SRMS Updates, November 16, 2023

Good afternoon, Sandy Run Families,

This was such an exciting week of school as we entered into the second marking period. Students' report cards are currently available in Infinite Campus. If you have questions about grades, please contact your child's teacher. This week saw lots of highlights: we hosted our November PBIS kickoff assemblies that discussed how Effort can look at Sandy run and the benefits of continuously doin the best that we can as individuals; the winter sports season was underway as the Girls basketball team had a few competitions and are looking strong early on; students are working through their final preparations for next week's Turkey Trot through their PE classes; and so much more.

As a reminder, we have early dismissals next week; students will be dismissed at 11:45 Monday-Wednesday of next week. Please see the updates below for some important and exciting opportunities. Have a great end to the week!

Sincerely,

Dan Ortiz

IMPORTANT LINKS:

• SRMS Website
• SRMS Athletics

Parent Teacher Conferences

• Fall parent/teacher conferences will take place on Monday, November 20, and Tuesday, November 21 after the half day of school. The teachers are currently inviting parents to conferences on a case-by-case basis based on student needs. Parents who do not receive an invitation to a conference should not feel obligated to schedule one. At the secondary level, we do not expect or require every family to sign up for - or need - a conference, especially as many meetings, emails, and phone calls take place periodically throughout the year in addition to the real-time updates in Schoology.
• If interested, please click this link to sign up. Please note in 8th grade the student is encouraged to attend their meeting with you.
• If you have any questions or need help scheduling, please contact Ms. Tona Morrow in the Guidance Office at tmorrow@udsd.org, or your child's school counselor. If the timing of conferences does not work out, please contact your child's school counselor to make other arrangements.

Our Annual Speak Up!

• This event is scheduled for Thursday, November 30th at 6:30 PM. This is a unique opportunity for our students and the adults in their lives, both at home and at school, to talk about the topics that the students think are the most important. This year's topics are: Relationships; Mental Health; Self image/Body image; Discrimination and Prejudice.
• Each family member should register separately. Registration takes a minute or two. Here is the link.If you have any questions, please contact the guidance office:6th grade- Josh Meyer: jmeyer@udsd.org;7th grade- Margie Scherzer: mscherze@udsd.org;8th grade- Kathi Babin: kbabin@udsd.org

SRMS Directory

• Please order your 2023-2024 Directory. You can get the directory Electronically, as a Hard Copy Booklet or Both!!! All funds help support the SRMS PTO! Click HERE to Order your directory today!!

Be a Part of the Conversation Thursday Nov 9

• Be a Part of the Conversation equips families and communities in Pennsylvania with skills and resources to understand substance use, addiction, and related health issues. Thanks to the Upper Dublin Education Foundation, UDSD has hosted various events and coming next week, the School District of Springfield Township is offering an online opportunity for parents on Alcohol: A Rite of Passage? Registration is linked here.

UDSD Food Service Updated Information

• For menus, FAQ's, news and more- visit the UDSD Food Service Department website at https://sites.google.com/udsd.org/foodservices/home. Our FAQs are updated with tons of news and guidance. Please join us on Wednesday Nov. 15th for our Thanksgiving Meal. We are thankful for you!

Student Council Thanksgiving Food Drive

• Thanksgiving is just around the corner. While it is a time for families to gather, it can also pose a burden for some. If your family could use some help, please let your child's counselor know and they will arrange for the holiday food for your family.
• We are also thrilled to announce that our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive will start next Monday, November 6th and run through to the following Wednesday, November 15th. You can view the attached document, which will list what each class is collecting or the food drive and where the items can be dropped off. These are some tough times we live in and they have been especially difficult on a number of our Upper Dublin families and the surrounding communities. The Food Drive is a wonderful way to give back and help those in need during this Thanksgiving season. All donations will be shared with our Sandy Run families and other local organizations offering assistance to those smiles who need some extra Thanksgiving support. Should you have any questions or be a family in need, please contact one of our school counselors below: 6th grade: Josh Meyer: jmeyer@udsd.org; 7th grade: Margie Scherzer: mscherze@udsd.org; 8th grade: Kathi Babin: kbabin@udsd.org

Eliminating Hunger Campaign

• We are asking families to join us in taking action for the Eliminating Hunger Campaign by compiling Full Belly Bags for kids who are at risk for food insecurity. We will be collecting the bags in the front office at SRMS from 10/17 through 10/26. To find out more information about this service project please read this flyer and view the video using the QR code that briefly explains the project.

SpeakUp!- Parenting Adult Coffee on Social Media

• We're offering an in-person coffee flyer on Friday, November 10th and a virtual coffee flyer on Wednesday, November 15th.

Steel City Codes Philadelphia

• Steel City Codes Philadelphia is a nationally-reaching nonprofit organization with the aim to bring free and accessible computer science education to children in grades three (3rd) to eight (8th). Recently, Kevin Lim, a student at Upper Dublin High School, and Joshua Kim - two regional directors of Steel City Codes Philadelphia held a very successful online coding seminar in the months of September and October; three of our classes were also in-person at the Upper Dublin Public Library, where we tackled complex coding tasks with the young students.
• Due to the positive feedback another coding program throughout the months of November and December will be offered. The program schedule is below:

1. Wednesday, November 8th: Online lesson from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
2. Wednesday, November 15th: Online lesson from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
3. Wednesday, November 22th: Online lesson from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
4. Wednesday, November 29th: Online lesson from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
5. Wednesday, December 6th: Online lesson from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
6. Wednesday, December 13th: Online lesson from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
7. Wednesday, December 20th: Online lesson from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

• Please use this sign-up form.
• For more information, here is our organization's website: https://www.steelcitycodes.org/

CGRC Parent Programs

• Guiding Good Choices One Week Intensive ages 9-14: The group will meet Monday through Friday 11/13/2023 to 11/17/2023 from 6:00pm- 7:00pm. Parents meet each night without children, but the children join their parent during the 4th session for a discussion about peer pressure. Dinner will also be sent to families every night and incentives (gift cards) will be provided to the kids for participation. Flyer

• Strengthening Families ages 10-14 (2 Week Intensive):The group will meet on the following dates: Monday 11/27, Tuesday 11/28, Wednesday 11/29, Monday 12/4, Tuesday 12/5, Wednesday 12/6. Parent group and kid group meet at 6:00pm (they will need to be on separate devices) and the whole family meets together at 7:00pm. Dinner will also be sent to families every evening and incentives (gift cards) will be provided to the kids for participation. Flyer
• Strengthening Families ages 10-14 (2 Week Intensive): The group will meet on the following dates: Monday 12/11, Tuesday 12/12, Wednesday 12/13, Monday 12/18, Tuesday 12/19, Wednesday 12/20. Parent group and kid group meet at 6:00pm (they will need to be on separate devices) and the whole family meets together at 7:00pm. Dinner will also be sent to families every evening and incentives (gift cards) will be provided to the kids for participation. Flyer
• Through the Eyes of a Child (Ages 5-10): The group will meet every Thursday for 4 weeks beginning November 30th. Parents meet at 6:00pm and the children join them at 7:00pm for skill building and practice. Dinner will also be sent to families each Thursday evening and incentives (gift cards) will be provided for participation. Flyer
• Parent Therapist Connections (Any Ages): Parents of any age can join and bring topics that they would like to discuss. Groups are run by licensed therapists. Gift cards will be provided for participation! Flyer
• If you have families that you would specifically like to refer, just fill out this form https://forms.gle/18Cz6bAvagoeYSpTA and we will reach out to get them set up!
• Parents can register here: https://forms.gle/S1D5icc7APe2Nnvc9 or email me at smessina@cgrc.org or call 484-450-6266.

Everybody’s Theater Company

• We are pleased to announce The Spongebob Musical Youth Edition will be on November 18, 2023 @ 1pm and 4pm. See the Flyer for more information.

SRMS Yearbook

• It's time to order your Sandy Run Yearbook! Yearbooks are officially on sale starting at $35 see the flyer for more information. Be sure to have a copy of the memories of the 2023-24 school year. To order, click this link.

Email: dortiz@udsd.org
Website: https://www.udsd.org/o/srms
Location: 520 Twining Road, Dresher, PA, USA
Phone: (215) 576-3280
Twitter: @srmscardinals