Panther Press

⛄ December:

• Tuesday, 12/17: SMS Winter Concert 6:00 pm
• Thursday, 12/19: Last Day of School before Winter Break
• Friday, 12/20- Friday, 1/3: Winter Break for students

Congratulations to our students from Mrs. Gardner's chorus classes, who presented at this month's School Board meeting for "I on Instruction." They showcased the work they have been doing through a grant that Mrs. Gardner was awarded, including performance for Veterans at SMS and also at a senior living facility.

Over the course of the next week, your student will be bringing home a family life letter that details the upcoming program. The letter that is sent home includes VDOE SOL standards on the back. If you wish to opt out your student, we will have opt out forms in the office and need to schedule a brief meeting with Dr. Kulp. Please reach out with any further questions!

While the holidays are a time to celebrate with friends and family, please ensure your student is coming to school for the last four days before break! We have a great week of learning planned. Also, are you aware that school attendance factors into our school's accreditation? Chronic absenteeism means that students miss 10% of the school year. If students miss more than 18 days of school (regardless of whether or not the absence is excused), then they are marked as chronically absent. In order to meet the mark for accreditation in this area, our school must have less than 15% of our students as chronically absent.

Thanks to Mrs. Sorrell, Mr. Gault, and the Student Government Association for planning this week!

SMS received a $500 garden grant through Agriculture in the Classroom! Thanks to Mrs. Browder for spearheading this project and to all of the students and staff who have helped install our garden!

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Our school, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Virginia Department of Education, is conducting the Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions. We will survey students in grades 7 & 8, as well as classroom instructors and staff, beginning in January 2025. The purpose of the student survey is to measure student support, student engagement, school discipline, and safety conditions in each school. This information will be used to guide educational practices that produce a safe and supportive school environment.

The student survey will be completed between January 6th and January 10th. The survey does not ask for your child’s name and all answers are anonymous. No one, including teachers and administrators, will know how your child answered the survey questions. You will not have access to your child’s survey answers. You may preview the questions asked in the student survey at this website: https://tinyurl.com/VaSchoolSurvey.

The survey will ask questions such as how students feel about their school, how students get along with one another and their teachers, how students feel about school rules, and their perceptions of their teachers’ willingness to help them. Please note that there are questions about topics that may be sensitive to some, including questions about bullying, mental health, and suicide. This is a great time to talk to your child about these important issues. For guidance and more resources on these topics, please see https://tinyurl.com/MentalHealthdcjs or https://tinyurl.com/VDOEstudentservices.

All students in your child’s grade level are eligible to participate in the survey. The survey is voluntary and you and/or your child can decide they prefer not to participate. No action will be taken against you, your child, or the school if your child does not participate. If you do not wish for your child to participate, please notify the school office by telephone, email or letter by Friday, January 3rd.

The Virginia School Survey results are provided to the school around the end of the school year. You can find survey results for your school and division here: https://tinyurl.com/VaSchoolSurvey. The results are used by the school, the division, and the state to identify strengths and to address relevant needs to improve learning environments for your child as well as students across the state.

Thank you for your cooperation in this important study of Virginia’s schools.

Estimado padre o guardián,

Nuestra escuela, en colaboración con el Departamento de Servicios de Justicia Penal de Virginia y el Departamento de Educación de Virginia, está llevando a cabo la Encuesta del Ambiente y las Condiciones Laborales de las Escuelas de Virginia. A partir de enero de 2025 vamos a encuestar a los estudiantes en los grados 6, 7 y 8, así como a los maestros y al personal del aula. El propósito de la encuesta para estudiantes es medir el apoyo que se está brindando a los estudiantes, la participación de los estudiantes, la disciplina escolar y las condiciones de seguridad en cada escuela. Esta información se va a utilizar para guiar las prácticas educativas que producen un entorno escolar seguro y de apoyo para el estudiante.

La encuesta va a hacer preguntas tales como qué piensa el/a estudiante acerca de su escuela, de la relación entre otros estudiantes y con sus maestros, sobre las reglas de la escuela y sus percepciones sobre la disposición de sus materos para ayudarlos. Por favor note que va a haber preguntas sensibles para algunos estudiantes sobre bullying, salud mental y suicidio. Ésta es una gran oportunidad para hablar con su hijo/a sobre estos temas importantes. Para una guía y más recursos sobre estos temas, por favor vaya a https://tinyurl.com/MentalHealthdcjs o a https://tinyurl.com/VDOEstudentservices.

Todos los estudiantes del grado escolar de su hijo/a son elegibles para participar en la encuesta. Esta encuesta es voluntaria y Ud. y su hijo/a pueden decidir si desean participar o no en la encuesta. Esta decisión no le va a afectar a su hijo/a o a la escuela si su hijo/a decide no participar. Si no desea que su hijo/a participe en esta encuesta, por favor notifique a la escuela llamando a este número de teléfono, o mande un correo electrónico o una carta antes de esta fecha.

Los resultados de la Escuela de Encuestas de Virginia van a ser entregados a la escuela al fin del año escolar. No obstante, Ud. puede encontrar los resultados de la encuesta para su escuela y su división aquí: https://tinyurl.com/VaSchoolSurvey. Los resultados van a ser usados por la escuela, la división y el estado para identificar fortalezas y abordar necesidades relevantes para mejorar los ambientes de aprendizaje de su hijo como también los estudiantes en todo el estado.

Agradecemos su colaboración en este importante estudio para las escuelas de Virginia.

{Firma del/de la director/a}

In conjunction with the Isle of Wight County Schools Strategic Plan, the division supports a recognition program that is open to any member of the Smithfield Middle School community. Staff, teachers, students, volunteers, parents, and community members can all be nominated for a monthly SMS ISLE award.

The award focuses on the four broad areas of the Strategic Plan: Inspire, Succeed, Lead, Empower.

Across SMS, people are demonstrating acts of inspiration, success, leadership, and empowerment. The ISLE award welcomes nominations that demonstrate how someone in the SMS community has embodied one of these areas. From November through June, four nominees will be selected for recognition--one in each category-- and will be highlighted on our social media pages, website, and newsletters for our school and for IWCS.

Link to nomination form

Chorus After-School Rehearsals:

• Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 3-4:30pm in Chorus Room (8th grade only!)

• Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 3-4:30pm in Chorus Room (7th grade only!)

• Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024 3-4:30pm in Chorus Room (All grades)

• Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 3-5pm in Chorus Room/Auditorium (Mandatory, All grades)

SMS Winter Concert:

• Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024 6:00pm in Auditorium (Call time in Chorus room is 5:15pm.)

If your student(s) ride an IWCS school bus, please join our new Remind group by using this code: @smsbusinfo.

Through this group, SMS will begin sharing bus updates in the morning and afternoon as we receive them from transportation. Thank you!

Please use the link above to submit parent/guardian notes of absence.

Student attendance is very important to us at SMS. We want our students to be present everyday as student attendance is vital for success.

However, if your child is ever absent, please complete one of these options to prevent attendance plans and/or truancy:
- Complete the Google Form (included in weekly newsletter).
- Send in an excuse note to the front office.
- Email our front office staff (Mrs. Ashley Davidson at adavidson@iwcs.k12.va.us).

Families can only submit 5 parent/guardian written excuse notes per semester.

All students enrolled in Isle of Wight County Schools are given an opportunity to apply for free and reduced price meals. Applications may be completed privately and securely online at www.schoolcafe.com Forms can be obtained from your school's cafeteria or main office.