Our Eagles are soaring to success this week! Congratulations to our Cross Country team who won 1st place in all four divisions at their first meet this week! And both our football and volleyball teams have been victorious as well! Friday was the end of the first grading period so grades will be finalized for report cards next week. And we continue to see awesome connections and engagement in classes all across campus. We are so proud of all that our students are already accomplishing this year!

We also want to invite you to join PTA for a spirit day this Wednesday (9/22) during Early Release. Kona Ice will have trucks parked at both Bush Elementary and CRMS from approximately 1:00-2:30. Please join us for a yummy snow cone but also remember not to stop on Country Trails Rd and block traffic. We want to support our PTA, enjoy a treat and also keep all students & families safe!

Go Eagles!

Follow us on social media:

Twitter: @Sturdevant_CRMS

Instagram: Canyon_Ridge_MS

We have been working with the LISD Transportation Department to address some of the bus routes and overcrowding that is occurring. Please note that we are short close to 50 bus drivers in our district, and all of our routing supervisors and area managers are driving buses to ensure our students are picked up and dropped off daily. We are pleased to announce the following changes:

• Students who live in The Retreat at the front of Steiner Ranch will now be riding Bus Route 227. Morning pick-up is 7:17 a.m. at Limousin Lane and Loving Lane. Afternoon drop-off is at 3:55 p.m. at the same location.
• Students who live at Meritage Apartments will now be riding Bus Route 224. Morning pick-up is at 7:38 a.m. and drop-off is at 3:43 p.m.

Given the disruptions of the 2020-2021 school year, the Texas Legislature has given parents new rights to help support their children with the adoption of House Bill 4545, signed on June 16, 2021. House Bill 4545 provides additional learning opportunities and skills support for students who did not meet standards on the 2021 STAAR exam.

If your child took STAAR and did NOT meet the standards, you should have received this letter.

For students who opted out of the 2021 STAAR exam, skills-based tutorials are available and mandated IF the student does not meet standards on the beginning of course assessments completed in the fall of 2021. Those assessments have been taking place for all students recently in class utilizing ISIP in ELA and MAP in Math (see below for more information on assessments).

Current skills-based development opportunities that are built into the school day include:

• Weekly Academic Skills lessons during Advisory

• Frequent and targeted small group instruction

• School day teacher-led tutorials

• Self-paced online targeted interventions

Canyon Ridge Middle School is proud of our continued commitment to help all students grow as learners and successfully complete all course requirements. As well this year at CRMS, Tuesdays and Thursdays during Advisory, the entire school will be utilizing iStation (Tuesdays) and IXL (Thursday) as a means to support and drive student learning. Both iStation and IXL use a baseline assessment that defines a student's learning path and tailors the instruction to the needs of the student. Through this learning pathway, struggling students receive the foundational support they need while advanced students are challenged with concepts that can range all the way through Senior level English and Math.

Istation Assessment (ISIP)
Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, all 6-8 students are participating in Istation’s Indicators of Progress (ISIP) growth assessment. The purpose of ISIP is to improve and monitor foundational essentials, such as fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension and inference, as well as many other skills. Students were administered the beginning of year assessment that offers teachers valuable data and insight with regards to individual student needs and assists in making classroom instructional decisions. Please contact your child’s teacher with any questions or for additional information.

MAP Growth Assessment

Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, all K-8 students are participating in a MAP Growth assessment. The purpose of MAP Growth is to determine what the student knows and is ready to learn next. Throughout September, K-8 students were administered the first baseline assessment. The assessment information will support teachers in knowing the instructional areas in which students have grown and are ready to learn. This document provides a brief overview of the MAP Growth assessment. Please contact your child’s teacher with any questions or for additional information.

Open year round to any 6th - 8th graders

Meets Thursdays once a month before school from 7:40-8:10 in the library

(Must sign up online to get an assigned Thursday spot to attend once a month. Meetings start in October.)

Co-Directed by Student Library Aides Sponsor: Mrs. Illingworth, CRMS Librarian

The CRMS Library is a great place to find a home, make friends and help promote a love for reading on campus. The Library Club once-a-month meetings are held on Thursday before school in the CRMS Library. The monthly meeting usually includes a group game/team building activity, library care, planning upcoming events, and prize drawings at each meeting. Library Club members help run the Read-a-Thon, Adopt-a-Shelf program, chess and game mornings, maker-space crafts, and assist with Book Fair, author visits, book clubs and general library upkeep. This is a vibrant club where students really take ownership in their library and make long-lasting friendships. Students will meet other readers and can even form their own student-run “Lunch Bunch Book Clubs” within Library Club to meet at times that work for the students and library schedule.

• Sign up Sept 24-Oct. 3. Meetings start in October.

• See more details HERE or on the CRMS Library website

Parents, the first grading cycle newsletter from the CRMS counseling office is available via the link below. The newsletter serves to highlight CRMS students, provide an overview of guidance lessons, insights from the counselor’s book study, and upcoming dates. Enjoy!

Counseling Newsletter – The Echo

Reflecting Positivity through CRMS Counseling Services

Volume 4 Issue 1

September 10, 2021

Eighth grade parents,

Students begin their high school four year plan during their 8th grade year. Over the course of this year, Mrs. Cote will be delivering four year planning student lessons as part of the 8th to 9th grade transition. The first student lesson with Mrs. Cote will occur 9/24/21 during advisory class. Please watch this parent preview video of lesson one. Thanks for partnering with us to support your child in their 8th to 9th grade transition!

Students from Vandegrift High School began a homework help service in 2012. Today Viper Nation Homework Help continues as a student-led, free tutoring service for elementary, middle and even high school peers in our community. To sign up your student for one of the Tuesday evening sessions, please visit https://signup.com/go/zmqysDO.

• Crossing Guards - volunteer for particular day(s) of the week or can do a daily paid position

• Substitutes - can be intermittent when you are available or regularly here on our own campus

• The following are paid, full-time positions with benefits:

• Instructional Assistants

• Cafeteria staff

• Bus drivers

For more information on any of these opportunities, please contact Megan Prata at CRMS.

Leander ISD updated our Health Response Protocols and on August 17th, elevated to a new Red Stage. Please review and partner with us to keep people healthy and schools open:

• COVID-19 Update: New Health Response Protocols
• August 6th Update to COVID Notifications, Contact Tracing and Dashboard data
• August 17th Update: Mask Requirement for All
• Leander ISD COVID dashboard

CRMS Frequently Asked Questions - COVID

• Beginning Monday, Aug. 30, indoor extracurricular events in Leander ISD will be limited to 50% capacity. This will remain in effect while LISD is in the “red stage.” Masks are required at indoor LISD events. More info

• Effective Monday, August 30th, STUDENT SPECTATORS must be accompanied and supervised by their parent/guardian to attend indoor events. In order to ensure family members of our student athletes and performers are able to attend and support them, student spectators will be required to be accompanied and supervised by a parent/guardian at indoor events. We recognize that our students are eager and proud to support their peers at games and performances. When LISD returns to the Yellow Stage we will adjust this policy.

Our Board of Trustees called for a Bond election to:

• Keep up with growth.
• Take care of existing schools and impact every student.
• Replace equipment and technology.

Three propositions will be on the ballot for voters to consider. Proposition A includes $727.2 million worth of new construction, renovation, and equipment replacement projects. Proposition B includes $33.3 million to replace existing technology devices, including student and staff laptops, over the next three years. Proposition C includes $11.7 million in renovation and lighting/sound upgrades to our high school and district performing arts centers.

We worked with a community committee of over 150 volunteers to identify and prioritize our district’s needs over the next three years. The proposed projects impact every student and school in our district and can be financed without a tax rate increase and will be paid for by layering in debt payments using tax collections from rising property values.

Election Details

• Last Day for Voter Registration: Monday, Oct. 4, 2021
• Early Voting: Oct. 18–29, 2021
• Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021

ALL tickets for all high school and middle school athletic events hosted at LISD facilities will be sold online only. There will be NO cash sales at the gate. Tickets can be purchased through link on the athletics webpage: https://www.leanderisd.org/athletics_ticketspasses/

Many have generously reached out and asked how you can donate or support the teachers/school during this time. If you are wanting to donate and unsure how, we will gladly accept donations on campus of the following:

• bottled water
• masks
• paper towels
• hand sanitizer
• Clorox wipes

Currently, there is no state funding for PPE this year, so donations will be accepted and very appreciated! You can drop off in the school front office at your convenience during school hours.

In Leander ISD, students in Grades 7–9 are taught Human Sexuality Curriculum through presentations by LifeGuard, an independent organization. The topics covered in this abstinence-based curriculum the Texas Health TEKS. All content has been reviewed by the Leander ISD School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) and is grade-level specific and developmentally appropriate. This material will be taught in 2-3-day windows at every LISD middle and high school campus from Sept 14 – April 21.

CRMS Student Presentation Dates

• 7th Grade: October 18-20th
• 8th Grade: October 21-22nd, 25th

Opt-In Google Form

**For your child to be able to attend the presentations, you must submit this OPT-IN form:

• 7th Grade Opt-in form

• 8th Grade Opt-in form

Curriculum Preview

If you wish to preview the curriculum, you may do so at your home campus library. Parents/Guardians may stop by or contact their school librarian to schedule an appointment for viewing. You may also request an electronic parent preview via the LifeGuard website.

When completing parent preview request:

• 7th grade enter team lead, Cody Redfern, as Instructor for CRMS
• 8th grade enter team lead, Rachel Schnee, as Instructor for CRMS

Parent Workshop Information

We will host virtual parent workshops via Zoom throughout the year; future times are listed below. Parent workshops are designed to give parents helpful tips for communicating with their children (grades 7-9) about human sexuality, allow them to review the district curriculum, explore statistics from health officials, and ask questions of LifeGuard and LISD staff.

To register for a parent workshop and to access additional LifeGuard information, please visit the LISD Human Sexuality Curriculum website.

Parent Workshops Dates

September 2, 2021 6:00 - 7:30 registration link

Just a reminder that CRMS will not be proctoring the PSAT 8/9 for our 8th graders this year. We are partnering with More Than A Teacher to host 2 options for students to take a practice PSAT test either on November 2nd or November 6th. Here is the link to the information (registration link is embedded).

Home Access Center (HAC) provides families with an online tool where they can view helpful student information to support and guide their children through the educational process. From home or work, at any time of the day or night, parents can access the web portal to track academic achievement.

Features include:

• Grade notifications,

• Class schedules

• Attendance records.

Visit the Home Access Center page to learn more. Please allow time for our campuses to complete schedule and teacher assignments in the coming days prior to the start of the school year.

Beginning Aug. 5, Leander ISD parents can enter their home address into Infofinder to look up their child’s bus route number, pick-up/drop-off times, and bus stop locations for the 2021-22 school year. Bus routes are subject to change, so LISD parents are strongly encouraged to confirm their child’s bus information again the week prior to the start of school.

The Transportation Department will continue to use the Remind platform to communicate delay notifications and other important updates. Bus riders and their guardians will be added to a Remind “class” for their assigned bus route.

All students at CRMS must have a working computer/device with a keyboard. If you do not have your own device, that is okay! Click on this link to sign-up/re-enroll and pay the 2021-2022 mLISD non-refundable security deposit so you can get your computer as soon as possible!

Our schools and teachers use Remind to send text messages and emails to our parents. Make sure you log into Remind to set up your notification preferences, see archived messages, and send messages directly to your teachers and school staff. Download the mobile app (Google Play, Apple) for the best user experience.

Click here to learn more about Remind.

As Leander ISD Child Nutrition Services will continue to offer free breakfast and lunch meals to all students for the 2021–22 school year, low-cost meals are not being served at this time. To manage your student’s meal balance for snacks or extras beyond the meal service, please create your Titan Family Connect account (formerly MealTime). Leander ISD school menus, along with complete nutrition information, are available through Nutrislice.

School start and end times for elementary, middle and high school are listed below.

• Elementary School: 7:40 a.m.–2:55 p.m.
• Middle School: 8:10 a.m.–3:25 p.m.
• High School: 8:40 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

90-minute Early Release Schedule for 2021–22 School Year

• Elementary School: 7:40 a.m.–1:25 p.m.
• Middle School: 8:10 a.m.–1:55 p.m.
• High School: 8:40 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

*District Calendar linked below

Turn your sound on and please watch this video from CRMS students!

*Randall's will donate to CRMS PTA if you select us as your Good Neighbor Program just because you shop there! Complete this form and then e-mail to good.neighbor@randalls.com or take to any store customer service location..

*Did you know you can buy all your Amazon purchases through Amazon Smile, and they will donate to our PTA all year long?!?! It doesn’t cost you anything and you order the same way. Just set up your Amazon Smile profile to donate to PTA Texas Congress Canyon Ridge Middle School PTA.

*CRMS PTA: If you have not yet, please consider joining the CRMS PTA. Memberships start as low as $10.

*SPIRIT WEAR: Spirit Wear is restocked. Porch pickup is very close to CRMS.

Be sure to follow Canyon Ridge Middle School PTA on Facebook and join the Facebook group for your child's grade level. Thank you for your time and all of your support for our Eagles!

AP/Counselor by grade-level for 2021-22:

• 6th: Monica Diaz Carle/Sabrina Anderson
• 7th: Cassandra Ricks/Katie Young
• 8th: Leah Cox /Staci Cote

Email: Wendy.Sturdevant@leanderisd.org
Website: crms.leanderisd.org
Location: Canyon Ridge Middle School, Country Trails Lane, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-570-3500
Twitter: @Sturdevant_CRMS