The Middle School Minute
St. Johns Middle School Newsletter- October 6, 2023
Important Dates
- October 6- Fun Night!
- October 6-12- Book Fair
- October 9-10- Parent/Teacher Conferences
- October 13- No School for Students and Staff
- October 16- No School for Students, Professional Development for Staff
- October 19- Social Emotional Screener (RCADS-25)
- October 24- 7th-12th Grade Fall Orchestra Concert
- October 26- MS/HS Fall Choir Concert
- October 26- Academic Intervention Day
In This Edition...
Old Topics
- Parent-Teacher Conference Sign Ups
- Book Fair
- Academic Support- After School Program
- Buddy's Pals
- Social Emotional Screener (RCADS-25)
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on October 9th from 3:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. and October 10th from 3:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Conferences are by appointment and will be held virtually through Zoom. Please click on the red bar below to sign up to meet with your student's teachers. Sign ups will close prior to the start of school on October 9th to allow our teachers time to prepare.
Academic Support- After School Program
SJMS is pleased to announce that we are able to offer additional academic support after school! Teachers are available to work with small groups of students in the SJMS library and classrooms on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:50 p.m.-3:50 p.m. Teachers may assist students with missing assignments or reteach concepts from previous lessons depending on individual students' needs. Parents may sign their students up by clicking the red bar below. must be able to transport students. Busing is not available for the after school program at this time.
Students will be provided snacks at the after school program. The expectations of the students who wish to take advantage of the after school program are the same expectations that are required of students on a daily basis during the school day. It is the expectation that if a student is present in the building after school, they are attending this program unless they are under the supervision of a coach or club advisor.
Please sign your student up for the program to allow us to prepare for their needs.
Buddy's Pals
SJMS has the opportunity to have educational assistance pets come in once a week to classrooms that sign up for having trained dogs come into the classroom. If your child has an allergy or fear of dogs, please fill out the following form so that we can ensure the dogs will not be in your child’s classroom. Opt Out Form: https://forms.gle/X8LcRecatJAHx8i98
More information about Buddy’s Pals here: https://www.facebook.com/BuddysPALS123/
Social Emotional Screener (RCADS-25)
St. Johns Public Schools, in partnership with Clinton County RESA, plans to administer a Social Emotional Behavioral screener to students in Grades 3 through 12 the week of October 16th. SJMS will administer the screener on October 19th during Careers. This screener is recommended for students in these grades. The purpose of this screener is to ensure that appropriate supports are provided to students who may be struggling with emotional-behavioral-mental health issues. The screener that will be utilized is called the “Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale” (RCADS-25).
This is an evidence-based, valid and reliable measure of students’ perspectives on their emotional and behavioral well-being. Our district, along with CCRESA, chose this measure due to the reliable nature of the screener. We have plans in place to respond quickly to any students who rate themselves to be elevated in either emotional or behavioral areas. This universal social-emotional-behavioral health screener is intended to be given three times a year (Fall, Winter, and Spring) similar to other academic screeners. Students will be given 25 items to which they can respond “Never,” “Sometimes,” “Often,” or “Always.” A sample of these statements are: “I feel sad or empty.”
“I have trouble sleeping.” “I feel worthless.” “I feel afraid that I will make a fool of myself in front of people.” “I worry that something bad will happen to me.”
Please know we are working in the best interest of our students and families with the intention of being proactive in ensuring all our students are given the support needed to set them up for success. If you have any questions or concerns about your child taking this assessment, please contact Mrs. Hallead.
*If you opted your student(s) out of the screener the previous school year, they are opted out of the October screener as well.
Contact Information
Email: taborp@sjredwing.org
Website: www.sjredwings.org/middleschool
Meet Our Staff: www.sjredwings.org/our-schools/middleschool/meet-our-sjms-staff
Location: 900 West Townsend Road, Saint Johns, MI, USA
Phone: (989) 227-4300
Facebook: facebook.com/StJohnsMiddleSchool