Sycamore Springs Middle School
Weekly Newsletter
November 1, 2026
Hello Sycamore Springs Middle School Families,
Happy November, Tiger Nation! It's hard to believe we're already entering November and heading into the final stretch of our first semester. October was filled with so many great moments at SSMS, and I loved seeing our Tigers show their creativity and school spirit during Red Ribbon Week! A huge shout-out to our Student Council for helping make the week such a fun experience for our students.
As we look ahead, November is shaping up to be another exciting month! Basketball season is getting underway, our fine arts programs have some wonderful performances coming up, and we are looking forward to honoring our veterans at our Veterans Day celebration on November 11.
Be sure to take a few minutes to look through this week's newsletter. There are several important deadlines coming up, including registration for our Veterans Day celebration, the PTA Reflections Contest, and opportunities to support our campus through the Great Tiger Giveback.
As always, thank you for your continued partnership and support of our Tigers. We have so much to be thankful for at SSMS, and our incredible students, staff, and families are at the top of that list!
Have a great week, and Go Tigers! 🐯
Sincerely,
Kelly Miller
Principal
1. SSMS is excited to honor our veterans on November 11th! Veterans who are family members of current SSMS students are invited to attend. REGISTRATION DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 3RD! Please complete the Google Form by November 3rd to register!
All event details will be sent to the email address provided on the form, so keep an eye on your inbox! We look forward to celebrating our heroes! ❤️🤍💙
2. 🐅 The Great Tiger Giveback | November 1–30 The SSMS PTA is kicking off The Great Tiger Giveback! Throughout November, families can support the programs, events, and activities that make SSMS special for our students and staff. Every donation makes a difference! Donate Here.
3. 🎨 PTA Reflections Contest | Deadline November 7 Calling all Tiger artists! The deadline to enter the PTA Reflections Contest is Saturday, November 7! Students can showcase their creativity through art, music, photography, writing, dance, or film. This year's theme is "What My Culture Means to Me." Learn More & Submit Your Entry.
4. Health Screenings Coming in December - Nurse Smith will conduct state-mandated scoliosis screenings for 7th-grade girls and 8th-grade boys during December. Parents who wish to opt out must notify Nurse Smith in writing by November 16, 2026. Please read the full letter from Nurse Smith for important details.
5. ❄️ SSMS Theatre Presents Disney's Frozen Jr.! Join us for a magical evening as our talented SSMS Theatre students bring Frozen Jr. to life! Performances are November 12–14 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students, and FREE for DSISD staff. Come support our amazing Tigers!
6. The DSISD Gifted & Talented referral link is now live on the DSISD GT Website until Friday, November 13. Parents may complete the referral form for their student to be tested for the DSISD Gifted & Talented Program. All referrals must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. on November 13 to be considered for this testing cycle. For more details on the DSISD GT program, please visit the DSISD GT website.
7. Secondary Grading Information: Academic Integrity Matters
At DSISD, we believe character and academic integrity are essential to student success. Grades should reflect what students know and are able to do, which means the work students submit must be their own.
Academic dishonesty includes cheating, copying another student's work, plagiarism, using artificial intelligence (AI) without teacher permission, or communicating with others during an assessment when it is not allowed.
When academic dishonesty occurs, students receive appropriate consequences and meet with their Assistant Principal to discuss the importance of honesty, responsibility, and making better choices moving forward.
How can families help? Talk with your Tiger about the importance of honesty and integrity, both in school and in life. Encourage them to ask for help rather than taking shortcuts, and share examples of how integrity matters in your own workplace or daily life.
8. Attendance Matters: What Happens When Students Miss Too Much Class?
Our Tigers finished Week 12 with 95.9% attendance, below our campus goal of 96.9%. Congratulations to our 6th graders, who led the campus this week with 96.1% attendance! While we've seen a dip in recent weeks, our year-to-date weekly average remains strong at 97.5%.
Did you know that missing even one class period can impact your student's learning? Middle school classes build on skills and concepts taught each day. When students miss class, they may miss important instruction, classroom discussions, and opportunities to practice new skills. Even when assignments are completed later, it's difficult to replace the learning that happens in the classroom.
How can you help? Encourage your Tiger to attend every class, arrive on time, and stay for the entire school day whenever possible. Consistent attendance helps students stay connected, confident, and on track academically!
You can monitor your student's attendance by class period through Skyward Family Access.
For additional information, visit the DSISD Attendance webpage.
•ACTION: LAST DAY is TODAY Sun Nov 1st until 7PM! Pumpkins, patches & PTA perks—fall fun that gives back to SSMS! Visit Driftwood Fall Festival by purchasing your ticket using our specific SSMS link here: Driftwood Fall Festival and SSMS PTA gets $5 per ticket-mention we sent you too!
•ACTION: Stay tuned for the winner of the SSMS PTA YETI Roadie 15 Hard Cooler raffle from Halloween! We are at 350+ members, and so close to our goal of 425, so join today at JoinPTA – JoinPTA
•Mark your calendar: The last SSMS PTA Membership Meeting of 2026 is Friday November 13th at 8:15AM in the Sycamore Room. Join us!
•ACTION: We love our SSMS Community for your support of SSMS students & staff! Your PTA donations—both BIG & small—help fund programs, events, grants, & staff appreciations like the upcoming Veterans Day celebration that make SSMS so special. Sponsorships start at $250 and offer great visibility on our social media with over 2K followers! Donate today: Donate to Sycamore Springs Middle School PTA to help us support our students, teachers, and staff.
•ACTION: Open slots available are: Tues 11/3 & Thurs 11/5 Opportunities to volunteer at SSMS! You can help free up teaching time to educate & mentor by simply volunteering to make copies in our workroom WEEKLY. Please, sign up for one or MORE slots that is convenient for you. Sign up here: SignUp.com Mobile
•Save the Date-The SSMS PTA annual Talent Show: Drippin Gold is Thursday December 18th at 6:30PM at SSMS Cafeteria Note: Previews for performers & MCs Thurs Dec 3rd & Tech Run-Through Wed Dec 9thQuestions, email: programs@ssmspta.org
•Register NOW at SSMS Spelling Bee Registration to receive the official word list to prepare for the SSMS PTA Scripps Spelling Bee. Date is TBA mid January 27’ in the SSMS Cafeteria. Questions, email: programs@ssmspta.org
•Be sure to Like & Follow Sycamore Springs Middle School PTA on ourFacebookandInstagram We post information & updates daily!
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