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. 

Join Schimelpfenig PTA      


 

Help your Schimelpfenig PTA reach 600 members by October 31st and earn the Snappy Increase award!  We currently have 521 members, we need 79 more members to reach our goal of 600, one more than last year! Click Here to Join!

 

Parents, Students, Grandparents and other Community Members can join to support Schimelpfenig PTA.  

 

Thank you in advance for your support!



1. Donate to the PTA online!

Your generous TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation will fund programs, social events, and classroom materials for students as well as SMS staff wish list items.  

We thank you in advance for your contributions!

Please visit here to donate online!

 

2. You just keep shopping – let these stores do the donating for you!

Visit our Fundraising Page here for more information.

Link your Kroger or Tom Thumb rewards cards to Schimelpfenig to help our school raise money. The stores will donate a percentage back to the school help show their support for the local communities.

 

3. World Wear Project – Clean out your clutter of old toys, kitchen items, unused towels and bedding and of course CLOTHES!  Bring them up to the BIG BLUE Bin located in the west parking lot.  



From Plano ISD to National PTA and many organizations in-between, there are a lot of seminars, talks, podcasts, and other opportunities to gain information and enrichment for both students and their families.  

 

One program that we at Schimelpfenig PTA sponsor every year is the National PTA Reflections program.  The Reflections program provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts which boost student confidence and success in the arts and in life. Each year, over 300,000 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. This 50+ year-old program helps students explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life. The 2021–2022 Reflections theme is I Will Change the World By…  Students submit their completed works of art in one or all of the available arts categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, Visual Arts.  Submissions at Schimelpfenig are due by Monday, November 8th.  For program rules and eligibility, please visit our website HERE.

 

This year, we have enrolled in National PTA's School of Excellence program, the goal of which is to improve the lines of communication and critical thinking between PTA, school administrators, and our community.  Next week, we will be including a survey in this newsletter that we ask you to complete as step two in our year-long commitment to identifying and implementing an action plan for school improvement.

 

 

Plano ISD has a wonderful parent education program this year, with a variety of topics available every month virtually and weekly Lunch and Learn topics meeting in-person.  Please check the QR code or click HERE for the October calendar. Offerings this week include Building Bridges between Parents and Child: A Substance Abuse Prevention Workshop on Monday and Wednesday from 8:30-9:30 a.m. and Rituals and Routines: Why Have Them? on Tuesday and Thursday from 2:15-3:15 p.m.

 

 

Michele Rohleder

SMS PTA President 2021-2022



Remember that Tuesday, October 19 is Schimelpfenig MS school photo retake day!



Unity Day, started by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in October 2011, is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month. This is a day when we can come together in one giant, ORANGE message of hope and support. The call to action is simple: wear and share the color orange. This vibrant statement becomes a conversation starter, showing support for students who have been bullied and for bullying prevention.



Anyone who doesn't update by the end of this week (October 22nd) will no longer receive the newsletter

 

Don't forget to update your parent and student information on our SMS PTA website to stay connected with us! 

 

This will ensure that you receive our eNews newsletters, special eBlasts and other important PTA news during this school year.



Make dinner a selfless act by joining us for a fundraiser to support Schimelpfenig PTA.
 

Wednesday, October 13th, 4pm-8pm

 

Come in to the Chipotle at 6917 Independence Pkwy in Plano 

 

Bring in this flyer, show it on your smartphone or tell the cashier you’re supporting the cause to make sure that 33% of the proceeds will be donated to Schimelpfenig PTA.

 

NEW! ORDER ONLINE FOR PICKUP Use code Y6MMZPR before checkout in ‘promo’ field. Orders placed on Chipotle.com or through the Chipotle app for pickup using this unique code will be counted towards the fundraiser.



This day aims to raise awareness around mental health matters, communicate the importance of destigmatizing mental health, and rally communities in advocating for a world with mental health education and support for all. This year, the World Mental Health Federation calls attention to the barriers in accessing mental health systems and support in an unequal world.  Learn more and discover tools, resources and more by visiting the campaign toolkits developed by the World Mental Health Federation and the World Health Organization.



  • Listen to National PTA's Notes latest from the Backpack podcast:  What is Social Emotional Learning, Anyway? What life skills does your child need to thrive? There’s a lot of learning happening in schools that goes beyond academics. Karen Van Ausdal talks about what Social and Emotional Learning looks like, why it’s important and how families can help. Listen now.

 

  • October is LGBTQ+ History Month.  National PTA believes that schools should be a safe, supportive and respectful environment for all students.  PTAs believe that every child deserves to go to school excited to learn—without the fear of bullying, violence or discrimination.  To read more and find out how you can become an advocate for LGBTQ youth in our community, click here:  LGBTQ Community Inclusivity in PTA - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

 

  • October is National Arts and Humanities Month.  Encourage your student to enter the National PTA Reflections program.  (See information below about how to participate in our SMS PTA Reflections program.)


Dear Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers,

 

Recently there have been a number of worrisome headlines about social media, such as illegal and dangerous ‘challenges’ that have resulted in the destruction of school property by students. 

 

We all want our teens to use common courtesy whether they're online or offline. 

 

On behalf of our PTA, we are sharing two resources that we hope will help you and the youth in your household to have a positive, open dialogue about these current events and issues.

 

Have The Smart Talk

 

This is a free online tool from National PTA that guides kids and caregivers through a conversation together about social media, technology, apps, etc., and helps families set (or revisit) household rules. 

 

Note: The Smart Talk originally was designed for kids getting their first device, so older teens may feel the tool is not for them, but the actual content is great for kids of any age. Give it a try if you are feeling unsure how to have this conversation, or feel unsure about what topics to address – or simply use it as inspiration for an offline talk with your teen.

Check out the TikTok Guide for Parents

 

This downloadable guide (PDF file) covers a lot of ground about how TikTok works, how to use the safety features and privacy settings, step-by-step instructions on how to report inappropriate content in the app, and more. 

 

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and we know kids can experience a lot of social pressures that feel amplified by our increasingly digital lives. It can be hard to know how to broach these topics with our kids, so we hope these two resources help make it a little easier.



October is a busy month for fall festivals, the State Fair, and other fun events.  At Schimelpfenig, we have some fun events going on as well!  Here is a list of some of the events and celebrations happening at Schimelpfenig and in our community in the coming weeks:

 

  • October is National Principals Month. Celebrate National Principals Month and our awesome new principal, Kristen Kinnard, who is working hard every day for the students and staff at Schimelpfenig! Check out www.principalsmonth.org for activity ideas.
 
  • Saturday, October 2nd, was National Custodian Day.  Our wonderful Schimelpfenig custodial staff, led by Ulysses, work hard every day to keep Schimelpfenig clean for students and staff. Covid protocols and recent Tik Tok challenges have made our custodians' jobs more difficult these past months. Please encourage your student to thank Ulysses this week for all that he does for them -- quietly working to clean up their messes and keep our school germ-free.  Thank you, Ulysses!
  • Wednesday, October 6 is Walk to School Day!  Encourage your students to walk, bicycle or roll to school safely!
 
  • Saturday, October 9 at 5pm -  Plano Symphony Orchestra is hosting a night of Multicultural Dancing. Plano ISD Council of PTAs supports the Education Fund of the PSO with two scholarships each year for secondary student musicians. All ticket sales for this event benefit the scholarship program. Tickets and information available at planosymphony.org
  • Monday, October 11th  - Columbus Day -  Student/Teacher Holiday
  • Tuesday, October 12th - Student Holiday - Teacher Conference Day
  • October 13 - Schimelpfenig Spirit Night at Chipotle from 4-6 p.m. at 6917 Independence Pkwy in Plano 
  • Monday, October 23 - Friday, October 29 - Red Ribbon Week -- Theme:  Drug Free Looks Like Me
  • Friday, October 29 -- Teacher Treat Bar and Student Treat Day


Thank you Schimelpfenig Middle School for your donations to the NTX Food Bank Peanut Butter drive.  We raised $625 worth of Peanut Butter!  Great job!

 



We are hearing of offline teen dares being suggested as future ‘TikTok challenges’ and want to be clear: dangerous challenges and illegal behavior are not allowed on our platform and will be removed. While we do not currently see evidence of these supposed 'challenges' on our platform, our safety teams have and will continue to work tirelessly to enforce our Community Guidelines and remove violative content, including content promoting 'devious licks'. We expect teens to use common courtesy whether they're online or offline.

 

TikTok is committed to reaching parents and guardians by supporting messages on the importance of ongoing conversations with teens about being good citizens online and offline, as we are doing through our collaboration with National PTA. We want to make you aware of the TikTok Guide for Parents we created with National PTA, as it contains critical information about the parental controls available to families on TikTok as well as digital safety information.



Last month, President Anna King and Executive Director Nathan R. Monell submitted a letter to education committees in Congress urging robust funding for school infrastructure in the reconciliation bill. The House Education and Labor Committee finished marking up its portion of the bill Sept. 10, investing:

  • $82 billion in Public School Infrastructure
  • $35 billion in Child Hunger Prevention Programs
  • $450 billion to promote Affordable Child Care

PTA members advocating for these issues helped advance this legislation.  The reconciliation bill still needs to clear hurdles in both the House and Senate, and National PTA will continue to give updates as they become available. To be the first to know, sign up to receive action alerts!



     
      

 

 

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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.