February 1, 2012
Did you Know about Seahawk Service?
As some of you may know, our namesake, Richard L. Scoggins, was a man who served the Frisco community for many years in various capacities. When we opened Scoggins Middle School in the fall of 2008, our teachers and staff came together and determined that we wanted to continue Mr. Scoggins' legacy of service to others through our teachers', students', and families' actions. Over the past three years, our students, teachers, and families have participated actively and eagerly in service projects around the Frisco and McKinney area, including Habitat for Humanity, the Miracle League of Frisco, Frisco Family Services, and the Frisco Public Library, among others. In an effort to increase our students' global citizenship and awareness, we've also participated in the international Children's Safe Drinking Water Program and, this year, the Soldier's Angels program. After four years as a school community, we feel safe to say that "service to others" is truly a part of who we are at Scoggins. This year alone did you know...
- That your students have collected thousands of toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrushes, and trial-size deodorant) and sent them to our troops serving overseas through the Soldier's Angels program? In February, students are already making plans to collect pre-packaged snacks such as beef jerky, tuna in packets, etc. to keep their year-long donation drive going.
- That our 8th grade Teen Leadership students raised money to send to the American Red Cross in Bastrop, Texas, to help with families affected by the wildfires that ravaged that area earlier this fall? They are also working in conjunction with our neighbors at Craig Ranch to raise money to purchase our annual tree for the Craig Ranch Arbor Day celebration.
- That our Scoggins PTA, volleyball teams, and Seahawk students raised money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in October?
- That our Scoggins Student Council is currently gearing up for its annual Pennies for Patients program, supporting research to combat childhood cancers and leukemia?
As we prepare for a busy spring with the new STAAR test and the transition to a new middle school, Vandeventer, for many of our students, it's easy to get so busy that we lose sight of the many wonderful things that our Seahawks are doing for others. Please help support them this month and this semester as they bring in their donations for our soldiers, and find other ways to serve and volunteer their talents and gifts with others. We can't help but believe that Mr. Scoggins would be so proud!
Have a great week, and Go, you Seahawks!
December 13, 2011
Wishing Everyone Happy Holidays and a Peaceful New Year!
Where is this year going? Our 6th graders (well, most of them) have quit running to get to their next class, some of our 7th graders are now taller than me, and our 8th graders are halfway to high school - that can only mean one thing - this Friday marks the end of our 1st Semester! And for the first time ever, it really will mean the end of 1st Semester, and no final exams when we return on January 2 - we'll be able to hit the ground running with new instruction to prepare for an amazing 2nd Semester!
In the meantime, I want to wish each and every one of you - our confident 6th graders, our growing 7th graders, and our too-cool 8th graders - a peaceful, safe, and relaxing Winter Break with your families and friends. Enjoy this time together, and we'll see you in 2012!
Go, you Seahawks!
November 3, 2011
Much to be Thankful for in the Land of the Seahawks!
When I was a kid, November was never a very interesting month to me - sandwiched between the fun of October, with its giant fall leaf piles and Halloween candy, and December with all of that snow (got to love Indiana!) and those long winter vacations - November just never held much appeal. Sure, pumpkin pie was good, but that thrill never lasted very long.
Now that I'm an adult, though, November has actually turned out to be one of my favorite months of the year! What's not to love? Cooler temperatures, great food, the opportunity to relax with family and friends, and, of course, now that I'm a Texan - football! And speaking of football - did I mention that our 7th grade Seahawk Football Team will be playing for the district championship next Monday, November 7, at Memorial Stadium? Yes, our mighty Seahawks have had an undefeated season and are seeded #1 for the East side middle school teams. They'll take on the Stafford Spartans, the #1 seed from the West side, and we hope to see all of our Seahawk families, students, and staff there to cheer on our team to a district championship. Our 8th grade Seahawks are also in playoff contention this year, and will be taking on the Pioneer Heritage Panthers at Centennial High School the following night, Tuesday, November 8, for the 5th-place spot out of 12 middle school teams. Both of our football teams have given an outstanding effort this year, and we're so proud to cheer them on!
Not to be outdone, our Lady Seahawk Volleyball teams are also in the championship hunt this weekend, November 4 and 5, at the FISD Middle School Volleyball Tournament. Both our 7th and 8th grade teams have ended the year on a winning note and have really built up momentum at the right time, so we have high hopes for multiple trophies on Monday morning! Go, Seahawks!
The other thing to love about November is the spirit of gratitude that comes so naturally as Thanksgiving approaches. At Scoggins Middle School, we have so much for which to be thankful and proud:
* Our All-Region Choir and Orchestra members - check out the front page of our website!
* Our Seahawk Band members who are tirelessly preparing now for their regional competition...
* Our coaches, teachers, and sponsors who have put in countless hours preparing our kids to be the best they can be!
* Our awesome Scoggins Cheerleaders who cheer all of our teams on to victory!
* Our Scoggins "Green Team" Recycling Crew who diligently take care of our campus each Friday, led by their fearless (truly) leader, Mr. Boyle!
* Our teachers and staff members who go above and beyond every day to make each Seahawk successful - and still smile and wave while on outside duty...
* Our wonderful Scoggins PTA who has supported us with food, programming for Red Ribbon Week, food, spiritwear, a great "Pink Out" dance in October, and, of course, food... :)
* Our designation as a NCEA "Higher Performing School" for 2011!
* Our Seahawk PRIDE students who can be seen each day, helping others pick up their books, inviting individual students to sit with them at lunch, and smiling at new students - how awesome our kids are!
* And so much more that happens every day at Scoggins...
As you can see from our front page and our recent emails home, Rezoning for 2012-13 has begun, and Scoggins Middle School will be affected. One thing we want all of you to know however, is this - "Once a Seahawk, Always a Seahawk" - no matter what happens with our rezoning, all of our kids will always be a part of us, and we'll work hard to make their transition (and yours) to their new home smooth and supportive. We'll be communicating information and decisions as they're made, so please check the website and your email often!
Also - if you have time, please join our Scoggins PTA and me on the evening of Tuesday, November 15, for coffee, desserts, and a general presentation on STAAR testing - it should be informative and, of course, there is dessert...
Thank you for sharing your kids with us - middle school is such a great time to get to be a part of their lives. I wish you all a Happy November, too! See you at the games! :)
Go, you Seahawks!
August 17, 2011
Here we go, Exemplary Seahawks!
Welcome Back to Scoggins Middle School for the 2011-12 school year!
I hope that all of you had a wonderful summer (despite that nearly record-breaking heat wave) and that you're as excited as we are to begin Year #4 at Scoggins Middle School! We're so proud to announce our Exemplary rating from the state of Texas - a rating which we will have the privilege of carrying for both the 11-12 and 12-13 school years as we all transition to the new STAAR test; even more than that, however, we're proud to say that we're already off to a great start with our recent Future Flyers Camp for our incoming 6th graders, as well as our 7th and 8th grade schedule pick-ups. It's hard for us to believe that all of those taller and more mature-looking students coming through our doors this week were our 6th and 7th grade Seahawks last year - seeing all of them and our families again after a long summer is one of the favorite parts of our year.
As of today, our enrollment is nearly at 880 students, and we're looking forward to getting to know our new students and welcoming them to our Seahawk family. As always, we will run an Activity Bell schedule our first week, utilizing our 35-minute activity period at the end of each day to refresh our returning Seahawks and educate our new students on our Seahawk PRIDE program, as well as the district's new BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program, designed to help support our students as they learn to navigate the challenges of the 21st century. We will also be helping to pilot the Olweus Anti-Bullying program this year, which will fit in perfectly with our existing Positive Behavior Support program, Seahawk PRIDE. We're excited about the opportunity to educate our kids about the processes and procedures that help Scoggins Middle School be the best learning environment it can be, and this first week always allows us to do that.
And speaking of processes and procedures - we ask all of our families to ensure that they're familiar with our carpool process and guidelines posted on the front page of our website - the first week back is always hectic traffic-wise, so please be patient and know that the line does move more smoothly as everyone gets the hang of it - and if we ask you to stop, turn around, or slow down, please know that we're doing that in order to keep all of our students safe - our top priority!
I wish you all a great end to your week, and a very restful weekend - we'll see you bright and early on Monday morning to start the 11-12 year off right!
Go, you Seahawks!
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