SMS Middle Ground
Connecting Home and School: February 2018
Mid-Term Progress Reports
We've reached the halfway mark of our grading period which means it's time to check
academic progress! Go to your Harmony Family Access account to see your child's current grades. If you have any difficulty accessing your account, call our office! If you have any questions about your child's progress, please check with your child and/or contact the classroom teacher! Our current grading period ends on Friday, March 16th.SMS Safety Plans
Here are some reminders that may be helpful to you as you discuss safety with your kids.
Prevention
Each and every student, parent, and staff member plays a role in school violence prevention. There are three things we call on each of our kids to do.
- Be kind. Be kind to friends and also to kids you hardly know. Be kind to buddies and be kind to kids that occasionally annoy you! Be kind to kids that are mean.
- Speak Up. Call out those that aren’t kind. If you see someone making fun, name-calling, or trying to be funny at the expense of someone else, say something. What to say? It’s easy. Say STOP IT. It's always right to 'call out' acts of unkindness.
- Report. If you hear something that makes you uncomfortable, tell an adult. Tell right away. If someone makes a statement or joke about violence, report right away. Whether the interaction is in person on on social media, report. We can no longer make jokes or casually chat about school violence.
Also please discuss the need to eliminate 'jokes' or casual comments about school violence or violence in general. "He was just joking" will not prevent a student from receiving significant consequence for remarks or posts.
Safety Plan
All SCSD2 schools have well-developed safety plans that outline security measures (proactive) and emergency response procedures (reactive). These measures include building security features, communication equipment, student and staff training, and drills using a variety of scenarios. Our district is very aggressive in terms of addressing both prevention and incident response.
Violence can happen anywhere. Every school hopes it won't happen to them. We hope that, too. But our SCSD2 strategy doesn't stop at hoping. We are instructing, encouraging, empowering, planning, and practicing. Thanks for being our partner in these activities!
ISTEP+ Part 1 Schedule
The Operational ISTEP+ Part 1 schedule has been set. The operational tests are the REAL DEAL. We need kids to be rested and ready each and every test day. Check out the schedule below and make sure you to clear any appointments you have during these dates and times. Thanks!!
Tuesday, Feb. 27 AM- Part 1 Math on iPads for ALL STUDENTS
Wednesday, Feb. 28 AM- Part 1 ELA, Section 1 on iPads for ALL STUDENTS
Thursday, March 1 AM- Part 1 ELA, Section 2 on macs for 6th GRADE only
Monday, March 5 AM- Part 1 ELA., Section 2 on macs for 7th GRADE only
Monday, March 5 AM- Part 1 Science on iPads for 6th GRADE only
Tuesday, March 6 AM- Part 1 ELA, Section 2 on macs for 8th GRADE only
Tuesday, March 6 AM- Part 1 Social Studies on iPads for 7th GRADE only
8th Grade Parent News!
We have several special activities planned for our 8th graders in the next few months! They'll visit IU-Bloomington, compete in the Bright Idea Entrepreneurial Challenge, take two rounds of ISTEP+, one round of NWEA, attend a Civil War camp, build boats, run for the roses, race Indy cars, AND participate in two important celebrations.
8th Grade Dance- The SMS 8th grade dance is Friday, May 18th in the SMS Great Room from 6:30-9:00 PM. This dance is for SMS 8th graders only. Eighth-grade parents are invited to attend. The theme of the dance is yet to be determined, but it is not too soon to share our expectations. The 8th-grade dance is not a prom. Parents are discouraged from arranging limousines, professional photography, gowns, and tuxedos. Students will be expected to attend school all day. Please do not arrange for hair or nail appointments during the school day. The 8th-grade dance is a wonderful celebration. We look forward to sharing this experience with the class of 2022 and we look forward to seeing them in anything from school attire to spring dresses and khakis/polos or a dress shirt and tie! Thank you so much for helping us maintain perspective and maintain the 'specialness' of prom by not simulating one in 8th grade!
SHS Graduation Rehearsal- Eighth graders spend the final hours of their final middle school career in a unique event. We hold the first graduation rehearsal for the Scottsburg High School Class of 2022. We re-create a high school graduation with the processional, speeches, and a handshake/diploma line. The SMS counselors use this opportunity to teach kids about the history of cap and gown, diplomas, and more. The SMS administration will officially hand the class off to the SHS administration. Parents are invited to join us for the program which will begin just after 1:00 PM. As of now, June 1st is our last school day. That is subject to change, however, if we have any additional school cancellations. More information will be shared in the Scoop prior to the event.
Snow Make-Up Day Plan
Just in case you've missed it, here is the snow make-up plan. Be sure to add this information to your family calendars!
January 12th will be made up on Monday, February 19th.
January 15th will be made up on Monday, March 19th.
January 16th will be made up on Tuesday, March 20th.
January 17th will be made up on Wednesday, March 21st.
January 18th will be made up on Thursday, March 22nd.
February 7th will be made up on Friday, March 23rd.
Subsequent missed days will be made up after June 1.
And for those that are really planning ahead...
The 2018-2019 school year starts on Monday, August 13th. Teachers report Friday, August 10th.
Upcoming Events
NWEA- March 13, 14, and 15
All students will take exams each morning during our third and final NWEA testing window. These results help us measure student achievement growth. Scores will also be used to determine promotion and course-level placement for fall 2018.
Spring Dance- March 16th
The SMS Student Council invites all parents and students to their Hawaiian Dance on Friday, March 16th from 6:30-9:00 PM. A parent chaperone call will be sent out the week prior to the dance. Once again, we'll be seeking 100 adults to help us with this fun event.
Winter Award Assembly- March 23
Parents are invited to join us at 1:15 for our winter awards. We'll honor Semester 1 Academic Top 10%, Bot Warriors, Archery, FACS club, Art Club, Character Counts, as well as all winter sports.
Spring Break- March 26-30
Due to our weather calamities, spring break is now reduced to one week. Enjoy!
SCSD2 Early Dismissal PD Day- Wednesday, April 11th
All district schools will operate on a two-hour early dismissal schedule to allow teachers to evaluate our NWEA achievement scores and make year-end remediation programming decisions. SMS will dismiss at 12:55 PM. Buses will make normal runs at that time.
ISTEP+ Part 2 Window- April 16- May 4
We'll publish our full test schedule as soon as it is determined. Please try to avoid AM appointments during this test window.
Scottsburg Middle School
Website: www.sms.scsd2.k12.in.us
Location: 425 South 3rd Street, Scottsburg, IN, United States
Phone: 812-752-8926
Facebook: facebook.com/ScottsburgMiddleSchool
Twitter: @ScottsburgMS