In the Middle

May 6 - Yearbook Order Deadline (Link below)

May 9 - RICAS Math

May 9 - Art Show (Details Below)

May 9 - PTO May Meeting

May 10 - Grade 8 Dance (grade 8 students only)

May 11 - Scituate HS Plant Sale

May 14 - NJHS Ceremony

May 15&16 - NGSA Science Test

As you are aware, our school community experienced a difficult loss this past week with the passing of our Director of School Counseling and Wrestling Coach, Mr. Casey. We extend our condolences to the Casey family, and all students, staff, and teachers who are working through this difficult time.

Mr. Casey dedicated himself to Scituate Middle/High School for the past five years, first as a school counselor before taking on a bigger role as our Director of School Counseling. He was also our head wrestling coach and played a crucial role in building our program up to where it is today. Mr. Casey connected with nearly every student in our school in some way. In a school community as close-knit as ours, his loss will continue to be deeply felt.

Please know that we are doing everything we can to support students, families, and the entire Scituate community during this time. We will return to our typical schedule this week, while ensuring that appropriate support is available. As we move forward, we want to remind everyone that we have support staff in place to assist students should they need to speak to someone. If you are in immediate need of support for your child or family outside of school hours, please call 911, Kids Link 1.855.543.5465 or seek assistance at an emergency room.

As soon as we hear of any services for Mr. Casey, we will share that with the entire community.

Thank you to all of our incredible teachers, faculty and staff who work so hard to ensure the needs of our students are met each day. This week, our PTO and school community members are planning to celebrate our team each day as we remind them of how important and appreciated they are in our SMS community.

Thank you for all you do every day!

Parents and students, do you know a Scituate teacher who has made a positive impact on your educational experience? If so, please consider completing this form by nominating someone who you feel deserves to be recognized.

If you’ve ever wanted to be a part of the school's decision-making processes,

please consider joining our School Improvement Team.

What is a School Improvement Team (SIT)?

A school improvement team (SIT) is a group of educators and other stakeholders who, in partnership with the school’s leadership, inform important governance decisions with a focus on improving student outcomes.

SITs play a crucial role in promoting a holistic integration of school operations necessary to support school change. SITs are designed to allow stakeholders to collaborate to better understand school problems and assess needs, set priorities for improvement, and recommend opportunities for change. Including a diverse group representative of the broader community on SITs, stakeholders can incorporate unique perspectives and experiences into improvement strategies.

Who can be a part of the SIT?

In Rhode Island, SITs are designed to include representation from educators, students, families, and community partners. This inclusive design ensures that diverse perspectives are voiced as key decisions are contemplated, and increases the likelihood that initiatives will be supported and implemented as designed.

What decision-making processes is the SIT a part of?

Under the Education Accountability Act of 2019, SITs have a more prevalent role in school decisions. In addition to the formulation of a school improvement plan, the team is tasked with the following: making recommendations to the principal for the development, implementation, and assessment of a curriculum accommodation plan, assisting in the identification of the educational needs of students, assisting in the preparation of the annual budget; and making recommendations for the hiring of personnel.

More information can be found here: RIDE SIT Guidance

If you are interested in being considered for the SIT, please feel free to contact Jennifer Goffe at jennifer.goffe@scituateschoolsri.net.

Our Middle School PTO is dedicated to building connections among parents, teachers, and staff to enrich the educational journey and create lasting memories for every student. Through effective communication, volunteering, and fundraising, we strive to foster a positive and inclusive environment that promotes academic success and a sense of belonging.

Our next general PTO meeting will be Thursday, May 9 at 7PM

in the SHS library or via zoom using the link below

PTO Board Nominations are open for 6th grade VP, 7th grade VP and 8th grade VP.

Please fill out the form (link below) by the deadline of April 30th.

Nominees will be announced at our May PTO meeting.

Voting will take place at our June meeting.

We are currently posting updates, reminders, and some artwork on our

Facebook and Instagram pages, along with some reels on our Tiktok pages.

Share with the whole family!

PTO Meetings are on the second Thursday of every month.

The next PTO meeting is in May 9th, 7-8:30PM in the SHS Library or virtually, using this link.

We would love to see you there!

SAVE THE DATE!

Our SMS 8th grade dance will be on May 10 from 6pm - 9pm at The Studios by FHHT.

Dance forms were handed out last week. Additional forms are in the office.

It is not too late to buy your tickets for the 8th grade dance.

Deadline to purchase ticket is Friday May 3, 2024

Please be aware that there is no need to buy prom-like attire for our upcoming 8th grade dance. Wear what you feel comfortable in and there is no need to buy new/fancy outfits.

Also please note the school's dress code policy above (exception: spaghetti straps are okay for dresses).

Monday 5/6 - 4:00pm Softball MS League vs. North Cumberland MS at Bentley Field

Tuesday 5/7 - 3:45pm Softball MS Game vs North Smithfield MS @ SHS Manning

Tuesday 5/7 - 4:30pm Baseball MS Game vs McCourt MS @ SHS Manning

Wednesday 5/8 - No Events

Thursday 5/9 - 4:45pm Softball MS Game vs. Gallagher @ SHS Manning

Friday 5/10 - 3:45pm Softball MS League vs Burrillville MS @ SHS Manning

Friday 5/10 - 4:15pm Baseball MS Game vs Mt. St. Charles @ SHS Manning

Saturday - No Events

Spring Practices are in session!

MS Baseball will meet in the Aux gym at 2:30 pm and practice will end at 4pm.

MS Softball will begin practice at 4:00pm and finish at 5:30pm.

MS Track practices will now be at the track after school until 4pm unless there is a meet.

Any questions should be directed to the coaches.

Baseball Scott Dumont Scottdum@gmail.com

Softball Ryan Zeolla tmryanz91@gmail.com

Girls Track Jennifer Borin jenniferborin@gmail.com

Boys Track Jay Borin jay.borin@gmail.com

Track Schedule

Monday - practice at the Track for those competing in Divisions. Pickup 4pm

Tuesday - practice at the Track for those competing in Divisions. Pickup 4pm

Wednesday - Division Meet at Ponoganset @ 4:30pm. Bus leaves at 2:30pm

Thursday - practice at the Track for those who qualified for States. Pickup 4pm

Friday - NO PRACTICE

*late bus available Tuesday & Wednesday

You must wear sneakers to practice.

Any questions please contact Jenn Borin at jenniferborin@gmail.com

The track team had their final regular season meet at Lincoln last week.

Shout outs for the following stellar performances:

• Maria S. won the Javelin
• Aliya H. won the Discus
• Chris D. won the long jump with a State qualifying jump
• Andrew B. qualified for States in the long jump
• Sophia L. won the 1500
• Jackson D. won the 1500 and qualified for States
• Oliver R. won the 400 and 800 with State qualifying times
• Chris D., Jackson D. Andrew B. and Oliver R. won the 4x400

Way to go Spartans! Good luck at Divisions on Wednesday!

URI Summer Coding Camp Information

TBD

Scituate Middle School 6th graders, along with 7th and 8th grade enrichment classes, participated in the Annual Scituate Reservoir Poster Contest this year. We are excited to congratulate these four students for being chosen to have their posters displayed in the 2025 calendar!

Addison G. - Middle School Grand Prize Winner!

Riley A.

Harrison N.

Sofia I.

These students will be presented with their certificates at the Water Festival on May 7th!

Congratulations!

Scituate HS is opening a new food pantry. Beginning on 4/29, they will be collecting canned goods. Please see Ms. Faccio in School Counseling of you have any questions. More details below.

As the warm weather approaches, we want to take a moment to reshare the SMS Dress Code from page 9 of the SMS Handbook:

SMS encourages students to dress in a way that is appropriate and respectful during the school day and at any school sponsored events. Student dress should reflect the school’s intentions to be inclusive of a diverse range of identities. The responsible parties for the way a student dresses lie in the hands of the student and their parent/guardian. Administration/Dean and faculty at SMS are responsible for making sure student dress does not interfere with student health and safety and/or positive and encouraging school atmosphere. Dress code enforcement will not discriminate against or increase marginalization of any group based on race, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, household income, or body type/size.. Therefore, certain guidelines are noted below:

General Principles of Student Dress:

• Clothing must cover all private body parts with fully opaque fabric.

• a shirt with fabric in the front, back, and sides under the arms.

• pants, jeans, or an equivalent clothing item (skirt, dress, shorts must be at least finger length).

• footwear must be appropriate and safe as deemed by the dean/admin.

• tank tops, given that strap thickness is less than 2 fingers in width.

• hoods or hats (unless documentation shows a medical or cultural reason for wear).

• halter tops.

• shirts which expose a student’s midriff.

• clothing with violent language or images.

• clothing with depictions of drugs, alcohol, or any illegal item/activity.

• clothing with hate speech, profanity, or pornography.

• clothing with images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment or adds distraction from the educational environment.

• clothing revealing undergarments.

• accessories that may be considered dangerous.

• any clothing item that covers the face or ears (unless otherwise allowed due to culture or medical reasons).

Enforcement of Dress Code

Interpretation of these rules shall be in the sole discretion of the administration/Dean. Enforcement of the dress code will only occur if a student is in violation of the policy set forth in this handbook.

When clothing is in violation, students will be asked to put on their own alternative clothing to be dressed according to code for the rest of the school day. If a student does not have their own alternative clothing, the school may provide temporary school clothing to adhere to the dress code for the remainder of the school day. In some cases, a parent/guardian may be called to bring their student alternative clothing.

Any act of enforcing dress code will be done in a way as to not shame a student for their clothing. Students will be pulled aside or asked to talk in an environment away from other students so as not to be targeted in a group. Students may be subject to being told to change their clothing.

Tuesdays 2:20-3:20 - ELA with Becky Limoges

Wednesdays 2:20-3:20 - Math with Maureen Kennedy

Wednesdays 2:20-3:20 - Math/SS additional support with Cindy Clark

Sessions will run from 2:20-3:20, and late buses will be available. Students must have a teacher recommendation to attend. During this time, students can get extra support while completing class assignments and homework.

We hope students will take advantage of this opportunity to get the additional time or help they need to be successful! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Ms. Goffe at 647-4120 ext. 1033.

Late Bus & Parent Pick-up Information

Late buses are available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. There are two late buses that have separate routes which are linked below. Buses typically arrive around 3:45-4:00 depending on when the elementary runs are complete. Parents and guardians picking up their children should wait in the high school's main parking lot. Student will exit those doors and not the middle school doors they would usually get picked up at normal dismissal time.

Project Linus

Project Linus is a national organization that makes blankets for children in crisis. In past years, there have been students who were recipients of blankets while they were hospitalized. At one point in time, SMS was the only school-based club in the state.

This club is open to all grades and meets on Tuesdays. During these first few weeks, Mrs. Battey teaches the 8th graders how to make the blankets. By the second meeting, these students are then tasked with preparing the fabric for others to finish off. As new students join the club (once the club is opened to 6th and 7th graders), these 8th grade student leaders are in charge of teaching these students how to make the blankets. This, then, becomes a student-led club where students are truly leaders as they teach and otherwise manage the club. If you have any questions about this club, please reach out to Mrs. Battey. Her email is linked here.

Agriculture Club

Agriculture Club meets on Tuesdays and is open to middle and high school students interested in nature and the environment. Projects throughout this year include the creation of an on-campus butterfly garden, a "power of plants" great plant give-away, starting our first RI Envirothon team, and of course, filling our greenhouse throughout the early spring months with flowers and veggies to sell at our annual plant sale. Additionally, we connect with community members and programs to take part in tree planting field trips, water festivals, and RI Salmon in the Classroom experience. If you have any question please reach out to Ms. Travers. Her email is linked here.

Music Club

The music department will be offering a rotating music club after school on Wednesdays. Students will be able to sign up when the Google Form is posted in classrooms on Mondays for the week. Please note that there is a cap of 25 students. Reach out to the music department if you have any questions.

TSA Club

The Technology Student Association is a national student organization with over 300,000 members. TSA projects and competitions include robotics, game design, engineering, and more. Through hands-on learning experiences, these projects aim to nurture innovative thinking. We hope to empower the next generation of inventors, storytellers, and problem-solvers. Join us as we use technology to unlock our students' creative potential! This club meets on Wednesdays after school. Reach out to Mr. Sheehan if you have any questions. His email is linked here.

Please click the link below to access the exemption form if you do not want your child to be screened.

Scituate Rotary Club Donates Backpacks

Thanks to a wonderful donation from the Scituate Rotary Club, we have school supplies available to be distributed to our students in the Middle and High School!

Supplies include: Backpacks, Stationary and Art Supplies, Gift Cards (limited amount)

Please fill out the Backpack Request Form below if you are interested/ in need of school supplies for your child/ student(s)!

All requests are confidential and will be handled by our School Social Worker, Jennifer Ricci, LCSW.

The Scituate School Department has partnered with Unite Us to streamline the process of applying for free and/or reduced lunches. Please click the link which will take you to the meal benefit application on the State of Rhode Island Department of Education website.
https://ride.ri.gov/child-nutrition/unite-us-electronic-school-meal-benefit-application
Please fill in all fields. Be sure to select Scituate Public Schools in the field “Select the school district that your child will receive school meals from”.

If you have any questions, please call: Jennifer Carnevale, Executive Finance Assistant at 401-647-4100 option 2, then option 3"

All students, parents/guardians should be able to view their bus info in PowerSchool. Should you have any questions, please reach out to First Student by emailing Wendy.Lacombe@firstgroup.com

Hello! Below are the meeting dates for the Northwest Special Education Local Advisory Committee for the 23/24SY. All are welcome to attend!

• April 30, 2024 at 6:00pm at Ponaganset Middle School, Room 150

Parking is available in the rear parking lot behind the building; entry at the rear entrance of the building.

TITLE: Special Education Assistant Classroom/Hygiene

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Principal

JOB SUMMARY: Primary responsibility is to assist special education students with academic work and the implementation of the student’s Individualized Education Program and personal care routines.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform under special needs teacher's supervision and direction in all areas of school activities and instruction.
• He/she shall be expected to:
• Follow special needs teacher's direction in maintaining classroom structure and behavioral control.
• Assist teacher in academic instruction as identified in and prescribed by Individual Education Programs.
• Assist in inclusion activities supporting students in the general education setting.
• Assist in non-academic instruction carried out by itinerant teachers.
• Assist in correcting student’s assignments, editing or clarifying (simplifying), enlarging general education worksheets as modified by the Special Education teacher.
• Assist in toileting activities and other areas of self-care and independent living skills.
• Assist in carrying out programs designed by the physical and/or occupational and/or speech therapists.
• Assistants shall not be required to perform therapy without prior training from the therapist and they shall not perform any therapy without a signed written directive from the Office of the Director of Special Education.
• Supervise arrivals.
• Assist physically challenged children in the use of wheelchairs and/or other adaptive equipment, if appropriately trained.
• Supervise children leaving and entering transportation vehicles, classrooms and buildings.
• Supervise children during field trips.
• Administer the school rules and regulations governing student behavior.
• Supervise children before school, during recess, during lunch periods, and at dismissal.
• Perform any and all related duties assigned by the building principal or the Director of Special Education subject to Article 21

• ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS: Special Education Assistant shall be evaluated every two years by the school principal.
• SPECIALIZED QUALIFICATIONS: As required by the R.I. Department of Education
• LENGTH OF EMPLOYMENT: Regular School Year.

Apply at https://www.schoolspring.com Job ID 4465435

We want to bring your attention to a matter of great importance - chronic absenteeism. Has your child missed 8 or more days of school? If so, they are considered chronically absent regardless of the reason. Students should come to school everyday unless they are too ill to do so. Currently, 14% or 36 Scituate Middle School students are deemed "chronically absent". Showing up matters for R.E.A.L. because it is an opportunity to:

• Build Routines

• Increase Engagement

• Provide Access to resources

• Support Learning