Stanwood Middle School
Family Update - October 24th, 2020
We have great Spartans doing great things. We are highlighting the great things that are happening during Distance Learning everyday during our morning announcements. We are so proud of all of our students who are working hard to connect and turn in work. With the end of the quarter just nine school days away, keep up with your routines and working toward getting any late work in by the last day of the quarter.
Parent help?
If you need some help navigating Distance Learning with your student, please let us know. We want to try and help you as much as we can from a distance. Please email us or call the office so we can set you up with the right person to answer all of your questions.
Last week's Advisory
Last week our teachers did a check-in with all of our students and surveyed them about their successes and suggestions during Distance Learning. We know there are challenges during this time--we want to make sure we have all of the information about what our students need AND help students focus on the positives in their world right now as well. Our Character Dare for the week focuses on finding the positive in all we do--flipping the switch and being positive.
This week--Class Meeting Only
This week we will have a Class Meeting only for each grade level--6th Graders at 11:15; 7th Graders at 12:15; 8th Graders at 1:15. Our weekly Class Meetings are a highlight for us--we can't wait to see you there!
Are your Halloween costumes fangtastic?
It seems very strange not to be getting ready for our annual costume parade during lunch on Friday. We really miss all of the "creatures" in our building. Mr. Wall and the yearbook staff really want to see your costumes for the yearbook! Please email your pictures to lwall@stanwood.wednet.edu or use the Snap App.
End of 1st Quarter
The end of 1st Quarter is Thursday, November 5th. With 9 school days left before the end of the Quarter we want to make sure that families are reaching out to teachers if they have concerns about classes. Also, every teacher has office hours on Wednesday mornings. This is an open time students can join their Google Meet to ask questions/get clarification about the week's work. We highly encourage all students to use this time to work with their teacher's to improve their learning. All teachers have their Google Meet Codes in their Google Classroom for students to access.
Super Star Spartan (more below in the Family Message)
Teachers are naming students for meeting expectations and going beyond the norm during Distance Learning. We are posting these Super Star Spartan Shout-outs in our morning announcements as they come in, and will highlight the students during the class meetings on Wednesdays as well.
*You can find our morning announcements on our website each day, the Stanwood Middle School PTO Facebook page each day, or clicking on this link: Stanwood Middle School Morning Announcements
Here is more information we've included in recent Family Messages:
Student Tech Support
This webpage: Student Tech Support will help your student navigate everything they might be struggling with during distance learning. From managing emails to navigating how to turn in work that isn't blank, it is covered here.
Morning Announcements and Daily Check-in
Each student is assigned to a google classroom called "Class of 20__(25, 26 ,27)". There are a ton of resources for students there, as well as a Daily Check-in and Morning Announcements.
Again, please reach out to teachers directly if you have concerns about classes. You can also contact anyone in the office and we make sure you get the help needed.
Thank you and have a great weekend!
Tod Klundt
Principal
Stanwood Middle School
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A message from our Counselor Mrs. Fox!
Mental Health in a Pandemic
Hello Everyone! This week in Class Meetings, I shared information from a national survey that was done in May, stating that 7 out of 10 teens said they are experiencing mental health effects from the pandemic, including excess stress, anxiety, and depression. It may be that those numbers would be even higher now.
I think it goes without saying that different routines, changes in social outlets, extra stress, and grief and loss related to the pandemic have impacted all of us to some degree. If your student is showing signs of anxiety, depression, and excess stress, here are some tips I shared to buffer some of the hard parts of life right now.
1. Recognize that some extra anxiety is normal. Talk to a trusted adult if you have ongoing symptoms.
2. Focus on what you can do and create distractions. Divide a difficult problem into 2 categories: things you can do something about and things you can do nothing about. Dissect the source of your stress, what you can do about it, then engage in a distracting activity such as homework, reading, or watching a favorite movie to give your brain and body a break.
3. Find new ways to connect with friends and peers. Find some way to stay safely connected with people.
4. Focus on you. Explore new interests, do art, read books, get fresh air, do something healthy that feels good for your body and brain. Try to choose one healthy thing to do each day that feels good and brings you joy.
5. Feel your feelings. Let yourself feel your emotions so your body and brain can process them, and so they don’t get stuck and come out in other ways.
6. Be kind to yourself and others. Remember that we are in this together. You are not alone. Others need the same compassion and empathy that we need.
I am available for short-term mental health support with students. Please email me at KFox@stanwood.wednet.edu if you have concerns about the mental health of your student, or any other way I can support your student and family!
When there is a deeper, ongoing need, our Student Support Advocate, Amy Hart, and I work with families to refer students and families to a local provider. Also, a great resource that is available to all families in Washington State is the Children’s Hospital Mental Health Referral Service, which helps families find a local mental health provider for your child. You can call them 1-833-303-5437 or click here to learn more and get started.
We are in this together, and we will get through this together!
Kara Fox
Counselor
Stanwood Middle School
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Super Star Spartan
Teachers are naming students for meeting expectations and going beyond the norm during Distance Learning. We are posting these Super Star Spartan Shout-outs in our morning announcements as they come in, and will highlight the students during the class meetings on Wednesdays as well.
*You can find our morning announcements on our website each day, the Stanwood Middle School PTO Facebook page each day, or clicking on this link: Stanwood Middle School Morning Announcements
SEL
What is SEL?
SEL is an acronym for social/emotional learning. We are committed to regularly checking in with students to see how they are doing with school and during this unprecedented time. Our district wide adopted curriculum is Character Strong. You will see these messages pop up in our announcements, advisories, and classrooms. Here is this week's Character Dare students received in Advisory.
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For Parents of 8th Grade Students
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Yearbook Snap App
Even though we are at a distance, our yearbook can bring us together! Mr. Wall and the yearbook staff are asking people to submit photos from summer and the first day of school through the Yearbook Snap App or their computer. The flyer down below explains how to do this!
School Pictures and Student Identification Cards
We will keep you updated and make sure all our families know right away once we have them scheduled!
Message from Food Service
Please click on this link food service page.
Below Is All The Important Information From Previous Family Messages!
1. Video regarding Family Access/Skyward
2. A link to a toolkit for Family Access/Skyward
3. A message from our Counselor Mrs. Fox
4. Our Open House slide show
5. Information regarding accessing student email
6. Information regarding accessing Google Classroom
7. The Weekly Schedule for students
Please see the video below regarding Family Access/Skyward
Click the box below for a toolkit to help with Family Access/Skyward
In case you missed it last time, here is our Open House Staff Slideshow - 2020/2021
Typically a big part of our Open House is our introduction of staff in the gym and then students are able to tour the building and see those staff members in the classrooms. Because we are not able to be in person this year Mr. Wall, our wonderful multimedia, yearbook and keyboarding teacher, has put together a slideshow to allow families to see faces, to see what peoples roles are in the building, and to see contact information for everyone!
Please click the link to see our slideshow:
Accessing Student Email
Google Classroom Access
Students will need to access Google Classroom to get assignments, take quizzes and tests, and see other information teachers post.
Here are directions to access Google Classroom.
Weekly Schedule for Students
Please see the schedule below for what the schedule will look like for a middle school student once we start school.
Students will attend periods 1, 3, & 5 on Mondays and Thursdays as well as periods 2, 4, & 6 on Tuesdays and Fridays (schedule with times shown below).
During these class times, teachers may be instructing students and/or be showing a pre-recorded video along with classroom discussions & activities.
On Wednesdays, students will have the opportunity to check in with their teachers during student hours set up by individual teachers.
The Stanwood-Camano School District does not discriminate in employment, programs, or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to the District's Title IX/Affirmative Action Officer and Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, Maurene Stanton (mstanton@stanwood.wednet.edu), or the Section 504/American Disabilities Act Coordinator, Robert Hascall (rhascall@stanwood.wednet.edu) Stanwood-Camano School District, 26920 Pioneer Hwy, Stanwood, WA 98292. Telephone: (360) 629-1200.
El Distrito Escolar de Stanwood-Camano School District no discrimina en sus programas o actividades por motivos de sexo, raza, credo, religión, color, origen nacional, edad, condición de veterano de guerra o grado militar, orientación sexual, expresión de género o identidad, discapacidad o uso de perro guía entrenado o animal de servicio, y ofrece igualdad de acceso a los Boy Scouts y a otros grupos de jóvenes especificados. El empleado mencionado a continuación ha sido designado para atender consultas y quejas de supuesta discriminación: Título IX / Oficial de Acción Afirmativa y Coordinador de Cumplimiento de Derechos Civiles, Maurene Stanton (mstanton@stanwood.wednet.edu), o la Sección 504 / Coordinador de la Ley de Discapacidades Estadounidenses, Robert Hascall (rhascall@stanwood.wednet.edu), Distrito Escolar Stanwood-Camano, 26920 Pioneer Hwy, Stanwood, WA 98292. Teléfono: (360) 629- 1200