Switzerland Point Middle School

· November 3: Book Fair Starts

· November 4: Band Concert

· November 5: Leadership Team Meeting

· November 7: VB Semi-Finals (Teams TBD)

· November 8: 8th Grade Yearbook Ads Due

· November 11: This is now a regular school day

· November 12: VB Finals (Teams TBD)

· November 13: Full Day Wednesday

· November 14: Interims Issued

· November 15: Raider Store

Click on the flier to order.

Please note that the price of yearbooks will increase after 12/20/24.

Congratulations to Parker Bradley for being nominated by our teachers as the SPMS Student of Exemplary Character for the 2024-2025 School Year. Parker had to present at the ceremony about the Pillar of Character that is most important to her, Trustworthiness. She did a amazing job and represented Switzerland Point Middle School well. Congratulations, Parker!

Last week's Spelling Bee ended in a duel!

It was exciting throughout. By round 6, we were down to 10 spellers. None made a mistake, so we entered round 7 with the same 10. One made an error, so round 8 started with nine spellers. It also ended with nine spellers. We lost one speller per round in rounds 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14. By round 15, we were down to our top 3. Katelynn Kapp made an error (on a very difficult word!) in round 18, and the top two remained.

Our top two spelled it out starting in round 19. By round 25, we had finished the word list students used to study. Rounds 25 through 36 were two contestants going back and forth. Shamith Tipirneni made a mistake in round 36. Finally, in round 37, we were able to declare a winner! Calvin Bennett spelled his Champion word correctly, and he will go to the district spelling bee representing SPMS!

CONGRATUALTIONS, CALVIN!

New Access Codes for the Statewide Assessments Family Score Portal—Action Needed

The access codes for parents/guardians to view test scores for their student in the Family Score Portal have been updated.

The new access codes have been posted to HAC and are available under the Registration tab. Attached is a guide that can be shared with families about accessing scores for their student in the Family Score Portal.

Both new and old access codes will continue to work in the Family Score Portal through November 10th.

Complete the form on our website to request early check out. It is located on the bottom left (side bar) of the website. The form needs to be completed by 6 AM the day you are requesting early check out. After the 6 AM cut off, please send your child in with a note to the front office like normal. Please do not request early check out more than 2 days in advance.

As a safety precaution, students will only be released to the parent/guardian or the Emergency Contact listed in HAC. A current driver’s license must be presented to the front office to check a student out early. The following procedure will be strictly enforced: NO student may be signed out after 1:25 PM each day except Wednesday. The latest early check out on Wednesday is 12:25 PM. Parents must arrive in the office no later than 1:20 PM (or 12:20 PM on Wednesday) in order to sign their child out early. Students who check out during the school day due to illness are not eligible to return to school that evening to participate in activities or to be a member of the audience.

• At the end of the year, students can attend a field trip as a reward for their behavior.
• Students who earn ISS or OSS during 2nd semester, or commit a Level 4 offense during the entire school year, will NOT BE ELIGIBLE to participate in the grade-level reward trip. Please see Section 5, Levels of Discipline, on page 31 in our Student Code of Conduct for examples of Level 4 offenses.
• Students with 15 or more unexcused absences during the school year will NOT BE ELIGIBLE for the trip.
• For 8th grade students, these behavior requirements also apply to the 8th grade formal dance.
• Once a reward trip has been paid for, we will be unable to give refunds or transfer the reservation to another student’s name.

The kindness challenge has started for 2nd quarter. You will notice that the numbers look smaller since we are now calculating this by percentage. This makes it fair to all.

Here is how the grade levels rank as of now:

1st place: 6th grade with 64%

2nd place: 7th grade 44%

3rd place: 8th grade 28%

Congratulations to the Character Counts! winners for the month of October. October's pillar of character was Responsibility.

Each month, our staff nominate students who display the pillar of Charcter for that month. Students will be celebrated the first week of the next month with lunch provided by the PTSO.

This month, we look for students who display the pillar of Citizenship.

• Do your share to make your school and community better
• Cooperate
• Get involved in community affairs
• Stay informed; vote
• Be a good neighbor
• Obey laws and rules
• Respect authority
• Protect the environment
• Volunteer

Dear Parents and Families,

This month, we are focusing on the Character Counts Pillar of Citizenship. Our district believes

that every child has the potential to be good citizens, and we will do all that we can to promote

this pillar, but we need your help! Below is a list of ideas to work through with your family!

What can you do at home?

•Minimize waste. Recycle and conserve.

•Reinforce the importance of school rules and that they must be followed.

•Reinforce the importance of sportsmanship.

•Reuse boxes and shopping bags.

•Notice nature around you. Watch a sunrise or sunset. Look for animals. Appreciate the flowers and trees around you.

•Plant a garden with your children. Allow them to help with the yard work and gardening. Grow your own herbs or vegetables.

•Plant a seed or tree and watch it grow.

•Turn the water off while you are brushing your teeth or doing the dishes.

•Participate in a beach clean up day or plan your own for your family for an hour. If not the beach, use your neighborhood park.

•Carpool or walk instead of using a car.

•Encourage your children to watch shows on nature, science, or animals to broaden their knowledge and appreciation.

•As a family, research and select a charity to donate to. Encourage your children to donate a portion of their allowance. Plan to participate as a family to help at the local shelter, senior center, food kitchen, or for an elderly neighbor.

•Have discussions about current events so that your children can become aware of what the important issues are and how politicians or community officials are handling them. Have your children see you reading the newspaper, watching the news, and getting involved in community services.

•Observe and follow traffic rules.

•Show and explain to your children how the election process works and how to utilize resources to stay informed of the issues before you vote.

•Model citizenship behaviors and notice when your children are being good citizens in order to reinforce those desired behaviors.

In partnership with Resiliency Florida, we will explore specific characteristic(s) each month. Attached are the Parent Resources for Citizenship for November. You can find out more information by visiting their website: https://www.buildresiliency.org/ . There is also Family Reading Guide for this month also attached.

Citizenship means helping my neighbor, community and nation.

The St. Johns County School District is partnering with the Len Mattiace Foundation for the fall semester of the "Stop the Bullying" Campaign Contest. His foundation promotes bullying awareness and creates a safe environment for our youth in NE Florida. Compassion, inclusion, and kindness are the pillars of his foundation. Former Nease High School graduate Len Mattiace plays the PGA TOUR as a golfer. It is our third year partnering with Len Mattiace's foundation.

The fall semester of the "Stop the Bullying" Campaign Contest BEGINS on 9/4 and ENDS on 11/7.

Below are key points for this contest:

• Open to all middle school students
• Contest dates: 9/4 – 11/7 by 5:00 PM
• Cash prizes and swag for students!
• All entries are submitted to Julie Haden (Student Support Services)

Here is the link to the rules for the contest: https://www.lenmattiace.com/st-johns-stop-the-bullying-campaign

America250 just launched America’s Field Trip for the 2024–2025 school year! America’s Field Trip is a nationwide scholastic contest that invites students in grades 3–12 to share their perspectives on what America means to them through artwork or essays — with the opportunity to earn an unforgettable field trip experience at some of the nation’s most iconic historical and cultural landmarks.

• 25 first-place awardees from each grade level category and a chaperone will receive airfare and lodging for a 3-day, 2-night trip to a select historical or cultural site.
• Second-place recipients will receive a $500 cash award.
• The teacher associated with the top-scoring student submissions in each grade level category will receive a $1,000 cash award.

Visit America250’s website to learn more about how students can enter, and for contest rules, judging criteria, classroom resources, and more. The deadline for submissions is April 16, 2025!

Over the past two weeks, Ms. Baker’s Drama 1 has explored what it means to use a mask in the theatre. The culminating project was creating masks. The students really showed their creativity! Go Raiders!

Ms. Zimmerman's gifted 7th grade classes completed an extension project (graphic novel) based on “The Eyes Have It” by Ray Bradbury. They created their own graphic stories to visualize the images and their reactions to the story.

Please see the attached document about Varsity Tutors, a resource that is free to your students!

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.

The countdown is ON to the best week of the year – BOOK FAIR WEEK!! The Scholastic Book Fair will be returning to the SPMS Media Center from November 4th through 15th!

Please visit our book fair homepage at https://www.scholastic.com/bf/switzerlandpointmiddle to preview the fair and set up an eWallet if needed. eWallets let students shop the fair directly – no cash or credit card necessary! However, we do still accept cash, check, card, or Apple/Samsung pay.

Please note that the materials available for purchase at the Book Fair were not selected by the St. Johns County School District. We encourage parents to review their child’s wish list and have a conversation about what they are allowed to purchase at the book fair before sending money to make any purchases. Purchases can also be made online – all orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Every online purchase will also benefit our school! Please email madison.gowin@stjohns.k12.fl.us if you have any questions regarding the book fair. Attached is a presentation that answers many frequently asked questions that students may have about the book fair!

Yes!! We are looking for some outstanding players to be part of the SPMS Interscholastic basketball teams. The teams will be made up of 6th, 7th and 8th graders. Yes!! 6th graders are allowed to try-out. There will be a boys’ team AND a girls’ team. The boy’s try-outs will be on Monday, December 2, 3, 5 and TBA. The boy’s try-outs will start at 2:00pm and last until 4:00pm. The girl’s try-outs will be on December 2, 3, 5 and TBA. The girl’s try-outs will begin at 4:30pm and last until 6:00pm. Students must provide their own transportation. Parent pick-up will be required promptly after try-outs each day. To try-out, students need to have a try-out waiver signed and returned. Waiver forms may be obtained from Coach Terrance Singleton, the front office, or any PE coach. All students that are trying out for the team must show up the first day but are not guaranteed to stay all three days. If there are any questions, please contact Coach Singleton (terrance.singleton@stjohns.k12.fl.us). RAIDERS #1 BABY!!!

Help National Junior Honor Society by donating new unwrapped toys.

This supports Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots.

Collections will be until December 2nd, 2024.

We are working in conjunction with St. Augustine High School.

At this time, the opening of School Daze and The Redemption of Gertie Green have been postponed due to the air conditioning unit breaking in the Auditorium. As soon as it has been replaced, we will be in touch with new dates. Sorry for any inconvenience, and we hope to see you at the theatre in the Spring!

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!

Come on out and support your 2025 SP Winterguard team at the Jacksonville Icemen Game! They will be performing during both breaks of the game. The team would appreciate lots of cheering as they take the ice. It's going to be a really fun night.

$5 of every ticket goes to the team, which will help pay for lots of team expenses. SEE YOU THERE!

The PTSO would love your help stocking the Raider Store! The Raider Store is where students can spend their hard earned Raider Bucks. Your student earns Raider Bucks from their teachers and staff for showing good character in the classroom and hallways. They can then spend them in the PTSO-sponsored Raider Store. We are always looking for new and fun things to stock the store with to keep the students coming back. Please put your student's name on the gift, and he/she will be credited Raider Bucks for your donation!

Thank you for your support!

CLICK HERE TO SHOP

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