We’re only a couple of days away from the kickoff of the 125th Battle of the Ax! Gates open at 6:30 p.m., and please be sure to have your digital ticket or print copy ready at the gate. All fans entering Bearcat Stadium will pass through a metal detector, and no backpacks or oversize bags or purses will be allowed.

Let’s build the momentum for the game at the Community Pep Rally tonight at 8 p.m. at Sherman High School! Meet your Sherman Bearcats from football, volleyball, cross country and tennis, and enjoy performances from band, cheer, Hi-Stepper and Color Guard! Student Council will also be taking canned goods and cash donations on site for the BOTA Canned Food Drive benefiting Masterkey Ministries of Grayson County.

Our Sherman Bearcat Football is raring to go! Get pumped with the Battle of the Ax hype video!

Did you know that Sherman ISD offers an employee match program for benefits-eligible employees? The district can match employee deferrals up to 1% of pay. More information about this program is outlined in the flyer above.

Please help us reinforce the positive traits of The Bearcat Way, a character education program being implemented in the 2023-24 school year. 

The focus during the month of August is respect, treating people the way you want to be treated. Please reference the linked handout and video produced by SHS and share this information with your students! 

Help support the Sherman Education Foundation by participating in their annual Arts Fest 5K & Bubble-K Fun Run on Saturday, September 16! SEF provides support to Sherman ISD educators and students through grants for education enrichment. For the campus with the highest percentage of staff participation, SEF will provide Bearcat Grill catering, and for second and third place, a cash prize of $250 will be added to the campus activity fund.

Participants can register up to the morning of the 5K and Bubble-K. However, selecting the Group option and registering by August 31 will guarantee a t-shirt, and you will benefit from the lowest cost entry fee. Registration for the 5K includes a fabulous swag bag and registration for the Bubble-K. The 5K starts at 8 a.m. at Piner Middle School, and the Bubble-K starts at 9 a.m. at the same starting line. 

Can’t make it to the run? Don’t worry! SEF offers a “Sleepin’ In” option to receive a T-shirt from the event.

Homebound teacher positions are sometimes available throughout the school year. These are extra duty pay positions, and student instruction takes place after regular school hours. Our first priority is to secure a homebound teacher from the student's home campus, but when that is not possible, we search district-wide. If you would like to be considered for a homebound teacher position during the 23-24 school year, please complete this survey. Pay is $35 per hour.

In June, the Sherman ISD Board of Trustees approved a pay raise and two $1,000 stipends. Most campus employees will receive their first stipend with their August 25 paycheck. Please double-check your pay stub in the Employee Self-Serve to verify you’ve received the stipend. If there is a possible mistake or question about pay, please contact Jill O’Neal at joneal@shermanisd.net or ext. 2021.

Before September 1, sign your receipt of the employee handbook and give it to your principal or director. Your principal or director may have a different due date for the signed receipt. Also by the same date, please print out your current certification or license and submit it to your principal or director.

Sherman ISD offers a sick leave bank to its employees, which provides additional sick leave days to members in the event of a critical illness, medically necessary surgery or temporary disability due to an injury. New employees and employees who did not join the bank last year should submit an application by September 8 to join. New employees must donate two days of local leave to the bank.

If you were employed during the 2021-2022 school year, you are already part of the bank and do not need to rejoin unless you used bank days last year. If you did receive bank days last year and would like to remain a member, please email joneal@shermanisd.net by September 8.

The required annual trainings for the 2023-24 school year are now available through the Canvas learning management system. The deadline is September 30.

Completing these trainings satisfies one of the requirements for the two Professional Exchange days this school year. To get credit, you should complete the trainings when you are outside contract time or off the clock if you are an hourly employee. Once you complete the trainings, you should print two copies of your certificates for each course; one copy for your personal file and one to be turned into your supervisor as documentation.

Also, please complete the cybersecurity awareness training from KnowBe4, which was sent in a separate email. It can be accessed through your SSO.

Sherman ISD encourages employees to get involved and connected in the community.

Meals on Wheels of Texoma is working to eradicate senior hunger, isolation and promote independent living through their home-delivered and congregate meal activities. Since their inception in 1980, they have grown to serve over 30,000 meals a month to seniors most at risk of food insecurity. The seniors receiving meals include homebound, needy, and disabled individuals who are challenged to the point that meal preparation is difficult or impossible. Volunteers help monitor the health of the seniors. More than just a meal, Meals on Wheels Texoma volunteers deliver tender, loving care to our homebound seniors every day, providing the human touch that means so much to these seniors. 

If you would like more information about volunteer opportunities or would like to submit an application to become a volunteer, call 903- 786-3351. Office hours are 8:00 am.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Young artists aged 5-18 can showcase their talent at the annual Youth Art Show on September 16! Submit the artwork by September 12.

Have shoes that are too small now or out of season? Donate them to the Got Sneakers? Drive by Heart of a Matter Ministries! Collection dates are August 14- 25 at the SISD Admin Building, 2701 Loy Lake Rd. location.

Let’s Pancake Denison!

Friday, August 25

7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Sherman Municipal Ballroom

All-You-Can-Eat Pancakes, Sausage,

Coffee & Juice

We would love the opportunity to feature honors and recognitions received by SISD employees. Please send accomplishments and news to Todd Kleiboer at tkleiboer@shermanisd.net.