Springton Lake Middle School
Every Student. Every Day. No Matter What.
Springton Lake Middle School
Email: RSalladino@rtmsd.org
Website: https://www.rtmsd.org/2/home
Location: 1900 North Providence Road, Media, PA, USA
Phone: (610) 627-6500
Twitter: @SpringtonLakeMS
March 12, 2021
Return to More School Days Plan
Happy Friday, everyone!
I hope that you are all doing well and that you had a great week! I also hope that our students were able to enjoy a bit of time outdoors this week during their days away from school. Thank you to all of the parents who attended Parent-Teacher Conferences this week. We enjoyed meeting with you and hope that the conversation was helpful as we work collaboratively to support your child!
Next week is a BIG WEEK - AND AN EXCITING WEEK!!
The School Board has approved the Return to More School Days plan. Starting on Wednesday, 3/17, we will begin the phased transition of students to 4 days of in-person instruction. The transition will occur as follows:
6th Grade - Wednesday, March 17th
8th Grade - Monday, March 22nd
7th Grade - Monday, April 5th
During this transition, we will phase-out the Cohort A and Cohort B groups. Until the transition occurs for a particular grade level, in-person students should continue to attend on the A or B days only. Students who have selected to remain fully-virtual will continue to access their classes via Zoom.
Our teachers utilized this past Wednesday as a day to reconfigure their classrooms to accommodate the students who have indicated that they will be attending in-person. We have also expanded the dining locations for lunch from two spaces to five spaces. I will be speaking with students about lunch on Monday and providing them with the information to be able to choose their preferred dining location for the remainder of the school year. In short - WE ARE READY!!
Any parent of a fully-virtual student who intends for their child to return AND who DID NOT complete the survey over the last two weeks, please email me ASAP so that we can discuss the plan for your child.
There are two things that parents can do to help us with the transition...
1. Please be sure to complete the daily symptom screener as early as possible each morning - but no later than 7:30 AM.
2. If you are driving your child to or from school, please be patient and please follow the directions of staff who have been assigned to direct traffic. There will be a sharp and steady increase in cars on the campus. Please allow enough time - especially in the morning when you may be headed to work - so that we can accomplish our arrival and dismissal in a safe and efficient manner.
Thank you for taking a few moments to review the rest of this newsletter. There are many important updates included. I hope that you have an enjoyable weekend - stay safe!
Important Update - Attendance Procedures
Students who are enrolled for in-person instruction are expected to attend in-person on a consistent basis unless there is an approved reason to be at home - i.e. exposure to COVID, quarantine due to close contact/contract tracing. Students without an approved reason who do not attend in-person when expected will be marked ABSENT - even if they are present on Zoom.
- Please continue to use the daily symptom screener to monitor symptoms and to let us know if your child will be attending in-person each morning.
- If your child is ill, they should not attend school.
- Students who will be absent from school should call the absence hotline (610-627-6500, option 2) and also send a note within 3 days. This step is required in order for us to excuse the absence.
- Students who will be absent for a pre-planned trip should complete and submit the pre-planned absence form.
- When a student is absent from school, they may access work/assignments on Schoology. At this time, we will also still allow students to have access to the class Zoom session if they are well enough to join - even though they have been marked absent.
Spring Sports - REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Now that we have confirmed that we are able to move forward with a Spring sports season, it is important for us to finalize the number of participants for each team. The deadline for students to register their interest in participating is NEXT FRIDAY, March 19th. Students received a link in Schoology to sign-up to tryout for a team. Any interested student who has not yet registered should do so before next Friday. This participant list will be shared with the coaches who will begin communicating with athletes over the next few weeks. Parents - please check with your child before you complete this form on their behalf. Many students have already submitted the form.
Here are the key points that everyone needs to know:
All participants will be required to have a sports physical (dated from June 1, 2020 or later) and complete the PIAA form. Since we did not have a traditional season in the Fall or Winter, the vast majority of athletes will need to do this now. If you submitted your PIAA form last Summer or in the Fall - we have it. Please do not wait until April to plan for a physical appointment. Athletes cannot participate, including for tryouts, without a physical and completed form. We are requesting that PIAA forms be submitted by Friday, March 26th (day prior to Spring Break) in order to ensure that athletes can participate on April 5th.
Sports will begin AFTER Spring Break on April 5th. Additional details will continue to be shared with families.
Intramural activities for 6th grade students will also resume after Spring Break. More information about the Spring offerings will be shared with students during the upcoming week.
Reminders from our School Nurse - Ms. Hartner
In an effort to continue to keep our students safe and healthy, please keep the following key points in mind:
Please complete the daily SYMPTOM SCREENER for your child as early as possible, but no later than 7:30 AM. This will help to minimize class disruptions for your child.
Students must wear an appropriate face covering to school every day. Neck gaiters and bandanas are not permitted and masks with valves are not considered COVID-safe.
Please keep your student home from school if they are ill. In addition to the criteria contained in the screening tool, please keep your student home for non-COVID related illnesses. Refer to the following resource for more information.
For 6th Grade Students & Families
Please send in documentation of a physical examination, if you have not done so already. Notices were mailed home this week to students who have not sent in the required documentation..
Students are required to have documentation of a dental examination, a Tdap booster and a meningitis vaccination upon entrance to 7th grade. These are usually (but not always) given at the 6th grade physical. A dental examination dated any time after September 1, 2020, is acceptable for the 7th grade dental requirement. Please feel free to fax, email, or send in this information with your child. Parents should also keep a copy for their own records.
Parent Workshop - March 24th
In conjunction with F.A.R. E. (Family Alliance for Respect & Equity) and our PTG, we are pleased to be able to offer the following workshop for parents:
March 24, 2021, 7:00pm to 8:30pm - Using Media to Disrupt Racism with Middle-Schoolers
The program is being facilitated by Philly's Children's Movement and will be conducted online via Zoom. Please use the link to register for the workshop. The Zoom link will be sent via email to registered participants.
Check Grades in HAC
The end of the 3rd marking period is just two weeks away. The grading period will close on Friday, March 26th. While I have been encouraging students to check HAC and to be on top of their academic progress, I also highly suggest that parents take a few minutes in the coming week to review grades with their student. Students are encouraged to reach out to their teachers for assistance and to take full advantage of the at-home learning schedule on Fridays to catch up on their work.
Please note - Due to Spring Break, 3rd marking period report cards will not be published until Friday, April 9, 2021.
Order a Custom SLMS or RTMSD Face Covering
The Circle of Giving, a charitable organization in the Rose Tree Media School District, is providing another opportunity for families to order a custom Springton Lake or Rose Tree Media face covering. With students returning to school for more days, the extra face coverings may come in handy. The Circle of Giving has worked tirelessly over the last twelve months to support families in need in our school community. Proceeds from this sale benefit the Circle of Giving. Place your order today!
Autism Awareness T-Shirts - Order DEADLINE is 3/14
The Penncrest High School TOPS Shop is sponsoring a district-wide sale of customized t-shirts in support of Autism Awareness. Each school has a unique design and all proceeds will be donated to Easter Seals and the Philadelphia Eagles Autism Awareness Foundation. We will have a school-wide day designated for students and staff to wear blue in support of Autism awareness. The t-shirt will be perfect for this day - as well as for Kindness Week that will be celebrated in April. The deadline to place an order is March 14th.
Car Line - Drop-off & Pick-up
With an increase in students attending in-person, we have noticed a corresponding increase in traffic on campus. In order to keep traffic flowing in an efficient manner, please help us by doing the following:
1. Follow the direction of staff who are stationed outside.
2. Pull as far down as possible along the sidewalk.
3. Your child should be ready to exit the car in the morning when you arrive to the front of the building. Students should do so quickly and wherever the car stops along the front sidewalk.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Support Our School with Rx Fundraising
Do you shop at Rite Aid Pharmacy for your prescriptions or other personal needs? If so, your purchases can also benefit our school. Take a moment to register and allow our school to earn funds each time that you visit your local Rite Aid.
Reminder - Lunch is FREE!
Don't forget that the Rose Tree Media School District has been approved to provide FREE meals - breakfast and lunch - to ALL students!
- ALL students under the age of 18 are eligible for the program.
- Participation in the free meal program helps to sustain the Food Services Department (and staff) in the Rose Tree Media School District.
- Participating in this program does not take away from any other family's ability to also participate.
- The USDA will reimburse the Rose Tree Media School District for the meals provided from monies that were not used last year.
- For more information, please contact Becky Smith in our Food Services Department.
- UPDATE ON VIRTUAL MEAL DISTRIBUTION - Distribution of meals for fully-virtual students is being modified. Meal distribution at Media Elementary School is being combined with meal distribution at Penncrest High School. Meals will no longer be distributed at Media Elementary School on Wednesday afternoons. Instead, distribution will now be at Penncrest High School on Wednesdays between 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM at the flagpole entrance.
COVID-19 Questions & Assistance
Parents & guardians who have COVID-related questions during the school day should contact our School Nurse, Ms. Hartner by email or phone - 610-627-6512. For COVID-related questions after school hours, you can reach a school district nurse. Contact information is located on the RTMSD website under District Reopening, After Hours-Covid Questions and Answers. There is a nurse available in the mornings before school from 5am to 7am, in the evenings during the week from 4pm to 9pm, on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm and on Sunday evenings from 4pm to 10pm.
Technology Resources
Need to submit a HELP DESK ticket? Let our Technology Team help!
Need assistance with HAC or Schoology? Contact Mrs. Kelly in the Guidance Department.
Weekly Newsletters - Archived Here!
Did you miss a previous week's newsletter? Need to go back to for reference or to access previous information? All of the previous updates are available to you on our website.
The Spartan Scoop - Week of March 1st
Check our this week's editions of The Spartan Scoop.
Thursday, March 11, 2021 - NO SCHOOL
Friday, March 12, 2021 - NO SCHOOL
March is Middle Level Education Month
#Amazing
Student of the Month
On the road to deliver Student of the Month honors and I was greeted with balloons and a sign!
Student of the Month
Congratulations! Thanks for being Ready, Respectful, Responsible, & Resilient