Sycamore Springs Middle School

Hello Sycamore Springs Middle School Families,

I hope you are enjoying your Sunday afternoon. We had another great week at Sycamore Springs, and it is hard to believe we are already heading into another busy week of September! As our students settle into their routines, we continue to look for ways to keep our campus safe, organized, and focused on learning.

One important change begins Monday morning. Students will now remain in their assigned morning locations until 8:40 a.m., with only students attending tutorials permitted to leave at 8:20. Please be sure to review the Morning Expectations section below with your student so they know where to report and what to expect.

There is plenty more happening around SSMS, so be sure to scroll through this week’s newsletter for upcoming events, campus updates, celebrations, and important reminders.

As always, thank you for your continued partnership and support of our Tigers!

If you need anything or have any questions, please reach out to your student's teacher, counselor, or administrator.

Go Tigers!

Sincerely,

Kelly Miller

Principal

1. Morning Arrival Changes Begin Monday: Beginning Monday, students will remain in their assigned morning location until they are released for tutorials or class:

6th Grade → Gym
7th Grade → Cafeteria
8th Grade → Courtyard

At 8:20 AM, only students attending tutorials will be released to report to a teacher’s classroom. All other students will remain in their assigned location until 8:40 AM, when students will be released to class.

Students eating breakfast may report to the cafeteria upon arrival, regardless of grade level.

Please see below for more information about this change and our updated morning expectations

Students will now remain in assigned grade-level locations until the 8:20 AM tutorial bell. Please see the full details below so your student knows where to report Monday morning

2. Tiger Talks is Back! Join our DSMS and SSMS communities on Wednesday, September 23 for our first Tiger Talks of the year: Navigating Growing Up in the Digital Age. Families will watch Screenagers: Generation AI and explore how AI is shaping the lives, relationships, and well-being of today’s teens. 6:00 PM | EVO Belterra | Grades 6+ | RSVP Required. See below for details and to RSVP!

3. Nurse Smith will be conducting state-mandated health screenings this semester. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) mandates that all children must be screened or have a professional examination for possible vision and hearing disorders, and Acanthosis Nigricans. Please click on this LINK to read the full letter from Nurse Smith.

Round 1 will take place on Monday, September 28th and Tuesday the 29th (if needed) and will involve:

4. Buy your yearbook now for the lowest price. 2027 yearbooks are now available for only $45! However, this is a limited time offer, and will end before you know it! Click HERE. See below for more information about purchasing a student ad.

5. Secondary Grading Information: What Does “Summative” Mean?

Have you noticed the three categories in our Skyward gradebooks? Formative assignments account for 30% of a student’s grade, Summative assignments account for 70%, and Practice (PRAC) assignments do not have a numerical impact on the grade.

This week, we’re focusing on Summative grades. Summative assessments and assignments have the greatest impact on a student’s overall grade because they are designed to measure learning after students have had instruction, practice, and opportunities for feedback. At this point in the learning process, students are expected to demonstrate their understanding of specific learning targets and TEKS.

Summative grades tell us how much learning or mastery a student has demonstrated at a particular point in time. They are not a measure of intelligence, talent, or a student’s potential. Instead, they provide students, families, and teachers with important information about what a student has learned, where they have demonstrated mastery, and where additional learning or support may still be needed.

The goal isn’t simply to earn a grade—it’s to demonstrate learning.

6. Attendance Matters: Every Class Period Counts!

Did you know the 90% attendance rule applies to each individual class period, not just full-day absences? At SSMS, repeated absences, late arrivals, early pickups, or appointments that cause a student to miss the same class can add up. Once a student reaches 14 absences in a class, they fall below the 90% threshold and will need to make up instructional time.

Attendance Questions? Find information about reporting absences, documentation, the 90% attendance requirement, attendance makeup, and more on the DSISD Attendance & FAQ page

We had a busy week last week with lots of great things going on!

Last week:

6th graders who were opted-in received a lesson from the Counselors called It's Harassment.

7th graders received a lesson from Safe Schools on Bullying Prevention.

The Counseling Department hosted their first Lunch and Learn of the year for Parents on Youth Anxiety.

Don’t worry if you missed the Lunch and Learn, you can watch the recording on our DSISD Family Learning Lounge youtube page. *Recordings from outside agencies will be taken down one month after the presentation date*

And the consent for Terrace Metrics opened for all 7th graders.

More on the Terrace Metrics: All 7th Grade students have the opportunity to take this survey on Oct. 7th or Oct. 8th via Tiger Win classes. Active consent is required from parents/guardians for their student(s) to participate. This means that we will not administer the survey to any student with a parental/guardian consent status of no or no response consent. Only students with a parental/guardian consent status of yes will be allowed to participate. 7th grade parents received an email last week with additional information about Terrace Metrics, as well as an email from Actionaly, which contains the consent form. The consent form will close on Oct. 1. Before the Terrace Metrics parental consent window closes, we will host a 7th-grade parent meeting to provide information and answer questions about the Terrace Metrics survey. Please join us on September 23 from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. in the Pecan room at SSMS for this meeting.

Happening this week:

Sept. 23 & 24-6th Grade only--Safe Schools Bullying Prevention Lesson in History classes

**Due to scheduling constraints, 8th grade will receive their Bullying Prevention lesson on October 15 & 28.

Also, don’t forget to check out this flyer for an upcoming Parent Book Study on The Whole-Brain Child starting Tuesday, September 29. The flyer has details and a link to sign-up!

Have a great week and Go Tigers!

Ms. Dykhoff, Grades 6-8 last names A-K

Mrs. Zimmerman, Grades 6-8 last names L-Z

Over the past two weeks, we have worked with students to reinforce our morning expectations between 8:20–8:45 AM. During this time, students have been able to attend tutorials, work quietly in their grade-level pod, or visit quietly with friends. Unfortunately, we continue to have students running, playing chase, and moving throughout the building in ways that disrupt tutorials and create supervision and safety concerns.

To provide a more safe, structured, and productive start to the school day, we are adjusting our morning procedures beginning Monday.

From 8:00–8:20 AM, students should report directly to their assigned location:

6th Grade – Gym

7th Grade – Cafeteria

8th Grade – Courtyard.

Any student who needs breakfast may report directly to the cafeteria, regardless of grade level.

At 8:20 AM, the tutorial bell will ring. Students who are attending tutorials will be released to report to their teacher’s classroom. Students who are not attending tutorials will remain in their assigned morning location until it is time to transition for the school day.

This change will allow teachers to provide focused academic support during tutorials while helping us maintain appropriate supervision and a calm start to the morning. We appreciate families reviewing these updated expectations with students before Monday.

AI is quickly becoming part of our students’ everyday lives, from schoolwork and entertainment to social media, relationships, and even emotional support. How do we help our kids navigate this changing world in a healthy and responsible way?

Join the Dripping Springs Middle School PTA and Sycamore Springs Middle School PTA, sponsored by the Dripping Springs Council of PTAs, for our first Tiger Talks event of the 2026–27 school year.

We’ll screen Screenagers: Generation AI, a documentary exploring how young people are using AI and the impact this rapidly changing technology may have on their development, relationships, learning, and mental health. The screening will be followed by a facilitated discussion and Q&A designed to help families continue these important conversations at home.

Wednesday, September 23
EVO Entertainment Belterra
Doors open at 6:00 PM | Movie begins at 6:30 PM
For students in grades 6–12 and adults
Food provided | RSVP required

RSVP for Tiger Talks: Screenagers Generation AI

Is your student unable to access their Skyward account? If so, have them follow these instructions to set up a new password and access their username.

Consistent daily attendance is one of the single most effective ways to ensure your child stays connected, confident, and on track academically. When students miss school, it creates unintended disruptions to their learning journey. To keep you informed, we want to share a clear overview of the two Texas state laws that govern school attendance and course credit.

Compulsory School Attendance (TEC 28.085)

The compulsory attendance law is concerned with unexcused absences. This law states that students must attend school each school day for the entire period the program of instruction is provided. After the third unexcused absence, the school will issue a warning letter to parents. At 10 or more unexcused absences (full or part day) within a six-month period, students are classified as truant and automatically designated by state guidelines as “at-risk”.

Minimum Attendance for Class Credit or Final Grade (TEC 25.092)

Commonly called the 90% attendance rule, this law focuses on class credit and final grades. Students must be present for at least 90% of the days a class is offered to receive credit. Both unexcused and excused absences count toward this limit. When a student exceeds this threshold, they lose credit for the course and are classified as “at risk” for chronic absenteeism. If attendance falls between 75% and less than 90%, a student may still earn credit by completing a principal-approved plan to meet the instructional requirements of the class.

Regular school attendance is essential to prevent serious disruption to your student’s education. All absences automatically default to unexcused until the campus receives official documentation. Qualifying absences will be updated to excused once proper documentation is submitted (i.e., parent note/email or doctor’s note). Please submit documentation within 48 hours of your student’s return to campus. Timely communication with the campus is important so your student’s absences can be coded correctly.

This week’s Tiger of the Week showed what it truly means to be a Tiger!

Meet the people who make SSMS special! Each week, we’ll spotlight a member of our Tiger team.

Happy Birthday to all our SSMS Faculty and Staff! We ❤️ You! Go Tigers! 🐯

Big cheers to our amazing SSMS teachers who earned a shout-out from their peers this week! Your hard work and positivity keep our campus shining bright. We’re so lucky to have the BEST staff around. Thank you for making SSMS the place to be!

Congratulations to the Tiger of the Week!💪🎉

Please congratulate the Players of the Game!!!

Please help me in congratulating Ayden Ward for being our Tiger of the Week! We are so proud of all the hard work and effort you put into athletics!

Congratulations to our SSMS XC Runners of the Week for the week of September 8th through September 11th. These runners consistently give their all to improve themselves and their teammates. They push themselves to go farther faster by putting in the work from warm-ups to the trails to meets. They are always looking for their next challenge or goal to beat. Congratulations to Tyler M.(7G), Jackson L (7B), Myla (8G), and Asher (8B). I can't wait to see what you'll accomplish this season with your endless effort!

On Friday, Sept. 11th, SSMS XC took to the trail at Onion Creek Metropolitan Park. Our meet started with a surprise visit from our SSMS XC alumni who now run as freshmen for DSHS XC. Their support, leadership and willingness to jump in and help our team on Friday shows the character and strength of these young men beyond their amazing running abilities.

With 200 runners on the trail, our SSMS 7th/8th Girls team worked together to finish 2nd overall with Reagan P. (4th), Finley R. (5th) and Tyler M (19th ) finishing in the top 20. The SSMS 7th/8th Boys ran to an amazing 4th place team finish in a highly competitive race. Congratulations to Theo (3rd) and Jude (14th) who finished in the top 20. Way to shine, SSMS XC!

Happy Trails!

Coach McGilvray

Please congratulate these Choir Students of the Week!

•ACTION: Did you know that students, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and neighbors-near or far-can all join SSMS PTA? 326 members strong, 99 away from our 425 goal, and within reach of Texas PTA Early Bird Award, which takes just 56 more members to match the total last year of 382. TWO raffles left-YETI Ramblers 9/30, & a YETI Roadie 15 Cooler 10/31! Scan the QR code or visit JoinPTA – JoinPTA to join in 2mins— let’s Syc ’Em Tigers!

•ACTION: Support SSMS students & staff all year long! Your PTA donation—BIG or small—helps fund programs like Spelling Bee, events like Talent Show, and staff appreciation like the upcoming Halloweenie that make SSMS special. Donate today: Donate to Sycamore Springs Middle School PTA to help us support our students, teachers, and staff.

•ACTION: Opportunities to volunteer at SSMS are here! You can help free up teaching time to educate & mentor by simply volunteering to make copies in our workroom WEEKLY. Please, sign up for one or MORE slots that is convenient for you. OPEN SLOTS: Tues 9/22 and Thurs 9/24 are available and will be posted weekly. Sign up here: SignUp.com Mobile

•ACTION: SSMS PTA is excited to participate in the Nat’l PTA Reflections! It encourages students of ALL ages & abilities to explore and be involved in the arts. Students create and submit original works of art in the medium of their choice— dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts — reflecting on a specific theme. This year's theme is "What Culture Means to Me.We would love for you to participate! Rules and entry form here: https://www.txpta.org/reflections-participation

•ACTION: Want to show your love for our amazing SSMS Staff? Here’s how! We’re looking for volunteers for a Hospitality Committee for help with a few student & staff events starting with our beloved Staff Appreciation event Halloweenie, Fri Oct 23rd! Interested? Email: president@ssmspta.org

•Be sure to Like & Follow Sycamore Springs Middle School PTA on ourFacebookandInstagram - only 70 followers away from a 1500 goal- we post information & updates daily!

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. Click HERE to leave a Tiger Strip!

DSISD’s Advanced Academics and Gifted and Talented Parent Information Night will be held on Tuesday, September 22, from 5:30-6:30pm at the DSISD Center for Learning & Leadership. The goal of the session is to guide families in requesting testing for gifted and talented services in DSISD, as well as to offer an overview of GT programming. The window for parents to request GT testing is open October 1 to November 13, 2026. For additional information, and to access the GT request/referral link on or after October 1, please visit the DSISD Gifted and Talented website.

Every Day Counts

School attendance matters! Every day spent in the classroom is an opportunity for growth, learning, and connection.

As we begin Attendance Awareness Month, we want to remind our families that regular school attendance is one of the strongest predictors of student success. Being at school helps students achieve greater academic achievement, build responsibility and strong time-management habits, strengthen social skills, and develop friendships.

Help our Tigers stay on track! Please follow the district calendar when planning family vacations and appointments so our students can make the most of every day at school.

Did You Know?

Missing just two days of school each month can add up to approximately 120 hours of missed instruction over the course of a school year — the equivalent of missing about a full month of instruction!

Monday, 9/21

8th Football @ WHS vs HCMS; 5:00/6:30pm

Tuesday, 9/22

7th Football vs HCMS @ SSMS; 5:00/6:30pm

Wednesday, 9/23

FCA Meeting; Small Gym @ 8:00am (must have permission slip to attend)

6th Grade Safe Schools Bullying Prevention Presentation in SS Classes

Terrace Metrics Parent Meeting; Pecan Room @ 9:30am

Thursday, 9/24

No Tutorials/Faculty Meeting

6th Grade Safe Schools Bullying Prevention Presentation in SS Classes

Volleyball vs HCMS @ SSMS; 8B/7A 5:15pm & 8A/7B 6:30am

Friday, 9/25

Saturday, 9/26

XC St. Andrew's MS Invitational, St. Andrew's @ 7am

Volleyball Hays Tournament @ Hays CISD

9/28 - Health Screening for all of 7th grade: Vision, hearing, and Acanthosis Nigricans screening

9/28 - 7th Football @ BCMS; 4:15/5:30/7:00pm

9/29 - Health Screening for all of 7th grade: Vision, hearing, and Acanthosis Nigricans screening

9/29 - 8th Football vs BCMS @ SSMS; 4:15/5:30/7:00pm

9/30 - FCA Meeting; Small Gym @ 8:00am (must have permission slip to attend)

10/1 - Fall Pep Rally; during Tiger Win

10/1 - Volleyball @ BCMS; 8B/7A 5:15pm & 8A/7B 6:30am

10/2 - PTA Board Meeting; Sycamore Room @ 11:30am

10/2 - ESports Tournament; Cafeteria @ 4:30pm

10/2 - 🐯Varsity Football Home Game vs. Buda Johnson; Tiger Stadium @ 7:30pm 🏈 HOMECOMING!

10/5 - 7th Football vs WRMS @ SSMS; 5:00/6:30pm

10/6 - 8th Football @ WHS vs WRMS; 5:00/6:30pm

10/7 - FCA Meeting; Small Gym @ 8:00am (must have permission slip to attend)

10/7 - XC Highland Lakes MS District Meet; DSHS @ 5pm

10/8 - Volleyball vs WRMS @ SSMS; 8B/7A 5:15pm & 8A/7B 6:30am

10/8 - Choir Concert; Cafeteria/Stage @ 7pm

10/9 - Student Holiday/Staff Workday

10/10 - Region Choir Field Trip

10/12 - District Holiday/No School

10/13 - 7th Football @ HBMS; 4:15/5:30/7:00pm

10/14 - FCA Meeting; Small Gym @ 8:00am (must have permission slip to attend)

10/14 - 8th Football vs HBMS @ SSMS; 4:15/5:30/7:00pm

10/15 - 8th Grade Safe Schools Bullying Prevention Presentation in SS Classes

10/15 - Volleyball @ HBMS; 8B/7A 5:15pm & 8A/7B 6:30am

10/16 - XC Team Breakfast; 7am

10/16 - PTA General Membership Meeting; Sycamore Room @ 8:15am

10/16 - 🐯Varsity Football Home Game vs. Bowie; Tiger Stadium @ 7:30pm 🏈

10/17 - Volleyball - District B Team Tournament; at SSMS

10/17 - Region Choir Field Trip; AISD

10/19 - 7th Football @ DSMS; 4:15/5:30/7:00pm

10/19 - Volleyball vs DSMS @ SSMS; 8B/7A 5:15pm & 8A/7B 6:30am

10/20 - NJHS Meeting; 6th grade Pod @ 8:05am

10/20 - Picture Retake Day; 9-2pm

10/20 - 8th Football vs DSMS @ DSHS; 4:15/5:30/7:00pm

10/21 - FCA Meeting; Small Gym @ 8:00am (must have permission slip to attend)

10/21 - NJHS Meeting; 6th grade Pod @ 4:20pm

10/23 - XC Fun Run; 7am

10/24 - Volleyball - District A Team Tournament; at DSMS

10/24 - District Band Auditions; SSMS Gym

10/26 - Girls Basketball Tryouts Begin

10/28 - FCA Meeting; Small Gym @ 8:00am (must have permission slip to attend)

10/28 - 8th Grade Safe Schools Bullying Prevention Presentation in SS Classes

10/30 - Student Holiday/Teacher Workday