eNews

Hello Bulldog Families,

Happy Mother’s Day to all of our Bulldog Moms that support our students through the difficult middle school years. We appreciate all the love, support, and sacrifices you make every day. You are the backbone of our families and we are grateful for everything you do. Enjoy your special day!

Thanks to Mrs. Duvall, all the teachers and staff, as well as the NJHS student volunteers for making the 8th grade dance such a success. It was a wonderful event. The kids looked great and had a wonderful time. We appreciate everyone that sacrificed their Saturday to make this event a special memory for the 8th graders that attended.

• Monday, May 15th (B-Day)

• Civics/Science Makeup SOL Testing

• Boys Soccer Home v. Thornburg MS

• Girls Softball Home v. Thornburg MS

• Middle School Track Invitational @ Massaponax HS

• Tuesday, May 16th (A-Day)

• Reading SOL Retakes

• 8th Grade Technology Collection

• Wednesday, May 17th (B-Day)

• Math SOL Retakes

• Chorus Spring Concert @ 7:00 PM

• Thursday, May 18th (A-Day)

• Civics/Science SOL Retakes

• 7th Grade Awards - 9:00 am

• 8th Grade Awards - 7:00 pm

• Friday, May 19th (B-Day)

• 6th Grade Awards - 9:00 am

• Spring Sports Awards - 6:00 pm

• Monday, May 22nd

• Field Day/8th Grade Picnic (see information below)

• Tuesday, May 23rd

• Last day of school (full day)

• All medications must be picked up by 3:00 PM

• If your child receives a score of 375-399, they are eligible to retake the test. I strongly recommend that all students take advantage of this opportunity, as the score 1) stays on the students permanent record, 2) can impact future educational decisions such as scheduling, 3) impacts the accreditation process of our school and division.
  

• If your child is eligible for a retake, a permission slip will be sent home. We must receive parent permission before administering a retake.

• The higher score is always published, even if the retake score is lower than the original.

The VDOE has implemented a new Science SOL Test this year. Because scores must be weighted and calculated based upon a large enough sample size across the state, there will be a delay in the publishing of student scores for this test. Keep checking the VDOE Parent Portal and ParentVUE, which should update once the scores are calculated and published.

Do you want more information on your child's performance on their Standards of Learning (SOL) test? If so, then please read the information below about the VDOE Parent Portal.

Test results and videos for the Spring 2023 Non-Writing Test Administration will post on the Parent Portal. Test results will be available for all tests administered in the Spring 2023 Non-Writing Test Administration. Personalized videos will be available for each student that completed a Grades 3-8 Reading and/or Mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment. Additionally, a short, non-personalized YouTube video that explains the information on a student's Non-Writing SOL test SDBQ Report, the VDOE Standards of Learning (SOL) SDBQ Overview, is available on the
Parent & Caregiver Resources for Virginia Assessments page on the VDOE website. The Parent Portal will update each Friday throughout the Spring 2023 Non-Writing Tests Administration with results from tests completed during the previous week.

To create your Virginia Assessment Parent Portal account, follow the instructions provided in the Parent Portal User’s Guide. Once your account has been created and activated, you will use your child’s first name, last name, date of birth, and a Claim Code to add your child’s test results to your account. Your child’s Claim Code* can be found online in ParentVue on the Student Info tab at the bottom. If using the ParentVue app, click the Additional Information link when on the Student Info tab.

See the SMS Parent Portal Letter to Families for more information.

• Medications need to be picked up by the close of business on May 23rd. Any remaining medications will be disposed of.

• Medications for students attending summer school must be delivered to that site by a parent/guardian. Medications for summer school are not transported from one school to another by the nurse.

• Field Day is Monday, May 22nd

• Students that receive a disciplinary referral that results in In-School Suspension (ISS) or Out-of-School Suspension (OSS) will not be permitted to attend field day events.

• Students with outstanding debt will not be permitted to attend field day. Please check your child’s account to ensure your child will be able to attend.

Just a reminder that the following rules are still in place through the remainder of the school year.

• No blankets
• No stuffed animals/toys
• Cell phones must be silenced/turned off and be kept in a bookbag or locker
• No wireless earbuds/headphones.

Dress Code is still in effect.

• Stomach/midriff must be covered.

• No spaghetti straps/tank tops

• Private areas should be completely covered

• Undergarments should not be visible

Congratulations to Natalie Schuyler, Leona Pierce, and Abigail Dillard for their work creating the new LOVE sign. Special thanks goes out to Ms. Caruso, Mr. Race, Mr. Hoburg, Dr. McDonough, Mr. Stinson, and the PTO for the assistance that made this possible. It looks great!

• 6th & 7th Grade

• Will be held in the morning at 9:00 am in the auditorium on May 18th (7th grade) and May 19th (6th grade).

• Parents of students receiving an academic award will receive an email by Monday, May 15th. We ask that you do not share this information with your child. This notification is meant to provide parents with the ability to be present to share this moment with your child.

• If you are attending, we will not open the side gate until 8:40 am, so please do not arrive any earlier.

• 8th Grade

• The 8th grade awards assembly will take place at 7:00 pm on Thursday, May 18th in the SMS Auditorium.

• Students being recognized will receive an invitation to the event. Parents will also be notified by email by May 15th.

• We are currently hiring for the 2022-23 school year, including teachers, paraeducators, cafeteria monitors (part time), and substitutes.

• If you or someone you know is interested in a position at Spotsy Middle, please contact Paul Workman, principal, at 540-582-6341, or by email at pworkman@spotsylvania.k12.va.us

• 8th Grade Students must turn in Chromebooks and chargers.

• Devices will be collected on Tuesday, May 16th during science classes

• All decorative stickers must be removed. The SCPS barcode should be left on.

• 6th and 7th Grade Students may keep their devices over the summer, but they must be checked before leaving for summer break.

• From May 8-12, our tech team will go into classrooms to check devices to ensure students have their device and charger and that it is working properly.

• May 8 - Science 6 classes

• Math 10 - Science 7 classes

• Any parent that would prefer the device remain at school for the summer, please contact our ITRT, Ms. Jeanne Koch, at jkoch@spotsylvania.k12.va.us

• Any student who does not return (8th) or cannot present his/her computer (6th and 7th) will be placed on the debt list and the parent will be informed. This will follow them into next year or until they are able to provide the device.

• At the April 24th School Board Meeting, the board approved (6-1) the contract to begin the Spotsylvania Middle School Renovation Project.

• Please check out the presentation shared with the board: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZcAm1J9FGWGbPQwwOzdTle7GJRwruEi_/view?usp=sharing

• Renovations will begin this summer!

• If you’d like to view a recording of the presentation and discussion, you can view archived school board meetings at https://www.regionalwebtv.com/spotsysb The discussion of the renovation on 4/24/23 begins around 2:30:18 on the recording.

Girls Softball and Boys Soccer...

• Monday games v. Thornburg MS
• If either team makes the postseason, tournament games will be held on May 17th and 18th at the home of the higher seeded teams.

Track

• The middle school track invitational will be held tomorrow, Monday, May 15th at Massaponax High School. Congratulations to all of our athletes that have qualified for the event.

Spring Sports Banquet

• the Spring Sports Banquet will be held this Friday, May 19th at 6:00 PM in the SMS Auditorium.

• Tryouts May 11-13
• See informational flyer below