Ridge Relay

Words cannot adequately express my immense gratitude to our PTA and community for the wonderful turnout and support of our 20th Celebration on Friday evening. All night, I was in awe of our amazing #20YearsOfSoaringToSuccess Celebration, and the fantastic speakers and student performances! We were truly blessed to have so many students, current & former teachers, Original Eagles, families, #1LISD & community sponsors all come together with our hard-working PTA to have such a successful event! (PS. We have one wallet that was turned into lost & found. If you think it might be yours, please contact Mrs. Sturdevant with a description to claim it.)

This week, the week of September 16-20, is Celebrate Freedom Week is to educate students about the sacrifices made for freedom in the founding of this country and the values on which this country was founded. It includes Constitution Day on September 17, and the importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. So students will have the opportunity to recite the following:

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their Just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.”

Go Eagles!

Mrs. Wendy Sturdevant

Support CRMS in a PTA Membership Battle against Four Points. The principal from the losing school will wear the rival’s mascot head at the football game on October 8. Join online today!

Help save Principal Sturdevant from the shame of wearing the Falcon head like last year! Click this link to join the CRMS PTA for as little as $15.

Anyone can join PTA! It’s open to parents, teachers, grandparents, students, neighbors, friends, and anyone who cares about our school. Please join and recruit others!

All Pro Dads starting at CRMS! This new opportunity is for dads (or any adult figure in the student's life) to spend time with their children (boy or girl) at school, strengthen their relationship, connect with other CRMS dads and learn more about our school. We will host the sessions about once a month for dads to connect at school and get involved at CRMS.

Join us starting September 27th at 8:05am to learn more.

RSVP ahead of time so we have you checked-in to save time when you arrive.

Do you like movies? Would you like to MAKE A MOVIE? What about a Short Film?
For anyone interested in making short films: CRMS Library is hosting a Student Film Festival and Trivia Night THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17TH 6:00 - 7:30.

• Movies must be created between September 1, 2023 and October 4th, 2024 to be eligible for this Film Festival.

• All film entries are due to the Film Fest Google Classroom by midnight on October 4, 2024

• For full details, join the google classroom - Class Code: vfrketx

See your Theatre Arts teacher, Mrs. Roth or your friendly neighborhood librarian, Mrs. Wright if you have questions!

This year, the state of Texas has new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for all of our MS Science classes so our teachers and students are noticing a difference in our science lessons. It is exciting to see the hands-on labs and inquiry already taking place. Here is more information from a Leander ISD of what to expect this year and this letter from the district’s Science Curriculum team explains more in detail.

Here are grade-level communication about current units of study:

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

Attention Parents! Has a teacher or staff member at CRMS made a difference that you believe merits recognition? If so, nominate him or her to receive the Golden Eagle Award. Each week, from the Eagle community's nominations, a worthy faculty or staff member will be awarded the Golden Eagle. Recipients of the Golden Eagle Award have the privilege of keeping the coveted Golden Eagle statue in their office or classroom until the next faculty or staff member is recognized. Please nominate someone today!

Golden Eagle Award Nomination Form

Our student-led clubs and activities are starting to kick-off for the 2024-2025 school year such as Library/Book Club, Creative Writing Club, Art, Destination Imagination and Student Council.

We continue to update our CRMS Clubs & Organizations page as students get their clubs started for the year but here is current information from our Library on many activities happening around campus, and where you can sign up for Library Club and Creative Writing Club too.

And if you have a club that you want to start that isn't listed on our website, please speak to a staff member about being your interest and they can assist you with the new club form to help you get it started!

Destination Imagination (DI) is an extracurricular, school-sponsored program that fosters students' creativity, team-based problem-solving skills, and life skills. Each team must have a team manager to facilitate team practices. More information will be found on the CRMS Clubs Page. Deadline to turn in applications is October 2, 2024.

• FCA has kicked off. See Coach Woolery for more information. FCA is open to all students regardless of grade level or athletic involvement.

• Drama Club is starting! See Mrs. Roth or Mrs. Ball for more information.

CRMS families, if your child is proficient in a language and would like to pursue testing opportunities to earn high school credit for this language, please contact your school counselor for information on 2024/2025 testing. The testing date for fall 2024 is October 11, 2024 on the CRMS campus. The deadline to register for fall testing is September 20, 2024 or when all slots are filled. Testing slots are limited due to the nature of the test and classroom capacity. Once the slots are full, your child can be added to the spring 2025 list. Testing is open to all grade levels, but recommended for grade 7/8 students.

Leander ISD is reaching out to update you on an important, State-Mandated change* to the administration of Over-The-Counter medications during the school day.

Administration of OTC medications during the school day REQUIRE a medical provider AND parent/guardian signature.

Hello families, the latest Special Programs newsletter is here! Learn about our new Assistant Superintendent of Special Programs and Services, upcoming family events, Special Education, 504, Child Find Leander Collaborative Partners, The Special Programs Parent Advisory Council, and community resources.

The CRMS PTA Reflections Arts Program encourages students to tap their inner creativity and express themselves through their artwork. CRMS submissions are due by October 20, 2025.

For the 2024-25 school year, students are invited to reflect on a common theme — "Accepting Imperfection" — and submit original artwork in one of six categories. Click on the links listed below for category rules:

• Dance Choreography. (Spanish)
• Film Production (Spanish)
• Literature (Spanish)
• Music Composition (Spanish)
• Photography (Spanish)
• Visual Arts (Spanish)
• Accessible Arts Division (Spanish) - option for students with disabilities

Reflections has been a staple arts program in many schools allowing students to find a creative outlet in many categories.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions to our CRMS PTA Reflections Chair Swati Shah at reflections2425@gmail.com.

Referrals for G/T services are accepted year-round. Students referred for testing by October 1, 2024 will be screened to determine the need for additional GT Assessment and Identification. Those who qualify for additional assessments will be notified in October for the Winter Testing Window. Notification of results will be sent before the end of the fall semester to schedule for the spring semester based on availability. Contact your grade level counselor for the referral form.

We are in need of volunteers on October 8, 2024 from 9:30am-12:30pm at the Four Points location. Can you spare a few hours to volunteer with us at our River Place ES Location?

The volunteer links are listed below:

- Tuesday, October 8, 2024: Volunteer Sign Up Link for October 2024 at River Place ES Location

We would appreciate your volunteer support.

Best,

The LISD PTA Clothes Closet Team

Students who finish coursework have the opportunity to complete projects that interest them - any school-appropriate topic, almost any format. So like a science fair, but the project could be anything - preventing animal abuse, demonstrating features of muscle cars, code-breaking, a timeline of shoe fashion, and more. We are hosting a share fair with Four Points Middle School for students who complete projects this fall and this spring. Participating students who are responsible to come and work in the library with a pass from class can do research and project development in the library - see Mrs. Wright for passes and Google Classroom code details.

All tickets for all high school and middle school athletic events hosted at LISD facilities will be sold online only. There will be NO cash sales at the gate.

Tickets can be purchased through link on the athletics webpage:

https://www.leanderisd.org/athletics_ticketspasses/

Important Attendance Reminders:

• Absence notes should be emailed to crmsattendance@leanderisd.org within 48 hours of the absence.
  

• When you email the school, please include the student's first and last name and ID #. Student nicknames can cause confusion with attendance coding.Please note why the student was absent or what kind of appointment they had (medical/dental) otherwise it will be unexcused due to lack of info.

• If you will be picking up your child from school early, please call the school (512-570-3500) ahead of time to let the Receptionist know. This allows our Receptionist time to get a pass written ahead of time and helps to move the process along more quickly. The latest a student may be picked up early is 4pm due to our end-of-day dismissal.
  

• The only people who will be permitted to pick up a child will be parents/guardians and those individuals listed as an emergency contact in your Home Access Center (HAC). Due to safety reasons, we are no longer allowing a parent to call in and give permission for someone to pick up your child during the school day other than those listed in HAC.

  We do not allow early pick up after 4:00pm.

• If you feel like there is an error for a particular class period, please email the teacher directly first. For example, if your student was tardy and the teacher accidentally already marked the student absence, email the teacher because the attendance office has to have it in writing from the teacher before attendance can update anything

• There is a turn around time in updates if a student was with the nurse, AP, counselor, etc. It is not necessary to email the attendance office. Please remember that we have 1000 students so it will take 2-4 business days to show the update. We appreciate your patience and understanding that our team is working tirelessly to support all of our Eagles!

Leander ISD has partnered with MySchoolBucks as our new online store. You can easily pay online for school items and add money to your student's lunch account. We are adding new items to the store everyday.

Create your free MySchoolBucks account to conveniently and securely pay for your student’s school fees online or with the mobile app.

With MySchoolBucks you’ll be able to quickly browse school items in our School Store, be notified when fees are due, and make payments from anywhere!

Get Started Today:

1. Go to myschoolbucks.com or download the mobile app
2. Create your free account and add your students using their school name / student ID or birthdate
3. Add school items or invoices to your cart
4. Check out using your credit / debit card or electronic check.

We appreciate you using this online option as a way to help reduce the amount of physical cash and checks that our staff would need to handle for these school fees.

If you need assistance with your account, you can find helpful how-to videos and answers to commonly asked questions by visiting myschoolbucks.com. Or, you can contact MySchoolBucks directly by logging into your account to start a chat conversation or give them a call at (855) 832-5226.

Thank you,

Leander ISD

Please Note:

• $$$ account for snacks, additional food
• Snacks may not always be available all year long due to staffing shortages
• For the 24/25 school year, students who qualify for reduced price, breakfast will be free and lunch will be reduced.
• You must apply each year for free/reduced lunch.

2024-25 Leander ISD Important Bus Information: Register to Ride

All eligible students will be required to REGISTER to RIDE the bus for the 2024-2025 school year. Please use the link provided to be sure that your student is registered to ride the bus if you are planning to utilize LISD transportation services.

Reminder: All Middle School students need a laptop/device for school. If you do not own your one, you can get one from the district:

Middle School Students: $40.00 per year

A non-refundable security deposit is required to participate in this program. Sign up and pay for your student's 2024-2025 non-refundable security deposit now. All students who pay, will be issued their device the first few days of the 2024-2025 school year. Students who qualify for Free and Reduced meals will not need to pay the annual deposit but will need to turn in a signed acceptance form or register through EdPay. Click on this website: mLISD Information and Payment Website for more information and to pay the security deposit.

Hardship Scholarship opportunities are available. Please contact your child’s counselor or send an email to mlisd@leanderisd.org for more information. Please include the following information in your email:

• The student’s name

• Campus

• Student ID number

• Parent phone number

Click here for more information regarding scholarships.

mLISD Quick View Information Brochure -English

mLISD Quick View Information Brochure -Spanish

Middle School Student’s spring 2024 STAAR score results should be available to parents on the Texas Education Agency Family Portal beginning June 14th.

Directions for Accessing your Child’s STAAR Report Card from TEA:

• Click on the TEA Family Portal Login
• If you know your child’s unique access code, found at the bottom of STAAR reports from previous administrations, enter that code in the Access Code box. Enter the date of birth using the drop-down menus. Click on the blue Go button to access results.

• If you do not know your child’s unique access code, you can still access STAAR results if you know your child’s social security number and date of birth. Click on “How do I look up my access code?” link below the Sign-On Button and enter the following information:
• TSDS ID or PEIMS ID (often same as social security number)
• Child’s date of birth
• Child’s legal first name
• Click “Search”

Additionally, results may be accessed through the Home Access Center (HAC) after June 14th:

• Log into your Home Access Center (HAC) account.
• Select the Grades tab
• Select Texas Test Scores
• Click on the link to STAAR English/Spanish – this will log you into the parent portal and you will see assessment results.

Randall's has agreed to add CRMS to the Good Neighbor Support program and it is SO easy! Email below, then do your regular shopping and Randall's will donate back to the CRMS PTA.

Simply copy/paste the below message to send an email to good.neighbor@randalls.com with the following:

Hello,

Please link my customer account connected to phone number [type your Randall's phone number] with Good Neighbor Charity #14216 for Canyon Ridge Middle School PTA.

Thank you,

[type your name]

AP/Counselor by grade-level for 2024-2025:

• 6th: Brian Bass / Staci Cote
• 7th: Dr. Ashley Thompson1 / Kimberly Mills
• 8th: Leah Cox / Jillian Baaklini

Email: Wendy.Sturdevant@leanderisd.orgg
Website: crms.leanderisd.org
Location: Canyon Ridge Middle School, Country Trails Lane, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-570-3500
Twitter: @Sturdevant_CRMS