Panther Press
October 3, 2022
Letter From the Principal
Hello Panther Families!
Being successful is one of our key values at Colonel Smith Middle School. I have seen many of our students exemplify this behavior throughout the past few weeks. I am amazed at all the hard work and focused effort our students have shown, especially with our recent malware attacks on the district. Students have worked extra hard to complete assignments and have been incredibly successful.
Our fall sports programs started this month. Boys Basketball and Girls Softball will run until the end of the quarter. We welcome all parents and visitors to attend our games and cheer on their athletes!
We are all thankful for your continued patience as we have had to call rain delays more than we would like. Our monsoon season is ending, and we are beginning to feel the outside temperature drop. While we move into the cooler Arizona weather, please remind your students to bring a uniform-compliant sweatshirt to wear inside. Jackets and coats are for outdoor wear (not to be worn in the building) and do not need to be uniform-compliant.
Thank you to all our students, staff, and parents for your patience and understanding while we navigated through the malware issues that limited our internet, computer access, and phones. With the assistance of Fort Huachuca soldiers, our fantastic tech team has been working diligently to get us back online, and it looks like we're nearly there! Thank you again because, without your support, we would be unable to do what we do!
Sincerely,
Principal Larson
Important Dates & Information
School Hours
Daily Regular Hours - 7:50AM - 2:55PM
Early Release Thursday's - 1:50PM
Attendance
We would like to remind parents to please contact the office by 8:00 a.m. if your child will be absent from school. It is important to have an accurate account of all students, even if your child will only miss a few minutes. You may reach the office at (520) 459-8892 or email linders@fhasd.org Please send a note with your student following an absence or email us (required) for documentation purposes. Thank you for your support regarding this important matter.
Holidays - No School
- October 7th-10th: Columbus Day
Events
- October 6th: End of First Quarter
- October 13th: Fall Picture Day
- October 24th-28th: Red Ribbon Week
- Monday - Wear red, white, and blue
- Tuesday - Wear your clothes backwards
- Wednesday - Wear pajamas to school
- Thursday - Dress as your favorite book character
- Friday - Wear your favorite team sports jersey
- October 27th: Fall Ball Spooktacular
- October 31st: 1/2 day, No Lunch Served
*REMINDER TO PARENTS*
Our schools athletics program requires that students have a physical and have a completed registration on Final Forms, our platform where all athletes register. Click Final Forms to register your student today.
Communication
Communication is key and we want you to stay informed! We utilize the Remind App to communicate with all our Smith families. You should have received an email with a link to sign up with Remind. Please download the app or sign up for the email messages so you do not miss any correspondence. The Remind App is available on Android in the play store and iOS devices in the app store.
Spirit Wear
Students may wear a “spirit” t-shirt with their uniform bottoms every Friday. It must be Colonel Smith Middle School apparel.
Student Uniforms
Please take time to review the Student Dress/Uniform Guidelines located in the student agenda and online. Please familiarize yourself with the policy.
Uniform Free Days
The last school Friday of each month will be a uniform free day. The next uniform free day for everyone is Friday, October 28th. Monday, October 31st students will be permitted to wear their costumes. No full face masks, blood, or gore will be allowed. Please refer to the website and monthly newsletters for future uniform free dates.
Upcoming Events
Fall Ball Spooktacular
Fall Ball Spooktacular
Student Council is hosting a fall dance on Thursday, October 27th from 5-7pm. Attire is casual; however, students may dress up in costume. We ask that there be no full-face coverings and no blood or gore. Admission is $5 and can be paid at the door. Admission includes a slice of pizza and a drink, additional snacks and drinks will be available for purchase at the cafe.
*This event is for current Smith Middle School students ONLY, no prior students or siblings permitted.
Thu, Oct 27, 2022, 05:00 PM
Colonel Smith Middle School, East Smith Avenue, Fort Huachuca, AZ, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
School Yard Sale
The CSMS Student Council and NJHS Clubs are sponsoring a yard sale on Saturday, October 22nd (the same day as the post-wide yard sale) from 8am-1pm at the front entrance of the school. We are looking for any items that you might be interested in donating to our fundraiser (furniture, toys, books, small electronics, unwanted household items, etc.). No clothing or shoes please. Donations can be dropped off at CSMS during the hours of 7:30am and 3:30pm. Thank you for your support!
Red Ribbon Week
September Student of the Month Recipients
L-R: Noah Carr, Ann Margaret Gacutan, Jade Taylor, Saakarey Crenshaw, Nathaniel Warner, Mrs. Larson, Liam Despain, Damaris Alvarez-Quitcon, Damien Chavez, Tarynn Bryant
9/11 - Patriot Day
Coach Peralta gave some of our 7th and 8th grade students a presentation on 9/11. Coach Peralta was living in New York at the time, about 30 to 40 minutes from the city. He shared his first-hand experience of what happened that day and how it affected people he personally knew
More School Information
Tardies
Being on time for school is essential to academic success. The school will be enforcing the following school policy in relation to student tardies: The only excused tardies are for appointments and the parent must sign the student into the office. All other tardies are unexcused including but not limited to: overslept, did not want to get up, had to eat breakfast, parents fault, etc.
1 - Warning to student
2 - Warning/first parent notification
3 - Second parent notification and lunch detention
4 - Lunch detention and parent notified – future tardies will require a parent sign in.
5 - Admin referral - Parent must sign in student before student attends class for all additional tardies until the end of the grading quarter.
- Tardies, like absences, are reported in our student management system and are a part of the student record.
School Lunch
We will not be offering free lunches this school year. Covid policies in the past permitted us to offer free school lunches, however, this year they have changed their policy. You may qualify for free or reduced lunches. Even if you think you may not qualify, we would appreciate you completing the form. These numbers help assist our school with state funding which in turn provides us more resources to help our amazing students. If you prefer a paper application, please contact our school office, and we will be able to provide one for you.
My School Bucks is the platform we use and you can create an account for your child on their website: My School Bucks
To fill out an application for free and reduced lunches please visit: My School Apps
PBIS
Our School is recognizing students who display positive behavior by using PBIS Rewards. PBIS Rewards stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and is a technology-based PBIS Management System. This system helps us with our behavior incentive program. You can learn about PBIS Rewards at their website (www.pbisrewards.com). Our students can earn rewards throughout the day by meeting our schools core values of being Safe, Respectful, Responsible, Kind, and Successful. These rewards are in the form of electronic points. They can redeem these points for privileges, tangible items, access to events, and other similar things. Our expectation is that we will see overall behavior improve throughout the school and that the number of referrals we have will decrease.
Yearbook
Do you take pictures of your friends at school events? Scan the QR Code to submit your pictures for consideration to be in the yearbook! There will also be a page in the yearbook featuring Smith students with their pets. Submit your pictures today!
Athletics
Boys Basketball
Practice runs daily 3PM-4PM
Girls Softball
Practice runs daily 3PM-4:30PM
*Practice may be canceled at the coaches discretion. A Remind message will go out to all parents of athletes should this occur.
For your child to participate in sports you must have an updated sports physical on file and have completed registration on Final Forms. If your student is interested in either of these sports and has not yet completed a sports physical, please schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
Cross Country Championship
Girls Cross Country
Boys Cross Country
Although we did not win, our athletes worked incredibly hard this season! We are so proud of our team this year! Our Cross Country athletes ran their hearts out at the championship.
Camp Mathematics
Students in Mrs. Merkwan’s 6th grade math class incorporated a camping theme to find the correct solutions to their problems involving multiplying and dividing mixed numbers.
Science Fun!
Mrs. Brumfield's class is having a great time learning about the Periodic Table and experimenting with candy.
From the Nurse
Donations appreciated:
Saltine crackers
Apple sauce pouches
Boys and Girls underwear- all sizes
Please ensure that your student is drinking water and eating breakfast. The health office has seen an increase this month of students who are not eating breakfast in the morning. Any donations of grab and go individual sized snacks would be appreciated. Students are not allowed to carry any medication, to include over the counter medications like Tylenol, without parental forms being signed and on file in the health office. Please contact the nurse if you would like your child to self-carry medications.
Thank you,
Nurse Whipple
From the Counselor
Resources from the Second Step Middle School Program:
Check Out ParenTeenConnect.org
ParenTeenConnect.org, a free website for parents and their teens created by the makers of Second Step® Middle School, is a great resource for middle school families. It provides expert advice and practical tools for dealing with real parent-teen issues.
Get Talking with ParenTeen Connect
At ParenTeenConnect.org, you can hear from real parents and teens about the issues that cause conflict in their lives—including screen time, independence, responsibility, and communication—and get expert advice. Visit ParenTeenConnect.org at home with your child, select a topic together, and get talking!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Camps for more information at 520-417-8466 or campsj@fhasd.org. Thank you for your support as we continue to build a safe and supportive school community.
The Kiwanis Club meets on Monday after school from 3:00-3:40 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to work together to provide service to our school and community. If you are interested and/or have questions regarding this club, please speak to Mrs. Camps, the Kiwanis Club Advisor. You may also pick up a permission slip from the table near the main office and join any time.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Camps
A Note From the PTO
PTO Meeting CSMS Library: October 3rd @ 3:30PM
Spirit Night: Texas Roadhouse October 17th & 18th 3PM - 9PM
Please join our PT Board for the latest updates: http://csmspto.ptboard.com and follow us on
Facebook: Colonel Smith Middle School PTO
We Need You! Please consider joining and making a difference at our amazing school! We have many volunteer opportunities available. Thank you everyone for your support!
CSMS PTO Golf Tournament
WOW!!! The 2nd Annual CSMS PTO Golf Tournament was such a blast and super successful for our school! Thanks again to all of the sponsors and donors, to all of the golfers that came out to play, and to all of our volunteers that made this such a wonderful fundraiser. Without our wonderful sponsors, we wouldn’t have been able to raise over $5,000 for our school! Thanks again everybody, and Go Panthers!
PTO Golf Scramble Sponsors
Resources for Military Families
Tutoring
Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families, is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, and is a program that provides on-demand, online tutoring and homework help at no cost to eligible service members and their dependents. With live, expert tutors available 24/7, military-connected students can receive academic help at their moment of need—anywhere they have an internet connection.
Bloom - Teen Empowerment
Bloom is the place you can find comfort and advice about everything military kid related: from moving tips to the top things to do at your duty station. You can also read posts from our featured authors, often other military kids who want to share their stories and connect with their community. They all offer a different perspective on military life. Bloom also highlights all the cool things military brats are doing around the world, like writing songs about their life and winning awards. Check out Bloom's website: https://www.bloommilitaryteens.org/
Moving?
Please contact the office at least one week prior to your move so we can get your students records prepared for a smooth transition.