Welcome to South Middle School
July, 2023
Dear SMS Students, Parents and Guardians,
We are excited for the 2023-2024 school year and have been preparing for the return of our students and staff. This newsletter contains details regarding schedules, Walk About Day, the start of school, and other South Middle School information. Please take time to read through this information. Also please know we keep our webpage up to date and it too contains good information.
We will send another newsletter the week before school starts with information regarding pick up and drop off, absences, students leaving early or arriving late, and tips to help your child with the first week of school at SMS.
Thank you,
Scott Swift
Middle School Schedules
On Friday, August 4, at 4:00 p.m., Student and Parent Portal will go live which will allow students to be able to view their class schedules. Please understand that we have spent many months building students' schedules and balancing class sizes. Due to this, we will not be making changes and/or honoring requests. When schedules are live and available, if a student has a conflict with their schedule the student should email their counselor explaining the problem. This will allow our counselors time to work on any problem.
Becky James 6th grade counselor: rebeccajames@wsdr4.org
Renee Klautzer 7th grade counselor: reneeklautzer@wsdr4.org
Kat Lammering 8th grade counselor: katherinelammering@wsdr4.org
Walk About Day
We are excited to be able to open South Middle to our students and their parents and guardians on August 10 for Walk About Day. Students can walk the building during this time, giving them an opportunity to locate their classes and discover the different areas of SMS. We will not have copies of student schedules so be sure to take a screenshot or print a copy of your student's schedule prior to coming to Walk About Day. Walk About Day runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 3-6 p.m. You can choose from either time.
Nurse Natalie will also be available during the Walk About Day if families would like to drop off medications, doctor orders, etc.
At Walk About Day, we will have SMS backdrops set up in the building for pictures and selfies.
It is also a good time to visit the SMS PTO tables and sign up to become a member and purchase SMS Spirit Wear. The Kona Ice truck will be on site throughout the entire day. Tom's Coffee truck will be on site and available from 3-6 p.m.
If you can't attend SMS on August 10, please know our building will be open to parents and students on Tuesday, August 15 and Wednesday, August 16, from 2-5 p.m. if you want to help your child find their classes.
Supply List
The supply list has been updated and posted on the District website. The only item that needs to be brought to Walk About Day would be the facial tissues. We will have tables in each grade level hallway where tissues can be left. All other items can be kept at home and your child's teacher will inform them on what they need to bring. For the first few days of school students only need to bring a notebook, folder, and writing utensils in their backpacks. Our teachers will work with students on organization and materials. Although only a few students have used a locker over the past four years, if your child needs one please email one of their team teachers after the school year has started. Please know that our 8th grade hallways in the 400 and 700 hallways do not have lockers installed in them.
Chromebooks and Chromebook Insurance
All 6th, and new to SMS 7th and 8th graders will get their Chromebooks from their core teachers during the first week of school. Please know that middle school students are expected to keep their Chromebooks in the protective case provided to them. Students will also receive a charger for their Chromebook. The Chromebook your child is receiving will be the one they have through their time in our middle school and into high school.
We do recommend that families purchase the $20 Chromebook insurance as it give two free fixes for screens or keyboards which are the most commonly damaged items. The easiest way to get this taken care of is on our SMS website. Please use THIS LINK to access online Chromebook insurance payments.
Team Time & Academic Arts
At the middle school level, one of our goals is to give students opportunities to try new classes. Our elective class offerings at South Middle, which we call Academic Arts, hopefully give that opportunity to students. All of our students take math, science, english, and social studies. All of our students also have an Academic Arts class that rotates every other day with health and physical education. SMS 6th graders have a class called Team Time every day. During Team Time, students get time with their teachers for extra assistance, time to read, time to catch up on work, and time to participate in enrichment activities. 7th and 8th graders have Team Time that alternates every other day with an Academic Arts class both semesters of the school year.
Please bring cash or check if you are interested in purchasing Spirit Wear during the Walk About Day at SMS on August 10, 2023.
Get your school shopping done with a click of a button! Yubbler makes it super easy & convenient for you to get all of your shopping done. Yubbler will donate a portion of the proceeds back to SMS.
WSD 13th Annual Back to School Fair
The WSD plans to host the 13th Annual Back to School Fair for District families on Saturday, August 12, from 8-11am at Liberty High School. The event is intended to get school supplies in the hands of WSD students who need them the most.
The event is free for District families and will feature dozens of vendors, free school supplies, games and fun activities for children. At last year's event, we distributed over $10,000 worth of school supplies to WSD students. In addition, MOChip will be on hand to provide free child identification kits.
While the event is free, families are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to Operation Food Search, which serves local families in need. For more information, visit the WSD website: https://bit.ly/WSDBTSFair23. #WeAreWentzville
Helpful Links!
561 East Hwy. N
Wentzville, MO 63385
636-327-3928