The Community Champion Chronicle 🏆

Dear Lang Families,

Lang Families and Community Partners — as we close out October, I want to take a moment to celebrate the progress, purpose, and pride that fill our campus each day. Our students are learning, growing, and showing incredible determination. Every lesson, every success, and even every challenge brings them one step closer to greatness.

At Lang, we believe that success is built through growth, grit, and consistency. The dedication of our teachers, the effort of our students, and the support of our families continue to make all the difference. Thank you for partnering with us as we guide every student to become a Champion in the Making.

🎉 Family Event Reminder: FAM JAM!

We’re excited to invite all Lang families to join us for FAM JAM — a fun-filled community event this Saturday, October 25, hosted at Carter High School!

📅 Date: Saturday, October 25
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Location: Carter High School — 1819 W. Wheatland Rd., Dallas, TX 75232

This event will feature exhibitors, resources, and community partners ready to share valuable information and family-friendly fun. Make your way around the campus between 9 AM and 12 PM to connect, learn, and celebrate together.
We look forward to seeing our Lang families there! 💜

📊 Academic Growth to Celebrate

We’re proud to share highlights from our most recent progress data:

• 6th Grade Reading – A 🎉

• 7th & 8th Grade Reading – B 💪

These results reflect the hard work happening across our classrooms every day. While there is still more work to be done, we’re encouraged by our students’ steady growth and the teamwork it takes to get there.

🌟 Honoring Excellence: Dr. Vance, Teacher of the Year!

Please join us in celebrating Dr. Vance, Lang’s 2025–2026 Teacher of the Year!
Dr. Vance exemplifies excellence, compassion, and commitment. She leads with heart, inspires her students, and models what it means to serve with purpose. We are honored to have her represent Harold W. Lang Sr. Middle School at the district level. Congratulations, Dr. Vance! 💜🏆

🔴 Red Ribbon Week | October 28–31

Next week, Lang will celebrate Red Ribbon Week, a nationwide initiative that encourages students to make positive and healthy choices. ❤️

Students and staff are invited to participate in daily dress-up themes to promote awareness and unity.

Please see the student flyer below for details — and families, we encourage you to talk with your students about the importance of making safe, positive choices every day.

🧠 Supporting Student Growth at Home

Our campus uses i-Ready, an online program that helps students strengthen reading and math skills through lessons tailored to their individual needs. Each day during Advisory, students work on i-Ready to build their skills and confidence.

Families can help by asking questions like:

• “What did you learn in i-Ready today?”

• “How close are you to meeting your goal?”
  Your encouragement helps our students stay focused and motivated!

💜 Community Corner

We’re so grateful for our Lang families and community partners who continue to support our students’ success — from attending events and volunteering, to simply cheering on our Champions. Together, we’re shaping bright futures built on Growth, Grit, and Greatness.

Thank you for your partnership and continued support! 💜🏆

With gratitude and pride,

Jessica Weems
Principal, Harold W. Lang Sr. Middle School

💜💛🏆 United in Growth. Driven by Grit. Destined for Greatness.

Queridas Familias de Lang,

Familias y miembros de la comunidad de Lang — al cerrar el mes de octubre, quiero tomar un momento para celebrar el progreso, el propósito y el orgullo que se siente en nuestra escuela cada día. Nuestros estudiantes están aprendiendo, creciendo y demostrando una gran determinación. Cada lección, cada logro y cada reto los acerca más a la grandeza.

En Lang creemos que el éxito se construye con crecimiento, perseverancia y constancia. La dedicación de nuestros maestros, el esfuerzo de nuestros estudiantes y el apoyo de nuestras familias marcan una gran diferencia. Gracias por asociarse con nosotros para guiar a cada estudiante a convertirse en un Campeón en Formación.

🎉 Recordatorio de Evento Familiar: ¡FAM JAM!

¡Estamos muy emocionados de invitar a todas las familias de Lang a participar en FAM JAM — un evento comunitario lleno de diversión este sábado, 25 de octubre, en Carter High School!

📅 Fecha: Sábado, 25 de octubre
🕘 Hora: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
📍 Lugar: Carter High School — 1819 W. Wheatland Rd., Dallas, TX 75232

Este evento contará con expositores, recursos y socios comunitarios listos para compartir información valiosa y actividades divertidas para toda la familia. Recorra el campus entre las 9:00 a.m. y las 12:00 p.m. para conectarse, aprender y celebrar juntos.

¡Esperamos ver a nuestras familias de Lang allí! 💜

📊 Crecimiento Académico para Celebrar

Nos enorgullece compartir los resultados más recientes de nuestro progreso académico:

• 6.º grado en Lectura – A 🎉

• 7.º y 8.º grado en Lectura – B 💪

Estos resultados reflejan el arduo trabajo que se realiza en nuestras aulas todos los días. Aún queda más por hacer, pero estamos muy alentados por el crecimiento constante de nuestros estudiantes y el trabajo en equipo que lo hace posible.

🌟 Reconociendo la Excelencia: ¡Dra. Vance, Maestra del Año!

¡Acompáñenos para celebrar a la Dra. Vance, nuestra Maestra del Año 2025–2026!
La Dra. Vance ejemplifica la excelencia, la compasión y el compromiso. Lidera con el corazón, inspira a sus estudiantes y modela lo que significa servir con propósito. Nos sentimos honrados de que represente a la Escuela Secundaria Harold W. Lang Sr. a nivel del distrito. ¡Felicidades, Dra. Vance! 💜🏆

🔴 Semana del Listón Rojo | 28–31 de octubre

La próxima semana celebraremos la Semana del Listón Rojo, una iniciativa nacional que anima a los estudiantes a tomar decisiones saludables y positivas. ❤️

Durante esta semana, nuestros estudiantes participarán en actividades y días temáticos para promover la conciencia y el compromiso con una vida libre de drogas.
Invitamos a las familias a conversar con sus hijos sobre la importancia de tomar decisiones seguras y positivas todos los días.

🧠 Apoyando el Crecimiento de Nuestros Estudiantes

Nuestra escuela utiliza i-Ready, un programa en línea que ayuda a los estudiantes a fortalecer sus habilidades de lectura y matemáticas con lecciones personalizadas según sus necesidades.
Cada día, durante el periodo de Advisory, los estudiantes trabajan en i-Ready para desarrollar sus destrezas y confianza.

Las familias pueden apoyar preguntando cosas como:

• “¿Qué aprendiste hoy en i-Ready?”

• “¿Qué tan cerca estás de alcanzar tu meta?”
  Su apoyo y motivación ayudan a que nuestros estudiantes se mantengan enfocados y comprometidos con su aprendizaje.

💜 Rincón Comunitario

Agradecemos profundamente a nuestras familias y socios comunitarios por su constante apoyo — ya sea asistiendo a eventos, ofreciendo su tiempo como voluntarios o animando a nuestros Campeones.
Juntos, estamos construyendo un futuro brillante basado en Crecimiento, Perseverancia y Grandeza.

¡Gracias por su apoyo y colaboración continua! 💜🏆

💜 Con orgullo y gratitud,

Jessica Weems
Directora, Harold W. Lang Sr. Middle School

💜💛🏆 Unidos en el Crecimiento. Impulsados por la Determinación. Destinados a la Grandeza.

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

Estimados Padres y Tutores,

¡Su voz es importante para nosotros! 💜

Los invitamos a tomar unos minutos para completar nuestra Encuesta de Padres de Otoño. Sus comentarios nos ayudarán a fortalecer nuestra escuela, apoyar mejor a nuestros estudiantes y continuar construyendo una relación positiva con las familias.

🔍 Por qué su opinión es importante:

• Nos ayuda a mejorar lo académico y la instrucción.

• Orienta cómo nos comunicamos con las familias.

• Da forma al ambiente escolar y a la experiencia de los estudiantes.

Todas las respuestas son confidenciales. Gracias por compartir sus ideas y por ser una parte tan importante de nuestra comunidad Lang.

¡Juntos, somos Campeones en Proceso de Formación!

Atentamente,
Bianca Robles
Especialista de Apoyo a Padres

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.

All student is the building have received their ID Badges as of Wednesday Sept. 17th, the policy for the badges 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 are given the chance to pay TEMP IDs at a later time, they are recommended to pay no later then end of that week.

This being said, students who do not pay for their TEMP IDs (or lanyards) are being logged into an ongoing list, we will be using an automated system to send both an email and a text using the email & number provided during registration for the student.

If you are not sure what email or phone number is being used please contact our Registrar Ms. Herrera at (972) 925-2403 to make sure your contact information is up to date and a registration has been completed.

We will also be working on making personal phone calls as well. Once a student reaches $5 owed, we encourage the student to at this point buy a replacement badge, since the badge is $5. Our Admin team will begin having conferences with students who owe over $5.

We're working on getting a link for parents/guardians to be able to pay online.

Once we have this link, we will make a call out and update this Newsletter with the link.

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.

Dallas ISD wants everyone to know what bullying is and how students, parents, teachers and staff can create positive change and emphasize respect and inclusion across the district. October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Though it can take many forms, bullying is usually:

• Verbal: Hurtful name-calling, teasing, gossiping, making threats, making rude noises or spreading hurtful rumors.
• Nonverbal: Posturing, making gang signs, leering, staring, stalking, destroying property, using graffiti or graphic images or exhibiting inappropriate and/or threatening gestures or actions.
• Physical: Hitting, punching, pushing, shoving, poking, kicking, tripping, strangling, hair pulling, fighting, beating, biting, spitting or destroying property.
• Emotional (psychological): Rejecting, terrorizing, extorting, defaming, intimidating, humiliating, blackmailing, manipulating friendships, isolating, ostracizing, using peer pressure or rating or ranking personal characteristics.
• Cyberbullying: Sending hurtful or threatening messages, spreading rumors online, sharing embarrassing photos or videos, impersonating others, excluding individuals from digital groups, or using social media, text, email, or other technology to harass, intimidate, or humiliate.

Reports of bullying should be made as soon as possible after the alleged act or knowledge of the alleged act.

Encourage any student who believes that they have experienced bullying or believes that another student has experienced bullying to immediately report the alleged acts to a teacher, counselor, principal or anonymously at www.dallasisd.org/saysomething. A report may be made orally or in writing.

We all play a role in keeping our communities safe, and together, we can improve the well-being of students, staff and families across the district.

To learn more about the district’s bullying policy, visit https://www.dallasisd.org/bullying.

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.

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