Parent Hawk Talk
September 14th - 18th
Direct From Dylla’s Desk
Hello, Hobby Families!
We have officially completed our fifth week of school, and there is so much to celebrate. Our student attendance is higher than it has been in previous years. Thank you, families, for making daily attendance a priority. When students are at school, on time and ready to learn, they benefit from the meaningful instruction, collaboration, and support taking place in our classrooms.
As I visit classrooms, I continue to see engaging learning experiences across our campus. Students are working, thinking, and learning together, while our teachers remain committed to ensuring that every student grows and succeeds. The energy and focus throughout our school reflect the strength of our Hobby community.
Next Friday is also an important grade-check date for students participating in athletics and other UIL activities. Students must be passing all classes to maintain their UIL eligibility. We encourage families to review grades with their students, discuss any missing assignments or areas of concern, and contact teachers if additional support is needed. Students should take advantage of the time and resources available this week to finish strong.
Thank you for your continued partnership and for helping us maintain such a positive start to the school year. Together, we are creating the conditions for every student to learn, grow, and thrive.
Have a wonderful weekend filled with positive purple power!
As always, your proud Principal
Greg Dyla
Praise, Promote, and Protect
From Hobby Magnet
Volunteer opportunities for all grades:
Volleyball Concessions- Sept 17th 4-6:30-See CTE teacher if you can help.
7th grade families-Please bring in your donations if you haven’t already done so.
Volunteer opportunities for 8th grade only
Stop the Bleed @ NAC Sept 22nd 3:30-6:30
Limit to 10 students. See Mrs. Stock if interested.
HOSA
Next HOSA meeting: Sept 24th
Parent meeting-see flyer below
From Your Academic Dean
Happy Friday, Hobby Families!
We’ve had a fantastic first five weeks of school! The energy on campus has been wonderful, and we are so proud of how our students are settling in and working hard. Let’s keep this momentum going!
Here are a few exciting updates, key dates, and focus areas for the month ahead:
Algebra Family Night
September 22 is our Algebra Family Night! The Algebra team is putting together an event filled with important information regarding the Algebra 1 course as well as hands on activities to support student learning. Come join us from 6:30-7:30!
Save the Date: Fall Into Learning!
When: Wednesday, October 14th
What: Join us for our annual Fall Into Learning family event! Our teachers and departments are currently hard at work planning hands-on activities and engaging experiences for the whole family. Mark your calendars—more details and event times will be shared soon!
Supporting Every Student’s Growth
At Hobby, our top priority is ensuring every single child experiences academic growth and feels supported along the way.
Understanding the Data:
Teachers are currently reviewing early assessment results—including Beginning-of-Year MAP testing and classroom checks—to get a clear picture of where each student is starting this school year. If you have not already, you will receive your student’s MAP BOY report by the end of next week. Use that information to talk to your student about what they are learning, what their goals are, and how this will help them succeed.
Targeted Support:
Using this data, our teams are designing tailored support for our students. This includes targeted small-group learning, dedicated Flex time, and specialized Math and Reading programs to ensure no student falls behind and every child reaches their full potential.
At Hobby we believe all students can and will be successful. There is a big push in ALL courses to write daily. It is important that students see cross-curricular connections and critically analyze to have success in high school and beyond. Do not hesitate to talk to your student about their writing!
Partnering with You
We firmly believe that school and home working together is the secret to student success. Thank you for your partnership, encouragement, and support every single day—Hobby is a wonderful place to be, and we are so grateful for our incredible community! 💜💛
From APO
- Next week we will have an attendance competition between grade levels. The grade level with the highest attendance will receive extended time at lunch on Friday September 18, 2026. Throughout the year we will have many opportunities for students to win grade level competitions or for individual students who have great attendance. We will also be starting the impossible shot next week for students who have perfect attendance. This is a chance to win some very cool prizes
From Your Counselors
We loved connecting with our Hobby Hawks during our "Howdy" lessons! Next week, we launch our classroom guidance curriculum on Interpersonal Effectiveness, focusing on conflict resolution across all grade levels:
6th Grade: Navigating conflict
7th Grade: Choosing respect over believing rumors
8th Grade: Using effective communication to set boundaries and maintain healthy relationships
REMINDER: We also would like to remind you that we are gathering parent referrals for our Fall Small Groups! These peer groups provide a supportive space for students to gain practical skills in areas such as (but not limited to) managing stress, organization/study habits, navigating friendships, improving confidence/self-esteem, processing grief, and goal-setting. If you'd like your child to participate in a small group or would like more information, please reach out to your child's counselor.
PURPLE STAR CAMPUS DESIGNATION
We are proud to share that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has officially named Hobby Middle School a 2025–26 Purple Star Campus! This designation recognizes our school's exceptional commitment to supporting military-connected students and their families as they transition into our community. Thanks to this achievement, Hobby Middle School will retain its Purple Star Campus Designation through the 2026–27 and 2027–28 school years. Thank you to our staff, students, and military families for making Hobby Middle School a welcoming place for all!
Thank you so much for your ongoing support, partnership, and encouragement as we build a great year for our students!
From The Library
📚 Library Club Is Underway!
Our Library Club officially met! 🎉 Members spent some time getting to know one another and learning about our Library Club standards, expectations, and what it means to be a student helper in the library.
Students also completed a fun “All About Me” coloring page to introduce themselves and share a little about their reading interests. Once completed, these will be displayed in the library so our school community can meet the students helping make our library an even better space! 📖✨
📖 Books Are Still Flying Off the Shelves!
Students are continuing to check out books and find new reads to enjoy! Along with building their reading lives, students are also learning practical library skills that help them become more independent library users.
We’re working on skills like understanding call numbers, locating books on their own, navigating different sections of the collection, properly returning materials, and taking responsibility for their library books.
The goal is for students to become increasingly confident saying, “I know how to find what I need!” rather than always needing an adult to find it for them. Every library visit is an opportunity to build reading habits AND independence. 💜
🎉 LIBRARYPALOOZA IS COMING!
LibraryPalooza is one of our favorite opportunities for students and families to celebrate books, reading, and authors!
Check out this year’s LibraryPalooza poster included in the newsletter to see the author lineup! Your student may recognize an author whose books they already love—or discover a brand-new author to read before the event.
Keep an eye out for additional LibraryPalooza information as we get closer!
From Your PTA
Family Engagement Opportunities
Save the dates
- September 22, 2026: Algebra family night
- October 14, 2026: Fall into learning.
From The Nurse
- Parents, please don’t forget to sign giving school authorization to administer the medication(s). Please practice good respiratory etiquette; clear your airway by blowing your nose, spit into a tissue any mucus being coughed up. Good handwashing technique. Can help prevent germs from growing in the body and keep one healthier. Thank you.
From Your Hobby Yearbook
Meet Your Yearbook Staff
Student Spotlight
Upcoming Events
🐾 Top Cat Dance Intensive – October 3
Calling all dancers in grades 6–12! Join the Clark High School Top Cat Dance Team for a fun and exciting Dance Intensive designed to help students learn new combinations, freshen up their technique, and experience what it’s like to dance with the Top Cat Dance Team!
📅 Saturday, October 3 Clinic: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM 💃 What to Expect Students will have the opportunity to: Learn new dance combinations Work on and improve their dance technique Learn from the Clark Top Cat Dance Team Showcase what they learned at the end of the clinic 💰 Registration $35 – Online registration before October 3 Payment options include cash, card, or money order. 🏈 Special Halftime Performance Students in grades 6–8 will have the opportunity to perform at halftime with the Clark Top Cat Dance Team during the Clark vs. Madison football game at Farris Stadium! This is a great opportunity for students to learn, have fun, and experience a day with a high school dance team. 📧 Questions? For additional information, please contact: Lauren Rost
Showoffs: 12:00 PM
📍 Clark High School
$40 – Registration the day of the clinic
Lauren.Rost@nisd.net
Important Athletic Information
If your child is interested in trying out for a sport this year, and is enrolled in 7th or 8th grade athletics, there is mandatory paperwork that must be completed before they can be eligible to participate.
An athlete cannot try out for a sport before completing ALL UIL paperwork found on the parent portal. (link below)
STUDENTS NEW TO ATHLETICS:
All incoming students that did not have a medical physical last year MUST complete a medical physical and give a copy to the head coach on campus. The physical form can be printed from the parent portal, or from the links provided at the bottom of this information sheet. The medical history form must be completed online. Print the completed medical history and the physical form and take both of those papers with you to the doctor when you get your physical. Make a copy of the medical physical and turn it into the head coach. You do not need to turn in medical history, but must complete it online.
*Rank One Parent Portal Information/Instruction Sheet
*Asthma Action Plan (Required for students diagnosed with asthma.)
*2026-2027-rank-one-forms.pdf (154.52 KB)
*2026-2027-physical-form.pdf (403.86 KB)
26-27 Athletic Schedules
Parent Resources
School Supply List
School supply lists for the upcoming school year are available. To view your child's grade-level supply list, please click the link below:
Dress Code: Dress for Success!
Dress Code: Dress for Success School staff recognizes that parents bear the primary responsibility for setting standards for their children’s dress and grooming. However, because of health and safety factors, the influence of dress and grooming on students’ attitude and behavior, and because of the need to prevent disruptive influences and preserve the academic environment of the school, student dress and grooming are appropriate concerns of teachers and administrators. The district’s dress code is implemented (Section D); therefore, students will be expected to follow the guidelines set forth by the district. Dress code standards are extended to extra-curricular activities held on the campus. In an effort to promote a safe and positive school environment which is conducive to learning, students should wear appropriate clothing that will not cause disruptions in learning or safety. Inappropriate, indecent, suggestive or distracting clothing will not be allowed. *Final determination of acceptable dress code and grooming rests with the Principal or his/her designees.
Please Note
Part of supporting our students’ academic and social growth involves maintaining a disruption-free learning space. With that in mind, we want to gently remind our community about our campus dress code expectations—specifically regarding student hairstyles.
Starting this term, we will be fully aligning our campus practices with our NISD dress code policy:
Expectation: Hair must be neat, clean, and kept in a way that does not cause a distraction to the teaching and learning environment.