Spring Lake Middle School
Newsletter, Week of September 4, 2023
Message from the Principal
Upcoming Important Dates
Tuesday, September 5--Periods 1, 2, 3, 4
Wednesday, September 6--Periods 5, 6, 7, 8, 2:10 pm Release
Wednesday, September 6--Parents Association Meeting, 5:30 pm
September 11-October 4--Volleyball Season (Tournaments Week of October 13)
September 14-October 12--Flag Football Season
September 15--Game Night, 6-8 pm
Message from the Parents Association
The Spring Lake Middle School Parents Association (SLMSPA) is holding their first general meeting on Wednesday, September 6th, 2023 at 5:30 pm at the SLMS campus. Please mark your calendar and don't miss the opportunity to support SLMS and stay connected to the SLMS community. You can sign up for volunteer positions on our board here.
The mission of the Spring Lake Middle School Parents Association is to enhance the educational experience for all the students at SLMS. The PA is made up of parent volunteers who work together with teachers and school administrators to plan special events, build community, provide classroom support and increase the educational opportunities for our children.
Throughout this school year the SLMS PA uses its funds to support school events, as well as recognize and appreciate SLMS staff. We also support end-of-year events, including our long-standing tradition of the 8th Grade Dinner Dance.
We do our best to enhance the student experience at SLMS in every way possible, from supporting academics to the arts, creating events to build community, school spirit and friendship; not just for the students, but for parents too!
It takes a village and we invite each of you to join us. We ask for your support of the Family Giving Campaign. We welcome everyone’s ideas and input for projects and events. If you have thoughts on how you can help the SLMS PA, we want to hear them! Please come join us at our upcoming PA meetings and events. Please visit our website at slmspa.org for additional information and updates.
Together we can make this an amazing school community for all!
The SLMS PA Executive Board thanks you for your continued support!
President :Emily Asencio
Treasurer: Allison Cordice
Fall Festival Chair: Katrina Smith
Secretary: Jennifer Marinace
Webmaster: Abel Jeffcoat
Garden Club--Parent Volunteers Needed!
We need parent volunteers to help supervise and direct our garden club. In past years, garden club students have met after school one day each week to tend to the garden beds, pull weeds, make minor repairs, and plant new plants. We have the support of Seedlings Garden Group, but need parent volunteers to make it happen! If you are interested in volunteering to host the club after school and help work on our school garden, please contact Hannah Bates at hbates@rvusd.org. You will need to get fingerprinted in order to volunteer.
Growth in Middle School
When we look at the progress middle schoolers make, it is important to remember that growth is often not linear, and may not look like what we think it will. 7th graders will begin the year full of excitement and enthusiasm, which can dampen when met with the first large assignment that is difficult to tackle, or the need to email a teacher for the first time. Growth can look like overcoming these obstacles gradually, and may also include emotions such as frustration, fear, anger or even silliness. 8th graders often express similar emotions as they begin the process of preparing for high school. It is important to acknowledge the emotions, and provide support for the processes of growth that happen almost daily at this age.
Some ways to help support growth:
- Check Schoology and student planners together in the afternoon or evening
- Make time to connect just for fun (listen to music together, take a walk)
- Practice what to do to solve a problem together (write an email, have a conversation)
- Encourage time with friends to help with positive connections
- Celebrate small steps!
Sports Update
Flag Football
Flag football practices will be Mondays and Fridays from 3:15-5:15 pm.
Games will be Thursdays, game schedule coming soon!
All players will receive a separate message through ParentSquare with more details later in the week.
Volleyball
Volleyball practices will be Mondays, 3:15-4:30 and Wednesdays, 2:15-4:30, starting Wednesday 8/30.
Games will also be Mondays and Wednesdays, to be announced soon.
As many players as possible were placed on the teams, and alternates will be added if there is space available.
All players will receive a message on ParentSquare with more details later this week.
ParentSquare
All communication from SLMS will come through ParentSquare. You may have to access other sites, such as Schoology and your Parent Portal in Synergy, but all information pertaining to our school and links to access those sites will be provided through ParentSquare.
If you have not already signed up, you should have received an invitation link, or you can go to ParentSquare.com to sign up. When you use the app, you can change your settings to receive messages however you prefer (once per day, at the time they are sent, via text or SMS notification, etc.). Newsletters such as this one will contain lots of important information and will be sent out weekly, so please make sure you are reading them when you receive them!