Message from the Principal
Hello Eagle Families!
We are so thrilled to start the next chapter of this school year on Tuesday! Our doors are opening, and we look forward to welcoming students in phases through our new and improved entry way. We are also excited to continue with students through Virtual Empowered Learning. As well, we are grateful for all the constant community support. This year has already shown us the amazing things we can accomplish when the Eagle community comes together and does what it takes for our students!
We want to say a huge shout-out of THANKS to our PTA who donated Eagle spirit face masks for our staff and students! We will be handing out the masks (with a lanyard to keep it around their neck and hopefully not drop or lose it) during the day on Tuesday. We will be providing more information soon for those students remaining virtual to be able to pick up an Eagle mask too!
Also, many have generously reached out and asked how you can donate or support the teachers/school during this time. One fantastic option is that you can go through the PTA to sign-up as a secret pal for a staff member. (Our teachers LOVE this tradition!) Email crmssecretpal@gmail.com for more information. There are also neighborhood collections for donations of cleaning supplies like Clorox wipes or paper towels. Please note: there are COVID EPA requirements on certain products so please check those before purchasing. If you are wanting to donate and unsure how, please feel free to email me.
Lastly, as we prepare to welcome students back on campus, we must remind you that our campus including the stadium, track and practice fields are closed to the public during school hours (8:10-3:25) and also during athletic practices and events. We know that many people in the community have been utilizing the track/field since March, so please plan accordingly.
We hope you have a nice, safe 3-day weekend and we will see you on Tuesday for a B-day either in-person for Phase 1 or virtually!
Go Eagles!
Mrs. Wendy Sturdevant
Instagram: Canyon_Ridge_MS
Twitter: @Sturdevant_CRMS
Daily Student Health Self-Screening & Checklist
Self-Screening is an activity that all staff, students, and visitors must conduct prior to entering a Leander ISD facility or bus to identify and exclude temporarily those who may have been exposed to COVID-19. This screening is an effort to maintain a healthy and safe learning/working environment.
The following is from the LISD COVID-19 Health Response Handbook:
Per the Texas Education Agency (TEA)
• “Schools have the ability to prevent anyone who either does not complete or does not pass a screening from entering their campus.”
• “Parents must ensure they do not send a child to school on campus if the child has COVID-19 symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test. School systems may also establish a screening process for students.”
By coming to school, you are attesting that you confidently answered “NO” to ALL of the questions related to COVID-19 symptoms and have a very low risk of carrying or spreading COVID-19. If you answered “YES” to ANY of the questions, you are to stay home. All screening information will be kept confidential by the campus administration and the campus nurse.
Either a parent/guardian or the student is required to accurately complete and submit the CRMS Student Health Self-Screening & Checklist form EVERY morning before coming onto school property or getting on a school bus.
Students experiencing ANY of the symptoms from the list below, in a way that is not normal for the student, MUST REMAIN AT HOME and a parent/guardian should email the CRMS Attendance Clerk (CRMSAttendance@leanderisd.org) and provide the student’s Full Legal Name, Student ID Number, date and reason for absence.
***Students who are required to stay home due to COVID-19 related symptoms can still access learning virtually if they feel well enough to attend virtual classes.
UPDATED CRMS Bell Schedule with 6 lunches
We have now noted the synchronous & asynchronous times on this schedule so this schedule will provide structure for both our virtual and in-person students.
Student schedules for classes & teachers will NOT change.
We will remain on A/B schedule (Calendar: please note the Staff Dev./Student Holiday on November 2nd was moved by the school board to November 3rd)
1st/5th, 2nd/6th & 4th/8th periods will not change times for Synchronous learning
Lunch will be during 3rd/7th period times so your lunch time may change depending on your 3rd/7th period teacher
Students may be in the Blue lunch group on A day and Gold lunch group on B day or vice versa.
As well, some elective courses may be a mix of 7th/8th graders so the lunch may not be pure to the assigned grade level. Those classes are assigned to keep lunches as small & balanced as possible.
Homeroom time will still not be a required for virtual students. For in-person students, homeroom time will be utilized in 3rd/7th period classroom for a break to use the restroom, wash hands, etc. around lunch time.
All students will keep their scheduled Advisory period. Advisory is an assigned, required class and the teacher will be taking attendance and have expectations in place for both virtual and in-person students.
Phase-In Information for In-Person at CRMS
(Please note: we had technical difficulties with the recording at the beginning, so we did a recap of all information from the beginning again later in the Webinar and here are the presentation slides also.)
More Clarification about In-Person:
If we have a person on campus test positive for COVID, the following actions will take place:
We will immediately send the individual home (if present on campus). Quarantining and contact tracing will be done with the local health department. Guidance will be provided by the health department, as well.
We will immediately clean/sanitize the classrooms/areas where the individual has been on campus.
Parents will be notified if their child comes in close contact with the positive case.
We will respect the individual’s privacy and follow FERPA and HIPAA laws.
The entire school will receive a notification if there is a positive test within the school.
Attendance & Absence Information
Criteria for Students to Return to School After an Illness Absence
Since almost every illness contains symptoms associated with COVID-19, the LISD guidelines applying to suspected or diagnosed COVID-19 illnesses apply to all student absences which are due to illness.
Students absent from school for an illness with ANY of the symptoms listed above will need to meet the following criteria before returning to school:
• At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared; AND
• There is improvement in COVID-19 associated symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); AND
• At least 1 day (24 hours) have passed since recovery, defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.
A parent note for a student illness will NOT be accepted until AFTER the 10 day exclusion period has ended.
If a student has had a negative COVID-19 test (and provides documented results), the student may return to school once they are fever free without the use of fever-reducing medicines and has felt well for 24 hours.
Students can also return to school, if they receive confirmation of an alternative diagnosis from a health care provider that would explain the COVID-19-like symptom(s), once they are fever free without the use of fever-reducing medicines, and they have felt well for 24 hours (documentation required).
Students who return to school from an illness related absence without meeting the above criteria will be removed from class to wait in the lecture hall. Parents must then pick up their student immediately.
Procedure for Returning to School After ANY Absence
• Students returning to school after an absence, for any reason, must go directly to the Attendance Office before going to their 1st/5th period class.
• Students meeting the criteria to return to school will be given an Attendance Admit Hall Pass to be given to their 1st/5th period teacher.
• Teachers will not admit students who have been absent from class without an Attendance Admit Hall Pass.
• If the student does not meet the criteria to return school, they will wait in the lecture hall and a parent/guardian will be immediately notified take them home.
Important Reminders for Virtual Learners
Parents, we are so grateful for your continued support of your student(s) as they work virtually. As we all continue to learn the best way to support students virtually, here are a few reminders to help maintain effective virtual teaching and learning:
It is appropriate to monitor your student while online and make sure they are staying focused and on task.
It is productive to encourage your student and ask how their work is going during asynchronous class time.
It is detrimental to the classroom dynamics and can be disruptive having a parent/sibling sitting with the student the entire class, asking questions while the teacher is teaching, or providing direct help to the student during synchronous instruction. Teachers are asking questions and leading activities that assess students’ progress in a variety of ways, so please help the teacher by monitoring your student at a courteous distance. Asynchronous time is afforded to students to receive additional individualized/small group support, so we encourage parents to work with their children on how to advocate for their needs and take advantage of the asynchronous block of time.
We want to honor all students’ privacy as much as possible during class, so we respectfully ask that you not record or share pictures of the class without permission.
We encourage you to check the Guardian Summary in Google Classroom to monitor your student’s progress on work.
Please remember our teachers are trained professionals who are learning how to navigate an A-Day/B-Day block, along with virtual and blended learning. We know there are always growing pains that occur with change, so we appreciate you offering our teachers grace and patience as they stretch and grow daily this school year. If you have a concern related to a teacher’s instruction, we respectfully request that you bring the concern to an administrator’s attention.
If you think your child needs additional assistance with attending virtual classes, please reach out to the AP or Counselor so we can help with how to do this most constructively and successfully.
Timeline for Phases and Changes in Selection for In-Person or Virtual
Starting Sept 8th, only 6th graders, LISD staff students (in any grade-level), & students who have a Special Education IEP who previously selected "in-person" may return to campus.
If you previously selected in-person and have changed your mind (want your student to remain virtual), you may email your grade-level counselor to make that change.
If you previously selected virtual and have changed your mind (want to change your student to "in-person"), please complete this change request form no later than 4:00pm on Sept. 11th to switch to “in-person” during your grade-level phase for the beginning of the second cycle grading period (starting Sept. 21st).
Beginning Sept 21st, 7th graders and students who receive direct services for dyslexia through 504 who have selected "in-person" may return to campus.
Beginning Sept 28th, 8th graders who have selected "in-person" may return to campus.
If you currently do not have access to the internet for virtual learning, please call 512-570-3500 and ask to speak with your AP. You must have pre-arranged approval to begin attending "in-person" prior to your grade-level's phased timeframe.
Deadlines for Parents to change from Virtual to In Person Learning & Date Students Return to In Person Learning
Deadline - September 11 for 2nd 6-weeks beginning September 21 for 7th graders & September 28 for 8th graders
- Deadline - October 23 for 3rd 6-weeks beginning November 2
- Deadline - December 11 for 4th 6-weeks beginning January 4
- Deadline - February 5 for 5th 6-weeks beginning February 16
- Deadline - March 26 for 6th 6-weeks beginning April 5
Library Update: Select books you want!
Hey Eagles!
Even though you may not be able to visit the CRMS Library, you can still check out books because the CRMS Library is going mobile! You can reserve books through Destiny, our online library catalog, and Ms. Fuller will check them out to you.
Video and written instructions for placing books on hold in Destiny can be found in your grade level Google Classrooms. Just click on Classwork, and then scroll to Library Resources.
If you are an in-person learner, Ms. Fuller will deliver your books to you during your ELA class beginning Tuesday, September 8.
If you are a virtual learner, you may pick up your books during curbside services every Tuesday and Friday from 10:30-11:30 beginning Friday, September 11. Virtual students and parents, please wait for an email confirmation from Ms. Fuller that your books are ready before coming to campus.
If you have any questions, please email Ms. Fuller at amy.fuller@leanderisd.org.
Volleyball Try-out Information
7th Grade
Wednesday, September 23
Thursday, September 24
Friday, September 25
Tryouts before school, begin at 6:30am.
Coach Redfern
8th Grade
Wednesday, September 30
Thursday, October 1
Friday, October 2
Tryouts in afternoon, end at 5:30pm
Coach Dunn
All athletes must have the following completed prior to their grade level tryout.
Current physical on file with Coach Edwards.
All online paperwork must be completed.
Commitment form signed by athlete and parent
Complete the signup form - students must be signed in with their Leander ISD email address
Please visit the Volleyball website for all the tryout information and schedules.
2020 Cross Country
All athletes must have the following completed to participate in Cross Country practices and meets.
Current physical on file with Coach Edwards.
All online paperwork must be completed.
Complete the signup form - students must be signed in with their Leander ISD email address
Please visit the Cross Country website for the practice and meet schedules.
Message from CRMS Nurse
Dear Parents,
We are excited to see some of our students return to campus on September 8th. If your child requires medication during the school day or has emergency medication, please contact the school nurse to schedule an appointment. All paperwork, including doctor's signature for prescription medication, will need to be brought to the campus nurse during your appointment time. Medication must be properly labeled (prescription medication must have the pharmacy label), unexpired, and in the original container. Appointments will be made by grade level according to the phase in plan for our in-person students. For any questions or concerns, please contact our nurse, Rachael Kristoff at 512-570-3507 or email rachael.kristoff@leanderisd.org. Thank you.
Rachael Kristoff RN, BSN
Canyon Ridge Middle School Nurse
512-570-3507
512-570-9258 confidential eFax
Update to Remind & Newsletters!
Launch to Learning Guides and FAQ
As the upcoming school year takes shape, we want to ensure the information families need to make important decisions is easy to access in our Launch to Learning 2020-21 guides.
We know that our community still has questions, so we’ve worked hard at cultivating an expansive, updated FAQ section of the Launch to Learning site. The latest additions will be highlighted green for a few days and then moved into a queue under the appropriate heading.
Canyon Ridge Middle School
AP/Counselor by grade-level:
- 6th: Cassandra Ricks/Shirley Dean
- 7th: Mandi Vogel/Staci Cote
- 8th: Monica Diaz Carle/Lauren Gripentrog
Instagram: Canyon_Ridge_MS
Email: wendy.sturdevant@leanderisd.org
Website: https://crms.leanderisd.org/
Phone: 512-570-3500
Twitter: @Sturdevant_CRMS