Anti Bullying Committee

As most of you hopefully know, SCMS stated a very successful Anti-Bullying campaign last year. A piece of that was an Anti-Bullying Committee made up of teachers, parents, counselors and administrators. We've had a bit of a turnover with parents leaving us for SCHS and are looking for a few more members. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please shoot me an e-mail. Our meetings are right after school from 3:30 to 4:30 and we'll meet around 6 times a year. Even if you can't make the meetings, we still want everyone to be involved and active in our efforts to rid our community from Bullying. From time to time, I'll be posting some of our activities on this Blog that we could use some help with. As we all know, this is an uphill battle that isn't just a school issue. Bullying is everywhere and we need as much help as we can get.

Tough Stuff....

Tough Stuff is a discussion geared toward parents of teenagers in grades 8th through high school on what parents need to know about depression, warning signs of suicide and how teens express grief after loss. It's free and open to the community. It is being held at Pine Shores Golf Club on Tuesday, October 25th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. As a parent, we all have worries and concerns. This is an excellent opportunity to gather some important information and ask questions to some of our local area experts. Please make an effort to attend.

Detroit Tiger Day

Tomorrow (Friday, September 30th) we are having a Detroit Tiger Day at SCMS. Students and staff are encouraged to wear their Tiger gear as they start the playoffs. This is shaping up to be a GREAT sports year for us. World Series, Superbowl, Stanley Cup......

Half Day Tuesday

Tuesday, September 27th, we will be having a half day for teacher professional development. We will be running hours 1, 2 and 3 with the school day for students being over at 11:48.

Missing Assignments

We've changed the process we've used to handle missing assignments a tad this year. In the past, every day I would post a list of every student that had a missing assignment in our cafeteria. Any student with two or more missing assignments on Thursday would be assigned Saturday School unless they got those assignments turned in by Friday. Any student that could make Saturday School would have lunch time homework help the following week. This year we have instituted a block of time within our schedule called SSR/IT (sustained silent reading/intervention time). Now instead of posting a list in the cafeteria, I'm e-mailing out a list to the staff first hour of everyone in their first hour that is missing an assignment. Staff reminds the student of what still needs to be done and during SSR/IT they are given an opportunity to complete the assignment. This is still in the beginning stages but so far it seems to be working well. As this process continues to evolve, we could still incorporate Saturday Schools for those students that seem to need more dedicated time to get caught up with their work. If you have any questions on the process, please don't hesitate to contact me.

EMS at SCMS Wednesday Morning

Knowing how rumors get started and snowball, I thought it would be a good idea to let people know that we had the EMS at our school this morning. During a fire drill, around 9:00, one of our staff members began to feel light headed and ended up sitting down on the sidewalk. She never blacked out and was in good sprits (and joking). We called EMS to be safe.

Washington DC....Done.

Another DC trip is behind us and it couldn't of gone better. It seems every year after the trip is done I wonder why I worry so much. Two quick things regarding the trip.
First, if you have a 6th or 7th grader, start making plans. It is an absolutely AWESOME trip...but it is expensive. Through fundraisers (which I realize, no one likes to do) it is very possible to cut a third to a half of the cost of the trip off. For current 7th graders, we'll be having an information meeting after the first of the year.
Secondly/Lastly...huge thanks to Mrs. Rutledge, Mrs. Barker and all the parent chaperones. To say we couldn't do this trip with out you would be an understatement. Thanks for helping to make memories for your kids that will last a life time

8th Graders Not Going to DC

Yes.....you do have school Monday.

DC Fundraiser Update

If you participated in one of our fundraisers for this year's Washington DC trip and think you have some money coming, click on the Washington DC link on our SCMS main webpage for an update (scroll down to the lower right hand side)

Studio 1219 Hands on Art Festival

Just passing on an e-mail that I received on a neat event....

This weekend: Studio 1219’s “Hands On Art” Festival
at SC4 September 17 and 18.

Studio 1219 presents its annual “Hands On Art” arts festival 10:00am – 5:00pm this Saturday, September 17, and Sunday, September 18. The free event will be held at St. Clair County Community College, 323 Erie Street in Port Huron Michigan in the Student Center and the Fine Arts Building. Parking is free as well. This is the Studio’s hands-on, come-and-get-messy, playing-in-the-arts-Arts-Festival unlike any other!

“Hands On Art” is brought to the region through the generous support of the Stebbins’ Family Foundation, the Blue Water Arts Committee of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, and St. Clair County Community College.

Studio 1219 and its cultural partners once again host this unique event, with lots of arts activities throughout.

And there is much to do throughout the weekend! So, come play with us!

Visit www.studio1219.comfor event map, directions, volunteer, sponsor opportunities or call 810-984-ARTS

DC Update

Just received this from our Tour Company....

When the earthquake hit a while back, the National Cathedral was damaged but was scheduled to reopen in a couple of days. They had a crane working there and it just fell the other day right on the Cathedral. They just announced that they will now be closed for another couple of weeks to make sure everything is stable – so, you will not be able to visit the Cathedral this year

Although that is disappointing, for those that have been before, you know that there are thousands of things to fill that time slot with. I'm sure we won't have any down time looking for something to do.

This is going to be GREAT

Creating a Parent e-mail Data Base

Because of budget cuts and the increase in technology, the October Newsletter is the last Newsletter that we will be mailing out in mass. If you do not have Internet access (how are you reading this????) and would still like a Newsletter to be mailed home, please contact our main office. If you would like the Newsletter e-mailed to you...…and here is the reason for this post....please click on the Parent e-mail Data Base link on our SCMS webpage (lower right hand side of the main page). By doing that we’ll be able to create a Group mailing list. My plan is to use this group e-mail list to not only send the Newsletter but also to update and remind parents of important information. If you don’t want it e-mailed to you but you still enjoy reading it, you’ll still be able to access it by going to our SCMS website and clicking on the Newsletter link.

Open House Tonight

Our SCMS Open House is tonight (September 13th) from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Following the Open House is a very important Washington DC meeting in our cafeteria for all those students (and their parents) that are going on this year's trip. Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Follow Up On My Weekend Project

If you hadn't already, you need to read the post a couple down from this one first....

I now have a hole in my bathroom floor and a hole cut in my dinning room ceiling. It is amazing how much drywall dust one small hole can create. To say the least, I made a mess, but....and this was my biggest worry....once I got into the ceiling, the joists were fine and I didn't find any mold. I was sure going into this project that I'd find rotted 2x10's and mold from years of a slow leak. So for now, I think I have found the problem but I still have two holes, one in the floor and one in the ceiling, and probably will have two holes for a while....at least a couple of weeks (I'm in Washington DC this weekend)

Important DC Meeting

There is a mandatory meeting for everyone that is going to Washington DC this Tuesday night (September 13th) immediately following our Open House @ 8:00 pm in our cafeteria. This is for students and parents. Please make every effort to attend.

I See a Three Stooges Moment Coming

Totally non school related but I think most of the adults that read this can relate. If you were in our dinning room and looked up you might notice a discolored patch on our ceiling. Our dinning room table is right under a shower upstairs. On Wednesday I walked into that bathroom (which is my boy's bathroom so I'm not in there much) and I noticed that part of the flooring was curling up. I reached down to feel the flooring and it was basically mush. At that point I knew I had two options. Call someone to fix the problem or try to fix it myself. Since I pride myself as a pretty handy guy, I'm choosing option 2. Starting tonight, I'm tearing out the bathroom floor that is rotted and taking out a section of the dinning room ceiling. My main goal is to find and repair the leak....a sub goal is to not cause more damage than I already have. My the force be with me.

Have a Great weekend

9/11 Moment of Silence

I realize that the majority if not all of our students were too young to remember what happen ten years ago on 9/11 but we will be having a moment of silence this morning at 8:46. Please take this opportunity to discuss with your child what happened and how that event has changed the way we live.

Unique Opportunity

The Marysville Library is hosting a Holocaust survivor, Martin Lowenberg, to speak to the community about his life. The event will be held in the Marysville High School auditorium on September 14th @ 6:30. We have flyers available in the main office for anyone that is interested.

Next Two Fridays...Go Blue....Go Green

Tomorrow (9/9) we're having a U of M day and next Friday we're having a MSU day at SCMS. Students and staff are encouraged to wear their U of M garb tomorrow and their Sparty garb next Friday.

We'll have a Notre Dame Day next July...........

DC is Coming

Our annual 8th grade Washington DC trip is right around the corner. Last year I promised myself that I wouldn't schedule it so close to the start of school....too much going on. But the trip was great, the weather was great and once it was done, I was extremely happy that we scheduled it when we did. Now...fast forward to this year. We just went through Saints Day, the opening of school, our Open House is next week as well as SCMS's Board Presentation on Monday. Here's my question to myself....what I was thinking? This wouldn't be too bad if I wasn't a type AA personality that worried about every detail. So if you see me huddled up in a corner shaking, toss a blanket on me.

Speaking of DC, we have an extremely important meeting right after our Open House next Tuesday th 13th at 8:00. This meeting is for every 8th grader that is going and their parents. I know every one's time is important but please make every effort to be there. All the times, info, rules, expectations, etc will be discussed.

Changing gears...sort of....could you imagine if our trip was a few weeks back when that hurricane was coming ashore? Just one more thing for me to worry about. Now that would of been a memory maker.

6th Grade Responsibility Plans

The Responsibility Plan is a new twist that we are using this year with our 6th graders at SCMS to help students adjust to middle school and mature as young adults. Our hope is that with the help of parents we can turn a negative into a positive. In the past, inappropriate behavior would result in a discipline referral with consequences. The Responsibility Plan allows the student to reflect on what was disruptive and given a chance to come up with a plan to correct the problem before a discipline referral is assessed. Here is how the plan works. When a student makes a poor choice they are redirected or talked to and explained why it was a poor choice. If the same behavior continues the student is asked to fill out the Responsibility Plan. Once it is reviewed by the teacher, the student is to take the plan home to be signed by a parent and brought back to the teacher the next day. Realizing that many parents work varying hours and that life is sometimes hectic, the parent has the option of calling and leaving a voice message for the teacher letting us know that they saw the plan and talked to their child about the problem. Please keep in mind that there has never been a truer statement than good kids will make poor choices. Many times, if not most times, a student is much more concerned of what their parents will think of than any consequence that accompanies the Responsibility Plan or a discipline referral. I still remember my days in the middle school when I made a poor choice that my parent found out about. I would twist every detail I could to try to deflect the blame somewhere else. Please keep that in mind when talking to your child. They were a good kid long before the poor choice and they’ll be a good kid long afterwards. It’s a part of growing up. Thank you in advance for working with us. SCMS a firm believer that education is a team sport. The road can get a little bumpy at times but with all of us pulling in the same direction we’ll get to the finish line just fine.

First Day Thoughts

Random thoughts....

What a GREAT first day. Probably the smoothest I've ever had.

Very impressed with our new 6th graders...looks like an outstanding group

Also very happy to see our new 8th and 7th graders. I've always said that our school year will depend on the leadership that our upper classman provide, which at the middle school is our 8th graders. Got a feeling that this is going to be a great year.

Pictures for those that did not make Saints Day will be this Thursday.

If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to contact the school. Many if not most problems are either misinformation (hard to believe middle school kids might bring home misinformation) or a situation that can be easily solved. Don't let something bother you so it builds up.

Had a few boys wearing wrist bands that support a cure for breast cancer with a saying that is inappropriate for middle school (I love Boobs). Help me out with this. I could make 101 jokes about the saying but breast cancer is nothing to laugh about. All of us know someone that has been hit with this terrible disease. We can show our support a thousand ways, but t-shirts or wrist bands at the middle school level with that saying is unfortunately inappropriate.

Day one....done.....

Slight Twist to Our Schedule

Most of you probably won't even notice but we had a few minor changes to our schedule after it was sent out in the information packet. In a nutshell, SSR is now called SSR/IT (Sustained Silent reading/Intervention Time), there is no passing time between 3rd hour and SSR/IT and SSR/IT has been moved to the begining of 3rd hour instead of the end of third hour. Confusing? Here it is in print.

6th Grade

8:28 – 9:28 1st Hour
9:32 – 10:28 2nd Hour
10:32 – 10:51 SSR/IT**
10:51 – 11:47 3rd Hour
11:51 – 12:19 4th Hour Part 1
12:19 – 12:54 Lunch
12:56 – 1:21 4th Hour Part 2
1:25 – 2:20 5th Hour
2:24 – 3:19 6th Hour

7th Grade

8:28 – 9:28 1st Hour
9:32 – 10:28 2nd Hour
10:32 – 10:51 SSR/IT**
10:51 – 11:47 3rd Hour
11:47 – 12:22 Lunch
12:26 – 1:21 4th Hour
1:25 – 2:20 5th Hour
2:24 – 3:19 6th Hour

8th Grade

8:28 – 9:28 1st Hour
9:32 – 10:28 2nd Hour
10:32 – 10:51 SSR/IT**
10:51 – 11:47 3rd Hour
11:51 – 12:46 4th Hour
12:46 – 1:21 Lunch
1:25 – 2:20 5th Hour
2:24 – 3:19 6th Hour



Half Day Schedule

8:28 – 9:32 1st or 4th hour
9:36 – 10:40 2nd or 5th hour
10:44 – 11:48 3rd or 6th hour

** SSR/IT is Silent Sustained Reading/Intervention Time

Magazine Sale

Each year for the past 250 years, SCMS has participated in a kickoff magazine sale. Let me start by saying that I HATE fundraisers. For those that know me, know that I was a hockey parent, which means our family has been involved with every type of fundraiser known to man. But, with that said, this magazine sale has allowed us to purchase "extras" that other wise we could not afford. From repairs to equipment, to scholarshiping students to certain events, to bringing in guest speakers, this money has really helped our students. Here are the nuts and bolts:

SCMS Magazine Fundraiser will begin on September 6, 2011 with an assembly. On Wednesday, September 7th the address booklets are due. The students will bring their completed book to lunch with them. This booklet is for out of town family/friends that are interested in ordering magazines through QSP and this would help SCMS students. You may also order on line at qsp.com. Our school online code is 1078949 . Another option is the Pay Later Program. Simply fill out the Pay Later form (in the booklet) and have your student return to SCMS on September 14th and/or September 21st during lunch. QSP will send a bill directly to the purchasers address given. Prizes will be awarded for all orders purchased during our fundraiser - September 6 through September 21. Prizes that will be included in our campaign (if the required number of sales are returned per student are: Air Extreme with cash cube, Spin the Wheel for cash, etc., and one lucky SCMS student will win an i-Touch.
All help in supporting SCMS through the Magazine Sale is appreciated as the students benefit from this effort.
If you have any questions, please call Carol VanTroostenberghe @ 676-1803.