• Oct. 1st - 7th - Custodian & Grounds keeping Appreciation Week!
• Oct. 3rd - First Maestro En Casa Class - English classes for parents @ 9:30 am-12
• Oct. 4th - Principal Coffee Chat - Special Guest from Life Works & Title One Presentation @ 10 am in the library
• Oct. 4th - CAC Meeting at 4pm in the library
• Oct. 4th - Football and Volleyball photos! Right after school
• Oct. 6th - Colts Theatre Presents - Zombie Apocalypse in the theatre @ 6:30 pm $5 tickets
• Oct. 7th - Garden Volunteer Work Day! From 9am - 11am Come out and help make our school beautiful!

Dear Covington Middle School Community,

As we bid farewell to September and step into the vibrant colors of October, we are excited to share some important dates and updates from our school.

Coffee with the Principal - October 4th at 10:00 AM Mark your calendars! Join us for a cup of coffee and an informal chat with our principal on Monday, October 4th at 10:00 AM. It's a great opportunity to connect, share your thoughts, and stay informed about school happenings.

Campus Advisory Committee Meeting - October 4th at 4:30 PM Your voice matters! Our Campus Advisory Committee Meeting will also take place on Monday, October 4th, but this time at 4:30 PM. During this meeting, we will discuss our Title I status and provide essential information about our school's initiatives.

Continuing to Strengthen Our School We are committed to delivering the best education possible for our students. To achieve this, we are continuously working on improving our instruction and curriculum through professional development. Our dedicated educators are ensuring that students remain engaged and excited about learning.

Thank you for being a part of our Covington Middle School family. Your support and involvement make a significant impact on our school community.

Stay tuned for more updates, and we look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events. Let's make October a month filled with learning, growth, and community spirit!

Warm regards,

Cedric Maddox

Proud Principal

Covington Middle School

Attention Covington Community:

It’s already mid-September! We are in full swing here in the Counselor’s Office. While large scale schedule changes are complete, families and teachers may request individual schedule changes with approval from administrators. Please reach out to your counselor to make a request.

September is Suicide Awareness Month. On average, one person dies by suicide every 3 hours in the state of Texas. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for ages 10-14. We invite you to join in a prevention effort and “SAVE A NUMBER to SAVE A LIFE"! The number to save is 988!

Call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or Text HOME to 741741 to receive free 24/7 help.

This can be a difficult conversation for families to have with their children. Here are some resources that may help with talking about suicide and mental health:

Student Self-Care Weekly Planner

Back-To-School Checklist

Suicide Prevention Toolkit

We are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in AISD! This is an annual celebration of the history and culture of the U.S. Latino and Hispanic communities. Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 will last from September 15- October 15. The month-long celebration commemorates how those communities have influenced and contributed to American society at large.

AISD is hosting a district-wide Fiesta celebration, in which students can submit art, performance pieces, or written pieces into a contest. Submissions are due October 5th. Please reach out or check the district website if you have questions about how your family can get involved!

There are many exciting things happening this month! Check out the dates below:

• September 18- GT Referral Window Opens- contact Mrs. Busceme if you believe your student may qualify for Gifted and Talented services

• September 18-22- Homecoming Spirit Dress Up Week

• September 20- Homecoming Football Game @ Burger Stadium, 6 pm

• September 22- Homecoming Dance, 6-8:30 pm, $5

• September 23- Austin ISD Showcase @ Palmer Events Center, 9-12 pm

• September 25- Yom Kippur

• September 25- Student Holiday/Parent Conferences

• October 7- *Tentative* Garden Work Day @ Covington, 9-11 am (reach out to Ms. Busceme for more info)

• October 9- Indigenous Peoples’ Day- Student Holiday

Gifted and Talented Referrals

The GT Referral window for AISD students is officially open. You may make a referral for your student to be tested to receive Gifted and Talented services. The referral deadline is October 6th, 2023. If you would like to make a referral please visit: http://bit.ly/AISDGTStart

Care Solace Services

This year, Care Solace begins offering mental health care coordination services for all AISD school communities, and can help connect you and your child with appropriate community-based providers.

To access Care Solace's coordination services, reach out:

• Call 888-515-0595

• The multilingual helpline is staffed 24/7/365.

• Visit www.caresolace.com/austinisd

• On the website, you can Search on Your Own or book an appointment through video chat, email, or phone.

• Email jessica.busceme@austinisd.org or james.haenisch@austinisd.org to request assistance with contacting a therapist

Volunteer Garden Work Day!

We will hold our first Garden Work Day on October 7th from 9-11 am! If you would like to volunteer to help clean up the garden and get ready for fall/winter planning, please join!

We will meet at 9 am at the garden gates by Raeburn St. We will provide gloves and tools, as well as water and snacks. We hope to see you there!

Upcoming 8th Grade High School Visits!

8th graders will begin applying to the high school of their choice this semester, and we have several opportunities for them. We will share out more information for families next month, but please note the upcoming dates for students (parents do not typically attend these events):

• Oct. 26 @ 1:45- LASA Visit in the Library (Sign Up to Attend)

• TBA- McCallum Visit in the Library (Sign Up to Attend)

• Dec. 5- Bowie HS Field Trip

• Dec. 11- Akins HS Field Trip (tentative, stay tuned for final details)

Covington Colt Store Donation Requests!

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 this link: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/N6K8I5EL4OE3?ref_=wl_share

We appreciate ALL of your support in helping make our campus the BEST!

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.

Important Note: Students with accommodations have to have approval from the college board to use accommodations.

If you would like your child to opt out: Please see link below.

https://forms.gle/HTTnwfUL3TjDbygaA

Here is some helpful information to prepare your student if they choose to take it.

PSAT : https://parents.collegeboard.org/college-board-programs/psat-nmsqt

(check out this link for useful information or resources).

The Parents Guide to PSAT/NMSQT

Learn how the PSAT/NMSQT helps students get ready for college and qualify for scholarships and how parents and families can support students in doing their best on the test

• Student Study Resources
  • Khan Academy PSAT Prep: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat/new-sat-tips-planning/new-sat-how-to-prep/a/full-length-psat-nmsqt
  • https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/practice
  • PSAT/NMSQT: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/psat-nmsqt-student-guide.pdf

PSAT 8/9: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/psat-8-9-student-guide.pdf

PSAT practice test (NMSQT) PDFs (official) (article) | Khan Academy

Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free,...

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/