Titan News

Titan Parents,

We had a great week last week, and know this week will be a great one, too. Please be sure to take time to review the items below, and we look forward to your engagement with your school! There is a new opportunity to learn about this week -- Cross Country Running (XC). See news item below, plus the calendar of the week's events.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @SLMSTitans, and keep an eye on our campus website, as well.

Keith Fickel, Principal

We are excited to announce a potential new opportunity for our 7th and 8th grade students--Cross Country Running (XC). An interest meeting will occur after school on Thursday, September 19. Students may ride the 5:15 tutorial bus (next item) if needed. Please complete this brief form so that we may determine interest level ahead of the meeting on September 19.

Students will need to have a physical on file (download form here), and also complete forms online in Rank One.

We are pleased to announce the start of our 5:15 Tuesday/Thursday Tutorial Buses. Students who participate in an after school tutorial, make-up session, help session, club/organization meeting, rehearsal, etc., may ride the 5:15 bus. Students staying after school for athletic practices or athletic events will not be able to ride the 5:15 tutorial bus.Visit our Tutorial Bus web page for details. You may also download a map of drop-off locations and approximate drop-off times. Students must know ahead of time which stop they will get off the bus at (there are 10 stops total). Select the one that is closest to their home.

Yearbooks are currently on sale for $35 until November 4th when the price will go up. Tribute ads for current 8th graders may also be purchased for either $20 (1/8 of a page) or $40 (1/4 of a page). To order, simply visit https://www.balfour.com/student-info?smi=71485. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Childs at Molly.Childs@fortbendisd.com.

Please visit our campus webpage for details about referring your child for GT testing. The window for referrals in the fall semester is open until September 30

• Mid-Day Break with the Counselors – Wednesday, September 25, at 11:15 AM
  
• Spirit Night at RC's Tex-Mex, including Coffee with the Principal - Thursday, September 26, 6:00 PM

Our annual 8th grade Career Day is Thursday, December 5. We need parent volunteers and guest speakers. Please download this informational flyer for details, and contact Mrs. Smith, 8th grade counselor, at eleni.smith@fortbendisd.com if you can help out!

Guide a Promising Student at a Fort Bend ISD school near your home or place of business. Whether you prefer to support a student's academics, their social well-being, or a combination of the two...Fort Bend ISD appreciates your support and partnership.

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3...

1. Register to attend this mandatory orientation, which includes an overview of the GPS program, guidelines for partnering with a student, and tips to ensure your success in the program.

2. Sign a one-year commitment to meet with a student, 30-60 minutes, once a week.

3. Complete the required background check for the safety of our students. Upon receipt of a cleared background check, we will send your application to the campus of your choice.

Visit this link to get started!

We love parent volunteers! Please renew your annual Criminal History Authorization (CHA) by visiting the district website. These reset on July 1 each year. Then, please join the PTO by visiting their website at www.slmspto.org.

To avoid having to use a forest of paper to print forms for parents to complete on the first day of school, parents may complete this annual task starting July 30. See below for details.

• Verify your child(ren)'s information in Skyward Family Access
• Download this helpful flyer (in English and Spanish) to guide you through the process
• To start the verification process, click here to go to Skyward Family Access
• NOTE 1: Please allow your children "Full Access" (FA) to district computers and the network. In order to conduct research, create projects, take certain assessments, use Schoology, use their district email account, and more, students must have full access to the district's resources
• NOTE 2: Please provide permission for your child(ren) to take surveys. As we seek to hear and listen to students' voices and opinions to make SLMS a better place to work and learn, we cannot do that if students do not have permission to take surveys. We don't do many of them, but the ones we do are important, and they originate from within the district

Please take a moment to review our updated campus procedure for student-owned devices. This procedure was developed during the 2018-19 school year in consultation with our Campus-Based Leadership Team, composed of SLMS staff, parents, and community members. Students were made aware of this new procedure during the first week of school, and is already in effect.

Visit the district’s Free and Reduced Meal webpage to sign up for or renew your children for the free and reduced meal program. Applications/renewals are available starting August 5.

All of the supplies for your child's grade level are found on the SLMS school supply list, which was created by the teachers. The only items not included are things like PE uniforms and specialty items needed for certain elective classes. PE uniforms are now on sale through our online store, RevTrak. A list of items needed for specialty electives classes will be shared by your child's teacher once school starts.

UPDATE 8/13/2019

Due to construction along Seventh Street that continues even as the year starts, please take a moment to visit this article on our campus webpage about the traffic pattern on Seventh Street. (You may also click on the image in this article to see a static map with route information).

Additionally, our partners at CW39 produced the video below explaining the detours and key points about arrival and dismissal.

Information about this multi-phase project (DR1801 - Covington Woods Drainage Improvements - Sugar Land MS/Sugar Mill Relief Line) is on the City of Sugar Land’s website (click the "Drainage" tab).

FBISD’s Child Nutrition Department has launched a new software program this school year, SchoolCafe. SchoolCafe will allow parents to create an account, make online payments, view school menus, set account restrictions and more. SchoolCafe can be accessed at https://www.schoolcafe.com/fbisd or through the SchoolCafe app. (Visit the Apple Store or Google Play store to download.)

Please note, you will still be able to view menus through MealViewer.

Parents will be able to make payments through https://www.schoolcafe.com/fbisd or through the SchoolCafe app starting Monday, August 5, 2019.

Should you have any questions, please contact FBISD Child Nutrition at (281) 634-1855.

Early in the school year, FBISD will roll out a new ID badging system for all students and employees. All students and employees throughout FBISD will be required to wear identification badges. The expectation, once rolled out, is that not only will students wear the badge, they will scan their badge at one of two kiosk stations located at building entrances as a "check-in" to help us know they arrived on campus. We don't have all the details to share with you just yet, but we wanted to make sure you were aware that this was going to occur. We have the badging equipment already on campus, but are awaiting training in order to set it up and roll it out. Stay tuned for updates!

Keeping the lines of communication open between home and school is crucial for student success. Therefore, please ensure that your contact information, such as email addresses and phone numbers, are kept up to date in Skyward Family Access and in Blackboard Connect, which was launched in November 2018. Please visit the district's Blackboard Connect information page, and download/view this how-to document related to keeping your Blackboard Account information current. To ensure that all parents and guardians continue to receive timely communications, primary guardians are encouraged to log in to Blackboard Connect to review their contact information, and if they choose, add other contact phone numbers and email addresses for other family members to ensure communications are delivered to them, as well.

Inspiring and equipping the young men and women of our community for futures beyond what they can imagine since 1975.

SLMS Campus Mission Statement

Working collaboratively, the Sugar Land Middle School Professional Learning Community will commit to creating a safe environment with high expectations leading to physical, social, emotional, and academic success for all Titans.

#TitansOwnIt

Regular Office Hours

• 8:20-4:20 Monday-Friday

Email: keith.fickel@fortbendisd.com
Website: www.fortbendisd.com/slms
Location: 321 7th Street, Sugar Land, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 634-3080
Twitter: @SLMSTitans