Message from the Principal
We have enjoyed welcoming some students to campus this week and look forward to more to come through our phase-in plans. We also are so grateful for those remaining virtual, as it is continuing to allow us to implement social distancing on campus more effectively. We know it is not easy for everyone, but we thank you for the work you are doing virtually!
If you are currently signed up to remain virtual, but want to change to in-person (or vice versa), please remember that the deadline is TODAY (9/11/20). If you submit this change request form by midnight tonight, the in-person (or virtual) option will begin on September 21st for 6th and 7th graders and on September 28th for 8th graders. You do not need to submit the form if you are happy with your current choice. There will be more opportunities to make changes before each marking period begins.
As you are considering which option is best for your student/family, we want to share with you some current campus in-person data.
For Phase 1, we currently have approximately 44% of 6th graders attending in-person. With our 6th graders and special programs together, we have approximately 18% of total CRMS students in-person.
For Phase 2, as of mid-day today, we are currently looking at approximately 46% of 6th graders and 51% of 7th graders attending starting September 21st for a total of about 33% of CRMS students in-person.
For Phase 3, currently we will have 46% of 8th graders starting September 28th for a total of approximately 49% of CRMS students in-person.
Keep in mind that these numbers may change based on change requests that are received through tonight. Currently, based on these percentages, we are able to keep most classes at our ideal number of 15 or fewer students in each classroom. As the numbers of in-person learners increase, we may have classes that exceed that size, thus making it more challenging to follow social distancing recommendations. We are doing our best to minimize schedule changes, but in an effort to keep classes as small and socially distanced as possible, if you change your selection now to in-person, we may have to change your schedule to ensure our in-person classes are balanced with 19 or fewer students per class.
If you are attending in-person, please remember the CRMS Student Health Self-Screening & Checklist form must be submitted DAILY, or we have to pull the student from class to complete the form/be screened. We understand that it’s one more “thing” to add to your already busy morning, but we appreciate your cooperation with this new process.
Thank you for your continued support of CRMS!
Go Eagles!
Mrs. Wendy Sturdevant
Instagram: Canyon_Ridge_MS
Twitter: @Sturdevant_CRMS
DAILY Student Health Self-Screening & Checklist
Either a parent/guardian or the student is required to accurately complete and submit the CRMS Student Health Self-Screening & Checklist form EVERY morning before coming onto school property or getting on a school bus.
Self-Screening is an activity that all staff, students, and visitors must conduct EVERY DAY prior to entering a Leander ISD facility or bus to identify and exclude temporarily those who may have been exposed to COVID-19. This screening is an effort to maintain a healthy and safe learning/working environment.
The following is from the LISD COVID-19 Health Response Handbook:
Per the Texas Education Agency (TEA)
• “Schools have the ability to prevent anyone who either does not complete or does not pass a screening from entering their campus.”
• “Parents must ensure they do not send a child to school on campus if the child has COVID-19 symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test. School systems may also establish a screening process for students.”
By coming to school, you are attesting that you confidently answered “NO” to ALL of the questions related to COVID-19 symptoms and have a very low risk of carrying or spreading COVID-19. If you answered “YES” to ANY of the questions, you are to stay home. All screening information will be kept confidential by the campus administration and the campus nurse.
Students experiencing ANY of the symptoms from the list below, in a way that is not normal for the student, MUST REMAIN AT HOME and a parent/guardian should email the CRMS Attendance Clerk (CRMSAttendance@leanderisd.org) and provide the student’s Full Legal Name, Student ID Number, date and reason for absence.
***Students who are required to stay home due to COVID-19 related symptoms can still access learning virtually if they feel well enough to attend virtual classes.
Today is September 11th
19 years later. We remember the 2,977 people who died in New York City, Washington, DC and outside Shanksville, PA. We honor the men and women who heroically saved lives and defended our freedom. We embrace teaching more than just a history lesson, but how the events of 9/11/01 continue to reverberate through our lives.
Hi Eagle Parents!
Our CRMS teachers and staff are under a good amount of stress and yet they still show up and give our kids 110%. Show your love and support for our teachers/staff members this year by volunteering to be a Secret Pal! Secret Pals anonymously surprise their teacher with thoughtful gifts, kind words, and some of their favorite things. Basically, you become their biggest cheerleader! Let's lift their spirits and keep our teachers feeling appreciated!
- Click Here for the Secret Pal volunteer form
- The MORE teachers you list, the MORE likely you will be paired with one of your choices
- Deadline is Monday, September 21st
You will receive your teacher's name and info by Monday, September 28th, along with instructions to get you started. Contact crmssecretpal@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Thank You!
Jenn Riddick & Sarah George
There are also neighborhood collections for donations of cleaning supplies like Clorox wipes or paper towels. Please note: there are COVID EPA requirements on certain products so please check those before purchasing.
If you are wanting to donate and unsure how, we will gladly accept donations of bottled water, paper towels, hand sanitizer or Clorox wipes on campus. As long as the item meets the EPA requirements, is sealed and brand new, we can accept deliveries of donations during office hours on campus.
Counseling Newsletter
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 3 Issue 1
September 11, 2020
Foreign Language Testing
CRMS families, if your child is proficient in a foreign language and would like to pursue testing opportunities to earn high school credit, please contact your school counselor for information on 2020/2021 testing.
CALLING ALL EAGLE ATHLETE FAMILIES!
Family Sponsorships and Spirit Wear are now available from the CRMS Athletics Booster Club!
Now is the time for ALL SPORTS including Cross Country, Basketball, Track and Soccer to order their CRMS Athletics gear!
DEADLINE IS 10PM FRIDAY, SEPT. 18!
Need more info? Visit our website: www.crmsbooster.ch2v.com.
Please be on the look out for more athletics updates. We anticipate having more athletic information such as game day stadium requirements next week.
Update from Leander ISD regarding safety in virtual classrooms
Student and staff safety and security is our primary priority. We recognize that there have been recent virtual classrooms that have been compromised in our district as well as school districts around the nation. Due to this threat, we are adding additional layers of security when our students enter the virtual classrooms through Zoom. We are beginning to implement enhancements today and will continue to add additional enhancements in the coming weeks. The option to require authentication as a district account is now available and is being piloted starting today.
This upgrade to technology includes the following:
- Attendance tracking
- Additional instructional tools:
Polls, annotation, premade breakout groups
- Greater control of security settings:
-- Instructors can require additional authentication to join meetings
-- Students would not be able to start meetings
-- Differentiate access based on user groups
-- Access to enhanced support from Zoom
Our goal is to ensure the safest and most secure learning environment where our kids can focus on learning and will not be exposed to content that is not intended for young minds. We recommend that families discuss the importance of staying safe online and look forward to partnering with our families and community in this endeavor.
Theater Winter Show
Students can join the Audition Google Classroom (code: gxkksmj) to access all the information and audition materials. This is intended to be an educational and fun opportunity for any CRMS students who are interested in Theatre Arts. All auditions, rehearsals, and the festival itself are virtual. Audition deadline is Sept. 18th. Rehearsals will be after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30-4:30.
Brandy Roth
Theatre Arts Director
Canyon Ridge Middle School
Classroom: 512.570.3500 ext. 43588
Library Update: Select books you want!
Hey Eagles!
Even though you may not be able to visit the CRMS Library, you can still check out books because the CRMS Library is going mobile! You can reserve books through Destiny, our online library catalog, and Ms. Fuller will check them out to you.
Video and written instructions for placing books on hold in Destiny can be found in your grade level Google Classrooms. Just click on Classwork, and then scroll to Library Resources.
If you are an in-person learner, Ms. Fuller will deliver your books to you during your ELA class beginning Tuesday, September 8.
If you are a virtual learner, you may pick up your books during curbside services every Tuesday and Friday from 10:30-11:30 beginning Friday, September 11. Virtual students and parents, please wait for an email confirmation from Ms. Fuller that your books are ready before coming to campus.
If you have any questions, please email Ms. Fuller at amy.fuller@leanderisd.org.
Volleyball Try-out Information
7th Grade
Wednesday, September 23
Thursday, September 24
Friday, September 25
Tryouts before school, begin at 6:30am.
Coach Redfern
8th Grade
Wednesday, September 30
Thursday, October 1
Friday, October 2
Tryouts in afternoon, end at 5:30pm
Coach Dunn
All athletes must have the following completed prior to their grade level tryout.
Current physical on file with Coach Edwards.
All online paperwork must be completed.
Commitment form signed by athlete and parent
Complete the signup form - students must be signed in with their Leander ISD email address
Please visit the Volleyball website for all the tryout information and schedules.
2020 Cross Country
All athletes must have the following completed to participate in Cross Country practices and meets.
Current physical on file with Coach Edwards.
All online paperwork must be completed.
Complete the signup form - students must be signed in with their Leander ISD email address
Please visit the Cross Country website for the practice and meet schedules.
LEEF Campaign to Put $1 Million into Classrooms
CRMS Bell Schedule with 6 lunches
Thank you for your patience as we started our new bell schedule this week to allow for 6 lunches. We plan to remain on this bell schedule so we do not anticipate anymore changes whether you transition to in-person or virtual.
- Bell Schedule for In-Person and Virtual Empowered Learning
- A/B Calendar: please note the Staff Dev./Student Holiday on November 2nd was moved by the school board to November 3rd)
- Lunch times are deteremined by your 3rd/7th period teacher
- Students may be in the Blue lunch group on A day and Gold lunch group on B day or vice versa.
- As well, some elective courses may be a mix of 7th/8th graders so the lunch may not be pure to the assigned grade level. Those classes are assigned to keep lunches as small & balanced as possible.
- Homeroom time will still not be a required for virtual students. For in-person students, homeroom time will be utilized in 3rd/7th period classroom for a break to use the restroom, wash hands, etc. around lunch time.
- All students will keep their scheduled Advisory period. Advisory is an assigned, required class and the teacher will be taking attendance and have expectations in place for both virtual and in-person students.
Phase-In Information for In-Person at CRMS
(Please note: we had technical difficulties with the recording at the beginning, so we did a recap of all information from the beginning again later in the Webinar and here are the presentation slides also.)
More Clarification about In-Person:
If we have a person on campus test positive for COVID, the following actions will take place:
We will immediately send the individual home (if present on campus). Quarantining and contact tracing will be done with the local health department. Guidance will be provided by the health department, as well.
We will immediately clean/sanitize the classrooms/areas where the individual has been on campus.
Parents will be notified if their child comes in close contact with the positive case.
We will respect the individual’s privacy and follow FERPA and HIPAA laws.
The entire school will receive a notification if there is a positive test within the school.
Timeline for Phases and Changes in Selection for In-Person or Virtual
Starting Sept 8th, only 6th graders, LISD staff students (in any grade-level), & students who have a Special Education IEP who previously selected "in-person" may return to campus.
If you previously selected in-person and have changed your mind (want your student to remain virtual), you may email your grade-level counselor to make that change.
If you previously selected virtual and have changed your mind (want to change your student to "in-person"), please complete this change request form no later Sept. 11th to switch to “in-person” during your grade-level phase for the beginning of the second cycle grading period (starting Sept. 21st).
Beginning Sept 21st, 7th graders and students who receive direct services for dyslexia through 504 who have selected "in-person" may return to campus.
Beginning Sept 28th, 8th graders who have selected "in-person" may return to campus.
If you currently do not have access to the internet for virtual learning, please call 512-570-3500 and ask to speak with your AP. You must have pre-arranged approval to begin attending "in-person" prior to your grade-level's phased timeframe.
Deadlines for Parents to change from Virtual to In Person Learning & Date Students Return to In Person Learning
Deadline - September 11 for 2nd 6-weeks beginning September 21 for 7th graders & September 28 for 8th graders
- Deadline - October 23 for 3rd 6-weeks beginning November 2
- Deadline - December 11 for 4th 6-weeks beginning January 4
- Deadline - February 5 for 5th 6-weeks beginning February 16
- Deadline - March 26 for 6th 6-weeks beginning April 5
Attendance & Absence Information
Criteria for Students to Return to School After an Illness Absence
Since almost every illness contains symptoms associated with COVID-19, the LISD guidelines applying to suspected or diagnosed COVID-19 illnesses apply to all student absences which are due to illness.
Students absent from school for an illness with ANY of the symptoms listed above will need to meet the following criteria before returning to school:
• At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared; AND
• There is improvement in COVID-19 associated symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); AND
• At least 1 day (24 hours) have passed since recovery, defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.
A parent note for a student illness will NOT be accepted until AFTER the 10 day exclusion period has ended.
If a student has had a negative COVID-19 test (and provides documented results), the student may return to school once they are fever free without the use of fever-reducing medicines and has felt well for 24 hours.
Students can also return to school, if they receive confirmation of an alternative diagnosis from a health care provider that would explain the COVID-19-like symptom(s), once they are fever free without the use of fever-reducing medicines, and they have felt well for 24 hours (documentation required).
Students who return to school from an illness related absence without meeting the above criteria will be removed from class to wait in the lecture hall. Parents must then pick up their student immediately.
Procedure for Returning to School After ANY Absence
• Students returning to school after an absence, for any reason, must go directly to the Attendance Office before going to their 1st/5th period class.
• Students meeting the criteria to return to school will be given an Attendance Admit Hall Pass to be given to their 1st/5th period teacher.
• Teachers will not admit students who have been absent from class without an Attendance Admit Hall Pass.
• If the student does not meet the criteria to return school, they will wait in the lecture hall and a parent/guardian will be immediately notified take them home.
Message from CRMS Nurse
Dear Parents,
We are excited to see some of our students return to campus on September 8th. If your child requires medication during the school day or has emergency medication, please contact the school nurse to schedule an appointment. All paperwork, including doctor's signature for prescription medication, will need to be brought to the campus nurse during your appointment time. Medication must be properly labeled (prescription medication must have the pharmacy label), unexpired, and in the original container. Appointments will be made by grade level according to the phase in plan for our in-person students. For any questions or concerns, please contact our nurse, Rachael Kristoff at 512-570-3507 or email rachael.kristoff@leanderisd.org. Thank you.
Rachael Kristoff RN, BSN
Canyon Ridge Middle School Nurse
512-570-3507
512-570-9258 confidential eFax
Update to Remind & Newsletters!
Launch to Learning Guides and FAQ
As the upcoming school year takes shape, we want to ensure the information families need to make important decisions is easy to access in our Launch to Learning 2020-21 guides.
We know that our community still has questions, so we’ve worked hard at cultivating an expansive, updated FAQ section of the Launch to Learning site. The latest additions will be highlighted green for a few days and then moved into a queue under the appropriate heading.
Canyon Ridge Middle School
AP/Counselor by grade-level:
- 6th: Cassandra Ricks/Shirley Dean
- 7th: Mandi Vogel/Staci Cote
- 8th: Monica Diaz Carle/Lauren Gripentrog
Instagram: Canyon_Ridge_MS
Email: wendy.sturdevant@leanderisd.org
Website: https://crms.leanderisd.org/
Phone: 512-570-3500
Twitter: @Sturdevant_CRMS