Springton Lake Middle School
Every Student. Every Day. No Matter What.
Springton Lake Middle School
Email: RSalladino@rtmsd.org
Website: https://www.rtmsd.org/2/home
Location: 1900 North Providence Road, Media, PA, USA
Phone: (610) 627-6500
Twitter: @SpringtonLakeMS
May 7, 2021
Happy Friday - and Happy Mother's Day!!
I hope that you are all doing well and that you had a great week!
The start of PSSA testing went very well this week. There were A LOT of moving parts in order to make testing work this year and everyone (students, teachers, & parents) did an awesome job! Students appeared to put forth a great deal of effort on the assessment and I am sure that it will show once we receive the results. Testing will continue next week and the logistics will be largely the same as this week. I address PSSA testing more fully in the section below.
On the COVID front, our streak of four consecutive weeks of no cases of COVID from in-school exposure came to an end. We did have one individual this week who was in school during their infectious period and tested positive. As a result of this single case, we have a total of thirteen students who need to quarantine. None of these students are currently symptomatic. Overall, we are still doing very well with managing COVID within the school building. The COVID tracker is available on the District website and is updated each Friday.
As always, thank you for reading this weekly newsletter. I hope that you have a wonderful weekend. To all of our Spartan Moms - Happy Mother's Day! We appreciate all that you do to support your children and to support our school! Enjoy your special day!
PSSA Testing Resumes on Monday, May 10th
PSSA testing in ALL grades will resume on Monday, May 10, 2021. Testing in Mathematics will take place on Monday and Tuesday. Testing in Science for 8th grade ONLY will take place on Thursday. The logistics for testing will largely be the same as what occurred this past week.
Here are a few quick reminders that will help testing run smoothly...
- Students should bring a CALCULATOR for use on the Mathematics section. Students who do not have their own calculator should borrow one from their math teacher.
- Fully-virtual students taking the PSSA should report to the Auditorium Lobby upon their arrival to the building. Other than a calculator and a book to read when they are finished, they do not need to bring anything else with them on Monday. Parents should complete the symptom screener before students arrive to school.
- Fully-virtual students taking the PSSA will need a ride home from school at the end of the testing session. Students will be required to remain for the entire testing session.
- Students who are not taking the PSSA are required to virtually attend homeroom at 7:55 AM. Otherwise, they will be marked absent. Mathematics teachers have posted a required assignment for those students to complete independently in lieu of testing.
- Students who are not taking the PSSA will be required to report to school at 10:30 AM. School transportation is not provided. If a student does not have transportation, virtual class attendance will be permitted/excused on testing days only.
- Because testing days are school days for all students - regardless of participation in the PSSA - I also want families to understand how we will handle attendance. Please review this handy document for those details.
IMPORTANT NOTES FOR 8th GRADE SCIENCE TESTING
- Fully-virtual students will complete BOTH sections in the morning. Students should plan to call parents for a ride home once they finish.
- Eighth grade student enrolled in the IN-PERSON COHORT who are not taking the PSSA will remain at home for the FULL DAY on Thursday. They will attend their special area classes virtually and also complete the science assignment posted in Schoology.
Thank YOU for Appreciating Our Teachers & Staff!!
On behalf of our entire faculty and staff, I would like to offer a sincere thank you to our PTG and to all of our students and parents for all of the thoughtful and generous expressions of appreciation during Teacher Appreciation Week! Staff members arriving to the building on Monday morning were greeted by positive messages written on the sidewalk by students and family members. Our PTG provided wonderful treats for everyone each day this week. In addition, students and parents wrote notes, recorded songs, sent in lunch, and did so many other nice and thoughtful things to celebrate the awesome team at The Lake. I know that our staff felt very, very special this week. So, again, THANK YOU!!
Friday At-Home Learning Days - REVISED Schedule & Plan Starting May 14th
Starting NEXT Friday - May 14th - we will be using a revised plan and schedule for our Friday at-home learning days. The revised schedule is being put into place due to the need to administer the online MAP assessment to our fully-virtual cohort. Student in our in-person cohort will complete the MAP assessment in May/June while in school. Fully-virtual students will be scheduled for MAP testing on 5/14, 5/21, & 6/4 from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM. Specific directions and links will be provided to students by their math and language arts teachers. For all other students, check-in for homeroom will continue to be at 9:30 AM. Homeroom will be live, attendance will be taken, and announcements will be shown. Students will then be prompted to check their grades in HAC and to work on any outstanding assignments and/or upcoming projects, activities, etc. From 9:45 AM to 11:40 AM and then again from 12:30 PM to 1:20 PM, teachers will schedule individual and small group appointments to work with students. Students may also request an appointment to meet with teachers for extra help or clarification with work. Our school counselors will also be available to meet with students. In general, students who are thriving academically may have less work to accomplish on these final Fridays of the school year. There is NO CHANGE to the schedule for students who currently attend in-person on Fridays.
We appreciate your understanding of our need to modify the Friday schedule for the final month of school. Not only will this plan allow us to accomplish MAP testing for our fully-virtual cohort, but it will also enable us to provide supports and interventions for students with this level of need. Again, this revised plan will be in place through the end of the school year.
Attention 8th Grade Students & Parents - Important Change for June 10th
The 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony (a.k.a. the 8th Grade "graduation") will take place on June 10th in the afternoon at Penncrest High School. I previously communicated that this would be a regular day of school for all of our students. As we continue to plan the logistics for the day, we have made the decision that 8th grade students will NOT attend school that morning. Among other things, this will eliminate the need for us to bus all 320 students to Penncrest for the ceremony. Instead, students will be able to report to Penncrest with their families. For those students who still need transportation to Penncrest, we will make that available. I will provide much more information about the logistics for the day, including any expectations for the morning, as we get closer. Again, this change impacts 8th grade students only.
Next PTG Meeting - May 11th @ 7:00 PM
The final PTG meeting of the school year will be held virtually via Zoom on Tuesday, May 11th at 7:00 PM. Please join us for this important meeting that will include the election of PTG officers for the 2021-2022 school year. All are invited to attend.
Transportation Survey for 2021-2022 School Year
Planning is currently in process for the 2021-2022 school year. Parents are required to complete the annual transportation survey so that we know which students will be utilizing Rose Tree Media busing. The deadline to complete the form is June 15, 2021. After that time, the School District will assume that your child will NOT be using our transportation services.
Important Calendar Notes
Please make note of the following important calendar items:
Tuesday, May 18th - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS, Teacher Professional Development Day - Election Primary Day in Pennsylvania.
Thursday, June 10th - This will now be a REGULAR day of school for students in grades K-7. This was previously scheduled as a teacher professional development day.
Wednesday, June 16th - This will be the final full day of school for students.
Thursday, June 17th - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL for students, half-day, dismissal at 11:00 AM.
At their regularly scheduled March meeting, the Board of School Directors approved the official school calendar for the 2021-2022 school year. Please be sure to consult the calendar as you consider plans for trips and vacations. The first day of school is Monday, August 30, 2021 - BEFORE Labor Day.
End-of-Year Events
With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, we are working on plans for some of our culminating student events. Our team is looking for ways to provide some of our typical events while also balancing the health and safety parameters that are in place due to COVID-19. While we will have more information to share in the coming weeks, here are some quick highlights:
8th Grade Recognition Ceremony - Thursday, June 10th @ 1:30 PM, Penncrest High School Stadium - tickets for families will be subject to Pennsylvania's gathering-size restrictions in place in June.
Student awards will be presented during informal gathering of each team. We will not be able to host parents this year for our typical formal awards programs.
Off-campus field trips will not take place this year. Instead, Monday, June 14th will be Spartan Pride Day. Each team will plan a series of fun, on-campus activities for students - both indoors and outdoors.
8th Grade Farewell Celebration - TENTATIVE, Wednesday, June 16th, evening, outdoors at Springton Lake.
Yearbook Day will be Wednesday, June 9th. Students who pre-ordered a copy of the Yearbook will receive it on this day. The LAST CHANCE to pre-order a Yearbook is before May 7th. Go to www.jostens.com and click on Yearbooks ---> Buy Your Yearbook and search for our school. The cost is $30.
Again, more details about all of these events will be forthcoming. We hope that this preliminary information is helpful for your planning purposes.
SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL - Register your Rite Aid Pharmacy Card
Do you shop at Rite Aid Pharmacy for your prescriptions or other personal needs? If so, your purchases can also benefit our school. Take a moment to register and allow our school to earn funds each time that you visit your local Rite Aid.
Future Lions Football Camp
The Penncrest High School football program is offering an evening camp opportunity for aspiring football players. The camp will be facilitated by Penncrest High School football coaches and players. Click here for more information and to register your child.
International Travel Requirements
The Chester County Health Department is following CDC guidelines for international travel. If you are traveling internationally, the CCHD recommends that you get a COVID test 3-5 days after returning from travel and stay home and quarantine for a full 7 days after travel, even if the test is negative. If you do not get tested, you should stay home and quarantine for 10 days after travel. Please contact the school nurse to let her know your date of return and if your student will be testing and quarantining for 7 days if the test is negative or if your student will not be getting a test and quarantining for the full 10 days. The nurse will advise you how to fill out the symptom screening survey after your return.
Important Update - Attendance Procedures
Students who are enrolled for in-person instruction are expected to attend in-person on a consistent basis unless there is an approved reason to be at home - i.e. exposure to COVID, quarantine due to close contact/contract tracing. Students without an approved reason who do not attend in-person when expected will be marked ABSENT - even if they are present on Zoom.
- Please continue to use the daily symptom screener to monitor symptoms and to let us know if your child will be attending in-person each morning.
- If your child is ill, they should not attend school.
- Students who will be absent from school should call the absence hotline (610-627-6500, option 2) and also send a note within 3 days. This step is required in order for us to excuse the absence.
- Students who will be absent for a pre-planned trip should complete and submit the pre-planned absence form.
- When a student is absent from school, they may access work/assignments on Schoology. At this time, we will also still allow students to have access to the class Zoom session if they are well enough to join - even though they have been marked absent.
Reminders from our School Nurse - Ms. Hartner
In an effort to continue to keep our students safe and healthy, please keep the following key points in mind:
Please complete the daily SYMPTOM SCREENER for your child as early as possible, but no later than 7:30 AM. This will help to minimize class disruptions for your child.
Students must wear an appropriate face covering to school every day. Neck gaiters and bandanas are not permitted and masks with valves are not considered COVID-safe.
Please keep your student home from school if they are ill. In addition to the criteria contained in the screening tool, please keep your student home for non-COVID related illnesses. Refer to the following resource for more information.
COVID-19 Questions & Assistance
Parents & guardians who have COVID-related questions during the school day should contact our School Nurse, Ms. Hartner by email or phone - 610-627-6512. For COVID-related questions after school hours, you can reach a school district nurse. Contact information is located on the RTMSD website under District Reopening, After Hours-Covid Questions and Answers. There is a nurse available in the mornings before school from 5am to 7am, in the evenings during the week from 4pm to 9pm, on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm and on Sunday evenings from 4pm to 10pm.
Technology Resources
Need to submit a HELP DESK ticket? Let our Technology Team help!
Need assistance with HAC or Schoology? Contact Mrs. Kelly in the Guidance Department.
Weekly Newsletters - Archived Here!
Did you miss a previous week's newsletter? Need to go back to for reference or to access previous information? All of the previous updates are available to you on our website.
The Spartan Scoop - Week of May 3rd
Check our this week's editions of The Spartan Scoop.