SEMS Golden Eagles Newsletter
April 7th, 2024
Upcoming Important Dates
- April 11th: Incoming 6th grade tours in the morning, & Families in the evening @ 5:30 (Carrillo & LCM)
- April 15th: Counselors present Course Selection Information in 7th Grade Math Classes
- April 16th: Counselors present Course Selection Information in 6th Grade Math Classes
- April 23rd: Course Selections are DUE
Solar Eclipse! April 8th at 11am!!!
SEMS Viewing Experience!
Monday's solar eclipse is a historic event, and we want students and staff to experience this safely. Our PTO has generously donated solar eclipse classes for every person at SEMS so that we can experience this phenomenon safely. All students will receive solar glasses from their 3rd period teacher. Students in first lunch (period 4) will have the opportunity to view the eclipse during their lunch period. Students who have period 4 class will go outside at a class to view the eclipse at is approaches the maximum percent coverage at 11:12 AM. Additionally, the PAC will be open and we will be live streaming the eclipse for any students not wanting to participate outdoors.
Eclipse Safety
The safety of our students during this event is our priority. We want to make you aware of the following precautions we are taking during the school day to ensure the well-being of our school community:
Eclipse Safety Precautions:
We will be sharing with students and staff the importance of not looking directly at the sun during the eclipse without proper eye protection. Direct viewing of the sun can cause severe eye damage.
We will be offering a controlled and supervised eclipse viewing activity for students who wish to observe the phenomenon.
We will be making a morning announcement reminding students about the eclipse and the importance of exercising caution when outdoors.
Please also consider speaking to your student about the importance of eclipse viewing safety. We have the following resources available to help you:
SDCOE: Tips for Eclipse Safety
ABC News: Why April's total solar eclipse will be a historic event in the US
8th Grade Updates!
8th Grade Families,
We are well underway for our planning of Promotion! Each family will receive 4 tickets, and Livestream will be available as well. Promotion will start at 9am and students are welcome to go home with their families afterwards. Detailed information about where to sit will be forthcoming.
We continue to encourage positive behavior on our campus with our new Golden Eagle Slips. Please be advised that we are upholding our 8th graders to our End of the Year expectations. Students who are unable to follow our expectations, may lose out on participating in school activities, including our 8th grade party. Families will be notified if this applies to your child. 8th Grade Behavioral Expectations
End of the Year Dates:
May 30th: 8th Grade Party (on campus during the school day)
June 4th: Promotion practice
June 5th: 8th Grade Promotion
Panorama Survey
WEB Cookies and Cram Study Session
Calling all 6th graders!
Our next WEB event is on Tuesday, April 16th: a Cookies and Cram study session for 6th graders with the WEB leaders after school at 2:30 p.m.
Please see this flier for more information.
CAASPP testing
Families, please click here for information on our upcoming CAASPP state testing, starting on Monday, May 6th. (Spanish version here).
We are keeping our bell schedule the same this year so there will be no disruption to our regular class schedule.
These scores are not only important for students and families because it provides feedback as to how your child is performing on standardized norm assessments, but it is also helps our teachers in analyzing the strengths and needs of students. In addition, it is incredibly important for our overall school. We are able to maintain an excellent reputation because our students perform so well and it is a normed measure that Realtors, the State, and our District uses to measure our growth and success as a school.
Lost and Found Items!
We have a new lost and found item station in front of the 500 Restrooms. If you are missing an item, please remind your child to check this station out!
7th Grade Immunization Requirements
California immunization law requires all students entering 7th grade to be immunized with a pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine booster (Tdap) and 2 varicella (chicken pox) vaccinations. If your student's immunization record on file with us does not show these vaccinations, you will be receiving a letter from the Health Office in May letting you know what vaccinations are missing. Proof of vaccinations are required before students are allowed to pick up their schedule or start school for the 2024-2025 school year.
Feel free to contact Mrs. Bushee in the Health Office with any questions or concerns at 760-290-2805.
Counseling
Family Guide to Supporting Young People's Mental Health and Well-being: The guide led by the California Department of Education helps parents and other caregivers navigate supporting the overall well-being and mental health of school-aged children, including tips for what can be difficult conversations. It offers information about the social and emotional development of young people and explains warning signs that may signal mental health challenges. It equips caregivers with targeted strategies, tools, and resources that help them advocate for their family, address each child’s specific needs, and access professional help.
A California Mental Health initiative (CalHOPE) has provided funding for designed to address the pediatric behavioral health crisis and challenges across access, affordability, quality, and stigma by offering these free resources to families:
Soluna is a free app offering Confidential support for 13- to 25-year-olds in California where you can chat 1:1 with a professional coach, use interactive tools, or access other resources to support youth. They also offer professional over-the-phone coaching in 19 languages. Just click the chat icon to create an account and gain access to free telecoaching sessions.
Brightlife Kids offers the same resources as above but for kids 0–12.
8th Grade Biliteracy Recognition
Do you have an 8th grade student who speaks or studies a second language at home, or who is enrolled in a Spanish class at SEMS? SMUSD applauds bilingualism and biliteracy and is recognizing middle school students' unique language journeys with three different pathway recognitions. Click here to learn more; encourage your child to join the Google Classroom (join code is 3jggdot) for more details. Please have your child see Mrs. Sestito in the AP office with any questions!
Yearbook
Don’t miss out on your opportunity to purchase the award-winning SEMS Yearbook for the 2023-2024 school year! The current price for the book is $65. THERE ARE ONLY 200 BOOKS LEFT FOR SALE!
Please click on the link below to order your yearbook directly from the Jostens’ website:
You will be asked to enter your student’s FULL, REGISTERED name (please no nicknames or shortened names as it can cause confusion in our system), grade level and homeroom teacher (first period teacher, if known). Again, it is important that you type in their school registered name, as it will sync with our rosters.
Questions regarding the yearbook publication may be directed to the yearbook adviser, Mrs. Sarah Meder: sarah.meder@smusd.org
Our next Bike Permit Class & Distribution Date is April 25th. You will bring a signed Wheels Contract to the course, complete the online course with supervision, and get your bike/helmet inspected all in the same afternoon. The Bike Permits Button above has all the details! Please don't hesitate to contact the Assistant Principals office for any questions. jazmin.andrade@smusd.org.
- Please check out our full club list posted on our website and thank you to our student leaders for starting these awesome clubs on campus.
- BC Tutoring Option: Free, online Math Tutoring from SMHS Juniors and Seniors for community service. SEMS alumni!
- Brainfuse Free Online Tutoring: This is in students' apps in ClassLink! It's a free resource provided by the State of California.
- After School Tutoring and Extra Curricular Sessions will begin again January 29th. AFTER SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES FULL LIST HERE
SEMS Sponsorship Banner Program
Thank you to all past and current sponsors, as your donations really help our student athletes in more ways than we can tell you. The corner of San Elijo Road and Schoolhouse Way is the place that our community gets to see your donations at work. The drop-off circle is the second and where our parents get to see your business names up close and personal, on a daily basis.
Donations are $500 and are handled through the SEMS PTO website.
Contact our Athletic Coordinator at geoffrey.gilpin@smusd.org, with any questions!
Future Ready Parent Workshops
See Something, Say Something
Safety Reminder - See Something, Say Something
As you may recall in the last District Safety Update, all SMUSD schools seek to foster a culture of see something, say something.
This means if you see any behavior, images or overhear something said that is concerning, whether in person or online, please say something by sharing it with a trusted adult. It takes all of our collective vigilance to keep our students, staff and SEMS community safe.
Stay Connected!
Want to keep up to date on all the happenings on campus?
Check out our Twitter/X account @SEMSEagles or on our new Instagram page sems_golden_eagles (scan the qr code).
For more updates, please also follow our PTO on social media (Instagram, Facebook) or through PTO linktree website or SEMS PTO website. The PTO's Instagram page gives a weekly look at all the upcoming happenings on campus!
San Elijo Middle School
Email: patricia.storey@smusd.org
Website: https://sanelijomiddle.smusd.org/
Location: 1600 Schoolhouse Way, San Marcos, CA. 92078
Phone: 760-290-2800