Sweetwater Middle School News
January 2024
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I hope this letter finds you well. I am excited to welcome you and your child back to school after the holiday break and New Year's celebrations. As we embark on this journey together, I want to assure you that I am committed to providing your child with a safe, nurturing, and engaging learning environment. I understand that the past year has been challenging for many families, and I want to assure you that I am here to support your child in any way that I can. Whether it's academic, social, or emotional support, I am here to help your child succeed. Our goal this semester is to get your child to the finish line.
Please make sure to check your child's grade report on parent portal on a weekly basis and any upcoming school-wide events. I encourage you to reach out to the school if you have any questions or concerns.
We are offering an Academic Assistance Program(AAP) to all students that did not meet the promotion criteria 1st Semester. Letters were sent home with students on Tuesday to sign-up for the program. There is not charge for AAP but students must pass the course to receive a passing grade.
*ALL students should pass five out of six subjects each semester. (Language Arts and Mathematics should be two of the five subjects passed.) Students will only be only to make up two classes during Summer Program this year. So please, it's important to register your child for AAP if they failed any of the four content classes this Semester.
Thank you for entrusting your child's education to me. I look forward to working with you and your child for this second half of the year.
Sincerely,
Principal Johnson
What does "New Beginnings" mean? New beginnings means to start with a clean slate and rebuild everything once again with excitement and conviction. It means inhaling fresh air to accelerate your mind to be creative and fruitful in all your endeavors. New beginnings means to cultivate new ways of finding possibilities, and it means knowing your weak points and making them your strengths.
As you move forward with your new beginnings, walk with conviction, style, and grace knowing that the past is behind you and better things are coming your way.
Don’t Worry About Having All the Answers
Sometimes, families worry that if they don’t have all the answers, their teens won’t respect them. But that's not true. Teens actually respect adults more when they say, "I don't know. Let's find the answer."
You also don't need to answer every question your teen asks immediately. If your teen wants to talk to you about your views on a controversial topic when you're trying to make a left turn in traffic, it's OK to say, "You know, that's a really difficult question. I'd like a little time to think about my answer. How about getting together after dinner?" Then, follow through.
Please, cheer on our VEX robotics team as they go and compete in Middle School Mayhem this Saturday at Brookwood High School. Our students will be competing against 35 teams from 12 different middle schools. Students will be using their original ideas for creating their robots. Our robotics program creates opportunities for students to learn a lot about working together with other students, building partnerships and relationships, and learning how to get along with others. Students in our VEX education program are prepared to become future innovators with 95% of participants reporting an increased interest in STEM subject areas and pursuing STEM-related careers.
Here is our schedule for Saturday:
7:15 AM - Doors Open, Practice Fields Opens
7:30-8:00 – Check-in
8:00-9:00 AM - Inspection (first come basis).
9:00 AM - Driver Meeting
9:20 AM – Welcome and first match setup
9:30 AM – 11:30PM - Qualification Rounds and Skills (Skills field will close at 11:30)
11:30 PM – 12:00 PM – Lunch
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM – Qualification Rounds and Skills (Skills field will close at the end of the last match)
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM - Alliance Selection
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM - Alliance Elimination matches
3:00 PM – 3:15 PM - Awards Ceremony
Get ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming our way (YAY!). What are the benefits of the Book Fair? Students, choosing their own books empowers them and inspires them on their journey to becoming lifelong readers. It is an excellent opportunity to build students' home libraries and strengthen their reading and comprehension skills. When students purchase books from the book fair, we are able to purchase more books to stock our library!
Here’s what you need to know about the big event:
1) It will take place from January 22nd through February 1st in the Media Center.
2) Language Arts teachers will have assigned days to bring their students to the book fair. Ask your child what date his/her teacher will bring the class to the Media Center, so you will know when your child needs money to purchase books.
3) Students will be able to pay using cash, credit, or by check ( payable to Scholastic).
The countdown to more Bookjoy is on! Catch you at the Fair!
Happy reading,
Mrs. LeSueur
Our 8th Grade Elective Fair was held on Wednesday. Teachers and students from Berkmar High School provided our students with information on elective courses that are offered at Berkmar High School. Students were also told about the Rising 9th grade parent night at Berkmar on January 22nd at 6PM in the theater. Parents, if your child will be attending Berkmar High School in the fall, it is very important that you attend this meeting. Please see the flyer below. There are also pictures from our elective fair.
