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
November 12, 2021
THE FIRST MILE-MARKER...
Happy Friday, everyone! I hope that you are all doing well.
This week marked the start of the second-leg of our awesome journey through the 2021-2022 school year - the start of the second marking period. I have encouraged students to reflect on their work this marking period and to conduct an honest self-assessment as they set goals for the new marking period. In addition to a fresh start, students may be starting some new classes during their special areas blocks and during Core Extension.
Next week is American Education Week. This is typically a time when we invite parents to visit the building and to attend classes. We have also traditionally held our Thanksgiving luncheon for 6th grade students and families. Unfortunately, current conditions will not allow us to move forward with these activities as we would have liked. We apologize but appreciate your understanding.
Looking ahead, there will be NO SCHOOL for students from November 23rd through November 26th due to parent-teacher conferences and the Thanksgiving holiday. As has been our practice for the last several years, students will not have homework, projects, assignments, etc. to complete over the break. I'll speak to this in more detail next week.
In recognition of Veterans Day this week, I would like to thank all of those members of our Springton Lake family and school community who have served our country. We owe you a great deal for your service - THANK YOU!
As always, I appreciate you taking a few minutes to review the important information in this week's newsletter. Have a wonderful weekend!
1st MARKING REPORT CARDS
Report Cards for the 1st marking period will be published to Home Access Center (HAC) by late this afternoon. Please take a moment to access and review your child's report card. We strongly encourage you to include your child and to discuss with them their areas of strength and areas for future growth and improvement. If you have a question about a grade or comment, please contact the specific teacher directly.
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES - SIGN-UP NOW!
With the first marking period now complete, we are preparing for Parent-Teacher Conferences that will be held on Monday, November 22nd and Tuesday, November 23rd. 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 and, if so, please schedule a conference. If your child is thriving and they have had a successful first marking period, 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.
Mrs. Gilroy - 6th Grade School counselor
Ms. Judge - 7th Grade School Counselor
Ms. Howe - 8th Grade School Counselor
Life Skills – Ms. Neff & Ms. Rodgers
WINTER CONCERTS - IMPORTANT INFORMATION
We are pleased to share the decision that we will be moving forward with IN-PERSON, live concerts for the winter season. Our students have been working hard to master their concert repertoire, and they are eager to share what they have learned. Our music teachers will be communicating specific details about the performances, but I wanted to take a moment to let you know some of what you can expect:
- There will be no limitation on the number of family members who are permitted to attend the concerts.
- Everyone in attendance must be masked at all times in accordance with the RTMSD Health & Safety Plan.
- The school will not implement any social-distancing measures in the audience.
- For those unable to attend in-person, the concerts will be live-streamed.
- Prepare to be entertained - our students will be excited to have you in the audience!
The Turkey Trot is Back!
After taking a one-year break due to COVID-19, a longstanding tradition is returning to Springton Lake Middle School. That's right - the annual Turkey Trot is back for 2021. The Turkey Trot is a pre-Thanksgiving cross-country run across the Springton Lake campus that is open to all students. Students run with a partner - each doing a 1/2-mile leg of the race. This year's Turkey Trot will be held on Wednesday, November 17th from 3:15 PM to 4:30 PM. Sign-ups started today at lunch and will continue next week. The cost to enter is at least one canned good that we will donate to the Media Food Bank. The entire event, including the post-race awards and raffles, will take place outside. Parents are welcome to attend and cheer on our participants! Students needing transportation home may access one of our activity buses that will depart Springton Lake that afternoon at 4:30 PM.
Winter Sports
Registration for the Winter sports season is now underway. Middle school sports offered during the Winter season include basketball for boys and girls and wrestling. Earlier this week, I shared with students a form in Schoology for them to register. Students who would like to tryout for a team should complete the form as soon as possible. Informational meetings will be taking place as soon as next week and tryouts will begin after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Any questions about the sports program may be directed to our Athletic Directors:
Youth Truth Survey
As you probably know from previous communication that was sent to families, the Rose Tree Media School District will be administering the Youth Truth Survey to students, parents, and staff during the month of November. Students at Springton Lake completed the survey today during Core Extension. Parents will be receiving a specific communication from Mr. Harrison on Friday evening. The survey will remain open for one week until November 19th. The District has partnered with the national nonprofit, YouthTruth, to help us gather feedback about what we are doing well and how we can improve.
Spirit Wear Store - Order NOW for the Holidays
The PTG is sponsoring a spirit wear store - just in time for the holiday shopping season! The store features a wide array of items for everyone in the family - BROWSE THE STORE HERE. Orders must be placed by November 18th. Orders may be shipped directly to your home or you may opt for delivery to school. Questions about the spirit wear store may be directed to Michele Durkee.
Yearbooks Now On Sale
Yearbooks are now on sale and all students and parents are invited to share photos for possible use in this year's book!
To purchase a yearbook:
Pre-order for $25 through December 31, 2021. The cost increases to $30 as of January 1, 2022. Go to www.jostens.com to place your order. The only way to guarantee a copy of the yearbook is to pre-order.
To upload pictures:
User ID: 417955951
Be sure to include grade level, any names, and description of the photo. The deadline to submit photos is February 28, 2022.
PARENT-TEACHER GROUP
Membership & Dues - The PTG's budget is directly linked to our collection of dues from each family. Dues for this year are $15. Thank you to everyone who has already submitted dues. If you have not done so already, it's not too late. You may either pay using PayPal or you may send a check to school in an envelope marked PTG. You may also use the envelope that was included in the August Back-to-School mailing.
NEXT PTG Meeting - The meeting originally scheduled for Monday, November 15th @ 7:00 PM HAS BEEN MOVED to Wednesday, December 1st. The meeting will be held in-person in the Library.
FMFCU Excellence in Teaching Awards - Nominations Now Open!
Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union Foundation, in partnership with Delaware County Intermediate Unit (DCIU), is accepting nominations for the 2022 Excellence in Teaching Awards. The honor is bestowed upon 20 outstanding and innovative educators, who have made a positive impact through their work and dedication. Recipients of this award receive $1,000 towards classroom expenses and a commemorative keepsake. The recipient’s school also receives a $1,000 grant. A total of $40,000 will be awarded to schools and educators!
Anyone can nominate a deserving teacher—fellow teachers, past and present students, school administrators, family members, and friends. Nominations should be based on teacher performance during the current school year or on cumulative efforts throughout his/her teaching career.
Please consider nominating one of our AWESOME Springton Lake staff members! Nominations will be accepted online through 12/17/21.
FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE
With the onset of cold and flu season, we are seeing an increase in students on the absence list and those coming to school with COVID-like symptoms. Based on the Pennsylvania Department of Health current exclusion criteria, please keep your child home from school and get a COVID test if your child has:
ONE or more of the following:
- New cough, lack of smell or taste (without congestion), shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing,
OR TWO or more of the following:
- Fever (oral greater than 100 or temporal greater than 99.5), sore throat, chills, muscle pain, fatigue, headache, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea.
If your child has these symptoms, please keep them home and get a COVID test. If a student comes to the nurse’s office and meets the above criteria, they will be sent home and will require a COVID test to return to school. Please have a plan on how to pick your child up from school immediately if you receive a call from the school nurse.
Please note, if a student has a pending COVID test, they may not attend school until all results are back and negative. The exception to this is students who are fully vaccinated with a known exposure and who do not have symptoms. They may attend school while fully masked pending the results of their test. Home tests are not acceptable.
Additional Resources:
All District COVID-Related Procedures
Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions khartner@rtmsd.org