Springton Lake Middle School
Email: RSalladino@rtmsd.org
Website: https://www.rtmsd.org/Domain/12
Location: 1900 North Providence Road, Media, PA, USA
Phone: (610) 627-6500
Twitter: @SpringtonLakeMS
Open House - Thursday, August 31st
Students and parents are invited for an Open House on Thursday, August 31st from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. This will be an informal opportunity for students and parents to "walk" the class schedule, preview classrooms, and say "hello" to their teachers. Gym t-shirts, Chromebook cases, and other spirit wear will also be available for purchase at the event - cash or checks ONLY. An adult should attend the event with their child. No drop-offs, please.
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
The first day of school for the 2023-2024 school year is Tuesday, September 5th. The first day of school at Springton Lake will be for 6th grade students ONLY. This will allow us to devote our complete attention to our newest Spartans and provide them with a day of transition where they have the building to themselves. ALL STUDENTS - grades 6, 7, and 8 - will attend for the first time together on Wednesday, September 6th.
Students in grades 7 & 8 who are NEW to Rose Tree Media and Springton Lake are invited to attend an orientation session with their school counselors on September 5th from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM.
ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL
Students being driven to school by a family member may begin arriving at 7:40 AM. Drop-off and pick-up may occur curbside only. For the safety of our students, parents should not use the parking lot. Parents should pull all the way forward in the lane directly in front of the building, as directed by the staff member on duty. When all cars come to a stop along the sidewalk, students should be prepared to exit the vehicle at that time. Please do not wait for your car to reach the main entrance canopy for your child to exit the car. The same process will be utilized for afternoon pick-up. Upon arrival to the building in the morning, students in 6th grade will report to the cafeteria and students in 7th and 8th grades will report to the auditorium.
Please note - students are expected to be in their first period classes by 7:55 AM.
SCHOOL MEALS
Rose Tree Media School District will again participate in the National School Lunch Program for the 2023-2024 school year. The cost for lunch will be $3.75, and additional a la carte snack items will also be available for purchase. All Parents/Guardians who wish to receive free and reduced lunch benefits and qualify are encouraged to complete the application available on the district website.
Parents/Guardians may load money on their students’ account by using MySchoolBucks. Parents/Guardians with an account from the previous school year do not need to create another account. Additionally, students can bring in cash or checks to be deposited into their meal account. To minimize the exchange of currency, we will not be able to provide change back to students. Change will be placed into their account for future use.
What's for lunch? Take a look at the menu!
GREAT NEWS! Breakfast will be available at NO COST to ALL STUDENTS for the 2023-2024 school year. Students may select breakfast at the cart in the Main Lobby each morning upon their arrival to the building.
If your child will be purchasing lunch on the first day of school, please be sure to add money to their lunch account in advance.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
A tentative supply list by team was included in the Back-to-School mailing. Teachers will also provide additional information about other supplies that may be needed for specific classes once students return to the classroom. As we have done for the last two years, students will be permitted to utilize a backpack throughout the course of the school day.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT
Our annual Back-to-School Night will be held on Thursday, September 7th beginning at 6:00 PM. This is an in-person event. Back-to-School Night is a great opportunity for parents & guardians to follow their child's class schedule and experience a typical day in the life of a middle-schooler. Parents & guardians will visit each Day #1 class for about ten minutes. Students will bring home a customized schedule for Back-to-School Night. Parents may also access the schedule through HAC and/or print their own copy.
VERY IMPORTANT - Back-to-School Night is typically very, very well-attended. We encourage you to arrive early and PLEASE CARPOOL. Otherwise, we will run out of parking on the campus. We will have a team of security officers on duty in the lots to assist you with securing a space.
Special Area teachers will be available in the cafeteria from 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM.
The athletic directors will hold a meeting for caregivers of prospective Fall athletes from 5:30 PM to 5:50 PM in the auditorium.
Everyone will be permitted to arrive to 1st period classes beginning at 5:50 PM.
The schedule for the evening will begin promptly at 6:00 PM. For returning SLMS families, you may notice that Back-to-School Night is starting earlier this year. We have made this change in response to feedback and in an effort to avoid a late night at school.
ADVISORY PROGRAM
Advisory is an important element of nurturing the social and emotional needs of our students. Advisory will help to ensure that every student has at least one deep connection with an adult staff member. In addition, advisory will serve as a way for our students to develop connections and relationships with one another. Students will be assigned to an advisory group of 13-15 students under the direction of one of our teachers. The groups will be cross-grade and students will remain with their group throughout their years at Springton Lake. Advisory will meet during the school day one time per cycle for 30 minutes. Students will participate in team-building activities, service projects, and discuss topics of importance to middle-schoolers. Students should look for a communication in the US mail from their advisor prior to the start of school.
CHAPERONES & VOLUNTEERS
We are excited to welcome your involvement and participation in our school as a chaperone for our school trips or as a volunteer for various events and activities. If you anticipate wanting to chaperone or volunteer, please keep in mind that you are required to have valid clearances on file with the Rose Tree Media School District. More information on this process can be found in the Parent Portal.
SCHOOL CALENDAR
The school calendar is posted on the website for your review. We kindly ask that you keep the school schedule in mind as you make plans for your family throughout the school year. Holidays, early dismissals, and other days off for students are indicated. Also, be sure to access the calendar of events specific to our school so that you don't miss out on any of the fun that we have planned!
SPORTS PHYSICALS - 7th & 8th GRADES
The fall sports season will kick-off almost immediately upon the opening of school. Interest meetings for our fall teams will be held the week of September 11th. In order to tryout for a team, students must submit a completed PIAA form and physical (dated June 1, 2023 or later) via the Family ID portal on our website. Parents of prospective fall athletes are invited to a meeting with the athletic directors and trainer on Thursday, September 7th @ 5:30 PM prior to Back-to-School Night. The meeting will take place in the auditorium.
Please contact the athletic directors with any further questions about our program:
CHROMEBOOKS
Students in grades 6 to 12 will again have access to a Chromebook laptop for their personal use throughout the school year. Students will be able to use their Chromebooks at school and home, and we expect that the device will continue to be a vital part of the teaching and learning process. Students in grades 7 & 8 should bring their Chromebooks with them (fully charged) on the first day of school. Students in grade 6 will receive their Chromebook on the first day of school. Please take some time to review the Loan Agreement for Chromebooks that is included in the online enrollment portal for families.
We plan to take time at the start of the school year to be sure that students understand the expectations for the care and handling of the Chromebooks. We are fortunate to have this technology available for teaching and learning, and we want to be sure that all devices are maintained in good, working condition. We expect students to treat their Chromebooks in an equivalent manner to how they would handle a piece of personal technology such as their cell phones or gaming systems. While the vast majority of our students care for their Chromebooks in a responsible and respectful manner, students who fail to do so will be at risk of losing their access. We would appreciate your support in reinforcing this same expectation and message with your child. Students are strongly encouraged to store the Chromebook in a protective case. As a convenience to families, we will have an appropriate case available for purchase at school for $30.
INDEPENDENT READING BOOKS
Students are always expected to have an independent book that they are reading. Students are encouraged to make nightly reading a habit as part of their homework routine. The independent reading book also serves as a great resource throughout the school day. We strongly value our school’s partnership with parents and families. We encourage you to discuss with your child the books they are reading or interested in reading to help them make choices they will enjoy. Please take a moment to review this important communication from our librarian and the language arts team.
STUDENT ATTENDANCE
Regular school attendance is essential for success in school and contributes to the development of good work habits, a sense of responsibility, and self-discipline. Call the school attendance hotline at 610-627-6500, ext. 2, to report your child’s absence each day of absence. You must send in a pink absentee card or a signed note with your child upon his/her return to school within three days. Absence notes may also be submitted electronically using the quick and convenient form that can be found on our school’s website. You may access the form using the Absences button on our homepage. These notes are required by the state. Doctor’s notes are required for a student absent for five days or more. Please refer to the Student Handbook or our school webpage for a more specific explanation. Any questions may be directed to the Main Office or to the assigned grade level administrator.
All families will continue to receive an automated telephone call WHENEVER a student is marked absent in homeroom. The call will be sent regardless if you have called the attendance hotline. This is an enhanced safety procedure that we are pleased to have available.
PTG - Parent Teacher Group
The Springton Lake Middle School Parent Teacher Group (PTG) is a volunteer organization open to all parents and guardians and teachers who work together to provide educational enrichment, a sense of community, and school support in the spirit of cooperation and fun.
The PTG asks that each family consider making a donation to support the group's work during the year. The average donation is $10, but larger donations are also greatly appreciated. Donations (cash of check payable to SLMS PTG) may be sent to the Main Office using the envelope provided in the back-to-school mailing or families may donate online via PayPal.
The PTG will meet from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Library on the following dates: 10/17, 11/14, 01/16, 03/12, & 05/21. Everyone is invited to attend.
For more information about the PTG, please contact:
President: Celine Noyes
Vice President: Robin Hedley
ONLINE PARENT REGISTRATION
Once again this year, the Rose Tree Media School District will be taking advantage of an online parent portal to provide some of the information that would typically be included in hardcopy form in our summer mailing. Parents will be able to sign-off and acknowledge receipt of several forms, including the Student Handbook and the Chromebook Loan Agreement. The online portal will also be utilized for parents to update the student emergency card. If you have not done so already, please take a moment to log-in to Home Access Center to complete this annual registration process. This process should be completed by August 31st.
Parents received an email with a snapcode link for easier access to their child's forms on August 14th and again August 21st. Please reach out to the school office if you are having trouble.
This process must be completed before 6th grade students can receive their Chromebook on the first day of school.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
Be sure to give us a follow on X/Twitter - @SpringtonLakeMS. This is the ONLY official social media channel for our school. In addition to receiving timely updates about our school, we always share photos of the cool things that happen in our school each day! Many of our teachers are also on X/Twitter and you will want to give them a follow, too!
