Hello SBMS Families!

I hope that you are able to join us at our winter band concert this Thursday at 6:30! Our new band director Toni Hansen has been helping our students to prepare to share their talent! The kids have been working hard and they sound great!

We have also begun our non-perishable food drive to help SBMS families during winter break. Please see below for more information. If your family could use some food assistance, please contact Heather Acharya at 541-790-8300 or acharya_h@4j.lane.edu and we will do our best to assist you. All requests will be kept confidential.

Thank you for your time in reading this week's Spartan Update. If there is anything that I can do for you, please feel free to contact me at nolan_p@4j.lane.edu, 541-790-8300, or by clicking the Contact Paula button at the bottom of this newsletter.

Thank you for your continued support of our school community,

Paula

Paula Nolan

Principal

Spencer Butte Middle School

Winter is here and with the colder weather comes potential snow and ice. There are several ways to find out when hazardous weather conditions close or delay schools or alter bus routes.

How to find out if there is a change:

• Check the district website, www.4j.lane.edu
• Follow 4J social media: Facebook, X @4Jweather & @4Jschools
• Tune in to local radio and television news stations
• Text message from the district (If you are concerned about the weather and have not received a text by 6:30 a.m., check the 4J website, Facebook page, radio or TV.)

No News = No Change. School closures and other changes are decided early in the morning and announced by all of these methods before 6:30 a.m. If schools and buses are on their regular schedules, there will NOT be an announcement.

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We are here as a part of your child's team. Whenever I have the opportunity to speak with a parent about something involving a class I always ask if they've had a chance to connect with the teacher. I ask that question because involving the teacher is the most powerful thing that we can do to help your child in class.

Our teachers love to hear from parents. Whether there is information about something happening in the student's life, a fun story about when your child spoke about the class at home, concerns about academic progress, or questions about the class, connecting with staff is the first and most important step in helping your student to succeed.

There are many ways to connect with staff. Sending an email or message in Canvas is the most direct way of reaching teachers. You can also call the school at 541-790-8300 and leave a message for a teacher to return.

Contacting Teachers Via Email

To find a teacher's email address, please access our directory below.

[Link to SBMS Staff Email List: https://spencerbutte.4j.lane.edu/staff-e-mail-list/ ]

Contacting Teachers Via the Canvas Parent App*

You may find the Canvas Parent app the easiest way to send a message. When in the app you can send a message by tapping on a course name and then the speech bubble emoji in the bottom right corner. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the inbox, tap on the speech bubble emoji, and then select the teacher/course you are intending to send the message to.

Canvas on Desktop*

If you are accessing Canvas via desktop you are able to send a message through the Inbox feature. To use that, follow the directions below:

1. Click on the Inbox logo/name on the left hand side of the screen.
2. Once you are in the Inbox, look at the top of the webpage and then click the pictogram that looks like a pencil writing on paper.
3. After you do that, you can select the course/teacher you are attempting to contact.

*Information about how to access Canvas is below.

This newsletter is produced by Spencer Butte Middle School for the benefit of our school community. Please feel free to contact us directly.

In addition to contacting teachers, Canvas is also the tool that you can use to keep apprised of your child's grades in class.

How can I access Canvas?

You can access Canvas via the Canvas Parent app (available in the Google and Apple app stores) or by going to https://4j.instructure.com/login/canvas

How do I connect my account to my child's?

In Canvas, parents are called Observers. From the 4J Canvas webpage we learn that "As an Observer you will be able to check grades, monitor assignments and due dates, as well as communicate directly with your student’s teachers."

The key part of becoming an Observer is to pair your parent account with your child's account. To do that, you need a pairing code from your child. There are two ways to get your child's pairing code.

Student Supplied Pairing Code

If you would like to get the pairing code directly from your student, please click on the link below with your child to learn how to get the code:

Link to Creating a Pairing Code for an Observer Video: https://www.loom.com/share/33d85e2c1c7d4b6087ae0a708d63afac

Paula Provides the Pairing Code

Another way to get a pairing code is to contact me directly (nolan_p@4j.lane.edu, 541-790-8300, or click the Contact Paula button at the bottom of the page). Once I receive your request, I will generate the code and email it to you.