Smith Intermediate School
Newsletter, March 2022
Important Dates
- March 1- Grade 4 Ski Trip
- March 2- Music Maniacs, Math Club
- March 7- Little Fiddles
- March 8 - Smith Music @ Board of Ed. Meeting
- March 9- Music Maniacs, Math Club
- March 10- PTO Meeting 7pm
- March 13- Daylight Savings Time
- March 14- Little Fiddles
- March 16- Music Maniacs, Math Club
- March 21- Prof Dev. Day- No school for students, Last day to purchase a yearbook
- March 23- Music Maniacs, Math Club
- March 28- Little Fiddles
- March 29 - NYS ELA testing begins
- March 30- Music Maniacs, Math Club
News from the Nurse
Reminders from the Nurse
Attendance calls, Emails, and notes go to the Main Office.
Pack a change of clothes for unexpected spills and accidents.
Wear a well-fitted mask.
Please keep your child home if he or she is sick.
All students sent home with signs of Covid-19 will require written proof of a negative test and/or a diagnosis from their Healthcare provider prior to their return to school.
If your child tests positive, notify the Health Dept. and the school, isolate for five days.
If your child is exposed, monitor for symptoms, he or she may attend school.
Covid tests are available at school, Rapid tests can be given with verbal permission. PCR tests can be given with consent and by registering your child online - “Enlarged Cortland City Schools” Quadrant Registration Portal https://app.clarifi-covid-19.com
Symptoms of Covid-19 Include: fever, chills, cough, sore throat, congestion (stuffy or runny nose), headache, muscle or body aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, new loss of taste or smell.
Skating Fun!
NYS ELA and Math Assessments
State test season is on the horizon! Grades 3 & 4 will be participating in the annual NYS assessments starting on March 29 for ELA and April 26 for Math. We are excited to share that students in our District will again be participating in the online testing format for both ELA and Math.
Changes that were made previously at the State level to improve the Grades 3-8 English and Math tests, have remained in effect. These changes came about because the Commissioner and State Education Department listened to parents and educators. Here are the facts:
Tests are shorter - only 2 sessions instead of 3
Tests are not timed
Test scores do not affect teacher evaluation scores
Standards were developed with educators
A majority of test questions will be released so teachers can use them in the future
Additional information that is important to know: Federal legislation known as the "Every Student Succeeds Act” mandates a 95% participation rate on each of these tests. This means that unless 95% of our students take the state tests, our school and district will not be considered to be making adequate student achievement progress. Since these tests are a measure of what your child has learned, I’m asking you to please have your child participate.
Participation in NYS testing:
Provides an opportunity for students to show what they know.
Provides students with test taking experiences that they will need in later years and in life.
Allows our district to show student achievement progress.
Provides information to our district regarding potential changes needed in curriculum or instruction.
Thank you for your support!
Tips for Successful Testing
As a school, we express confidence in children's ability, while always encouraging them to do their best work. We work hard to not place an over emphasis on state testing. We are proud of the work we do every day with our students and the gains that they make throughout a school year. We encourage students to look at the state tests as an opportunity to show us what they know.
You can further support this at home by taking a low-key approach to state testing. Keep your home schedules consistent, maintain your confidence in your child's ability, and make sure he or she is well-rested. By working together, we can make the testing experience a positive one for your child.
Thank you for your assistance.
Instrument Recruitment Time!
3rd grade Band and Orchestra recruitment is here! Mrs. Capano and Mr. Murray will be visiting music classes to show students which instruments they can choose from. We are encouraging parents to be involved in this decision; please sit down with your child and fill out this Google Form so they can successfully begin their journey into our music program.
Positivity Project
Smith Intermediate students have been busy learning about the Positivity Project's Other People Matter Mindset (OPM), and the character strengths that help us develop and maintain positive relationships with others. Last month we learned about; Integrity, Love, Humility, and OPM- Cheering Others' Success. This month we will focus on; Enthusiasm, Social Intelligence, Love of Learning and Humility.
You can learn your character strengths by taking the quiz at: https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths.
Day of Caring
News from the Art Room
Library News
4th grade students continue their work in learning more genres and what elements they can find in each one. We are taking the time to look through the library collection to see what elements we can discover and understand why we place the books where they are in the library!
3rd Grade students begin to understand the process of call numbers and where books are located in the library. We learn how the call numbers are like addresses for the book and learning the organizational system helps students be able to find books on their own.
We are currently in the process of starting up the Smith makerspace again for our students. When it is ready, we will work with teachers to provide students a way to learn new tools and think critically about their work. We plan on starting our makerspace activities with coding and programming!
Reminder: If your child still has their charger for their chromebook at home please make sure to send it back to school ASAP. Thank you.
Kiwanis Peanut Butter Drive
Students at Smith, Barry and Randall worked with Kiwanis of Cortland during their PBJ 250 drive. The students at all 3 schools helped collect over 700 jars of peanut butter and jelly, stocking 14 food pantries in Cortland County! Over 1000 jars were collected in total and most of them from our staff and students!
Thank you to all who helped!
PTO News
Thank you for attending and supporting our annual Book Fair. Special thanks to those who volunteered to work the event.
Likewise, thank you to those who have supported the Schoolstore.com fundraiser. Remember that you can support our school year round using the Schoolstore.com site. SchoolStore.com is an online shopping mall where over 400 nationally-known online merchants have agreed to give a percentage of sales to K-12 schools. Companies like Walmart.com, DisneyStore.com, and Best Buy participate. SchoolStore is a great way to support your school when you shop at your favorite online merchants.
Reminder: The Bottle and Can Drive is on-going. You can drop off your bottles/cans at T&T Redemption Center at 160 Clinton Ave at the P&C Plaza Tuesday-Friday 9:00am-5:30pm, Saturday 9:00-am-4:00pm. Call T&T or stop in to let them know the cans are going to be put towards Smith Intermediate School. Their number is 607-753-0389.
Looking ahead: We will be holding an ice cream social in June. Stay tuned for more information and the opportunity to volunteer at this event.