Smithsburg Middle School

Dear Smithsburg Students and Families,

It's hard to believe that October is here and summer is now behind us. We want to thank all of you who attended the Back-to-School nights to make it a successful evening. We are off to a great start with many activities and events already in the books; The Steam & Craft show parade, our first PBIS activity, picture day, first activity night, and more. I have noticed most students taking their iPads home which is great, please consider the ipad coverage for $15 in case of an accident (payable at myschoolbucks.com).

Looking ahead, the interims for our first marking period will be available on October 13th. We have our SGA coordinating a canned food drive this month so please send in those cans! Also, we have two activity nights, a 6th grade WEB dance, red ribbon week, and our band students are participating in two parades!

One key to the historic success here at Smithsburg Middle School is the partnership between the school and the home. We are here to teach your children the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in the 21st century. Please do not hesitate to contact any teacher if you have items to discuss pertaining to the success of your child in our school.

I look forward to working with you and your children. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Matt Hoffman

Principal SMS

The PTSA would like everyone to consider joining the PTSA, our membership drive is in full swing. A membership form will be coming home soon.

Also watch for our upcoming Pride Wear sale flyer, where you may order T-shirts, hoodies, etc.

We welcome everyone to our next meeting on Nov. 6, 2017 at 6 p.m. in the Media Center.

Please keep clipping those Box Tops! This is an easy way to raise funds for the school.

Remember to like us on Facebook, Smithsburg Middle PTSA and for text updates, text @af4b8d to 81010

Congratulations to September’s Super Digital Citizens!

6th Grade Team Winner: Aria Ward

7th Grade Team Winner: Zac Cave

8th Grade Team Winner: Rhyan Day Lloyd

UARA Team Winner: Layla Dorsey

These students were all nominated by their teachers as September’s Super Digital Citizens. Super Digital Citizens are those students who use their technology safely, responsibly, and creatively or go above and beyond to help others with technology issues. All winners receive a $15 dollar gift card and will be recognized at the STARs Ceremony.

News you can use from the Counseling Center!

Happy Fall to all! We are excited about the great start to the school year at Smithsburg Middle School. We have already been to each classroom in 6-8th grade to meet and greet our students and show them how to best contact a counselor when they need one. Each student has a google classroom for their grade for the counseling center where they will receive important information from their school counselor.

We have a new counselor this year,Julie Holsinger, who has experience in elementary through High school. She is a welcome addition to our team and she has all 8th grade students and 7th grade students with last names N-Z. Mrs. Doak has all of 6th grade and 7th grade students with last names A-M. Our doors are open to welcome students and parents. We look forward to working with all of our students this year through classroom lessons as well as small groups and individual counseling.

Our small groups and lunch bunch’s will be ongoing throughout the year covering topics such as friendship, social skills, organization/study skills, anger, anxiety, grief, and much more. We emphasize to all students that groups are for everyone and participating does not indicate a problem. Groups are structured and goal focused. Students learn important life skills that enhance their ability to succeed academically and socially as well as cope with stressful situations.

We are excited for our upcoming field trip to Washington County Technical High School for 8th grade students who have indicated an interest in their programs to us through an interest survey. Our field trip to TECH High is on October 23rd where students will have a tour of the Fire & Rescue Academy, Criminal Justice and the Homeland Security programs and then travel to the TECH High campus to visit 17 different career and technology programs. We believe this is a great field trip to get out students thinking about their future because High school is right around the corner!

Please let us know if we can help your children in any way and do not hesitate to call, email, or stop by to talk.

Best wishes for a great school year,

Stacy Doak -301-766-8363 doasta@wcps.k12.md.us

Julie Holsinger -301-766-8364 holsijul@wcps.k12.md.us

STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS Advisor for this year’s Student Council: Mrs. Lisa Waters WaterLis@wcps.k12.md.us

Friday’s are SMS Pride Days

Important Dates

· October 2nd - October 27th - Kids Helping Kids Food Drive

Smithsburg Middle will be collecting nonperishable food items to be donated to the Maryland State food bank for distribution to Community soup kitchens, pantries, & or shelters. Food items will be collected during Homerooms, & the winning Homeroom will receive SMS bags & gift cards! The winning grade level will receive extra Rec time at lunch. Top schools will receive $100 for books!

· Thursday, October 12th - Student Council Meeting @ SMS

There will be a Student Council Meeting @ Smithsburg Middle in Mrs. Waters’ room after school from 3:30 to 4:30. All members must attend! See Mrs. Waters if you absolutely cannot attend. Red Ribbon/Drug Free Week Activities will be planned; this year’s theme is “Your Future is Key, so Stay Drug Free!” All students are encouraged to participate during the week of October 23rd- 27th. Please listen to the morning announcements for details. The school dress code must be followed! No Halloween Costumes Allowed!

· Friday, October 13th - SGA Activity Night

Student council is sponsoring an Activity Night from 6:30-8:30 pm. The admission is $5.00 and includes snacks and drinks. Basketball, a movie, karaoke, and other games will be provided. Student council Members are encouraged to bring desserts; cookies, brownies, etc.… Ten parent volunteers are ABSOLUTELY needed in order to make this night a success! Please contact Mrs. Lisa Waters, Student Council sponsor, at WaterLis@wcps.k12.md.us or at 301-766-8353.

FYI: Nomination forms are available for any 6th grade student who is interested in Student Council. Nomination forms are due to Mrs. Waters by October 12th! Elections will be held in Homerooms during the week of October 16th!

The iTeam would like to host our first Parent Tech Night on October 13th, 2017 from 6:30-7:30. The intention is for parents to drop off students at Activity Night and stay for a portion of time to familiarize themselves with various technology applications their students are using in each subject area.

The focus of each Parent Tech Night will change with each Rec Night. The first session on Oct. 13th will focus on Digital Citizenship expectations at Smithsburg Middle as well as safe browsing tips at home. Parents are to bring their students' iPad to the session to access the Google Classroom where all information for the sessions will be posted. The second Parent Tech Night on October 27, 6:30-7:30, will be geared toward ELA applications.

Looking forward to seeing you on Oct. 13 for the Parent Tech Night. Remember to bring your student’s iPad.

iPad Coverage

WCPS provides an iPad, a protective case, charger, and district support for all students. All students are required to pay an iCoverage fee for the iPads, and have a parent-signed user agreement for the Responsible Use Guidelines.

iCoverage costs are $15.00 per student (yearlong) effective upon receipt for 2017-2018. If there are financial concerns due to hardship in the household, please contact the school counseling office or school administration. You may pay your technology fee online at myschoolbucks.com or at the front office. If paying at the front office please mark your child’s name and grade on the envelope.

WCPS iCoveage information will be sent home with your child and is also available on the WCPS website. November 11, 2017 is the last day for iCoverage enrollment. Please let us know if you have any questions.

2017 – 2018 SMS Archery Team

The SMS archery team coaches will be holding a meeting for any students that are interested in joining the SMS NASP Archery Team. This includes any students in grades 6-8 and current archery team members. The meeting will be after school on Thursday, October 5th from 3:45 – 4:15pm. Please have a ride immediately after the meeting.

We look forward to meeting new archers and building a strong archery team for 2017-2018. See you Thursday!

Coach Nystrom and Coach Greszler

We’re Having A Book Fair

October 9th – 13th

Family Night – Wednesday, October 11th, from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Smithsburg Middle School’s Fall Book Fair is heading your way! During the week of October 9th, all students will be visiting the book fair in the Library Media Center through their Language Arts classes. While at the fair, students will be given a chance to look at the books and other items. Starting Wednesday, Oct 9, students will be permitted to visit the fair a second time only if they plan to purchases items.

A “Family Night at the Book Fair” is planned for Wednesday, October 11th from 5:00 pm to 7:00pm. This event is held in the Library Media Center. The Family Night allows parents and other family members to visit the fair and buy books. All proceeds from the fair are used towards improvements in the library such as new books and supplies.

So mark your calendars now and join us at the Scholastic Book Fair.

Mrs. Aughinbaugh

Library Media Specialist

Free Paperback Book

Volunteers are needed to help at the upcoming book fair during the week of October 9th through October 13th . Monday and Tuesday, a volunteer is needed to help straighten racks after classes have looked through the fair. Wednesday through Friday, volunteers are needed to act as cashiers. Anyone who volunteers at least two hours during the book fair will receive a free paperback from the fair worth up to $6.99.

To volunteer, call Mrs. Aughinbaugh at 766-8357 and leave your name and phone number.

WEB's Pumpkin Party & Harvest Hodown

Friday, 10.13 until 5:00

The SMS WEB leaders will be sponsoring a Pumpkin Party & Harvest Hoedown for the 6th Grade students on Friday, October 13th, 2017. It will be held after school until 5:00 pm. All students who do not walk home must be picked up by 5:00 pm.

This event will include a DJ, line dance off, lasso competition, pumpkin-themed decorating station, crafts, prizes and refreshments. The cost is only $1.00. Please keep in mind this is for 6th grade students and their WEB leaders only.

We hope to see you there!

The Smithsburg Middle School Faculty Honors Organization will sponsor the next Activity Night on Friday, October 27th, 2017 from 6:30 to 8:30. Any child that is a student at Smithsburg Middle School may attend Activity Night. Admission is $5.00 and includes drinks and snacks. We have several fun activities that include: open gym, foosball, air hockey, billiards, Wii, Cornhole, lawn size Jenga, and Karaoke. The cost of the Activity Night is $5.00 and includes snacks. All proceeds go to the Faculty Honor Award Program.

Please keep in mind that if students have not returned the permission letter regarding head injuries that they will not be permitted to enter the gym.

If you are able to help chaperone please contact Mrs. Izat (Izatlyn@wcps.k12.md.us). Persons who would like to donate a snack or baked good please contact Mrs. Reed (Reeddaw@wcps.k12.md.us). You can also contact either Mrs. Reed or Mrs. Izat by calling the school at 301-766-8353.

A note from the Registrar..

One of the responsibilities of the Registrar is maintaining academic records for all students who attend Smithsburg Middle School. This responsibility includes maintaining the integrity of the information that we have on file for each student. All of this is very important when it comes to being able to contact the parent in case of an emergency or to mail information home. We do occasionally send home emails/text messages notifying parents of upcoming events or requirements. So with that being noted, please take some time to visit the ParentVue link on the wcpsmd.com website and make sure that your information is correct.

If you have changed your address, or it differs from what you see in ParentVue, please know that you are required to provide an updated Proof of Residency for the student record. The following forms are acceptable for this documentation:

· Lease (including signature page) or mortgage bill/statement

· Utility bill (water/sewer/gas/electric/oil)

· Real estate tax bill/statement

· Deed, Title or Settlement sheet (including the signature page)

Residency documentation must include the custodial parent/guardian’s name, address and date. Current residency documentation must be provided for each change of address, even within the county. This documentation can be dropped off in the front office during the regular school day.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school.

A HUGE Thank You to Mr. Twigg for supplying the flags so the FFA Could place them in remembrance of 9-11!

The FFA is selling movie tickets and popcorn/ soda tickets to Leitersburg Cinemas each cost $6.75 and all profits go the FFA .

This month we will be re-potting plants and planting inside stuff for the holidays.

Our meeting dates for October are 2nd 9th 16th 23rd and 30th

7:30 to 8:20 Breakfast will be served~ Everyone is welcome!

Your child is invited to take part in our Academic Extension program at Smithsburg Middle School. Our Academic Extension program provides students with support from Smithsburg Middle School teaching staff twice a week.

Support will consist of; completing current coursework(homework,classwork, projects) as well as support for critical learning skills. Our program will be held every Tuesday & Thursday from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. in the Media Center.

Transportation is required at the conclusion of each session. If you would like your child to participate please see the front office for a permission slip. Please call 301.766.8353 with any questions or concerns you may have.

Paint Nite to benefit the National Junior Honor Society

Friday, November 17th 7pm

Location - Smithsburg Middle School

There will be no alcohol served at this event-Middle School/High School students are welcome with an adult chaperone. When registering online, please disregard the age statement.

Register online at -

https://www.paintnite.com/events/_10017082

https://www.paintnite.com/events/bridge-in-the-fall-at-smithsburg-middle-school-10017082

Smithsburg Midlle School ID# 20164

Dear Parents:

Welcome back to the start of a new school year and to a new year of A+ School Rewards!

Beginning October ­­6, 2017, Smithsburg Middle School – ID#: 20164 has the opportunity to participate in and earn CASH from A+ School Rewards, a great fundraising program run through your local Martin’s!

PLEASE NOTE:

You DO NOT need to re-register your card if your school selection(s) remains the same as last year.

To participate beginning September 11, 2017:

· Visit www.martinsfoods.com and select Savings & Rewards. Follow the prompts to create your online account. You’ll need your 11-digit BonusCard® number and the School ID #.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR BonusCard® NUMBER CALL 1-888-562-7846 OPTION #1

To earn points:

· Use your registered BonusCard® each time you shop at Martins, and you will earn CASH for our school. You can track the number of points you are earning for our school by checking your grocery receipt.

· At the end of each month, your points are calculated and converted to CASH rewards. These CASH rewards for our school are updated monthly. You can track our progress when you sign in to your online account.

· Our school will receive one CASH awards check at the end of the program and can use this cash for any of our educational needs.

Also, please encourage your family members and friends to support our school. This could result in more CASH REWARDS!

Thank you for supporting our school.

Sincerely,

SMS Staff

All students have an established debit account. This account was automatically created when your child was enrolled in school. Your child will access his or her account by entering their school “ID” number into a keypad. This number is specific to your child and will stay the same throughout the remaining years your child is enrolled Washington County Public Schools. Although the system still has the ability to accept cash/check payments, advance payments do reduce the risk of loss or theft of cash and checks.

When your child accesses their account, a student photo appears on the screen, which allows for positive identification. As a safety precaution, any allergy information that has been reported to the FNS office also shows up on the account screen. This allows our staff to assist in protecting your children. Money is only deducted from an account when a student uses the account to purchase meals and/or ala carte items. When an individual account is accessed, the system knows automatically the student’s status (full pay, free, or reduced cost) and charges the account accordingly with utmost confidentiality. The system also allows you to limit this money to meals purchases only. However, you must notify the school cafeteria, as all accounts were created to allow ala carte purchases.

PREPAY ONLINE

We are able to take deposits for student accounts on-line through our software provider, Myschoolbucks.com. Setting up your child’s on-line account is quick and easy.

There is no limit on the amount of money that can be deposited into a debit account at one time. You may deposit payments on-line 24/7 using your Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Check Card or E-Check. There is a $1.95 service charge per transaction. One transaction can be used to deposit funds into multiple student accounts. Money deposited on-line before 6:00 am will normally be available that same school day.

Menu Prices

• Regular Breakfast - $1.55
• Middle School Lunch - $2.60
• Visitor Lunch - $4.10

Attendance Reminders:

• Please report to the Attendance office if you are late to school.
• All early dismissals require a parent/guardian note.
• When returning from an absence, please provide a parent/guardian note to the front office.

Thank you!

Congratulations to September’s Super Digital Citizens!

6th Grade Team Winner: Aria Ward

7th Grade Team Winner: Zac Cave

8th Grade Team Winner: Rhyan Day Lloyd

UARA Team Winner: Layla Dorsey

These students were all nominated by their teachers as September’s Super Digital Citizens. Super Digital Citizens are those students who use their technology safely, responsibly, and creatively or go above and beyond to help others with technology issues. All winners receive a $15 dollar gift card and will be recognized at the STARS Ceremony.