Back to School Eagle Edition

We are so excited to welcome you back for an amazing 24-25 school year very soon. This newsletter is full of all the back-to-school details. Each month you will receive a new Eagle Edition newsletter. You'll want to make sure you are set up for notifications from the district to ensure you have all the current information.

Also, if you haven't already, please take some time to follow SBMS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (X). We will be working hard to post the amazing things that our Eagles are doing while at SBMS. Our goal is to be as transparent as possible with open communication with our families and our community. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if we can be of assistance. Below is contact information for our administrators, counselors, administrative assistants, and nurse.

Principal:

Dr. Dawn Day - dday@sbschools.us

Assistant Principals:

Alex Fields (5th/6th) - sfields@sbschools.us

Amanda Toepke (7th/8th) - atoepke@sbschools.us

Counselors:

Sarah Williams (5th/6th) - swilliams@sbschools.us

Brett Strauser (7th/8th) - bstrauser@sbschools.us

Administrative Assistants:

Mary Millar - mmillar@sbschools.us

Dana Schultz - dschultz@sbschools.us

Nurse:

Katie Cobb - kcobb@sbschools.us

I am thrilled to be joining the Southern Boone team as the next middle school principal. I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Southwest Baptist University, a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from Southwest Baptist University, a Master's Degree in Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and my Doctorate Degree in Administration from Maryville University.

I spent 11 years in the classroom where I taught 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 4th/5th Science, and 6th-8th grade Social Studies. I was an assistant principal for 3 years and head principal for 5 years. I'm excited to start my 6th year as a building principal by joining the team at SBMS!

I'm very passionate about creating a positive and caring school environment where students and staff can not only grow, but thrive. I have high expectations for students and staff and believe this will lead to high-quality teaching and learning, while promoting a growth mindset within ourselves.

We have a fantastic staff here at SBMS and I'm thrilled to be able to work alongside them this year. I'd like to introduce our amazing administrators and counselors below.

Mr. Fields:

Mr. Fields attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he earned both his Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Social Studies Education and his Master’s Degree in School Administration. He also earned his Specialist Degree from Purdue University in District Leadership and Educational Policy. He is currently working on his PhD in District Leadership and Education Policy from Purdue University.

Mr. Fields taught 8th grade American History for 12 years at Antioch Middle School in the North Kansas City School District. This will be his first year in administration.

Ms. Williams:

Ms. Williams graduated from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Middle School Math. She received a Master's Degree in School Counseling from Walden University.

Ms. Williams taught 7th/8th grade math for five years before moving on to the counseling position here at SBMS in 2020.

Mrs. Toepke:

Mrs. Toepke holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Phoenix, Arizona, a Master’s and Educational Specialist in Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri. She is also working towards her doctorate at the University of Missouri.

Mrs. Toepke spent 13 years as a teacher. She taught elementary for three years and then moved to middle school as a 6th grade language art and social studies teacher for an additional ten years. This will be Mrs. Toepke's second year as an assistant principal at SBMS.

Mr. Strauser:

Mr. Strauser graduated from Mizzou in 2016 with a degree in Cross-Categorical Special Education. He then finished his Master's in Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology in 2018 the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Mr. Strauser has worked in Southern Boone for the past six years. For two years he was the At-Risk Coordinator, which is now the called Student Success Interventionist. For the past four years, he has been in the middle school counselor position.

Our school office is managed by two amazing ladies! These ladies will be the first to speak with you if you call or come in to sign your student in or out for the day.

5th/6th grade families, please contact Mrs. Schultz for assistance at dschultz@sbschools.us

7th/8th grade families, please contact Mrs. Millar for assistance at mmillar@sbschools.us

While students and staff have been relaxing and enjoying summer, our custodial staff has been hard at work. They work all summer to clean the building, move furniture, wax floors, make repairs, etc. They have worked tirelessly to ensure that staff and students have a beautiful and sparkling building to return to in the fall. Along with our district custodial staff, many high school students work to help with moving furniture in and out of rooms. Thank you all so much for the amazing work you are doing this summer!

5th grade orientation is a time for our newest Eagles to get to know each other, get to know their teachers, and learn more about SBMS. They will be able to participate in fun team building activities and become familiar with the building. See all the details below.

Please RSVP here if your student is planning to attend the orientation.

Below you will find some general information important for open house.

• All families should enter through the main entrance.
• Parking is available in the lot behind the South building (between the middle school and public library), the lot next to Ash Street, and the lot next to the VoAg building.
• Please do not park in the front loop, as there will be food trucks for you to purchase dinner at your lesiure!

• Incoming 8th graders are required to have on file records of immunizations BEFORE the 1st day of school!

• Tdap booster and Meningitis shot

• Records can be given to Nurse Cobb at the Middle School

• Email: kcobb@sbschools.us

• Please provide any relevant health information regarding your student to Nurse Cobb.

• Print and complete the Permission Form for Medication by clicking here if your student requires medication during school hours.

• If you have any health or medication questions/concersn, please contact Nurse Cobb.

• If enrollment has been completed by families, students will have the opportunity to receive a copy of their daily class schedule, and walk through the building during Open House.

• Schedules can be viewed in Infinite Campus. Click here to access the Infinite Campus Parent Portal login page.

• Schedules will also be available during Open House.

• If your student is wanting to make a schedule change, please contact:

• Ms. Sarah Williams - 5th/6th Grade Counselor (swilliams@sbschools.us)
• Mr. Brett Strauser - 7th/8th Grade Counselor (bstrauser@sbschools.us)

• The Middle School does not honor specific teacher requests, or students to have classes with a specific student(s).

• Common requests include scheduling mistakes, exploratory classes, etc.

• We are urging families to complete the 2023-2024 Free and Reduced Meal Application.

• Application Link Below:

• DOWNLOAD THE 2023-2024 FREE AND REDUCED MEAL APPLICATION HERE

• Completed applications can be brought to the front office or to Central Office (5275 West Red Tail Drive)

• Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions while completing the application.

This year students will not have their own individual chromebooks. Each classroom will have a chromebook cart and students will have access to use the chromebook in class as directed by the classroom teacher.

If students are sick from school and have homework to complete on a chromebook after their return, we will have a process for checking out a chromebook to take home only if needed to finish work.

You can find the 24-25 district calendar for students by clicking on the button below.

You can find all the information about getting ready for back-to-school by clicking the button below.

This page provides information on many items, including:

• school supply lists
• registration process
• meal prices
• free/reduced lunch application steps
• immunization requirements
• technology information
• transportation information
• student handbooks

There have been some changes to the bell schedules for the 24-25 school year. 5th grade has their own bell schedule, separate from 6th-8th grade. Early release Wednesdays also have their own specific bell schedule.

You can check out the bell schedules, by clicking the attached document below.

Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the student handbook, by clicking the button below. Our Eagle Ethics team is working on updating our matrix and some expectations this summer. Those items will be shared with students and families in our next newsletter.

We are a positive behavior school that follows three basic principles: be safe, be respectful, and be responsible. Staff regularly teaches students behavior expectations during our daily Eagle Time. We praise positive student behavior with Eagle bills, and correct negative student behavior promptly with reteaching.

Our behavior matrix, pictured below, outlines the specific behaviors that we expect to see from all students showing they exhibit safety, respect, and responsibility. The Eagle Ethics team will be updating the matrix in a few weeks and we will use the new matrix to teach student behaviors. The new matrix will be shared once it is complete.

• SBMS does not allow students to use cell phones during the school day (7:56am-3:10pm)

• This includes using bluetooth devices (Airpods, headphones, etc)

• Students must have wired headphones for the school day (non bluetooth)

• Wired headphones are to ONLY be used with chromebooks at the direction of the classroom teacher

• Most students tend to get caught on their cell phones texting a parent or a parent texting their student.

• If there is some sort of emergency (student not feeling well, bad day, etc) please call the office rather than texting with your child.

• Students on their phone will be asked to bring their device to the front office for the first violation, and can pick it up after school.

• 2nd cell phone violation, a parent/guardian must come pick up the device.

• 3rd violation, parent/guardian must pick up the device, and the student must serve an after-school detention.

• Students are not allowed to take their cell phones to the restroom. Each classroom will have a procedure in place for a location to leave their phone (near the teacher) when going to the restroom.

• When checking your student in during the school day, students must be signed in by a parent, or guardian, in the main office.

• When possible, please provide doctors notes or other form of documentation, depending on the circumstance.

• If you are signing your student out early from school, students must be signed out inside the main office by a parent or guardian.

• If your student participates in an athletic organization or wishes to participate in an extracurricular (dances, student function, etc), proper documentation must be provided in order for your student to participate in that event.

Below is a visual of the drop-off and pick-up locations for all students at SBMS. Please ensure that you are only dropping off where indicated and only picking up where indicated. Thank you for helping to keep our students safe with an organized arrival and dismissal routine.

Drop off students in the South Lot (between the MS and Public Library). Students will enter through the double doors. See picture above.

Families with students in different grade levels may use either drop off location!

Drop off students in the front loop of the new construction (Main Entrance to the Middle School). See picture above.

Families with students in different grade levels may use either drop off location!

Below are some important updates with event dates for back-to-school sports.

Physical Nights at Southern Boone

• Tuesday, August 6th, 4-6 pm
• Both nights will be at the High School
• Cost is $20
• Physicals are good for 2 calendar years, pre participation form is an annual requirement (good for 1 year)
  
• Link to physical form and pre participation form: https://www.sbschools.us/documents/athletics/304794
• Pre-Participation Document: https://5il.co/1ec7m
• These forms will need to be filled out and turned in before the student can participate in practices.
  

• There is a $50 Southern Boone Activity Fee for each student participating in activities for the upcoming school year. Checks can be turned in to your child’s head coach or dropped off at central office. Please make this check payable to Southern Boone School District.

  
  

First day of Middle School Fall Sports Practice

• Monday, August 19th
• Students will need 14 practices before they can play in a game.
  

Fall Sports Parent Meeting

• Sunday, August 11th, 5 pm in the High School Gymnasium
• It is highly encouraged for at least one parent per student to attend this meeting.
  

Middle School Fall Sports Pictures

• Wednesday, September 4th in the Middle School

• Southern Boone Activities Department is partnering with FinalForms, an online forms and data management service.
• FinalForms allows you to complete and sign athletic participation forms for your students.
• The most exciting news is that FinalForms saves data from season to season and year to year, meaning that you will never need to enter the same information twice!
• FinalForms also pre-populates information wherever possible, for each of your students, saving you time.
• Starting this fall, this will be a requirement for all middle school and high school parents and students (If you play a school-sponsored sport or activity).
• CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FINALFORMS

If you have any questions about specific fall sports, please reach out to the respective head coach:

Middle School Fall Sports

Football: Lee Bradley ebradley@sbschools.us

Volleyball: Trevor Roebke troebke@sbschools.us and Connie Schu cschu@sbschools.us

Softball: Shane Cruzan: shanecruzan@me.com and Andrea Cook: acook@sbschools.us

Cross Country: Kristina Wortmann: kwortmann@sbschools.us

Cheer: Kelsey Singleton: singletonk330@gmail.com

If you have other questions regarding Southern Boone Athletics and Activities, please feel free to call Trent Tracy at central office at 573-657-2147 or send me an email at ttracy@sbschools.us

Each month we will have updated information on what Student Council is currently working on. The student council sponsor is Mrs. Kennedy. If you have questions about Student Council work, please reach out to Mrs. Kennedy at: lkennedy@sbschools.us

We are excited for our Student Council to get our Eagle Store up and running and to begin preparations for our homecoming parade and pep assembly on October 4th!

Email: dday@sbschools.us

Location: 303 N Main St, Ashland, MO 65010

Phone: 573-657-2146

Twitter: @Dr_D_Day