In the Middle

Dec. 23rd: Holiday Recess Begins

Jan. 2nd: Classes Resume

Jan. 20th: No School - MLK Day

Jan. 22nd: PTO Meeting, Library Media Center, 7:00 pm

Jan. 29th: SMS School Improvement Meeting, Library, 2:30 pm

Jan. 29th: 6th Grade and 7th Grade Winter Concerts, Auditorium

Winter sports are starting up which means that we need your help with concessions. Please consider signing up for a date through this link:

Attention Spartan parents and guardians: If your student is involved in a sport or club and you have photos, scores, or info about events, please email SMSClubNSports@gmail.com. We will try and use those photos on social media.

Media Ready is an evidence-based program for middle school classrooms, designed to give youth the ability to analyze media messages, recognize unhealthy behavior, and prevent substance abuse through the power of media literacy education.

SPC Regional Prevention Task Force will be implementing the Pick Your No’s initiative at Scituate Middle School starting in January. This program aims to equip students with the skills necessary to refuse substances and other difficult situations.

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. All links are in our Linktree below

Several parents have reached out to inquire about access to SmartPass to monitor how much time their child is out of class. SmartPass offers a parent account. Please email me for your child's unique access code.

Late buses are available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Buses typically arrive around 3:45-4:00, depending on when the elementary runs are complete. Parents and guardians picking up their children should wait in the high school's main parking lot. Students will exit those doors and not the middle school doors; they would usually get picked up at normal dismissal time.

Students, did you know that beginning on Wednesday, October 23rd, you can sign up each week to get extra help after school in reading, writing, or math if you need it?

Ms. Kennedy (Math) is available after school on Wednesdays from 2:20-3:20 for Math Academic Support in Room 404.

Ms. Limoges (ELA) is available for reading and writing support after school on Thursdays from 2:20-3:20 in Room 402.

Sign-up sheets will be in the main office, and attendance is on a first come, first served basis, as there is a class cap. Please see Ms. Limoges, Ms. Kennedy, or Ms. Goffe if you have any questions about staying after school.

Agriculture Club meets on Tuesdays and is open to middle and high school students interested in nature and the environment. Projects throughout this year include the creation of an on-campus butterfly garden, a "power of plants" great plant give-away, a holiday sale, and filling our greenhouse throughout the early spring with flowers and veggies to sell at our annual plant sale. Additionally, we volunteer at the local water festival and participate in DEM's RI Salmon in the Classroom experience. For more details, please see our Agriculture Contract below. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Travers (email is linked here).

The Technology Student Association is a national student organization with over 300,000 members. TSA projects and competitions include robotics, game design, engineering, and more. Through hands-on learning experiences, these projects aim to nurture innovative thinking. We hope to empower the next generation of inventors, storytellers, and problem-solvers. Join us as we use technology to unlock our students' creative potential! This club meets on Wednesdays after school. Reach out to Mr. Sheehan if you have any questions. His email is linked here.

Project Linus is a national organization that makes blankets for children in crisis. In past years, there have been students who were recipients of blankets while they were hospitalized. At one point in time, SMS was the only school-based club in the state.

This club is open to all grades and meets on Thursdays. If you have any questions about this club, please reach out to Mrs. Battey. Her email is linked here.

Ms. Norton will be creating the middle school yearbook this year. If you have photos that you would like to see included in the yearbook, please email them to sms_yearbook@scituateschoolsri.net This includes photos from all of our SMS Athletic Teams.

The holiday season can be a time of magic and togetherness, but for many parents, it also brings stress, packed schedules, and the pressure to make everything picture-perfect. Between managing work, coordinating family plans, and trying to create memorable moments for your kids, it’s easy to put your own mental health on the back burner.

Read more and get the free resource by clicking the button below.

For teens, the pressure to meet these high expectations can feel overwhelming, especially when life’s challenges—school, friendships, or mental health—are already demanding.

As winter approaches, some of us may experience a change in our mood that happens as a response to the colder weather and shorter days. This may look like feeling sad or annoyed, having difficulty concentrating, or changes in appetite or sleeping patterns. The winter blues are more commonly known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Teen depression is a topic often clouded by misconceptions. As parents, caregivers, and advocates, understanding the truth about this condition is crucial for supporting our teens. Let’s tackle some common myths and uncover the facts behind this important issue.

ParentGuidance.Org (a project of The Cook Center for Human Connection) is a new resource for RI schools designed to foster a positive, proactive, and productive culture around Mental Health and Wellness by increasing parent/caregiver engagement. Their portfolio of supports include free and contracted services.

Free services include On-Demand Courses on a variety of topics (anxiety & depression, bullying, body image, technology, grief & loss, meditation & mindfulness, and more) and an Ask A Therapist feature; both from leading mental health experts designed to educate and empower parents/caregivers. Contracted services include Parent/Staff Coaching, Mental Health Family Seminar Series, and Professional Development.

The Scituate School Department has partnered with Unite Us to streamline the process of applying for free and/or reduced lunches.

Please click the link which will take you to the meal benefit application on the State of Rhode Island Department of Education website.

https://ride.ri.gov/child-nutrition/unite-us-electronic-school-meal-benefit-application

Please fill in all fields. Be sure to select Scituate Public Schools in the field “Select the school district that your child will receive school meals from”.

If you have any questions, please call: Jennifer Carnevale, Executive Finance Assistant at 401-647-4100 option 2, then option 3

The meeting schedule for the 24/25SY are listed below. The meetings will take place at Ponaganset Middle School, Room 150 at 6:00 pm.

Feb 11, 2025

May 13, 2025

Join the Zoo Team! The Roger Williams Park Zoo is excited to be recruiting applicants for our teen volunteer programs for 2025. Any students interested in the environment and animals and who enjoy being part of a team are encouraged to apply!

Counselor-in-Training Volunteers (Grades 7-12)

Zoo Crew Counselor in Training is a volunteer opportunity open to teens in grades 7–12. CITs assist in the ZooCamp experience and help maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for campers (ages 4-10) by encouraging participation, modeling ZooCamp expectations, and assisting campers with skills during activities or crafts. Deadline to apply is January 12, 2025.

Play Partner Volunteers (ages 16+)

Play Partner volunteers facilitate and support children’s free play at Hasbro’s Big Backyard at the Roger Williams Park Zoo. Play Partners help families create memories through outdoor play experiences that connect them to the natural world. While this position doesn’t work with handling or caring for animals, the Big Backyard space is home to animal exhibits, including our ravens, the natural wildlife of the neighboring wetlands, and outdoor play areas. Deadline to apply is February 25, 2025.

For more information and to apply, visit our website at https://www.rwpzoo.org/volunteer-teens/.

The Scituate School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, race, religion, national origin, color, creed, political affiliation or disability in any of its educational programs and activities, and in employment and application for employment, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1965, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and other federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Equal Employment Officer, P.O. Box 188, North Scituate, Rhode Island 02857, Telephone: (401) 647-4100; Email: EEO@ScituateSchoolsRI.net. You may also direct inquiries directly to: Office for Civil Rights (Boston Office), U.S. Department of Education, 8th Floor, 5 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109-3921, Telephone: (617) 289-0111; Facsimile: (617) 289-0150; Email: OCR.Boston@ed.gov. If you require an accommodation to attend a meeting or program at a school, call the Equal Employment Officer at least two business days in advance of the meeting or program.