SMS Scoop
October 27, 2017
Join us for the Movie Night Dance - Nov. 3rd
The SMS Student Council invites all SMS students, staff, and parents to our SMS fall dance. "Movie Night" is the theme for the November 3rd event. It is going to be held at SMS from 6:30-9:00 PM. Admission is $3 unless you have turned in a drug-free pledge (by the end of school today). All students signing the drug-free pledge will be admitted free courtesy of the SMS SADD Chapter.
A concession stand will be open and snacks will be offered for a small fee. We will also be selling popcorn to raise money for Bree Brown! Bree is an SMS alum that is bravely battling Ewing Sarcoma. Your popcorn money will help her pay medical expenses. We will also have a photo booth. All photos are a dollar, but students that turned in at least $10 in the fUNdraiser will get their first photo free!
Here are some other rules that will help you enjoy the dance!
- The dance is for SMS students only, that attend school all day Nov. 3, and do not earn a detention or get removed from a class that day.
- The dress code is 'school casual.' All school dress code rules apply. 'Fancy clothes' are discouraged!
- Parent chaperones are needed! Parent training is at 6:15 that night in the cafeteria. Parents and guardians that want to chaperone should call SMS to sign up!
- 6th/7th entry doors will be the bus doors. 8th entry will be at the west PE hall door.
- Coats and bags can be stored in the Great Room. There will be no access to lockers.
- Dancers may possess phones at the dance but may not use them without permission from the administration.
- Food and drink must stay in the cafeteria.
- Safety is a priority. Dancers may not run, sit on the floor, or dance in any dangerous manner.
- Students may hold hands at the dance but may not show other forms of affection!
- All pick ups should be arranged for 9:00 PM. To ease traffic, cars with an 8th grader should use the office drive for east side pick up. Cars without 8th graders should use the bus drive for west side pick up.
Thanks to the Student Council, the SADD Chapter, and the Art Club for their collaboration in making this great opportunity available for our students! All grades are welcome, and be ready to dance and have fun!!
Bullying Prevention #2
The Powerful Role of the Bystander
A bystander is anyone who witnesses bullying or knows about it. Bystanders often think that if they do nothing they are staying neutral, but their role is actually very powerful. Depending on how they respond to the situation, bystanders can be part of the problem or part of the solution.
Bystanders make themselves part of the problem in several ways. One way is to instigate, or encourage, the bullying. This can include laughing or making further comments in the situation. Most bystanders watch and do nothing. Often they do not realize that this is contributing to the problem. It gives the bully the attention they want and sends a silent message of acceptance.
However, bystanders can be part of the solution. They can play a key role in preventing or stopping bullying. Sometimes they can intervene directly, by discouraging the bullying, defending the victim, or redirecting the situation away from bullying. This could include creating a distraction to interrupt the bullying and remove the person being bullied from the situation. Bystanders can also get help. This might be reporting to an adult or gathering support from peers to stand against bullying.
As parents, we can encourage our children to be helpful bystanders. Talk about ways to make a difference when they witness bullying. Share examples of how helpful bystanders have shown courage and made a difference in our own experiences. Tell students we support them, if and when they step forward and help.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Why don’t more bystanders help? Why do so many bystanders say or do nothing?
SMS Honored by Apple, Again!
Congratulations to all SMS students and staff for being recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2017-2019! This is the third time SMS has been honored with this prestigious award. We first were recognized for 2013-2015 and 2015-2017. Our most recent honor was based on our SMS: All In ibook that was submitted to Apple in August. The book featured our 2016 bicentennial project and our new Digital Literacy class.
A special thanks goes Mr. Hicks and Mrs. Copple for their contributions to the book. Thanks to our book creator, Miss Nass, and to our tech staff and all teachers that strive to maximize your learning experiences by incorporating the best digital activities. Thanks also to our school board and central administration for supporting our work. Congrats also goes out to Scottsburg High School and Vienna-Finley Elementary School, both first-time honorees in our district! This year, 174 schools were recognized by Apple. Yeah, SCSD2!!
Make No Mistake About It
If you ask most people what mistakes mean, they'll likely say that mistakes are bad, embarrassing, and therefore should be avoided. They'll say that mistakes make you look inept and they result in a bad grade.
But here's an alternative viewpoint, mistakes have value.
A growth mindset is a set of beliefs that you can get better at things if you think, practice, and persevere when it gets difficult. Whether it be tightrope walking, drawing, solving equations, or playing Call of Duty, you can improve if you spend the time, get some help/ instruction, and stay at it when it gets tough. "Staying at it" means that you don't stop when you mess up. You think about the error and try again!
When you are taking on challenging tasks (like many of the things we ask you to do in school), you aren't going to be perfect. You are going to make mistakes! You will be hearing more of an emphasis on mistakes in your classes over the next few weeks. You'll find out why in next week's Scoop!
fUNdraiser Ends Tuesday
Whenever you finish with your fUNdraising efforts, bring all of your donations to the SMS office. Mrs. Walsh will give you an envelope. You will write down your name and the total amount you collected. Thanks for having any checks made out to SMS and for having an idea about how much you are turning in to us!
Don't forget that your collections trigger incentives! Here is a quick review of our perks.
$10 - one free dance picture
$25 - one free dance pic and an ice cream social
$50 - pic, ice cream, and a custom spirit t-shirt
$100 - pic, ice cream, spirit shirt, and 'lunch date for two'
$150 - pic, ice cream, two spirit shirts, and 'lunch date for two'
$200 - pic, ice cream, two spirit shirts, crew sweatshirt, and 'lunch date for two'
'Lunch date for two' allows the student to select one friend and one fast food joint and the administration will deliver your lunch to you! Custom t-shirts and crew sweatshirt design choices are shown below.
AND- The top three fUNders will each earn Principal for a Day and the privilege to spend the day with Ms. Nass or Mr. Smith doing principalish things.
Data Reports - Take them home tonight!
If your parent was unable to attend either of our Parent-Student-Teacher Conference sessions, you have an extra job today! Your homeroom teacher will hand out your spring 2017 ISTEP+ results as well as your fall 2017 NWEA Progress Reports. These contain private information that should get to parents! It will be your job to deliver them home TONIGHT. Don't leave your reports on the floor, in your locker, in the trash, or in the bottom of your backpack. They are private. They go home tonight! Thanks.
News to Know!
Halloween
Tuesday, October 31st is Halloween. SMS does not celebrate Halloween at school. Please do not wear costumes or bring props on that day. Thank you!
Archery
Archery club will begin meeting on November 7th. We will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school in the east gym until 4:15. Whether you’ve been shooting for years or are interested in learning how, come join us. A sign-up link will be posted in the SMS Community starting Monday.
Winterguard
Do you like dance, music, movement, performance, hard work, and fun? If so, you may want to join the SMS Winterguard. Our Winterguard won a gold medal at last year's regional event and they are looking for dedicated boys and girls that want to learn about this great activity. The first Winterguard practice is Tuesday, November 7th from 3:30-6:30 in the SMS band room.
Next Week...
Mon. Oct. 30: A day, Spell Bowl 3-4, Science Olympiad 3-4:30
Tue. Oct. 31: B day, fUNdraiser due, Art Club (optional) 3-4, Robotics 3:30-5, Drama Club 3-4:15
Wed. Nov. 1: A day, Cross 7:45am, Builders' Club 3-4, Science Olympiad 3-4:30, Spell Bowl Competition!
Thu. Nov. 2: B day, Drama 3-4:15, Builders' Club New Member Installation 5-6 PM
Fri. Nov. 3: A day, School Dance 6:30-9 PM
Scottsburg Middle School
Email: knass@scsd2.k12.in.us
Website: www.sms.scsd2.k12.in.us
Location: 425 South 3rd Street, Scottsburg, IN, United States
Phone: 812-752-8926
Facebook: facebook.com/ScottsburgMiddleSchool/
Twitter: @ScottsburgMS