Washington DC Parent Meeting

We will be having our Washington DC parent meeting for all 7th graders that are interested in the trip on Thursday, January 13th from 7:00 to 8:00 pm in our cafeteria. This is an absolutely AWESOME trip that we want every kid to experience. At the meeting we'll discuss the trip, give parents a chance to ask questions and to sign up for next year's trip. Please make every attempt to attend this meeting.

E-Mail Links On Our Webpage

Just found out during our professional development day that since we have gone to a different e-mail server, links to our e-mails that are located on our website won't work. What you need to do is to cut and paste it into your e-mail address bar. Sorry

Same Message, Different Day

I wish more people would read these blogs.... Here is the thought for 17 days. Short term goals. 17 days until Winter Break. 17 days of no missing assignments. It is unbelievable how many students have multiple missing assignments. Good kids...smart kids. It's beyond frustrating and I know it's frustrating at home too. Drilling home the thought of short term goals is a life long skill...and if 17 days is too long, work on one week at a time. Every one of us has had a job to do that at the time seemed overwhelming, but we all rolled up our selves and got the job done. This is what we need to stress to our kids. We, they, you, can do anything if you break it up into do-able parts. Please help hammer that home. It's a skill that will help them in the long run.

Next Year's DC Trip

Had a number of 7th grade parents ask during PTC about our organizational meeting for next year's Washington DC trip. The meeting will be after the first of the year. If your family is anything like mine, asking for a deposit for a trip that is 9 months away right before the holidays is a tough sell. We'll make sure that every 7th grader knows of the meeting, we'll use our automated calling system as well as this blog to inform parents of the meeting. It's a GREAT trip that we don't want anyone to miss out on.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Monday November 22nd and Tuesday November 23rd.

1:00pm - 4:00pm
5:15pm - 8:00pm

Students have a half day of school on both days and will be released at 11:48.....

Hope to see everyone there.

Tis the Season

Odds are, either your family or someone close to you has been effected by our current economy. We currently have three very worth while charitable activities going on at the middle school. Kids in Distress is in desperate need of winter coats. New/used and of any size would be greatly appreciated. We have a large drop box located outside our gym, across from the cafeteria. In our main office we have another large box for Toys for Tots. That drop box is for new toys in their original packaging. Lastly, SCMS will be participating in the Pat LaCroix Annual Food Pantry Drive from December 1st through the 15th. It is a very difficult time of year for many families. If you have the means, any donation to any of these causes would be greatly appreciated.

Just the Facts

Just the Facts is a play consisting of three scenarios preformed by professional actors aimed at middle school students that focuses on situations that put kids at risk, not only with other students but also with adults. Inappropriate touching, harassment and prevention strategies are some of the topics that are covered. This year, as in the past, Just the Facts will be shown to our 6th graders. The performance will be on December 2nd during the morning with a parent meeting November 30th at 6:30 pm in our Media Center. This obviously is a very important topic for today's youth. Please try to make time to attend the parent meeting.

Community Ski/Snowboard Club

The Ski and Snowboard Club is open to all SCMS students and families. It is an absolutely awesome opportunity for our students that is organized by a SCMS parent, Mrs. Penny Werden. The short version is that the club travels to Mt. Holly on a variety of Fridays at a very reasonable cost and the kids have a blast. The only slight "catch" is that the club can always use drivers to help out with the transportation. Applications, flyers and more information is available in our main office.

Youth Wrestling

St. Clair Recreation Youth Wrestling Club

Boys & Girls grades 3 – 6

A safe and enjoyable introduction to “collegiate” style wrestling. Intro to various methods of strength, agility and speed training. Member of the Mid-Michigan Youth Wrestling Association. Volunteer Coaches & Parents needed.

Program : December 1, 2010 – February 28, 2011
Mon & Wed, 6:00-8:00pm
St. Clair Middle School

$45.00 per participant (Family Rate $65.00 for 2, $90.00 3 or more)

Open House – December 1st on-site registration accepted. Come ready to participate in a practice or to observe. Learn more about the program and sport of wrestling.

Pre-Register at the City of St. Clair Recreation Department – 547 N. Carney Drive, St. Clair, Mon-Friday, 7:30am-4:30pm. 810.329.7121

Kids in Distress in Need of Donations

Beginning today Achatz Soup from Skratzch is giving away one 12 ounce bowl of soup at its 8111 St. Clair Highway location with every qualifying donation to Kids in Distress Services.

Qualifying Items are:
one package of underwear (six or more)
one pair of footed pajamas
one package of socks (six or more)
tee shirts (four or more)
hats, gloves & mittens ($6 and up in value)
long underwear (tops, bottoms, or both)
slippers or slipper socks
nightgown
boxers (four or more pairs)
The 2010 Seat Cover Project begins today and runs through December 21.

KIDS responds to referrals from over 120 St. Clair County agencies. Since September, KIDS has distributed 2000 coats to those in need, underwear or seat covers are in high demand. While it's tempting to start holiday collection campaigns at many different levels, Achatz Soup from Skratzch challenges your school or place of employment to fill a dump truck with qualifying items. If you are interested in hosting a 2010 Seat Cover Project collection campaign "Toy Story" Style-please contact steveachatz@yahoo.com.

Watch for the 2010 Seat Cover Project Dump Truck in St. Clair's Annual Santa's Lighted Parade.

SCMS Science Olympiad Team

SCMS Science Olympiad Team will be having an Information Meeting Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 6:00 P.M. in our SCMS Media Center.

Science Olympiad is a team of 15 students who together have fun competing in 23events as a team. Competition will be held March 26, 2011.

EVENTS FOR 2011 include:
Life, Personal & Social Science
Earth & Space Science
Physical Science & Chemistry
Technology & Engineering
Inquiry & Nature of Science

Each category contains a host of different sections that the students can compete in. It is an awesome event that promotes team work and thinking outside the box. If you have any interest at all I strongly suggest that you take the time to attend the initial meeting. It's well worth your while.

SCMS Bands and Choir

I might as well just save this post and re-post it every year. I'm constantly impressed with how talented our kids are and every year I'm surprised at the amount of improvement I see from year to year. A perfect example of that has been over the past few weeks for anyone that has had a chance to listen to our three bands and choir perform. Paul Decker and Rick Carlson do a GREAT job with our kids. Even if you're not a band/choir parent, I would highly recommend if you get a chance to stop by and see one of their performances. Their next concert is Thursday December 16th, 6:30 at the Performing Arts Center. You can't help but walk away impressed.

A Chance for Discussion

We just had our Internet safety presentation. If ever there was an opportunity for parents to bring up a topic with their students, now is the time. Ask them about what they heard/what the presentation was about. That should be enough of a spring board to bring up important topics that every parent should be talking about with their kids. Internet predators, Internet safety, not giving out personal information, cyber bullying....the list goes on and on. This is a great chance to have a discussion that should be on going. It's scary stuff that most kids don't ever think can happen to them.

Cyber Safety Presentation

Here is some information I received from the Michigan CSI (Cyber Safety Initiative) on the presentation that all SCMS students will be seeing this Thursday.

Dear Parent or Guardian:

The Michigan Attorney General's office will be conducting Internet safety presentations for East China School District students in grades 1-8 during the week of November 1-5, 2010 A one-hour seminar for adults is being offered at the East China Administrative Office at 7:00 p.m. on November 2, 1010.

The first through third-grade presentation includes a video of the acclaimed book Faux Paw's Adventures in the Internet. The book and seminar material are being presented in cooperation with the Internet Keep Safe Coalition. The primary focus is to emphasize students should: keep safe by not sharing any personal information; keep away from Internet strangers; and keep telling parents or a trusted adult about everything they see on the Internet – especially when something makes them uncomfortable. The message is delivered in a child-friendly, appropriate manner.

In addition to the keep safe, keep away, and keep telling messages, students in fourth grade and above also learn about common dangers on the Internet and appropriate responses to cyber harassment. Fourth and fifth-grade students watch a realistic fiction video provided compliments of the nonprofit group i-SAFE Inc. Sixth through eighth-grade students are also cautioned about revealing personal information on social networking sites and watch i-SAFE videos.

The parent seminar on November 2, 2010 will provide practical tools, including a PowerPoint handout of slides covered during the seminar, to help adults employ these new skills at home. The seminar provides concrete tools including information on how to access online tutorials to:

• search and access a child's social networking site(s) (i.e., MySpace and Facebook);
• view Internet history logs to determine where a child has been online; and
• turn on safe surfing filters.

Handouts used during our presentations can be accessed at the Attorney General's website - www.michigan.gov/ag.