SMS Weekly Update
September 13, 2024
From the Principal
Dear SMS Family,
Thank you for the great attendance at our Back to School Night this week. I was inspired by the number of parents and guardians in attendance. A strong parent/staff relationship is key to student success!
We have two quick traffic updates we need to share. If you are dropping your child off, please do not let students out of your vehicle on Meineke. That is extremely dangerous. Also, if you are picking your child up in a separate neighborhood, please drive slowly and carefully. We had one parent call in with damage to their car and reports of students crossing to find parents while cars have been zipping down side streets. Our campus was not built for middle school drop off and I understand the headache as I have had to drop a child off here before. Regardless of your pick up or drop off plan, please be slow and safe.
Have a great weekend!
Andy
Important Dates
Sept 16
- Board Meeting 6:00pm
Sept 18
- Early Release -- dismissal 2:26 pm
Sept 25
- Early Release -- dismissal 2:26 pm
Oct 2
- Early Release -- dismissal 2:26 pm
Oct 4
- Homecoming Parade 4:00 pm
Additional events may be viewed on the SMS Calendar and the District Calendar.
School Hours
Front Office 7:45 am - 3:45 pm
Student Hours 8:45 am - 3:26 pm (M/T/Th/F)
Student Hours 8:45 am - 2:26 pm (W-Early Release)
Doors Open to Students 8:30 am
SMS Flex Time
Hello SMS families! As we begin another school year, we are excited for the return of Flex time at Sherwood Middle School. Flex is a block of time in our schedule on Wednesdays dedicated for our students and staff to meet for:
* Academic support from teachers
* Enrichment opportunities (guitar, chess, sports, etc.)
* Homework help or test prep
* Support and planning with counselors
* Making up missing work, labs, and tests from absences
* Club meetings
* Extra practice for programs (band, choir, dance, etc.)
* Guest speakers and career exploration
When Does Flex Time Begin?
Flex begins on September 18th. Students will go to Flex once a week, on Wednesdays, right after their Flight Time. Flex will show up as Period 8 on their schedule. Attendance is required and will be taken.
How Do Students Sign Up?
Students will sign up in StudentVUE every Monday morning for Wednesday’s Flex session. Students can choose different Flex offerings each week. The window for signing up closes on Tuesday at 4pm. All unscheduled students will be placed into a Flex section.
How Can Students Make the Most of Flex Time?
Encourage your child to take an active role in their education by choosing sessions that align with their needs and interests. Discuss with your child how they can utilize these opportunities for academic growth and enrichment.
We believe that Flex Time serves as a valuable resource for our students, promoting not only academic success but also fostering a sense of responsibility and independence in their learning journey. We’re looking forward to another great year of Flex time at SMS.
SMS Clubs
Builders Club
Builders Club is the largest service organization for middle school and junior high students, with more than 23,000 members worldwide. Members learn to work together and develop servant-leaders skills as they serve their school and community.
SMS Builders Club will meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. There will be an activity bus that leaves SMS at 4:30. We will meet in Mrs. Christie's room, W-27, Our first meeting will be October 3. Anyone is invited to attend.
Sherwood Middle School Service Club
The Sherwood Middle School Service Club engages in community service acts to support the Sherwood Community as well as the Portland Metropolitan area. This year, these community service acts would be in honor of a Sherwood community member, Isaac Schweitzer, a SSD student who passed away from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) and highlight Isaac’s mantra, “Prove them wrong” and the importance of prioritizing mental health as Isaac did. Any fundraising throughout the school year will be donated to the Isaac Schweitzer Scholarship Fund through the Sherwood Booster Club.
Traffic Flow Reminders
As we continue to refine our drop off and pick ups for students, we would ask that you follow these helpful hints to keep traffic moving:
Pull all the way forward when dropping students off
Only drop off or pick up students at the yellow curbs (see attached map). Students should never exit or enter vehicles from the second lane.
Have your student prepared to exit the vehicle quickly; Backpack in hand and any other materials ready to exit the vehicle
Thank you for your continued help in making our traffic flow smoothly and safely.
The video provided by our PSO is below and is very helpful to watch!
Demographic Updates
If you need to update your phone number or email address, you can do that through ParentVUE. Any other updates (address, emergency contacts, etc.) you will need to call the office to get specific directions on how to update.
Schedule Changes
At this point we will not be making any more schedule changes without good cause. If a student would like to explore a schedule change they will need to visit the counseling department to pick up a Schedule Change Request Form from Mrs. Gilmer. This form must be completed, returned, and signed by a parent before it is given to Administration for consideration of a schedule change.
Schedule change requests will be handled on a case by case basis and are not guaranteed.
Student Deliveries
If you have an item that you would like delivered to your student, please bring it into the office. We will be delivering school related items that impact a student's education or lunch, but we will not be able to deliver items that are not directly needed for class (e.g. coffee, flowers, gifts). We are unable to accept deliveries from any food delivery services such as Grub Hub, Door Dash, etc.
8th Grade East Coast Trip
If your student is interested in going on this trip to we will be having an informational meeting soon. We are working on finalizing details, in the meantime, please email smsgoeseast@gmail.com with any questions for this non-school sponsored trip.
Nutrition Service Information
Nutrition Services Partners with Local Farms
Nutrition Services is partnering with Hood River Organics and Our Table Cooperative to provide students with fresh, organic produce during Oregon’s harvest season! Our salad bars will feature locally-sourced apples, cucumbers, blueberries, cherry tomatoes, Italian prune plums, and strawberries. Our Farm-to-School partnerships and grant funding allow us to continue offering students healthy, delicious options while supporting local small businesses. We’re thrilled to bring these fresh flavors straight from Oregon farms to your child’s plate!
SMS 24-25 Yearbook
Order your yearbook now.
Yearbooks are 10% off through October so purchase NOW and customize anytime throughout the year. Must be purchased by May 1st to get your book in time for the end of year signing events.
*ALL STUDENTS MUST SELECT YOUR 24-25 FLIGHT TIME TEACHER FROM THE DROP DOWN BOX WHEN ORDERING. This can be found in Student/Parent Vue.
Incoming SMS new students: Your school code is 101612219220699 which is different from your elementary school treering code. You can still login under the same treering account but will add your SMS code to purchase and customize your 2 FREE pages in your book. This code is also shown on the flyer. On Facebook: "Sherwood Middle School PSO" shares Yearbook info throughout the year as well as the SMS Newsletter.
PSO Corner
Share Center Information
“SHARE is a place for families to seek information, resources, and support services. The SHARE Center’s purpose is to strengthen community partnerships and decrease barriers related to student success, thereby improving the ability of all children and families to engage fully in a positive school experience”. - SHARE Center, Sherwood School District (please visit this page for more information)
If you need support obtaining school supplies, please reach out to the Share Center.