SHARK MAIL
Saturday, October 3rd 2020
Saturday Message:
Happy Saturday, Sharks!
I hope you all are enjoying the weather. As I was driving home the other day, I noticed the leaves are starting to change and was quickly reminded that we are entering the month of October. It is hard to believe!
I want to thank you all for your continued support as we navigate our virtual learning environment. You all should have received notification from our Central office regarding two important items:
- Student Verification Forms: Please make sure to complete your student verification process. It has never been more imperative that we have up to date contact information for our students. Our primary method of contact in the virtual setting is email. We want to make sure that we are keeping all families informed and the only way for us to do so is to make sure our contact information is accurate. Further down in the newsletter are directions on how to complete this process.
- Parent Survey: Central Office sent out a survey earlier this week to gather data regarding the implementation of Stage 3. Please make sure to complete the survey so that we have as much information as possible to inform our decision-making process.
If you have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly.
Sincerely,
Ms. Wood, Principal
Grade Level Newsletters
News from SMS:
Flu Shots: There will be a free flu shot drive-thru clinic at Jack Jouett Middle School on October 20th from 5:00 - 7:00 PM. Details can be found here.
Holiday Help: Although we are just starting to decorate for Halloween, we also start turning towards those in need for the holiday seasons soon approaching. If your family may need support for either Thanksgiving or the Winter holidays, please make sure you contact your child's counselor in October. If you are a family interested in helping our fellow Shark families in need, please also reach out to your child's counselor for ways to help. Thank you!
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, and Thursday, October 22 from 4:45 until 8:00 pm. An E-mail was sent on September 30th with sign-up details and specifics for the events. Thank you.
The Department of Technology has created a Kajeet troubleshooting guide. For more help, please click below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qCqMAI5nII-7I5zHnGFW_3FAZA5BeiM5x2NJYb5NWOY/edit?usp=sharing
Cloud Computing Form: In addition to the resources already provided by ACPS, our teachers have selected more tools to further enhance learning throughout the school year. Some of these tools require parent/guardian permission for students to create accounts.
Each of the tools listed below has been thoroughly reviewed by the Department of Technology to ensure student safety, age appropriateness, and data privacy. For a detailed look at the criteria they use to review the technology resources and to learn more about the Children’s Online Protection Act (COPPA), please visit this informational guide bit.ly/ACPStechReview. Click here to complete the form.
Student Verification
We are excited to announce that online registration verification for the 2020-2021 school year is now open! This process replaces the paper forms traditionally sent home in First Day Packets at the beginning of each school year. Your verification is now available online. You will need to use the PowerSchool Parent Portal to access the PowerSchool Enrollment registration system. We request that you submit registration verifications for all students by Friday, October 9, 2020.
Note: Only students attending an ACPS elementary, middle or high school will complete registrations using this method. Students served by Ivy Creek, CSA, or our special education department will continue to update their information in the same manner as they have previously.
How do I get started?
If you have a PowerSchool Parent Portal account, go to https://sis.k12albemarle.org/ and sign in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal. From the Parent Portal:
1. Select the student you wish to update along the top.
2. Either:
- Click the Student Registration Verification button on the left sidebar; OR
- Click the Applications icon in the top-right corner and select Student Registration Verification.
3. Enter your student's date of birth to verify access to the form.
4. Follow the prompts to begin the form.
5. Review all information on each page and make changes where necessary.
If you do not yet have a Parent Portal account, please contact your student’s school.
Sutherland Reminders:
Library Checkout: This week each student participated in a library orientation during English Language Arts (ELA) class. Students learned how to place a hold on a book. If your child checked out materials, an email notification will be sent when the books are ready to be picked up. All prepared materials can be picked up from the front foyer Monday through Thursday from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. We also added Friday hours from 8:00 - 3:00. All materials are bagged and organized in alphabetical order by last name. You do not have to enter the front office. Simply grab and go!
When you are finished with these materials, please leave them in the return bin in the front foyer. All books go through a 3-day quarantine process and will not be shelved or checked into our system until that time is complete. Happy reading!From the PTO: Our September newsletter can be found here. A helpful PTO flyer regarding fundraising and Attraction Books can be found here.
- As we begin the new school year, Sutherland and the PTO are happy to announce the Tutor Equity Fund. This fund is designed to provide support to families to cover tutoring costs for students who may benefit from some extra support outside of school, especially during this virtual learning period.
We want to make sure all students have access to the resources they need to be successful. The fund has been seeded with a $1000 contribution from a Sutherland family. If you are willing to make a donation to the fund, please make your donation at the following link: http://paypal.me/sutherlandmiddleptoThere is a space to add a comment - please just type in “tutoring"
Families who would benefit from tutor support and are experiencing financial hardship are encouraged to contact the Sutherland counseling department via this Google form to apply for tutoring support.
Attendance Procedures
- Present Virtual Synchronous - PVS: indicates that a student was present virtually during the allotted class period.
- Present Virtual Synchronous- PVA: indicates that a student did the classwork but did not attend the class during the allotted period.
- UNV/UEX: indicates that a student did not attend class during the allotted time nor did they complete the class.
If you have questions regarding a student's attendance, please contact the teacher directly first. The teacher will email our attendance coordinator if a change is warranted.
Social Media
Email: cguy@k12albemarle.org
Website: https://sms.k12albemarle.org/
Location: 2801 Powell Creek Drive, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Phone: (434) 975-0599
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sutherlandpto
Twitter: @SMSSharks