SEMS Golden Eagles Weekly Update
September 10th, 2023
Back to School Night: Sep.14th (7th & 8th Grade Parents)
We are looking forward to welcoming our 7th and 8th grade parents to campus on September 14th for our Back to School Night! We will have our Band performing, our Scholastic Book Fair open, and our teachers are excited to share about their classes with you.
Please review the schedule attached above, make a digital copy of it, and complete your child's schedule ahead of time so you know where to go. You may also see your child's schedule on your Parentvue app.
School Site Council-VOTING FORM
Thank you to the parents who have nominated themselves to be a part of our School Site Council! Please complete this voting form by September 11th at 11:59am. We need to elect TWO parent representatives.
The School Site Council is a unique school level group that is charged with improving academic achievement through the compliant and efficient use of selected funds. Responsibilities of SSC and SSC Members:
- Attend meetings regularly, share information with others your represent.
- Analyze the academic achievement of students at the school, including sub groups, to determine priorities and areas of focus.
- Work with school advisory groups (ELAC, SPED, etc.) regarding development /revision of the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA).
- Also obtain input from school stakeholders (PLCSs, Leadership Teams, Classified Staff, Counselors, etc.)
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.
Scholastic Book Fair is HERE!
We will also be open during Back to School Nights for parents to have an opportunity to shop as well. We accept cash, major credit cards, most tap-to-pay cards, and Scholastic eGift cards. Parents may also create an eWallet for their students by visiting scholastic.com/bf/semslibrary.
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/
ASB
Thursday 9/14: Meet and Greet the Candidates in the SEMS Circle during both lunches where students will have a chance to speak with the students running for office.
Friday 9/15 Officer Elections via the school website. Students will be able to vote from 8am-1pm, winners will be announced at 2pm on Friday.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!
Interested in our Club Field Hockey Program?
There will be an Information Night for students and parents at 5:30pm-6:30pm on September 13th in the Perfoming Arts Center.
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.
Homework Time
Homework Time is after school until 3:30 on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It is open on Wednesday's until 2:30pm.
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