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We will send out one more newsletter next week with additional information for the start of school.

5th Grade Orientation is August 29th from 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Parking

Parking will be in-front of SMS. Overflow parking will be out back. Please come through the front entrance of SMS.

Entering the Building

We will have a greeter at the door that will direct you towards the 5th grade wing.

What will happen at 5th grade Orientation

This is a chance for you and your student to meet the 5th grade team, school counselors, and available specialist! Your students will also be able to see the building and the location of their classrooms.

If your student is crossing Rt 202: They must wait for the crossing guard. The crossing guard will be on duty from 7:00 am - 7:20 am.

Students will walk on the grass and should not cut through the parking lot.

• Parents should arrive in the morning between 7:00 and 7:10 am.
• Please know that if drop-offs arrive too early, it will cause a significant back-up on 202.
• Staff will begin signaling parents to let students out of their car at 7:10am.
• Please enter through the SAU entrance and turn right into the upper parking lot.

Please see the visual below for information about where students enter the building. I would recommend reviewing it with your student.

Parent pick up is very similar to drop-off.

• Please enter through the SAU entrance and turn right into the upper parking lot.
• Please arrive between 2:15 and 2:25. Students will be dismissed around 2:25 pm
• Please know that if drop-offs arrive too early it will cause a significant back-up on 202.

PickUp Patrol is a cloud-based web application that automates the attendance and dismissal process. Parents/guardians will receive a welcome email when school starts with instructions to set up an account. All absences and dismissal changes can be done via PickUp Patrol https://app.pickuppatrol.net until 1:00 pm. After that, all parents must call the school to report dismissal changes. Students who need to change their assigned bus, or ride a bus home with a friend must bring in a note signed by a parent and receive a pass from the office. The same will apply to students being picked up by someone other than a parent.

• Composition book (any type)
• Folder

• Incoming 5th graders must have a current physical (within the past year) on file - please have your doctor’s office fax a copy to us if we do not have it already!

• Incoming 7th graders must have documentation of their tetanus booster (Tdap) on file at school - please have an updated health form with immunizations listed sent to SMS if you have not done so already.

• Students planning to play a sport at SMS must have a recent physical (within two years) on file in order to participate in school athletics.

• Students may not carry any medications (this includes prescriptions, over-the-counter remedies, cough drops, herbal medicines, etc.) while they are in school. This includes bus rides and after school activities as well. The exceptions to this policy include inhalers and epipens. A limited selection of over-the-counter medications are available in the health office for student use, and a permission form will be sent home for parents to sign. However, IF YOUR CHILD REQUIRES A SPECIFIC MEDICATION OR HAS A PRESCRIPTION THAT MUST BE ADMINISTERED DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, please contact the school nurse to get the required documentation. Please do not send medications into school with your child; a parent/guardian must deliver the medication to the school.

• Students who will require an epipen or inhaler during the school day must have the proper documentation completed; a provider’s order must be sent to the school, and a parent permission form must be filled out. Please contact me if you need copies of these forms.

Please feel free to reach out at any time with any questions or concerns. It is my goal to keep all of our students safe and healthy, and maximize their learning time while here at school.

Thank you,

Tricia Harris, RN

ConVal School District is pleased to announce that beginning with the upcoming 2023-2024 school year, student First Day Packet forms will be available online. This streamlined process will make it easier to collect important information about students and save families time.

The primary guardian of each student who is currently enrolled in our District will receive one email per student with a special link to PowerSchool’s First Day Packet forms. There you will be asked to create a family account. Many fields will be pre-populated and we ask that you take the time to review the information for accuracy and/or update as necessary.

The traditional paper forms can be made available if completing the forms online is not an option.

The New Staff Spotlight includes both new faces joining SMS and current SMS staff members who have assumed new roles within our school. We will feature these staff members in the next two newsletters.

My name is Jacob Watrous, and over the last decade or so, I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of academic roles. I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration as well as a Master's Degree in Education. I am a lifelong learner and always strive to instill the value of education in our students. It has been my honor to work for South Middle School over the past four years. We have been very busy assembling the Math Acceleration program, and I will be working with the fifth-grade team.

My hobbies include nature photography, guitar, and exploring antique shops around scenic New England. Thank you for allowing me to continue to be part of the SMS family.

Best wishes,

Jacob Watrous, M.Ed.

Students are expected to be on time for school. This means that they are at school and in their first class by 7:20 am. Students that arrive to class after 7:20 am are considered late. When a student is late they will have to report directly to the main office to record the time of arrival and receive a late pass that they will take to class. After a student is late more than 5 times a letter will be sent home. The goal of this notification is to improve the students' time of arrival so that they miss the least amount of class time possible and limit the number of interruptions. If there are an additional three days late to school then the following interventions could be implemented:

• Loss of a privilege.

• Parent notification.

• Conference.

• Other interventions from the Student Code of Conduct.

Exceptions for being late to school can include the following:

• Medical or dental appointment.

• Death in the family.

• Court appointment.

• Other things that align to the excused absence list (see below Policy JH).

Mark your calendars! The initial meeting for the 8th-grade Washington DC trip is set for September 6th at 6 pm. We will gather in the South Meadow School Gym for this important event. Make sure to attend as we will be discussing all the essential details about the trip. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Please note if your student is taking the late bus from after school activities. Please be aware this is not the regular afternoon schedule, students will be dropped off at centralized locations. If you have any questions about the late bus please call 603-924-7105

The dedicated SMS staff is putting in significant effort to finalize student schedules, fully aware of the eager anticipation among students to know their class assignments and teachers. Rest assured, schedules will be made available during the week of August 21st, providing students ample time to prepare for the upcoming academic year. The school is committed to ensuring a smooth and exciting start to the new school year for all students.

This year there are three applications.

1: EHP Application 2023 - Returning Students This is for those students who have done EHP in the past and the due date is September 5. Classes will start later that week.

2: EHP Application VEX and Mind Puzzles This is for those who may have been in EHP or wanting to do EHP for VEX (grades 7 &8) or Mind Puzzles. Due date for this one is September 29th, and starts on the 10 of October.

3: EHP Application for New Students This is for everyone new to EHP other than those in VEX or Mind Puzzles especially for 5th grade. Deadline is October 25th and we will start the second day of the second quarter.

Email Mrs. Brezovec if you have any questions. mbrezovec@conval.edu

If your incoming 5th grader is interested in joining the SMS Band and/or Chorus (yes they can participate in both at the same time) please fill out the below link.

August 1, 2023

Dear SMS Parents,

My name is Tod Silegy and I am the athletic director at South Meadow School. I am writing this letter if your son/ daughter is interested in trying out for a 2023 fall sport at South Meadow School. Try out dates for boys white and blue team soccer, girls soccer, girls field hockey, boys and girls cross country, and girls volleyball, will start on Wednesday, August 30th, right after school. All athletes will report to the gym to meet me and their respective coach.

Try out times for all fall sports will run 2:30 to 4:00 and will be at South Meadow School.

All students trying out for teams will be done with practice and off the field, course, court, by 4:05. Students may go home on the late bus, walk home, or be collected by their parents in the Back upper parking lot. Due to safety reasons, all parent pick up is out back to avoid the buses. We request you pick up your child no later than 4:10.

Students in grades six, seven, and eight, are eligible to play field hockey, soccer, and club volleyball. Students in grades fifth, sixth, seventh, and eight are eligible to run cross country for the boys or girls teams.

All students trying out must bring with them a completed parent permission/emergency form. This must be handed to the respective coach on the first day of practice. An updated or current physical form must be sent to our nurse Tricia Harris before tryouts. Updated means that your son or daughter has had a physical within the last two years. For example: If you son/daughter had a physical as a sixth grader he/she would need an updated physical as an eighth grader. Please remember THAT UPDATED PHYSICAL FORM must be sent or emailed to the SMS nurse at: pharris@conval.edu, before the first day of practice. You may download both forms on the SMS Sports website and they are also attached.

Please direct any questions to me at 924-7105 ext. 1268. I will be out of my office until August. You may email me at tsilegy@conval.edu as well.

SMS fax number is: 603-924-2064

Sincerely yours,

Tod Silegy

SMS Athletic Director

P. S.

All students for soccer and field hockey should bring with them to try outs appropriate foot-wear, shin guards, and a mouth piece. Field hockey athletes must also wear PROTECTIVE EYE WEAR and supply their own stick. Cross country athletes must bring appropriate foot-wear and clothing for running. Volleyball athletes should bring sneakers and appropriate clothing. ALL athletes should bring WATER BOTTLES. No one will be allowed to share!

Thanks Terry Berna!!

Please fill in the request form below if you would like for your child to have a free ChessKid account for the remainder of the year. Once I receive the request I will add in their account using their school username and password. I will send them an email to let them know when they are set up. Click Here for the Request Form

• NHED has awarded nearly $800,000 for this summer’s ReKINDling Curiosity program – hoping to ensure that every child who wants to attend a fun and engaging summer camp has the opportunity. This flyer outlines scholarship and eligibility information. Applications will be accepted until Aug. 31, or when funds are exhausted.

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Email: tconway@conval.edu
Website: https://sms.convalsd.net/
Location: 108 Hancock Road, Peterborough, NH, USA
Phone: (603) 924-7105