SPARTAN SCOOP

September 24, 2023

From Mrs. Smith......

Good evening!

Another great week last week at Schmucker.

We had our first PTO Board Meeting. What a great community of parents trying to make lasting memories for our staff and students. They work tirelessly to support the teachers, staff, and students. They make it look easy, but I know they would love your support. Our next meeting is October 19, 2023 at 4:15 in the Schmucker IMC. You can also help by making a donation to the Schmucker PTO. (Link can be found at the bottom of the page to make a donation.)

It was a great evening for 8th grade Girls Volleyball on Thursday. We had a small celebration for our 8th grade girls who are ending there career here at Schmucker. Cross Country is finished up their season this past weekend at Big 11. What a great turn out this year. Football will have it's last 8th Grade home game on Tuesday. All teams have made an IMPACT.

College Go Week and PHM Homecoming are this week There are "dress up" days this coming week and students can pay $1 to dress up. The money will go to support the PHM Foundation. Please support the PHM Foundation by sending in a larger donation that $1 with your student. The advisory class that collects the most money will have some donuts delivered to their class on Monday, October 2, 2023. There is more information below.

I cannot tell you how impressed I have been with the teachers and staff members at Schmucker. They are truly making an IMPACT and are giving it there all.

SPARTY UP!

College GO Week

College GO Week is THIS WEEK and we have some information to share with you. As a reminder, our spirit week aligns with the Penn Homecoming spirit days. We will collect a minimum $1 for students to dress up and participate in the fun. This donation will go to the PHM Foundation. The PHM Foundation supports students by offering teachers grants to use in their classroom. The advisory that collects the most money will get a donut party.

MONDAY

Spirit week begins with BEACH DAY

TUESDAY

CONCERT/MUSICIAN DAY

WEDNESDAY

JERSEY DAY

THURSDAY

DECADES DAY - 6th grade - 60's; 7th grade - 70‘s; 8th grade - 80‘s; Staff - 90‘s

FRIDAY

NEON DAY

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.

#PHMExcellence

Within just one month of the start of the school year, Penn High School has received it's third straight recognition for providing academic excellence. On Thursday, September 15, Penn was named a 2023 Cognia® School of Distinction for excellence in education based on its 2022–23 Accreditation Cognia review. Penn has participated in Cognia’s rigorous, research-based Accreditation Engagement Review. The process involves a third-party review of evidence by education experts, interviews, and classroom observations. The review evaluates institutions and seeks evidence of growth in learning, a healthy culture for learning, engaging and high-quality instructional environments, and effective leadership for learning. Click here to learn more about Penn's latest distinguished recognition.

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

PHMEF P-H-M Homecoming

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.