Panther Parent 411

I hope each of you had a wonderful Fall Break filled with rest, relaxation and a little fun too! It is hard to believe that we have already completed one quarter of the school year and that this week kicks off the beginning of the second nine weeks! Thank you for your continued partnership in your child's education. I am beyond blessed to have the opportunity to lead such an amazing school community!

There is a lot going on in Panther Country over the next couple of weeks. Please read on for important information regarding a few upcoming dates and events. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

As we begin the second nine weeks, please review our arrival and dismissal procedures listed below. By taking these small steps, we can ensure that all of our students arrive to and leave from school safely each day.

• Please adhere to the signs posted in the circular drive and on the streets.
• Students should always use the crosswalks when crossing the street.
• When exiting the carpool lane in front of the school in the morning, please turn right only.
• Please refrain from using the parking lot next to the tennis courts as a drop off or pick up location. This parking lot is designated for special education students needing extra time and assistance.
• Please refrain from dropping off your student along Maumelle. When you stop, it hinders the flow of traffic and, more importantly, it could put your student's safety at risk if they need to cross the street.
• While in the carpool lane, please make sure to pull all the way forward along the curb before dropping off your student.
• Dropping off or picking up your student from the outside lane of the carpool is prohibited. This is a major safety issue, as students must cross in front of other cars to get to the sidewalk.
• Please remember that our school zone is a phone-free zone, so please adhere to this.

Thank you for your continued partnership on this!

Congratulations to our Lady Panthers in their decisive wins over the Wilson Rams in their Pink Out games last night! We want to wish our volleyball teams the best of luck as they enter tournament play later this week. The seventh and eighth grade B team volleyball tournament will take place Thursday, October 23rd, through Saturday, October 25th, and the A team tournament is scheduled for Thursday, October 30th through Saturday, November 1st. The tournament schedule including locations and times is still being determined. Go Panthers!

While our eighth grade team has a bye this week, we will have a Red Out theme for our seventh grade football game tonight, as our Mighty Panthers take on the Haggard Eagles at Clark Stadium this evening. The B team will take the field at 6:15pm, and our A team will follow at 7:30pm. Let’s show some Schim spirit while supporting our student athletes as they compete tonight. Go Panthers!

If your student plans to participate in cross country this season, please review the list of to-do items below.

Rank One - Your student needs to be "Green".

In order to be "green", please complete ALL forms found at this link. Https://planoisd.rankone.com/New/NewInstructionsPage.aspx

Sports Physical

Your student will also need to get a sports physical completed by a doctor if they have not already completed one for athletics this school year. The link to the physical form can be found below. The physical can be completed by your PCP or through sources like Care Now.

Https://www.uiltexas.org/files/athletics/forms/PrePhysFormRvsd1_10_20.pdf

Items needed for Practice/Race Days

Your student should have a pair of running shoes for practices and meets. They should also bring multiple layers of clothing, as the weather will be changing throughout the cross country season.

Please see the tentative schedule for practices and meets listed in the graphic below.

If you have any questions regarding cross country, please contact Coach Brochtrup at chris.brochtrup@pisd.edu.

Basketball tryouts for the 2025 season will be held on November 5th, 6th, and 7th.

• Boys Tryouts: Before school starting at 6:45am
• Girls Tryouts: After school starting at 4:00pm

All students must have a completed physical and all Rank One forms submitted prior to participating in tryouts. These requirements are mandatory for tryout eligibility.

In addition, there will be a Student Information Meeting on October 24th at 8:00am in the SMS gym. It is highly encouraged for all students interested in trying out to attend. During this meeting, we will review expectations and schedules as well as answer any questions the students might have.

We are looking forward to a great season!

Red Ribbon Week will take place the week of Monday, October 27th, through Friday, October 31st. We will have three grade-level assemblies on Tuesday, October 28th, first with our sixth grade students and then with our seventh and eighth graders in the main gym. Students will hear from speaker, Stephen Simpson, on his message, “Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason”, encouraging students to use critical thinking and decision-making skills while also enjoying life. Here is the bell schedule for October 28th. Students will still attend all classes that day.

We would love for all of our students to participate in this special presentation, but we also understand and respect the fact that this program may not fit the needs of some of our students. If this is the case, please complete the Presentation Opt Out Form if you do NOT wish to have your student participate in this assembly.

Throughout this special week, please encourage your student to support the mission to be drug-free by participating in this year’s spirit week themes, beginning with Monday's theme, "My Future is too Bright for Drugs" and wearing neon colored clothing as part of your attire. The remainder of the spirit week themes are listed on the flyer below. In addition, special announcements and lunchtime activities will take place throughout the week for all students.

If you have any questions about Red Ribbon Week, please reach out to our counseling department.

The postcard below was mailed to all 8th graders earlier this month. This is a reminder regarding the Future Expo TONIGHT at Academy High School from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Please see the graphic below for additional details.

Although the initial kickoff webinar has passed, there are still a lot of upcoming opportunities for parents and students to explore the different academies offered in Plano ISD. Please see below for upcoming virtual and in-person information nights and information on the academy application process. If you have any questions, please contact our eighth grade counselor, John Schlosser.

The class registration process for the 2026-2027 school year begins in the coming weeks. For now, please make plans to attend the upcoming parent meeting at Clark High School on Monday, November 3rd, if you have a current eighth grader entering high school for the 26-27 school year. Please see the flyer below for more details. If you have any questions or need information about this process, please contact John Schlosser, your student's SMS counselor.

We are excited to share an update about Sora, our district’s digital library platform for eBooks and audiobooks. Sora provides students with access to age-appropriate digital books to encourage self-selected reading, curiosity, and a lifelong love of reading.

Student access to Sora became available on Monday, October 20th. On this same date, new parental control features became available, giving parents and guardians more flexibility in guiding their child’s reading choices.

With the new parental control features parents and guardians can:

• Lock titles to prevent students from borrowing or reading them.

• Unlock titles to make them available again.

• See child’s loan history.

How it Works:

• Navigate to soraapp.com from any computer or the Sora app on a smartphone or tablet (Apple Store or Google Play).

• Log in to your child’s Sora account with their Plano ISD credentials.

• Go to Settings > Support > Parental Controls.

• Create a secure PIN to set up Parent Mode.

• In Parent Mode, you can lock or unlock titles

• Exit Parent Mode to return to the student experience.

Step-by-step instructions and screenshots are provided on the Plano ISD Library Parent Options webpage to help you set up and use Parent Mode.

We deeply value your role in supporting your child’s reading journey. Our goal is to provide students with safe, flexible, and engaging reading opportunities while giving families tools to guide and personalize access.

If you have any questions about using Sora or parental controls, please reach out to our librarian, Jessica Johnson at Jessica.johnson@pisd.edu.

Thank you for your partnership in fostering a love of reading for every student. We value your feedback and encourage you to recommend books for our school library collections through https://bit.ly/PISDbookrecommendation.

Do you have suggestions that would positively impact our school environment? Would you like to send a shout out to a staff member who has gone above and beyond for your student? Do you simply have a question that you would like to ask? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then the Schim Community Suggestion Box is just for you!

Simply complete this form to share your thoughts and feedback! This is just another way to keep the line of communication open while we partner with you to make the educational experience for your students the very best that it can be. QR codes are available in the front office for you to use as well.

Please let me know if you have any questions about this process.

As parents, you have the ability to review instructional plans for your child’s classes. Visit https://www.pisd.edu/students-families-a6/instructionalplans to view the instructional plans and learn more about your child’s learning experience.

Due to upgrades and enhancements currently being made to our district website, there has been a delay in updating the information normally found on our campus website and staff pages for the 25-26 school year. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Notification will be sent to parents once this information is updated on our campus site.

If you have any questions or are unable to locate information normally found on the campus website, please let me know.

Our wonderful PTA does so much for our campus from teacher breakfasts and lunches to donations to enhance learning within our classrooms as well as student social events and so much more. You can join PTA by visiting their website. Please consider being a part of this worthwhile cause.

The front doors open at 7:50am, and our first bell rings at 8:20am. First period begins at 8:25am when the tardy bell rings. Tardy enforcement began Monday, August 25th.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

As we continue working together to ensure your child’s success, I want to take a moment to reinforce our communication protocol for addressing concerns or issues that may arise during the school year.

In Plano ISD, we believe that open and direct communication is the foundation for resolving most concerns efficiently. Concerns should always be addressed at the level closest to the issue. In most cases, this means reaching out to your child’s teacher first. Our teachers are directly involved in your child’s day-to-day experience and are in the best position to respond to questions or resolve any concerns. Communication between parents and teachers is essential in ensuring that we are all on the same page regarding your child’s learning experience. If you find that an issue persists after speaking with the teacher or requires further attention, please feel free to reach out to me or a member of my administrative team.

For concerns that require additional attention, we invite you to visit www.pisd.edu/complaintresolution. This resource provides topic-specific steps for effectively resolving student and family concerns, along with sample email messages you may consider when contacting your child’s teacher.

Please understand that, while our staff members are committed to responding promptly, the demands of the school day may occasionally delay immediate responses. We appreciate your patience and understanding in these instances.

We deeply value your support and trust as we work together to create the best possible environment for your child. Thank you for helping to ensure that communication remains clear, courteous, respectful and productive.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month! Throughout this month, students will take part in a variety of activities on campus to promote kindness, care, and courage within our school community. Please see the parent letter outlining some of the ways that you can partner with us at home to reinforce these concepts. Together, we can help our students to understand the importance of using these pillars to guide how we treat one another.

If you have any questions or need more information, please let me know.

Texas law (Senate Bill 12) requires parents to give consent before schools can provide students with certain physical or mental health services. Parents must complete a School Health Services Consent Form for each of their students in Plano ISD.

The consent form is available in Skyward Family Access and should be completed as soon as possible, so your child can continue to receive health services at school. Without this consent, nurses, counselors and staff will not be able to provide certain services. Please visit this link for more information and details.

Texas law now prohibits students from using any type of personal communication device during the school day. Cell phones, smartwatches, personal tablets, smart glasses, laptops, headphones, airpods, and any other personal device capable of telecommunication must be powered off and stored in your student's backpack before entering the school building. All personal electronic devices must remain powered off and out of sight throughout the school day. This expectation applies during class time, passing periods, lunch, while in restrooms, and anywhere on campus during the instructional day. Students may turn on and use electronic devices once they have exited the building following afternoon dismissal. Teacher/coach discretion will be utilized regarding phone usage for extracurricular after school activities. If a student needs to call home during the day, they may use a school phone in the front office. Please call the front office should you need to get a message to your student during class. We will be reviewing these guidelines with students during class tomorrow.

PHONE ENFORCEMENT & CONSEQUENCES:

To ensure consistent expectations, all staff will teach, reteach, and reinforce the district’s guidelines during the first week of school. Violations will be addressed as follows:

1st Offense:

• The student receives a warning.

• The staff member reteaches expectations and instructs the student to turn off all devices and store them in their backpack or bag.
• The parent/guardian is notified by phone or email.

2nd Offense:

• The device is confiscated and secured in the front office and must be retrieved by a parent or guardian.
• The parent/guardian is notified by phone or email.
• One day of In-School Suspension (ISS) will be assigned to the student.

3rd Offense:

• The device is confiscated and secured in the front office and must be retrieved by a parent or guardian.
• Three days of ISS will be assigned to the student.
• The student will be required to check in their devices each morning at the designated location and retrieve them after school for the remainder of the school year.

4th or Subsequent Offenses:

• The student may be placed at the District Alternative Education Program (DAEP).

If you have any questions, please let me know.

All students are required to wear their student ID badge at all times. This is a district policy for all secondary schools to ensure the safety and security of our campus. Following several serious incidents in the state of Texas over the last few years, Plano ISD and Schimelpfenig Middle School increased and improved badge and safety measures to ensure all students are easily identified. Students wearing their badges allow staff members to quickly and easily identify people that should not be on campus.

The district policy states that badges must be visible on a lanyard around the student's neck. Initially, a lanyard was issued to each student, but students may wear an alternate lanyard of their choosing if they prefer. Badges should not be cut, bent, or covered with stickers. Damage to the badge will result in a needed replacement.

The initial badge AND temporary badge are both issued for free. Replacement badges are $5. Replacement badges are issued from Ms. Butler in the front office. If a student forgets his or her badge, then the student should report to the front office, and Ms. Butler will issue a temporary sticker badge good for that day only. Each time a student forgets their ID and receives a temporary one constitutes a badge violation.

During the first couple of weeks, we gave our students grace and consistently reminded them that we would be assigning discipline for students who violate the badge expectation. If a student receives two or more badge violations in a five-day period, they receive Friday After Hours for that week. Friday After Hours takes place the last day of the week, usually on a Friday, from 3:50pm-5:50pm. Friday After Hours will begin after Labor Day.

If you have questions regarding badges or the badge procedures, please let us know.

• Shorts, including athletic shorts, must extend beyond the buttocks.

• No pajamas, houseshoes, or slippers may be worn to school.

• Excessively loose or tight garments are not acceptable.

• Underwear-type sleeveless shirts, spaghetti straps, tank tops and tube tops are not permitted.

• Hard-soled shoes must be worn at all times.

• Sunglasses, caps, hats, raised hoods, etc are not permitted.

• Students in violation of the student dress and grooming code will be expected to change to appropriate attire or will be subject to other disciplinary action.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

• Crop Tops - If your student raises their hand and you can see their stomach, the shirt is too short and will be asked to change.

• Shorts and Skirts - Bottoms must cover the entire buttocks area.

• Hoodies - Students can wear a jacket with a hood, but the hood must remain off their head during the school day or the student will have to take off the jacket.

• Hats - Any item that covers the head is not allowed. This includes baseball caps, beanies, etc. Religious coverings are allowed.

Like last year, students were issued chromebooks and chargers during the first week of school. If damage is incurred on the device assigned to them or if your student's electronic device is lost or stolen at any point throughout the year, students will be held financially responsible. While it is our hope that we will not see any of these concerns this year, we want to still make you aware of the charges, so there are no surprises if a situation requiring payment arises. Please reach out to our campus technology specialist, William Brannon, should you have any questions.

Chromebook: $550

Chromebook Charger: $27.50

It is an expectation that your student's chromebook comes to school every day fully charged. In addition, chargers should be brought to campus daily, as there are no extra chargers in the classroom. This is a school-issued device and should be treated as such. Stickers and writing should not be placed on the device. Thank you for your partnership in ensuring that your student adheres to these expectations.

Many students are beginning to ask about clubs and organizations on campus. If your student would like to start a club, please let them know that they must first find a staff member to sponsor their club. The sponsor will then work with the student to complete a "Request to Meet" Laserfishe form on the PISD webdesk. This form must be initiated by the student. Once the form is approved, the student can make flyers to promote the club and set a date for an interest meeting.

This information will be shared with students during lunches and on morning announcements after Labor Day. If you or your student needs additional information, please do not hesitate to let me know.

As we begin our autumn cleaning, many of you will take some time to clean out closets to make room for new items, and SMS PTA has the perfect place to donate your old and gently used clothing and toys! Please drop your discarded items into the blue World Wear bin located on campus in the front parking lot. Proceeds from our blue bin project will go directly back to the campus through programs and events for our students and staff. Please consider donating to this worthy cause.

Bethany Jacobson is the Campus Title IX Coordinator for the 2025-2026 school year. Ms. Jacobson will address employee and student concerns or inquiries regarding discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment. Reports can be made at any time and by any person, including during non-business hours, by mail, email or phone. During district business hours, reports may also be made in person.

Principal

Schimelpfenig Middle School

Email: kristen.kinnard@pisd.edu
Website: pisd.edu/schimelpfenig
Location: 2400 Maumelle Drive, Plano, TX, USA
Phone: 469-752-6410