Stanwood Middle School
Family Update - October 3rd, 2020
We have made it to October!! We hope everyone is healthy and doing well. Please continue to reach out and communicate if we can do anything to help.
Here are some important things we want all students and parents/guardians to know:
Character Dares
Each week during our class meeting or advisory, we give a character dare to our students. This is a challenge meant to help students grow and expand their character in a certain area. This past week Ms. Fox presented information regarding how emotions work. Our character dare for the week focused on respect, specifically respecting other people's emotions.
Student Email
Students should check their email everyday. We know that Google Classroom sends A LOT of emails to students daily; as we work to figure out how to possibly temper the amount of emails, students should look through and delete the emails not needed and focus on comments from teachers regarding returned work and ways to improve how they show their learning.
Emails and Calls from the Office
Last week we started emailing and calling home if students did not turn in work from the previous week. We want to make sure students are engaging and turning in completed work for all their classes each week. If you receive an email or call from us about students not turning in work, please talk with your student about which class they are not completing work in and what help they might need.
Teacher Office Hours
Every teacher has office hours on Wednesday morning. This is an open time students can join their Google Meet to ask questions/get clarification about the week's work. We highly encourage all students to use this time to work with their teacher's to improve their learning. All teachers have their Google Meet Codes in their Google Classroom for students to access.
Google Classroom vs. Skyward
Google Classroom shows a student's current status with turned in work and grades; Skyward reflects grades as well, but might be a little behind with student scores from Google Classroom. We know this can be confusing. If you get a call or email from the office, know that we are looking at a Skyward report with your student's grades.
Yearbook Snap App
Even though we are at a distance, our yearbook can bring us together! Mr. Wall and the yearbook staff are asking people to submit photos from summer and the first day of school through the Yearbook Snap App or their computer. The flyer down below explains how to do this!
Congratulations to our new ASB Officers!
We are excited to announce our new ASB Officers for the 2020-21 school year:
President: Hayden Pappas
Vice-President: Ava Fast
Treasurer: Addisyn Weaver
Secretary: Grace Pacheco
Have a great weekend!
Tod Klundt
Principal
Stanwood Middle School
A message from our Counselor Mrs. Fox!
Wednesday Office Hours & How to Check for Missing Assignments
Hello! I am seeing our wonderful SMS students really starting to get the hang of distance learning. We are all in this together and we are making the best of an unusual situation. Keep it up!
On the Class Meetings this week, I shared a Character Strong lesson about Emotions. Distance learning can definitely bring up some emotions, so hopefully understanding how emotions work a little more will help students continue to navigate this time with patience and kindness.
One thing that I have been reminding a lot of students about lately is Wednesday office hours with their teachers. This is a great way for students to get extra help on assignments and to ask their teachers questions in real-time. Teachers usually post a reminder about their office hours and Meet codes in each Google Classroom.
Here is the Wednesday Office Hours schedule:
8:30am - 9:30am: PE / Health / Electives
9am - 10am: ELA / Science / Keyboarding
9:30am - 10:30am: Social Studies / Math
Another thing that I have been talking to a lot of students about lately is how to check for missing assignments. Each Google Classroom has a “missing assignments” section. This is the most up-to-date place to see missing assignments.
Be sure to also check Skyward Family / Student Access regularly, where you can see a list of missing assignments across all classes. Sometimes students have turned in assignments and Skyward has not been updated yet, so cross checking in Google Classroom is a great way to double check.
Please email me at KFox@stanwood.wednet.edu with questions, or to set up a time to meet on Google Meet or by telephone. I am here to help!
Kara Fox
Counselor
Stanwood Middle School
Class Meetings From This Week!!
SEL
What is SEL?
SEL is an acronym for social/emotional learning. We are committed to regularly checking in with students to see how they are doing with school and during this unprecedented time. Our district wide adopted curriculum is Character Strong. You will see these messages pop up in our announcements, advisories, and classrooms. Here is this week's Character Dare students received in Advisory.
One Word Commitment
One Word Commitment
As part of Stanwood Middle School's commitment to families and students, we asked each faculty member to write down one word that exemplifies that commitment. Attached you'll see a word cloud that shows our promise for this school year.
School Pictures and Student Identification Cards
We will keep you updated and make sure all our families know right away once we have them scheduled!
Message from Food Service
Below Is All The Important Information From Previous Family Messages!
1. Video regarding Family Access/Skyward
2. A link to a toolkit for Family Access/Skyward
3. A message from our Counselor Mrs. Fox
4. Our Open House slide show
5. Information regarding accessing student email
6. Information regarding accessing Google Classroom
7. The Weekly Schedule for students
8. Information regarding what our Wednesday Schedule looks like
9. Surplus materials information
Please see the video below regarding Family Access/Skyward
Click the box below for a toolkit to help with Family Access/Skyward
In case you missed it last time, here is our Open House Staff Slideshow - 2020/2021
Typically a big part of our Open House is our introduction of staff in the gym and then students are able to tour the building and see those staff members in the classrooms. Because we are not able to be in person this year Mr. Wall, our wonderful multimedia, yearbook and keyboarding teacher, has put together a slideshow to allow families to see faces, to see what peoples roles are in the building, and to see contact information for everyone!
Please click the link to see our slideshow:
Accessing Student Email
Google Classroom Access
Students will need to access Google Classroom to get assignments, take quizzes and tests, and see other information teachers post.
Here are directions to access Google Classroom.
Weekly Schedule for Students
Please see the schedule below for what the schedule will look like for a middle school student once we start school.
Students will attend periods 1, 3, & 5 on Mondays and Thursdays as well as periods 2, 4, & 6 on Tuesdays and Fridays (schedule with times shown below).
During these class times, teachers may be instructing students and/or be showing a pre-recorded video along with classroom discussions & activities.
On Wednesdays, students will have the opportunity to check in with their teachers during student hours set up by individual teachers.
What does Wednesday look like this month?
•Wednesday mornings students can check in with their teachers and get help for their classes and work.
•Wednesdays will be a combination of class meetings and advisories. This month students will have the following schedule:
9/9--Class meeting + advisory check-in
9/16--Advisory Lesson
9/23--Advisory Lesson
9/30--Class meeting
**See Schedule Below
Surplus Materials
The Stanwood-Camano School District does not discriminate in employment, programs, or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to the District's Title IX/Affirmative Action Officer and Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, Maurene Stanton (mstanton@stanwood.wednet.edu), or the Section 504/American Disabilities Act Coordinator, Robert Hascall (rhascall@stanwood.wednet.edu) Stanwood-Camano School District, 26920 Pioneer Hwy, Stanwood, WA 98292. Telephone: (360) 629-1200.
El Distrito Escolar de Stanwood-Camano School District no discrimina en sus programas o actividades por motivos de sexo, raza, credo, religión, color, origen nacional, edad, condición de veterano de guerra o grado militar, orientación sexual, expresión de género o identidad, discapacidad o uso de perro guía entrenado o animal de servicio, y ofrece igualdad de acceso a los Boy Scouts y a otros grupos de jóvenes especificados. El empleado mencionado a continuación ha sido designado para atender consultas y quejas de supuesta discriminación: Título IX / Oficial de Acción Afirmativa y Coordinador de Cumplimiento de Derechos Civiles, Maurene Stanton (mstanton@stanwood.wednet.edu), o la Sección 504 / Coordinador de la Ley de Discapacidades Estadounidenses, Robert Hascall (rhascall@stanwood.wednet.edu), Distrito Escolar Stanwood-Camano, 26920 Pioneer Hwy, Stanwood, WA 98292. Teléfono: (360) 629- 1200