Mustang Memo September

Hello NSMS Community,

It has been a wonderful start to the school year. Your child is a key part of our school community and we are so thankful they are here. One of our District Tenants is WE CARE. My goal is to ensure that every member of our Middle School Family feels cared about. The Middle School team works to make sure students feel accepted and safe, and that their voices are heard. My hope, above all else, is that your child enjoys coming to school at Nixon-Smiley Middle School to learn and grow and even have some fun along the way.

On an academic note, you should have received your child’s first progress report on August 30th. Please be sure to review the progress report, sign it, and have your child return it to school. This progress report will only include a limited number of grades since it is still very early in the 9-weeks, so keep that in mind when you review your child's grades. We will continue sending out letters informing you of accelerated instruction plans for students who did not meet expectations on STAAR last year. Everyone will be working hard to help fill the educational gaps and help all students be successful. Please contact the office or your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns. Together, we can help our students reach their full potential.

Brittany Rogers

NSMS Principal

• Sep 5 - No School - Holiday
• Sep 8 - 8th Grade Football away at Flatonia
• Sep 8 - Home Volleyball
• Sep 15 - Grades Due - Grade & Attendance Check for Intersession
• Sep 19 - Early Release @ 12:35
• Sep 19 - Home Volleyball
• Sep 20 - Progress Report goes out
• Sep 22 - Football @ Comfort
• Sep 26 - Home Volleyball
• Sep 30 - Grade Check for Intersession

Our 6th - 8th graders will have intercession days. We will be checking students' grades and attendance to determine who will have to attend on these days. Check out the video below for more information. View the Spanish Video here.

**This does not apply to 5th-grade students. Pre-K - Fifth grade will follow the normal calendar year and attend all school days.

Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and on the job.

What families can do:

• Make school attendance a priority. Talk about the importance of going to school and help your children develop routines
• Help your teen stay engaged. If there are any issues or reasons your child does not want to come to school, give us a call.
• Communicate with the school. We are a team, we want your child to be successful.

Remember: Attendance is taken all 8 periods. If your student has a doctors appointment, please send us a note! Please call the middle school office if your child is absent.**If your child has COVID-19 symptoms, please keep them at home.

Each month our middle school will focus on a different topic that will be implemented with different lessons and activities. September's focus is Empathy in which we encourage students to value every interaction and ensure others are seen, heard, and valued. Find out more in the Capturing Kids Hearts Newsletter in English and Spanish.

“Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping him up.” – Jesse Jackson

Sandy Hook Promise's

September is HELLO month! Each Friday in September will have a different activity to promote a sense of belonging. We teach them to see someone alone, reach out and help, and it all starts with HELLO!

• 9/2 - We will have greeters from each organization to say HELLO to every student coming into school.
• 9/9 - We will do a “Chalk Walk” where we write kind messages with sidewalk chalk all over our school.
• 9/16- We will have questions and activities on the cafeteria tables to help students communicate with each other.
• 9/23- We will hand out bracelets to remind students to be kind and stay mustang strong!

Awareness: Suicide Prevention Awareness:

On average, there are more than 5,000 sucide attempts daily by young people and even more think about suicide (suicidal ideation). For middle and high school aged youth, sucide is the 2nd leading cause of death. See the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Jason Foundation for more information.

Do you or someone you care about need help? Call or Text: 988 (Suicide & Crisis Hotline)

ASCA National Educational and Health Awareness Dates

Student Self-Care Tip:

Laughing is good for overall well-being. Try watching a comedy, listening to a funny podcast, or even learn some jokes.

Our cross country team had their second meet on August 27th where they all beat their previous times and finished the race strong. The boys brought home 3 medals and the girls brought home two medals! Great work Mustangs!

We do not allow deliveries to our campus. This includes any outside deliveries such as flowers, gifts, food, or drinks. Students can bring cupcakes for their birthdays as long as they are store-bought.

All NSMS students have gone through the classroom instruction piece of our ALICE drills. They reviewed what each portion means, reviewed scenarios, and asked questions. This month, we will have our first ALICE drill. When we do the drill, we will announce it a drill and all students will have the opportunity to practice and then debrief and ask questions with their teachers. The safety of our students is our top priority and we believe the best thing we can do is empower students with the knowledge and practice so that they are prepared in case of a real emergency.

To communicate with our teachers you can use the Rooms feature in our Nixon-Smiley App. This app will be for all teachers in our district. You should have received an email with a "magic code" for your child and instructions on how to create an account. Once you create an account, the video below will show you how to use the app. English Video. Spanish video. We will also post information on the Nixon-Smiley CISD Home of the Mustangs Facebook page and our district website. Please also check with your child daily about any important information that may have been sent home or communicated with them.

If you have a question or concern, please call us at (830) 582-1536, Ext 302. We are happy to set up Parent/Teacher conferences at your request either by phone or in person.

Email: rogersb@nixonsmiley.net
Website: www.nixonsmiley.net
Location: 800 North Rancho Road, Nixon, TX, USA
Phone: (830) 582-1536
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nixon-Smiley-CISD-Home-of-the-Mustangs--264506510244649
Twitter: @nixonsmileycisd