SEMS Golden Eagles Weekly Update
September 18th, 2023
Dear Families,
Sincerely,
Tricia Storey
ASB
Interested in starting a club??? We will host informational meetings for students on the process of starting a club THIS Friday (9/22) in the PAC during lunches. Club Rush will be the following week!
After School Tutoring STARTING SEPTEMBER 18th!
National Hispanic Heritage Month: Sep 15th-Oct 14th
SEMS will be hosting a watch party for the new movie A Million Miles Away (rated PG) on Wednesday, 9/20/23 at 1:30pm in the PAC!
Athletics
Check out our Athletics Website for up to date information.
Cross Country -Practices are M, Tu, Th from 2:30-3:45, First Meet is on 9/21!
Football - Practices M, Tu, Th from 3:00-4:45
Volleyball - Practices are M, Tu, Th from 3:00-4:45, First game is on 9/21!
SEMS Sponsorship Banner Program
The Banner Program is officially up and going again this year. Thank you to all past and current sponsors, as your donations really help our student athletes in more ways than we can tell you.
This year we have two locations, again. The corner of San Elijo Road and Schoolhouse Way is the place that our community gets to see you donations at work.And the drop-off circle is the second, and where our parents get to see your business names up close and personal, on a daily basis.
Donations are $500 and are handled through the SEMS PTO website.
Link: https://semspto.square.site/product/banner/6?cs=true&cst=custom
Upon completion of the purchase, please contact our Athletic Coordinator at geoffrey.gilpin@smusd.org, so that we can get your design in to the printer.
Homework Time
Homework Time is after school in the library. This is a great place for students to quietly get their homework completed.
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday: 2:30-3:30pm
Wednesday: 1:30 - 2:30pm
School Site Council
Thank you to all the parents who nominated themselves to participate in our School Site Council this year. I am excited to announce that Lindsay Buck and Gretchen Foster will be our newest members to our School Site Council.
Our School Site Council members for the 2023-24 school year are:
Principal: Patricia Storey
Teacher: Anette Dale
Teacher: Lori Davis
Teacher: Meg Didier
Teacher: Freda Herrera
Staff: Karissa Chou
Parent: Lindsay Buck
Parent: Lorrie Fitterer
Parent: Gretchen Foster
Parent: Tanya Huckfeldt
Student: Liv Morely
Student: Kailah Pearson
California Junior Scholarship Federation for our 8th Grade Students
8th grade students:
Our 10-day CJSF (California Junior Scholarship Federation) Fall Membership Drive begins Tuesday, September 19. If you earned good grades in the spring, you should join this Honor Society! Find the Membership Application on SEMS homepage in our NEWS section, on the CJSF Membership tab. Fall Membership is based on the grades and citizenship marks you earned on your June Report Card. You must apply for membership again each semester. Applications are due by Monday, October 2 at 3 p.m.
More about CJSF: CJSF Membership - San Elijo Middle School
ELAC Meeting, September 19th
Our first ELAC (English Learner Advisory Council) meeting of the year will be held on Tuesday, September 19th in the San Elijo Middle School library from 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. If you are a parent of a student who is learning English as their second language, then this meeting is for you!
At our ELAC meetings, we will discuss how we support your child on their journey to English proficiency. Important topics covered throughout the year include the benefits of being bilingual, attendance, the reclassification process, the spring ELPAC exam, a needs assessment survey, and more. We will also elect our ELAC President and other officers, as well as our DELAC parent representative. Hope to see you there! If you have any questions, please email me at cheryl.sestito@smusd.org or call 760-290-2813.
September is Suicide Prevention Month
Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 14, according to the CDC. There is a free parent webinar on suicide prevention on 9/26 (English) and 9/27 (Spanish) from 6-7pm. Parent Suicide Prevention Webinar - This free webinar provides information about suicide prevention for parents, including warning signs for suicide, how to have a conversation with their teen, actions to take if their teen is having suicidal thoughts, and resources.
Not all individuals will demonstrate obvious signs of distress or ideation, so it is important to have frequent open conversations and check in with youth to help reduce the stigma of these difficult discussions. Youth benefit greatly from feeling connected to their school, family, and/or community and having outlets such as music, athletics, or art to express themselves. If you feel that you or your child(ren) would benefit from counseling, you can find counseling resources located here: Looking for Counseling Flyer (English) (Spanish).
Additional resources regarding suicide prevention for parents can also be located here: https://directingchangeca.org/for-parents/
Hope Squad
We want to share exciting news regarding the implementation of Hope Squad at SEMS! Hope Squad is an evidence-based, peer-to-peer youth suicide prevention program, dedicated to spreading hope and creating a school culture that promotes connectedness and inclusivity. The Hope Squad is comprised of students selected for their kindness, approachability, and trustworthiness to help prevent mental health crises among their peers.
Community Letters: English / Spanish
We will also be sharing a monthly mental health newsletter with families: Wellness Today-Sept2023
Tuesday, 9/19 - Pitch on SEMS TV
Thursday, 9/21 - Nomination form in Period 1
Friday, 9/29 - Notification to families
Tuesday, 10/3 - Hope Squad Orientation (during 4 and 5 lunch)
Semester 1 Grading Periods
Progress Report #2 Window Closes on: 11/3
First Semester Report Card Window Closes on: 12/15
Parents will be able to view progress reports and report cards in their ParentVue app.
Lighting Project
Student Password Security
Many of our new 6th graders are continuing to use their default account password that is based on their birthdate. All middle schoolers should reset their password and answer the additional security questions.
Please speak with your child about the characteristics of a strong password and have them change their password if it is weak or if it has been seen by someone else.
Here are some password tips and tricks:
Passwords are very important to keep private information private. Never share your password with anyone. Length is more important than complexity. Using an easy-to-remember phrase is helpful. Do not repeat passwords or use the same password for multiple services.
Examples show length is better.
cybersafe would take 19 hours to crack
CyberSafe! would still only take 1 year to crack
isntcybersafetyfun? would take 20 trillion years
I$ntcybersafetyfun? would take 4 quintillion years
Did your child forget something at home?
We encourage students to pack their backpacks with the following items before going to bed: chromebook, charger, binder/folders, homework/projects, lunch/snacks, water bottle, and PE clothes (typically students bring these in on Mondays and bring them home on Fridays to launder).
It is common for middle schoolers to forget items at home. We want to partner with families to grow students’ responsibility skills. We discourage drop offs of the following items:
PE Clothes - Students have access to clean “loaner” PE clothes. Your child can ask the teachers in the PE office if they need to borrow loaners.
Lunches - All students receive school lunch and breakfast.
Chromebooks - Every classroom has two additional chromebooks that students can borrow.
Materials - All students are provided the basic supplies that they need to participate in their learning.
Homework/projects - Teachers will work with your child about turning in late work.
If you choose to drop off items, please visit the Campus Check-In Station, located next to the Library. In an effort to minimize unnecessary interruptions to classroom instruction, we do not deliver items to classrooms, and we cannot call your child out of class to retrieve an item. Our staff member will label the item and leave it on the pick-up shelf. Students can pick up items during passing periods, at lunch, or after school.
We canNOT accept the following items for drop-off: shareable treats (cupcakes, donuts, etc.), balloons/flowers. Because we do not have a location to secure these valuable items, we canNOT receive phones, money, or jewelry.
E-Bikes
Does your child have an e-bike? If so, a few friendly reminders for your children:
- Must WALK bike from the corner of Elfin Forest all the way in to school.
- May NOT ride in the parking lot or near moving cars until completely off campus.
- Must respect others e-bikes. We had a report that students were using their keys to turn off other peoples bikes. Students should only touch or ride their own bikes
Links, Reminders, and Dates
- Campus is open from 7:15am- 3:30pm.
- Counseling Brochure
- Chromebook Insurance is still available for purchase. Last day to purchase is October 31st, 2023. Coverage includes all accidental damage for the entire year. Prices are $20 for the Chromebook or $25 to cover the Chromebook and charging cord. All payments are done online or by mail. For more information and to sign-up please visit https://sites.google.com/smusd.org/smusdtechtutorials/insurance?authuser=0
- PE Clothes ($20/set) are available for purchase on the SEMS webstore. More PE clothes have been ordered and will be here in a few weeks. In the meantime, the webstore is open again for purchasing.
- Does your family need assistance with getting internet in your home? Please review this information from getinternet.gov
Follow and Support our PTO!
For more updates, please also follow our PTO on social media (Instagram, Facebook) or through PTO linktree website or SEMS PTO website.
San Elijo Middle School
Email: patricia.storey@smusd.org
Website: https://sanelijomiddle.smusd.org/
Location: 1600 Schoolhouse Way, San Marcos, CA. 92078
Phone: 760-290-2800