Hello SBMS Community!

It's always amazing how fast the first few weeks of school have gone by! There's a run-down of what's in this newsletter below, but before I get too far into that I wanted to ask for your help in reminding students who ride something with wheels to school that they need to wear a helmet and wear it properly. We have a lot of students who are either not wearing a helmet (they forget it or they leave it in their backpack) or they are not wearing it properly (most often thaty don't have the chin-strap latched or it is so loose that it hangs down). I've seen the hurt that motor vehicles cause when they hit someone and I want students to be as safe as possible and to wear their proper head protection. If you need help getting a properly fitting helmet for your child, please contact me and I will help to make that happen.

In other news, there is a lot going on here as we progress through the school year. Here are a few highlights from our newsletter this week:

Open House Wednesday from 6:00-8:00

As a reminder, SBMS Open House is this Wednesday from 6:00-8:00. For more information, please read the article below.

Walk the Amazon Fundraiser

Our one fundraiser of the year started last week and needs on 10/4. Money collection days this week are Tuesday and Thursday. These funds are used to benefit students and programs at SBMS. Some ways that the funds are used is to purchase supplies and equipment, and to fund field trips at no cost to students.

What is Lunch Like?

Please see below to learn about what lunch time is like at SBMS, how to access menus, and who to contact if you have specific questions about nutrition at the school.

Non-4J Community Events of Interest

Sometimes we receive information at the school about opportunities that are available in the community. I've added a new section near the end of the Spartan Update to share selected items.

Volunteer Opportunities

I've added a few new volunteer opportunities below- walking with us on 10/4 for our Walk the Amazon event, and as the SBMS lunchtime mentor program coordinator.

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

This evening is for parents/guardians to come to school and go through a simulated schedule to meet your child's teachers. Everyone will start in the gym and then go to each class for 10 minutes. You will also experience the 4 minute passing times that your child navigates here at the school.

We kicked off our Annual Walk The Amazon Fundraiser this week!

The focus for this years fundraiser is Community Connection, Learning and Kindness. We have found that fall fundraisers are a key component of building a stronger Spencer Butte community while raising funds for SBMS specific projects.

Last year, our fundraiser was a success! The funds raised allowed us to provide student initiated projects that helped support our school, our SBMS stakeholders, and the community at large. Some of the ways that the funds were used was to purchase materials and supplies for classrooms and to help fund field trips.

This year we have already expanded learning opportunities at SBMS by creating new electives that were possible in part because of previous fundraisers. We want to continue to enhance our classroom offerings (for new and existing classes) and be able to provide opportunities like field trips at no cost to students.

At the end of the fundraiser, we will continue our tradition of the Walk The Amazon. This has been a school tradition that since in 2006 (and paused during the pandemic). After we collect money, we will take our entire school on a walk around part of the Amazon Trail and celebrate as a SBMS community. Our money collection days will be Tuesdays and Thursdays between now and our Walk, which will be on Friday October 4th.

Students do have the opportunity to earn prizes via raffle tickets. Every student at SBMS has earned a raffle ticket just for being a member of our school community! Additional raffle tickets are awarded for every $10 raised with a max of 50 tickets. There are also additional rewards for different amounts of money raised, including ice skating with a friend, lunch provided at school by the Principal for a student and a friend or two, and the ability to slime staff members (with Spartan Blue Slime!).

Each student should have received an envelope with all pertinent information. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. We want to thank you for your help and support with this event.

Our next fundraiser turn in days are Tuesday the 24th and Thursday the 26th.

We are looking for Volunteers for our Annual Walk the Amazon field trip. This year students will be walking with their Advisory Groups. We are looking for a volunteer to walk with each group. The walk distance is 3.4 miles round trip. Volunteers will need to have an approved volunteer application.

We have 17 advisory groups. If you would like to walk with your Student please sign up for their advisory group.

All meals at 4J schools are free this year. The SBMS breakfast and lunch menus are located at the link below:

Meal Menus: https://linqconnect.com/public/menu/86L6D9?buildingId=cd96f039-3475-ea11-bd65-dc75d88ece29

Where do they get to eat? What if it rains?

At break and lunch, students are allowed to go to three different places in the school. They may be in the lunchroom, in our first floor hallway, or out front of the school. During lunch, after 10 minutes (to give students time to eat and to encourage that students eat instead of going directly outside to play) we ring our bell to let students know that they are allowed to go up to the turf. If the weather is very rainy we close the turf and instead open our large gym. When playing outside sometimes students will not wear coats or jackets when the weather is less than ideal- but they tell their families that they are bundling up.

What if I have questions about meals at SBMS?

General inquiries: nutrition@4j.lane.edu or 541-790-7656

Menu, nutrition, and dietary restriction questions: nutrition@4j.lane.edu or 541-790-7659

Picture day takes place on 9/25. You can pre-order your pictures using the instructions on the image above or by clicking here. You can also order via paper order form. If you need another copy of the picture order paper form, please contact the office at 541-790-8300.

Volunteers are incredible forces in the lives of our students. We have many volunteer opportunities at SBMS- activity nights, field trips, and in-school events are a few examples. To be a volunteer, there's a two-step process:

1. Volunteer Application
2. Background Check

If you've been a volunteer in the past, your background check is good for 2 years.

We will share our volunteer opportunities through the Spartan Update and emails to families. To get the process started, please click the button below.

Spencer Butte is looking for a volunteer to be the Spencer Butte Mentor Coordinator. Our

Middle School Lunchtime Mentoring Program supports at risk youth by partnering them with a Mentor for lunch once a week. Last spring we had 112 middle school student being Mentored in 4J. The Spencer Butte Mentor Coordinator volunteers one day a week, on Mondays from 12-1pm, and does up to 30 minutes of other communications during the week. The volunteer Mentor Coordinator is fully trained and supported by the 4J staff Mentor Coordinator. This is a fantastic way to get involved at in our community, and make a difference in the lives of young people, come join us! Please contact Kate Becker for more information: becker_k@4j.lane.edu 541-517-0394

We have multiple opportunities for library volunteers this year. We have some beginning of the year tasks that are of limited duration to start as soon as possible and we have regular weekly shifts.

Tasks may include unboxing and shelving books, shelf-reading, processing new magazines, and helping with displays. If you are interested or have questions about the duties, please email Jenn Kotlarek (kotlarek@4j.lane.edu) directly for more information. You may also see the 4J volunteer requirements here (https://4j.lane.edu/16733_3). Thank you for supporting our library.

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 10/18, please click the button below, or contact Stephanie our school secretary at 541-790-8300 or at minter_s@4j.lane.edu

UO Fall Science Open House

What: Free Science Outreach Event

When: Wednesday October 9th, 2024 - 6:30-8:30pm

Where: Willamette Hall Paul Olum Atrium on the UO Campus

Why: SCIENCE!

SPICE SCIENCE (Science Program to Inspire Creativity and Excellence)

The UO Fall Science Open House is a showcase of all the wonderful formal and informal science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach available in our community. The open house features dozens of interactive, hands-on science tables and demonstrations. The event is free and open to the public. The goal of the open house is to connect families and teachers with science education opportunities.

The event is coordinated by the SPICE program. Participation is 100% free for presenters and attendees.

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 Directory: https://spencerbutte.4j.lane.edu/41178_2 ]

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:

1. Click on the Inbox logo/name on the left hand side of the screen.
2. 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.
3. After you do that, you can select the course/teacher you are attempting to contact.

*Information about how to access Canvas is below.

Canvas is the online learning platform that parents can use to track grades and what is happening in classes (announcements, due dates, etc...). It is a very important tool to use and I recommend that every parent/guardian uses their Canvas Observer account (accessed via the web or the Canvas Parent app on your phone).

The information below will tell new and returning users how to activate their Canvas Observer account for this school year.

All new and returning users must activate their account before you can start using Canvas Observer (even if you had an account last year). To activate your account , complete the following steps:

1. Visit 4J’s Canvas for Families webpage and click on “Forgot Password?”

2. Enter the email you provided your child’s school and then click the “Request Password” box

3. Enter a password after clicking the reset link you receive in your email

4. Return to the Canvas for Families webpage to log in with your username and new password

One account per email- Canvas Observer will not allow you to activate more than one account if parents/guardians have the same email address on file for their student. In this case, contact your school and provide a unique email address for each parent or guardian associated with your student.

Please contact us at 541-790-8300 or email me at nolan_p@4j.lane.edu if you run into any problems with activating your account.

Having the ParentSquare app will allow you to receive instant notifications from the school (in addition to emails). By going to this site or downloading the app you can get registered in a few minutes. Setup is pretty easy (I did it last year 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.