The Saber Truth
January 28, 2019
Saber Speak
Dear Saber Families,
It is hard to believe, but it is already time for us to start thinking ahead to next year! Even as we continue the great work that remains for this semester, we are planning ahead for the fall. Whether it's an informational parent night in the Sinaloa MPR on January 29th (6pm), a great IB Information Night at RHS on February 12 in the RHS library (6:30pm), or our Saber Spotlight/Open House on February 21st (6pm), we are reaching out to start the conversation about all that lies ahead. We are also looking forward to Career Day and conversations about promotion with 8th graders, all in service to preparing for the future, both near and far.
Our PTSA is looking for volunteers to fill several key leadership positions. Be part of the discussion about Sinaloa's future and consider volunteering! They are looking for people interested in serving as President, VP of Ways and Means, and VP of Membership. Please see below for more information about how to contact a member of the Nominating Committee.
Please also check out our COUNSELORS' CORNER of the Saber Truth each week, as our counseling staff provide helpful and timely information about supporting teenagers in the middle school years. This week, the topic is "Dealing with a moody teen."
As I mentioned last week, please continue to monitor your student's progress via Aeries. Now that we are a couple weeks into the semester, grades are being posted. Especially for 8th graders, now is a critical time to stay on top of assignments and prepare meaningfully for tests. Specific information about qualifying for the promotion ceremony in June will be distributed to 8th graders in the next week or two, and parents should expect emails and calls to clarify those same expectations. All parents are encouraged to communicate the importance of academic achievement and reach out to teachers, counselors, or admin early if they are concerned that their child is in need of more help.
Thank you for being part of the Saber family!
Sincerely,
Bradley Torti
Principal, Sinaloa Middle School
Sinaloa Career Faire is Approaching - February 6
On Wednesday, February 6, Sinaloa will be hosting it's 9th annual "Where are You Going?" Career and Education Faire. This is a wonderful opportunity for our 8th grade students to interact with members of our community and learn about different careers and opportunities that await them in their futures. We are looking for volunteers in all career fields to share with our students, but we also have particular interest in the areas of:
* medical field (nurse, doctor, EMT)
* arts/design
* musician
* automotive
* aviation
* construction
* engineering
* firefighter
* entertainment
* law (lawyer, paralegal, etc.)
* politics
If you have a career in one of these fields and would be willing to share with our students, or if you know someone who does that you think would be willing to share, please contact Miss Healy (jennifer.healy@simivalleyusd.org) by Wednesday, January 30.
Additionally, we will need parent volunteer help on the day of the event from 7:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. with set up, tear down, food prep, and general supervision. If you can help for any portion of that day, please contact Miss Healy.
Lastly, we are looking for donations of food for breakfast, lunch, and snacks for our Career Faire participants. This includes juice, water, fruit, snacks (i.e. granola bars, small bags of chips), 2L bottles of soda, muffins, bagels, cream cheese, veggie platters, and dessert items (brownies, cookies, etc.). If you would be willing to provide food donations, please contact Miss Healy.
Thank you for your support!
Counseling Corner
Parents, we wanted to highlight a topic that can be a daily, weekly, or monthly struggle for our middle school families, "How to deal with a moody teen." Middle School is a time of growth and we need to be reminded to practice patience with our children. The author of this article highlights some important points, see below....
How to deal with a moody tween
What to do when your sweet child becomes a door-slamming, eyeball-rolling, potty-mouthed preteen.
BY CHRISTEN SHEPHERD | JUL 31, 2018
My 11-year-old, Olivia, lay sobbing in bed after I refused to buy her a pet hedgehog. “My dreams never come true!” she cried. I thought of her pony, cat and bunny, outside on our farm, and I swear I could hear my parents laughing. At her age, I was always on the verge of despair; Mom and Dad coped by pretending my drama was its own TV show, which they (kind of) affectionately dubbed “Preteen World.”
Most kids go through an angst-ridden phase sometime after age 10, which can give them the emotional volatility of a rock star in a hotel room.
Ever since her son William turned 12, Joy* from Saskatoon says he gets moody about things like being asked to eat at the table. “He stomps and pouts when I get him to move,” she says. Given that her expectations aren’t unreasonable, Joy is frustrated with how reactive her son is now.
While people often blame raging hormones for moodiness, Lesley Vaters, a registered clinical counsellor in Mount Pearl, NL, says that’s an oversimplification. “A preteen brain is still maturing, and the ‘emotional’ brain often takes over for the still-developing ‘logical’ brain,” she explains. Vaters says tweens are not finished learning self-control and how to express their emotions appropriately.
Ashley Miller, a child psychiatrist at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, says, “Kids often manage their unpleasant feelings with rude talk and tossing feelings back on parents through insults or blame.” Parents can set limits, such as “no swearing,” but Miller recommends not focusing on the words themselves but on the underlying emotions.
Listening to kids talk about their feelings allows them to move through emotions quicker, decreasing problem behaviour in the long run. “It strengthens the parent-child connection and helps kids find their own solutions to problems,” she says.
Parents can mitigate some of the stress that contributes to moodiness by brainstorming with tweens about ways to balance their school work with physical activities and fun. “Although kids this age may act like they don’t need parents, they do,” says Miller. “And listening to tweens non-judgmentally is one of the best ways to stay close—even as they’re gaining independence.”
Also make sure your tween is getting enough sleep, as it impacts their mood. Many kids are chronically sleep deprived, especially when they have electronic devices in their rooms at night. Stash tablets and cellphones outside your kid’s room until morning, and set regular bedtimes—even if tweens protest, “But I’m not a little kid!”
How to talk with your tween about secrets.
When should there be consequences for tween tantrums? Vaters encourages parents to look at the big picture before doling out punishments and to consider whether the child is tired or under pressure at school or home. As adults, we sometimes need to cut tweens some slack if they get thrown off-kilter.
That said, sometimes a consequence, such as losing screen time or other privileges, is required. “No matter what tweens are going through, disrespect shouldn’t be tolerated,” Vaters says. She encourages parents to resist debating or yelling back, and instead set aside time to discuss the situation, when their kid is calm. “If you start a conversation in the heat of the moment, often feelings escalate and preteens shut down, limiting the chances of a positive outcome.”
Educating your kid about their changing body, brain and sense of self is also helpful, particularly if they struggle with shame after an outburst or feel afraid of the intensity of their emotions. Give them strategies to manage their anger, such as breathing exercises, journalling or repeating a calming mantra. “Teach preteens that it’s important to express their emotions,” Vaters says, “but also that the way their emotions are expressed shouldn’t be harmful to others.”
If moodiness becomes the norm or is accompanied by other troubling and persistent symptoms, it’s possible that there is a bigger underlying issue. “All kids get emotional, and parents needn’t worry unless a low or irritable mood lingers and is accompanied by other changes, in sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, thinking, socializing or school work,” Miller says. At that point, it’s best to consult your family doctor or paediatrician to investigate possible mental health challenges and a more structured treatment plan.
As for my daughter Olivia, she eventually dried her tears, let go of her shattered dreams and joined me on the porch to pet her cat. We made fun of the fat feline; she told me funny stories about her school day; and I revelled in the company of my little girl, knowing it might not be long until the next dramatic episode of Preteen World. I was not wrong. “I was thinking,” Olivia mused, as she snuggled in. “Maybe I could get a chinchilla.”
Simi Valley Education Foundation Gala: An Evening Under the Stars!
To Our Parents in Simi Valley:
Each year Simi Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) provides Simi Valley schools with enhancement grants. These grants provide financial support for specific materials and programs that are designed to improve and enhance our children's learning. We all know that funding is low for our schools and teachers are left with little money to try to piece together these types of things for our kids. That often leaves them empty-handed.
With the support of the community of Simi Valley, the SVEF has been able to provide more than $2.5 million dollars to Simi public schools since our inception in 1989.
Every year SVEF holds a fun night of dinner, dancing, auctions and more all to raise money to fund our enhancement grant program! This year’s theme is An Evening Under the Stars.
All proceeds are distributed among the public schools in Simi Valley for various programs and grants. Working together, we are building futures through education by providing new resources, new opportunities, and a better educational environment for our children.
The highlight of the evening will be our silent and live auctions and your support is truly needed—and appreciated—to make this benefit a success. You are invited to help make this night a success by attending and/or donating an item, service, gift certificate to our silent auction this year.
Now more than ever, public schools need our help, and this is a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate your support for the Simi Valley Education Foundation’s efforts. For more information, please call 1-877-746-4543.
Plan now to attend our An Evening Under the Stars by visiting www.svef.org/gala.
For more information or to make a donation, please call (877)746.4543.
SEEKING PTSA OFFICERS!
Want to get more involved at Sinaloa?
The PTSA has a great opportunity for you!
There are openings for several PTSA officer positions: President, VP of Ways and Means, and VP of Membership. Please reach out to any of the members of the Nominating Committee for more information or to get involved!
Nominating Committee:
Jamie Garnett (jmelyn21@gmail.com)
Tacy Torres (tacytorres@hotmail.com)
Maureen Yamada (neeruam13@aol.com)
Royal HS IB Information Night
PTSA Annual Variety Show
Yearbooks are ON SALE NOW!
2018/19 Saber Club Schedule
Attached below is the flyer for this year's clubs. They are a great way for your student to make new friends, try new things, and even get help with homework. Check out the schedule with your student and encourage them to try at least one!
Attendance Policies
Attendance Phone Line: 805-520-6830 Press 1, or Ext. 7021 (Can call anytime day or night)
Para espanol, oprima la estrella. (Llama dia o noche)
ABSENCES - Parents have five (5) days to call-in, email, or send in a note to the attendance office to excuse an absence otherwise it becomes truant. Keep in mind that personal/vacation are verified but still considered unexcused.
TARDIES - If a student is tardy to homeroom or late to school, they need to check-in with the attendance office to get a tardy pass. Students tardy to homeroom will have a 15 minute detention after school unless a parent calls, emails, or sends in a note to excuse the tardy. Excessive tardies to classes will affect "citizenship" grade.
EARLY PICK-UPS - We encourage parents to call-in ahead of time (or send in a note or email) for early pick-ups so that we can have the student in the office ready to go. Anyone checking-out a student must be listed on the student's emergency contact list, be 18 years or older, and must show a valid ID.
Upcoming Events
UPCOMING EVENTS
1/28-31 - Variety Show Tryouts
1/29 - Parent Info Night 6:00
1/31 - Band Students Visit to Wood Ranch Elementary
2/1 - 5 week progress report window opens
For the full Sinaloa Calendar of Events, CLICK HERE.
Sinaloa Middle School
Website: sinaloa.simivalleyusd.org
Location: 601 Royal Avenue, Simi Valley, CA, USA
Phone: 805-520-6830
Facebook: facebook.com/sinaloamiddleschool
Twitter: @sinaloasabers