Wildcat Weekly
January 7-12, 2020
News You Can Use...
- We will be administering the ALEXSA-R survey to all students in order to fulfill a requirement that is part of the NCHS grant that TSC received. The survey will be administered during FOCUS on Friday, January 10. Students will need headphones/earbuds to complete the survey.
- 8th grade Mav Launch visit to MHS will take place on Monday, January 13 from 1:00-2:30 P.M.
- Our English Learners will participate in WIDA testing on the following dates during 4th period (7th/8th grade) and 5th period (6th grade) each day: Monday, January 13 (Listening), Wednesday, January 16 (Reading), Monday, January 27 (Speaking), and Wednesday, January 29 (Writing).
- MHS Student Services will be at SMS to meet with 8th graders to complete the scheduling process during FOCUS on the following dates: Friday, January 24, Friday, January 31, Thursday, February 6. Each meeting will occur during FOCUS, with the last meeting on February 6 beginning at 10:00 A.M.
- Since school was cancelled on Tuesday, November 19, the day will be made up on Monday, February 17, 2020.
- We are entering the season of unpredictable weather! Download the TSC2Go App and enable notifications for any school(s) that you choose, as well as TSC Alerts, Delays, and Closings...the days of text notifications are coming to a close, so don't get caught off guard!
- Curious about the schedule on a two-hour delay day? Check out our website! Click the Student Info tab under the "Student Life" section and then select the appropriate schedule. You can also click here to access the two-hour delay schedule.
New Breakfast Procedures
Starting this semester, we will be following some new procedures during breakfast time. These changes are being implemented in order to ensure that our students have adequate time to eat breakfast, and that they may do so in a more structured environment.
Students will be given a breakfast pass. This pass will permit students to enter the cafeteria at 8:45. Students who typically eat breakfast already are in the system and have already received their passes; those who are not will be given their pass the day after it is requested.
- From Wednesday (1/8/20) on, students will not be permitted to go to the cafeteria without their pass. They are responsible for it. If they lose it, they will be given a new one--ONE TIME. These passes fit nicely into the plastic ID holder in their Chrome Book cases.
- Any student who does not have a Bus Pass may still have breakfast, but they will need to check in with their first hour teacher to get a pass. Teachers will be given a temporary breakfast pass to give students. If it is a student who will eat breakfast on a regular basis, they must ask Mrs. Crum to issue them a permanent pass.
Second Semester Student Expectations/Reminders
- Hoods should not be worn in the building.
- Cell phones should remain out of sight except during lunch period.
- Water may be carried in a clear, plastic bottle.
- Coats may not be worn inside the building.
- Bags/purses/belt bags must be kept in lockers during the school day.
- Headphones may not be worn during the school day, except during lunch.
Click here to access the SMS Student Handbook.
River City Community Center After-School Program
- River City Community Center invites your student to participate in 412 Academy, an after-school program focused on academic growth and emotional development for students in grades 6-8 every Tuesday from school dismissal until 6pm. The community center is located at 2842 Old US 231 S, near the intersection of Beck Lane and Old 231.
- Students are invited to a safe, welcoming space to relax after school, receive academic support for homework, projects, and assignments, and have healthy conversations on issues such as bullying, social media, self-harm, and healthy relationships guided by trained mentors and professionals from the Greater Lafayette community. Students will be served snacks while they are there.
- On the 3rd Tuesday of each month, students will be able to participate in CoderDojo – a free, computer coding workshop for any student ages 7-17, also held at the River City Community Center.
Planning Ahead...
- Monday, January 13--WIDA testing (Listening)
- Monday, January 13--8th grade Mav Launch trip to MHS (1:00-2:30 P.M.)
- Tuesday, January 14--SMS Booster Club meeting (5:30 P.M.)
- Tuesday, January 14--Washington, D.C. Trip parent meeting (6:30 P.M.)
- Wednesday, January 15--WIDA testing (Reading)
- Monday, January 20--No School/Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Friday, January 24--8th grade scheduling with MHS Student Services during FOCUS
- Monday, January 27--WIDA testing (Speaking)
- Monday, January 27--Mav Launch parent meeting @ MHS (6:15 P.M.)
- Monday, January 27--8th grade parent meeting @ MHS (7:00 P.M.)
- Wednesday, January 29---WIDA testing (Writing)
- Friday, January 31--8th grade scheduling with MHS Student Services during FOCUS
- Monday, February 1--ISSMA Choir Solo and Ensemble @ HHS
- Thursday, February 6--8th grade scheduling with MHS Student Services during FOCUS
- Saturday, February 8--ISSMA Band Solo & Ensemble Contest @ HHS
- Thursday, February 13--Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:15-6:30 P.M.)
- Saturday, February 15--Circle the State (Choir) @ Jeff HS
- Monday, February 17--School WILL be in session (make-up from 11/19 closing)
- Friday, March 6/Saturday, March 7--ISSMA Jazz Contest @ Brownsburg (TBD/Jazz Band only)
- Saturday, March 7--Choir District Jazz Festival
- Sunday, March 8--Daylight Savings Time Ends (set clocks one hour ahead)
- Thursday, March 12--SMS Fine Arts Concert @ SMS (7:00 P.M.)
- Friday, March 13/Saturday, March 14--ISSMA Band Contest @ Clinton Prairie or Northwestern (TBD)
- Tuesday, March 17--Jazz Band auditions (new members)
- Wednesday, March 18--Jazz Band auditions (new members)
- Thursday, March 19--Jazz Band auditions (new members)
- Monday, March 23-Friday, March 27--Spring Break/No School
- Friday, May 1--We are going to help Mintonye break a world record! Stay tuned for details!
- Thursday, May 14-Saturday, May 16--SMS Washington, D.C. Trip
- Friday, May 15--6th grade bowling incentive trip
- Monday, May 18--Choir Spring Concert
- Tuesday, May 19--Spring Band Concert (7:00 P.M.)
- Friday, May 22--Last Day of School (Students)/End of Semester 2
Click here to access the TSC calendar for the 2019-2020 school year!
Growing Up Digital
January: Digital Footprint and Identity
As soon as you share the first photo of your kid, you're establishing their digital footprint. As kids get older and start creating their own content or engaging with others online, it's important for them to understand the tracks they're leaving behind and what those tracks might reveal. Parents can help guide kids toward creating the kind of footprint they can be proud of.
Health Office Update
We are entering a time of increased viral illness. This is largely due to a greater amount of person to person contact from more time spent indoors and an increase in social gatherings for the season. Please consider being vaccinated for the flu and remember that hand washing is your greatest weapon in preventing the spread of infection and illness. For your information, please review the TSC school exclusion criteria: Students with vomiting, diarrhea, undiagnosed skin rashes, eye infections, or fever over 100° should not attend school.
Students exhibiting these symptoms at school will be sent home. Students with vomiting, diarrhea, or fever over 100º should not return to school until the symptoms have resolved without medication for 24 hours. Students with pink eye may return to school with a doctor's note when the symptoms subside or when a student shows treatment has begun with appropriate eye drops. Contagious skin rashes should be reported to your school nurse and a note will be required by your child's physician to return to school.
Please remember with all of these exclusion criteria that our job is to facilitate students remaining in school. Our goal is to have the child miss as little class time as possible. Feel free to contact the Health Office with any concerns or questions.
Volunteer Information
In an effort to continue our due diligence with regard to providing a safe environment for our students and staff, we require all volunteers having ongoing contact with children and/or supervising students (field trips, etc.) to have cleared an expanded criminal background check. These background checks are conducted through Background Investigation Bureau (BIB).
The criminal background check will search national sex offender databases, court records, etc. The cost of the criminal history check is $17.95 (base cost) and is paid for by the volunteer through a link on our website: SecureVolunteer.
Once approved, the volunteer will receive a TSC Volunteer identification card that will be valid for a period of three (3) years. If you volunteer in multiple buildings, you will only need to complete one background check.
Volunteer background checks may take several business days to process so it is important to plan ahead.
We appreciate your understanding of this important safety guideline.
This Week in Wildcat Athletics and Activities
TSC2Go
The Tippecanoe School Corporation is excited to announce the launch of its new mobile app, TSC2Go. Available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, TSC2Go provides a convenient option for patrons to stay informed of activities happening throughout the TSC. TSC2Go offers mobile-friendly access to both school and corporation news posts, calendars, staff directories, and links to popular resources. Users will now have the option to receive push notifications sent from schools and the corporation.
The transition to the mobile app and the push notification feature means the TSC will discontinue its practice of sending text message alerts.
Schools and the corporation will immediately begin utilizing push notifications in TSC2Go to communicate important information to patrons.
After installing the app and enabling push notifications in the “More” area, users can select the schools they wish to receive notifications from. Please note that all notifications about school delays and closings come from the corporation, not individual schools. Please select the “TSC Alerts, Delays and Closings” category to receive these notifications.
Please visit the TSC2Go informational webpage for instructions on how to set up and configure settings within the app.
Southwestern Middle School
- Home of the Wildcats!
- #WeAreWildcats
Email: stgustin@tsc.k12.in.us
Website: https://sms.tsc.k12.in.us/
Location: Lafayette, IN, USA
Phone: 765.538.3025
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southwesternmiddleschool
Twitter: @PrincipalTiz