SMS PTA needs your help to finish out our 2021-22 PTA year! All PTAs must perform a financial reconciliation at the end of the fiscal year, which for us ends on June 30th. Until this occurs, no financial business can take place for the 2022-23 school year.
I need one more volunteer to serve on the Financial Reconciliation Committee! I have two volunteers already but need a total of three. The reconciliation will take place at the end of July/beginning of August, at a time and place determined by the members of the Financial Reconciliation Committee. The Committee will review the financial records and prepare a report to be shared with PTA general membership at the first meeting in September. Please contact me at president@smspta.org if you can help!
It's the last week of school! Students will be MAP testing and taking finals in their high-school level classes -- Good luck to everyone! On Thursday, March 26th, students will turn in their Chromebooks; on Friday, March 27, students should not bring backpacks to school! Early release will be at 12:40.
This past week, Schimelpfenig MS celebrated 8th grade students with a graduation & awards ceremony on Wednesday and an extended lunch & party on Friday. Thank you to our Schimelpfenig staff for putting together and participating in the ceremony honoring our 8th grade class, and to the women's choir group for adding their beautiful voices to the ceremony. This group of 8th grade students left school for spring break on March 6, 2020 and did not return to the building until September 2020 or, in some cases, August 2021. This class had some unique challenges during their middle school years, but persevered and are dispersing to various area high schools next year. Good luck to them in their future endeavors! And, thank you to all our wonderful parent volunteers who helped with the 8th grade party on Friday.
On Thursday, May 20th, we had our last SMS PTA General Membership Meeting of the 2021-22 school year. We passed budget amendments to carry the PTA through the summer and into the next school year, met with new PTA board members, and shared our successes for the year. A few items to announce:
- Our PTA Scholarship Award Recipient this year is: Isobel Hutson! Isobel spent her three middle school years at Schimelpfenig, where she was inspired by her teachers to pursue education as a field of study in college. In high school, Isobel participated in various extra-curricular activities, including Cheer, NHS, and Student Council, volunteered, and continued to excel at her studies. She is graduating from Plano Senior High School and will be using this scholarship to help fund her college education at Texas Tech. Congratulations Isobel!
- Financial Reconciliation Committee -- We need 2-3 more people to volunteer to serve on the Financial Reconciliation committee. This is an important process that our PTA must go through at the end of every fiscal year (which is June 30th), and we need your help! The reconciliation will take place toward the end of July, at a time and place convenient to the group. Please contact me at president@smspta.org if you can volunteer to help!
- School Supplies are on sale through May 27! Please purchase your student's supplies online at smspta.org today!
- Our spring Membership drive is underway. Please go to our website at smspta.org to become a member of the 2022-23 Schimelpfenig MS PTA!
Michele Rohleder
SMS PTA President
Teacher Talk Miniseries - Improving Student Wellness. Our nation is facing an adolescent mental health crisis. Teens are struggling in the classroom and at home. Our guest, Instructional Support Specialist and Social Emotional Learning Lead, Leona Fowler, shares her experiences navigating these challenges and what approaches can equip our kids with the coping skills they need. She discusses how mindfulness and other social emotional learning techniques can improve student wellness at school and at home. Notes from the Backpack - Podcast For Families | National PTA
Don't forget to purchase your school supplies by Friday, May 27th!
Grade-level supplies, Avid, Math Rocks, and Science Honors 7/8 supplies are available to purchase, just login to your Account on the PTA website at Schimelpfenig Middle School PTA - Plano ISD, TX - PTA News (membershiptoolkit.com), and you will see the School Supplies sales form. Your student's supplies will be available for pickup at Panther Preview on Tuesday, August 2nd. Only a limited number of supply packs will be available for sale at Panther Preview, so pre-purchase your tax-free School Supplies today! More info HERE.
Only two more weeks to go, Panthers! Encourage your students to keep working hard and finish the 2021-22 school year on a high note!
This week is a busy one:
- Monday, May 16 -- Orchestra 7/8 Spring Concert
- Tuesday, May 17 -- 6th Grade STAAR Reading & Band 7/8 Spring Concert at 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 18 -- 6h Grade STAAR Math & 8th Grade Awards Ceremony at 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday, May 19 -- 6th grade STAAR Math from 8:30-12:45 & SMS PTA General Membership Meeting at 6:00 p.m. & Choir 7/8 Pop Concert at 7:00 p.m.
- Friday, May 20th -- 8th Grade Celebration from 12-3:30 p.m.
Michele Rohleder
SMS PTA President
Please join us on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. in the Schimelpfenig MS library for our last meeting of the 2021-22 school year, as we meet with members of the 2022-23 PTA board, announce our 2022 SMS PTA scholarship recipient, vote on the interim budget, and closeout another odd but great year at Schimelpfenig!
There will be an extended lunch and party for all 8th graders at the school on Friday, May 20th.
The lunch will be from 12-1:30. PTA is providing Sonic lunch for all students who sign up in advance; information is in your student's English Google Classroom. (Cafeteria lunch or bringing lunch still remain as options.)
The lunch will be outside, drinks & snacks will be available for all 8th graders, and there will be games -- Giant Jenga, Checkers, Dominoes, Corn Hole -- available to play.
If you would like to volunteer to help with the lunch & party and/or can donate drinks or snacks or loan us a rolling cooler (it will be hot and we need cold drinks!), please sign up on the Signup Genius here: Parent Volunteers: 8th Grade Celebration (signupgenius.com). Help us make this a fun day for our 8th graders!
Together, we can spread the message that we can take actions to improve our mental health just like our physical health far and wide, and encourage people to take the next step for #MentalHealthAction. Go to Mental Health Action Day to learn more and join the effort to shift from awareness to action on mental health.
Since the pandemic began, the phrase “learning loss” has become a frequently used term in the education field. What kind of “learning loss” are teachers actually seeing in their classrooms and how are they working to address it? Angela Burley, sixth grade social studies teacher and a 2021-2022 Teach Plus Texas Policy Fellow, joins the show to share her perspective on the issue. Listen now.
Last week, our Schimelpfenig staff enjoyed treats, breakfast. and lunch in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week. Thank you to all our volunteers who helped make this happen and to the Panther families who dropped off extra treats for the teachers during the week! Staff and students can continue to celebrate this week with the following theme days:
Monday, May 9 -- Hats off to Our Schim Staff! -- wear a school appropriate hat
Tuesday, May 10 -- Schim Staff Rocks -- wear a school appropriate band or artist shirt
Wednesday, May 11 -- Schim Staff and Students Are a League of Their Own -- wear a team jersey, hat, or shirt.
This week, all 7th and 8th graders will be taking STAAR Reading on Thursday, and some will be taking STAAR Math on Friday. Remind your students to charge their chrome books, bring a book, water bottle, and snack to school on those days. Good luck to all students who are testing this week!
Reminder to parents of current 6th and 7th graders: School Supplies for next year are on sale on the Schimelpfenig PTA website at smspta.org. The sale continues through Friday, May 27th. All pre-purchased supplies will be delivered to students at Panther Preview, which is scheduled for August 2nd. Only a limited number of supply packs will be available for sale at Panther Preview, so buy your supplies now!
Michele Rohleder
SMS PTA President
New CDC data highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our nation’s youth
CDC has released new data from the Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (ABES) highlighting the magnitude of the challenges our nation’s youth faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. ABES provides results on students’ behaviors and experiences during the pandemic related to substance use, mental health and suicide, disruptions to student life, racism and more.
This Tuesday, May 24th is the primary runoff election. Don't forget to vote, if you did not already vote early! You must vote in the party primary that you voted in originally. Find information about the candidates at Collin County League of Women Voters website: 
