Covington Middle School

Covington Connection

Newsletter for the week of April 7th - April 11th, 2025

Maddox's Message

Mr. Maddox

Dear Covington Families,

We hope you’ve stayed warm through the unexpected cold spell that swept through this weekend, it certainly didn’t feel like April! Despite the chilly weather, we’re moving full steam ahead into an important season for our students.

We’re officially here—STAAR 2025 begins this Wednesday, April 9th, with the STAAR Reading assessment for all students. Our teachers and students have been working hard all year, and we’re excited to see their efforts come to life.

To help our Colts feel even more prepared, we are launching Math STAAR Tutorials for all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students starting tomorrow, Monday, April 7th. These after-school sessions are designed to:

  • Reinforce key math concepts and TEKS

  • Provide additional practice and problem-solving strategies

  • Offer small-group support and direct teacher feedback

  • Build confidence ahead of the Math STAAR assessment on April 24

We strongly encourage your child to attend and take advantage of this opportunity for extra support!

STAAR 2025 Testing Schedule
Please review the following dates and plan accordingly:

  • April 9 – STAAR Reading

  • April 10–11, 14 – STAAR Reading Make-Ups

  • April 15 – STAAR Science

  • April 16 – STAAR Social Studies

  • April 17 – STAAR Science Make-Up

  • April 21 – STAAR Social Studies Make-Up

  • April 22 – STAAR Science & Social Studies Make-Up

  • April 24 – STAAR Math & Algebra

  • April 25, 28–29 – STAAR Math & Algebra Make-Ups

A Quick Reminder:

Students may be testing throughout the day and into the afternoon, so we kindly ask that you avoid picking up your child early on testing days unless absolutely necessary. If possible, please refrain from scheduling medical or dental appointments on testing days to ensure students have the best chance to complete their exams without interruptions.

Thank you for your support as we begin this important part of the school year. Let’s continue to lift up our students with encouragement, consistency, and confidence!

Remember, there are always ways to get involved. Click the links below to volunteer.

Front Office Support

Afternoon Pick Up Monitor

Drop Off Monitor

Lunch Room Monitor

Friday Lunch Room Monitor

Your proud principal,

Cedric Maddox

Important Upcoming Dates!

  • Apr. 7th - 11th: Assistant Principal & Librarian Appreciation Week!!

  • Apr. 7th - Tennis: Mendez vs Marshall vs Covington @ Covington 6 pm

  • Apr. 9th - STAAR Reading

  • Apr. 9th - CAC Meeting @4:15 pm, all are welcome in Room 109

  • Apr. 10th - Track and Field @ Burnet MS - 6 pm - 7:30 pm

  • Apr. 10th - Maestro En Casa Graduation @ AISD PAC - 11am - 12:30 pm

Our Strings / Guitar Program went to the 2025 Guitar Fest / Competition. They went up against some of the best schools in Texas! We are so proud of y'all!! Here are the results:

1st Place: Trio

2nd Place: Duo

1st Place: Quartet

1st Place: Large Ensemble

Click the link below to check out the pictures!

2025 Hill Country Guitar Competition Photos

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Tutoring Schedule for Students:

Click Here for Tutoring Schedule

https://covington.austinschools.org/sites/covington.austinschools.org/files/inline-files/Covington-MS-Tutoring_2024-25.pdf

Attention families! ACE is currently NOT accepting anymore students for this 24-25 school year. Thank you - Ms. Katie

¡Atención familias! Actualmente ACE NO está aceptando más estudiantes para este año escolar 24-25. Gracias - Sra. Katie

The Elements

🌟 Experience the Magic of Dance! 🌟

Get ready to be swept away as our Covington MS dancers bring the elements to life through movement, lights, and music! 💧🌎💨🔥

✨ "Empower" – A Dance Showcase Like No Other! ✨

📅 Show Dates: Thursday, April 24th & Friday, April 25th
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Covington MS Theater

🎟 Tickets:
🔹 Early Bird (April 8 - 23): $5 students | $10 adults
🔹 At the Door: $7 students | $12 adults
🎭 Reserve your seats NOW! 👉 cmsdance.ludus.com

💐 Extras!
Make the night even more special with pre-bundled flowers, T-shirts, and snacks—available for purchase!

Don’t miss this electrifying evening of dance, storytelling, and passion. See you there! 🎶✨

Stuco Food Drive - Eng
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Important Emails:

Principal: Cedric Maddox

cedric.maddox@austinisd.org

Assistant Principal: Rachel Gregory & Jason Summerville

rachel.gregory@austinisd.org

jason.summerville@austinisd.org

Counselors: Debra Austrum & Rabecca Mc Donald

debra.austrum@austinisd.org

rabecca.mcdonald@austinisd.org

Parent Support Specialist: Esther Garcia

esther.garcia@austinisd.org

FORWARD

Click HERE to learn about our F.O.R.W.A.R.D. - Restorative Practices here at Covington

Haga clic AQUÍ para aprender sobre nuestro F.O.R.W.A.R.D. - Prácticas Restaurativas Aquí en Covington

Students! Nominate a student of the month and staff member of the month!

Student of the Month

Click Here to Vote for Student of the Month!

staff of the Month

Click Here to Vote for Staff of the Month!

We will post the results here on the newsletter!

Thank you for participating.

Attendance Matters

R.E.A.L

  • Routines: Daily attendance routines can reduce stress, increase your child’s self-confidence and lay a foundation for good attendance in later grades. 

  • Engagement:  Participation in school helps your child connect with other children and adults and get excited about learning. 

  • Access to Resources:  Schools can give you access to meals, physical and mental health care and other supports, and fun enrichment activities (sports, clubs, music, afterschool and summer programs, etc.). 

  • Learning:  Children learn best from hand-on activities and through meaningful interactions with their teacher and other students.   

Chromebook Info

Hello Covington Colts! We have outlined campus consequences for student devices / Chromebooks. Here is a one-page document that describes the process of device replacement for parents.

Please email jenigh.burrus@austinisd.org if you have any questions.

Covington Políticas de dispositivos

Covington Middle School Device Policies

CMS Logo

Covington Counselors Corner for the

Week of April 7th, 2025

Autism Awareness

Autism Acceptance Month

April is International and National Autism Acceptance Month. Autism refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and communication. Campuses can review the Autism Acceptance Guide English, Autism Acceptance Guide_Spanish to support inclusive practices and celebration of persons with neurodiversity. For more information on training or resources for staff, please visit https://www.txautism.net/target. 

In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, families, community members, and staff are invited to attend a three-part, virtual learning series focused on Autism hosted by VELA. Please announce and share opportunities Autism Learning Series (Eng), Autism Learning Series (Spn) with your families and staff. Also, if your campus has a parent support specialist, please consider hosting an in-person viewing/participation session.

Dates: April 7, 2025 (English) - April 9, 2025 (Spanish) RSVP Link

Times: 12:00 - 1:30 pm

Topic: Welcome & Understanding Autism: What It is and What It’s Not

RSVP Link

Dates: April 14, 2025 (English) - April 16, 2025 (Spanish)

Times: 12:00-1:30pm

Topic: Understanding and Advocating for your Child's Communication, Social Skills, & Sensory Processing Needs 

RSVP Link

Dates: April 21, 2025 (English) - April 23, 2025 (Spanish)

Times: 12:00-1:30pm

Topic: School Supports: Goals, Services and Resources

For more information, please contact Lisa Vasquez Salana at lisa.vasquez-saldana@austinisd.org.

GT Awarenss

G/T Awareness Week happens the first full week of April every year and was created to increase awareness and encourage support of gifted education in Texas. Through online community discussions and social media posts, parents, educators, and advocates come together to celebrate giftedness. All throughout the week, TAGT will push out information and create conversations to dispel myths and provide a deeper understanding of the purpose of gifted education.

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#TakeDownTobacco Day - April 1, 2025

Covington Middle School PTA received $1,500 grant money to educate students about the importance of not using tobacco products. Photos show students signing the #TakeDownTobacco pledge.

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G/T Awareness Week happens the first full week of April every year and was created to increase awareness and encourage support of gifted education in Texas. Through online community discussions and social media posts, parents, educators, and advocates come together to celebrate giftedness. All throughout the week, TAGT will push out information and create conversations to dispel myths and provide a deeper understanding of the purpose of gifted education.

Texas Association for Gifted and Talented (TAGT) - G/T Awareness Week Resources

2025 Austin ISD GT Virtual Showcase Flyer

This Is Our Story - Austin ISD GT Virtual Showcase Details

Submission Form opens February 7, 2025

Submission deadline - April 11, 2025

AVID Summer Bridge - Incoming 7th Grade Students

AISD AVID Summer Bridge is designed as an opportunity for students who are enrolled in AISD during the Spring 2025 semester to deepen their mathematics skills in preparation to take 7th Grade Accelerated Math in the 2025-2026 school year. (For students currently enrolled in Math 6 or Accelerated Math 6.)

AISD Summer School - Eligible Emergent Bilingual Students

One-on-One Mini Meetings and Academic Advising

Counselors are working diligently to meet with each individual student this semester during one-on-one Mini Meetings to discuss grades, attendance, course selections for the 2025-26 school year, and how things are going at school and at home. These meetings are designed to create a relationship with the student and his/her counselor, as well as to see if there are any needs/supports counselors can provide or help facilitate to help students be more successful in their school and home lives.

Opt-Out Deadline for High School Credit Courses - April 25th

The deadline for middle school students to drop any NON EOC courses is April 25, 2025. (The opt-out deadline for Algebra I, an EOC course, was in January, 2025.) This process is meant to give students who are not doing well in high school credit courses the opportunity to drop the course without negative implications on their GPA. The process at this point includes courses such as LOTE and CTE. 

OPT OUT Forms (please see page 2 and 3)


Important Dates

February 7-April 11 - Submission form opens Feb. 7 for 2025 Austin ISD

GT Virtual Showcase and closes April 11th

April 2 - World Autism Awareness Day

April 7 - World Health Day

April 7-11 - G/T Awareness Week #TAGT

April 10 - National Alcohol Screening Day

April 15 - Passover

April 20 - Easter

April 22 - Earth Day

April 25 - Opt-Out Deadline for LOTE and CTE courses

Mrs. Debra Austrum

7th Grade & 7th Grade A-L

debra.austrum@austinisd.org

Ms. Rabecca McDonald

7th Grade M-Z & 8th

rabecca.mcdonald@austinisd.org

Spring Fling Eng
Spring Fling Esp
This is Our Story
Esta Es Nuestra Historia
Avid Summer Bridge Camp
AVID Summer Camp - Esp
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Esther

Find resources you may need:

Your Parent Support Specialist can help find assistance when needed. Learn new things about school and how to help your child succeed. Look for parent workshops throughout the year!

Esther Garcia, Parent Support Specialist 512-414-3276 ext:54748

esther.garcia@austinisd.org

Submit your request here: https://forms.gle/H3WXDRyYz7rCckYw5

Heart Hands

Become leaders in our school!

Your input and participation in the Parent/Teacher Association (PTA)

joinpta.org and other school committees such as Campus Advisory Council (CAC)

We Need You

Become a Parent Volunteer!

Volunteers are welcomed and needed! We could use parent volunteers in our West office, Mon-Tues-Thurs-Friday's.

Everyone who volunteers will need to attend a volunteer orientation:

https://austinisd.voly.org/

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Colt Connection - Esp

Click the link below to find great resources for Special Education and 504!

Special Education & 504 Information for Parents

bat city summer camp

Want to take part in FREE CLASSES? Open to Parents and Staff through Integral Care. See Flyer below for more information.

Parent Interest Form - English

Parent Interest Form - Spanish

Staff Interest Form

YMHFA

Hello Covington Families, 

 My name is Fatima Lozano and I am a Program Coordinator for Con Mi MADRE. Con Mi MADRE is a non-profit organization serving both AISD and DVISD campuses where we work to deliver a social-emotional learning and college readiness curriculum to students from 6th grade through their undergraduate college years. We implement a dual-generational program that includes the parents; meaning out-of-school events like college trips, conferences, and fairs. We currently have open enrollment for our cohorts at Covington Middle School for our 6th-8th grade students. We have attached our link for our application. 

Please feel free to contact me at fatima@conmimadre.org or (512) 222-6645 for any questions! 

 

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Covington Middle School

#Colts Strong!

3700 Convict Hill Road, Austin, TX 78749

512-414-3276

https://covington.austinschools.org/