Bulldog Bulletin

• Message From the Principal
• Important Dates
• Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
• Open House at Springer Middle School
• String O Ween
• Springer Performing Arts Merchandise Sale
• Performing Arts Car Wash
• Mum Sale
• BPA
• Fall Dance
• BSD Dance Team
• Letter from Our New Librarian
• The Internet is a Distract-OH LOOK A KITTEN!
• SWIPE System and ID Required for Pick Up
• 4 or Less = Success
• SAFE-DE
• SFA Dine Out Night
• Transportation: WheresTheBus App
• Supplemental Accidental Insurance Policy
• Volunteering at Springer Middle School

Springer Families,

We are excited to welcome parents and families this upcoming week for our Open House Nights at Springer Middle School. One of the most important stakeholders within our village is you, the parents and guardians! Attending our Open House Night is one of many ways to get involved and learn more about what is going on in your child’s life and day. It is also a wonderful way to begin to build the trust needed to establish a collaborative and productive relationship between staff and parents. You get the opportunity to learn more about lessons they will learn, grading procedures, expectations for every class and more. Due to the quick time allotment for each class, this unfortunately is not meant for conferencing with teachers about individual student performance. We will have parent-teacher conferences for that in mid October. Please feel free to ask any questions about the class and anything else to gain a better understanding about the environment your child experiences each day during school. We look forward to opening our doors and bringing our community together this Tuesday (6th Grade) and Wednesday (7th and 8th Grade).

If you have any questions, concerns, or need additional information please do not hesitate to contact me or one of my administrators. We are eager to help.

All The Best,

Dr. Sterling H. Seemans

Principal

2024-2025 Middle School Daily Rotation Schedule

BSD School Calendar

• 9/24/24: Open House Grade 6-5:30pm-7:30pm
• 9/25/24: Open House Grades 7 & 8-5:30pm-7:30pm
• 10/3/24: Schools Closed-Rosh Hashanah
• 10/7/24: Marking Period 1 Interims Distributed
• 10/10/24: SFA Meeting 6:30pm in the Library
• 10/14-10/18/24: Springer Spirit Week
• 10/18/24: Fall Dance 6:30pm-8:00pm
• 10/24/24: Schools Closed Pre-K through Grade 8-Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 10/25/24: Schools Closed Pre-K through Grade 12-Parent/Teacher Conferences

This week marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States. From now to October 15th, we honor the achievements and vibrant traditions of people from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Let’s take this opportunity to embrace the diversity that makes our school and community stronger.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

Springer Middle School is excited to welcome our parents and guardians in for our Fall Open House nights. Our 6th grade families should report on Tuesday, September 24 at 5:30pm and our 7th and 8th grade families should report on Wednesday, September 25 at 5:30pm. Parents will report directly to their student’s homeroom where their schedules will be available. Families will then head to their student’s first period and then follow their student's schedule and attend all of their classes where they will learn about their teachers, what their student will learn throughout the year, see each class's syllabus, and learn more information on assignments and the processes for each class.

All administrators, counselors, and other support staff will be in attendance those nights as well. Open house night is not meant for progress updates for individual students, but parents will get contact information for each of their student's teachers and are encouraged to maintain regular communication with our staff. There will be parent-teacher conferences in mid October. We are asking that parents not bring their students due to spacing issues. However, if you need to bring your child to Springer please feel free to do so. Please see the schedule below for each night.

Transition to homeroom

HR-5:30pm-5:45pm

1-5:45pm-5:55pm

2-5:59pm-6:09pm

3-6:13pm-6:23pm

4-6:27pm-6:37pm

5-6:41pm-6:51pm

6-6:55pm-7:05pm

7-7:09pm-7:19pm

If you are interested in supporting the Springer Performing Arts program, consider purchasing some gear! A small amount of the cost will go to support our program!

Orders can be placed until 9/30 and will be delivered around mid October.

Springer Performing Arts (starschooluniforms.com)

Last Saturday our tremendous Performing Arts Department staff and Springer students ran a fundraising car wash! They were able to raise $1,097 to go towards their performances and trip to Disney. Thank you to everyone who came out to support Springer's Performing Arts Department.

The Springer Music Department is having a Mums Sale for the Fall. We have an order form by the Sign In in the Main Office.

Each Mum is $10.00 and are 9” mums. Colors available are Orange, Purple, Yellow, Red, and White.

Mums will be available for Pick Up on October 9th.

Money raised will go towards are Performing Arts program here at Springer.

Our Fall dance is scheduled for Friday, October 18 from 6:30pm-8:00pm. Students will be eligible for the dance if they have no more than 2 referrals from September 11 through October 18. The dance will cost $2 and we will be donating the proceeds of the dance to a charity that students voted on earlier this week! The dance will be the finale to our spirit week which will kick off on Monday, October 14. Stay tuned for more information on our Spirit Week themes and make sure to meet our BARK expectations so that you can go to the dance!

Are you a talented and passionate dancer who is interested in joining the district’s dance team? If so, Brandywine School District is looking for students to audition for the district’s dance team. Auditions will be held at Mt. Pleasant Elementary Schools on Wednesday, September 25 and Thursday, September 26 from 4:30pm-6:00pm. We hope you consider trying out to be a BSD dance ambassador!

Hello Springer Families,

I will be your new School Librarian starting September 30th. I am excited to join the Springer family and provide our students with enriching opportunities to read and research in the Library/Media Center. Research shows that students who read frequently, even if the texts are below their reading level, make significant gains in reading ability. A love of reading is so important to student success, and fostering that love of reading is my passion. I have over 15 years of library experience, and the majority of that experience was spent working with middle school aged students. I am excited to get to know Springer families and to partner with all of you to make the school library a welcoming space for all students.

Checkout Policy

-Students may checkout two books at a time for two weeks

-There are NO OVERDUE FINES, but students cannot checkout any new books if they have books overdue

-Students will be charged for lost or damaged materials, but please contact me if this will be a hardship for your family or there are other extenuating circumstances

Library Access

-Students can checkout books prior to the start of the school day and at designated times during class periods

-I will do my best to schedule ELA classes for regular checkout opportunities

-Students can access the library during lunch blocks when I do not have a scheduled class. Passes will be available in the lunch room on those days

Library Collection Information

It is important that every student sees themselves in the books they read so they can connect with the characters. Therefore, our library collection is as diverse as our student population! While some tough topics are often covered, in middle grade books they are always handled with care. Maturity levels also vary greatly between 6th and 8th grade. We do have titles that are labeled “YA,” meaning young adult, and are geared towards a teen audience. I encourage parents and families to be involved in their child’s reading choices and fostering their interests. If you have any concerns about content, please feel free to reach out to me and utilize resources to help you get a feel for a book before your child reads it.

One of the sources I frequently use to help me in my book selection is Common Sense Media, a website where both parents and kids can rate books and give specific details about sensitive topics. I highly recommend you check it out if you're interested! It is a great source of info for parents who want to be in the know.

Librarians follow a process when developing a collection using a variety of criteria to support the students we serve, but we also know books that are highly reviewed might not be right for every student or family. I believe it is important for us to work together to help your student have the best experience in the library. In that discussion for your student, I can make a note in your student’s account to support your wishes. I want my library to be a safe place of choice for all students while also including parents in this process and recognizing your critical role in choosing what’s right for your family.

If you have any questions, feel free to call or email me at caroline.barlow@bsd.k12.de.us or (302) 479-1621.

Parent Volunteer Opportunity

If you are interested in helping out with our Spring Book Fair, please reach out to me at the contact info listed above!

Sincerely,

Caroline Barlow

Springer Middle School Librarian

35 6th, 7th, and 8th graders came out last week and auditioned for our very first Fall Play titled, "The Internet is a Distract - OH LOOK A KITTEN!". "Micah only has twenty minutes to finish her paper on The Great Gatsby. She just needs to check a few facts on the internet first. Unfortunately, the web is a nefariously wacky place where boxing cats, Facebook lurkers, and pig-throwing games threaten to take over Micah's schoolwork, or worse. Will she finish her paper and escape with her life before the school bell rings? A high-octane comedy that explores the rabbit hole of distraction we all go down everytime we go online." (Synopsis from Playscripts.com) Please join the Springer Performing Arts Department in congratulating the following students who were cast in the show!

Abby Baron

Amira Zogheib

Emma Melican

Maggie Ernst

Quinn Bowes

Michael Porter Jr

Mahidul Islam

Mia Catts

Madilyn Merillo

Katelyn Fleming

Edwin Lucas

Molly Schock

Luke Russell

Miriana Mazzella

Angelica Heyward

Haniyah Jenkins

Autumn Isabella

Kendall Barth

Hannah Brownie

All visitors who will be going beyond the front portion of our main office during the school day will be required to enter their drivers license and wear a visitor sticker on their person. There is a new computer system that is located on our front counter that visitors will be required to use. Additionally, any adult who is picking a student up for early dismissal will have to present an ID every time. Both of these actions are intended to protect students and staff as safety is our number one priority.

Welcome to the new school year--it's an exciting time for everyone! We're excited for a great year of learning and growth for all of our students!

This school year, the Brandywine School District is adopting the 4 Or Less = Success school attendance campaign to promote good student attendance. Good attendance means coming to school on time and staying all day, every day, which is key to every child’s success. After all, students must be present to learn!

All absences, whether excused or not, add up. Chronically absent students are more likely to read below grade level, have lower math and reading test scores, repeat a grade, and drop out of high school.

What you can do:

• Talk to your child about how going to school every day will help them do well in school and achieve their hopes and dreams.
• Keep an attendance chart at home to track absences.
• Recognize your child for attending school every day.
• Find a relative, friend, or neighbor who can take your child to and from school if you can’t.
• Set up medical appointments for weekdays after school.
• Make attending school every day a priority unless your child is truly sick

For more information and resources, visit www.brandywineschools.org/4orLess

The Brandywine School District wants all children to attend school each day so they can be successful in the future! We will be sending more information, materials, and tips about attendance throughout this school year. Please join us in making school attendance a priority so that we can help all of our children learn, achieve, and succeed.

Our amazing Springer Family Association helps recognize and support our students and staff for the wonderful things they do each day. However, this takes funding. The SFA will host Dine Out Nights throughout the year as one way to fundraise. Please consider ordering from Honeygrow on Concord Pike on Wednesday, September 25. Please use code GIVE106 so that the SFA will get a portion of the proceeds.

Families, you are encouraged to visit the following link on the BSD website to find out more information about Transportation. For your convenience, we have Where is the Bus app and a brand new bus scanner to help you see when your child(ren) are boarding the bus. Students will either enter their school IDs or lunch numbers. You will receive information in the upcoming weeks on when students will receive their school IDs. Happy Riding!! https://www.brandywineschools.org/families/transportation/bus-scanners

If you are interested in supplemental insurance should your child get hurt in after school sports or PE class, please check out the available policy information below.

Springer Middle School relies on the generosity of time from our great families within the community. We welcome those who want to help be apart of our village and have a plethora of opportunities for volunteers to engage with our students and staff to better the middle school experience of our youth.

Parents who are interested in volunteering at Springer Middle School will need to follow the Brandywine School District's policy for background checks. Please follow this link: Volunteering at BSD to be properly cleared to work with our students. If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact the main office.

Background checks are good for 1 calendar year