SPARTAN SCOOP
March 19, 2023
In this Spartan Scoop:
- Schmucker Open House: Art Gallery, Novelist Club Highlights, Music, Fitness, Games & More
- Student Council Sponsoring Logan Center Fundraiser- RESULTS
- ISSMA Band & Orchestra Celebrations & Orchestra Student Highlight
- PTO March Meeting Update & March Newsletter
- Board Game Club Announcement
- NJHS Induction
- Mathia Marathon
- Information from Previous SMORES
PLEASE JOIN US for a SMS Open House: {MARCH 22} from 5:30-7:30
Student Council's Logan Center Fundraiser- RESULTS
Student Council sold St. Patrick's day necklaces and stress release toys with all proceeds being donated to the Logan's Center.
We are PROUD to share that Schmucker Middle School will be donating $450 to Logan Center. Thank you to everyone who participated in our fundraiser!
We are also looking forward to taking a group of students to a Logan sponsored luncheon event on Tuesday, March 21st at the Century Center!
ISSMA Band and Orchestra Highlights
Schmucker Middle School band and orchestra students had a clean sweep at ISSMA contest! All 6 groups received Gold with Distinction again this year. "With Distinction" means that our evaluation from all three judges was outstanding in nearly every detail. We received several perfect scores in both band and orchestra. The students put in a lot of hard work during class over the past few months and that hard work paid off. Congratulations to our students, Mr. Carnall, Ms. Hills and Mrs. Carnall!
Joshua's recording From The Top Daily Joy
On of Schmucker's students, Joshua Jong, got the honor to submit his two videos for the Daily Joy project of From the Top (FTT) to join FTT's big celebrating event in March. A quote from FTT, "We launched Daily Joy in March of 2020 as a reminder of music’s power to lift our spirits and make us smile. The series features daily videos of talented young musicians that are shared via email, social media, and our Daily Joy website. Since its inception, the series has over 2 million views." Another quote from Gretchen Nielsen, Executive Director of FTT: "From the Top is America’s largest national platform dedicated to celebrating the stories, talents, and character of classically-trained young musicians (ages 8-18). Through live events, NPR, YouTube broadcasts, scholarships, and leadership programs, FTT empower these extraordinary young people to celebrate the power of music in their hands."
PTO Meeting Updates
March's PTO Meeting has been cancelled. There will now be a PTO Meeting on May 18, 2023 at 4:15pm.
Board Game Club
If you are interested in signing up for Board Game Club please fill out
this form.
Be prepared to bring a game to every meeting. We meet every MONDAY morning when school is in session in Room 208 starting at 8:15am. Enter through Door A. Our first meeting is on Monday, March 20 at 8:15am. Please email Mrs. Gish with questions (
cgish@phm.k12.in.us).
2023 National Junior Honor Society Induction Ceremony
On March 15th, Schmucker Middle School hosted another incredible National Junior Honor Society induction with guests of honor Dr. Thacker and SMS Alum and current PHS senior, Joanna Rajkumar. We welcomed 59 new members into our National Junior Honor Society this year! Thank you to our families who joined this celebration to help make it special for our students. A big thank you to Mrs. Ladson and Mrs. Westra, our NJHS sponsors, for their work in organizing the ceremony and our NJHS chapter.
MATHIA Marathon
The All-School Schmucker MATHia Marathon began on March 1st! Students will be completing I-Learn workspaces on MATHia to earn tickets for a prize drawing each week. There will be a gift card winner drawn from each grade every week through April 14. Any student completing at least 70 of the workspaces will be entered in a drawing to win a NINTENDO SWITCH!! Thank you to our awesome PTO for donating the prizes for this event!! This school-wide incentive program is intended to motivate students and build confidence as we enter into our testing season. As always, students will have the opportunity to work on MATHia during Advisory several days of the week, but they will also be encouraged to complete workspaces at home. Please encourage your child to spend some time at home completing these review workspaces!
STEM Conference
Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) is a one day conference held at the University of Notre Dame. We aim to encourage middle school girls to study STEM subjects, provide them with positive STEM role models, and motivate the girls to pursue careers in STEM professions. Throughout the day, the girls will participate in hands-on workshops, learn about college, and meet STEM role models. More information can be found at our conference website here.
This year, our conference will be held on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023 from 9-3 pm. Registration is $10 and the registration deadline is April 8th (April 1st for school groups). To register for the conference, guardians can complete this Google form and upload the student's waiver to the Google form.
While this is not a P-H-M event, if your child is interested in attending and the registration fee would be a hindrance to your child's participation, please reach out to your child's principal.
Information From Previous SMORES
Cell Phone Reminder
Just a friendly reminder that students should not have their cell phones on them during the school day. Cell phones should be off and in your student's locker. Should your student need to get a hold of you during the school day, we have a phone students can use in the main office. Please see our Code of Conduct verbiage covering this item. We appreciate your help and support in maintaining student focus on academics and minimizing outside distractions.
22. Possession of electronic equipment and cell phones; the school supplies most electronic equipment necessary in school. While students may possess cell phones and electronic devices on school property, students are prohibited from turning on their personal devices or allowing them to be visible during the school day without permission of a staff member
Continued Focus on the Indiana Academic Standards
Knowing there is dialog around the state about the Indiana Academic Standards, we continue to follow the direction of the Indiana Department of Education and Dr. Jenner as provided
in this letter. If you have any concerns about your child's education, please work with your child's teacher for clarification or reach out to me at anytime!
Community Fitness Opportunities
As the weather quickly shifts from fall to winter, the school district is happy to pilot free fitness opportunities for the P-H-M community. This will take place four (4) days per week at the sites listed below.
Who is eligible to participate: The P-H-M Adult Community and Staff (no students). This includes residents of the school district and non-resident parents/guardians of attending students.
What: Access to walking/jogging tracks, open gym/basketball courts, and weight room.
When: Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at the sites listed below. Note: The fitness centers will be closed during designated school recess dates.
Weekly Schedule:
Questions? Please see the assigned staff at each site to help answer your questions.
Order Your Yearbook Now
Click here to order a yearbook. You can also share your photos
here, enter schumucker for the school code.
COVID Home Tests
The state has provided COVID home tests free of charge for students. Limit 1 kit (2 tests) per student. Interested parents/guardians should pick them up from the office while supplies last.
Parent Involvement Opportunities & Employment
PTO Members & Volunteers:
Please see the PTO Newsletter for the month of February.
Educational Assistant: If you or someone you know has a passion for helping students succeed and feel yourself to be a life-long learner, problem solver and collaborative team member, then this is the position for you! Please reach out to me (KMartin3@phm.k12.in.us) if you would like to talk about the details regarding this position.
Universal Substitute: If you or someone you know loves being in the classroom, and collaborating with teachers and students, then please reach out with interest or questions to me at (KMartin3@phm.k12.in.us). The daily rate for this position is $115 and there is flexibility within the schedule.
Pay School Fees Online
Click the button below for more information.
Safety Update: How Can Parents Monitor On-Line Activity
Parents,
Families have the option of receiving weekly emails outlining your students online activity while using Chromebooks. This online service is free and it gives parents an opportunity to maintain a safe learning environment at school and at home. Please click on the attached links to learn more about how Securly can help you.
SAFE SCHOOL HELPLINE
If you see something, hear something, say something! The Safe School Helpline is a convenient, confidential way for anyone to report information about situations that might affect safety at any P-H-M school or building. You can call the number any time of the day or night to report concerns about unsafe or potentially disruptive activities or situations including drug or alcohol abuse, weapons, harassment, bullying or threats. All calls are completely confidential.
