The Seahawks Call
November 28 - December 12, 2022
A Message from Principal Taylor..........................................
Requests for an Excused (Extended) Absence
Please know that if you need to request an excused (extended) absence for your child, that the parent is required to make the request in writing (email is fine) to the principal at least two-weeks in advance. Parents, please do not email a teacher or staff member as they don't have the authority to approve or deny these requests, which delays the parent from getting an answer. Now once the principal receives the request, principals adhere to the Attendance Policy located on page 6 in the CCPS 2022-2023 Parent Handbook/Calendar, which states the following:
"Parents are highly discouraged from scheduling vacations that result in unlawful absences from school. However, high school students visiting an institution of higher education in anticipation for potential future enrollment may be granted a lawful absence as long as the parents/guardians give a two-week notice, receive permission from the school principal and the trips are limited to no more than five days in any school year. Other lawful absences include: death in the immediate family; illness of the student which requires a note from a parent/guardian or physician; court summons; hazardous weather conditions; work approved or sponsored by the school; observance of religious holidays; state emergencies; student suspension; lack of authorized transportation; health exclusion; and other emergencies or circumstances which in the judgment of the Superintendent provide a “good and sufficient cause for absence from school.”
Although parents state they would make concerted efforts to make these vacations “educational”, they do not fall under the guidelines of the attendance policy to be considered a "lawful absence." Please know teachers are not required to provide assignments in advance or allow students to make-up any work missed when an absence is deemed "unlawful".
Although these absences won't be excused and could potentially impact your child's grades for that particular quarter, we will do all we can to be sure that your child is brought up to speed upon their return.
I will always cc: the grade-level AP, counselor, PPW and attendance secretary who will inform all of your child’s teachers so they are aware of the principal's decision. It is important that we provide you with this information again as many requests are being asked due to the upcoming holidays.
VIRTUAL GIVING TREE
Milton Somers is spreading joy to some of our students in need this holiday season. If you are interested in sponsoring a student, please click the link for our Virtual Giving Tree below. Gifts should be wrapped, labeled with the student number and dropped off to Milton Somers by Friday, December 16th. If you have any questions, please contact our PPW, Pam Jenkins, at pkjenkins@ccboe.com. Thank you!
Important Dates to Remember!
- Chat-N-Chew for 6th grade honor roll recipients is from 7:35 - 8:00 a.m. in the cafe'
- Chat-N-Chew for 7th grade honor roll recipients is from 8:20 - 8:45 a.m. in the cafe'
- Grade Recovery from 2-5 pm
- Educators Rising until 3 pm
- Debate Club until 3 pm
- Newspaper Club until 3:30 pm
- Yearbook Club until 3:30 pm in rm 218
- Chat-N-Chew for 8th grade honor roll recipients is from 7:35 - 8:00 a.m. in the cafe'
- Chat-N-Chew for Principal honor roll recipients is from 8:20 - 8:45 a.m. in the cafe'
- PBIS meeting afterschool in T10
- FEV Tutoring until 3:30 pm
- GSA club until 3:15 pm
- VEX until 3:30 pm
- Drama club until 3:30 in rm 305
- LPBK Ball fields 1 & 2 and space behind soccer fields from 5-8 pm
- LPBK Cheer from 6- 8 pm
- FEV Tutoring until 3:30 pm
- ESOL Nest until 3:30 pm
- DI until 3 pm
- Math Counts until 3 pm
- Sea Perch until 3:30 pm
- LPBK Ball fields 1 & 2 and space behind soccer fields from 5-8 pm
- LPBK Cheer from 6- 8 pm
- LPBK Ball fields 1 & 2 and space behind soccer fields from 5-8 pm
- LPYSA Soccer fields 5, 6, 8, 9 from 5-8 pm
- Special ED ESY rain date from 8-11 am
(Monday) - November 28th
(Tuesday) - November 29th
(Wednesday) - November 30th
(Thursday) - December 1st
(Friday) - December 2nd
(Saturday) - December 3rd
(Monday) - December 5th
- Pizza Hotline Spirit Night from 9-2 pm (School receives a percentage of the proceeds)
(Tuesday) - December 6th
- CoGAT post screener for all grades
- 8th grade CTE Applicants Interest Survey with CTE Team
(Wednesday) - December 7th
- 2 hr. ED Students are dismissed at noon! If you need to pick your child up early, please arrive no later than 11:30 a.m. If you arrive later than this time, you will have to wait until car riders and walkers are dismissed!
- FEV Tutoring is CANCELLED
(Thursday) - December 8th
- FEV Tutoring
- ESOL Nest until 3:30 pm
- DI until 3 pm
- Sea Perch until 3:30 pm
(Friday) - December 9th
- Choir carols at the fairgrounds from 4:30 - 6:30 pm
(Saturday) - December 10th
- Special Education ESY (Rain date) from 8 am - 11 am
FREE AFTERSCHOOL TUTORING WITH FEV!
FREE AFTERSCHOOL TUTORING!
All Somers students are now invited to participate in our free after-school tutoring program!
This is a virtual tutoring opportunity through FEV Tutoring.
There are two options for tutoring. Please review the attached flyer prior to making your selection.
- Please indicate your intention to participate using this form by Monday, November 28th: https://forms.office.com/r/PEk6m7NF2N
If you have further questions about this opportunity, please reach out to the coordinator, Jasmine Proctor via email: jnproctor@ccboe.com.
Have a wonderful holiday break!
From the Circulation Desk of Ms. HJ.................
Library News: Thank you for your support of our Fall Scholastic book fair. We made our goal and then some, with over $5,400 of books and other items sold. That will allow us to add a lot of new titles to our library collection for all of our students!
Some of your students may be doing some cleaning up over break. Remind them to return their books to the library after break.
Tech Reminder: Please have your child shut down his or her laptop over the break. Use the power button on the desktop to power it off. This will update and clear the laptop to keep it in good working order.
A Note from our PTSO
Ways to STAY CONNECTED
Follow us on Twitter: Somersptso
SCHOOL SUPPORTS
Cynthia Panizzi - 6th Grade AP - cpanizzi@ccboe.com
Nancy Hines - 7th Grade AP - nhines@ccboe.com
Marlon Walker - 8th Grade AP -mwalker@ccboe.com
Zachary Ortolano - Administrative Intern - zortolano@ccboe.com
COUNSELING SUPPORTS
Ken Tojek - 6th Grade Counselor - ktojek@ccboe.com
John Craddock- 7th Grade Counselor - jcraddock@ccboe.com
Maureen Toler - 8th Grade Counselor - mtoler@ccboe.com
INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM
Linda Forrest - Reading Resource Teacher (Reading) - lforrest@ccboe.com
Jennifer Branham - Instructional Resource Teacher (Math) - jbranham@ccboe.com
Jasmine Proctor - Learning Resource Teacher (Gifted Education and Testing Coordinator) - jnproctor@ccboe.com
Email: somersms@ccboe.com
Website: https://www.ccboe.com/schools/somers/
Location: 300 Willow Lane, La Plata, MD 20646
Phone: 301-934-4663
Twitter: @miltonsomersms