HMS Staff Newsletter

Heritage Middle School

2024-2025

#TeamHMS

Sunday, March 23

Happy Birthday, Robyn Johnson!

Monday, March 24

HMS College Shirt Day

ELA PLC in 603

Cheer Practice 3:45 to 5:00 pm

Tuesday, March 25

HMS Faculty Meeting- 7:15 am or 3:35 pm in the learning commons

Math PLC in Room 603

Student Tech Advisory Group - HMS; 11:30 to 12:30 in the HMS Conference Room

Math Club 3:30 to 4:45 pm in Room 702

Broncos Got Talent Auditions 3:45 to 5:15 pm

Highsteppers Dance Practice 3:45 to 4:30 in GYM A

Wednesday, March 26

GCISD 6th Choir Festival- CHHS & Urban Air

Social Studies PLC in Room 603

Emergency Management Team Meeting 3:35 to 4:15 pm in the learning commons

Broncos Got Talent Auditions 3:45 to 5:15 pm

Cheer Practice 3:45 to 5:00 pm in GYM A

Thursday, March 27

Happy Birthday, Ereney Nagib!

Happy Birthday, Lauren Shelley!

Happy Birthday, Randall Harris!

Science PLC in room 603

Track Meet of Champions @ MPS

Friday, March 28

HMS Spirit Day

Epic Waters Choir Contest (7th and 8th grade during school)

Fine Arts/CATE/ Athletics PLC

• Make sure air purifiers, fans and lights are turned off each and every night after school.

• Duty rotations have been updated. Your date and AM/PM remains the same, however, the locations changed. This will start Monday after Spring Break, please note your new duty location. If you have any questions, please let Dom know.

  4th Nine-Week Duty Rotation Link

• Reminder, (from our handbook) you should be sending updates to all your parents about your classes, what you are doing, etc. every other week at least so they feel that the teachers are communicating with them about what their students are doing. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
• March Bronco Time Module
• Please go into Edugence when you receive a walk-through and look at the walk-through feedback and sign it.
• HMS Monthly Testing Calendar
• Submit lesson plans in canvas by Thursday.

111 Life-Changing Ways to Create Positive Change

22. Care More

When you care more, you stand out in a world where most don't seem to care anymore. When you care, you do more, give more, and help others become more.

These individuals deserve a shout out! There are many others that are deserving each and every week, but let's hear it for these ROCK stars!

• Thank you to those of you that help cover classes! You are appreciated!
• Thank you to our amazing DLLs for the work they do preparing for and leading PLCs each week!

Deborah Ryan is the WICOR warrior of the week for creating engaging lessons for her students. She uses socratic seminars and philosophical chairs to promote academic language and collaborative inquiry! Thank you for using WICOR to increase rigor and engagement during instruction!

WICOR Squads are coming to and end the week of March 31 during PLC. Your WICOR Choice Board Challenge is due that week. Extra copies are in the PLC room or you can print your own - WICOR Choice Board. Don't forget the HMS WICOR One-Pager if you need resources to help you with implementing WICOR strategies in your classroom.

Thank you for putting the HBCU Posters outside of your room. If you haven't already, please take them down and put them in Mrs. Gordon's box.

Join us for our 2025 GCISD ActivateEd professional development June 3, 4 and 5. This year, we’re revolutionizing professional development with a power-packed week of learning before summer break! No more scattered sessions—just an energizing, idea-filled experience designed to sharpen your skills, ignite your passion, and set you up for success next year.

We ask all teaching staff to complete this form by March 26.

Additionally, in the form, we are seeking presentation proposals.

Want to learn more? Take a look at this flyer.

Please take a look at the Save the Date flyer for more information. More detailed information about session offerings and how to sign up will be coming soon!

PTSA had mini grants reopened for our HMS staff. Please submit any grant requests using the link below.

https://broncoptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/293234

The deadline to apply is March 31.

The Special Services team wants to remind everyone that for students who are in the process of a FIIE due to having a 504 for dyslexia, the ARD committees must make eligibility determinations (conduct the Initial ARD meeting) so that each eligible student can begin services under an IEP no later than the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year. If you have any further questions, please contact Meredith Burns.

If you are interested in serving on a Curriculum Advisory Team for the 2025-2026 school year, please complete this interest form by March 28.

Selected participants will be compensated and may be expected to:

-serve one or more content area/grade level

-convene in person as needed and requested by the content area Director between the dates of May 27-30, 2025

-complete additional projects asynchronously by June 23, 2025

-support ongoing curriculum revision and/or professional learning throughout the 2025-2026 school year

In planning for next year, the 2025-2026 work calendars for all employees are available on the HR department page on the GCISD website. You can locate work calendars at this link https://www.gcisd.net/page/work-calendars.

To be more efficient and fiscally responsible you may see some changes in some work calendars. Individuals whose work calendar has changed based on either an increase or decrease in the number of days worked have been individually notified. Also, based on input from campus administrators and supervisors some start and end dates have changed for some work calendars so that employees are available at the times they are most needed either at the beginning of the school year or at the end of the school year. Please review your individual work calendar for 2025-2026 and make note of the days you are scheduled to work.

Last, all employees that work 187 days have two flex days that are required for 2025-2026. Please see the document 187 Calendar Work Day Requirements that outlines the requirements for employees that work 187 days. Please remember that these requirements are for next school year.

If you have any questions about your work calendar for 2025-2026 please reach out Human Resources at human.resources@gcisd.net.

Please review this updated information regarding Special Education Extended School Year (ESY) services for this coming summer. RISE Teachers were trained on ESY requirements during their training session on February 17, 2025, along with the STAAR Alt-2 training. Special Education staff have also been trained on these requirements. If any additional Special Education Teachers need ESY training, please contact Ticia Terlouw and we will come to campus to provide the training.

ESY will be at TES this year. All ESY decisions should be determined and documented in either an Annual or Review ARD by April 1, 2025.

ESY Dates/Times

Session 1: June 2-5; 9-12 (8:00-11:00)

Session 2: July 14-17; 21-24 (8:00-11:00)

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ticia Terlouw.

All staff should review the attached regulation on Prohibited Technology Applications. The 88th Legislature passed Senate Bill 1893, which prohibits the use of certain social media applications and services on governmental entity electronic devices. GCISD Policy CQC(LEGAL) includes provisions relating to these types of applications on district-owned devices whether used by staff or students. The attached regulation provides more background and information, lists prohibited applications and provides the TEA webpage where additional applications will be updated and added.

Additionally, All teaching staff must review the administrative regulations for the Use of Digital Devices and the Guidelines for the Use of Digital Devices.

GCISD just opened a new 6-hour update for secondary teachers called October Sky: Recognizing Giftedness in All Populations.

GT Core 30 courses and six-hour updates will be offered this spring from January 20 to April 30. All teachers working with gifted students are required to complete the Core 30 courses and a yearly six-hour update. Please share the flyer with your staff to ensure they are aware of these opportunities.

We will also be offering a 30-hour class this June in partnership with HEB for teachers who prefer an in-person option.

Dear HMS Staff Members,

We have an exciting opportunity for our students. We will be having a Career Fair on Friday, May 9 from 8:00 am to 11:30 am.

Students will be able to learn about multiple careers and hear from the experts in their fields. Our students will have the ability to ask questions. We want to encourage our students to listen to the many opportunities they have for a career.

This is where we need your and your families/friends expertise! All jobs and careers are important to HMS and we want to expose our students to as many job opportunities as possible. Students will be exploring career clusters during their ELA class including: Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources; Architecture and Construction; Arts, A/V Technology, and Communications; Business Management and Administration; Education and Training; Finance; Government and Public Administration; Health Science; Hospitality and Tourism; Human Services; Information Technology; Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security; Manufacturing; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; and Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics.

Please have your family members and friends sign up to join us on May 9 using this google form. They can come present one session or stay from 8:00 am to 11:30 am and present during multiple sessions.

Staff yearbooks are only $25!

Staff interested in buying a yearbook, please see Michelle with $25 via cash or check. Any questions please ask Cullen or Michelle.

Staff Yearbook Photo Submission:

Mr. Pearce would love to have your pictures for the yearbook as you get them!

Here is a link to the Google Drive folder where you can share them.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ryhr2SmbDJ52MrKcDKPzlNlmUKNonerd

The TEAM Award (Together Everyone Achieves More) recognizes the outstanding employees in the transportation, nutrition, custodial, maintenance, warehouse, technology, EDP and ECDC departments. Please nominate a deserving employee for our 3rd quarter award which ends on March 7. All winners will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win additional money in the RBFCU cash cube at the end of the year.

Do you know a GCISD employee who always goes the extra mile for our students and staff? It's time to shine a spotlight on them! Nominate them for the Stars of GCISD award to show your appreciation. Your nomination will be entered into a monthly selection and the nominee will be celebrated at their campus or department.

For the 2024-25 school year, Special Services will be conducting monthly Department Learning Leader (DLL) meetings, Teacher Meetings once every six week and a "First Tuesday Make & Take" opportunity. The scheduled dates are as follows.

DLL Meetings (3:45-4:30): 4-2-25

Teacher Meetings Secondary (4:30-5:30) 5-1-25

The Teacher Meetings will support the implementation of the Special Services Instructional Manual. The Special Services Instructional Manual was created as a Progress Measure for Priority 1 on the GCISD Balanced Scorecard.

The First Tuesday Make & Take night will be options to teachers. The focus of this time is to allow teachers who need to create and use visual supports to support IEP implementation with their students. We will provide all materials needed to the teachers so they can leave with resources ready to be used the next day in their classrooms.

Please do not allow students to enter your classrooms or leave your classrooms without having their students ID's around their necks. They are required to go to the office every morning if they do not have an ID around their neck and get a temporary ID so by the time they get to your classrooms, they should already have an ID.

If they get to the lunch room without a student ID, they will be sent back to your classroom to get it. It is required to be worn at all times in the building.

Do you want to recognize a student who has exhibited the Bronco Way? Please nominate students using this form. Please provide details about how the student was respectful, responsible, and/or safe.

This form is not meant for a student success during instruction, but rather when you see a student doing something exceptional using our three words: respectful, responsible, and/or safe without being told.

GCISD retirees are invited to the district's Retirement Dinner to honor your service to GCISD and education! We would love to celebrate with you and a guest on Tuesday, May 6. Invitations will be sent closer to the event, but we wanted our retirees to be aware so you can add this to your calendar.

GCISD Official Digital Curriculum Management Plan

HMS PTSA- hmsmembership@broncoptsa.org

Admin. Reg. Energy Management and Conservation

24-25 HMS Bell Schedule

T-TESS Rubric for Teachers

24-25 Special Activity Request Form

GCISD Admin. Reg. on Use of Personal Leave

Admin. Regulation on Door Security

Site Modification Request

Admin Reg. Electronic Communication & Video Conferencing with Students

24-25 Parent Student Handbook

Website: https://hms.gcisd.net/
Location: 5300 Heritage Avenue, Colleyville, TX, USA
Phone: 817-305-4790
Twitter: @HeritageBroncos