The Buccaneer Beacon
Horseplay
- "Roasting" each other with friends: All fun and games until it becomes too personal or someone gets embarrassed and pride takes over.
- "Fake Falling": This seems to be some new trend. A group of boys walking down the hallway together and one (or multiple) of them randomly falls or acts like thy were shoved to the ground. This isn't Toy Story, and Andy isn't coming, so let's stay on our feet and upright, please.😏
Please talk with your student about handling their business in the hallway and not to horseplay or "roast" one another. Thank you!👊🏼👏🏼
Social Media
Ultimately, we can't police what students are posting on their social media platforms in the evenings and weekends at home. If something inappropriate or unkind is posted and it spills over into the school day, we will absolutely investigate it. This can sometimes be a challenge, and in the end take quite a bit of time and resources to do so. I wanted to share the process and the struggles in investigating social media issues that occur outside of school.
- Almost 100% of the time, the account is anonymous or under a fake username.
- Frequently, the account is created on a second device or "burner phone" that parents aren't even aware of. Typically old phones sitting in a junk drawer, old iPod, etc. The students will log into their iCloud accounts on the device and as long as they are on WIFI, they can create accounts and post-away without parent knowledge.
- Once something is reported to us, we try and get screenshots of the posts, comments, etc. to try and investigate.
- We will try and identify students from comments, but often they are under aliases and fake accounts also. If a student is under an account with their actual info, we will ask them if they know who the account belongs to.
- Kids will talk. Sometimes they know who the person is and tell us. If they do, we will bring the student in, verify that it is their account, and contact parents/have the account or post deleted.
- If they don't know who the account belongs to (or don't want to snitch), they will often go to the student and have them delete the post or account in fear of everyone getting in trouble.
- Overall, it is a very time-consuming, and sometime fruitless, effort to try and identify something that didn't even occur at school. This is where we need your help!!
- PLEASE talk to your kiddo about responsible and appropriate social media usage.
- PLEASE monitor their socials if they have them and be aware of what they are looking at and who they are interacting with online!
- We appreciate your support in this matter and helping us take care of the kiddos in school, at home, and online!
Dress Code
Look......I get it. Styles change, kids at this age grow at all different rates, and we are fortunate enough to live in an absolutely beautiful part of Texas. I'm not a super-stickler on dress code, but there are some areas that we need a little help with.
- We shouldn't see the three "B's".....Bellies, Backs, and Butts🙈
- Please no midriffs that show bellies or backs
- We should not see any lady undergarments (straps or otherwise) under tops or shoulder straps
- While the old "fingertip length" for shorts, "three fingers" for straps rules (you know you remember that back in the day!😂) is a little outdated, shorts and skirts should still be at appropriate lengths. We should not see lower bottoms or "cheeks" with any shorts or skirts.🙈
- Jeans should cover undergarments and not be "sagging."
- Clothing should not have language or images on them that aren't school appropriate (drugs, guns, violence, etc.)
We appreciate you working with us to make the campus a safe and comfortable environment for all the kiddos!!
After School Event Safety
We LOVE when students come out and support their classmates at sporting events, concerts, and other events that happen in the evenings after school! It has recently been reported that some students are leaving the evening events and walking down the street to Juice Land and Slice of Austin Pizza.👀 The last thing we want is for a student to get injured (or worse) trying to walk down a busy 620 in the evening to get a slice.
- If your student is staying after school for an event, or being dropped off for an evening event, please they need to stay on campus until a parent or family member picks them up.
- I understand some student walk here to events from nearby neighborhoods, so just please reiterate with them to NOT leave the event, and to NOT walk down 620 at night.
We want all the kids safe and able to enjoy the event, so please help us out with talking to them about staying put at the event!😊
Ms. Gordon
Ms. Wlaker
Ms. Reyna
Ms. Dann
Ms. Henderson
Mr. Jose
We have an awesome staff here at HBMS!! If you feel like your kiddos teacher, coach, or any other employee on campus is rocking it, please let them know! Here in LTISD we have "Cav Kudos" that you can fill out when you want to celebrate someone for being awesome. Click the button below to fill out a Cav Kudos for a Buccaneer staff member who is crushing it!👏🏼👊🏼❤️
WE NEED YOUR HELP (Pretty Please!)😬😊
We currently have 100+ families that have NOT completed the Verification of Enrollment. Senate Bill 12 requires parental consent for Health Services which includes Counseling and Guidance services.
If you have NOT completed this process, please check your emails (including spam folders) with an email from the counselors with the subject line: LTISD: HBMS Student Verification- Action Required!
- We have only emailed parents that have NOT completed the form
- If you don't find an email like mentioned above, you're good to go!😎
- If we do not have your consent for these services, your child will not be able to access the following services.
For more information:
https://www.ltisdschools.org/families/parental-consent-sb-12
If you have not filled out the Verification of Enrollment, your student will NOT be allowed to participate in some very important sessions coming up! Please see below.
Academic Advising sessions:
🤍6th grade will be conducted in October
🩶7th grade will be conducted in November
🖤8th grade will be conducted in December
Course Registration for Next School Year:
✔️January - March
State Mandated Guidance Lessons:
Friday, December 4th - 8th grade Lesson on Fentanyl/ Substance Use Prevention
Friday, January 15th - 6th grade Lesson on Bullying Prevention
Friday, January 15th - 7th grade Lesson on Mental Health Awareness
About Our PTO
It definitely "takes a village," and our Hudson Bend Middle School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is the absolute heart of our school!❤️🏴☠️ The PTO is a fantastic group of parents, family members, staff, and teachers who work together to bring magic, academic enrichment, and pure fun to all of our students and campus.
From funding awesome programs and hosting unforgettable events to volunteering and showering our school with love, our PTO provides the extra sparkle that helps our Buccaneers truly thrive. Whether you have hours to give or just want to stay connected, there is a place for you here. Come be a part of the crew that makes HBMS an amazing place to learn and grow!👏👏👏
Our First Kermes Market!!
We are sending you this warm reminder to invite you to join us at our Fall Festival, an event organized by the PTO to enjoy time together as a family and support our school community.
Event details:
Date: October 4th
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Location: Don Mario Mexican Restaurant
There will be activities, a festive atmosphere, and plenty of fun for everyone. We look forward to seeing you there to share a great afternoon!
Sincerely,
Hudson Bend Middle School PTO
PTO Spirit Store is Live!!
And the best part? It's open 24 hours a day.
- No waiting for a spirit wear sale.
- No trying to remember to order something before a deadline.
- If you need some HBMS gear, the store is there whenever you are.
We're also still tweaking designs and building out the selections, so consider this the beginning — not the finished product.
- Want something that's not available in your size? Wish a design came in a different color? Have an idea for something we should add? Tell us!
Help Us Stock the Teacher Treasure Box!
Our students aren't the only Buccaneers who deserve to be celebrated! Every day, our teachers go above and beyond to support, encourage, and inspire our students. Whether they're staying late to help a child, creating engaging lessons, or simply being a positive influence, our staff pours their hearts into Hudson Bend Middle School.
To show our appreciation, I've always had a Teacher Treasure Box. It is a fun way to recognize teachers for their hard work, dedication, and the countless ways they make a difference every day. Throughout the year, teachers will have opportunities to earn a visit to the Treasure Box as a small "thank you" for all they do.
We're asking for donations of the little things that teachers absolutely love, such as:
- Gift cards are always a favorite, especially in $5 or $10 amounts to places like Starbucks, Target, H-E-B, Kroger, Amazon, Sonic, Chick-fil-A, Dutch Bros, or other local favorites!
- Gel pens
- Glitter pens
- Sharpies
- Flair pens
- Post-it Notes
- Highlighters
- Dry erase markers
- Fun school supplies
- Desk accessories
- Snacks and treats
- And anything else that would brighten a teacher's day!
Every donation, either big or small, helps us recognize the incredible educators who make Hudson Bend such a special place. Thank you for partnering with us to celebrate the people who invest so much in our students each and every day!
Help Us Build the Buccaneer Game Room!
UPDATE: Thank you sooo much to those that have donated!!! the room is coming together! We are still looking for items, and I have update the list below. Thank you!!
At Hudson Bend Middle School, we believe students should be recognized and celebrated for making positive choices. This year, we're creating a Buccaneer Game Room as a PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) reward space where students can earn time through positive behavior, academic effort, responsibility, and by representing our school, teachers, and families with pride.
The Game Room will provide students with a fun, supervised space to celebrate their success while reinforcing the behaviors that help make Hudson Bend a great place to learn. It's another way we're working to build relationships, strengthen our school culture, and make school a place students are excited to be.
We're asking for the support of our amazing Hudson Bend community! If you have gently used items you'd be willing to donate, we'd love to put them to great use. We're looking for items such as:
- Board games
- Pop-A-Shot basketball games
- Ping pong tables
- Xbox, Wii, or other gaming consoles
- Flat-Panel TV
- Card games
- Puzzles
- Bean bag chairs
- Other fun game room items
If you'd like to donate an item or have questions, please contact the Hudson Bend Middle School front office.
It's been a great start to the year. So far, there have been 1,960 books checked out. Great to see our kids are reading! As an added incentive, every time a student checks out a book in October, they earn a guess for the guessing jar (a jar filled with candy).🍬 The closest guess without going over wins the jar of candy!!
We are also near the end of our first quarter reading challenge-Fab 4!
- Students are challenged to read or listen to 4 books in each grading period to receive an invite to a Grow Time party.
- The deadline for submitting Google forms is October 8, and the Donut Party will be October 23.
- Their invite will act as their paper pass to the party.
- Fab 4 starts over each grading period with no carryover of books read (to encourage reading every day!)
Thank you for supporting reading at home!
October 15th - Flu Shot Clinic
● Only students with completed parent permission slips will participate
Health Screening
- In accordance with Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) guidelines and state requirements, we routinely conduct health screenings for students at designated grade or age levels. Students with “opt out” of health care screenings will NOT be screened as indicated by the parent/guardian.
- Referrals will be sent for any student with a screening result that indicates further assessment should be completed. Please note, these screenings do NOT take place for a medical evaluation. Your student still needs to see a doctor for appropriate follow-up and regular checkups.
Who must be screened?
- 7th graders - Hearing, Vision and Acanthosis Nigricans (AN)
- New students to LTISD Hearing and Vision
- 7th grade GIRLS and 8th grade BOYS Spinal Screening (Beginning November 5th )
- School-based spinal screening is designed to identify adolescents with abnormal spinal curves.
- Catching a spinal problem early can make the treatment much easier. Failing to address abnormal spinal findings can lead to serious health problems.
- Trained screeners will examine your student's back while they stand and bend forward.
Important Recommendations
- Students should bring shorts to school for the exam.
- Girls should wear a thin t-shirt, a sports bra, or a two-piece swimsuit top underneath their shirt on exam day.
- If girls are wearing a sports bra or a two-piece swimsuit top underneath their shirt, it is recommended that they remove their shirt for the screening.
- Boys and girls will be screened separately and one at a time.
If your student has a known medical condition, please contact the clinic for awareness.
Wendy Everett , RN, BSN
Hudson Bend Middle School
Phone: 512-533-6414
Email: everettw@ltisdschools.org
Here are a couple of important links that you may want to check out as the new school year draws closer.
- Parents of new students are highly encouraged to create a SMART tag Parent Portal account
You can download the SMART Tag Parent App on Android or iPhone
Hudson Bend Middle School
Website: ltisdschools.org/HBMS
Location: 15600 Lariat Trail, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-533-6400