Panther Press

🎃 October:

• September 25-November 22: Jr. Beta Shoe Drive
• October 14: Student and Staff Holiday
• October 15: Student Holiday; Professional Learning Day for Staff
• October 16 & 17: Picture Day
• October 17: Pink Out Day
• October 18: All A Ceremony (4-5 pm), Tailgate & Fall Festival (5-7 pm)
• October 24: Veterans Chorus Concert (4:15 pm)

Oct. 16-29th: 6 Week benchmark (Science/History/Civics)

Oct. 21-Nov. 1st: Year long courses (English and Math)

Congrats to our amazing clinic assistant, Lori Taylor, for winning this first ABCD Award of the year for the entire IWCS school division!!

Dear SMS Parents,

Fall pictures are coming up! Below is the schedule:

Photo Info Website:

All SMS photo information can be found on the website: https://www.bluedominionstudios.com/sms

Wednesday 10/16:
Block 2: 8th Grade Teachers - Gault, Sorrell, Kidd, Summerlin, Shelton, Robertson, Reid (entire class)
Block 3: 7th Grade Teachers - Greenwell, Murphy, Coyle, Vaughan, Rice, Shelton, Kidd

Thursday 10/17:
Block 2: 8th Grade Teachers - Gay, Mullin, Tisdel, Pearson, Williams, Triplett
Block 3: 7th Grade Teachers - Boyer, Williford, Bynum, Nance, Andria, Cantu

Wednesday 11/20: Makeup and retake day will take place on 11/20

Photo Ordering: Ordering will be 100% online. Photos will be available to order about two weeks after picture day. More info will follow.

All A Ceremony invitations were mailed home. If your student did not receive one but they earned all A's last year, please reach out to Dr. Kulp at ckulp@iwcs.k12.va.us. We look forward to celebrating our students' academic achievements on October 18th!

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.

Students and staff from the Governor's School for the Arts will be at SMS during WIN on Thursday, October 17th. Please share this information with your child(ren), and here is the sign up link for interested students.

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.