The Community Champion Chronicle 🏆

Dear Lang Families,

As we wrap up Week 4, I want to thank you for your partnership and support in helping us build a strong school year at Harold W. Lang Sr. Middle School. Our vision for growth, grit, and greatness is becoming a daily reality—and our students are showing us that they truly are Champions in the Making.

This week, classrooms across our campus were filled with purposeful learning. Students were not only completing assignments but also engaging in discussions, setting goals, and taking ownership of their progress. Teachers are ensuring that lessons are tightly aligned to the state standards, and students are learning how to track their growth in binders and data trackers. These habits are helping them build confidence and responsibility—skills that will carry them far beyond middle school.

💜 What We’re Proud Of

• Students leading classroom discussions and learning to use their voices with confidence.

• Teachers embedding models, examples, and strategies that set clear expectations for success.

• A growing culture of accountability, where students are taking pride in their own progress.

• Strong systems and routines across the school that create a safe and focused learning environment.

📣 Family Reminders

• Data Tracking: Ask your student to show you their binder. They should be able to tell you which standards they are working on and what their goals are.

• Attendance Matters: Every day counts! Please help us ensure your child is at school on time and ready to learn each day.

• Stay Connected: Look for weekly updates through this newsletter, our school website, and our social media pages.

💛 Together, we are building a culture where every student can see their growth, name their goals, and own their progress. Thank you for continuing to walk alongside us as we push toward our vision of greatness.

With appreciation,
Principal Weems
#WeAre26

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.

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

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.

We are currently working on getting every student's ID badge picture taken, once they have all been taken and distributed, the policy 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 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.

National Suicide Prevention Month is recognized annually in September to raise awareness about suicide prevention and treatment as well as warning signs and how to get help when it is needed most.

Dallas ISD holds the safety and well-being of students and team members alike at the highest priority, and encourages everyone to learn the warning signs and get the support they—or those around them—need.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), warning signs of suicide include:

• Increased substance use and abuse
• Feelings of emptiness, hopelessness or being trapped
• Significant mood swings
• Talk of wanting to die or being a burden
• Withdrawal from friends and relatives
• Feelings of intense guilt or shame
• Making a plan or researching ways to die
• Eating or sleeping more or less
• Acting impulsively or recklessly

Anyone who is experiencing a crisis can get immediate support by contacting the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in English or Spanish at 988. Additionally, people can access the NAMI HelpLine from Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., by calling 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), texting “HelpLine” to 62640, or emailing helpline@nami.org.

To visit Dallas ISD’s Mental Health Services page with hotlines and text lines for support, click here.

It’s OK to not be OK.

Reach out for help, and encourage those around you to do the same. Together, we can break the stigma around mental illness and help prevent crises.

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