Panther Press
September 1, 2022
Letter From the Principal
Hello Panther Families!
These first few weeks of school have been a success. It has been so wonderful to see our empty halls filled with students' smiling faces! We are excited to have our sports programs up and running without any restrictions this year. We invite all families to come and cheer on their student-athletes at any of our sporting events.
Safety is a high priority at Colonel Smith. We love seeing students safely traveling to school and following the crossing guard's instructions. We have also noticed students exhibiting safe behavior in our hallways, during lunch, recess, and transition periods. We do everything possible to keep your child safe while at school, and this wouldn't be possible without your support.
We have been experiencing a lot of unpredictable weather so far this year. We appreciate your patience and understanding with our delayed release process. We do our best to keep constant communication through our Remind app, so please check the app for any updates regarding weather and additional school information.
Thank you for all that you do. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to a fantastic year!
Principal Larson
Important Information
*REMINDER TO PARENTS*
Our schools athletics program requires that students have a physical and have a completed registration on Final Forms, our platform where all athletes register. Click Final Forms to register your student today.
Communication
Communication is key and we want you to stay informed! We utilize the Remind App to communicate with all our Smith families. You should have received an email with a link to sign up with Remind. Please download the app or sign up for the email messages so you do not miss any correspondence. The Remind App is available on Android in the play store and iOS devices in the app store.
Spirit Wear
Students may wear a “spirit” t-shirt with their uniform bottoms every Friday. It must be Colonel Smith Middle School apparel.
Student Uniforms
Please take time to review the Student Dress/Uniform Guidelines located in the student agenda and online. Please familiarize yourself with the policy.
Uniform Free Days
The last school Friday of each month will be a uniform free day. The next uniform free day for everyone is Friday, August 26th. Please refer to the website and monthly newsletters for future uniform free dates.
Lockboxes
CSMS has small lock boxes that were originally designed to hold an iPad. Their capacity is minimal. In the past the lockboxes filled up with trash, instead of school supplies. In addition, students would leave their lockbox unlocked, leaving their stored items accessible to anyone. Therefore, CSMS will not be utilizing the lockboxes this school year. With limited transition time between class periods this will be one less stop for students to make, helping them avoid being tardy.
Yard Sale
The CSMS Student Council and NJHS Clubs are sponsoring a yard sale on October 22nd during the Post-wide-Yard sale. We are looking for any items that you might be interested in donating to our fundraiser (furniture, toys, books, small electronics, unwanted household items, etc.). No clothing or shoes please. Donations can be dropped off at CSMS during the hours of 7:30am and 3:30pm. Thank you for your support!
PBIS
Our School is recognizing students who display positive behavior by using PBIS Rewards. PBIS Rewards stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and is a technology-based PBIS Management System. This system helps us with our behavior incentive program. You can learn about PBIS Rewards at their website (www.pbisrewards.com). Our students can earn rewards throughout the day by meeting our schools core values of being Safe, Respectful, Responsible, Kind, and Successful. These rewards are in the form of electronic points. They can redeem these points for privileges, tangible items, access to events, and other similar things. Our expectation is that we will see overall behavior improve throughout the school and that the number of referrals we have will decrease.
Yearbook
Do you take pictures of your friends at school events? Scan the QR Code to submit your pictures for consideration to be in the yearbook! There will also be a page in the yearbook featuring Smith students with their pets. Submit your pictures today!
August Student of the Month Recipients
Mapping it out...
Students working hard in 6th grade Social Studies with Mrs. Blocker.
Tardies
Being on time for school is essential to academic success. The school will be enforcing the following school policy in relation to student tardies: The only “excused” tardies are for appointments and the parent must sign the student into the office. All other tardies are unexcused including but not limited to: overslept, did not want to get up, had to eat breakfast, parents fault, etc.
1 - Warning to student
2 - Warning/first parent notification
3 - Second parent notification and lunch detention
4 - Lunch detention and parent notified – future tardies will require a parent sign in.
5 - Admin referral - Parent must sign in student before student attends class for all additional tardies until the end of the grading quarter.
- Tardies, like absences, are reported in our student management system and are a part of the student record.
School Lunch
We will not be offering free lunches this school year. Covid policies in the past permitted us to offer free school lunches, however, this year they have changed their policy. You may qualify for free or reduced lunches. Even if you think you may not qualify, we would appreciate you completing the form. These numbers help assist our school with state funding which in turn provides us more resources to help our amazing students. If you prefer a paper application, please contact our school office, and we will be able to provide one for you.
My School Bucks is the platform we use and you can create an account for your child on their website: My School Bucks
To fill out an application for free and reduced lunches please visit: My School Apps
School Hours
Daily Regular Hours - 7:50AM - 2:55PM
Early Release Thursday's - 1:50PM
Attendance
We would like to remind parents to contact the office by 8:00 a.m. if your child will be absent from school. It is important to have an accurate account of all students, even if your child will only miss a few minutes. You may reach the office at (520) 459-8892 or email linders@fhasd.org Please send a note with your student following an absence or email us for (required) documentation purposes. Thank you for your support regarding this important matter.
Important Dates
Holidays - No School
- September 2nd-5th: Labor Day
- October 7th-10th: Columbus Day
Events
- August 23rd Curriculum Night: 5PM-6:30PM
- September 15th & 16th: Parent/Teacher Conferences (Early Release @12:30PM, Lunch Served)
- September 29th: 40th Day of School
- October 6th: End of First Quarter
- October 31st: 1/2 day, No Lunch Served
Athletics
Girls Volleyball
Practice will run daily 3PM-4:30PM
Boys Cross Country & Girls Cross Country
Practice will run daily 3PM-4PM
*Friday's are family run days. Families are encouraged to join their athletes for practice. Please check the Remind app for any updates on sporting events and practices.
Fall Sports
Beginning at the end of September will be our fall sports. Those include Girls Softball and Boys Basketball. If your student is interested in either of these sports and has not yet completed a sports physical, please schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
Practice Makes Perfect
Our volleyball players are exhausted after all their hard work at practice!
From the Nurse
Donations appreciated:
Crackers
Healthy snack food for kids who are hungry
New girls underwear (all sizes)
Happy September,
This month we will be completing vision and hearing screenings. You will be notified if your students screening indicates a need for additional evaluation.
If you would like your student to self-carry medication, to include over the counter medication, please contact the health office for more information so that the proper paperwork can be completed to allow your child to do so.
Even though it is starting to get cooler out, it is still important to hydrate. Please ensure your child is bringing a water bottle to school. Our drinking fountains are open, but a water bottle allows them to sip throughout the class period.
Thank you,
Nurse Whipple
Back 2 School Dance
Our Back 2 School dance was a great success with over 190 students participating! Thank you to the PTO and all the volunteers and staff who came together to make this happen. We look forward to many more dances this school year!
From the Counselor
We want your child to be successful in school, and that means supporting and encouraging their whole development. While excelling in academic classes is important, students also need skills for learning challenges, making good decisions, handling strong emotions, and getting along with others.
For a second year, your child/student will have monthly lessons through our Second Step middle school program, which is a research-based social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum designed to improve students' social-emotional skills, such as emotion management, impulse control, problem solving, and empathy. Second Step skills and concepts are designed to help students both in and out of school. These include:
- Mindsets and Goals: Students learn how to develop a growth mindset and apply research-based goal-setting strategies to their social and academic lives.
- Recognizing Bullying and Harassment: Students learn how to recognize bullying and harassment, stand up safely to bullying, and respond appropriately to harassment.
- Thoughts, Emotions, and Decisions: Students learn how to recognize strong emotions and unhelpful thoughts, and then apply strategies to manage their emotions and reduce stress.
- Managing Relationships and Social Conflict: Students learn strategies for developing and maintaining healthy relationships, perspective-taking, and dealing with conflict.
If you have any questions about the Second Step middle school program, please don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Camps, the School Counselor, for more information at 520-417-8466 or campsj@fhasd.org. Thank you for your support as we continue to build a safe and supportive school community.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Camps
A Note From the PTO
PTO Meeting CSMS Library: September 12th @ 3:30PM
Julie & Sammy's Ice Cream Spirit Night: September 16th 3PM-7PM
Book Fair at CSMS: September 26th-30th
Please join our PT Board for the latest updates: http://csmspto.ptboard.com and follow us on
Facebook: Colonel Smith Middle School PTO
We Need You! Please consider joining and making a difference at our amazing school! We have many volunteer opportunities available. Thank you everyone for your support!
Resources for Military Families
Tutoring
Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families, is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, and is a program that provides on-demand, online tutoring and homework help at no cost to eligible service members and their dependents. With live, expert tutors available 24/7, military-connected students can receive academic help at their moment of need—anywhere they have an internet connection.
Bloom - Teen Empowerment
Bloom is the place you can find comfort and advice about everything military kid related: from moving tips to the top things to do at your duty station. You can also read posts from our featured authors, often other military kids who want to share their stories and connect with their community. They all offer a different perspective on military life. Bloom also highlights all the cool things military brats are doing around the world, like writing songs about their life and winning awards. Check out Bloom's website: https://www.bloommilitaryteens.org/
Moving?
Please contact the office at least one week prior to your move so we can get your students records prepared for a smooth transition.