SMS

1) Build Positive Relationships

2) Celebrate Diversity

3) Strive for Academic Excellence Every day

4) Equity for All students

• Link to our Link Tree Account
• LInk to homework Calendars
• Principal's Note/ Tournament Day
• Important Dates Coming Up
• Reminder: Parent Meeting for Washington DC trip
• Link to the Parent Survey
• This week in Sports
• College Planning Day Offered (See Advertisement)
• Booster Club Interest Form
• PTO Interest Form
• Car Wash Sell
• 8th Grade Dance

Continued Information for New Families

• Celebrating Student's Accomplishments

• What is a Grade?
• Yearbook Purchases

• Car Rider Line
• Check out Procedures
• Cell Phones
• School Supplies

How to find the weekly homework calendars!

1. To see the calendars, go to our school website: https://sfms.fortmillschools.org/
2. Click on "For Students"
3. On the right side you will see a link for each grade level's Calendar. Click on the link for your grade level and make sure you are on the correct week.

Welcome to 4th Quarter and the week before Spring Break. As we wrap up the year, we want to make sure students know the year isn't over quite yet. There are many opportunities in fourth quarter. There is still nine weeks of time to reach goals, improve grades, and to continue to stay committed and dedicated through the end the year.

Grades for third quarter will be posted and ready to be viewed on Tuesday, March 26th.

This week I am going to focus on the format of tournament day! Tournament Day is our second big fundraiser of the year. If students do not want to participate in a tournament or watch the tournaments, they do not have to. There are plans for the day for the students that are simply not interested in participating. Students that choose not to participate in a tournament or watch the tournaments will have access to the concession stand throughout the day and will also attend the pep rally at the end of the day.

We have tried to provide a variety of tournaments that would appeal to all students. (See the flyer linked below). Since the flyer was created we have added an UNO tournament and a Homerun Derby.

For those participating, we will start tournaments as early as 7:40 when students start arriving. We highly recommend that students on teams go all out with their attire! We encourage lots of spirit, t-shirts made with your team name, tutus, etc. Students that paid to spectate will have rooms they can go to if they want to play games but do not want to do a tournaments. As tournaments finish, spectators will be able to play. For example, once gaga ball tournament is over students will be able to play gaga ball if they would like to.

7:40 - 10:40 -- Students are competing in tournaments; students are watching others; students are playing games in the open game rooms

10:40 - 1:00 -- Students are in homeroom; all grade levels will go to lunch; this is the time students will be able to have their technology if we hit 50% on our survey. Lunch is about 50 minutes and students will enjoy time with their classmates

1:00 - 2:00 - Students will be back out so we can finish up tournaments

2:00 - 3:00 -- Championship games for some tournaments will be played at a pep rally. Winning teams will play the staff! All tournament winners (1st - 3rd place) will receive a metal and a QT Gift Card.

3:10 -- TIME FOR SPRING BREAK!!

Tournament Day has been the best day over the past eight years! Students can bring money for concessions in the morning and from 2-3. If there are any parents that want to help referee our dodgeball games, please let us know.

All money for tournament day is due by the end of the day on Thursday. We are not taking money on Friday morning.

Together in Education

• March 26th - 6:00 Washington DC Trip Parent Night (In the Cafeteria)
  
• March 29th - Tournament Day
• April 1st - April 5th - Spring Break
• April 9th - April 12th - 8th Grade Washington DC Trip
• April 9th - PTO Meeting
• April 11th - SIC Meeting
• April 12th - 7th Grade Career Fair
• April 15th - Blue Out for Spring Sports
• April 26th - Early Release Day
• May 10th - Rising 6th Graders are visiting during the Day
• May 14th- Rising 6th Grade Open House Night
• May 16th - May 18th Band/SOL going to Orlando
• May 24th - Field Day
• May 30th - Half Day
• May 31st - Half Day (Last Day of School)

• May 30th - 8th Grade Recognition Practice and Breakfast (During the day, no parents)

  May 31st - 8th Grade Recognition beginning at 9:00 AM in the Gym

Testing Dates: Please take note of these very important testing dates. It is extremely important that your child is present on these days.

April 17 and 18-- STAR Testing

April 30 -- TDA Writing Field Test

May 7th - SCREADY Reading Test

May 9th - SCREADY Writing Test

May 14th - SCREADY Math Test

May 16th - 6th Grade Science SCREADY Test

May 23rd - Algebra EOC (8th Grade Algebra 1 students only)

You guys are doing a fantastic job with our Parent Survey! Here is the latest on where we are with our goal of 50% before tournament day!

6th Grade: 90 surveys completed ; We need 19 more to reach 50%

7th Grade: 93 surveys completed: We need 26 more to reach 50%

8th Grade: 91 surveys completed: We need 19 more to reach 50%

***WE CAN DO THIS!! YOUR FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO US. WE USE THEM EACH YEAR TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND THE REST OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY!***

The survey will remain open until April 12. Please see below for steps on how to access the survey.

1. Log in to PowerSchool Parent Portal

2. Click on “Forms” in the Navigation bar on the left side of the page

3. Click the link for the 2024 Parent School Climate Survey

4. Follow the instructions and submit the form

On the PowerSchool App:

1. Open the PowerSchool App

2. Tap on “More”

3. Tap on “Forms”

4. Tap on 2024 Parent School Climate Survey

5. Follow the instructions and submit the form

6. You may need to sign out and sign back in on the app to access the survey.

Here is a document in several languages: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PDi46ERDDesKkZZdEcMU5NRO2bNdH7zu/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102393982433614101560&rtpof=true&sd=true

The survey itself can be translated into several languages. The parents click on the survey and then on the opening screen there’s a dropdown box that allows them to select from several different languages. This image is from the app, but I’m sure it’s the same on the desktop version.

Tuesday 3/26 Baseball versus Fort Mill

Wednesday 3/27 Track Meet against Forest Creek/Fort Mill/Banks Trail

Thursday 3/28 Soccer Against Gold Hill and Baseball Against PKMS at home

On 4/15 we will have a spring Blue Out! Stay tuned for more information

We would love your help with our Booster Club Next year. Please click on the link to see where we can use your help!

Many hands make light work! Click Here to See Form

Our PTO officers are moving on to high school. We will need a new PTO board and volunteers for next year. Please click on the form link to see different ways you can help for next year!

Many hands make light work! Click Here to See Form

Car Wash Fundraiser will continue through the end of the year!

Everyone will need a car wash soon!! https://wlink.live/2024_springfield

If you have not seen your child's school pictures, you can follow the links below:

• www.jostenspix.com
• Event code: FE85123

2023-2024 yearbooks are still on sale!

https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/2679852/Springfield-Middle-School/2024-Yearbook/2023071604153675766/CATALOG_SHOP/

If you are dropping your child off in the morning, students may exit their cars at 7:40 AM. You will hear the bell for students to begin entering the building. We will be doing a zipper merge like last year. The zipper merge occurs at the location where the sign is located. Once you are past the merge sign, you should be in the right hand lane of the car rider line. Students are to be dropped off from the right hand lane only (lane closest to the sidewalk). The car rider line typically has to zipper merge until about 7:50. Around 7:50 the line is typically short enough that parents can pull up and let their child out. The first couple of days may take longer, but please be patient with us and we will soon be flowing quickly.

This year, at 8:05 the sign in the front of the school will be turned around asking parents to come in and sign their child in. All students should be in the building by 8:05. They should be sitting in their homeroom by 8:10. If you arrive after the sign has been turned around, please come in and sign your child in. A student cannot sign themselves in. We do ask that you pay attention to the 8:05 time this year. Plan your morning routine and commute so that tardies do not become an issue. If it may be a problem for your family, students can always ride the school bus.

Car Rider Line procedures are the same in the afternoons. Please make sure you pull forward as much as possible before allowing your child to either exit or enter the car. It helps our car rider line go much quicker. You may need to pull up past where your child is standing. If so he/she will walk to you.

If you have not ready this policy, please pay close attention to the information below. We have given grace and reminders the first two weeks of school. We will be following this policy moving forward. Thank you!

Class time is valued, and we strive to interrupt class periods as little as possible. Early dismissal procedure: When you know in advance that your child must be dismissed early, SEND A NOTE to the school with your child, including the date and dismissal time. When your child arrives, he/she should bring the note to Ms. K, and your child’s agenda will be marked with the dismissal time. (We will make sure your child knows where to turn their note in. If you are new, they can come to the front office and we will direct them on where to go).

Your child will meet you in our front office at the scheduled dismissal time and sign out at the front office computer. If your child must leave early and has not brought in a note, you will be asked to wait in the front office until the change of class periods. Please speak with an administrator in case of an emergency. There will be no early dismissals after 2:40 PM.

SMS is an "Away for the Day" school, meaning no access to phones, wireless earbuds, and smartwatches during our school day. Electronic devices, including cell phones, may be brought to school and used before 7:40 or after 3:10 to communicate with parents.

Cell phones must be turned off and left in the student’s locker from 7:40 AM until 3:10 PM. Sick students should visit the nurse, not call home. (The nurse will call home if necessary).

This year we will be asking students to put their smartwatches away as well. That was in our policy last year, and we will be making sure that is enforced consistently this year across the school.

Students with medical situations that require the use of an app will be allowed to have phones for the purpose of monitoring their medical needs.

The student handbook is online and will be in your child's agenda coming home the first day. You can read more about this policy in their handbook.

All students will use a three ring zipper binder this year to use for all of their classes.

Please check out our website for the supply lists. Click the link below and you will see a blue button to click on for the supply list. https://sites.google.com/fmsdmail.org/parents/home

If your family needs help with school supplies, we have several business donors that have generously donated supplies. Reach out to our guidance department if your child needs help with supplies for the year. We want to make sure everyone is ready to go on day one. We will help them set up their binders during our homeroom time and teach them how to keep their papers organized so they can find them when they need to.