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On Thursday, October 24th, eighth grade students at McCullough will be taking the PSAT 8/9. Please keep in mind, if an eighth-grade student checks out during PSAT testing, the student cannot return and restart. Also, if a student arrives after the start of the test, they will not be able to take the test. No make-up day is provided for the PSAT 8/9. If your child is a car rider, please have them dropped off by 8:50 am. Testing will begin promptly at 9:10. Seventh graders will remain on a regular bell schedule.

The PSAT 8/9 will be administered in a digital format that will provide an overall easier testing experience for students. Your child will take the PSAT 8/9 using a device provided to them and scores will be released in mid-November.

Information about the PSAT 8/9

• It serves as a baseline for understanding students’ progress as they enter high school.
• It is an early indicator of college readiness that is aligned with the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, and PSAT.
• The scores from the test will be used for students applying to the high school academies.
• The PSAT 8/9 will include grade-level appropriate content for eighth and ninth graders that will match the scope and difficulty of work found in the classroom. The test content is aligned with the TEKS.
• There is no preparation for this test.
• No make-up day is provided for the PSAT 8/9.

For more information on the test, please go to the link below:

What to bring on October 24th

• Students will have lunch in the cafeteria. However, students can bring a bottle of water to their testing room.
• Cell phones and smart watches must be turned off and put away. No electronic devices are allowed to remain on the student or on the student's desk during testing.
• We encourage students to bring their own calculators--their will be an online version as well. Calculators will NOT be provided for the math section of the PSAT 8/9.

Girls Tryouts

8th Grade

Dates: October 7th, 8th, 9th

Time: 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm (Open gym from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm)

7th Grade

Dates: October 15th, 16th, and 18th

Time: 4:15 pm - 6:00 pm

Boys Tryouts

8th Grade

Dates: October 23rd, 24th, 25th

Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

7th Grade

Dates: October 23rd, 24th, 25th

Time: 6:30 am - 8:30 am

• Temporary badges are now being printed for students who do not have their IDs
• A $1 charge will be placed on the student's account for every temporary badge that is printed
• Replacement badges and lanyards can be purchased for the following amount:
• A $2 charge will be placed on the student's account for a replacement ID badge
• A $2 charge will be placed on the student's account for a replacement lanyard

Also, our "sleeves" for Smart Tags this year seem to be rather flimsy. They break quite often, and we do not have the budget to replace all of the broken ones. We recommend finding a more heavy-duty option for your student. As long as you can clearly see the Smart Tag, and a lanyard can be attached, you should be good to go! See the link below for some ideas off of Amazon:

Parents,

Friendly reminder about our dress code policy! For the most part we are doing great! Starting to see a few more "crop tops" showing bellies, though. Also some of the shorts/skirts are getting a little short. Please refer to "Scotty" below as a good visual of what should be covered! Thanks!

Here is a visual (We are calling him/her "Scotty") that shows the McCullough dress code and coverage. Like mentioned before, it is basically a "box" from the shoulders down to below the bottom/private area.

McCullough is a very large Junior High School. We serve over 2,200 students!👀 As such, the front office can be very busy throughout the day. Because of this, as well as limited staff, here are the rules regarding student item drop-offs:

• Student items MUST be labeled with the student's name, and will be left on the student shelf up front (the student can pick up during their assigned lunch)

• NO Deliveries are allowed–This includes food, flowers, and/or gifts

• The student will NOT be notified of their lunch delivery, so please plan ahead!

• Drinks need a screw top–NO fountain drinks/Starbucks/Giant Smoothies–they can cause a mess!

• We will NOT accept any food deliveries from vendors such as Doordash, Uber Eats, etc.

UIL - No Pass / No Play - Texas UIL No Pass / No Play law states that grades will be checked every three weeks, except for within the first 6 weeks of the school year. In the event an athlete is not passing all classes at the end of the first 6 weeks (2nd progress report), he or she would not be allowed to participate for a minimum of 3 weeks starting Sept 27th. At the end of the first 9 weeks report card grading period, any student who had to sit out due to grades must now be passing ALL classes in order to participate again. This date will be Oct 17th. After Oct 17th, athletes will have another chance each 3 weeks. This law also applies to all UIL competition groups/teams.

2024 - 2025 UIL Eligibility Dates

Safe gun storage is critical to preventing unintentional shootings, suicide, and other tragedies. Learn more about the Keep ‘Em Safe Texas initiative and view resources at the provided link. Gun locks are also available through the Conroe ISD Police Department.

This year is off to a fantastic start, so far this year students have checked out over 4,000 books. Way to go McCullough Readers. Students can always check the status of their account by using the Destiny Discover App on the SSO and clicking "My Stuff" at the top. Then students can see if they have a book on hold and if it is ready, what books they have checked out and when they are due.

McCullough is excited to welcome the award-winning author Jennifer Nielsen on November 14th. Ms. Nielsen is a New York Times bestselling author and has written over 20 books for children. McCullough has partnered with Village Books for those students who wish to purchase one of her books. When you order books with the link below, they will be delivered to McCullough for your child to pick up from the library.

Gifted and Talented Testing Referral requests are now open for the Conroe Independent School District Gifted and Talented program. Although the testing will not take place until late January, referral requests are accepted at this time.

• Referral requests can be made by the parents and/or campus staff.
• If you are interested in referring your child, you may want to discuss this with your child’s teacher.
• Referrals will be accepted October 1- December 19, 2024.
• You may request a referral form from arhaynes@conroeisd.net
• You can also find the referral form and other GT information on the CISD GT homepage

We are excited about a new year and want your child to get off to a great start. I would like to pass on information about Child Nutrition to help you navigate breakfast and lunch at school so your child can be successful. Please see the following information regarding eating breakfast/lunch at school and changes for the 2024-25 school year:

• Please load money onto your child’s school lunch money account through My School Bucks.

• Please complete a Free/Reduced Lunch Application if you believe you might qualify.

Please note this very important change regarding Lunch Charges:

• We have a new charge process that has been established that limits students to 15 charges (1 charge = a breakfast and a Lunch).
• Once a student has charged 10 times, a school administrator will contact you to make you aware of the situation and discuss options on how to clear your child’s charges, how to use My School Bucks, directions on completing a Free/Reduced application, or will consider any special circumstances.
• Please be aware of the process once your child has 15 charges. Please know that we will complete this task with the utmost discretion as possible:
• Junior High and High Schools (7 – 12):
• Students that reach or surpass the 15-charge limit will have charging privileges removed until a full payment has been made, a payment plan has been initiated, or a campus administrative override has occurred for extenuating circumstances.

Thank you for helping us provide your child the best experience at school to meet their breakfast and lunch needs effectively and efficiently!

Dear Parents,

Coach Turner is excited to inform you about the Summer Washington D.C. and Colonial Virginia trip. This trip will occur from 5/28/25 - 5/31/25 and is organized for all McCullough students. This experience is more than just a trip; it is an educational experience designed to be memorable and filled with historical and cultural learning opportunities. Throughout our experiential journey, students will:

• Visit iconic landmarks such as the Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Hill & Mt. Vernon, gaining a deeper understanding of our nation's history • Learn about our heroes and the sacrifices they made while visiting Arlington National Cemetery and all the Monuments and Memorials around D.C.
• Travel back in time to discover the shaping of Colonial America and the excitement of gaining our independence

If you would like your child to participate, please get in touch with Coach Turner at jdturner@conroeisd.net or have them visit C107 to collect an informational packet.

Warm regards,

Coach Turner

Future language learners of McCullough,

The Chinese, German, French, and Japanese teachers at the Woodlands High School offer languages that lead to careers in STEM, finance, arts, and travel with higher future salaries. If you're interested in a distinct advantage in college admissions and future employment, we offer several fun, educational after-school programs, and offer more one-on-one attention to our students. Please visit our newsletter below.

We also have student testimonials from the students in our language programs; please see the link below to read about their experiences.

The Highlander Wrestling team is looking for future Highlanders to join the Highlander Wrestling Club! There is a girls and boys team and we have practice for all grade levels K-8! You wrestle kids of your same age, gender, and size(by weight). No experience is needed!

Our girl's program is led by Hunter Robinson, a former NCAA All-American at Grandview University. Our boy's program is led by former D1 wrestler AJ Lyczhowski. We host practice out of the Highlander Mat Room on the Senior TWHS campus. We are excited to get this year under way, so give us a call or stop by a practice today!

Here is a link to the clubs available at McCullough Junior High! The website will be updated as more information about specific clubs becomes available.

Our interest in Chess Club is at an all-time high! We've had so many students sign-up, we don't have enough chess sets! If you would like to donate a new or used chess set (with all the pieces, obviously 😎), please drop it off at our front office!

We will be having Theme Thursdays this year! Teachers and students are encouraged to dress in the theme for the day each Thursday. Outfits must be school appropriate and meet the McCullough Junior High dress code guidelines. 🙂

McCullough Junior High Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a group of parents, family members, staff, and teachers who work together to enhance academic achievement and enrichment for all students. PTO volunteers organize Orientation, design and sell spirit wear, organize staff appreciation events, and more. In addition, the funds they raise from dues are used to purchase school enhancement items that fall beyond the school’s budget. Recent purchases include additional chrome carts, carline signs to direct traffic, new entrance rugs, a McC backdrop sign, acrylic hallway signs (to be installed soon), outdoor picnic tables, and TV’s in the cafeteria for announcements/reminders/pictures.

Please click on the link below to purchase your PTO Membership and support the faculty and staff at McCullough. The PTO membership fee is the only fundraiser we do. Thank you for your support!

Be sure to swing by our PTO Sprit Night locations! If you go, make sure you mention McCullough PTO at check-out! When you do, a percentage of sales comes back to our PTO & campus!

• October 7th - 10th Papa Johns
• November 19th - Chipotle Market Street
• December 11th - Tropical Cafe

For teacher morale and appreciation, I have a "Teacher Treasure Box" in my office. It is typically filled with a variety of items that teachers can choose from. I will be doing daily trivia, decoration contests, teachers achieving excellence, etc., and teachers would be able to select an item from the treasure box! Our teachers and staff work so hard every day making McCullough a great place to be and I want to celebrate them! I am hoping for the following donations if you are willing to help out:

• $5 - $10 gift cards to eating establishments, Amazon, Starbucks, Target, etc.
• Teacher supplies like Sharpies, Dry Erase Markers, Post-it Notes, Flair Pens, Gel Pens, etc.
• Any other donations that teachers would really appreciate

If you are able to donate, please drop off your donations at the front office and let them know it is for the teacher treasure box! Thank you for your support!!❤💚

Here are a few dates you'll want to put on your calendar for the beginning of the school year. Grades are subject to change. You will be notified of any changes made to important dates.

Aug 14 - First Day of School!

Aug 15 - Volleyball Tryouts

Aug 15 - Open House 7th Grade

Aug 19 - Open House 8th Grade

Aug 20 - Class Meetings in Bock (Students)

Aug 21 - Class Meetings in Bock (Students)

Aug 28 - School Picture Day (Through History Classes)

Aug 29 - School Picture Day (Through History Classes)

Aug 29 - ISP Parent Information Night in Bock (6pm)

Sep 15 - End of MP1

Sep 19 - PTO General Meeting in LGI (9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)

Sep 23 - 7th Grade Pep Rally

Sep 24 - 8th Grade Pep Rally

Oct 02 - School Picture Retakes

Oct 15 - Wear RED for Dyslexia

Oct 15 - 7th Grade Pep Rally

Oct 16 - 8th Grade Pep Rally

Oct 17 - Eligibility Lose or Gain

Oct 17 - Highlighted Highlander Ceremony

Oct 23 - 31 - Red Ribbon Week

Oct 24 - PSAT Administration for 8th Graders

Nov 8 - Eligibility Gain

Nov 25 - 29 - Thanksgiving Holiday

Dec 9 - Eligibility Gain

Dec 12 - Highlighted Highlander Ceremony

Dec 17 - 20 - Midterm Exams

Dec 20 - Early Release Day

Jan 14 _ Eligibility Loss or Gain

Jan 14- Advanced Math Parent Meeting for Incoming 7th 6:00 PM Bock

Jan 16 - PTO General Meeting

Jan 20 - School Holiday

Jan 21 - Rising 8th Grade Parent Info Night

Jan 22 - School Pictures through History Classes

Jan 23 - School Pictures through History Classes

Jan 28 & 29- Rising 7th Grade Parent Information Night 6:00 PM Bock *Only attend one meeting

Feb 3 - Eligibility Gain

Feb 10 - Cheer Try Out Parent Meeting @ 6pm (Mandatory)

Feb 11 - Athletic & Elective Night 6pm - 8pm

Feb 13 - Highlighted Highlander Ceremony

Feb 17 - School Holiday

Feb 18 - TELPAS 7th Grade Listening and Speaking

Feb 19 - TELPAS 7th Grade Listening and Speaking

Feb 20 - TELPAS 8th Grade Listening and Speaking

Feb 21 - TELPAS 8th Grade Listening and Speaking

Feb 25 - TELPAS Listening and Speaking Make-ups

Feb 25 - Eligibility Gain

Mar 3 - TELPAS 7th Grade Reading and Writing

Mar 4 - TELPAS 7th Grade Reading and Writing

Mar 5 - TELPAS 8th Grade Reading and Writing

Mar 6 - TELPAS 8th Grade Reading and Writing

Mar 7 - TELPAS Reading and Writing Make-ups

Mar 3 - 6 - Cheer Try Out Clinic

Mar 6 - Cheer Try Outs

Mar 10 - 14 Spring Break

Mar 17 - Highland Girls Parent Tryout Meeting

Mar 21 - TELPAS Final Make-ups

Mar 24 - Eligibility Lose or Gain

Mar - Apr TBA - Highland Girls Clinic

Apr - TBA Highland Girl Tryouts

Apr 11 - Eligibility Gain

Apr 15 - STAAR Reading 7th

Apr 16 - STAAR Reading 8th

Apr 17 - PTO General Meeting

Apr 18 - School Holiday

Apr 22 - STAAR Social Studies 8th

Apr 23 - STAAR Science 8th

Apr 24 - 28 - Color Guard Clinic

Apr 29 - STAAR Math 7th

Apr 30 - STAAR Math 8th

May 1 - Color Guard Try Out

May 5 - Eligibility Gain

May 13 - End of Year Awards Ceremony (Bock Auditorium @ 6:30 p.m.)

May 20 - 23 Final Exams

May 23 - Early Release

Main Office.....................................832.592.5100

24-hour Attendance Line...............832.592.5111

McCullough Fax.............................832.592.5116

Clinic...............................................832.592.5122

Clinic Fax........................................832.592.5127

Counselor's Office..........................832.592.5194

Registrar..........................................832.592.5114