The Community Champion Chronicle 🏆

Dear Lang Families,

We are in the final stretch of Quarter 1 🏁, and this week brings a well-deserved break 🎉. There will be no school Thursday and Friday, and Monday next week 🙌. We hope you enjoy your Fall Break, take time to rest, and come back recharged 🍂.

Reflecting on Quarter 1

The first nine weeks are always the hardest—setting expectations, adjusting routines, and building momentum. Together, we have laid a strong foundation for the year. Our students are adjusting to new systems, and every day they are showing more confidence, effort, and growth.

This break is more than just time off—it’s a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come and prepare for a strong start to Quarter 2. Every small action at home and school—reminding students of their goals, encouraging them to read daily, or supporting them with homework—adds up to big success.

📝 Standards Mastery Check (SMC 1) – October 6–8

Next week, students will take their first Standards Mastery Check (SMC 1) in their Core Classes.

• Testing will take place in Advisory.

• Teachers will actively monitor to ensure students give their very best effort.

This assessment helps us measure what students have learned so far and what areas need reteaching before STAAR. Families can support by:

• Making sure students get plenty of rest the night before tests.

• Ensuring they arrive on time daily.

• Encouraging a “do your best” mindset—effort matters!

📊 Student Data Conferences

After the SMC, teachers will hold student data conferences during advisory. Students will review their results, set new goals for Quarter 2, and celebrate growth. These conversations help students take ownership of their learning and keep them motivated to stay on track. Families can help by asking students to share their goals and talking with them at home about progress.

🏪 Pioneer Bucks Store – Thank You!

Our Pioneer Bucks Store opened Friday, and the excitement was real! Students loved redeeming their bucks for prizes, and the smiles said it all. Thank you to everyone who donated items—it makes such a difference in motivating our Champions.

💡 We still need donations! The store is fully fueled by your generosity. Please continue spreading the word—rewards fuel student effort, and effort fuels success.

With gratitude and pride,

Jessica Weems
Principal, Harold W. Lang Sr. Middle School

💜💛🏆 United in Growth. Driven by Grit. Destined for Greatness.

Queridas Familias de Lang,

Estamos en la recta final del 1er Trimestre 🏁, y esta semana llega con un merecido descanso 🎉. No habrá clases el jueves, viernes y lunes de la próxima semana 🙌. Les deseamos que disfruten las vacaciones de otoño, descansen y regresen con nuevas energías 🍂.

Reflexionando sobre el 1er Trimestre

Los primeros nueve semanas siempre son las más difíciles: establecer expectativas, ajustar rutinas y construir el ritmo del año. Juntos hemos establecido una base sólida. Nuestros estudiantes se están adaptando a los sistemas nuevos y cada día muestran más confianza, esfuerzo y crecimiento.

Este descanso no es solo tiempo libre—es una oportunidad para reflexionar sobre lo que hemos logrado y prepararnos para un inicio fuerte del 2º Trimestre. Cada acción pequeña en casa y en la escuela—recordarles sus metas, motivarlos a leer diariamente o apoyarlos con la tarea—contribuye al gran éxito.

📝 Evaluación de Dominio de Estándares (SMC 1) – 6 al 8 de octubre

La próxima semana, los estudiantes tomarán su primera Evaluación de Dominio de Estándares (SMC 1) en sus clases principales.

• La evaluación se realizará en la Advisory.

• Los maestros estarán supervisando activamente para asegurar que los estudiantes den su mejor esfuerzo.

Esta evaluación nos ayuda a medir lo que los estudiantes han aprendido hasta ahora y cuáles áreas necesitan repasarse antes del STAAR. Las familias pueden apoyar asegurándose de que:

• Sus hijos tengan suficiente descanso la noche anterior a las pruebas.

• Lleguen a la escuela puntuales todos los días.

• Sean motivados a mantener una actitud de “¡Haz tu mejor esfuerzo!”.

📊 Conferencias de Datos con Estudiantes

Después de la evaluación, los maestros tendrán conferencias de datos con los estudiantes durante la Advisory. En estas charlas, los estudiantes revisarán sus resultados, establecerán nuevas metas para el 2º Trimestre y celebrarán sus logros. Estas conversaciones ayudan a que los estudiantes se apropien de su aprendizaje y se mantengan motivados. Las familias pueden apoyar preguntándoles a sus hijos sobre sus metas y hablando en casa sobre su progreso.

🏪 Tienda de Pioneer Bucks – ¡Gracias!

El viernes abrimos nuestra Tienda de Pioneer Bucks y la emoción fue increíble. Los estudiantes disfrutaron canjear sus puntos por premios, y sus sonrisas lo decían todo. ¡Gracias a todos los que donaron artículos! Su apoyo hace una gran diferencia en la motivación de nuestros Campeones.

💡 Aún necesitamos donaciones. La tienda funciona únicamente gracias a su generosidad. Por favor, sigan compartiendo la información—las recompensas motivan el esfuerzo, y el esfuerzo construye el éxito.

Con gratitud y orgullo,
Jessica Weems
Directora, Harold W. Lang Sr. Middle School

💜💛🏆 Unidos en el Crecimiento. Impulsados por la Determinación. Destinados a la Grandeza.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Your voice matters to us! 💜

We invite you to take a few minutes to complete our Fall Parent Survey. Your feedback will help us strengthen our school, better support our students, and continue building a positive partnership with families.

🔍 Why Your Feedback is Important:

• Helps us improve academics and instruction.

• Guides how we communicate with families.

• Shapes the school environment and student experience.

All responses are confidential. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for being such an important part of our Lang community.

Together, we are Champions in the Making!

Sincerely,
Bianca Robles
Parent Support Specialist

Estimados Padres y Tutores,

¡Su voz es importante para nosotros! 💜

Los invitamos a tomar unos minutos para completar nuestra Encuesta de Padres de Otoño. Sus comentarios nos ayudarán a fortalecer nuestra escuela, apoyar mejor a nuestros estudiantes y continuar construyendo una relación positiva con las familias.

🔍 Por qué su opinión es importante:

• Nos ayuda a mejorar lo académico y la instrucción.

• Orienta cómo nos comunicamos con las familias.

• Da forma al ambiente escolar y a la experiencia de los estudiantes.

Todas las respuestas son confidenciales. Gracias por compartir sus ideas y por ser una parte tan importante de nuestra comunidad Lang.

¡Juntos, somos Campeones en Proceso de Formación!

Atentamente,
Bianca Robles
Especialista de Apoyo a Padres

The Family and Community Engagement Office assists parents who currently have a pre-existing PowerSchool/Parent Portal account and parents who would like to create a PowerSchool/Parent Portal account.

All student is the building have received their ID Badges as of Wednesday Sept. 17th, the policy for the badges is as follows:

ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAR ID BADGES. IT IS PART OF THEIR DAILY DRESS CODE.

The ID badge policy is for the safety and security of EVERYONE on campus.

• Students will receive their first ID badge for free.
• A lost ID badge must be replaced. Replacement badges are $5.00.
• Student ID badges must be worn on lanyards around the neck.
• Replacement lanyards are $2.00.
• Student ID badges must be visible, with pictures facing forward.
• Students are not allowed to tamper or alter ID badges or photos.

Students who forget their ID badges are required to get a temporary ID sticker for $1.00 before school.

Students are given the chance to pay TEMP IDs at a later time, they are recommended to pay no later then end of that week.

This being said, students who do not pay for their TEMP IDs (or lanyards) are being logged into an ongoing list, we will be using an automated system to send both an email and a text using the email & number provided during registration for the student.

If you are not sure what email or phone number is being used please contact our Registrar Ms. Herrera at (972) 925-2403 to make sure your contact information is up to date and a registration has been completed.

We will also be working on making personal phone calls as well. Once a student reaches $5 owed, we encourage the student to at this point buy a replacement badge, since the badge is $5. Our Admin team will begin having conferences with students who owe over $5.

We're working on getting a link for parents/guardians to be able to pay online.

Once we have this link, we will make a call out and update this Newsletter with the link.

Students who are missing required immunizations have now received their second notice.

All students in Dallas ISD must have up-to-date immunization records on file before attending school, as required by the Texas Department of State Health Services and TEA. These vaccines help protect students and prevent disease outbreaks.

👉 If your child has already received their vaccines, please provide the updated records to the nurse.

👉 If your child still needs vaccines, please schedule them as soon as possible. Nurse Carrizales will begin calling parents/guardians for pickup.

For questions about requirements or exemptions, contact Nurse Carrizales at (972) 925-2423 or vcarrizales@dallasisd.org

Under Senate Bill 12, Dallas ISD (and all Texas schools) must have SIGNED parent/guardian Permission Form before providing any health-related services to students—even for simple care like band-aids or temperature checks.

Without a signed consent form, schools may only give life-saving care. To allow Nurse Carrizales & Nurse Carbajal to provide other services (such as first aid, screenings, or administering medication), parents must check “Yes” and sign the Parental Consent for School Health-Related Services form.

👉 Please complete and return this form as soon as possible. It will remain on file for the entire school year.

For questions, contact Nurse Carrizales at (972) 925-2423 or vcarrizales@dallasisd.org

As flu and COVID cases are on the rise, we ask for your help in keeping our campus healthy.

👉 If your child has flu-like symptoms, please keep them home until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication (100.2°F or higher).
👉 A doctor’s note is required if your child misses 5 OR MORE consecutive school days.
👉 For absences between 1 - 4 days, please send a handwritten Parent Excuse Note, as soon as the student returns to campus.

📵House Bill 1481 now requires Texas schools to limit or secure personal electronic devices during the instructional day. In alignment with Dallas ISD, Lang Middle School will implement the use of Yondr pouches to secure student cell phones during the school day.

Students will place their phones in a Yondr pouch, keep the pouch with them throughout the day, and return it at dismissal to be unlocked at a designated station. This new policy is designed to reduce distractions, protect instructional time, and promote a more engaged and connected learning environment.

🚫 Reminders on Prohibited Items:

Students may not bring:

• Phones, Smartwatches (Apple Watch, Fitbit, etc.), Wireless earbuds or headphones that do not fit inside their school-issued pouch

• Gaming devices, tablets, or laptops

What happens if my child needs to make a call?

Student's have been told to ask their teacher for permission to make a phone call.

📞 Students can contact parents/guardians using:

• Campus Phones (Main Office, Counselor’s Office, or Clinic)
• Email or Remind on their Chromebook

✅ Parent Tip: Check your student’s backpack before they leave home to ensure they aren’t carrying any prohibited devices.

Our goal is to protect instructional time and support student focus. Thank you for your partnership in making this successful.

Under Senate Bill 12, Dallas ISD (and all Texas schools) must have SIGNED parent/guardian Permission Form before providing any health-related services to students, this includes speaking to the counselors about topics like Bullying and harassment prevention.

This is the SAME consent form used for the nurse, teachers, athletic trainers, administrators, and other staff who supervise children. Without a signed consent form, schools may only give life-saving care.

To allow Ms. Lincecum & Ms. Sims to speak with the students, parents must check “Yes” and sign the Parental Consent for School Health-Related Services form.

👉 Please complete and return this form as soon as possible. It will remain on file for the entire school year.

Dallas ISD wants everyone to know what bullying is and how students, parents, teachers and staff can create positive change and emphasize respect and inclusion across the district. October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Though it can take many forms, bullying is usually:

• Verbal: Hurtful name-calling, teasing, gossiping, making threats, making rude noises or spreading hurtful rumors.
• Nonverbal: Posturing, making gang signs, leering, staring, stalking, destroying property, using graffiti or graphic images or exhibiting inappropriate and/or threatening gestures or actions.
• Physical: Hitting, punching, pushing, shoving, poking, kicking, tripping, strangling, hair pulling, fighting, beating, biting, spitting or destroying property.
• Emotional (psychological): Rejecting, terrorizing, extorting, defaming, intimidating, humiliating, blackmailing, manipulating friendships, isolating, ostracizing, using peer pressure or rating or ranking personal characteristics.
• Cyberbullying: Sending hurtful or threatening messages, spreading rumors online, sharing embarrassing photos or videos, impersonating others, excluding individuals from digital groups, or using social media, text, email, or other technology to harass, intimidate, or humiliate.

Reports of bullying should be made as soon as possible after the alleged act or knowledge of the alleged act.

Encourage any student who believes that they have experienced bullying or believes that another student has experienced bullying to immediately report the alleged acts to a teacher, counselor, principal or anonymously at www.dallasisd.org/saysomething. A report may be made orally or in writing.

We all play a role in keeping our communities safe, and together, we can improve the well-being of students, staff and families across the district.

To learn more about the district’s bullying policy, visit https://www.dallasisd.org/bullying.

Big News, Lang Community!

The Texas Education Agency released the 2025 campus ratings on Friday, August 15, and Harold W. Lang Sr. Middle School is officially a C campus! This is a huge step forward from where we started — and it’s a direct result of the growth, grit, and greatness our students, staff, and families bring every single day.

We’ve moved up, and now our eyes are on the next prize — earning that B rating. Just like champions on the field, we will keep training, strategizing, and playing to win. Every practice, every lesson, every day counts toward our goal.

#WeAre26 – United in Growth. Driven by Grit. Destined for Greatness.

Email: jweems@dallasisd.org

Website: https://lang.dallasisd.org/

Location: 1678 Chenault St. Dallas TX 75228

Phone: (972) 925-2400

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lang_hw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haroldwlangms/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hwlangms