#sparkinfo. Monthly News Feb. 2020
We LOVE our Students and Pickens Middle Family!
What's new for next year!
In the coming year, Pickens Middle will move to a schedule which will continue all of the great things already happening but will add more instructional time and personalized learning academies! We are so excited! Greater instructional time will allow for a broader focus on literacy and numeracy without neglecting Electives, S.T.E.M, or the Social Sciences.
Our academy model will allow students to Serve, Create, and Collaborate while they impact our School and the greater Pickens community. The academies will also expand the 21st century skills aligned with the Profile of the SC Graduate.
Students should be bringing home a course preference sheet as they choose their electives. On the back of this sheet, students should choose a preference for an academy based on potential career and personal interests. Initial academy choices include: Leadership, Service Learning, Innovation, and the Visual and Performing Arts! Students may move from academy to academy as needed. Work within their given academy will allow soft skills assessment and students will be awarded badges based on progress toward individual 21st century skills.
We would love for you to offer input in this process so that it is the very best for our students and community. If you would like to be part of a planning team or focus group, please feel free to contact me!
We are excited to move forward in an environment which will challenge students to excel academically, but also provide for personalized learning opportunities and community impact!
An abundance of Spark Pride in January!
National Geographic School Geo Bee!
Sparks Robotics excel at most recent tournament!!
Our Second Nine Weeks Sparks Finest!!
Science should be hands-on!!
Book Selfies
Sixth Grade Gateway to Tech. Project
6th grade students in Mrs. Riddle's class designed and built an ankle-foot orthosis last week. The sixth grade intro. class is one of many STEM class offerings in our electives rotation. #sparkpride #sparklearning #STEM
Our "One Words" shared in January
Students display their one word at morning assembly!
Sharing Out!
Volleyball Intramural Champs!
It was great to have our fifth graders on campus!
Grade levels compete in the spirit competition!
8th Grade is headed to the Roper Mountain Science Center!
8th grade RMSC trip on 2/27. Forms are due to science teacher and money ($15) due to be paid online by 2/13/20. Kids need money for lunch at Haywood Mall or they need to let their science teacher know if they need a school lunch by 2/13/20.
What's Happening in February?
Mon., Feb. 3rd-
Romeo and Juliet Auditions 3:15
Girls' Basketball vs. Palmetto @ 6 PM (Playoffs)
Reading All-Stars Begins
Tues., Feb. 4th-
Boys' Basketball vs. Walhalla @ 6 PM (Playoffs)
Wed., Feb. 5th-
Girls Basketball Semi-Finals @ Pickens
Th., Feb. 6th-
Boys Basketball Semi-finals @ Pickens
Fr., Feb. 7th-
Student vs. Faculty Basketball Game
(#sparkfun schedule)
Science Club Meeting
Sat., Feb. 8th-
AOP Basketball Finals @ Pickens
Mon., Feb. 10th-
SPARKS Rising Parent NIght- 6:00-7:00 (Rising 6th)
Rising 9th visit to PHS 11:30 to 1:10
Tues., Feb. 11th-
Tic Tac SNOW Reading Promo Ends
Wed., Feb. 12th-
3rd Progress Reports Go Home
Cocoa and Cookies for Tic Tac SNOW in Library at Lunch
Th., Feb. 13th-
Valentine Lollipop Sale
BETA Club Field Trip
Fr., Feb. 14th-
Teacher In-Service Day (Students' Day Off!!)
Mon., Feb. 17th-
Holiday!!!
Tues., Feb. 18th-
PHS visit to PMS: Rising 9th grade registration
7th grade Job Shadowing
Sat., Feb. 22nd-
8th Grade Winter Semi-Formal
Tues., Feb. 25th-
Rising 9th graders register at PHS (3:30-7:00)
Th., Feb. 27th-
Roper Mountain Science Center- 8th Grade
DECA State Competition
Fr., Feb. 28th-
DECA State Competition
#sparkcelebrations
SPARK Celebrations
SPARK Celebrations concentrate on four components of student life: Academics , Respect, Knowledge, and Service.SPARK Celebrations will concentrate on four components of student life:
Academics (Maintain a C average to be eligible for #sparkcelebrations. Maintain an A or B average for SPARKS finest.)
Attendance (No Unexcused Absences for the nine weeks.)
Community/Service (Students need five hours of service per nine weeks. This may be logged online with a teacher or using a SPARKS service sheet to be SPARKS Finest)
Discipline (No Discipline Referrals and a maximum of two detentions.)
Students will have the ability to be involved in various celebrations, rewards, and activities based on their accomplishments in the four areas of student life. Each element will be recognized every nine weeks with the hope of students excelling in all areas and becoming a SPARKS Finest: Students Promoting Attendance, Respect, Knowledge, and Service.
PTO!
We need you in our PTO this year! We would love to have you join! Involvement may be simple monetary support through a membership all the way to directly serving in the school! Stay tuned for more information! If you would like to join, you can download and print the membership form by clicking on the PTO photo.
Pick-Up and Drop-Off
Please remember that in the morning, the lane which comes straight to the school will close at seven. All vehicles should approach the school through the car loop. Please pull forward and fill in all available space to ensure that we can unload as many students as we can and keep the line as short as possible. This is a single lane in the morning. Students should be dropped off in plenty of time to ensure they are in the gym for assembly by 7:55.
P.M. Pick-UP
In an effort to increase pickup time in the afternoon, we will be moving seventh and eighth grade around to the first awning as early as 3:30 PM. When this happens, please pull all the way forward to ensure we load as many cars as possible. Thank you for your help in making things more efficient.
For the safety of our students in our carline, Pickens Middle will not allow signing out of students after 2:30 PM. Please pick up your student prior to that time for any appointments or events which require early pick up. The barrier to the straight left lane will close at 2:30 and we do not want cars coming around the barrier into oncoming traffic. All vehicles must use the car loop after that time. Parents/guardians who arrive before 2:30 for afternoon pickup may wait in the car loop at the final stop sign at the top of the hill until dismissal. Please see the video below for car pickup instructions. Please be courteous and merge every other car if it is a need before the merger arrives. Thank you!
*Students with parent/guardian permission must have a walker's pass to leave campus on foot. Students will not be permitted to walk in severe weather.
If you have any questions about this procedure, please let us know.
We want to make it faster...
P.M. Pick-UP
In an effort to increase pickup time in the afternoon, we will be moving seventh and eighth grade around to the first awning as early as 3:30 PM. When this happens, please pull all the way forward to ensure we load as many cars as possible. Thank you for your help in making things more efficient.
For the safety of our students in our carline, Pickens Middle will not allow signing out of students after 2:30 PM. Please pick up your student prior to that time for any appointments or events which require early pick up. The barrier to the straight left lane will close at 2:30 and we do not want cars coming around the barrier into oncoming traffic. All vehicles must use the car loop after that time. Parents/guardians who arrive before 2:30 for afternoon pickup may wait in the car loop at the final stop sign at the top of the hill until dismissal. Please see the video below for car pickup instructions. Please be courteous and merge every other car if it is a need before the merger arrives. Thank you!
*Students with parent/guardian permission must have a walker's pass to leave campus on foot. Students will not be permitted to walk in severe weather.
If you have any questions about this procedure, please let us know.
This year's regular bell schedule has some minor changes.
Students report to assembly- 7:53 (All students should be seated by 8:00 at the latest.)
Morning Assembly Drawings, Icebreakers, and announcements- 8:00-8:03
Morning Assembly8:03-8:13Day officially begins
1st period- 8:20-9:15
2nd period- 9:19-10:14
3rd period- 10:18-11:13
4th period– Lunch & Extension Classes11:17 -- 12:19
8th grade lunch11:17-11:47
8th grade will be in instructional time from 11:47-12:19
7th grade lunch11:33-12:03
7th grade will be in instructional time from 11:17-11:33 and 12:03- 12:19
6th grade lunch11:49-12:19
6th grade will be in instructional time from 11:17- 11:49
5th period12:23-1:18
6th period1:22-2:17
7th period2:21-3:15
Afternoon Announcements (Beginning) 6th grade dismissed at 3:13
55 minute classes
30 minute lunches
4 minutes between classes
From Sparks of Knowledge Grow Flames of Success
Email: jamesking@pickens.k12.sc.us
Website: http://pms.pickens.k12.sc.us/
Location: 140 Torch Lane, Pickens, SC, 29671
Phone: (864) 397-4100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pickensms/?scrlybrkr=85865011
Twitter: @pmssparks