn't received their ID yet, please have them report to the main office first thing Monday morning so they can either pick up their ID or get a temporary ID sticker. It is a DSISD secondary schools requirement for all students, faculty, and staff to wear their school ID at all times. IDs MUST be worn around the student's neck or on their shirt and not on their backpack, in their wallets/purse, or on their jeans.

Students are allowed to use cell phones before and after school and can earn use of them during lunch. This lunch privilege will be extended to sixth graders after the first few weeks of school. The lunch privilege is contingent upon students exhibiting Safe, Respectful, and Responsible behavior in the lunch room including cleaning their areas each day. Cell phones, headphones, Apple watches, Airpods, and other devices may not be used in the hallways during passing periods or in the classroom.

Chromebooks & Laptops are NOT allowed during lunch. They must remain in the student's backpack.

**All devices are brought at your own risk and the school is not responsible for those items.

Please review the dress code as set in the Student Handbook with your students. We need your help with your student arriving in accordance with the dress code to school.

Student dress standards:

• School issued ID Cards on lanyard/attached to shirt
• The student’s back, bottom, chest, and stomach must be covered.
• Underwear must not be visible.

Students may not wear:

• Tops that are strapless, plunging, or low-cut;
• Sheer or see-through clothing;
• Clothing that has pictures, emblems, or writings that are lewd, offensive, vulgar, or obscene

• Clothing that advertises or depicts tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other substance prohibited by policy

Students will be asked to change if they are out of the dress code. If they do not have anything to change into, they will receive a change of clothes from the nurse's clinic along with a parent notification.

Click here for the Student Handbook and Student Code of Conduct. Information about the dress code can be found on page 49 of the Student Handbook.

We do NOT allow food delivery services during the school day (Doordash,

Ubereats, etc.) for the following reasons: we cannot have strangers on our campus

flowing in throughout the day and it is disruptive to class time. If a delivery service drops

off anything at school, you will be able to collect it from the AP's office at the end of the

day. Parents/Guardians may still drop off items at the front office. Students will NOT be allowed to leave class to pick up food from the office unless it is during their scheduled lunch time.

Happy Birthday to all our SSMS Faculty and Staff! We ❤️ You! Go Tigers! 🐯

🎉 Congratulations to our Tiger of the Week: Boston Novickas

Click the link below for the volleyball schedule.

SSMS Cross Country Sign-Ups Are Closed

Wow! A huge shout-out from Coach McGilvray to all our SSMS runners who are representing SSMS XC this year. We have a full team who has been waking up early and tackling the trails with determination and grit. These runners are excited for their first meet and are sure to represent SSMS with pride. Due to our parent meeting having already been held and our Time Trials occurring this week, and the size of our current team, sign ups for cross country for this year are closed. To all our SSMS Tigers, no matter your interest, find your trail!

Welcome back to another exciting school year! As we come together once again, let's celebrate the strength of our community and our shared commitment to our children’s success. Your involvement makes a difference, and we encourage everyone to join the PTA to help us create an enriching environment for all. Together, we can achieve great things. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!

Want to support our amazing staff and students? Just $10.50 will show your school spirit and possibly win a Yeti cooler! Scan the QR code or go to joinpta.org to join one school PTA. Have kids at multiple schools? DSISD Council of PTAs makes it easy to join all of your local PTAs - follow this link: https://linktr.ee/dsisdcouncilpta

PARENTS AND ATHLETES:

Please join the DS Athletic Department as we fight hunger in Central Texas! You may donate a jar of peanut butter (bins located in the front athletic office at Tiger Stadium and DSHS) or donate online! This is a competition with Vandegrift HS and concludes with our football game on August 30th. We are partnering with a local food bank to collect donations of peanut butter or dollar equivalent. Donate today!

Hello Special Olympic Tigers and awesome Volunteers,

It's that time of year again when we talk bowling!! My name is Jessie Turner and I am Head of Delegation for our ISD Tiger team. We have a new coach this year, Garrett Moreno, and I can't wait for you to meet her. Our head coach is Abigail Adamas. We won't start until September, but I want to see who is interested in participating and volunteering. Please fill out the google forms below. If you have any questions please email me jessica.turner@dsisdtx.us or Garrett at garrett.moreno@dsisdtx.us.

For Athletes: https://forms.gle/pRm2cHFf9ifHbBG39

For Volunteers: https://forms.gle/7uNNh21jeoFFe9kD7

The application window for Dripping Springs ISD’s Community Advisory Committees for the 2024-25 school year is now open through Friday, August 30.

The success of Dripping Springs ISD is dependent on its partnership and effective engagement between district administration and the community’s stakeholders including parents, taxpayers, businesses and others. These diverse stakeholders provide valuable insight, expertise, and feedback for the district through DSISD’s Community Advisory Committees.

Community Advisory Committees strengthen the ties between the district, its campuses, and the community and enhance the core educational process. Committees provide input to the district on a variety of subjects, including district and campus planning, academic programming, student health initiatives, and long-range facilities and bond planning, among others.

Stakeholders may apply for as many committees as they like, however, participants are limited to serving on one community advisory committee per year.

Information on each of DSISD’s committees can be found at dsisdtx.us/committees.

Transitioning back to school after summer is not always easy. The DSISD Licensed Mental Health Professionals (LMHP) have put together this one-pager of tips and resources to help your student and family adjust to the school schedule with success.

Monday, 8/19 - A Day

Volleyball Parent Meeting; 5:30pm in the big gym

Tuesday, 8/20 - B Day

8th Grade Student Assembly during Tiger Win

Wednesday, 8/21 - A Day

7th Grade Student Assembly during Tiger Win

Thursday, 8/22 - B Day

6th Grade Student Assembly during Tiger Win

Friday, 8/23 - B Day

8/26 - Board of Trustees Regular Meeting; 6pm @ CLL Board Room

8/27 - Meet the Teacher Night, 6-8pm

8/28 - 7th/8th Football Scrimmage @ DSMS; 5pm

8/29 - Volleyball vs DSMS @ SSMS; 8B/7A 5:15pm & 8A/7B 6:15am

9/2 - No School - Staff and Student Holiday - Labor Day work

9/3 - Picture Day 📸 - day 1

9/3 - 7th Football vs DSMS @ SSMS

9/4 - Picture Day 📸 - day 2

9/4 - 8th Football @ DSMS

9/5 - Volleyball Team Pictures

9/6 - XC St. Andrew's MS Invitational; girls @ 6:10pm, boys @ 6:30pm

9/6 - DSHS Varsity Football vs SA Wagner; Tiger Stadium @ 7:30pm

9/9 - 7th Football vs McCormick @ SSMS

9/10 - 8th Football @ McCormick

9/11 - XC Bastrop MS Invitational; 5:00pm

9/12 - Volleyball vs Bee Cave @ SSMS; 8B/7A 5:15pm & 8A/7B 6:15am

9/13 - PTA General Membership Meeting @ 8:15am in Sycamore Room

9/13 - Fall Pep Rally - during Tiger Win

9/16 - 7th Football @ BCMS

9/17 - National IT Professional Day 💻🎉

9/17 - XC West Ridge Invitational

9/17 - 8th Football vs. BCMS @ SSMS

9/19 - Volleyball vs HCMS @ SSMS

9/20 - Interim 1B Grade Check - Ineligibility begins on 9/27

9/20 - Varsity Football vs Buda Johnson; Tiger Stadium@ 7:30pm

9/21 - Volleyball Hays Tournament; time TBD

9/23 - 7th Football @ HCMS

9/24 - 8th Football vs HCMS @ Westlake HS

9/26 - Volleyball @ LTMS

9/28 - XC Marble Falls - Mustang XC Invitational; 7:30pm

9/30 - 7th Football @ LTMS

10/1 - 8th Football vs. LTMS @ SSMS

10/3 - XC District Meet @ Dripping Springs

10/3 - Volleyball @ West Ridge