SRMS Weekly Update

August 14, 2018

Dear Spring Ridge Middle School Students and Families,

Welcome Back, Everyone! It is our sincere hope that summer brought relaxation and joy to you and your family. As we open the doors to our students once again, we feel recharged and ready to meet the successes of a new year.

Open House will be held on Thursday, August 30, from 8:00 to 9:00 am for Seventh Grade students, 9:30 to 10:30 am for Eighth Grade students, and 6:00-8:00 pm for Sixth Grade students. Students will be able to follow their schedules and meet their teachers during Open House. Physical Education uniforms can be purchased during Open House. All students are required to pay a $5.00 locker rental fee. This fee covers both the instructional locker space and the PE locker space. During Open House, only sixth-grade students can pay their locker fee and purchase agenda books. Seventh and eighth-grade students may purchase these items in advisory during the first two weeks of school. Agenda books are required for sixth-grade students to assist in the transition to middle school. We look forward to seeing all of our students at their respective Open Houses.

Your child’s schedule for the 2018-2019 school year will be available on the Home Access Center beginning Friday, August 24, at 4:00 pm. Schedules will also be available for students on the first day of school, which is Tuesday, Sept. 4. Our school team has worked diligently this summer to use all available data to determine appropriate classes for all students.

This school year, you may notice a continued commitment to a connecting, belonging, aspiring, and thriving. This will guide our process of planning to include individualized, project-based, and small group opportunities. This is no small task, and our teachers truly map the curriculum into big ideas and projects that are designed based on the students sitting in front of them. What these creative and talented individuals are putting together provides your child with a truly unique and innovative approach to how they learn.

Our School Improvement Plan (SIP) for school year 2019 is in draft form. Parents and students are invited throughout the year to assist in writing and reviewing the progress of the plan. Our SIP review dates are scheduled in the SRMS media center from 2:15-4:15 pm on the following dates: October 30, January 29, and May 15.

SRMS will host an Aloha Dance for all students on Friday, September 14, from 2:15-4:00pm. Families are responsible for transportation home from all school dances. Permission slips to attend the dance will be given out on the Thursday before the dance. All students must have a signed permission slip, along with $5.00, to attend the dance. The permission slip and money will be collected during advisory the day of the dance.

Bus schedules are available on the school website, as well as the school system’s website. The parking lot at the southern end of the school is utilized for parent drop-off and pickup. Students are to walk down the sidewalk and enter the front of the building. In the morning, students should not be dropped off prior to 6:55 am since we do not have staff on duty prior to that time. Students will wait in the school lobby until they are dismissed by staff to go to Advisory. For pickup in the afternoon, please contact the school by 1:00pm if a message is to be delivered to your child that he/she will be picked up. You may also contact the office and have your child put on the parent pickup list daily. Students will walk down to the end of the sidewalk to meet their ride and be signed out by staff on duty.

Please note attendance at school is mandatory. Absences from school due to family vacations, oversleeping, or missing the bus are not excused or acceptable. Our current attendance percentage for our students is 93%. We need all parents, families, and students to make a commitment to be at school every day. If a child is absent, they are not here to learn, and that will have a direct impact on grades and achievement. If a child is going to be absent for an excused purpose, it is essential that a parent or guardian report the absence. The easiest way to do this is to go to the SRMS website and report the absence electronically. Failure to report an absence will automatically create an unexcused absence for the child. If a child has an unexcused absence, the teachers are not required to provide make-up work, which will impact grades and achievement.

Please note the Dress Code for all St. Mary’s County Public Schools students is located on our website. This is to help you plan as you begin preparing for your child to return to school. All students are required to adhere to our school’s dress code. I ask that you take the time to review this policy carefully with your child prior to the start of school to avoid any dress code violations. If a child should be violation of dress code, they will always be granted the option to change their clothes, borrow clothing from our school closet, or call a parent/ guardian to bring them a change of clothes. We will always have the student back in class as quickly as possible after a dress code violation is corrected.

I would also like you to note the St. Mary’s County Public Schools Cell Phone Policy. Please note students are not permitted to have their cell phones turned on during the school day, unless given permission to use by a staff member as some teachers do have students use them for instructional purposes only. Please take the time to review this policy carefully with your child prior to the start of school to avoid any cell phone issues. This policy will be reviewed with all students during the first few days of school.

Please refrain from sending items such as cupcakes or other food items to share at lunch. I ask you please keep food celebrations limited to your home. We have many students with food allergies and/or parents of other students that want to monitor what their children eat.

You will have the opportunity to become involved in our PTO during Open House on August 30 or by e-mailing Adrianne Dillahunt at amdillahunt@smcps.org. The PTO can be a wonderful support to the school in multiple ways and your involvement makes a difference. A PTO does not involve fees or fundraising. This is a group of parents who plan events for students and staff, and support school-sponsored events. Please consider volunteering.

Volunteer service to our schools will continue to support the vast learning experiences we are able to offer. We have recognized the importance and necessity of properly vetting all volunteers who have contact with our students. We want to ensure that all of our expanding learning horizons are safe and secure for our students and your children. Procedures are in place to ensure an appropriate level of background screening for all of our school volunteers and visitors. Please visit the SMCPS website to complete the screening to be a volunteer. This screening includes chaperones for field trips.

Our website has been updated. This is a great place to find communication updates, answers to frequently asked questions, and events occurring at your school. Also, follow SRMS on Twitter @SRMS_SMCPS.

If you collect Box Tops for Education, they can be turned into Ms. Chelednik. The Physical Education department uses the funds to replace equipment and purchase other sporting gear.

I am looking forward to seeing students around the building! It has been a short, but productive summer. Get ready for a great year at Spring Ridge Middle School!

Respectfully,

Wendy Zimmerman
Proud Principal
Spring Ridge Harriers

Welcome Back Parent Letter

Welcome Back Parent Letter (Spanish)