Thank you to all the Hospitality volunteers and bakers who helped create a beautiful Holiday Luncheon for our wonderful Schimelpfenig staff on Friday!
JOIN THE AWARD-WINNING SMS PTA FOR 2024-2025!
Support the SMS students and teachers by showing that you value your child’s education by joining the PTA. Memberships start at $12 and students are only $6 with a parent membership! As a benefit to members only, you will have access to an online directory as well as PTA member discounts. Student members receive special discounts during our spring and fall socials and have the opportunity to be involved in leadership opportunities. 
One more week and this semester is over -- time for Winter Break! For this last week of the fall semester, students will be following a special schedule for MAP testing and end-of-semester tests in high-school level classes. See the schedule here:
Students and staff will celebrate this week by dressing up as follows:
- Monday: Dreaming of a Snowy Break. Wear blue & white.
- Tuesday: Have a Holly Jolly Plaid Winter Break. Wear plaid.
- Wednesday: Fashionably Festive Day. Wear an ugly sweater.
- Thursday: Sockin' Round Winter Break. Wear holiday socks.
- Friday: Polar Express Day. Wear flannel pants. And, have an early dismissal at 12:40!
The PALS sock drive ends tomorrow! Bring some unused socks to school tomorrow and drop them in the bin in the front hallway to help local shelters keep everyone's toes toasty and warm!
Schimelpfenig is collecting items for the Children's Advocacy Center. Donation bins have been placed in grade level common areas. The grade level collecting the most items will win a popcorn party on Friday, December 17th!
For parents of current 6th and 7th grade students. This Thursday, December 16th at 6:30 p.m., join Schimelpfenig counselors Shealine Burks and John Schlosser to learn about schedule options for next year.
The Texas PTA Lifetime Membership award is the highest honor given to volunteers, staff and community members who are committed to making a difference in students' lives. Please nominate a person from our Schimelpfenig community by filling out the form. Nominations are due Friday, December 17, 2021. Questions? Contact Karen Gournay, VP Membership at membership@smspta.org.
If we reach more than 100% of our membership from last year, we win the award and special recognition in the Superintendent's Report Card. We need 68 more members by December 19th in order to reach our goal of 600 members. Please help by encouraging your friends, family members, and community members to join our Schimelpfenig PTA!
Thank you for your support!
8th Grade Scavenger Hunt
Plano ISD has a special challenge for current 8th grade students. The information shared on the Exploring Pathways to College and Careers webpage is great information that will help when creating a high school 4-year plan. Plano ISD 8th grade students have an opportunity to complete a Scavenger Hunt and an opportunity to win prizes. Students who complete the scavenger hunt and submit it by January 7, 2022, will be entered into a drawing. Prizes will be presented to students at their home campus during the month of January 2022.
Notes from the Backpack.
Did you guess the mystery guest who is in Episode 51, which aired on December 8th? If you missed it, tune in to watch "Cooking With Kids: Tips from Duff Goldman" at: Notes from the Backpack - Podcast For Families | National PTA
National PTA's Response to the Build Back Better Act.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act on Nov. 19, providing a historic $1.75 trillion investment plan to support education, labor, childcare, health care, taxes, immigration and the environment. The bill will now move to the Senate and will likely be amended before voting takes place. Read the full press release.
Our 2021-2022 Reflections program ended on the 15th of November and our judges have spoken.
6 kids from Schimelpfenig Middle School progressed to the district level.
- Riya Gudadhe, 6th Grade, Visual Arts
- Tina Wu, 7th Grade, Visual Arts
- Michael Yu, 8th Grade, Visual Arts
- Andrew Lee, 7th Grade, Visual Arts
- Nishka Kerkar, 7th Grade, Visual Arts
- Joseph Jacobs, 7th Grade, Photography
Kudos to kids for participating in the Reflections program! If you see them in the hallways of school, be sure to congratulate them and wish them luck for the district level.
Socks for the Sole
Starting today, 8th grade PALs are collecting new, unused socks for men, women, and children. Socks are among some of the most requested items in homeless shelters. All donated items will be shared with area nonprofit organizations that support the Plano homeless community. Collection bins will be in the Schimelpfenig MS main hallway from today through Tuesday, December 14th.
Coat Drive for PISD Head Start
Let's help ensure all of our Plano ISD Head Start students have a new coat for the winter! Plano Council is collecting new coats now through December 9th for boys and girls, sizes 3T to 7 years. Please contact president@smspta.org if you would like to donate!
Let's Restock the Core Store!
It's the time of year when all Plano PTAs work together to restock the PISD Core Store. Launched in 2016, the CORE Store has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in supplies and classroom materials to teachers throughout Plano ISD. The CORE Store allows teachers to shop for additional school supplies for their students at no cost. Please consider donating some of these most needed items:
- Notebook paper
- Composition book
- Washable Art Marker
- Colored Pencils
- Crayons
- Glue (bottle or stick)
- Pencil pouch or box
- Single-subject notebook
- Highlighters
- Scissors
- Colored Construction Paper
- Erasers (beveled and pencil top)
All donations must be received by Schimelpfenig PTA no later than Thursday, December 9th or dropped off by you at the Core Store on Friday, December 11th between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Please contact president@smspta.org if you are interested in donating items.
Camp Just Imagine is a virtual arts enrichment program designed for students in 3rd through 8th grade to learn various art techniques through instruction by an expert illustrator, artist, and author. The camp will be three two-hour sessions, with Drawing on Monday, December 21, Writing on Tuesday, December 21, and Macrame on Wednesday, December 22. Sessions are $30 each or $75 for all three. Registration is open through December 9th. For more information, or to register, visit www.txpta.org/campji.
Surprise Celebrity Guest to Appear on #BackpackNotes Podcast
National PTA has a special surprise celebrity guest on its upcoming podcast episode! Can you guess who? Check out the clues on Facebook and share your guess in the comments! Don't forget to tune in Dec. 8 to see if you're correct!
School shootings are becoming more frequent, after a lull during the pandemic
The deadly gunfire in Oxford, Mich., added one more episode to a growing list of fatal shootings on school property in the United States this year. Read the article. PTA will continue to raise our voice to urge Congress to address the critical gun and school safety issues we are facing as a country. Those in need of mental health support can visit PTA.org/HealthyMinds for free resources and services.
Parenting in a Digital World.
Get expert tips and advice on parenting your connected kids in the digital age. Visit Verizon's award-winning website Parenting in a Digital World.
1. The World Wear Project
The World Wear Project is an easy way to help make some money for Schimelpfenig PTA! Just clean out your closets, bag up your gently-used items, and put them in the bin in the Schimelpfenig MS parking lot! Accepted items are: wearable shoes, clothing, purses, wallets, belts, hats/caps, backpacks, hard toys that fit into the bin, soft toys and stuffed animals
2. Amazon Smile
Holiday Shopping is upon us! If you use Amazon for your holiday shopping, set up your Amazon account through Amazon Smile, supporting Schimelpfenig Middle School PTA. Then, every time you make a purchase, a portion of your sale goes to Schimelpfenig PTA! For information on Amazon Smile, the Amazon Smile App, and how to sign up for both, go to: About AmazonSmile: Program details and FAQ
3. Kroger
Signing up to link your Kroger card to Schimelpfenig MS PTA is easy! Under My Account, look for Community Rewards, and enroll with organization number KU864.
4. Tom Thumb
Schimelpfenig PTA is a partner in the Tom Thumb Good Neighbor Program. When you identify SMS PTA as one of your charities, we all benefit. There is no cost for participation and it does not interfere with any other Tom Thumb programs you may be enrolled in. Forms are available through the link above and at the Customer Service service desk at any Tom Thumb grocery store. Use Charity # 5107. You can also email the information to good.neighbor@tomthumb.com.
5. Box Tops
Watch for these items while shopping, save your receipts, and watch this video and see how easy it is now to earn money for Schimelpfenig Middle School!
Upcoming Events
- Saturday, November 2
- Wednesday, November 6
- Thursday, November 7
- Friday, November 8
- Saturday, November 9
- Wednesday, November 13
- Saturday, November 16
- Tuesday, November 19
The mission of Plano ISD's Family Education and Guidance Services is to strengthen all families in the community by providing education, resources and services which support raising responsible, self-confident, emotionally healthy children in today's complex society. Please visit HERE to gain access to PISD supports that you and your family may wish to utilize throughout the year!
DISCLAIMER: The Schimelpfenig Middle School PTA is a noncommercial, nonsectarian, nonpartisan association that does not endorse any candidate or political party. This PTA does not endorse non-PTA products or services. If you have a concern, please contact a member of the PTA Executive Board.
