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
March 5, 2021
Return to More School Days Plan
Happy Friday, everyone!
I hope that you are all doing well and that you had a great week! Despite the unexpected technology challenge that began our day on Thursday, it has been a positive and productive week at The Lake!
We continue to plan for the possible expansion of in-person instruction. VERY IMPORTANT - if you have not done so already, please take a moment to complete the SURVEY that we sent via email so that we know your choice for your child for the remainder of the school year. We need one completed survey for each student. The DEADLINE is 11:59 PM on Sunday, 3/7.
Specific details about the Return to More School Days plan was shared with parents via email this week. Dr. DiMarino-Linnen also recorded a presentation that you may find helpful. Based upon a number of factors, we will be making a recommendation to the School Board to revise the Health & Safety Plan to allow for increased in-person instruction for those families who desire this option. Pending School Board approval, our plan is to convert the current two-day in-person model to a four-day in-person model. Students who currently attend in-person five days will have no change and families who prefer the fully-virtual model will have this option, too. Here are some key dates:
Tuesday, March 9th @ 6:00 PM - Special Legislative Meeting of the School Board to vote on the recommendation of the revised plan.
Wednesday, March 10th - Flexible Instruction Day - NO in-person learning. Teachers will utilize the time to plan for the remainder of the school year, including reorganization of the classrooms to accommodate more in-person students.
Thursday, March 11th - Dr. Salladino will offer a mini, informal tour/orientation for students who are returning from fully-virtual instruction for the first time. The session will be held at 10:00 AM. Interested students should RSVP to Maureen McCormick with the student's name and grade level. This session will last 30-45 minutes and is for students only.
Wednesday, March 17th - Pending approval, 6th grade students transition to 4-days.
Monday, March 22nd - Pending approval, 8th grade students transition to 4-days.
Monday, April 5th - Pending approval, 7th grade students transition to 4-days.
The Return to More School Days Plan is an important step and we are ready and able to move forward in a way that ensures the health and safety of all members of our school community.
Thank you for taking a few moments to review the rest of this newsletter. There are many important updates included. I hope that you have an enjoyable weekend - stay safe!
Important Schedule Notes for Next Week
Please make note of the following schedule items for next week:
Wednesday, March 10th - Flexible Instruction Day, NO In-person Learning
Students should log-on for Homeroom at 9:30 AM. A short lesson will be posted for each class. Teachers will be available for live assistance from 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM. Teachers will be using this time to prepare for the rest of the school year.
Thursday, March 11th & Friday, March 12th - NO SCHOOL for Students
Students will be off from school in order to accommodate parent-teacher conferences.
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.
Parent-Teacher Conferences - March 10th & 11th
Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Wednesday, March 10th and Thursday, March 11th. As we did in the Fall, all conferences will be held virtually via Zoom. Each appointment will be 15 minutes in length. While we very much enjoy meeting with parents, conferences at the middle school level are not required. Each team will have about 40 slots - while they teach well over 100 students. Please consider if there is a concern or issue that needs to be addressed. If so, please schedule a conference. If your child is thriving and they have had a successful school year, we ask that you consider leaving this slot open for another family. In order to schedule an appointment with your child's TEAM of teachers - use the links below. If you would like to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, a world language teacher, or special area teacher, please reach out to those teachers directly VIA E-MAIL. The teachers will work with you to coordinate a mutually convenient time to meet. Please keep in mind that spots typically fill very quickly. If you would like an appointment, but all spots are filled, please reach out to your child's school counselor.
Spring Sports - Moving Forward!
Well, we have GREAT news for our 7th & 8th grade student athletes - we ARE moving forward with a spring interscholastic sports season! We have identified several area middle schools who would like to compete with us this Spring. Our Athletic Directors are in the process of working on the schedule and they are still finalizing all of the details. Here are the key points that everyone needs to know:
All participants will be required to have a sports physical (dated from June 1, 2020 or later) and complete the PIAA form. Since we did not have a traditional season in the Fall or Winter, the vast majority of athletes will need to do this now. If you submitted your PIAA form last Summer or in the Fall - we have it. Please do not wait until April to plan for a physical appointment. Athletes cannot participate, including for tryouts, without a physical and completed form. We are requesting that PIAA forms be submitted by Friday, March 26th (day prior to Spring Break) in order to ensure that athletes can participate on April 5th.
Students received a link on Friday in order to sign-up to tryout for a team. This participant list will be shared with the coaches who will begin communicating with athletes over the next few weeks. Parents - please check with your child before you complete this form on their behalf. Many students have already submitted the form.
Sports will begin AFTER Spring Break on April 5th. Additional details will continue to be shared with families.
Intramural activities for 6th grade students will also resume after Spring Break. More information about the Spring offerings will be shared in the coming weeks.
Autism Awareness T-Shirts Now on Sale!
The Penncrest High School TOPS Shop is sponsoring a district-wide sale of customized t-shirts in support of Autism Awareness. Each school has a unique design and all proceeds will be donated to Easter Seals and the Philadelphia Eagles Autism Awareness Foundation. We will have a school-wide day designated for students and staff to wear blue in support of Autism awareness. The t-shirt will be perfect for this day - as well as for Kindness Week that will be celebrated in April. The deadline to place an order is March 14th.
March is Middle Level Education Month!
We are excited to share that the Month of March has been designated as Middle Level Education Month. As the sign says when you enter our campus this month, Amazing things happen in the middle! Did you know that Springton Lake Middle School holds the prestigious designation as being a Pennsylvania and National School to Watch? We are incredibly proud of our school and feel honored for the opportunity to work with the young adolescents in our community. As a fun spotlight this month, we are featuring a daily segment on The Spartan Scoop where our teachers are sharing one of their middle school memories!
Car Line - Drop-off & Pick-up
With an increase in students attending in-person, we have noticed a corresponding increase in traffic on campus. In order to keep traffic flowing in an efficient manner, please help us by doing the following:
1. Follow the direction of staff who are stationed outside.
2. Pull as far down as possible along the sidewalk.
3. Your child should be ready to exit the car in the morning when you arrive to the front of the building. Students should do so quickly and wherever the car stops along the front sidewalk.
Thank you for your cooperation.
PTG Meeting
The next PTG meeting of the school year will be held on Tuesday, March 9th at 7:00 PM. Everyone is invited to attend. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. In addition to this month's PTG business, the Administrative Team will be on hand to answer any questions about the transition to increased in-person instruction.
Support Our School with Rx Fundraising
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.
8th to 9th Grade Transition & Course Selection
The process of transitioning our current 8th grade students to Penncrest High School for next year is now underway! Mrs. Gilroy will be visiting each student's Language Arts class to facilitate the course request process. Students need to come to these sessions ready to enter their course requests - this includes challenge levels for each course and elective choices (+ an alternate). Mrs. Gilroy shared this meeting schedule with students in Schoology. Parents should continue to refer to email communication from Mrs. Gilroy. For more information, please visit the course selection page on the Penncrest website. Additional questions about the course selection process or the Penncrest academic program may be directed to:
Mrs. Gilroy - 8th Grade School Counselor
Mrs. Eaton - 9th Grade School Counselor
Mrs. Sweeney - Penncrest High School Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs
Reminder - Lunch is FREE!
Don't forget that the Rose Tree Media School District has been approved to provide FREE meals - breakfast and lunch - to ALL students!
- ALL students under the age of 18 are eligible for the program.
- Participation in the free meal program helps to sustain the Food Services Department (and staff) in the Rose Tree Media School District.
- Participating in this program does not take away from any other family's ability to also participate.
- The USDA will reimburse the Rose Tree Media School District for the meals provided from monies that were not used last year.
- For more information, please contact Becky Smith in our Food Services Department.
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 March 1st
Check our this week's editions of The Spartan Scoop.
Positive Messages in the Hallway
#KindnessMatters
Recess
Sun + warmer temps - snow = Great day for recess!
Still Delivering Student of the Month Awards
Congratulations!