• Polar Plunge
• Kona Ice This Week on Tuesday
• Principal's Note
• Spring Sports
• Important Dates
• Yearbook Recognition Reminder (Especially for 8th grade parents but can be for anyone)

**Below are reminders that have been posted weekly**

• Sponsors from our Day of Service; We will include Kona Ice as a sponsor as they have helped us out this year as well!
• Spirit Rock link
• "Away for The Day"
• Early Dismissal Procedure Reminder
• We Need You - Can you volunteer?

Thank you to our sixth grade students for your hard work and all the practicing you have done over the year to learn how to play your instrument. You guys were fantastic! We cannot wait to see what all of you accomplish over the next couple of years!

Thank you to all the parents that filled out our first parent survey. It is still available for this week so we can receive as much feedback as possible. A few parents mentioned they loved the overall conversation, but didn't feel like there was as much communication pertaining to their own individual student. I will take this feedback to our teachers and to our SIC to see how we can offer opportunities to those parents that are interested.

I will let you know that our teachers have anywhere between 90-100 students they are teaching. They do a fantastic job of making sure they build relationships with those students and know them both personally and academically. Our ways of communication may not be as direct as elementary. However, we do try to offer a variety of ways you can check on your child: PowerSchool, emails when an assignment isn't turned in, their PRIDE CARD in the front of their agendas, and emails that come home when students receive positive office referrals. Beginning in middle school the responsibility for individual conferences does begin to shift to the students and parents. If you are interested in a conference with your child's teachers, please do not hesitate to reach out. They will be able to set up a time to do a conference face to face or through zoom.

Some of the other feedback is challenging to respond to unless I have specific information. I am always open for a conference as well. Please feel free to reach out and set up a conference.

Thank you for another great week at SMS! Here we come February! It's going to be a great one.

Christy Matkovich

Good afternoon. I hope all are well. I'm Dr. Tolbert, SMS Athletic Director. I'm attaching several files with important information for the upcoming Spring Sports Season with SMS Athletics. There are attached files to the Weekly Roundup email that you will need to read and make sure you are aware of everything your child will need to start Spring Sports.

ALL Athletes can upload 2022-Physical-Forms dated after 4/1/2022 to BigTeams (Instruction Video) to be able to condition/tryout/participate in Athletics this coming 2022/2023 school year.

All information about Athletics is also located on the SMS Athletic Website. Looking forward to seeing your athlete competing for SMS. GO MUSTANGS!

Spring Tryouts 2023 - Begin Soon!

Baseball - 2/6/23

Track/Field - 2/6/23

Girls Soccer - 2/1/23

Boys Soccer - 2/7/23

• February 4th: Polar Plunge
• February 7th: 8th Graders Blitz for High School (Parents will be given a time for their child's meeting which will be held in the Media Center)
• February 8th: Academic Match (For Academic Team)
• February 13th: Winter Sports Ceremony Celebration
• February 22nd: Academic Match (For Academic Team)
• February 24th: Club Pictures for the Yearbook
• March 24th: 7th Grade Career Day
• April 13th - 16th: 8th Grade Band and SOL Florida Trip
• April 21st: 7th Grade Choir to Carowinds
• April 21st: 6th Grade Fun Event (After School): 3:30 - 5:00
• April 26th and 27th: School Play (More information coming soon!)
• April 28th: 8th Grade Dance 6:00 - 8:00
• May 5th: 7th Grade Fun Event (After School): 3:30 - 5:00
• May 10th: Spring Chorus Concert at NAFO- 6:00
• May 22nd: Field Day
• May 25th: 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony 9:00 AM

Important Future Dates:

Spring Break: April 3rd - 7th

8th Grade Trip to Charleston: May 4th - 5th (We will have a parent night in April. That date is TBD. It will be in the evening).

Class time is valued and we strive to interrupt class periods as little as possible.

• When your child requires early dismissal, on the day of dismissal, send a signed, handwritten NOTE to school with your child that includes date and dismissal time.
• When your child arrives at school, he/she should bring the note to Mrs. Kilyanek’s (Miss K) room and she will mark your child’s agenda with the dismissal time.
• At dismissal time, your child will meet you in our front office - please sign your child out on the front office computer.
• If your child must leave early and has not brought in a note, we will call your child to the office during the next class change. You are welcome to wait in our front office lobby.
• We realize emergencies happen - if you have one and must interrupt class time, we will ask that you first speak with an administrator.
• Students will not be dismissed after 2:40 PM. They must wait for the 3:10 dismissal bell.

Now that we are entering 2nd quarter and everyone is aware of the "Away for the Day" movement, we are changing the consequences. We know that at this point if students have a phone or other item on them during the day, it is because they have chosen to go against school policy.

The 3rd quarter consequences are:

1st Offense: After-school detention on the following Tuesday or Thursday (whichever comes first.) Also for 7 days, phone/earbuds/smartwatches must be turned in each morning to the front office. Students can claim the item at the end of the school day.

2nd Offense: After-school detention on the following Tuesday or Thursday (whichever comes first.) Also for 14 days, phone/earbuds/smartwatches must be turned in each morning to the front office. Students can claim the item at the end of the school day.

3rd Offense: After-school detention on the following Tuesday or Thursday (whichever comes first.) Also for 30 DAYS phone/earbuds/smartwatches must be turned in each morning to the front office. Students can claim the item at the end of the school day.

Offenses more than 3 will be handled on a case by case basis.

We ask for your support to teach our students that being present in the moment without distractions from these items is extremely important! I have to give our students a big shout out! We have so many less cell phone problems this school year. We know there are still some devices out there, but we hope those students will eventually learn to let go of their devices, as it is an addiction, and keep them in their lockers. Overall, the student body has been doing a fantastic job! Our teachers have also been doing a fantastic job by not allowing the use of these items in their classes.

Thank you again for your support! It takes all of us to teach important skills to our youth!

To help ensure safety, background screens for volunteers are necessary. If you have submitted your information in prior school years, please confirm with us that you are on the approved list before completing an application again. You may email Mrs. Hall at hallj@fortmillschools.org.

Please follow the link below to submit your online application to volunteer. In order to submit a background check, you must have a social security number and driver's license. Without these documents, a full and complete background check cannot be performed. You must use your full legal name when completing the form.

https://www.fortmillschools.org/Page/161