Sycamore Springs Middle School

Hello Sycamore Springs Middle School Families,

Happy Sunday! I hope you are enjoying the three-day weekend. Please remember that Monday, February 17, is a district holiday. All campuses and offices will be closed. We hope you enjoy this time with your family and friends.

We have another busy week ahead. On Tuesday night, the school board is spotlighting SSMS and the amazing Intro to Engineering class. Please stop by the board room on Tuesday evening at 6:00 pm to hear our students showcase their class and projects. On Thursday, we have an all-staff faculty meeting at 8:00 am. There will not be any tutorial this Thursday, Feb. 20.

As always, if you need anything or have any questions, please contact your student's teacher, counselor, or administrator.

Go Tigers!

Sincerely,

Kelly Miller

Principal

1. This Monday, February 17, is a district holiday. All campus and district office will be closed. We hope you enjoy the three-day weekend.

2. For 8th Grade Families - DSHS will be hosting several events catering to rising freshmen and their families.

• February 18 - 9am, 1 pm, or 6pm: Rising Tigers 9th Grade Night for parents to attend in order to receive more information regarding course selection. This is virtual event, you can access the link here.
• February 19 - 9:00 am - 10:00 am or 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: DSHS counselors will host a Zoom Parent Q&A for rising 9th grade parents, the link for the Zoom is here.
• February 20-21: DSHS counselors will visit both MS campuses during lunches to answer student questions.

3.Get ready for Spring Picture Day at SSMS! It's almost time to capture those bright smiles!

Mark you calendars for the following date and time:

When: Feb 26th (Wednesday) During Lunches

Where: CL&I

Order Here: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001218570

4. Eduphoria Lockdown Browser - Starting this semester teachers will start using a Lockdown browser when students take an assessment on Eduphoria. This will ensure that student cannot access other sites while testing. Please click HERE to see a flyer with more details. All DSISD devices have the Lockdown browser already installed. If your student uses a personal device, the teacher will request that your student download the Lockdown browser. See the flyer linked above for steps.

5. The SSMS PTA is offering a new way to see our school in action! In an effort to increase family engagement, PTA will be doing parent-to-parent campus tours to give you a firsthand view of what our students and teachers do each and every day - sign up here!

6. Tiger Belles Tryouts are coming up (Feb. 27)! Please click on this LINK if you are interested in trying out for the SSMS Tiger Belles. Feel free to contact Mrs. Robbins at senanu.robbins@dsisdtx.us if you have any questions regarding tryouts.

7. SSMS Cheer Tryout are March 7! There is a mandatory parent Information Meeting on Feb. 28 (if you didn't make the Feb. 7 meeting). Come to our upcoming parent meeting on February 7th or on February 28th at 5 PM in the Sycamore Room. Get all the details about tryouts, scoresheet, cheer booster club, and more. We can’t wait to see you there! Cheer Tryouts are on March 7!

*It is mandatory to attend at least one parent information session if you daughter is going to tryout for SSMS Cheer.

8. Dripping Springs HS PTSA is excited to host Dripping Springs the Harlem Wizards on Sunday, February 23rd at 2 pm where they’ll take on the teachers, staff and community members from Dripping Springs Independent School District in a fun-filled community event. You can purchase your tickets now and view a sneak peek of the event .

9. Support the Student Council and Tiger Leaders school dance by making a donation! Your contribution helps us create an unforgettable event filled with fun, music, and memories. Whether it's helping with decorations or snacks, every little bit makes a difference. Let's come together and make this dance the best one yet! The dance is on April 4th and all donations are due by February 28th.

CLICK HERE!

10. Attention 6th Grade Families - There are required Immunizations for all 7th grade students; 1) Tdap and 2) Meningitis. Nurse Smith needs updated immunization record OR a notarized Affidavit from the State of Texas found here: https://co-request.dshs.texas.gov/. You may bring updated records to the school or email a copy to blair.smith@dsisdtx.us. For more information, visit https://www.dshs.texas.gov/immunizations/school or call Nurse Blair at 512-858-3604.

11. SSMS Attendance - As we continue to focus on our goal of improving attendance, we are initiating a process to address attendance concerns. Some of you may have already received an attendance letter from your child’s AP. Our goal is to partner with you and your child. Once a student has accumulated unexcused absences that exceed the 90% rule, a plan will be implemented to support the student and improve their attendance. This plan can include school-to-home communication, assigned tutorials, or an attendance contract.

We hope you all have a great week ahead! Monday, February 17 is a school Holiday. We look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday!

There has been a change to the middle school course catalog for the Engineering Courses. The Engineering classes no longer have a pre-requisite. Please view this change in case your student would like to take an Engineering course for the 25/26 school year.

We have completed all classroom visits for 25/26 course selection for current 6th and 7th grade students. All students have until March 7th to make changes in Skyward. March 7th is also the due date for students to fill out their applications for courses that require an application (PALS, Yearbook, Student Aid, Office Aid, CL & I Aid PAWs PE PAWs). We will not accept any applications after March 7th. Here is that link for the applications.

On Feb 18 & 19, Cally Conklin, with Safe Schools, will present a Vaping Prevention lesson to 7th Grade students in health classes.

On Feb. 19 & 20, 6th Grade students will receive a guidance lesson on Grit in their Huddle class.

Please take a look at our LMHP February newsletter link on healthy relationship skills!

We hope you all have a great week!

LaDonna Caroselli, 6th Grade A-K & 7th Grade Counselor

Sandy Zimmerman, 6th Grade L-Z & 8th Grade Counselor

Get ready for Spring Picture Day at SSMS! It's almost time to capture those bright smiles!

Mark you calendars for the following date and time:

When: Feb 26th (Wednesday) During Lunches

Where: CL&I

Order Here: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001218570

Tiger Belles Tryouts! Please click on this LINK if you are interested in trying out for the SSMS Tiger Belles. Feel free to contact Mrs. Robbins at senanu.robbins@dsisdtx.us if you have any questions regarding tryouts.

• Dance Clinic & Video Release - Feb. 14
• Open Google Meets Q&A - Feb. 18 (10:45am - 1:00pm)
• Online Application Due - Feb. 25 (midnight)
• Try-outs - Feb. 27 (5:00 pm)
• Mandatory Parent Meeting - March 4 (6:30 pm)

Are you interested in learning more about cheer tryouts and how to be a part of our spirited school community? Come to our upcoming parent meetings on February 7th and February 28th at 5 PM in the Sycamore Room. Get all the details about tryouts, scoresheet, cheer booster club, and more. We can’t wait to see you there! Cheer Tryouts are on March 7!

*It is mandatory to attend at least one parent information session if you daughter is going to tryout for SSMS Cheer.

Support the Student Council and Tiger Leaders school dance by making a donation! Your contribution helps us create an unforgettable event filled with fun, music, and memories. Whether it's helping with decorations or snacks, every little bit makes a difference. Let's come together and make this dance the best one yet! The dance is on April 4th and all donations are due by February 28th.

CLICK HERE!

Texas school immunization requirements are determined by the state legislature and set by the Texas Department of State Health Services, in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency.

All incoming 7th graders are required to have two immunizations:

1. Tetanus, Diphtheria and Acellular Pertussis-containing vaccine (Tdap): 1 dose within the

last 5 years to be valid.

2. Meningococcal Vaccine (MCV4): 1 dose of the quadrivalent vaccine on or after a student's

11th birthday to be valid.

or

Reasons of Conscience Exemption

If your child has already received these immunizations, you may drop off, fax (512-858-3699), or email (blair.smith@dsisdtx.us) the updated record at any time.

Please note: We can only accept a record from an electronic health record system if it includes the clinic's contact information and the provider's signature/stamp. A screenshot or print-out from your child's patient portal does not satisfy this requirement.

Your child’s immunization status is available for you to view in Skyward. Go to Family Access and click on the ‘Health Info’ tab located on the left side of the page.

Class schedules will not be released and students will not be allowed to start on the first day of school, August 13th, 2024, until an updated immunization record has been provided. Thank you for your understanding.

Please contact me with questions.

--

Blair Smith, RN, BSN

Nurse|Sycamore Springs Middle School

512-858-3604

Fax 512-858-3699

• February 18: Rising Tigers 9th Grade Night for parents to attend in order to receive more information regarding course selection.
• February 19 - 9:00 am - 10:00 am or 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: DSHS counselors will host a Zoom Parent Q&A for rising 9th grade parents, the link for the Zoom is here.
• February 20: DSHS counselors will visit SSMS during lunch to answer student questions.

***For more details and a full list of events, please check out the Rising Freshman Grade Newsletter. You may want to bookmark this link for future reference as updates will be made as needed.

Congratulations to the following students!

We recognized students this week for having Perfect Attendance during the second term (October 15, 2024, to December 20, 2024) and first semester (August 13, 2024, to December 20, 2024). This is a significant accomplishment, as only 147 of our 1,043 students are receiving this recognition.

At our school, we believe attendance plays a critical role in student success. When students are present, they can fully engage in their learning, build positive relationships, and reach their academic potential. Your commitment to ensuring your child is present every day reflects a strong partnership between home and school—a partnership we deeply value and appreciate.

Tiger Belles competed at the Ascension Hill Country Challenge at Johnson HS and did a phenomenal job!

he Sycamore Spring Middle School Wind Ensemble traveled to San Antonio yesterday to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in front of a massive crowd of educators from around the country. They were the demonstration ensemble for the clinic The Right Music at the Right Time: Music for Beginning Band where they performed excerpts from 21 different beginner pieces as well as a special performance at the end of the clinic. After the clinic, students visited the Exhibit Hall then visited the Alamo Plaza before getting dinner and heading home. We are so incredibly proud of how every student carried themselves, performed, and represented themselves, the band, and our school! More absolut the clinic: Beginning band students require the right level of music at every stage of the steep learning curve in the first year of instruction. Hoefle and Connor will use live excerpts of tried-and-true beginning band literature to demonstrate how to look beyond publisher grade level to determine the suitability of a piece of music for each level of progress.

Thank you to Steve Hall from Texas Parks and Wildlife for coming to SSMS Outdoor Ed Class to teach us Hunters Education!

🎉 Congratulations to our Tiger of the Week: Scout Dennard!

• Thank you to everyone who made our SSMS Souper Bowl a HUGE success! The teachers and staff were treated to a loaded baked potato bar, soups and pastas galore, crisp salads, and sweet treats by our community and volunteers! Shoutout to our SSMS PTA Hospitality Squad for decorating and serving our very excited life changers! We would like to extend a BIG thank you to our Souper Bowl MVP Brad Miller of Roaring Fork for donating, baking, and delivering a ton of delicious hot baked potatoes! Principal Miller has a very sweet Valentine, indeed!

• It's that time of year again, Tigers! It seems as if allergies and germs are around every corner, and our SSMS teachers are either dangerously low or out of supplies to keep our kiddos comfortable. If you would like to send in tissues and/or disinfecting wipes, please bring them in, send them with your student, or you can send them easily through our "Sniffles, Tigers, and Germs, Oh My!" Amazon Wishlist. Thank you for supporting our school!

• Texas PTA's Rally Day on Monday, February 24, 2025, at the Capitol in Austin! The day will include:

- Opportunities to meet with legislators to discuss key issues impacting education

- A rally on the Capitol steps to unite and amplify our collective voice

- Informative sessions to equip attendees with tools for effective advocacy and understanding Texas PTA's priorities for the 89th Legislative Session are available here!

• The SSMS PTA is offering a new way to see our school in action! In an effort to increase family engagement, we will be doing parent-to-parent campus tours to give you a firsthand view of what our students and teachers do each and every day - sign up here!

• The SSMS PTA and the SSMS Staff have been so grateful for the help we've received this year! The teachers get so much time back to spend in their classrooms with all of our children and will be able to start the New Year off with a little more ease. Sign up here!

• We appreciate everyone that has joined SSMS PTA this year! If you haven't joined yet, please consider! It is open all year to new memberships, we appreciate each and every one of you. Go to joinpta.org to join.

• Be sure to Like and Follow our Facebook and Instagram - we post information and updates daily, and we’ll show up more often in your feed the more you react to the posts!

DSISD Employee Recognition Program

Are you looking for a way to honor a Dripping Springs ISD employee? Whether you are a staff member wanting to recognize a co-worker for a job well done or a parent who is impressed by your child's bus driver for going that extra mile, this is the program for you! Anyone can nominate any DSISD employee through the district's employee recognition program, Tiger Stripes for Staff.

The program invites DSISD staff, students, parents and community members to participate by leaving a positive note about a staff member. Please click HERE to go to the district Tiger Stripe page.

The Core Four Youth Survey is live today! They are looking for youth in grades 6-12 to complete the survey. The purpose of the survey is to learn more about youth's thoughts, perceptions, and feelings regarding mental health, a sense of belonging, and the availability of youth services.

Survey in English

Survey in Spanish

Dripping Springs HS PTSA is excited to host Dripping Springs the Harlem Wizards on Sunday, February 23rd at 2 pm where they’ll take on the teachers, staff and community members from Dripping Springs Independent School District in a fun-filled community event. You can purchase your tickets now and view a sneak peek of the event .

Monday, 2/17 -District Holiday

Tuesday, 2/18 - B Day

7th Grader Vaping Prevention lesson in health classes

Board of Trustees Regular Meeting; 6pm @ CLL (Campus Spotlight by SSMS Engineering Class)

Rising Tigers 9th Grade Night (9am, 1pm, or 6pm) - for parents to attend in order to receive more information regarding course selection. This is virtual event, you can access the link here.

Wednesday, 2/19 - A Day

FCA Meeting in Small Gym @ 8:15am

Battle of the Books

6th Grade guidance lesson on Grit-via Huddle classes

7th Grader Vaping Prevention lesson in health classes

DSHS Counselors hosting Zoom Parent Q&A; 9am & 1pm (Zoom link here)

Boys Track Meet @ LTMS

One Act Play; 7pm in Cafeteria

Thursday, 2/20 - B Day

Faculty Meeting; 6th Grade Pod @ 8 am - NO TUTORIALS

6th Grade guidance lesson on Grit-via Huddle classes

TELPAS Practice

DSHS Counselors visit during Lunches

Girls Track Meet @ WRMS (MOVED from Wed)

One Act Play; 7pm in Cafeteria

Friday, 2/21 - B Day

TELPAS Practice

PTA Campus Tour; 11:30-12:00 - must sign up ahead of time (click HERE to sign up)

Pre-UIL Concert @ DSHS; 6:30 pm

One Act Play; 7pm in Cafeteria

Saturday, 2/22

Dance Competition

Sunday, 2/23

DSHS PTA Community Event w/ Harlem Wizards; 2-4 @ DSHS

2/25 - Band Pre-UIL Concert @ DSHS; 6:30 pm

2/25 - DSHS Counselors host Parent Q&A Zoom for all HS Families

2/26 - FCA Meeting in Small Gym @ 8:15 am

2/26 - Spring Picture Retakes; Sycamore Room

2/26 - Boys Track Meet @ WRMS

2/26 - Girls Track Meet @ HBMS

2/27 - CAC Meeting; 7:45 am in Sycamore Room

2/27 - Orchestra Concert @ DSHS

2/27 - Tiger Belles Tryouts; 5-7:30 pm

2/27 - Band Booster Meeting; 5:30 pm in Sycamore Room

2/28 - PTA Campus Tour; 11:30-12:00 - must sign up ahead of time (click HERE to sign up)

2/28 - Theatre Performance for SSMS Students; 1:45 pm

2/28 - Cheer Parent Information Meeting; 5:00 pm in Sycamore Room

2/28 - 8th Graders - Deadline to Enter/Make Changes to Course Requests in School Links!

3/3 - Battle of the Books

3/3 - 6th Graders Input Course Request into Skyward in Huddle Classes

3/3 - TELPAS Reading & Writing Assessment

3/4 - 6th Grades Input Course Request into Skyward in Huddle Classes

3/4 - Girls/Boys 7th Grade Pre-District Track Meet; 4:15 pm @ DSHS

3/4 - Cheer Clinic Day 1; Big Gym @ 4:30 pm

3/5 - FCA Meeting in Small Gym @ 8:15 am

3/5 - Student Council Meeting; P10 during Tiger Win

3/5 - Girls/Boys 8th Grade Pre-District Track Meet; 4:15 pm @ DSHS

3/5 - Cheer Clinic Day 2; Big Gym @ 4:30 pm

3/6 - Principal's Coffee; Pecan Room @ 8:15 am

3/6 - Principal's Student Advisory Meeting; location TBD during Tiger Win

3/6 - Cheer Clinic Day 3; Big Gym @ 4:30 pm

3/7 - Maintenance Worker Appreciation Day! 🙌

3/7 - PTA Board Meeting; 8:15 am in Pecan Room

3/7 - PTA Campus Tour; 11:30-12:00 - must sign up ahead of time (click HERE to sign up)

3/7 - Cheer Tryouts; Big Gym @ 4:30 pm

3/7 - 5th-7th Graders - Deadline to Enter/Make Changes to Course Requests in Skyward!

3/11 - Band UIL Concert & Sightreading; Hays CISD Performing Arts Center

3/11 - Substance Use Prevention Lesson - 6th Grade

3/11 - Girls/Boys District Track Meet; @ LTHS - Day 1

3/12 - Band UIL Concert & Sightreading; Hays CISD Performing Arts Center

3/12 - Substance Use Prevention Lesson - 6th Grade

3/12 - Girls/Boys District Track Meet; @ LTHS - Day 2

3/13 - NJHS Meeting; 8:00 am or 4:15 pm in 6th grade pod

3/14 - SSES Annual Field Day - Increase in Traffic and Parking 🚸

3/14 - PTA Campus Tour; 11:30-12:00 - must sign up ahead of time (click HERE to sign up)

3/17-3/21 - Spring Break - No School! 💐

3/24 - 8th Grade Panoramic Picture @ 10:30 am 📷

3/25 - SB 9 Parent Preview; Pecan Room @ 8 am or 2 pm

3/27 - Board of Trustees SSMS Campus Visit; 9:30 am

3/28 - Spring Pep Rally; during Tiger Win

3/28 - PTA Campus Tour; 11:30-12:00 - must sign up ahead of time (click HERE to sign up)

4/2 - CAC Meeting; Sycamore Room @ 7:45 am

4/2 - Paraprofessional Appreciation Day! 🎉

4/2 - Student Council Meeting; P10 during Tiger Win

4/3 - Choir Contest; Hays CISD Performing Arts Center

4/4 - School Librarian Appreciation Day! 📚

4/4 - PTA Board Meeting; 8:15 am in Pecan Room