Snowden Family Monday Memo
Week of April 22, 2024
2024 Tn Ready Testing is in session. ( Grades 2nd - 8th)
Hello Snowden Families,
I wanted to take a moment to provide an update on our progress with the TN Ready Testing. As of now, we are halfway through the testing period, and I want to express my gratitude to you for ensuring that your children arrive at school on time this week. Your support is invaluable in helping us create an optimal testing environment for our students.
I'm pleased to inform you that all of our students have received their TN Ready Points for this week. It's a testament to their dedication and your ongoing encouragement. As we move forward, I kindly ask that you continue to motivate them to do their best. We are nearly finished with the testing process, and your continued support is vital in helping our students succeed. Thank you once again for your cooperation and commitment to your child's education.
Lastly, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who were able to attend and participate in our recent School Safety and Cleanliness Meeting, both in person and online, alongside district officials. Your presence and engagement were invaluable contributions to our collective efforts in ensuring the well-being and security of our school community. We deeply appreciate your commitment to creating a safe and clean environment for our students to thrive in. We eagerly anticipate receiving follow-up information and working together to implement the necessary measures for the continued safety and cleanliness of our school. Thank you for your unwavering support.
Snowden School's VIP Tour : April 26th @10am
District 2 Meeting @ Junior Achievement of Memphis : April 26th @ 6PM
Parents, please come out an support our school. The morning tour will be at 10am - 10:30am. Meet us in the courtyard. If you can not make the morning tour, please come to the evening District 2 event at Junior Achievement at 516 Tillman. We hope to see you there.
Students will be allowed to bring water bottles and sport drinks. Additional snacks will be sold. Headphones will be allowed for this event. Please make sure students wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes. Each group will have about an 75 - 90 minutes on the field.
May Activities 2024
Teachers, will send home more details regarding the May Activites.
Let's Celebrate our Teachers!!!
Elective Course Selection for Rising 6th, 7th, and 8th Graders...
6th Grade Elective Course Selections for rising 6th graders
If you have not signed up for your course selection for the 2024 - 2025, school year, please do so by scanning the bar code.
7th Grade Elective Course Selections for rising 7th graders
If you have not signed up for your course selection for the 2024 - 2025, school year, please do so by scanning the bar code.
8th Grade Elective Course Selections for rising 8th graders
If you have not signed up for your course selection for the 2024 - 2025, school year, please do so by scanning the bar code.
Tn Ready Carnival Criteria
Registration is still going on! Let's get registered!!
IT’S REGISTRATION TIME AGAIN!!!!
RETURNING STUDENTS
Parents, we are asking you to log into your PowerSchool account to complete your child’s registration for the 2024-2025 school year. When you open your PowerSchool account, please click on the Green Returning Student Tab. If you need assistance with logging into your account, please contact the school office at 901-416-4621. Please do not register your returning child(ren) under New Student.
Parents, if you register your child(ren) between March 19th and April 2nd your child(ren) will earn a week of out of uniform during the week of April 8th – 12th.
NEW STUDENTS’ REGISTRATION
If you must register a new student (Kindergarten or a student who never attended a Memphis Shelby County School) you must come to the school to submit your documents and we must set up an account for you. You will not be able to register until this is done. Registration time is Monday – Friday between 9:00 – 11:00 am.
Join the PTO today!
You must rejoin the PTO each year. To join, visit: www.snowdenschoolpto.org Dues are not required to join!
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Thank you PTO- WOW!!
Thank you PTO and all of Snowden School for jumping on the advocacy train for improved school safety and sanitary conditions for our kids. District leadership, including- unexpectedly our new Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins, came to Snowden this past Thursday to meet with us, and they took full responsibility for problems we have experienced, developed plans to right the wrongs and fulfilled their promises to us, and are working diligently to improve their processes and transparency as well as continued custodial and maintenance needs on our campus. I have personally walked the entire school twice now with various District and School leaders and another Snowden parent since Thursday night- everyone’s eyes are wide open to our School’s needs and the bar has been set high for better days ahead. If you are interested in getting more involved to ensure high quality standards exist for our Building needs, will you please email me at admin@snowdenschoolpto.org? Let’s continue this collaborative work together with our District leaders in a spirit of unity and hope- I think the days of better days have arrived! Let’s set an example for our whole District and show them that Great BEGINS at Snowden! ~ Ashley Baker, President Snowden School PTO
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Snazz Up Snowden Thank you all for showing up to Snazz Up our campus on Saturday! We are very grateful for the dedication of this committee and the hard work to make our campus look snazzy for our students and staff!
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Nominations for 2024-2025 PTO Executive Board are open for our upcoming PTO elections on May 7th at 8:30am in the cafeteria. To self-nominate or nominate someone you think would be a good fit, please complete this FORM. For questions, contact admin@snowdenschoolpto.org. We have received several nominations at this time- please continue to reach out!
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Spiritwear Updates and Volunteer Needs
CommUnity Festival tshirts
Pre-ordered CommUnity Festival T-shirts will be delivered to homerooms this coming week, and they can be worn as Snowden School Spiritwear on Fridays! T-shirt sales help raise funds for this FREE festival for our community - thanks for your support!
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Clear Backpacks
All pre-ordered clear backpack orders were delivered to homerooms this past week. If you have any questions about your order, please contact us at admin@snowdenschoolpto.org
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Year Round Spiritwear: Check out the new hoodies, hats, pom poms, rally towels, stickers, and other merch! You can order year round spiritwear on our PTO website at www.snowdenschoolpto.org anytime. Year round spiritwear orders are fulfilled and delivered to your child’s homerooms on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month.
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Fun new 2024 CommUnity Festival addition!!
Missed out on the CommUnity Festival pre-sale t-shirt? No worries! Creation Press, a festival sponsor, is excited to announce that you can create your very own custom CommUnity Festival tee at our event. Choose from green, purple, jade, or tan shirts and Creation Press will heat press the official CommUnity Festival design right before your eyes! Only $15 each and they can be worn as SpiritWear on Fridays!
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CommUnity Festival 2024
CommUnity is COMING! Save the date for this annual Snowden spring festival NEXT Saturday, April 27th from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm. The PTO, along with our great school, is excited to host this community festival for the entire Snowden neighborhood—and beyond! Join us alongside the clubs, athletic groups, music groups, teachers, staff, admin, and parents that make Snowden School such a unique school. This festival is open to the public and for anyone, not just those who attend Snowden School. We will feature inflatables, vendors, food, local organizations and vendors, a balloon artist, a dunk tank, music, a Book Fair, and more! ** Children must be accompanied by an adult.
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You can make a donation towards CommUnity here. Donations and Sponsorships help fund the entertainment, inflatables, a dunk tank, a balloon artist, and more! The Snowden PTO is a federally recognized section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
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Mark Your Calendars
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● April 1st: begin taking nominations for openings on PTO Executive Board
● April 27th: CommUnity Festival from 11:00am - 3:00pm
● May 6th-10th: Teacher Appreciation Week
● May 7th: PTO Annual Meeting with Treasurer’s Report and Elections at 8:30am in school cafeteria
School Blocked Entrances
Snowden School has recently encountered this unfortunate activity with a few of our staff members being the victims. As an extra precautionary measure and to help the staff decrease the amount of worry about their vehicles, we have placed barriers at two of our entry/exit points. The two points that are blocked off are Mclean ( north exit near Tutwiler) and Tutwiler Alley ( at the pavillion). The only entry/exit point that will remain open all day will be McClean (south entry near Parkway). We will close the two points at 8:45am and reopen them at 2:30pm. If you would need to visit the school during the day, you will only be able to enter through the McClean ( south entry near Parkway). For school programs, we will make adjustments to have all entry points open. We apologize for any inconvenience in advance.
Clear Back Packs are coming this Fall to Snowden School 2024 - 2025 !!!
In an effort to enhance the safety and security of our students and staff, we have decided to transition to the use of clear backpacks for all students for the 2024-2025 school year.
The safety of our school community is our top priority. Clear backpacks offer several benefits in this regard. By allowing visibility into the contents of each bag, we can more effectively monitor and address potential safety concerns.
Here are some key reasons behind the decision to implement clear backpacks:
1. Enhanced Security: Clear backpacks provide an additional layer of security by allowing school personnel to quickly and easily identify the contents of each bag, helping to ensure that prohibited items are not brought onto the campus.
2. Deterrence of Inappropriate Items: The visibility of bag contents acts as a deterrent to students bringing inappropriate items to school. This measure contributes to creating a safer and more secure learning environment for everyone.
3. Quick and Efficient Middle School Morning Security Checks: With clear backpacks, security checks can be conducted more efficiently, reducing the time and inconvenience associated with traditional bag searches. This ensures that instructional time is maximized.
4. Promotion of Accountability: Clear backpacks promote a sense of accountability among students, encouraging them to make responsible choices and adhere to school policies.
We understand that this change may raise questions and concerns, and we want to assure you that we have carefully considered the implications. We recognize the importance of respecting students' privacy while prioritizing safety, and we believe that clear backpacks strike an appropriate balance.
We encourage you to discuss this change with your child and emphasize the importance of complying with the new protocol. Additionally, if you have specific concerns or require accommodations, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are committed to working collaboratively with parents to ensure a smooth transition.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work together to maintain a safe and secure learning environment for all students at Snowden School.
Thank you for your continued support.
Neighbors across the street on McClean
Speeding Tickets Warning!!
One of our Snowden families just received two separate speeding tickets in the mail from mornings in January, from the camera on McClean, which was surprising because they were certainly cautious and careful driving through after dropping off their child.
Our Snowden parents wanted to reach out because they would hate for other Snowden families to be surprised with a ticket in the mail. Those cameras are active and tickets are $50!
The Bike Lane
Out of Uniform Dress Code
Snowden Yoga Club
Middle School National Honor Society
Organization: The Shadonica S. Scruggs Chapter of the
National Junior Honor Society
Sponsors: Mrs. K. Vaughns and Mrs. Carolyn Boyce
Qualifications:
1. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 assessed on a semester basis
2. Students must have attended Snowden Middle School for the equivalent of one semester.
3. Students must be free from disciplinary referrals.
4. Students must demonstrate leadership roles both in school and in the community.
5. Students must exemplify good character by demonstrating respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and citizenship.
Requirements:
1. Completed and returned applications by submission date
2. Faculty council review of applications and qualifications
3. Election into the chapter based on majority vote by faculty council
4. Participation in the induction ceremony
Description:
The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) elevates a school’s commitment to the values of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship.Student Council
Snowden School's Student Council is an organization of students that work to collaborate with others to impact their school community. Members of the student council will have the opportunity to do a variety of community service activities, help organize and plan school functions and assist with school sponsored events.
Joining the Student Council helps build character, leadership, responsibility, decision making and organizational skills.
The Student Council consists of students in grades 6-8. Members must complete an application and meet eligibility requirements.
Meetings will be held after school in the middle school library every other Wednesday until 4 pm starting August 23.
Snowden Dance Ensemble
What is the Snowden Dance Ensemble?
The Snowden Dance Ensemble meets every Tuesday from 3:15-3:45 in the Elementary Music Room with Ms. Mullins and Ms. Carter. This is a hand selected group of students based on their conduct and willingness to participate in music class. Snowden’s dance ensemble has performed at many events and has also been televised on ABC24. It is a very prestigious ensemble, and we cannot wait to see what this year brings!
Chess Club
Club Sponsor: Assistant Principal Elizabeth Patterson
ALL IN A CHALLENGING, EXCITING, AND FUN ENVIRONMENT
Beginner to Advanced Players Welcome FOUNDERS OF MID-SOUTH CHESS are International Grandmaster Alex Stripunsky, a competitive player and premier chess instructor dedicated to spreading quality chess in the Mid-South, and International Master Jake Kleiman, a native Memphian and Phi Beta Kappa Rhodes College graduate recognized as one of the top players in the country. MID-SOUTH CHESS INSTRUCTORS are college students and recent graduates who must exhibit chess ability, skill, enthusiasm, play actively, possess communicative-child friendly skills and fine moral character. Our instruction has spanned 21 years in Memphis and includes coaching elementary, middle, and high school students, camps, tournaments, seminars, and simultaneous chess exhibitions. Chess Club: Mondays after school from 3:15 PM to 4:15 PM starting September 12th for 12 sessions. Please pickup at 4:15 PM from the library.
Spirit Club
Club Sponsor: Lana Suite ( 4th Grade Teacher)
The Snowden Spirit Club Members, will foster school spirit at all home games. We will cheer our team to victory and show good sportsmanship even when we lose. We will be the leaders in the stand and in the school. We will generate an energy that every team will feel on and off the court.
Peer Mediation
Sponsors: Counseling Department ( Mr. Vernon, Ms. Boyce and Ms. Harmon)
Peer Mediation is returning to Snowden! Our 4th -8th graders will submit applications to train at Rhodes college for a day, learning the art of conflict resolution. Thirty students will be chosen to pair up & help their classmates resolve misunderstandings & teachable moments in supervised sessions. More information will be forthcoming.
Note: As more clubs are added to our program, updates will be provided on the Smore Weekly Family Memo.
Absenteeism/Tardies/ Early Check Outs...
When your child must be absent, please make sure that you send a note by your child to give to their teacher upon their return.
Just a few reminders for absenteeism:
If your child will be absent for more than two consecutive days, please reach out to the homeroom teacher or grade band school counselor to notify them. We are able to prepare make up work packages with a 24 hour notice.
Counseling Team:
Ms. Harmon ( 3rd- 5th) HarmonA@scsk12.org
Ms. Boyce ( 6th - 8th) BoyceCD@scsk12.org
Mr. Vernon (6th - 8th ) VernonBM@scsk12.org
- All students should be in the class and seated by 8:15am.
- The cutoff time for early check out is 2:30pm daily.
- It is very critical that the absences are documented as excused absences.
- High unexcused absenteeism rates, tardies and early check outs will effect Optional or Choice Transfer statuses.
- Early Check outs are strongly discouraged, please make every effort to make appointments after school hours. Instructional time missed does impact student achievement.
Elementary Sports:
Cross Country
Sponsor : Brad Strom
Basketball
Sponsor: Erica Lear
Cheerleading
Sponsor: Alicia MitchellMiddle School Sports
Football : Coach Robertson, Coach Henson, Coach Stokes
Volley ball : Coach C.Robertson
Boys Basketball: Coach Moore
Girls Basketball: Coach Holmes, Coach Adams
Boys Soccer : Coach Liebenhaut
Girls Soccer: Coach Wilford
Baseball: Coach Stokes, Coach Henson
Soft Ball: Coach Williams
Boys Track: Coach Moore
Girls Track: Coach Robertson
Middle School Cross Country: Coach Strom
Cheerleading : Coach Marshall
Athletic Director - Cardell Moore - MooreC5@scsk12.org
- Breakfast and Lunch are free. Students may bring their lunch if they choose to.
- Breakfast is from 7:30am - 8:00am.
- Morning Arrival - Kindergarten- 3rd grade students who come to school betweeen 7:30am - 8:00 will report to the cafeteria to wait until one of the grade level teachers pick them up at 8am.
- Morning Arrival - 4th - 8th grade students who come to school between7:30am - 8:00 am will report to the gymnasium to wait until one of their grade level teachers come to pick them up at 8am.
- 6th - 8th grade students will go through the metal detection daily.
- For dismissal of car riders, please do not get out of your car to walk up to the gym door. We will not be able to accommodate you and give you your child. Please stay in the line. The line will get faster.
- All Car Riders should have car rider numbers. If you do not have one, please email Assistant Principals: Cherice Robertson(BooneC1@scsk12.org) or Elizabeth Patterson (PattersonE2@scsk12.org).
- Middle School numbers are on blue paper and Elementary are on white paper. Please put the numbers in your dash board when picking up your child.
- Please help your child to memorize their car rider numbers. It will help the car rider lines go faster.
- Car Riders - Elementary Students and Middle School siblings are picked up in the gymnasium for dismissal.
- Car Riders - Middle School siblings and Middle School only children are picked up on the Tutwiler Alley.
- If the car line takes too long for you, you may sign your child up as a walker and meet them at one of the Walk Stations: North Parkway, Faxon, or Tutwiler.
- Early Check-Outs will end at 2:30pm daily. Please know that early check outs will count against student's Optional and General Choice Transfers.
Principal : Shadonica Scruggs - Scruggsss@scsk12.org
Vice Principal: Deorrick Washington ( 6th-8th) - WashingtonDL1@scsk12.org
Assistant Principal: Elizabeth Patterson (KK-2nd) - PattersonE2@scsk12.org
Assistant Principal: Matthew Martinez (3rd - 5th) - MartinezM1@scsk12.org
Assistant Principal: Cherice Robertson (6th - 8th ) - BooneC1@scsk12.org
Professsional Learning Coach( Middle School):Susan McClanahan- McClanahanSD@scsk12.org
Professional Learning Coach ( Elementary) : Stephanye Jimerson - JimersonSL@scsk12.org
School Compliance Manager: Jacqueline Berry BerryJA@scsk12.org
General Office Secretary: Ronda Berry
General Office Secretary: Kiera Jones
Records/ Attendance Secretary KK -5th : Michelle JacksonMC@scsk12.org
Records/Attendance Secretary 6th- 8th : Jennifer Johnson
Linzie Mullins: Public Relations Organizer: ( Manage Social Media and Marquee) MullinsLW@scsk12.org