Port Susan Middle School
Family & Student Update 09.01.24
Principal's Message
As I reflect on this week, I am thankful for all of the work that went into making it a success. Our custodial staff made our floors shine, our secretaries put in long hours this week to get us organized, and our staff came together early to make sure they are ready to support our students next week.
It was great to see our students and families come through our doors at open house this week (pictures below). We had a great turnout and for those that were not able to make it, no worries. Our staff are all ready to support students on their first day with us at Port Susan.
In addition, our partnership with families is so important for the success of our student learning. I want to thank our PTO for their support to start this year. If you were not able to stop by their table at open house, but you'd like to volunteer or work with our group, please reach out to them at portsusanpto@gmail.com - they are wonderful!!
-Cherae Almanza
Fall Sports Begin TUESDAY
Fall sports are Boys/Girls XC (grades 6-8) and Girls Soccer (grades 7-8).
Sign ups are open on FinalForms: Sign Up Here
Practices will begin on Tuesday, September 3 afterschool until 4pm. Athletes will need a physical (good for two years) on file prior to being eligible for practice.
You can view up-to-date game and/or meet information on Arbiter Live:
https://arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=33467
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Auckland at: cauckland@stanwood.wednet.edu
Parent Drop Off
If you are providing transportation for your student in the morning, please take a look at the image below. We should be able to get 4-5 cars to drop off at once, which will help all students get to first period on time & save you some time as well. If you're the first car in line, please pull forward to the first cone/curb area and the next 3-4 cars can follow behind. All students can then exit the vehicle and walk into the building.
Bell Schedule
As you can see below, on regular schedule (Mon/Tue/Thur/Fri), class begins at 7:40 a.m. and on Wednesdays (late start throughout the district), secondary classes begin at 9:00 a.m.
Throughout the year, we will have our morning announcements live on a google meet at 7:40am daily in first period classes. This is when we go over important information and recognize our students throughout the year.
Port Susan Expectations
We will be going over all expectations with students the first week of school. As students transition from summer back to school and/or throughout their middle school experience, we have found that the use of cell phones is a distraction to their learning and parent communication prior to the school day starting is extremely helpful.
Please take a look at our cell phone expectations below as we focus on learning throughout the school day.
*Cell Phones Expectations*
In the morning, students are allowed to use their phones in the cafeteria and/or foyer area UNTIL they are dismissed to their first period class. We open the doors to classrooms at 7:25am and all students are asked to make their way no later than 7:35am. At this time, all personal devices should be silenced and out of sight.
During lunch &/or free time is another opportunity for students to check their phones (see bell schedule). This can be done in the cafeteria, outside during their free time, and/or in the foyer.
Throughout the day, phones should not be out in the hallway or classrooms without staff permission.
Please do NOT have phones out in the restrooms at any time for the privacy of others.
Personal devices include everything from cell phones, to AirPods, to mobile gaming devices. These devices should remain silent in your backpack or bookbags at all times. In the classroom and/or hallways, we should not see or hear devices. If a student has extenuating circumstances and feel they need to use their phone, we ask they communicate with their teacher for permission at an appropriate time.
If a student is not able to follow these expectations, an email communication will be sent home. Please reach out with any questions.
Attendance
Throughout the year, if your student will be absent due to illness or family business, please call the school at 360.629.1366 or send email to skline@stanwood.wednet.edu to excuse the absence prior or the morning of to avoid an email or phone call. All absences must be excused within 72 hours of a student returning to school.
Skyward Family Access
In secondary schools, all grading and schedules are kept through Skyward Family Access. Both students as well as parents have an account. This can be accessed through a desktop computer or the Skyward app can be downloaded on any smartphone. For more information on how to access, please see the information and watch the video linked below.
Once schedules are active, students and parents can view them through this system.
School Map
All students will have access to our school map along with their schedule the first day of school. Reminder that we do NOT allow cell phones in hallways, classrooms, or restrooms, so a printed copy of their schedule is a must. I've also included a copy of our school map below for those that would like to look at where their classes are located ahead of time or for those that were unable to attend open house.
School supplies
Click the button below to view the PSMS school supplies
Apply for Free and Reduced meals today
As we gear up for another exciting school year, we want to make sure EVERY STUDENT gets the nutritious meals they deserve.
If you haven’t yet completed a Free or Reduced Meal application, now’s the perfect time to do so! Completing the application takes less than 10 minutes, and you only need to complete one meal application per family.
Don't know if you'd qualify? Take our easy online quiz to help determine your eligibility!
To get started, download and complete the application form linked at the bottom of this email or simply complete it online through your SKYWARD Family Access account.
Bus Route Information
Transportation information for grades K-12 is available online. You can easily access details about your child's bus route, stop times, and bus assignments through our Versatrans eLink portal.
Please check your student's bus information as some of our bus routes have changed.
To access your child's transportation details:
- Log in to Versatrans eLink: Use your child's 7-digit ID number as both the "User Name" and "Password." You can find the 7-digit ID number on your child's Skyward account.
Quick Links:
We’ve made volunteering easier
We love our volunteers — and we've made it easier than ever to complete the required application and training process.
To apply, start with this new online form.
To learn more about volunteering with us, visit www.stanwood.wednet.edu/volunteer
See you Tuesday!
Cherae Almanza, Principal
Crysty Auckland, Assistant Principal