SPARTAN SCOOP

October 1, 2023

From Mrs. Smith......

Good evening!

The generosity of the Schmucker family is amazing. Thank you so much for the dress up day donations to the PHM Foundation. It is appreciated.

Have your kiddos told you about PBIS Rewards and all of points they are earning for setting the bar high, for making a difference, and for showing respect??? They are clearing our our Sparty Store. They have a laundry list of things that they have asked to have in the store. If you are willing to add any of these new items to the store, they can be dropped off in the school office.

Stanley Cups, Nike Socks, Lulu Belt Bag, Portable phone charger, Tiny Mini Fridge, Blanket hoodie, Hydroflask, Bluetooth Speaker, Legos, Store Gift, Cards, Mini Polaroid Cameras,

Playstation/xbox gift card, Rubiks Cubes and Fidgets, Sketch Books, LED lights, Football, and

Drones.

Our PBIS focus for next week will be KIND words. It is so empowering to hear one student be kind to another who may be having a bad day or struggling. It is so important to our school community that we are teaching our students about the power of the words that we use. Derogatory or negative talk is not ok at Schmucker Middle School. We set the bar high!

SPARTY UP!

National Test Alert

Please be aware that a nationwide FEMA and FCC National Alert test is planned for Wednesday, October 4th at 2:20 pm. The backup date is October 11. The purpose of the test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. Please see the information in the link below.

https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230803/fema-and-fcc-plan-nationwide-emergency-alert-test-oct-4-2023

Lunch Grace Period has Ended

The six week grace period to fill out a lunch application form, if you need assistance in paying lunch fees, has ended. Students are accumulating balances as of last Wednesday. Please make sure you fill out the application below if yo need that assistance.

Lunch Application Form

Sixth Grade Social

The 6th grade Social is October 27, 2023 from 4:00pm to 5:30. Mark your calendars. More info to follow.

Student Led Conferences

Mark Your Calendars

Student Led Conferences are October 16th and 18th. This is an opportunity for your student to highlight their successes so far this year. Teachers will be there to answer questions as well. We are asking for students who have a last name that starts with the letters A thru L join us on Monday, October 16 and students who have a last name that starts with the letters M thru Z join us on Wednesday, October 18. More information to come, but we thought we would share the dates.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to teachers prior to SLCs if you have questions or issues.

Washington DC Sign-Up

Twenty-six day countdown to register for the 8th Grade Washington, D.C. field trip! Interested families may register their student on HemisphereTravel.com by Wednesday, October 18. If anyone might have questions, please contact Mrs. DuBois or Mr. Reininga.

Attendance Matters

Intramural Clubs

October Clubs

Must have REGISTERED MY ATHLETE Filled out!!

Link: https://www.registermyathlete.com/login/

Soccer

Tuesdays:

When: 8:00 AM to 8:50 AM

Where: Gym (Will pick you up at the main office at 8:00 AM)

Teacher: Colleen Gish

ART

WEDNESDAYS:

When: 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Where: Art room (room 244)

Teacher: Samantha Hammel

Cooking

Thursdays:

When: 8:00 AM to 8:50 AM

Where: Cafeteria (Will pick you up at the main office at 8:00 AM)

Teacher: Melissa Grover

Novel

Fridays:

When: 8:00 AM to 8:50 AM

Where: Room 208 (Will pick you up at the main office at 8:00 AM)

Teacher: Colleen Gish

Open Gym

Fridays:

When: 7:30 AM to 8:50 AM

Where: Gym (Come in Door L by gym at 7:30 AM)

Teacher: Karl Black

PHM Community Connections Fair

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s ENL Services’ is sponsoring the District’s Community Connections Fair October 7th from 10 am-1 pm at Schmucker Middle School

56405 Bittersweet Rd., Mishawaka. This event is FREE and open to all families.

There will be community resources, activities for kids and families, and music and dance performances. Come check out what the Mishawaka, South Bend, and Elkhart communities have to offer to your families!

The fair will also include cultural performances from P-H-M students and families.

SMS Daily Schedule 2023-2024

THE MORE YOU KNOW!

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Give Back with Amazon Smile

Please look for Schmucker Middle School in Amazon Smile. With all of our online shopping, it's an effective way to easily give back to our SMS PTO.

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Box Tops for SMS

Box Tops are going digital! Simply download the Box Tops app from the Apple app store or Google Play. Create an account for yourself & associate it with Schmucker Middle School!

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Approved PE Shirts

Please remember that shirts from last year and this year are acceptable for PE! You can buy a shirt at the Back to School Walk Around for $10 cash.

Commonly Used Links and Information

Continued Focus on the Indiana Academic Standards

Knowing there is dialog around the state about the Indiana Academic Standards, we continue to follow the direction of the Indiana Department of Education and Dr. Jenner as provided in this letter. If you have any concerns about your child's education, please work with your child's teacher for clarification or reach out to me at anytime!

Questions? Please see the assigned staff at each site to help answer your questions.

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Safety Update: How Can Parents Monitor On-Line Activity

Parents,

Families have the option of receiving weekly emails outlining your students online activity while using Chromebooks. This online service is free and it gives parents an opportunity to maintain a safe learning environment at school and at home. Please click on the attached links to learn more about how Securly can help you.

Click to read and download a copy of the parent letter that provides step-by-step instructions on how to set up your Securly Parent Portal.

SAFE SCHOOL HELPLINE

If you see something, hear something, say something! The Safe School Helpline is a convenient, confidential way for anyone to report information about situations that might affect safety at any P-H-M school or building. You can call the number any time of the day or night to report concerns about unsafe or potentially disruptive activities or situations including drug or alcohol abuse, weapons, harassment, bullying or threats. All calls are completely confidential.