M 'n M
Mustangs in the Middle: April 5, 2019
In This Edition:
- Monday is a GREEN DAY
- PTA Update
- Pay For It Upgrade
- Levy Information
- AIR Testing to Begin 4/15
- DARE Celebrations
- Way-To-Go Letters
- Vaccination Clinic
- Summer School
PTA Update
Good afternoon SMS families!
Our next PTA general meeting is Monday, April 15th, 1:30 PM at SMS. Please come and join us.
Our next Rockin at the Rec is Friday April 12th! The theme is Luau! This dance will be at SMS! This is also the last Rockin at the Rec for the school year, tickets will be on sale next Thursday during lunch.
Have a great weekend!
Pay For It Upgrade
PayForIt has upgraded their online payment platform to PaySchools Central. Strongsville City Schools will be transitioning from PayForIt to PaySchools Central during the week of Spring Break, beginning Monday March 25, 2019. Although this upgrade is intended to be seamless, you will have to register with PaySchools Central, using a desktop/laptop computer with your PayForIt credentials. The auto-replenishment feature in PayForIt will not be activated in PaySchools Central until you login to PaySchools Central for the first time. Once registered, you will be able to use the PaySchools Mobile App, which will need to be downloaded from your app store.
Please login to PaySchools Central beginning Monday March 25, 2019 after 10:00am to transition your PayForIt account to PaySchools Central. All current PayForIt account balances will transfer over to your PaySchool Central account once this process is complete.
Complete step by step instructions are available by clicking the link here.
Please contact the Treasurer’s Office at 440-572-7021 or devangelista@scsmustangs.org if you have any questions or need assistance.
Levy Information
As you may know, Strongsville City Schools has a 5.9 mill, 5-year limited operating levy on the May 7th ballot - Issue 4. The passage of Issue 4 will provide our District with financial stability through the 2026-2027 school year.
Unfortunately, reductions will be necessary should Issue 4 fail in May. For our school, these reductions would include:
Indefinite delay of technology and textbook purchases for our students
Reduction of Choir class section, World Language courses, and Family Consumer Science class sections
Increasing the transportation distance from 1.0 to 1.5 miles (students within a 1.5 mile radius of SMS would NOT receive busing)
Elimination of one volleyball, one girls basketball, and one boys basketball team at the 7th grade level
Increase of $50 in “Pay to Participate” fees
Elimination of Student Council
Reduction of a Mild/Moderate Special Education Aide
Reduction of a 7th Grade Core Team
Please visit www.strongnet.org/Issue4 for important information about this operating levy and the financial impact on our District.
AIR Testing
4/15 & 4/16: 7th & 8th Grade English Language Arts
4/17 & 4/18: 6th Grade English Language Arts
These are state-wide assessments that test students' reading comprehension and writing.
We encourage all students to put their best foot forward on these tests for a variety of reasons:
- It can help gauge students' strengths and areas needed for growth within various skills that are necessary for success now and in higher education.
- These tests can help prepare students for when they take the ACT/SAT and end of course assessments at the high school level.
- Teachers and students have spent much of the year working on increased levels of problem-solving and complex levels of questioning. Students should feel confident that their hard work will pay off!
- A school district's test scores/ report card often times are a direct reflection of our community. When families look to move to a community, one of the first things they look at are the schools and test scores is the first bit of information they will review.
We want to show our community, and those surrounding, that we are one of top school districts in our area. We demonstrate that we are one of top schools in the area when it comes to the Arts and Athletics. This is an opportunity to show that we are also tops in Academics!
Let's knock these tests out of the park!
DARE Celebrations!
Good Luck Letters
State testing for Strongsville Middle School students will start the week of April 15th. Our students and staff have been working diligently throughout the year to prepare for these important assessments. To alleviate some of the anxiety that students might be feeling, and to celebrate their hard work, we are asking parents and guardians to write a "good luck" note that will be delivered to your child the day of the first test. We have stationary and postcards available in the front office if you would like to stop by and write your note. If you aren't able to stop by the middle school, feel free to write a note of support from home, and send it with your child to be dropped off with Mrs. Cook in the front office. Please make sure the note is in a sealed envelope with the student's first and last name printed on the front. We want every child to feel special and recognized, and we appreciate you being part of the effort. If you have any questions or need clarification about the letters, please contact our Literacy Coach, Carol McKnight, at cmcknight@scsmustangs.org.
If for any reason you are not able to participate, SMS staff members and PTA parents are also helping in the effort to write letters of support. Just let us know, and we will make sure that another member of the support community will get a letter to your child.
Vaccination Clinics
Please click on the link below for more information on your child receiving the Meningococcal Vaccine at school on April 30.
Summer School Opportunities
We will be in contact soon with families of students who we feel would benefit from remedial online courses over the summer.
Links
SMS Website: Click Here
Academic Rolls: Q2 Academic Roll
DC Trip Info: DC Trip Information
PTA Form: PTA Membership Form
Important Dates
Apr 15 & 16: ELA AIR Testing for 7th/8th Grade
Apr 17 & 18: ELA AIR Testing for 6th Grade
Strongsville Middle School
Email: sdeitrick@scsmustangs.org
Website: http://www.strongnet.org/Domain/411
Location: 13200 Pearl Road, Strongsville, OH, United States
Phone: 440.572.7090
Twitter: @smsstangs