Panther Parent 411

It is hard to believe that we only have 2 short weeks left of the 2024-2025 school year!

This will be my last Panther Parent Newsletter for the 2024-2025 school year. With that being said, I would like to take a moment to say thank you to you, our parents, for the continuous support you have shown me this year. It has been a true pleasure serving the Panther community again this school year.

To our eighth grade parents, thank you for your partnership in your child's education. We can't wait to see what amazing things your students do in high school and beyond. We wish each of them the very best!!

To the current sixth and seventh grade parents, I am looking forward to continuing our middle school journey next year as we work together to ensure an optimal learning experience for each of your students.

But, we are not done yet....

In order to ensure a strong finish to the school year, I want to provide you with some helpful end of year information below. Please read on for all of the details, and, as always, if you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to let me know.

I wish each of you a wonderful, relaxing, and fun summer ahead!! Enjoy!

Is your student interested in leadership opportunities? Then Student Council may be the perfect fit!!

The SMS Student Council will be holding a virtual informational meeting on Tuesday, May 13th, at 5:30pm, for anyone interested in joining Student Council for the 2025-2026 school year. All students in grades 6-8 are eligible to participate in this prestigious organization.

To learn more about student council and what they do, please attend the virtual meeting at the following zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/91693904654?pwd=8vSfJQUoGkNm8vtbeXeRGjA3qlWXpA.1.

If you have any questions prior to this meeting or need additional information, please contact the student council sponsor, Clarice Cross, at clarice.cross@pisd.edu.

On Friday, May 16th, we will be following an alternate bell schedule. This schedule will include time for our Sixth and Seventh Grade Awards Assemblies as well as a special presentation for our eighth graders. Please note that lunches on this day will start about 30 minutes later than usual in case you need to drop off food for your student. If you have any questions, please let me know.

The 2nd Annual SMS Cheerleading Showcase, will take place this Friday, May 16th, at 6pm in the SMS Main Gym. The program will feature spirited performances by both our current 24-25 cheer team and our incoming 25-26 squad. The cost of admission is $5.00, but the event is free for SMS staff to attend. Come see an amazing show full of energy, school pride, and fun!

As an added bonus, t-shirts and concessions will be available for purchase (cash only please), so come ready to support our team and enjoy a great evening! We can’t wait to see you there to celebrate our cheerleaders and all of their hard work and dedication in this last performance of the 24-25 school year.

Go Panthers!

• All students need to come to school with the following items

  on Friday, May 23rd:

• Chromebook with Case

• Chromebook Charger

• Yearbooks and a pen/marker (6th & 7th grade only)

• Backpacks will NOT be allowed on the last day of school

• The last day schedule will include periods 1-4 only.

• Chromebook Return will take place each period by grade level.

• Eighth graders will return chromebooks during first period and then take part in their scheduled activity day.

• Sixth and seventh graders will return their chromebooks during second and third period. One of the other class periods will be used for yearbook distribution, and another will be designated for yearbook signing in grade level common areas.

• Students will be dismissed from school at 12:40pm.

If you have any questions about the last day of school, please let me know.

If your child has medication in the nurse's office, please make arrangements to pick it up before the last day of school. It must be picked up no later than Thursday, May 22nd at 4pm. After this date, the nurse will dispose of all remaining medications.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Nurse Melanie Humenesky.

Summer is right around the corner, but there are a few things left to wrap up. On Friday, May 23rd, students will return their PISD chromebooks along with their plastic cases and chargers. If damage has been incurred on the device assigned to your student or if your student's electronic device and/or accessories are not returned, your student will be held financially responsible. Any items not returned to the campus will be charged to the student’s Rycor account for the following amounts:

$18.00 for the plastic case

$27.50 for the chromebook charger

$504.50 for the chromebook itself

$550.00 for the total package if nothing is returned on 05/23

While it is our hope that your student will not incur any of these charges, we still want to make you aware, so there are no surprises if a situation requiring payment arises. Please reach out to our campus technology specialist, William Brannon, should you have any questions.

Please join PTA in supporting our school at the Chipotle Spirit Night from 4pm to 8pm on Wednesday, May 21st. It's a wonderful and easy way to give back to our campus. Please see the flyer below for more details.

This past weekend, our girls soccer team competed in their inaugural end-of-season soccer tournament. The competition was fierce, but our Lady Panthers once again prevailed, bringing home a third place trophy! Congratulations to these young ladies and their coaches on a job well done!! Way to represent, Panthers!

Our newest organization on campus, A+ Academics, competed in a districtwide tournament last weekend. Individual students from our team competed in a number of academic events throughout the day last Saturday. A huge congratulations goes to our SMS team and their sponsor, Ms. Melanie Taylor! They took home the Sweepstakes Award for the middle school with the highest overall score, an accumulation of all the points scored throughout the day in all of the individual events.

In addition, we had 12 individual awards!

Congratulations to the following individual winners:

8th Grade:

Joshua K: 1st place in Number Sense & 2nd place in Math

Achyut M: 3rd place in Math

Tyler P: 3rd place in Science

7th Grade:

Ana G: 1st place in Editorial Writing & 3rd place in Spelling

Ryker H: 1st place in Spelling & 1st place in Social Studies

Zoey K: 3rd place in Art

Sophie W: 2nd place in Editorial Writing

6th Grade:

Doha M: 3rd place in Editorial Writing

Dominic S: 3rd place in MAPS, Charts, and Graphs

Great job, Panthers! We are Panther Proud of you!

Last month, some of our students took the National Spanish Exam. The National Spanish Exam (NSE) is an online, standardized assessment competition for Grades 6 -12, given voluntarily by about 4,000 middle and high school teachers throughout the United States, to measure performance (interpretive communication) and achievement of students who are studying Spanish as a second language. These National competitions are built to motivate and to recognize students who are taking Spanish and performing in an exceptional way.

Students are awarded based on the following scale:

Gold Medal Placement (95th percentile or higher)

Silver Medal Placement (85th - 94th percentile)

Bronze Medal Placement (75th - 84th percentile)

Several of our students earned top honors in the 2025 National Spanish Exam, with 25 of them achieving medal placements. Please see the list below. These outstanding results reflect the students’ hard work, dedication, and passion for the Spanish language and culture.

Gold Medal:

Ashika C

Diya N

Luke B

Felipe A

Bennett M

Tucker R

Diya R

Silver Medal:

Prathamesh D

Camille M

Conner W

Lucy J

Ava G

Zahraa Y

Joshua K

Emma H

Jason M

Bianca L

Brooklyn B

Achyut M

Eric M

Bronze Medal:

Adrienne M

Gabe G

Nathan T

Emma A

Olivia O

Honorable Mention:

William C

Cooper H

Darshika J

Bharathan M

Ray S

Quinn C

Michella K

Ghania S

Safa R

Christian R

Raley A

Abby K

Nicole P

Zaynah Y

Avery G

Chikamso N

Muhammad A

Anvi T

Khadijah J

Charles M

Iris C

Please join me in congratulating these students on this huge accomplishment! We are so proud of you! Great job, Panthers!

Last month, Schim students enrolled in French 8 participated in the National French Exam. The National French exam is an online, standardized assessment competition for Grades 7-12.

American Association of Teachers of French President Eileen Walvoord indicated: "These students have demonstrated excellence in their study of French and are to be highly commended. In their French classes, throughout the school year, they have used the French language to engage with authentic documents and individuals around the world, all the while exploring cultures as diverse as Belgium, Togo, and Cameroon. The superior level of language achievement that they have attained will serve them well as they use these linguistic and communication skills throughout their personal and professional lives, interacting with diverse peoples and cultures around the world and in their own communities. On behalf of the American Association of Teachers of French, I offer to all who have contributed to these excellent high-ranking results: students, teachers, parents, administrators, as well as the local and national administrators of the National French Contest: Congratulations to all! Félicitations à vous toustes!"

Students are awarded based on the following scale:

Gold award: 95th percentile and above

Silver award: 94th through 85th percentile

Bronze award: 84th through 75th percentile

Mention d'honneur award: students 74th through 50th percentile

Out of the 15 students that participated in the National French Exam this year, 14 received special honors. It is a joy to see their achievements after two years of hard work in the classroom!

Platinum Medal (A Perfect Score!!):

Enya L

Silver Medal:

Yagna B

Hannah D

Evelyn P

Trinity S

Bronze Medal:

Chloe C

Elif K

Honorable Mention:

Nour T

Eva R

Gabriela P

Maya D

Timothy W

Yashi B

Lina V

Allez les panthères ! Way to go, Panthers! We are proud of you!

The Plano ISD Teacher of the Year Gala was held on Thursday, May 8th, at the Plano Event Center. Our very own Ashley Rael was honored for being Schimelpfenig’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, and she represented us well at this special occasion.

Congrats, Ashley! We are so proud of you!!

Do you have suggestions that would positively impact our school environment? Would you like to send a shout out to a staff member who has gone above and beyond for your student? Do you simply have a question that you would like to ask? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then the Schim Community Suggestion Box is just for you!

Simply complete this form to share your thoughts and feedback! This is just another way to keep the line of communication open while we partner with you to make the educational experience for your students the very best that it can be. QR codes are available in the front office for you to use as well.

Please let me know if you have any questions about this process.

As we shared in last week's staff meeting, we have decided to go with a traditional format for our exam week schedule. We will have one block of time scheduled for each of the class periods Monday through Thursday. During these blocks, teachers will give MAP tests for their own content areas, and high school course exams will be administered. If you do not have a MAP test for your subject or an exam to give, then you and your team can determine what your block will look like. In addition, chromebook return will take place on Friday, May 23rd, along with some end of year activities for our students. Please take a look at the Spring 2025 MAP/Exam Schedule and, if you have any questions, please let me know.

We are so excited to celebrate our students and their accomplishments at our annual student awards ceremonies this year!

Our Sixth & Seventh Grade Awards Assembly will take place on Friday, May 16th. The schedule will be shared next week. You will receive notification in advance if your student will be getting an award, so you can make plans to attend if you so choose.

Our Eighth Grade Awards Ceremony is set for Wednesday, May 21st, at 6:30pm in the Schimelpfenig Gymnasium. We will be celebrating all of our eighth graders at this event, so please make plans to attend.

In addition, our Eighth Grade Class will have several additional activities to celebrate the end of middle school milestone including a breakfast, a spring social, and a special activity day. Information regarding these events was sent out to eighth grade parents earlier this semester. It will be a memorable experience for our eighth graders as they close out their middle school years.

On the last day of school, Friday, May 23rd, all students will return their chromebook, chromebook case, and charger. Eighth graders will participate in their special activity day, and sixth and seventh graders will have the opportunity to sign one another's yearbook.

We are looking forward to a fun ending to a great year!

Please see the list of important dates below and mark your calendar, so you can plan accordingly. If you have any questions about any of these upcoming events, please do not hesitate to let me know.

• 05/16: Sixth & Seventh Grade Awards Assembly
• 05/20: Eighth Grade "Breakfast & Books" (before school - Serving will begin @ 7:15am. )
• 05/20: NJHS Induction @ 6pm
• 05/21: Eighth Grade Awards Ceremony @ 6:30pm
• 05/22: Eighth Grade Spring Social (Dance) 6pm-8pm
• 05/23: Chromebook Return
• 05/23: Eighth Grade Activity Day
• 05/23: Sixth and Seventh Grade Yearbook Signing
• 05/23: Last Day of School!! (Half Day - Dismissal @ 12:40pm)

All rising seventh grade students (current sixth graders) will require the following immunizations by the first day of the 2025-2026 school year.

• Meningococcal Vaccine – One dose required on or after 11th birthday

• Tdap Vaccine (Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis) – Booster dose required if at least 5 years have passed since the last dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine.

Proof of these immunizations will be required to begin school for the 2025-2026 school year. A hold will be placed on your student's schedule for the 25-26 school year if proof of immunizations is not received before schedule release in early August. Please check your child’s immunization records now and provide proof of immunization to our school nurse as soon as the vaccine is received, as this will provide faster service for your student’s schedule release.

If you have questions or need further assistance with vaccination records, please contact our School Nurse Melanie Humenesky at melanie.humenesky@pisd.edu or visit http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/default.shtm for more information.

We've all been there! Back-to-school sneaks up on us, and suddenly we're running from store to store trying to find supplies. But what if you could check it off your list today?

1st Day School Supplies make it easy. In just a few clicks, you can order the exact supplies your teacher requested, packaged in a beautiful new box and delivered on time, stress-free! The BEST part is a portion of the proceeds go to our Schim PTA to help support our students and staff!

Order Here: https://1stdayschoolsupplies.com/gs/105068.

The SMS PTA is currently taking donations for gift cards that will be used on campus for end of year student recognitions and staff appreciation. If you would like to make a contribution, please sign up here and drop off your donation this week in the SMS front office .

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

I have had a number of parents recently ask if there is a Schim Staff favorites list available. The answer is yes! If you would like to show appreciation or recognize a staff member in a special way, please feel free to reference the staff favorites list for ideas.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

The Plano Senior High Athletic Department is offering summer camp opportunities in a variety of sports. Please see the flyer below for additional details including camp dates, cost, and registration information.

Plano Senior High will be offering Summer Basketball Camp for middle school students June 2nd through June 5th from 1:00pm to 4:00pm each day. The camp is open to both boys and girls who are interested in working on their basketball skills and technique. Registration is live, and space is limited. Please see the flyer below for additional details on how to register.

The Plano ISD Athletic Department will be hosting Plano Performance Course this summer to elevate your student's athletic abilities!

This program will run from Monday, June 2nd, through Thursday, July 24th. Whether you're looking to improve your performance in your current sport or push yourself to the next level, this program is designed to help you get bigger, faster, and stronger. Expert trainers will guide you through personalized training to help you reach your full potential. Please see the flyer below for additional details.

If you have any questions, please contact our athletic director, Chris Brochtrup, at chris.brochtrup@pisd.edu or our girls coordinator, Amber Hohman, at amber.hohman@pisd.edu.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to become the best version of yourself!

The front doors open at 7:50am, and our first bell rings at 8:20am. First period begins at 8:25am when the tardy bell rings. Students must be in class at this time or they will be marked tardy.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

As we begin our spring cleaning, many of you will take some time to clean out closets to make room for new items, and SMS PTA has the perfect place to donate your old and gently used clothing and toys! Please drop your discarded items into the blue World Wear bin located on campus in the front parking lot. Proceeds from our blue bin project will go directly back to the campus through programs and events for our students and staff. Please consider donating to this worthy cause.

With the cooler weather, more of our families will be using the carpool lanes for arrival and dismissal each day. Knowing this, here are a few reminders on our arrival and dismissal procedures.

• Please adhere to the signs posted in the circular drive and on the streets.
• Students should always use the crosswalks when crossing the street.
• When exiting the carpool lane in front of the school in the morning, please turn right only.
• Please refrain from dropping off your student along Maumelle. When you stop, it hinders the flow of traffic and, more importantly, it could put your student's safety at risk if they need to cross the street.
• While in the carpool lane, please make sure to pull all the way forward along the curb before dropping off your student.
• Dropping off or picking up your student from the outside lane of the carpool is prohibited. This is a major safety issue, as students must cross in front of other cars to get to the sidewalk.
• Please refrain from using the parking lot next to the tennis courts as a drop off or pick up location. This parking lot is designated for special education students needing extra time and assistance.
• Please remember that our school zone is a phone-free zone, so please adhere to this.

By taking these small steps, we can ensure that all of our students arrive to and leave from school safely each day.

Thanks you for your continued partnership on this!

At the beginning of the year, parents are asked to complete some online information regarding your student through Parent Portal. Part of this information includes a Notice Regarding Directory Information and Parent's Response Regarding Release of Student Information Form. By district policy, the district may be required by law to release certain information about district students to anyone who follows the procedures for requesting the information unless the parent or guardian objects to the release of the information about this student. Therefore, it is very important that you complete these forms in Parent Portal if you have not already done so, so we have accurate information as to your wishes on the release of information regarding your student. If you have any questions regarding these forms or if you would like to confirm if you have completed this process, please reach out to Debbie Collins in the counseling office.

All students are required to wear their student ID badge at all times. This is a district policy for all secondary schools to ensure the safety and security of our campus. Following several serious incidents in the state of Texas over the last two years, Plano ISD and Schimelpfenig Middle School increased and improved badge and safety measures to ensure all students are easily identified. Students wearing their badges allow staff members to quickly and easily identify people that should not be on campus.

The district policy states that badges must be visible on a lanyard around the student's neck. Initially, a lanyard was issued to each student, but students may wear an alternate lanyard of their choosing if they prefer. Badges should not be cut, bent, or covered with stickers. Damage to the badge will result in a needed replacement.

The initial badge AND temporary badge are both issued for free. Replacement badges are $5. Replacement badges are issued from Mrs. Carthledge in the front office. If a student forgets his or her badge, then the student should report to the front office, and Mrs. Carthledge will issue a temporary sticker badge good for that day only. Each time a student forgets their ID and receives a temporary one constitutes a badge violation.

During the first couple of weeks, we gave our students grace and consistently reminded them that we would be assigning discipline for students who violate the badge expectation. If a student receives two or more badge violations in a five-day period, they receive Friday After Hours for that week. Friday After Hours takes place the last day of the week, usually on a Friday, from 3:50pm-5:50pm.

If you have questions regarding badges or the badge procedures, please let us know.

Cell phones and personal devices are not allowed anywhere on campus during the school day. This includes but is not limited to the classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, locker rooms, and bathrooms. If a student is caught using their cell phone during the school day, it will be taken up. Cell phones and personal devices are only allowed before school until 8:20 am and should then be powered off and put away until 3:40pm.

If you need to contact your student, you can call the front office at 469-752-6402 and we will get a message to them.

PHONE CONSEQUENCES:

• 1st offense: Teacher collects and returns at the end of the class period.

• 2nd offense: Teacher collects and returns at the end of the school day.

• 3rd offense: Teacher collects and turns into the front office. Your parent must come to the school to collect your phone.

• 4+ offenses: Teacher collects and turns into the front office. Administration handles from there.

Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the campus cell phone procedures.

• Shorts, including athletic shorts, must extend beyond the buttocks.

• No pajamas, houseshoes, or slippers may be worn to school.

• Excessively loose or tight garments are not acceptable.

• Underwear-type sleeveless shirts, spaghetti straps, tank/tube tops are not permitted.

• Hard-soled shoes must be worn at all times.

• Sunglasses, caps, hats, raised hoods, etc are not permitted.

• Students in violation of the student dress and grooming code will be expected to change to appropriate attire or will be subject to other disciplinary action.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

• Crop Tops - If your student raises their hand and you can see their stomach, the shirt is too short and will be asked to change.

• Shorts and Skirts - Bottoms must cover the entire buttocks area.

• Hoodies - Students can wear a jacket with a hood, but the hood must remain off their head during the school day or the student will have to take off the jacket.

• Hats - Any item that covers the head is not allowed. This includes baseball caps, beanies, etc. Religious coverings are allowed.

Matt Mitchell is the Campus Title IX Coordinator for the 2023-2024 school year. Mr. Mitchell will address employee and student concerns or inquiries regarding discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment. Reports can be made at any time and by any person, including during non-business hours, by mail, email or phone. During district business hours, reports may also be made in person.

Contact Information:

Matt Mitchell

matt.mitchell@pisd.edu

469-752-6411

Principal

Schimelpfenig Middle School

Email: kristen.kinnard@pisd.edu
Website: pisd.edu/schimelpfenig
Location: 2400 Maumelle Drive, Plano, TX, USA
Phone: 469-752-6410