Spartan Update 5/13/24
SBMS Spartan Update for the Week of 5/13/24
Message from Principal Paula Nolan
Good morning SBMS Community,
Thank You for Supporting Teachers!
Thank you to all of the families who sent notes, emails, or brought by food for SBMS teachers last week. Your kindness is appreciated!
State Testing Next Week!
We will be holding state testing on Monday and Tuesday of next week (6/20-21). More information about state testing is below (including opt-out information). Students will be in testing sessions in the morning and then we will run a modified bell schedule after lunch. All testing occurs in student's advisory classrooms and students who opt-out of testing will have time to read in the classroom.
Going Home?
A quick note to remind families that when a student needs to go home, they do need to sign out at the office. Also, to help you keep to your plans, calling us in advance about the time to have your student in the office will help ensure that we have your student ready for pickup. Finally, lunch occurs each day from 12:25-1:00. While we are able to find our students, between the lunchroom, front hallway, clubs, library, and the turf- there can be a delay in finding your child when you come and get them during lunch. Either letting us know before lunch or scheduling a pickup around the lunch time will help get you on your way as efficiently as possible
Texting and Calling
Student cell phones are required to be put away in lockers during the entirety of the school day. If you need to get a message to your child, please call the front office at 541-790-8300. If your child needs to call or text you, we are happy to provide a private space in the office for that contact.
End of Year Events- Update
Our final band concert of the year will be on 6/4 and will start at 6:30 and our last drama production of the year will be at 6:00 on 6/10. 8th Grade Promotion begins at 6:15 on 6/13.
Upcoming School Activity Night- 5/17
We have another school activity night coming up on Friday the 17th. We are looking for 12-15 parent chaperones. More information is below about the fun activities we would like to provide and about being a chaperone! I've chaperoned and worked at many dances over the years and it is always a fun time! I hope you can join us.
Thank you for your time in reading this week's Spartan Update. If there is anything that I can do for you, please feel free to contact me at nolan_p@4j.lane.edu, 541-790-8300, or by clicking the Contact Paula button at the bottom of this newsletter.
Have a nice day,
Paula
Paula Nolan
Principal
Spencer Butte Middle School
SBMS No Place for Hate Pledge
State Testing Information
Each spring, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students test in Math and ELA. In 8th grade, students also test in Science. For more information you can visit https://www.4j.lane.edu/16998_3
Spencer Butte will be conducting State testing on Monday, May 20th and Tuesday, May 21st from 9am – 12pm. 8th Graders will take the State Science Test the week of June 10th in their Science classes.
Though the federal government requires that 95% of enrolled students take these tests, students or families in Oregon can choose to opt out of OSAS Math and ELA tests. To “opt out” of OSAS science tests, families must submit a written exemption request on the basis of accommodating a student’s disability or religious beliefs.
Students that have opted out of testing will be asked to bring a book to testing sessions and read quietly during that time.
Link to 30-day notice (English)
Link to 30-day notice (Spanish)
Yearbooks are Still Available!
To order a 2023-2024 SBMS Yearbook please use the link below.
We do order a set number of books each year based on enrollment, so we recommend placing an order as soon as you can to ensure order fulfillment. Thanks for supporting our yearbook.
Rising 9th Graders! Summer Bridge is For You!
Summer Bridge is a great program to help students start off strong at their high school! As a former high school principal, I know that these types of programs can really help a new high school student find success from day 1. For more information and details, click either of the images below.
5/17- 12-15 Activity Night Volunteers Requested
SBMS activity nights are a fantastic way for students to connect with one another in a fun way! We host a game room, open gym, movie room, dance hall, snack bar, and lobby hang-out. Giving students a variety of supervised choices takes help and we would love to have you join us. There is no set-up and no clean-up on your part! Chaperones come a little bit early to get signed in and assigned to a station, and leave right after the dance!
If you would like to help with the activity night on 5/17, please contact Stephanie at 541-790-8300 or at minter_s@4j.lane.edu.
Upcoming Events
SBMS Activity Night
SBMS Activity Night
On Friday May 17th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm (with final entry at 7:00 PM for students arriving late), we will be having our third Activity Night of the school year!
What is there to do at the Activity Night?
This Activity Night will consist of a dance in the large gym, open gym in the small gym, a movie room, a game room, and areas to snack and hang out in the lobby.
How much does it cost?
Wristbands will be sold during the school day on Wednesday and Thursday for $4, or students can pay $5 at the door. As always, no student will be excluded due to inability to pay, please contact Stephanie in the office if this is a hardship for your family.
Who can attend?
Activity Nights are for Spencer Butte students only. Students need to be present at school for at least half the day to attend, unless prior arrangements have been made with administration.
Will there be food there?
Yes. We will have water, juice, pizza, Rice Krispies treats, granola bars, fruit by the foot, chips, and more. Prices range from $1-$2
When does it dance start and end?
This activity night starts at 6:30pm and ends at 8:30 pm.
Can students enter and leave and enter again?
No.
Can students leave early?
If a student wishes to leave prior to the end of the dance, they may do so as long as a parent/guardian picks them up. If your student is leaving early with another parent, we will need individual parent permission for each student. This is most easily achieved with a note from a parent that can be given to staff at the dance.
Verifying permission to leave early or with non-custodial adults often causes a delay for students who are wanting to leave quickly, so we appreciate students staying until the end of the dance if possible. Additionally, we usually have a wave of students wanting to leave 15-30 minutes early. Verifying that early departure is permitted does take staff away from other supervision- so we would appreciate students waiting to be released at the end the dance if they are looking to leave 15-30 minutes early.
Do the school expectations still apply after school?
Yes. This is a school function so it falls under the same expectations of Spencer Butte Middle School and the 4J school district. We recognize our students’ need for fun and we appreciate your partnership in providing a safe environment for our students.
Can parents volunteer?
Yes please! We appreciate volunteers and need them for this event to happen! We need help with the supervision of the activities (it's a lot of fun) and at our concession stand! Please note that all volunteers must fill out the 4j Volunteer Application at - https://4j.lane.edu/volunteers If you are interested in volunteering during the dance/activity night, please contact our school Secretary, Stephanie Minter - minter_s@4j.lane.edu
Friday, May 17, 2024, 06:30 PM
End of Year Concert
Tuesday, Jun 4, 2024, 06:30 PM
Spencer Butte Middle School, East 43rd Avenue, Eugene, OR, USA
Last Drama Production!
Monday, Jun 10, 2024, 06:00 PM
Spencer Butte Middle School, East 43rd Avenue, Eugene, OR, USA
SBMS 8th Grade Promotion
Thursday, Jun 13, 2024, 06:15 PM
Spencer Butte Middle School, East 43rd Avenue, Eugene, OR, USA
Volunteers Needed: The Camas Carnival June 6th, 2024!
The Camas Carnival is back!! Thursday June 6th, 2024, 5:30PM - 7:30PM. We can't make our Camas Carnival magic without community support! We welcome middle & high school Camas alums to volunteer! We offer free Carnival entry to all student volunteers. Shifts are 1 hour long. There will be music, games, a raffle, silent auction, bake sale, plant sale, inflatable obstacle course, photobooth & more!
Sign-up to help here: bit.ly/CamasCarnivalVolunteers2024
ParentSquare- The New Way 4J Schools Will Communicate
Each week you receive the Spartan Update message in your inbox and via text. Next year the district is switching our mass messaging platform to ParentSquare. The biggest difference you will see is that we will no longer have the ability to automatically push text messages to your phones next year. However, if you download the ParentSquare app from your app store of choice and create an account, our messages can be sent as notifications and if you still want texts you can also go into your settings and enable text messages. You will start seeing some messages from SBMS coming via ParentSquare, and we will use text messaging for the Spartan Update for this week (week of 4/15) and the week of 4/22. After the Spartan Update for the Week of 4/22, we will no longer push this info out via text.
By going to this site or downloading the app you can get registered in a few minutes. Setup is pretty easy (I recently did it for my own parent account). Basically, you'll create your account and then you'll be asked to link your children to your account. The site or app will walk you through the process. If you need any help with it, please call us at 541-790-8300.
This platform is being used at all schools and I encourage our community to download it so you get the instant notifications in addition to emails.
In Every Issue: How to Connect With Staff
We are here as a part of your child's team. Whenever I have the opportunity to speak with a parent about something involving a class I always ask if they've had a chance to connect with the teacher. I ask that question because involving the teacher is the most powerful thing that we can do to help your child in class.
Our teachers love to hear from parents. Whether there is information about something happening in the student's life, a fun story about when your child spoke about the class at home, concerns about academic progress, or questions about the class, connecting with staff is the first and most important step in helping your student to succeed.
There are many ways to connect with staff. Sending an email or message in Canvas is the most direct way of reaching teachers. You can also call the school at 541-790-8300 and leave a message for a teacher to return.
Contacting Teachers Via Email
To find a teacher's email address, please access our directory below.
[Link to SBMS Staff Email List: https://spencerbutte.4j.lane.edu/staff-e-mail-list/ ]
Contacting Teachers Via the Canvas Parent App*
You may find the Canvas Parent app the easiest way to send a message. When in the app you can send a message by tapping on a course name and then the speech bubble emoji in the bottom right corner. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the inbox, tap on the speech bubble emoji, and then select the teacher/course you are intending to send the message to.
Canvas on Desktop*
If you are accessing Canvas via desktop you are able to send a message through the Inbox feature. To use that, follow the directions below:
- Click on the Inbox logo/name on the left hand side of the screen.
- Once you are in the Inbox, look at the top of the webpage and then click the pictogram that looks like a pencil writing on paper.
- After you do that, you can select the course/teacher you are attempting to contact.
*Information about how to access Canvas is below.
This newsletter is produced by Spencer Butte Middle School for the benefit of our school community. Please feel free to contact us directly.
In addition to contacting teachers, Canvas is also the tool that you can use to keep apprised of your child's grades in class.
How can I access Canvas?
You can access Canvas via the Canvas Parent app (available in the Google and Apple app stores) or by going to https://4j.instructure.com/login/canvas
How do I connect my account to my child's?
In Canvas, parents are called Observers. From the 4J Canvas webpage we learn that "As an Observer you will be able to check grades, monitor assignments and due dates, as well as communicate directly with your student’s teachers."
The key part of becoming an Observer is to pair your parent account with your child's account. To do that, you need a pairing code from your child. There are two ways to get your child's pairing code.
Student Supplied Pairing Code
If you would like to get the pairing code directly from your student, please click on the link below with your child to learn how to get the code:
Link to Creating a Pairing Code for an Observer Video: https://www.loom.com/share/33d85e2c1c7d4b6087ae0a708d63afac
Paula Provides the Pairing Code
Another way to get a pairing code is to contact me directly (nolan_p@4j.lane.edu, 541-790-8300, or click the Contact Paula button at the bottom of the page). Once I receive your request, I will generate the code and email it to you.