• Message from the Principal
• Important Dates
• Spring Musical: Finding Nemo Jr!
• Girls In Engineering
• Artist of the Month
• BARK Summer Program for Incoming 6th Graders
• BSD Summer Learning Opportunities
• Johnny's Ambassador Presentation at MPHS
• New Cell Phone Policy for MP4
• New Cell Phone Policy FAQ
• Penny Wars for California Wild Fire Relief!
• Wings Lacrosse
• Naamans Little League
• Homework Club
• Schoology Access for Parents
• SAFE-DE
• Transportation: WheresTheBus App
• Volunteering at Springer Middle School

Springer Families,

Coming up this week, we will be celebrating and promoting inclusion at Springer Middle School as we host our Inclusion Spirit Week. Each day we will be doing something special to recognize and celebrate people of all walks of life. Tomorrow is heritage day and we are encouraging staff and students to wear something that shows off their ethnic pride. Tuesday is inclusion day. Students will learn about the importance of inclusion in our daily advisory lesson. We will also be selling handmade bracelets made by our students in our BRIDGES program and NJHS. Bracelets will be $1 and the proceeds will go to the Special Olympics. Wednesday will be our “Wacky Wednesday” and we are asking that students dress or do their hair wacky to show off their uniqueness. Thursday is meant to shine a light on a cause and we are asking our Bulldogs to wear a shirt or something that is important to them (pictures of family, support for breast cancer research, etc.). Friday is “Rock Your Socks Day” where we recognize World Down Syndrome Day. Students and staff are encouraged to wear crazy and mismatching socks.

But why do we do this? First and foremost, we see the relevance and significance that diversity brings to our building. It is a part of our vision statement where we want to “cultivate a community of positive role models who inspire and guide students of all backgrounds to develop problem-solving skills, resiliency, and persistence.” Inclusion in schools ensures all students feel valued and have equal access to learning. It fosters belonging, promotes diversity, and builds empathy. Academically, it supports diverse learning needs, while socially, it prepares students for a diverse world. Inclusive schools create a culture where every student can thrive.

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

Athletics Calendar

• 3/27/25: Last Day of Marking Period 3
• 3/28/25: SCHOOLS CLOSED Professional Responsibilities Day
• 3/31/25: SCHOOLS CLOSED Eid al-Fitr
• 4/1/25: First Day of Marking Period 4 and New Cell Phone Policy
• 4/18-4/25/25: SCHOOLS CLOSED for Spring Break

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Finding Nemo Jr.! The shows were a tremendous hit and our students performed to packed crowds during each performance. Special thanks to Mrs. Ferrara, Ms. Lee, Mr. Baronio, and Mr. Xenakes for all of their hard work to give our students this tremendous experience and opportunity. Special thanks A*DAM FINE JERKY for their patronage and support. A*DAM FINE JERKY is a local small business and BSD family who sponsored the programs for our show.

This past week we welcomed engineering teachers and students from all three high schools. 8th grade female students where introduced to the various Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) pathways and options available to them in the Brandywine School District. Students were broken out into groups and experienced hands on activities by current BSD students. The STEM field is under represented with females and this is just one way we hope to make last change in our community!

There are 4 new artists of the month for March! Congratulations to Bella Nixon, Jonah Waters, Jamie Cook and Emma Ciaravelli! Their artwork is now on display outside of Mrs. Dooley’s room, 161

We are excited to announce our BARK Summer Program, which will take place the last week of July and first week of August. This is program to help incoming 6th graders with their transition to middle school. Students will learn about what it takes to thrive in middle school while meeting new friends and engaging in fun and enriching activities. If you have an incoming 6th grader or know someone who will be coming to Springer, please share this information. Please head to http://springer.brandywineschools.org/SBP for more information!

Starting in the 4th marking period Springer Middle School will be implementing a 1-to-1 cell phone pouch system for all students every day. Students will be required to place cell phones and smart watches into a pouch each morning. Students will be responsible for the pouch each day and will return it before dismissal. If staff see any cell phones during the school day they will be required to turn their phone into the main office and repeat offenders will require having a parent or guardian come pick the phone up at Springer. Students will be permitted to use their phones on the busses, after school, and will not need pouches when they head to sporting events or field trips.

Our focus should be learning each day. We have seen an increase in cell phone related offenses. Additionally, we feel strongly that their is significant learning loss and undesirable behaviors occurring, which can be directly linked to the access students have to their cell phones. Our staff feel implementing this strategy, which has been done at schools across the state and country to rave results, will have a positive impact on the educational, social, and emotional experience our students will have at Springer Middle School.

Any questions or concerns regarding this new policy can be directed to Dr. Seemans at sterling.seemans@bsd.k12.de.us.

• Does my child/student have to take a pouch each day they walk into school?

Students will be required to place their cell phones in a pouch upon arrival each school day. Students will receive a pouch, place their phone and smartwatch in the pouch, and then head to the next staff member to show them the pouch has been locked. Students are responsible for each pouch and are strongly encouraged to place their pouches with their cell phones in their locker with a lock. We sell locks at our school door for 50 PBIS points.

• What happens when my child/student leaves at dismissal?

At dismissal, students will unlock their pouches on wall mounted and handheld magnets and return the pouch for inspection. Students will take their belongings out and proceed with dismissal.

• What happens if my child/student does not have a cell phone?

Students without cell phones will not be required to take a pouch.

• What happens if I need to get a hold of my child/student or they need to get a hold of me?

Parents are welcome to call the school. Phone calls can be transferred to classrooms. Students may also request to come down to the main office to call parents.

• What happens if my child/student loses or damages a pouch?

Students who lose or damage cell phone pouches will be responsible for the replacement cost, which is around $60.

• What happens if a child/student is caught by a staff member with a phone?

Students will have their device confiscated by an administrator immediately. Parents/guardian or adult designee will be required to come to Springer to pick up the offending student’s device. The student will receive a consequence which could include after school detention, placement in our In-School Suspension room, or more. Consequences for violation of our cell phone policy will be progressive in nature. Students who refuse to place their cell phones in pouches will also receive consequences as this is a violation of the cell phone policy.

• When can my child/student use their phone?

Students can use their phones before school, on the bus, and after school when students are dismissed. Students cannot use their phones at lunch.

• Can my child/student have a pouch that they take home each day?

Our team will be exploring an option for students to take a pouch home. If and when this becomes an option, students and their parents will have to sign an agreement that the pouch will be returned in good working order. Failure to return the pouch or if there is any damage to the pouch will result in a charge of the full cost of a replacement pouch which is around $60.

• Will pouches be cleaned?

Our YONDR cell phone pouches are machine washable and will be cleaned periodically.

• What if my child/student needs their phone for medical reasons (e.g., diabetes, etc.)?

Students with a written verified medical diagnosis from a doctor will be granted a pouch with a velcro top which allows them easier access to their phones.

• What happens if my child/student has an early dismissal, dismissal for sports, or is on a field trip?

Students who leave the building for any reason will have their pouches unlocked at the main office.

• What happens in the case of an emergency or lockdown situation?

Experts are unanimous that in the case of an emergency inside the building, students should not be on their phones. Students should be focusing on what adults are saying, as well as what they are seeing or hearing themselves. Students should be thinking about what to do and whether to evacuate, barricade, or counter (last resort). If the building evacuates, many staff are trained to bring safety bags with them which will have devices on them to unlock phones when students are in a safe and secure location.

We are excited to announce the start of our Springer reading challenge! Students will get rewarded with prizes for each book they read. The more books they read the better the prizes will be! Students will win snack line coupons, outside lunches, chances to win gift cards and more! Parents will need to fill out the google form below for every book they read. The google form will collect email addresses, which will be verified in the system. Students are encouraged to head to our library to check out a book. We will be tracking both individual progress and progress by grade level. The reading challenge will go on from Monday, March 10 through Thursday, April 17. Larger prize awards and a celebration of our overall winners will take place the week after Spring Break.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSci7l50f-ZTSmvuOS-hlmkySpQQDYG7Y7Fo4zqnpz9AqYBcXg/viewform?usp=dialog

Bark Builders are sponsoring Penny Wars to raise money for the victims of the California Wildfires. It will run for two weeks, starting Monday March 10th. The wars will pit grade levels against each other with the winning grade level getting pretzels. We will be using a point system. Pennies are 1 point, $1 are 100 points, $5 are 500 points. Nickels, dimes and quarters subtract their values (5, 10, 25) from the point total amount. So if you have the silver coins, put them in another grade level to lower their amount.

Interested in learning how to play pickleball or perfecting your dinks and staying out of the kitchen? Join the Springer Pickleball Club. Signups and information are available on your Counselor Corner Schoology page. All grade and experience levels accepted. No paddle? No problem, we’ll have equipment to borrow. You must have a DIAA physical on file with Nurse Grant before starting. First meeting will be the week of March 24th. See Mr. Oberholzer if you have any questions.

When Springer students return in January we are excited to announce our return of our Homework club! The Springer Homework Club is a voluntary after-school program providing academic assistance to students. Homework Club is a program which is held from 3:15 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. on Wednesdays. They meet in room 184 which provides a quiet place to study for each student to assist them in completing their assignments. There will be supervision and access to teachers and school tutors who have been trained to assist students in their studies. A Google form will be added to students' counselor corner page in Schoology for students to sign up, but it can also be found below:

https://forms.gle/KMqsPqenddDJFy8Q7

If you need help access Schoology as a parent to help support your child, please click the following link to access a document that will provide you step-by-step directions:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZjlNYAoqfGxHO3dciOvXU5JOb11Zj7-E69a7-lPn4w4/edit?usp=sharing

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

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