M 'n M
Mustangs in the Middle : Week of: October 5, 2020
SMS Blended Schedule 10/5/2020
10/5, Monday: 6-8 Green DAY
10/6, Tuesday: 6-8 White DAY -- Parent/Teacher Virtual Conferences 4:00-7:00pm
10/7, Wednesday: 6-8 Green DAY -- Parent/Teacher Virtual Conferences 4:00-7:00pm
10/8, Thursday: 6-8 White DAY
10/9, Friday: No School
Parent Teacher Conferences
Teachers will invite you to a Google Meet, once you have selected a day and time, to meet with a teacher or your student's team for October 6 or 7th. Please accept this invitation and use the link to meet with your teacher(s). You can also request a phone conference as well if that fits your needs better.
Voyager teachers will email you if they need to meet with you. You can also request a meeting with a Voyager teacher; please email that teacher and they will set up a time for you to meet virtually.
Meet and Conference with Administration
We will miss seeing our families face to face this year for conferences,
but we would like to meet you and discuss any topic with you.
Please click on links below if you would like to meet and/or discuss!
October 5-
Mrs. Peters: @ 5:00 p.m. Click HERE
October 6-
Mrs. Bailey: 4:15- 5:00 p.m. Click HERE
Mrs. Boytim: 5:00-5:45 p.m. Click HERE
MUSTANGS OF THE MONTH!
Shoutouts of the Week!
MODEL MUSTANG OF THE MONTH:
Congratulations to Mr. Pinion and Mrs. Ray for being nominated for the Model Mustang of the Month. These staff members have gone above and beyond exemplifying our Model Mustang framework: Innovative, Resilient, Collaborative, Global and Empowered. Thank you to all of our staff for their effort and dedication, but a special kudos to these special SMS Staff.
Greetings from Mrs. Battle
The SMS Media Center staff are busy making final preparations for our new book “ordering” and delivery service. Students can place a book on hold using the tools available on the SMS Media Center website and starting Monday, October 5th their books will be delivered to their pod. All books will be quarantined for at least 7 days when they are returned. More information will be shared with students next week. SOLO students can order books which will be available for pick up in the main office. SMS Families, we are asking for your support in helping us find many school library books that went “missing” last school year when we started remote learning in March. Your student can return a book from any SCS library (no fines), and we will check it in and make sure it gets returned to the correct school. We are hoping to find our lost books so they can be enjoyed by others! Just a reminder that the SMS Makerspace is open 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Students can go to the SMS Media Center website and then select Makerspace. There are online modules available for many Makerspace activities such as the 3D printer, Carvey (CNC Router), and robotics such as Sphero and Ozobots. Media Center staff will deliver completed projects to the student in their pods or have them available in the office for SOLO students.
Please have your student email Mrs. Battle with any questions jbattle@scsmustangs.org
Best Regards,
Joan M. Battle, MaEd., MLIS
Media Specialist
Strongsville Middle School
Counselor's Corner
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. The purpose of National Bullying Prevention Month is to unite people from across the nation by educating and raising awareness about bullying prevention.
HERE is a link to a video from PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center explaining 5 step parents can take to talk about bullying with their child.
The 5 steps discussed in the video are as follows:
Start by talking with your child about what bullying is
Let your child know that you are on their team and that they never have to handle bullying on their own
Talk about other ways your child could take action if they ever experience bullying at school
Discuss what your child can do if they see bullying happening
Continue to connect and listen
For more information about how you can help your child with bullying please visit https://www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/parents/helping-your-child.asp
If you are concerned that your child is experiencing bullying at Strongsville Middle School, please report those concerns to a school staff member or building administrator. Additionally, students who believe they have been harassed, bullied, and victimized by fellow students can also report their concerns to the "Stay Safe. Speak Up!" hotline. Reporting incidents can be made anonymously online via Student Safety Reporting or through a toll free number (1-866-547-8362).
By working together, we can create a world without bullying.
Neon Day!
Picture Day at SMS
Blended Schedule:
Green: October 26
White: October 27
ALL-IN Schedule
October 26
STUDENTS EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS OF COVID
EXTRA MASKS
TEAM WEEKLY PREVIEWS
Parents should use this as a way to follow up on student's Remote 2.0 weekly calendar and help them remain organized and on track with all of their classes and assignments.
WEEKLY ANNOUCEMENTS
These are also linked to our Team Preview templates and located on our school website.
NEW SMS STUDENTS: VIRTUAL TOUR
Tips, Announcements and Reminders
SCS Parent Mentor
Parent Mentor-Teresa Karsnak
I wanted to welcome you back to one of craziest school years I have ever been a part of! I have been the Parent Mentor for SCS for 19 years and wanted to share my information with you.
A Parent Mentor provides support to families of students with disabilities, at risk , on a 504 Plan and the school district staff who serve the students.
Parent Mentors work to support the relationship between the family of a child with a disability and the school.
Ohio is the only state to have a Parent Mentor and our funding comes from a grant from The Ohio Department of Education.
All Parent Mentors have a child with a disability so we understand the parent’s struggle in the world of special education.
Parent Mentors:
Guide families through the special education process
Help families understand their rights and responsibilities
Attend IEP/ETR meeting with parents
Provide resources and information to families and the child’s staff/school
Listen and support families and teachers on an individual basis
Offer information on workshops and speakers for families.
All Parent Mentor services are free of charge and are here to support you and your child..
Please contact me if you have any questions, concerns or would like more information. I look forward to hearing from you!
Contact: tkarsnak@scsmustangs.org, 440-572-6593 or on FB (Strongsville City Schools Parent Mentor.
School Lunch and Meal Service
What is Free in the Free Breakfast/Lunch Program?
Based on previous communications, we have shared the USDA Free Breakfast & Lunch Program for all students. I wanted to take this opportunity to clarify that the free lunch includes one entrée, a fresh fruit/vegetable, and a choice of milk. If a student selects any additional entrees or a la carte items (e.g., drinks, snacks, any other items considered as “extras,” etc.) that are not included as part of the free meal, s/he will be charged for these items.
Meal Service Available for SMS/SHS Students During Blended Learning.
For SMS/SHS students in Blended Learning during the next three (3) weeks, meals are available to families for the three (3) days students are engaged in remote learning at home. Weekly emails will be sent to SMS and SHS families and interested families will choose between a meal pick up date of either Wednesday at SMS from 1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. or Friday at SHS from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
How to Navigate Google Classroom - Help for Parents & Students
Mrs. McNamara found a great video on youtube to help us all get better at
Remote 2.0 and the Google Classroom.
PARENT & STUDENT HELP WITH ONLINE APPS AND PROGRAMS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: FAQS
If you have a question that you would like answered, please feel free to call, email or submit a question HERE: SMS Parent Questions and we will try to help you the best we can.
Follow Mrs. Boytim and School News @MrsBoytim and @TheSMSMustangs on Twitter!
Strongsville Middle School
Mrs. Boytim: jboytim@scsmustangs.org
Mrs. Peters: jpeters@scsmustangs.org
Mrs. Bailey: jbailey@scsmustangs.org
Counselors:
Mrs. Gerber (6): kgerber@scsmustangs.org
Mrs. Pietrocini (7): spietrocini@scsmustangs.org
Mrs. Ray (8): eray@scsmustangs.org
Website: https://www.strongnet.org/Domain/411
Location: 13200 Pearl Road, Strongsville, OH, USA
Phone: 440-572-7090
Twitter: @mrsboytim