EMS Raider Student and Family News

September 11 - September 16

commUNITY

Hello there Raider commUNITY!

Thank you for another fantastic week at Eastwood Middle School. We appreciate your support and your partnership in the beautiful, sometimes exhausting, but always glorious work of empowering the children of our community.

Call it corny, but our representation of the word commUNITY is very important. It is critical that all of us stakeholders are united at all levels in our interest and focus on our 1,255 Raiders and their growth and success. United in our efforts to support our Raiders in all of their endeavors. United in our desire to show our kids the value of an education and the doors and opportunities that education will afford them. United in taking all appropriate measures to keep our Raiders safe while at school. United in our efforts to encourage and nurture our kids to build a future where everyone is a little more kind and respectful of one another. United in the belief that each one of our children has infinite potential and giftedness and their commUNITY -El Paso and beyond- is waiting for them to share their talents!

Unity among students, though, can be difficult to achieve when there are differences in opinion and emphasis placed on such things as gossip and unkind words and actions. We will continue to place a premium on treating one another well and on showing respect towards one another on this campus. We will continue to emphasize the progress that can be made when we work together, not against one another. We will always be ready to support efforts of acceptance and understanding when it comes to all of our Raiders. This is what moves campuses forward and upward. Unite with us, Raider commUNITY, and we will continue to do great things!

Thank you for your support!

Mr. Gutierrez, Mrs. Imai and Mrs. Vega

Assistant Principals

NEW EASTWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Eastwood Middle School is happy to announce the arrival of our new Campus Principal, Mr. Steve Zubiate. Mr. Zubiate began his career in 2007 as a teacher at Desertaire Elementary School. During his tenure in education, Zubiate has also served as a middle-school teacher, as well as an assistant principal at the middle- and high-school levels. He holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and a master’s degree in educational administration from Sul Ross State University.

Welcome to the Rise Up Experience, Mr. Zubiate!

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BREAKFAST STATIONS CONTINUE!

Parents, in an effort to promote greater participation in our breakfast offerings, our cafeteria staff will begin a new "station" system of offering breakfast. When your Raider walks in, there will be 3 stations located in the foyer of the school and the rotunda where our cafeteria staff will be offering a breakfast for your Raider. Students are encouraged to take a breakfast and proceed to the cafeteria where they can eat their breakfast. We ask that students eat breakfast only in the cafeteria so that our custodians don't have to pick up trash throughout the building.

ATTENDANCE MATTERS MESSAGE FROM DR. DE LA TORRE

Please click the link below to view a message from Dr. De la Torre regarding attendance. We need your Raider here every day!

DLT Attendance 2023_Final.mp4

drive.google.com

Parents, student safety is a priority above all else, so we continue to ask for your support regarding students wearing their ID badges around their neck every day. Please ensure that, when they leave for school in the morning, they have their ID with them and they are wearing it as they enter the building. A couple of points to remember that will help us maintain a safe and orderly campus:

We have provided every Raider with their initial ID and a lanyard free of charge.
In the event a Raider realizes they have lost their ID, they will need to purchase a new one. We ask that you send your Raider with $10 to purchase a replacement. $10 will get them 2 new IDs.
In the event the notch at the top breaks, the front office can punch a hole in the ID so that they can continue to use a lanyard.
If your Raider loses their lanyard, please provide them with a replacement so that they can continue to meet the requirement of wearing an ID around their necks.
Please check to make sure your Raider has not cut out or covered or scratched out their picture. They will need to purchase a replacement ID if they have altered or damaged their ID.
Please remind your Raider to keep the ID around their necks during the day, not in their pocket or backpacks.

It is the expectation of the district that students at secondary campuses wear an ID at all times. The ability to identify students quickly and easily, and to determine their grade level (ID card color) is critical to us maintaining safety and order on your child's campus.

We will begin initiating ID checks and sweeps soon with a potential consequence for non-compliance. Again, if a Raider simply put his/her ID on as they leave home and leave them on all day, they will be fine. Thank you for your support and understanding in keeping our students safe.

RAIDER MESSAGE - commUNITY Video for the Week!

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SOCIOECONOMIC INFORMATION FORMS - ACTION REQUIRED!

If you have not completed a Socioeconomic Information form for your Raider, you can click the image here ==>

and complete the form online. Your Raider will get free dress for next Friday if you complete this.

If you have submitted the form already, thank you!

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DRESS CODE AND TARDY VIOLATIONS

Safety and classroom instruction are our top priority for our Raider students. That being said, there are a couple of concerns that we will be addressing.

DRESS CODE VIOLATIONS

In order to make sure that your Raider is in class every day, maximizing their instructional opportunities, please review the dress code at the bottom of this newsletter and please make certain that your child comes to school dressed appropriately. We have had several students on a daily basis come to school with out the required shirt and/or pants.
Students who are out of dress code will have first period only to call home to have appropriate clothing brought to them. If they cannot get the appropriate clothing to them by the end of first period, we will place the student in ISS with a dress code violation discipline referral for the remainder of the day.
Our office staff, administration and security officers have many duties to attend to in order to assist in running an orderly school day. They are not available to accommodate students who arrive out of dress code.

TARDY VIOLATIONS

Again, in order to maximize your child's time in class receiving instruction, we have implemented a lunch detention program to address students tardy to class.
Students who are tardy to classes before their lunch period will have lunch detention THAT SAME DAY. Students who are tardy to class after their lunch period will have lunch detention THE FOLLOWING DAY. Students will be able to eat during lunch detention.
Students that fail to report to lunch detention will be given a discipline referral.

Please understand that we want your child here, on time, dressed appropriately with their ID on so that we can provide a safe environment for them to learn, grow and prosper. We thank you for your support with this.

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Campus Traffic Patterns and Drop Off Zones - UPDATED

WE HAVE ADDED ADDITIONAL AFTER SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS AT ALBUM (NEAR OLD BUS DROP OFF) AND ON BYWOOD NEAR ARCHIE STREET! We are always looking to make our campus and surrounding streets safer for your Raiders.

Due to the large campus population and heavy traffic in the area, it is essential that all Raider community members (students, parents, and staff) adhere to safety standards when traveling around the campus area. We ask that you support our efforts to ensure ALL of our Raiders remain safe and secure while traveling by foot or vehicle.

First and foremost, we ask that you adhere to the directions given by staff members who are serving as cross guards or helping traffic flow. Do not stop in the middle of crosswalks or refuse or ignore their stop signs or directions. Understand that we are all trying to keep our Raiders safe and need your cooperation to do so!

More helpful reminders for keeping our Raiders and community safe:

Refrain from speeding on the streets surrounding the campus, especially during student arrival and dismissal times - the hours of 7:30 -8:30 am and 3:50 - 4:50 pm.
Be on the lookout for students who may be crossing the streets, whether at the crosswalks or not.
Emphasize the importance of crossing the streets safely at crosswalks rather than the middle of the streets where cars are less likely to slow down.
Refrain from making u-turns on Album, Chaswood, Bywood, and Escarpa streets, especially when students are arriving or departing the campus.
When dropping off or picking up your Raider, please pull all the way up to the front of the drop off area rather than staying back. This helps traffic flow more easily around the surrounding streets.
Consider parking away from the campus and having your Raider walk to or from your car rather than using the drop-off areas to avoid getting stuck in traffic.

CAMPUS SAFETY PROCEDURES - UPDATED

As some of you may have noticed, the district is currently improving our front visitor's vestibule area. As the work progresses, we will need to make some adjustments to ensure we keep our campus safe. Please read the procedures outlined below so you are prepared in the event you need to enter our school building during the school day.

All visitors must have a valid picture ID.
Be prepared to show your ID outside of the campus after notifying the receptionist you have arrived, and to have it scanned in our Hall Pass system for a quick background check.
The doors on the right-hand side are to ENTER the campus only. Doors on the left-hand side are to EXIT the building.
Should you need to sign your child out for an appointment or the day, you will do so inside of the visitor's vestibule. You may wait inside the vestibule or just outside the front doors for your child.
The receptionist will check to make sure the person picking up your child is authorized to do so as listed in our student information system.
Your child will be called down to the visitor's center. As they pass through the area our receptionist will note they are ok to leave, at which time they will exit the building out of the exit only (left-hand side) doors. As you see them come through, you can meet them just outside the campus doors.
Should you need to come inside the campus at or shortly after dismissal, you will be stopped at the door by an adult who will ask you the reason for your visit. They will communicate with the front office to make sure you are approved entry and you will be permitted to make your way to the front office for further assistance.
In order to comply with state mandates to safely and effectively control a single entry point for our campus, we are unable to accept food deliveries for your student during lunch. Our visitor center receptionist must remain focused on the task of monitoring entry, check in and processing of identification, monitoring student sign-outs and so on. Again, this is to ensure the safety and security of our single campus entry point. Thank you for your understanding.

Thank you for your flexibility and understanding of our new visitor's area procedures. It is up to all of us to help keep our campus (students & adults) safe, and we appreciate your support and partnership in doing so.

If you have any questions or concerns, please make campus administration aware and we can assist you.

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WHAT ARE WE LEARNING IN CORE CLASSES?

6th Grade:

Reading/Language Arts: Unit 2: Narrative Elements in Reading Focus: Narrative Writing (Aug. 16-Sept. 27)
Social Studies: Unit 2 United States and Canada (August 24 - September 22)
Science: Unit 2: Investigating Properties of Matter (14 days: Aug. 28- Sept 15)
Math: Unit3: Operations with Positive Rational Numbers (13 days: Sept. 11-27)

7th Grade:

Reading/Language Arts: Unit 2: Narrative Elements in Reading Focus: Narrative Writing (Aug. 16-Sept. 27)
Social Studies: Unit 3: Exploration and Colonization of Texas
Science: Unit 2: Investigating Body Systems & Homeostasis (20 days: Aug. 25- Sept. 22)
Math: Unit 3: Graphs, Equations & Inequalities (13 days: Sept. 11-27)

ADV-Unit 3: Functions (14 days: Sept.5- 20)

8th Grade:

Reading/Language Arts: Unit 2: Narrative Elements in Reading Focus: Narrative Writing (Aug. 16-Sept. 27)
Social Studies: ; Era 1 Colonial America (August 9 - August 29)
Science: Unit 2: Investigating Forces that Change the Earth (15 days: Aug 28- Sept. 15)
Math: Unit 3: Functions (14 days: Sept.5- 20)

ALG-Unit 3: Investigation of Linear Functions & Inequalities (14 days: Sept. 7 - 26)

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THIS WEEK'S CAMPUS EVENTS

Monday, 9/11- September 11th - NEVER FORGET

Tuesday, 9/12

Wednesday, 9/13 - Cross Country @ YISD Meet at Veteran's Park

Thursday, 9/14 - Progress Report #2 available to view in Home Access Center

Friday, 9/15 - On Fridays, we all look back at our accomplishments and celebrate!

Saturday, 9/16 - 7th Grade Raider Football vs. Bobby Joe Hill MS @ 9:00 am

- 8th Grade Raider Football vs. Canutillo MS after 7th grade game

- BOTH GAMES WILL BE PLAYED AT EASTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

YISD ATHELETIC SCHEDULES - CLICK HERE

EMS 2023-2024 BELL SCHEDULE

EMS 2023-2024 DRESS CODE

EASTWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL WEBSITE LINK

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EMS OFFICE STAFF & NURSE CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach out to anyone by calling our main number 915-434-4300, or any of the direct numbers below, from 7:45 am - 4:15 pm to assist you.

Office Clerk & Nurse Contact Information:

6th Grade Students

Heather Borrego

(915) 434-4368

hborrego@yisd.net

7th Grade Students

Ana Cadena-Medina

(915) 434-4310

amedina79@yisd.net

8th Grade Students

Aida Marquez

(915) 434-4367