Switzerland Point Middle School

• August 12: First Day of School!
• August 14: First Early Release of the Year - Remember School Ends at 12:50 PM
• August 16: Student Expectation Assemblies
• August 20: Active Assailant Assemblies
• August 21: Picture Day
• September 2: No School
• September 5: Open House (6th Grade 5:00-6:30, 7th and 8th Grade 7:00-8:15, More Info to Come)
• September 12: PTSO Presents our First Community Chat - See Flier Below
• September 13: First Raider Store!
• September 20: In-Service Day, No school for Students

PTSO Community Chat RSVP Here

Our electronic newsletter, The Raider Rap, will come out at least every other week or more as necessary.

Here is the first Raider Rap for this year. It was designed for all our new Raiders, but it is good for everyone to review. There is a lot of information about upcoming events, but please be sure to carefully read the information about SPMS policies regarding tardies, cell phones, dress code, etc.

https://secure.smore.com/n/az5n4g

• No cell phones may be used on campus. Cell phones should be off and stowed in a backpack at all times during the school day. Cells phones that are out, on, or in pockets will be confisicated, and the consequences will follow the SPMS Progressive Discipline plan. If a student has an emergency or needs to contact home, they can call from the front office phone.
• No sprays--body spray, perfumes, cologne--may be used on campus. This impacts students with allergies, as well as causes headaches. Disciplinary action will be taken for students who do not follow this policy.
• Drinks should be sealed (no straws, open lids) in the hallways. This lessens incidents of spillage in our high-traffic areas. Students will be asked to throw away open liquids.
• There is no gum on campus. Students will be asked to throw away gum they are chewing. Repeat offenses may constitute disciplinary action.

Please see the attachments below for your back to school letters. These include:

• 24-25 Required Instruction Notification for MS
• 24-25 Secondary School Choice Letter
• Code of Conduct Notification
• Economic Security Report
• School Safety Letter
• Letter from Sheriff Hardwick

Please note that if your student forgets something, you can drop it off at the front office. However, in order to protect instructional time and avoid classroom interruptions, we will not be delivering these items to class. Students will need to stop by the front office between classes to pick up these items. We thank you for your understanding with this.

7th and 8th graders do not need to pay a deposit. If you have a 7th or 8th grader and your child would like a locker, please sign up for one using this link. At this point, lockers will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis after school starts.

6th graders who did NOT attend 6th grade camp may request a locker at this link. You must also pay the $5 locker fee here, prior to receiving the locker. 6th graders who attended camp got a locker at camp and the deposit was part of the camp fee. If your student has attended 6th grade camp, please do not sign up for a locker.

You can purchase your PE uniforms here: https://www.schoolpay.com/link/pefee2024

- PE uniforms can still be bought through the PE link on the school website. If you purchase, or have already pre-purchased and did not pick up unforms at Open House, please send in your child with a receipt to show the PE coaches during class.

- Students will not dress out yet, so no need to send them in with clothes yet. The PE coaches will communicate when it is time for students to start bringing in their clothes.

You can find the SJCSD Code of Conduct here.

Please read the Code of Conduct and then print and sign the last page. If you did not turn this in at the Meet the Teacher event, please send this in with your student. They should turn it in to their 1st period teacher.

Morning Drop Off:

· You will be directed by the YRO to pull forward or to pull around the loop.

· If you pull around the loop, we ask your students exit on the right and move into the grass on the right.

· In the morning, there will be no parking in the roundabout. This is for drop-off and thru traffic only.

· There will be no passing of cars in the morning.

Afternoon Pick Up:

· We ask that you pull all the way forward to the cone/sign so we may keep the flow of traffic moving. Please DO NOT RANDOMLY STOP in the drop off line. This affects the movement of traffic.

· After your student is in the car, you may go left around the loop to exit the parking lot.

***We will be passing out signs for you to hang in your windshield with the name of your student so we can call their name to expedite the pick up line.

Our School Advisory Council (SAC) is an important part of our decision-making process. Some of the committee’s responsibilities are to participate in school improvement planning, decide how school improvement funds are spent, assist the principal with the school budget recommendations, decide jointly with the school faculty greadring how School Recognition Funds are spent, and perform functions as prescribed by regulations of the school board.

The committee meets once a month. If you are interested in serving on the committee, please contact our SAC Chair Christopher McLiverty at christopher.mcliverty@stjohns.k12.fl.us.

TRUSTWORTHINESS:

• Be honest. Don’t deceive, cheat, or steal.
• Have integrity. Do what you say you’ll do.
• Keep your promises.
• Be loyal. Stand by your values.

RESPECT:

• Follow the Golden Rule.
• Be accepting of differences.
• Be courteous to others.
• Deal peacefully with anger.

RESPONSIBILITY

• Do what you are supposed to do. Try your best.
• Persevere. Keep on trying.
• Be self-disciplined.
• Think before you act. Consider the consequences.
• Be accountable for your words, actions, and attitudes.

FAIRNESS

• Play by the rules.
• Take turns and share.
• Be open-minded. Listen to others.
• Don’t take advantage of others.

CARING

• Be kind.
• Be compassionate.
• Express gratitude.
• Forgive others.
• Be considerate of others’ feelings.

CITIZENSHIP

• Do your share to make your home, school, and community better.
• Cooperate.
• Stay informed. Vote.
• Be a good neighbor.
• Make choices that protect the safety and rights of others.
• Protect the environment

• Thank you to all those that have purchased spirit wear so far. For those that are waiting for an order, it will be submitted on Monday, August 12 to the vendor. Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. All orders moving forward will be delivered to your student at school.
• The PTSO will have merchandise and put in another big order leading up to and the night of Curriculum Night! Keep an eye out for details coming soon.
• Thank you to all those who have joined. You are appreciated! Please keep an eye out for an email coming next week.

SPMS National Junior Honor Society is sponsoring an opportunity to send a special birthday or congratulations message to your student via the marquee in the front of the school. Cost is $25. Complete the form here to submit your request (there's a separate link in the form to pay via Schoolpay upon submitting your request). Requests are due the Friday prior to the event and will display the following week (Tuesday through Monday). Example: If you turn in the request on Friday, September 17, then your message will be displayed on Tuesday, September 21. We will start displaying messages for the 24-25 school year starting August 8.

Battle of the Books is a competition team based around knowledge of the Sunshine State Young Reader Award Books (SSYRA). The goal of the SSYRA program is to promote the love of reading for students. The SSYRA list is composed of 15 books from a wide variety of genres and interests. Students can read the books and take a short quiz on them in the media center to earn prizes.

The team will be composed of 5 members and 2 alternates. Membership is based on scores during try outs. Information on try outs will come out in December. Try outs will be in January. Practice will be once a week after school until the competition in March.

Please email Madison.Gowin@stjohns.k12.fl.us if you have any questions about SSYRA or Battle of the Books!

FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is a global robotics competition that aims to help students and teachers build a better future together by providing real-world problem-solving experiences. The focus of our teams will be helping students discover a passion for STEM through innovative team projects, robotics/coding, and strong team values. SPMS will have two teams composed of 10 members each, so space is limited.

There will be an informational interest meeting for students being held in the media center after school from 1pm to 1:30pm on Wednesday, August 28th. Applications are available now in the media center and will be due Friday, August 30th to Ms. Gowin. Please email Madison.Gowin@stjohns.k12.fl.us and Eric.Faircloth@stjohns.k12.fl.us if you have any questions about our Robotics teams.

Mathcounts is a national program that allows students in Grades 6-8 to compete against other schools in mathematics competitions. Our math club focuses on having fun with mathematics while preparing for our competition in February! Mathcounts competitions include concepts from 6th grade math through High School Geometry – plus some probability and combinatorics for fun! We will meet weekly from September-February to play games, learn cool math concepts, practice, and compete!

Register here: https://www.schoolpay.com/link/fee2425

If you want to try it out first, that is just fine! Email Mrs. Amatangelo to be added to the contact list, and you can register after the first couple practices if you’d like to join the club/team!

Please reach out to Miriam Amatangelo with any questions at Miriam.amatangelo@stjohns.k12.fl.us.

Do you want to speak up?

Are you ready to step up to the podium, challenge your mind, and sharpen your communication skills? The Switzerland Point Middle School's Speech and Debate Team (SPMS) is calling out to all passionate students who are eager to make their voices heard!

Why Join the SPMS Speech and Debate Team?

Empowerment Through Expression: At SPMS, we believe that every student has a voice that deserves to be heard. Our Speech and Debate Team offers a platform for you to express your thoughts, argue your points, and engage in meaningful discussions. Whether you're passionate about current events, love constructing arguments, or simply want to become a more confident speaker, our team is the perfect place for you.

Practice Makes Perfect: Our dedicated team practices every Thursday from 2 PM to 3 PM, honing skills that are crucial, not just for debate but for life. Through regular practice sessions, you'll learn to think on your feet, present your ideas clearly, and listen critically. Our experienced coaches provide personalized feedback, helping you grow and excel.

The International Thespian Society supports all things theatrical. Discover the actor, singer, designer, and/or marketing guru in you, and just have some fun with us! We learn theatre games, build our teamwork skills, and develop pieces for District Festival! Come to our informational meeting to see if you’d like to join. This year, we will meet on Tuesdays after school from 2 – 3:30p.m. Our first general meeting will be Tuesday, August 20th.

Do you want to make a change at Swiss Point? Do you want to be a voice for your fellow students? Apply for student council!

· 6th and 7th grade students can run to be class representatives

· 8th grade students can run for officer positions

· Meetings will be once a month after school for all members and once a week during lunch for 8th grade students.

There will be an interest meeting on Thursday, August 22nd from 2:00-2:30 P.M. in Ms. Stahle’s room, 310. For more information, reach out to Ms. Stahle (Chandler.Stahle@stjohns.k12.fl.us).

Swiss Point Middle School is proud to be one of two middle schools in SJCSD that implemented the Sources of Strength program during the 2023-2024 school year. We are excited to begin this school year with our Getting to Know You Sources of Strength campaign where we will introduce the framework, the sources wheel, and our Peer Leaders and Adult Advisors to our school. Sources of Strength is a research-based program that is designed to use the power of peer social networks to create healthy norms and a healthy culture. It strives to increase overall wellbeing, resiliency, healthy coping mechanisms, and a sense of belonging in our students. Sources of Strength uses an upstream model that is strengthened with multiple sources of support for our students so when times get hard, they have strengths, both within themselves and in our community, to rely on. We are excited to be a part of this program and are looking forward to the positive impact it will have, not only on our students but on our entire SPMS community.

SPMS Athletics consists of both boys and girls volleyball and basketball, as well as Winterguard. All other middle school sports are operated by SJMSAA.

The St. Johns Middle School Athletic Association (”SJMSAA”) middle school sports program is not operated or sponsored by the St. Johns County School District. SJMSAA is an independent, private non-profit corporation, which uses District middle school names and facilities under a license agreement with the District, and which is solely responsible for the operation of the SJMSAA middle school sports program and its individual teams.

Students need to register through the SJMSAA website prior to tryouts. Once a student(s) makes a team, he/she will be provided with more information on paying and filling out the required forms

https://www-raider.stjohns.k12.fl.us/

Tryouts for the upcoming SJMSAA SPMS soccer season will be from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at the Rivertown II fields (21 Sequoia Creek Trail) on the following dates:

Girls: August 26 & 27 (August 28th makeup date if bad weather)

Boys: August 29 & 30 (September 3rd makeup date)

Registration is required prior to tryout: https://www.sjmsaa.org/soccer.

There is additional information on the site, though please note practice days may differ.

SPMS PTSO

http://www.swisspointptso.com/

The SPMS PTSO is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the learning and work experience of the students and staff at SPMS. Our membership includes teachers, administrators, parents, and students.

What do we do?

Student Initiatives:

• Neon Bash - Fall dance for students
• Raider Store - Rewards for students who earn Raider Bucks for academic and behavioral performance
• Grade Level Support
• Character Counts! Rewards

Staff Initiatives:

• Classroom Grants - Teacher members are eligible for up to $100 in a classroom grant to purchase items to enhance their classroom
• Staff Luncheons and Breakfast
• Staff Appreciation
• School Support throughout the Year

How do we pay for these initiatives?

• MEMBERSHIP - This is our biggest fundraiser. By simply joining PTSO, families help us reach our goals
• Spirit Wear - PTSO sells spirit wear each fall
• Fall/Spring Fundraisers - Examples include Nothing Bundt Cakes and Poppin' Box popcorn
• Business Partners - Our area businesses help SPMS through our Partners in Education program
• Corporate Donation Matches, Box Tops, and Private Donations

How do you join?

• A family membership is $25 for the school year. The membership includes parents and any sibling at SPMS.
• Membership form can be found at https://switzerland-point-middle-school-ptso.square.site/

We are excited about a wonderful and busy 2024-2025 school year and making a difference at Swiss!

If you are interested in finding out how you can help, contact Dawn Evans at dawnevanswebpto@gmail.com

OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT PTSO

There will be various fundraisers throughout the school year to participate in to help fund the PTSO 2024-2025 initiatives.

Box Tops - Download the Box Tops app and scan your receipts for SMPS PTSO to get Box Top credits.

Keep an eye on the PTSO website, Facebook, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on what is coming up throughout the year!

Questions/concerns? spmsptso@hotmail.com

For up-to-date happenings LIKE us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/SwissPointPTSO/

SPMS PTSO is on INSTAGRAM! Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/spmsptso/

Check the PTSO website for all the latest news! http://www.swisspointptso.com/

Gold Level Partners

Silver Level Partners

Bronze Level Partners