Jaguar Tales

Hello, Jaguar Family!

We hope everyone had a great week. We are looking forward to a fun and productive week ahead. Please be sure to review the updated track meet information, as well as the first-ever dodgeball tournament information. These are all great ways to connect and support our students.

There is also important information regarding STAAR testing dates and the Panorama survey for students.

Have a great weekend! Go Jags!

Larissa Ortiz

Cedar Valley Middle School Principal

Larissa_ortiz@roundrockisd.org

512-428-2307

Helpful Tip: Some editions of Jaguar Tales are longer than others. If you are viewing the newsletter in your email and it seems to randomly cut off, please click on the title of the newsletter (Jaguar Tales) in your email. Doing this will link you to the full newsletter on the Smore site. You can also click on "View entire message" at the bottom of the email. 🙂

The track meet next week (2/27) will be held at Walsh MS (originally was scheduled for Stony Point HS). This will be a Dual Meet with Walsh and Cedar Valley only. This allows for more student participation, since the last two meets were canceled due to weather. Start times are the same. Please reach out to the coaches if you have any questions or need any information.

6th grade Accelerated Science has been working hard on creating futuristic cities that help reduce energy consumption and conserve natural resources like air, soil, water. Here are some of the projects!

The following chess team members are representing CeVMS in the Regional VI Chess Championship on this Saturday, February 21 in Austin at the NYOS Charter School:

Arjun P., Esha P., Srikar P., Yangyang S., Ben Y., Josh W., Anish D., Vinayak P., Jiwoo H., Rishan P., and Foster C.

Best of luck this Saturday!

For questions please contact sponsor, layne_hendrick@roundrockisd.org

Johanna (Jojo) got to participate in FUNdamental sports through special olympics which allowed her to participate with a unified partner (brother in law) in sports. The sports included were bowling, volleyball, weight lifting, cheer, and floorball. These sports have been adapted to accommodate all ability levels. They got a gold medal! Congrats Jojo!

Round Rock ISD provides students in grades 3 through 12 with a once-a-semester survey. This student survey includes questions about their sense of belonging, school safety, and self-efficacy.

For students in grades Pre-K through grade 2, teachers are recording their perceptions of the classroom environment. Topics covered include self-efficacy and a sense of belonging in school.

Students will complete the online survey during the school day (March 5). The survey provides the district with information that will help staff members support student needs responsively and positively.

Parents/guardians may complete this form to opt their child out of the survey. If you submitted an opt-out form in the Fall, your student has already opted out.

The survey may take up to 30 minutes to complete, and student participation is not required. Participating students will log in to the survey tool using their unique student number. Their name will appear on the first screen of the survey. If a parent/guardian opts their child out and responses are inadvertently collected, those responses will be deleted from the survey collection. The survey program supports Round Rock ISD Board Goal 4.

You may review all survey content by clicking the links below:

Grades 3 through 5 SEL and Supports/Environment
Grades 6 through 12 SEL and Supports/Environment
Pre-Kindergarten through grade 2 TPOS

All survey questions were developed through a thorough research process, including extensive literature reviews, student focus groups, large-scale pilots, reliability and validity studies, and continued refinement.

The survey tool is a Panorama Education product. Panorama Education is an independent education technology company that partners with schools and districts to support students’ intrapersonal skills and resilience.

Please send questions to us (RRISD) using Let’s Talk.

Our students will be taking the state-mandated STAAR tests this Spring. We kindly ask that our families avoid scheduling appointments on the days when their students are testing. Also please note, campus visitors will be limited on these days.

April 10 - ELA STAAR - Grades 6, 7, and 8

April 15 - Science STAAR - Grade 8 only

April 17 - Social Studies STAAR -Grade 8 only

April 22 - Math STAAR - Grades 6, 7, and 8 (includes Algebra 1 EOC)

More information about the STAAR tests can be found here.

If you have campus-specific questions about the STAAR test, please contact the campus testing coordinator, Jennifer_Bingham@roundrockisd.org.

Cedar Valley All-School

Dodgeball Tournament

Tuesday, February 25th, 3:45-5:45pm

We still need Volunteers and Donations to make this event successful.

Signup to Volunteer or Donate Here

WHAT TO EXPECT

Dodgeball Promo Video

Monday - LUNCH

Buy Discounted Wristbands at Lunch - Bring CASH!

$5 for Admission & $5 for Meal Deal (2 pizza slices, chips, drink)

Tuesday

Lunch: Get Your Wristbands

3:35pm Take ALL of your belongings directly to the BIG GYM

3:45-4:45pm DODGEBALL TIME!!! (Come cheer for your favorite team!)

4:45-5:45pm Everyone gathers in the cafeteria for refreshments

5:45-6:00pm Parent/Guardian Pickup (parking lot by cafeteria)

Have fun and be respectful of others and the school!

About the Event

*Tickets are limited - only 400 will be sold. Act fast!*

Teachers are organizing teams to play in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade brackets, with the 8th grade champions playing against a team of teachers.

All students are invited to attend to cheer for their favorite teams and enjoy snacks afterward, in the cafeteria.

This is a fundraiser to reduce the personal cost for students to attend the 8th grade field trip to Six Flags.

Expected Price List

Wristbands (to enter): $5 at LUNCH, $7 at DOOR

$5 Meal Deal: 2 pizza slices, chips, drink

$1 Drinks & Chips ~ $2 Pizza, Candy

NOTE: Cash or Card

ALL ARE INVITED! Mrs. Fooshee is hosting an Education First trip for students and parents to Berlin, Prague, Krakow, Budapest, and Austria! Our Spring meeting will be at 6pm on Tuesday, Feb. 25! Please plan to attend to get more information! Click the link below to register for the meeting!

https://bit.ly/4jDJRx5

This trip is going to be an incredible opportunity for students AND parents to explore new cities, cultures, and languages TOGETHER and we can’t wait for everyone, especially our students, to discover more about themselves, gain leadership skills, and grow more confident in the process.

By attending the meeting there will be discounts and a raffle for more discounts on the trip! STUDENTS AND PARENTS are welcome to travel!!

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me @ travelefwithjami@gmail.com

***THIS IS A Non-RRISD AND Non-Cedar Valley sponsored trip***

RRISD Hackathon

Saturday, March 29, 2025, 8am - 5pm

Walsh Middle School

Register here starting February 26. Space is limited.

Camp Build will be held in Austin June 2-6. Students have hands-on projects such as creating lamps, stepping stones, and doghouses to be donated to the local community. They also learn about the Construction career field. DETAILS

March 10 - 14 - MHS Course Verification (HAC) / Course Change Deadline - March 14

March 24 - 28 - RRHS Course Verification (HAC) / Course Change Deadline - March 28

If you are interested in cheering in high school at MHS, please join Coach Mendez as well as the rest of the MHS Cheer team for practice from 4:40-6:40 pm in the MHS N wing Cheer Gym. The dates are listed under "Spring Semester" in the form below. The sessions are free of charge. Please click on the link for more information.

MHS Cheer Interest Form

For any questions about the cheer clinic, please contact MHS Head Cheer Coach:

Courtney Mendez, courtney_mendez@roundrockisd.org

As high school information is shared from the high schools it will be included here (ex: presentations). If you have specific questions about any of the programs or information shared, please reach out to the high school directly.

MHS IB Information

MHS Advanced Academics Parent Night

Save the Date for the 8th Grade End-of-Year Celebration!!

This year's formal dance will take place on Saturday, May 3rd, from 7-10 PM at Cedar Valley MS!

Admission is FREE, along with snacks, great music, and much more!

This is a PTA and 8th grade parent sponsored event, exclusive for 8th grade Cedar Valley MS students only. No outside guests or students from other grades will be allowed to attend. Parents can attend as volunteers only. Look for additional information on volunteering, donating, and reserving {free} tickets coming out soon.

Spiritwear is now available to purchase through our online store! You can place an order anytime and it will be delivered to your child's advisory class within a few days!

Check out our new shirt design for the 2023/2024 school year! The shirt was designed by an eighth grade art student at Cedar Valley! Help support our school and teachers by purchasing a shirt today!!!

One of the best ways to show your student that education is important to you, is by volunteering at their school. There are lots of different ways to contribute your time, support and resources.

Please fill out the Volunteer Interest Form below to help us match your interests with the school's needs (such as Staff Appreciation, Concessions, Fundraising or School Dances).

CeVMS Volunteer Interest Form

This does NOT commit you to anything other than possibly receiving emails when we need help in your areas of interest.

Beginning the 2024-25 school year, PTA Memberships will be completed and paid directly from the Texas PTA site.

For further Information, please visit Memberships.

All events at Cedar Valley can be found on the Cedar Valley Master Calendar.

Did you know that you can add the Cedar Valley Master Calendar to your calendar? Simply click on this link to access it and add it to your calendar!

Visit our Cedar Valley PTA Online Store to make donations and purchase your Cedar Valley merchandise at our one stop shop! Merchandise will be back online shortly.

To join PTA, click here. We're happy to have you on board!

Vision: Fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners

Website: https://cedarvalley.roundrockisd.org/
Location: 8139 Racine Trail, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-428-2300
Facebook: facebook.com/rrisd.cedarvalley
Twitter: @cevmsjags

Front Office Staff

Administrative Associate - Principal's Office: Ms. Cristol Alvarez, 512-428-2316

Administrative Assistant - Counseling Office: Ms. Marilyn Beal, 512-428-2348

Attendance: Ms. Dana Harrison, 512-428-2305

Receptionist: Ms. Allison Samuelson, 512-428-2301

Registrar: Ms. Vicky Escruceria, 512-428-2315

Counselors

6th Grade Counselor: Ms. Gabrielle Kerr

7th Grade Counselor: Ms. Heather Mills

8th Grade Counselor: Ms. Elizabeth Guidry

Administration

Principal: Ms. Larissa Ortiz

6th Grade Assistant Principal: Ms. Jennifer Bingham

7th Grade Assistant Principal: Mr. Marc Scott

8th Grade Assistant Principal: Mr. Andrew Carroll

Nurse Clinic

Campus Nurse: Nurse Mina Shimomura

Records Specialist: Ms. Kristie_Rocheleau