Switzerland Point Middle School

• September 10: 6th Grade Health Screenings
• September 12: PTSO Presents our First Community Chat - See Flier Below
• September 13: First Raider Store!
• September 20: In-Service Day, No School for Students
• September 23: Character Counts! Chats, adjusted bell schedule see attached below
• September 27: Neon Bash

PTSO Community Chat RSVP Here

Click on the flier to order.

• No cell phones may be used on campus. Cell phones should be off and stowed in a backpack at all times during the school day. Cells phones that are out, on, or in pockets will be confisicated, and the consequences will follow the SPMS Progressive Discipline plan. If a student has an emergency or needs to contact home, they can call from the front office phone.
• No sprays--body spray, perfumes, cologne--may be used on campus. This impacts students with allergies, as well as causes headaches. Disciplinary action will be taken for students who do not follow this policy.
• Drinks should be sealed (no straws, open lids) in the hallways. This lessens incidents of spillage in our high-traffic areas. Students will be asked to throw away open liquids.
• There is no gum on campus. Students will be asked to throw away gum they are chewing. Repeat offenses may constitute disciplinary action.

• At the end of the year, students can attend a field trip as a reward for their behavior.
• Students who earn ISS or OSS during 2nd semester, or commit a Level 4 offense during the entire school year, will NOT BE ELIGIBLE to participate in the grade-level reward trip. Please see Section 5, Levels of Discipline, on page 31 in our Student Code of Conduct for examples of Level 4 offenses.
• Students with 15 or more unexcused absences during the school year will NOT BE ELIGIBLE for the trip.
• For 8th grade students, these behavior requirements also apply to the 8th grade formal dance.
• Once a reward trip has been paid for, we will be unable to give refunds or transfer the reservation to another student’s name.

Research demonstrates that attendance is a critical aspect to student success.

• At SPMS, attendance is tracked by full day absences, tardies, early check outs, and class period.
• Attendance in each course, such as Period 3 ELA, will be monitored.
• We notice that, in middle school, students tend to miss more full and partial days than in elementary without it being necessary. Do we want your child to come sick? No! However, students sometimes claim small things, such as mild allergies, a headache that can be treated, or feeling slightly under the weather, for not attending. When deciding whether to send your child to school, consider:
• Do they have a true fever?
• Have they thrown up in the last twenty-four hours?
• Are they contagious?
• Please strongly consider scheduling vacations around the school calendar.
• If your student is asking to stay home due to school issues (peers, teachers, anxiety, etc.), please reach out to the counselors or a trusted teacher at the school so that we can develop a plan that makes your child feel confident and safe while attending.

The SPMS media center is seeking parent volunteers to serve on the 2024-2025 Media Advisory Committee. The purpose of the committee is to receive input on library materials from community stakeholders. Committee members will be sent monthly lists of suggested book purchases for the library that they will have the opportunity to provide feedback on. Two parents will be selected using a random number generator after all responses are collected. There will be training provided. Please fill out this form if you are interested in serving: https://forms.office.com/r/xJcmUXJBXa

Each month, our staff nominate students who display the pillar of Charcter for that month. Students will be celebrated the first week of the next month with lunch provided by the PTSO.

This month, we look for students who display the pillar of Fairness.

FAIRNESS

• Play by the rules.
• Take turns and share.
• Be open-minded. Listen to others.
• Don’t take advantage of others.

A PARENT’S GUIDE TO FAIRNESS

Play by the rules.

Take turns and share.

Be open-minded.

Listen to others.

Don’t take advantage of others.

Don’t blame others carelessly.

WHAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME

• When you hear, “It’s not fair!” ask your child to define what is unfair about the situation. Usually when you hear this, it means your child didn’t receive something he/she thinks was deserved or an expectation hasn’t been met--whether real or imagined.
• Discuss the question “Does fair mean equal?” with your child. Talk about situations in school, home, or the community where the answers may sometimes be “yes” and sometimes “no”.
• Set family goals. Have each member of the family complete the following sentence and post it where it will serve as a reminder: I will show fairness by: ______________________.

PARENTS CAN PROMOTE FAIRNESS

• Create a democratic family environment by providing opportunities for each family member to provide input on appropriate family topics and decisions.
• Embrace the uniqueness of each family member without making comparisons of specific areas of competence.
• Consistently apply pre-determined rules. Make expectations clear and predictable.
• Advocate and help others who are impacted by adversity.
• Involve children in developing rules they are to follow.

FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

The Key to Fairness: Pre-established rules, consistently applied.

TO HELP YOU TEACH THE SIX PILLARS

Focus Area: Music

Music, whether on the radio or CDs, can be a wonderful source of entertainment and education. As a parent, you need to be clear about your rules and expectations regarding what is appropriate music for your child. With upper elementary through high school youth, you need to listen to what they are listening to, review the lyrics, and discuss the character of the artists. Music videos can be highly suggestive and sometimes inappropriate for young viewers. Your role as a parent is to monitor what your child is viewing and listening to, and then determine if the lessons being taught through music are the ones that match the values you want your child to have. For resources on children’s music, visit www.childrensmusicweb.com .

Starting September 3rd, we began our Charater Counts!/Kindness Grade Level Competition. Through PBIS, students can earn Raider Bucks for dispalying the characteristics of our motto: Raiders are Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. However, they also have an opportunity to earn points under the "Kindness" category. Students can earn these points by displaying characteristics of the pillar of character for that month or for displaying kindness. For example, in September, students can earn points in this category for displaying Fairness or Kindness. The grade level that earns the most points in the kindness category at the end of Quarter One will be rewarded with a free period. This was wildly popular with the students last year. During this free period, students are able to go outside to play games or walk the track, play cards/board games in the cafe, or watch a movie in the auditiorium. The points are displayed and updated weekly on the window outside the guidance office. We can't wait to see who will win first quarter!

The St. Johns County School District is partnering with the Len Mattiace Foundation for the fall semester of the "Stop the Bullying" Campaign Contest. His foundation promotes bullying awareness and creates a safe environment for our youth in NE Florida. Compassion, inclusion, and kindness are the pillars of his foundation. Former Nease High School graduate Len Mattiace plays the PGA TOUR as a golfer. It is our third year partnering with Len Mattiace's foundation.

The fall semester of the Stop the Bullying Campaign Contest BEGINS on 9/4 and will END on 11/7.

Below are key points for this contest:

• Open to all middle school students
• Contest dates: 9/4 – 11/7 by 5:00 PM
• Cash prizes and swag for students!
• All entries are submitted to Julie Haden (Student Support Services)

Here is the link to the rules for the contest: https://www.lenmattiace.com/st-johns-stop-the-bullying-campaign

The St Johns County School District Health Services will be conducting our annual health screening on September 10th, 2024. These screenings will be conducted through your student’s PE class and is only for 6th grade students. Your student will be offered a free screening that includes height, weight, vision, hearing, and scoliosis. The opt-out form return date has already passed.

Please call or email if you have any questions or concerns regarding the screenings: Kelly.brown@stjohns.k12.fl.us

SPMS National Junior Honor Society is sponsoring an opportunity to send a special birthday or congratulations message to your student via the marquee in the front of the school. Cost is $25. Complete the form here to submit your request (there's a separate link in the form to pay via Schoolpay upon submitting your request). Requests are due the Friday prior to the event and will display the following week (Tuesday through Monday). Example: If you turn in the request on Friday, September 17, then your message will be displayed on Tuesday, September 21. We will start displaying messages for the 24-25 school year starting August 8.

NJHS is sponsoring a sock drive to assist the Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County.

• Participatation in this sock drive helps restock the supplies of socks for the homeless families that the SJC Homeless Coaltion supports. Both adult and children's socks are needed.
• SJC Homless Coalition has run out of socks completely! Socks are more than just socks....they contribute to feeling good, keeping you warm or cool, and promoting good foot hygiene and health.
• Send in new adult or children's socks to your student's first period class or contribute to the collection for us to purchase the socks at the link below.
• This drive starts now and ends October 31.
• Here is the link to donate: https://www.schoolpay.com/link/sockdrive2024

Battle of the Books is a competition team based around knowledge of the Sunshine State Young Reader Award Books (SSYRA). The goal of the SSYRA program is to promote the love of reading for students. The SSYRA list is composed of 15 books from a wide variety of genres and interests. Students can read the books and take a short quiz on them in the media center to earn prizes.

The team will be composed of 5 members and 2 alternates. Membership is based on scores during try outs. Information on try outs will come out in December. Try outs will be in January. Practice will be once a week after school until the competition in March.

Please email Madison.Gowin@stjohns.k12.fl.us if you have any questions about SSYRA or Battle of the Books!

SPMS Athletics consists of both boys and girls volleyball and basketball, as well as Winterguard. All other middle school sports are operated by SJMSAA.

The St. Johns Middle School Athletic Association (”SJMSAA”) middle school sports program is not operated or sponsored by the St. Johns County School District. SJMSAA is an independent, private non-profit corporation, which uses District middle school names and facilities under a license agreement with the District, and which is solely responsible for the operation of the SJMSAA middle school sports program and its individual teams.

Students need to register through the SJMSAA website prior to tryouts. Once a student(s) makes a team, he/she will be provided with more information on paying and filling out the required forms

https://www-raider.stjohns.k12.fl.us/

Come on out and support your 2025 SP Winterguard team at the Jacksonville Icemen Game! They will be performing during both breaks of the game. The team would appreciate lots of cheering as they take the ice. It's going to be a really fun night." $5 of every ticket goes to the team, which will help pay for lots of team expenses. SEE YOU THERE!

Raiders! Don't miss out on this reduced price for your Neon Bash ticket! For a limited time, you can get a ticket for only $10! PURCHASE HERE! This event is limited to 600 students, so don't delay! Get your ticket TODAY. Tickets will be $15 the week before the event. Once the max number is reached, no more tickets will be accepted.

The PTSO would love your help stocking the Raider Store! The Raider Store is where students can spend their hard earned Raider Bucks. Your student earns Raider Bucks from their teachers and staff for showing good character in the classroom and hallways. They can then spend them in the PTSO-sponsored Raider Store. We are always looking for new and fun things to stock the store with to keep the students coming back. Please put your student's name on the gift, and he/she will be credited Raider Bucks for your donation!

Thank you for your support!

CLICK HERE TO SHOP

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