Sycamore Springs

Hello Sycamore Springs Middle School Families,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! We are so excited to welcome our new and returning families to Sycamore Springs Middle School. School starts this Tuesday and we cannot wait to see everyone.

Listed below are several important updates about the new school year along with reminders and dates to add to your calendar. If you have any questions, please reach out to your student's teacher, counselor, or administrator. We are looking forward to a fantastic school year!

1. Open House is this Monday, August 12, from 4:00-6:00 pm. This is a come-and-go event. Students and parents/guardians will have one last opportunity to walk their schedule and get the "lay of the land" before the first day of school. This is a very low-key event. There are no scheduled events and teachers and counselors are not available. It is designed to allow students and families one last chance to walk through the building before the first day of school. You will need to park in the Maroon Lot (main lot) and enter the building through the main entrance. You will NOT be able to enter the building by the cafeteria or the portables.

2. First Day of School is Tuesday, August 13 which is a B day (students will go to their 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th period classes). The building will open at 8:00 am. Students that arrive between 8:00-8:40 am will go directly to the cafeteria. At 8:40 am students will report 5th period. Please make sure to plan enough time for drop-off and pick-up as there will be a lot of traffic during the first two weeks of school. The official school day is 9:00 am - 4:15 pm.

3. Parking and student drop-off/pick up - Please review our traffic pattern maps and videos to familiarize yourself with where to park, pick-up, and/or drop-off your student before the first day of school.

If you have a student who will ride their bike to school, we recommend practicing the route BEFORE the first day of school so they know exactly where to go and where to park their bikes. All bike racks are located in the front of the building under the main awning.

Parking and Traffic Pattern Map - click here.

Video of Route Coming from the North

Video of Route Coming from the South

For more detailed information regarding our traffic pattern, parking lots, and bike-rider routes, click HERE.

4. For all bus riders - Parents should check Smart Tag Parent App for bus information or if they are not sure if they registered for the bus. Parents should submit a Bus Service Request or Change Form to change or add a request. Both links are on our webpage. Preliminary bus information is available now, parents should check back for updated times, etc. the day before school as students are still being added to buses as requests come in. Link to DSISD Transportation Website

5. School Supplies - please see the following attachment regarding instructions for the first day of school and school supplies. For a complete list of school supplies, please visit our webpage.

6. Schedules - Counselors are still working on finalizing schedules and balancing classes. Your students schedule could change up until Monday, August 12. Please make sure you check Skyward Monday night or Tuesday morning before the first day of school. Any changes to your student's schedule after Monday, August 12, will be communicated to your student.

7. The deadline to request a schedule change is TODAY. If you would like to request a change to your schedule, please click on the link below and complete the form. Your counselor will process each request as soon as possible. Please note that if your request cannot be made, the counselor will reach out to you. Please also note that we DO NOT grant any teacher requests. All schedule change requests MUST be submitted by August 11th to guarantee that the request is considered before the first day of school. Schedule change requests will not be accepted via email. You must complete the following link. Schedule Change Link.

8. Student IDs will be available for pick up during Open House on 8/12 and on the first day of school. Please note that all DSISD secondary schools require all students, faculty, and staff to wear their school ID at all times. The school will provide each student with a lanyard and plastic case when they pick up their ID. Students are able to buy a different lanyard or use a clip to adhere their ID to their shirt. IDs MUST be worn around the student's neck or on their shirt and not on their backpack, in their wallets/purse, or on their jeans.

9. Cell Phones - please review the cell phone policy with your student before the first day of school. Students are allowed to use cell phones before and after school and can earn use of them during lunch. This lunch privilege will be extended to sixth graders after the first few weeks of school. The lunch privilege is contingent upon students exhibiting Safe, Respectful, and Responsible behavior in the lunch room including cleaning their areas each day. Cell phones, headphones, Apple watches, Airpods, and other devices may not be used in the hallways during passing periods or in the classroom.

If students wish to bring their cell phone to school, they must leave it in the backpacks or put in a designated location specified by the teacher. Cell phones must remain in the students backpack during transitions and may NOT have it out in the hallways, restrooms, or locker rooms. Make sure your student either prints their schedule or writes down their schedule the evening before school starts or Tuesday morning (as they will not be allowed to reference their phone during passing periods.

10. Chromebooks - Chromebooks will be issued to any student who needs one during the first week of school. Chromebooks and laptops will NOT be allowed during lunch. Student must keep their Chromebooks/laptops in their backpacks during lunch.

11. Transitioning Back to School! - Transitioning back to school after summer is not always easy. The DSISD Licensed Mental Health Professionals (LMHP) have put together this one-pager of tips and resources to help your student and family adjust to the school schedule with success.

Again, we cannot wait to have everyone back in the building and to meet all our new students! Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Go Tigers!

Sincerely,

Kelly Miller

Principal

The building will be open Monday, 8/12, from 4 - 6 pm for anyone who would like to walk their schedule one last time before the first day of school. It is a come-and-go event. Make sure to bring your schedule. Teachers and other staff will NOT be available.

**Make sure you log into Skyward Family Access to see your most current schedule. Some students' schedules have changed since Tigers Ready.

The first day of school is a B-Day and the building will open at 8:00 am.

• Students may enter the building through the main doors or the doors in the back of the building by the cafeteria.
• ALL students will report to the Cafeteria if they arrive before 8:40 am. After 8:40 students will report directly to their 5th-period class.
• Students will KEEP their school supplies with them until Tiger WIN. (More info below)
• Students will start their day in their 5th-period class.
• We will run our standard B-Day Schedule (5th - 8th period classes).
  

***Make sure to check your student's schedule on Skyward Family Access MONDAY NIGHT (8/12). The counselors have been updating schedules over the weekend, therefore some students' schedules HAVE CHANGED SINCE TIGERS READY.

School starts at 9:00 am and ends at 4:15 pm. Make sure you are in your first or fifth period class by 9:00 am. Below is a 2024-2025 bell schedule.

In the sample schedule below, this student has C lunch on A Day and A lunch on B Day.

• Student go to 1, Tiger Win/Advisory, 2, 3, 4 classes on A Day. The highlighted "C" tells the student to go to C lunch.

• Student go to 5, Tiger Win/Advisory, 6, 7, 8 classes on B Day. The highlighted "A" tells the student to go to A lunch.

With the typical start of school traffic, please expect delays, particularly at the end of the day. Please make sure to follow the traffic flow and student pick-up/drop-off procedures stated below.

• For SSMS families coming from the north of campus (i.e. Belterra, Ledge Stone, etc.), please enter and exit through the entrance at the north end of the campus (see purple route on map). Follow the road alongside the football field to the back of the campus and drop-off/pick-up students near the cafeteria (Blue Lot). Parents will loop around the small cafeteria parking lot and follow the same path (see aqua route on map) to exit onto Sawyer Ranch. Video of Route Coming from the North

• For SSMS families coming from the south of campus (i.e. Highpointe, etc.), you will enter and exit through the south entrance on the elementary side of the school (see pink route on map). Parents will proceed to the back of SSE, circle through the back parking lot, and drop-off/pick-up their students in the Yellow Lot (near the SSE entrance). Video of Route Coming from the South

• For both drop-off/pick-up zones, make sure to pull all the way forward in the loading zones to help decrease the backup of traffic on Sawyer Ranch.
• Students are only allowed to be picked up alongside the curb in the designated loading zones. Please do not pick up students along Sawyer Ranch Rd or before the designated zones.
• The front lot (Maroon) is for buses, ADA access, and staff parking -THIS IS NOT A DROP-OFF/PICK-UP ZONE. You are welcome to park in the Maroon Lot if you need to come inside the campus.
  
• No student will be allowed to walk through a parking lot without an adult.
• We will have administrators and teachers helping direct traffic.

Thank you again for your patience. The safety of all students is our first priority.

Crossing guards will be at the sidewalk from Highpointe and at the top of the hill on the north side of the campus to assist pedestrians and bike riders.

Bikers entering/exiting the campus from the south (Highpointe or similar) should travel on the path from Highpointe to be escorted by the crossing guard at the pathway. Bikers entering/exiting the campus from the north (Belterra or similar) should remain on the Sawyer Ranch sidewalk until they reach the north entrance, then walk their bike across the traffic entrance and proceed to the front porch of the campus to secure their bikes at the racks by the main entrance of the school. Please remind your bikers to get off of their bikes and walk across any entrances or exits.

We recommend practicing the route BEFORE the first day of school so they know exactly where to go and where to park their bikes. All bike racks are located in the front of the building under the main awning.

Last year Hays County installed signage and additional visual cues to bring attention to the crosswalk at Sawyer Ranch and White Wash Way. By law, the operator of a vehicle must stop and yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing a roadway. Please be on the lookout for our students who are crossing Sawyer Ranch and thank you for your compliance with all driver, pedestrian, bike rider, and bus safety laws.

Student IDs will be available to pick up during Open House on 8/12 and on the first day of school.

Please note that all DSISD secondary schools require all students, faculty, and staff to wear their school ID at all times. The school will provide each student with a lanyard and plastic case when they pick up their ID. Students are able to buy a different lanyard or use a clip to adhere their ID to their shirt. IDs MUST be worn around the student's neck or on their shirt and not on their backpack, in their wallets/purse, or on their jeans.

Students are allowed to use cell phones before and after school and can earn use of them during lunch. This lunch privilege will be extended to sixth graders after the first few weeks of school. The lunch privilege is contingent upon students exhibiting Safe, Respectful, and Responsible behavior in the lunch room including cleaning their areas each day. Cell phones, headphones, Apple watches, Airpods, and other devices may not be used in the hallways during passing periods or in the classroom.

Chromebooks & Laptops are NOT allowed during lunch. They must remain in the student's backpack.

**All devices are brought at your own risk and the school is not responsible for those items.

Please review the dress code as set in the Student Handbook with your students. We need your help with your student arriving in accordance with the dress code to school.

Student dress standards:

• School issued ID Cards on lanyard/attached to shirt
• The student’s back, bottom, chest, and stomach must be covered.
• Underwear must not be visible.

Students may not wear:

• Tops that are strapless, plunging, or low-cut;
• Sheer or see-through clothing;
• Clothing that has pictures, emblems, or writings that are lewd, offensive, vulgar, or obscene

• Clothing that advertises or depicts tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other substance prohibited by policy

Students will be asked to change if they are out of the dress code. If they do not have anything to change into, they will receive a change of clothes from the nurse's clinic along with a parent notification.

Click here for the Student Handbook and Student Code of Conduct. Information about the dress code can be found on page 49 of the Student Handbook.

We do NOT allow food delivery services during the school day (Doordash,

Ubereats, etc.) for the following reasons: we cannot have strangers on our campus

flowing in throughout the day and it is disruptive to class time. If a delivery service drops

off anything at school, you will be able to collect it from the AP's office at the end of the

day. Parents/Guardians may still drop off items at the front office. Students will NOT be allowed to leave class to pick up food from the office unless it is during their scheduled lunch time.

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

If you student is planning on playing football, please download the SportsYou App and join the SSMS Football group.

SSMS Football 2024

Access Code - WE8WSEEB

*Click on this FLYER for more detailed instructions on how to download the app.

Tryouts for the 2024 season will be held August 13-16th until 5:30pm. Before athletes are able to tryout they must turn in a physical to the girls coaching staff. Athletes need to bring kneepads and a water bottle. Also please fill out a volleyball tryout interest form linked below.

Volleyball Interest Form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdXK48l2Oy0bKsv2nJAMpHRVWfQnP_BsOovnle6wgvKlp5eMg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0&usp=mail_form_link

Please make sure to join the SSMS Girl’s Athletics sportsYou page as we will be sending updates and important information throughout the season.

SportsYou access code: ZVWK87TW

If you have any questions please email Coach Salamah at sara.salamah@dsisdtx.us or Coach Hulett at megan.hulett@dsisdtx.us

SSMS XC: Calling all SSMS Runners!

SSMS cross country is ready to run and needs you! All runners are welcome and try-outs are not required to practice with us! We practice from 7:00 AM to 8:15 AM four to five days a week and our team is open to interested 7th or 8th graders. You do not need to enroll in Athletics to participate with SSMS Cross Country and I am willing to work with you if you are balancing other activities or sports.

Our first practice will be on Wednesday, August 14th. You must have a completed physical submitted in order to participate. In addition, please complete the cross country interest form below as soon as possible from your DSISD Google account. If you have already completed the interest form, please watch your inbox and sportYou so you'll be ready to run with us on August 14th.

https://forms.gle/xVfYzzxCC5kHuY8KA

In addition, please download the SportsYou app and join our page to stay up-to-date on SSMS XC. The access code is 84JBNG7Q

Our season is quick (District Meet is October 3rd) but will include great trails, amazing sunrises, endless memories, personal bests, incredible friendships, and hopefully, YOU! Please email me if you have any questions at nicole.mcgilvray@dsisdtx.us

Happy Trails!

Coach McGilvray

Transitioning back to school after summer is not always easy. The DSISD Licensed Mental Health Professionals (LMHP) have put together this one-pager of tips and resources to help your student and family adjust to the school schedule with success.

Monday, 8/12

Open House (come-and-go event), 4-6pm

Tuesday, 8/13 - B Day

First Day of School 🏫

Volleyball Tryouts Begin (during athletics)

Football Parent Meeting; 6pm in SSMS cafeteria

Wednesday, 8/14 - A Day

Football Practice Starts @ 7:15am; doors open at 6:45am

Cross Country (XC) First Practice; 7am

Thursday, 8/15 - B Day

Cross Country Parent Meeting @ 5:30 in the big gym

Friday, 8/16 - A Day

8/19 - Volleyball Parent Meeting; 5:30pm

8/20 - 8th Grade Student Assembly during Tiger Win

8/21 -7th Grade Student Assembly during Tiger Win

8/22 - 6th Grade Student Assembly during Tiger Win

8/26 - Board of Trustees Regular Meeting; 6pm @ CLL Board Room

8/27 - Meet the Teacher Night, 6-7:45pm

8/28 - 7th/8th Football Scrimmage @ DSMS; 5pm

8/29 - Volleyball vs DSMS @ SSMS; 8B/7A 5:15pm & 8A/7B 6:15am

9/2 - No School - Staff and Student Holiday - Labor Day work

9/3 - Picture Day 📸 - day 1

9/3 - 7th Football vs DSMS @ SSMS

9/4 - Picture Day 📸 - day 2

9/4 - 8th Football @ DSMS

9/5 - Volleyball Team Pictures

9/6 - DSHS Varsity Football vs SA Wagner; Tiger Stadium @ 7:30pm

9/9 - 7th Football vs McCormick @ SSMS

9/10 - 8th Football @ McCormick

9/12 - Volleyball vs Bee Cave @ SSMS; 8B/7A 5:15pm & 8A/7B 6:15am

9/13 - PTA General Membership Meeting @ 8:15am in Sycamore Room

9/13 - Fall Pep Rally - during Tiger Win

9/16 - 7th Football @ BCMS

9/17 - National IT Professional Day 💻🎉

9/17 - 8th Football vs. BCMS @ SSMS

9/19 - Volleyball vs HCMS @ SSMS

9/20 - Varsity Football vs Buda Johnson; Tiger Stadium@ 7:30 pm

9/21 - Volleyball Hays Tournament; time TBD

9/23 - 7th Football @ HCMS

9/24 - 8th Football vs HCMS @ Westlake HS

9/26 - Volleyball @ LTMS