Dear Covington Middle School Community,

I hope this message finds you well and that everyone made it safely through the challenges posed by the extreme weather earlier this week. Despite the two late start days, it was heartening to see students eager to be back in school, reconnecting with their peers.

A quick reminder for parents: any student who arrived late or was absent on Tuesday or Wednesday will be marked as Excused. Thank you for your understanding.

Looking ahead, we are gearing up for our first full week of the new year. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will feature grade level assemblies during Advisory, providing an opportunity to review Colt Expectations.

In observance of Holocaust Remembrance Week, our 6th-grade students will engage in a thoughtful book study. This is an important time for reflection and understanding.

As we transition from January to February, we also enter Testing Season. Next month, students will participate in various assessments, including the Interim STAAR Assessment for all students, the National Assessment of Educational Progress for selected 8th graders, and the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System for Emergent Bilingual Students. To keep you informed about upcoming testing dates, please refer to Covington's testing calendar below has context menu.

As always, your questions and concerns are important to us. Please do not hesitate to reach out. Wishing you a safe and warm weekend ahead.

Your proud principal,

Cedric Maddox

AISD Technology remains committed to providing students the devices they need to fully participate in blended learning environments. Device distribution, however, can be costly. Our warranties do not cover loss or intentional damage, an increasing issue the district is experiencing.

It’s essential that we minimize costs associated with device loss and damage. This ensures the sustainability of the bond-funded program.

We have reviewed our internal student device loss and damage incident data and now need feedback from staff and families to inform our next steps. The Everyone:1 Student Device Feedback Survey begins January 11, 2024, and is open to faculty, staff, and AISD families.

Get a head start on enrolling your student for next year! Check out the new Austin ISD's open enrollment / registration. Deadlines for Academies and Magnet Schools applications are Feb. 6th, 2024. Feel free to call the office if you have any questions.

Remember that you can call (512)414-7328 for help with online enrollment!

8th Grade into High School!

Check out more information about our 3 nearby high schools and what they have to offer!

• Crockett High School Early College Website: https://crockett.austinschools.org/early-college-hs

• Bowie High School Incoming 9th Grade Website: https://bowie.austinschools.org/counseling/incoming-9th-grade

• Akins High School Incoming 9th Grade Website: https://akinsechs.austinschools.org/academics/in-coming-9th-grade

9th Grade Choice Sheet Visits

Our 8th graders will be working with HS counselors to complete their choice sheets this month. IF your student’s projected HS is not listed here, please email the counselors to ensure your student gets their choice sheet for their future high school.

• Bowie HS Choice Sheet Visit- Jan 23rd @ Covington

• Akins HS Choice Sheet Visit- Jan 25th @ Covington

• Crockett HS Choice Sheet Visits- Jan 31/Feb 1st and Feb 5th/6th @ Covington

Covington Garden Committee Meeting

Our Garden Committee will meet on January 30th at 4pm in the Counselor’s Office, room 116. We will discuss plans for the spring garden. If you are interested in joining the committee, please join us on Jan 30th or email jessica.busceme@austinisd.org for more information.

GeoFORCE Summer Camp Program

8th grade students were invited to check out the University of Texas GeoFORCE presentation this week. They got info about how to apply and where they will visit. Check out the link for more info about this exciting and FREE opportunity. Applications are due February 1st! https://www.jsg.utexas.edu/geoforce/summer-academies/registration/

El Ranchito Nature Summer Camp

If your student is interested in exploring nature and making lifelong friends this summer, check out El Ranchito! It is a low-cost local summer camp that brings adventure and nature together. There is also a Girls Outdoor Spring Break Camp! Click on the link for more information about the camp and how to register: https://www.shieldranch.com/el-ranchito/

Explore Austin!

We are excited to bring Explore Austin to Covington this year! This is an exciting years-long program that invites current 6th graders to join a group and begin exploring. Talk to the counselor or PSS for more information, or click here: https://exploreaustin.org/our-explorers/

AISD Registration for 24-25 School Year!

Enroll Austin is now open! Check out this video on the new registration process for all AISD students.

• English: https://vimeo.com/723868396

Spanish: https://vimeo.com/731817396/5fa2b52f1f?share=copy

Counselor.

Jessica Busceme

We open our Colt Store every Friday during lunch so that students can purchase items using Colt Cash they have earned from their teachers for great behavior and academic progress.

If you would like to purchase an item that has been requested, please click the button below!

The education of our children depends on a successful partnership between you and Covington Middle School. That is why your involvement is important. There is no one like you! The more that you learn and grow, the more your children will too.

PTA is focused on making every child's potential a reality by strengthening education and taking a comprehensive approach to community success. And we know there is no community without YOU – our members, our business leaders, our decision-makers.

Thank you for supporting PTA in your Community! Please select the school district* and name of the PTA you would like join. During checkout you can easily add multiple members to the same PTA.

Go to: https://www.joinpta.org/

Choose the district: Austin ISD

Choose the School: Covington Middle School

Follow us on Facebook: Covington Middle School PTA - Austin | Facebook

Covington PTA: https://covingtoncoltspta.weebly.com/

La PTA se centra en hacer realidad el potencial de cada niño reforzando la educación y adoptando un enfoque integral para el éxito de la comunidad. Y sabemos que no hay comunidad sin USTED - nuestros miembros, nuestros líderes empresariales, nuestros tomadores de decisiones.

Gracias por apoyar a la PTA en su Comunidad! Por favor, seleccione el distrito escolar* y el nombre de la PTA a la que desea unirse. Durante el proceso de compra puede añadir fácilmente varios miembros a la misma PTA.

Vaya a: https://www.joinpta.org/

Elija el distrito: Austin ISD

Elija la escuela: Covington Middle School

Síganos en Facebook: Covington Middle School PTA - Austin | Facebook

PTA de Covington: https://covingtoncoltspta.weebly.com/