MMS Parent Newsletter
May 18th - May 21st
McCormick Middle School
Email: Amanda.Richason@hayscisd.net
Cell Phone: 512-897-6134
Website: https://www.hayscisd.net/Domain/24
Location: 5700 Dacy Lane, Hays, TX, USA
Phone: 512-268-8508
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mccormickMS
Save The Date (Reminders)
10.06: Tiger Club Breakfast
10.08: PTSA Popcorn at Lunch
10.09: Student Holiday
10.09: Community Activity Spirit Jean Decorations(3:00pm-5:00pm)
10.12: Student Holiday
10.13 - 10.06: Spirit Week(Dress Up Days)
10.14: Spirit Night
10.06: Pep Rally
10.20: 8th grade ONLY PSAT
10.23: Tiger Time Bell Schedule(Award Assembly)
10.26: Spooky Science Night RSVP Below
10.26 - 10.29: Red Ribbon Week(Dress Up Days Listed Below)
10.28: Picture Retakes
10.29: Halloween Dance
10.29: Tiger Time Bell Schedule
10.30: Student Holiday
This Week...
Tiger Families,
October is here, and at McCormick Middle School, we are celebrating Kindness Month!
Middle school is an exciting time of growth, but it can also be a complicated time socially. Friendships change, students are discovering who they are, and sometimes a single comment, text, or interaction can have a much bigger impact than we realize.
That's why this month, we're challenging our Tigers to remember something simple:
Kindness costs nothing—but it can change someone's entire day.
Kindness doesn't have to be a grand gesture. At school, it can look like inviting someone to sit with you at lunch, holding the door, thanking a teacher, helping a classmate, including someone in a group, giving a genuine compliment, or simply choosing not to participate when others are being unkind.
Kindness Includes What Happens Online
For our middle schoolers, kindness doesn't stop when the school day ends.
Group chats, social media, gaming, texts, screenshots, and comments are all extensions of how we treat one another. Before hitting send, post, or share, we encourage our Tigers to ask:
Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?
Sometimes kindness means saying something positive. Other times, kindness means choosing not to say anything at all.
Try This at Home: Notice the Good
This month, challenge your family to intentionally notice acts of kindness.
At dinner, in the car, or before bed, try asking:
“Who did something kind for you today?”
Then follow it with:
“What did you do today that made someone else's day a little better?”
The more we notice kindness, the more likely we are to repeat it.
Ask Your Tiger
“What could you do if you noticed someone at school being left out?”
It's a simple conversation, but it helps students think ahead about the kind of person they want to be when the opportunity arises.
October Tiger Challenge: Leave It Better
Throughout October, we're challenging every Tiger to leave people and places a little better than they found them.
Imagine the impact if every Tiger performed just one intentional act of kindness every day this month. Kindness may seem like a small thing, but multiplied across an entire school, it has the power to shape our culture.
This Week
* Tuesday: 8th Grade ONLY PSAT
* Friday: RSVP for Spooky Science Night(Attendance=Extra Credit for Science Class)
* Friday: Tiger Time Assembly for Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance
Let's make October a month filled with kind words, inclusive actions, Tiger Pride, and plenty of reasons to smile. Be the reason someone feels seen. Be the reason someone feels included. Be the reason someone has a better day.
Also, see below for important information on our upcoming Ofrenda, Veteran's Day and Halloween Dance and Spooky Science Night.
With Tiger Pride,
Amanda Richason
Principal
McCormick Middle School
(512) 897-6134 Cell Phone
* If you have any questions, click on this link to submit your question.
McCormick family!
Hearing and Vision screening will take place for 7th grade and all new-to-district students on Thursday 10/15 during their Math class. Screenings require parent permission, so if you did not sign up for your child to be screened, and you wish to have them included in screenings, please let Nurse Debi know debi.martinez@hayscisd.net
If you have gently used shorts or pants that you are getting rid of, please consider donating to the clinic
If you have any questions or concerns about your student’s health, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Nurse Debi
512-268-8508
Membership Snapshot
Student: 354 (4 new members this week)
Parent: 195 (no new members this week)
Grandparent: 14 (no new member this week)
Faculty: 55 (no new members this week)
Community: 34 (no new members this week)
Total Members: 652 (We hit our September AND October Goals!
NEW Shooting Star Goal: 708 by November 30th (Let's do this Tigers!)
One Community. Every Tiger. All In.
Join MMS Facebook Page
McCormick Athletics Webpage
Join MMS PTSA
Please sign up your student so they can receive the following:
* Get in free to school dances
* Participate in school wide decisions for student activities
* Celebrate monthly a treat from PTSA
Please join our amazing and wonderful PTSA. We have some great things planned for this school year and we need your help. Click on the link above to join! You can also follow our MMS PTSA on Facebook at
Tiger Store
Sports You
Click on the picture for all Sports You codes.
School Supply List
Students will keep some of their supplies and some supplies will be given to their teacher on the first day of school.
Attendance Policy
Cell Phone Policy
Texas state law HB 1481 which states that students are not allowed to use personally owned communication devices during the school day while on school property which includes cellphones, airpods, headphones, smartwatches, tablets and any other personal devices from the time they enter the building till- 3:45 pm which includes lunch and passing periods. (please inform students to have their device in their backpack before entering the building).
Texas state law prohibits the use of these devices beginning the first day of school August 13th, 2026.
Here is the district communication concerning personal communication devices: https://www.hayscisd.net/o/hcisd/page/cell-phones
Dress Code
Hot Temperatures During Dismissal
During dismissal students have a choice to wait outside for their parent to pick them up or can wait in the foyer area (to stay out of the sun). Students will be allowed to do this when it is too hot to wait for a ride.
School ID Badges
All students have been given an ID badge. If your child has lost their ID, they will need to purchase one in the front office for $5. If they need to purchase a lanyard, it will cost an additional $2. Revtrak. Students can use their own lanyard.
Early Checkouts
There will be no early checkouts after 3:00pm. We are not able to pull your child from class and have them waiting in the office for you.
Water Bottles/Lunch Kits
All water bottles and lunch kits will be thrown away every Friday at 4:00pm. Please have your child check the cafeteria for lost items.
Schoology
Chromebook Device
All students need to bring their chromebook device fully charged every day to school.
Extracurricular Activities
We enjoy having students attend our extra-curricular activities. When a game is over, students need to be picked up within 15 minutes. Any student that is not picked up within that time limit may not be able to stay for athletic events. We appreciate your help with this.
Bus Transportation Information
Hays CISD uses SMARTtag technology to keep parents aware of the location of their child’s bus while their child is on board.
Here are helpful SMARTtag resources:
General info about SMARTtag:
www.hayscisd.net/SMARTtag
www.hayscisd.net/SmartTagPortal
Link to download the SMARTtag Parent App:
https://www.qbit.codes/q/smart-tag-parent-app
SMARTtag Parent App Instructional Video (YouTube):
https://youtu.be/GYbZfkFTYfo?si=Gk-jCX0xOjN7sYiS
Lunch Time: Eating With Your Student
Parents are welcomed to eat lunch with their child. We are limited in space. Families will have to sit with other families on the stage. Below are the expectations that parents/guest will need to follow:
After being RAPTORed in by the front office…
- Parents/Guest must arrive during the scheduled lunch time
- Your ID sticker must be visible at all times.
- Please refrain from walking around the cafeteria and interacting with other students.
- If other relatives (including children) are with you, they must sit at the designated table with you at all times. Siblings and other family members are not allowed to sit with other students at the cafeteria tables.
- After lunch, when students are released from the cafeteria, please report directly back to the front office to check out. Parents are not allowed to walk their child back to class.
- No food deliveries for students
School Safety
The link to it online in English and Spanish is: https://www.hayscisd.net/fentanylvideos
As we continue our conversation about the dangers of fentanyl, we will continue to produce additional videos and resource materials.
The main fentanyl webpage is www.hayscisd.net/fentanyl.
Visitors
Please review the District Safety Procedures prior to visiting our campus by clicking here.
A few reminders:
- All visitors will continue to check in at the front office
- All visitors will need to show official state identification (Texas Driver’s license or state issued ID card)
- Visitation may be denied due to lack of appropriate identification required for criminal background screening
- All students must wear their ID tag while on campus. Please make sure your student wears their ID daily.
We are excited to offer volunteering opportunities again! Interested in volunteering? Learn more: Hays CISD Volunteers In Public Schools (VIP)
CNN Student News
We will show all students CNN 10 Student News every morning before 1st period. This is an excellent, non biased, news source that reviews current news events for students. It is targeted towards students.
I have provided the link for you for review. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Starting January 1st, 2026: Students without an ID badge:
1. Will be able to ride the bus in the morning
2. Will not be able to ride the bus home in the afternoon.
3. Students who do not have an ID badge are required to get an ID from the office. ID's are available 8:30am-1:13pm.
4. We will not be able to issue ID's after school.
