This is Pretty Slick

Know what this is? It's called a QR Code. It takes a special app to read it...for those with a smart phone, it's a free download. This is our student handbook. For anyone that wanted to look something up and didn't have a copy close by, all you'd have to do is to scan this QR code and you'd have our handbook at your disposal.

Sometimes I amaze myself.....(I'm easily amazed)

One More Thing to Worry About

Not that we don't have enough to worry about. Here is a Channel 4 news clip on how teens are disguising alcohol. Something every parent should watch and be aware of.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/29384556/index.html

SCMS Halloween Rules

It's been a tradition at SCMS for students to wear Halloween costumes to school (if they want to). Here are the rules on costumes. They still have to meet our dress code policies. No short shorts/skirts, no low cut tops, no tank tops, no bellies showing, ya da ya da ya da.....same speech, different day. Also....no weapons of any kind (yes...I know they aren't real but you still can't bring them to school) and no masks that cover the face. Remember, it's a half day on Monday. Students are dismissed at 11:48. Happy Haunting...........

Choir and Band Concerts

Wow...we've got talented kids. Great Job to Mr. Decker, Mr. Carlson and all of our kids involved in the concerts this week. Even though they were great, the best part is, when we hear them again near Winter Break, you'll be amazed at the improvement. If you missed this round of concerts, please make a point to stop in and see our kids perform. You won't be dissappointed.

Student and Parent Handbook Online

Got a call from a parent the other day asking if our handbook was online. They had a question that could be answered by looking in the handbook but their student either left it at school or had lost it. I bit my tongue while trying not to laugh at this parent because their child was so irresponsible that they didn't carry our student handbook with them at all times. For those that don't know me yet...that was sarcasm to the nth degree. I'm fairly sure none of my sons brought their handbook home....especially if they got in trouble for something at school and I needed to look at the student code of conduct. Anyway...it is now available on our main website, middle column almost all the way down.

Looking for Part Time Work?

The East China School District is looking for responsible adults that are interested in being a sustitute bus driver. If interested, please give our Transportation Department a call @ 810-676-1100

Slight Change in Schedule

Our SCMS Choir performance will be closer to 7:30 than 7:00 to accomodate our 8th grade football game that begins at 6:00 at East China Stadium vs Marine City Middle School. Thanks to Mr. Carlson for having the SCHS Choir perform a few songs first.

SCMS Choir Performance

If you are looking to hear some talented kids, both SCMS and SCHS's Choirs will be performing at the PAC tonight. Mr. Carlson does a fantastic job. I guarantee you'll be impressed. 7:00 pm tonight (Tuesday, October 25th)

Come On...........

It's hard to read the title the way I want it read. You sort of have to drag out both words in almost a whinny tone. You'll understand after you read below.

My wife and I were gone this weekend. When we got home Sunday we found our son and daughter in-law both on seperate couches and sick. I mean, really sick. The Flu has invaded our house. Luckily, our grandson didn't have it...until this morning. I'm hoping we missed the infectious phase and it'll miss us. Come on...........(insert whinny tone).... I don't want to catch the flu.

Free Speech vs Inappropriate Speech

Need some help. We seem to have an increase with the number of written assignments that are being turned in that, in one way or another, is bashing someone. Sometimes it's a classmate, sometimes it's a teacher and, believe it or not, sometimes it's the principal. When I talk to students about this, one of the first things they almost always bring up is the right of free speech. Now, where free speech is a right, at school, we draw the line in certain areas. Calling someone fat, ugly and stupid is just inappropriate, regardless of how you feel (besides....I'm not fat). Writing how terrible a staff member is, or that the principal should be fired (or as I like to call it, retire early), shouldn't be part of an assignment that they are turning in. Today at lunch I'm going to talk to the students, try to explain the difference and let them know it's inappropriate for school. It really falls under our Anti-Bullying program. Any help at home...as always...is greatly appreciated.

Fall Band Concerts

Our Fall Band Concerts are here. 7th and 8th Grade Bands will perform on Thursday, Oct 27 at 7 pm in our gym.

Our 6th Grade Band's First Performance next week Wednesday, Nov 2 at 7 pm in our gym.

If you get a chance, please try to stop by. It is absolutely amazing how talented our kids are and....here's the biggy....the amount of improvement you'll see the next time they preform.

Student Council Application

Now that we have the start of school, Washington DC Trip and the MEAP behind us, we are starting our Student Council membership process. I can not begin to express my thoughts on Student Council and the benefits that is allows for our students. I really, really, really encourage all students to get involved. There will be an informational meeting on October 26th right after school in the Choir room. The meeting should only be about 15 minutes long. If the student can't attend the meeting, they just need to make sure they turn in their application tot he main office by November 2nd. The applications are available in the main office and require a parent signature. If they miss the deadline (hard to believe that a middle schooler might miss a deadline) and still want to join, they can by attending 3 consecutive meetings to be considered for membership. If you have any questions, please contact one of the advisers, Mrs. McDonell or Mr. Carlson

Dress Code (Again)

Have I mentioned that I HATE this part of my job? For those that don't understand why I hate it are either a female and have never looked at it from a male's perspective or someone that is out of touch with the reality of the society we live in.....or.....I'm totally over reacting (or maybe all of the above). We have a number of female students that are wearing tops that are cut too low. It may not be too low when they leave the house, but trust me, when they get to school the tops slide down. I try not to look for it...honestly. I really don't want to be known as that old guy who is always looking at the middle school girls. I need some help. Please talk to your daughters. Dads....remember how your mind worked back when you were in middle school. There is absolutely nothing wrong with sweatshirts and turtle necks.

OK....I'm done ranting. Thanks for your help.

Anti Bullying Committee

Looking for parents that are interested in being part of our Anti-Bullying Committee this year. Meetings are typically once a month and last an hour. Our next meeting will be November 7th at 3:30 in our main conference room (in the main office). All interested parents are invited to attend.

Current 7th Graders/Washington DC Trip

Had a couple parents ask about next year's Washington DC trip worried that they might of missed a meeting already. We'll be having an informational meeting after the first of the year regarding the trip, the cost, fundraisers, etc. I promise that it will be all but impossible for you to miss the reminders of when the meeting will be.

One More MEAP Day

Wednesday is our last MEAP day (it's hard to type with the tears in my eyes). Typically the last day is the toughest day, not because of the material but because the kids are tired of taking tests. If there is anything you can do at home to stress the importance to doing your best and finishing strong it would be greatly appreciated. Obviously those are two traits that go waaaaaaaaaaaaay past taking the MEAP. I'll do my best Jedi mind trick on the student body tomorrow morning but my powers are limited when it's applied on a large group.

May the force be with us (I wonder how many of our students have any idea where that came from or what a Jedi mind trick is?)

Driver Ed 101

Another non-school related topic. Ever try to do the right thing and have it make things worse? I was out and about this weekend on the expressway in the right hand lane when a truck was merging onto the expressway. I went to move over, checked my blind spot, saw a car was there and ended up having to put on my brakes and swerving a bit to let the truck in. Being an ex-drivers ed teacher, I know I should of slowed down or switched lanes before the last minute and then this would of been a non-issue. Knowing that, I caught up to the truck, pulled along side, made eye contact, pointed at myself and mouthed "Sorry...My Fault". The driver of the truck proceeded to give me a number of hand gestures and used language directed at me that would make a sailor blush. Again...I just pointed at myself and tried to mouth "MY FAULT"....which I think just made him madder. If you happen to hear an uncle or grampa, or brother or neighbor talking about someone on the expressway that wouldn't let them in and how angry he was, pass on my apology. Life's too short.

Wednesday Afternoon Bus Incident

Just a heads up because I know how rumors take on a life of their own. Last night after school I got a phone call that one of our transfer buses was having an issue at Gearing Elementary. Allegedly a middle school student on the bus had some drugs and threw it out the window at Gearing. The police were called, found what was thrown out the window (it wasn't drugs) and handed the problem over to me to handle. We are handling the problem.

Just in case you heard something different.

Not School Related/It's Kid Related

The St. Clair City Recreation Commission is looking for a few board members. The qualifications are pretty simple, you have to like kids and you have to live within the city limits of St. Clair. The current board is made up of extremely intelligent, personable and good looking members (yes....I'm on the board). Meetings are once a month and never last more than an hour. If interested, please contact Trice Hawkins, Recreation Director at 810-329-7121

SCMS American Flag

I always say, excuses are like noses...everyone has them. Yesterday I was outside at the end of the day and a parent came up to me and pointed out our American Flag. It looked terrible. Worn and tattered. Here comes the excuse.....I had no idea. I get to school around 6:15 every morning (it's still dark outside) and I never bothered to look up and notice the flag. Now that it's been pointed out to me...I feel like an idiot....it's being replaced today. If you ever have a suggestion or comment that will help me out (so I don't look like an idiot), please don't hesitate to let me know. For those that know me....I can use all the help I can get.

Parent Challenge........

I've heard from a number of parents how much they like this Blog....quick, easy and fast info on a variety of topics (some of the topics are absolutely senseless but you take the good with the bad). I tend to agree. This is a great way to get information out to parents. I just wish more parents would get into the habit of reading it. Here's my parent challenge. I'd like every person who reads this to encourage 3 other parents to read it and to encourage 3 other parents and so on and so on....like a pyramid scheme without having to worry about going to jail. Hopefully we can get the word out.

Anti-Bullying Activity...Day 1

On each of our 4 MEAP days we will be doing an Anti-Bullying Activity in the afternoon. Today we started with a review of our definition of bullying, having students identify specific aspects of their character and write affirmations about themselves. Please take a minute to discuss this activity with your child. My guess is that different kids will give totally different responses as to what they got out of this and all the anti-bullying activities. A response of "nothing....it was stupid...." or anything else along those lines doesn't mean the activity was a failure. Many kids use that kind of response as a defense mechanism when talking about a topic that makes them uncomfortable....which could be pretty much anything with middle school aged kids talking to their parents. With those kids, we're planting a seed that will take hold when they mature a little. Hang in there and keep trying to keep the communication lines open as best you can.

MEAP Tips

This was passed on to me by a parent (thanks Lisa Bondy)...pretty basic but valuable tips.

http://www.metroparent.com/Metro-Parent/October-2011/MEAP-Test-Taking-Tips-for-Kids/

The MEAP...Pulling Out All Stops

The MEAP is here. One of my favorite times of the year. OK...that was a lie. I really dislike this time of year and here is why. We have GREAT kids, a GREAT staff and every year we get one shot at a supposed measuring stick for how we are doing....and our MEAP scores over the years have been very, very good. Our kids get to take a test that at times lasts over 2 hours in an environment that they are not used to. We don't give tests during the regular school year that last over 55 minutes...few schools do. Our kids aren't used to that. Because of the rules that we have to follow, there is an excellent chance that our kids won't be taking their Math MEAP with their Math Teacher...or their Writing MEAP with their ELA Teacher. But....it is what it is. If our students can walk away with anything from the Middle School, I hope they walk away with knowing that life isn't always fair but you play the cards you've been dealt and do the best you can. My goal for the MEAP is to get our kids to give their best from start to finish. Many times with the length of the tests, kids give up. With that in mind, we are providing gum and hard candies to our students during the test. What???? What in the world does that have to do with anything (I can read people's minds when they read my blog...it's a gift). The latest brain research says that chewing stimulates the brain and helps concentration. I'm not against using any Jedi mind trick if it helps our scores.

May the force be with us

Being Old Has its Benefits

I became a Grampa for the 4th time over the weekend. Margret Louise (Maggie Lou), 8 lbs, 13 oz with lots of black hair. Everyone is doing great.

Life is good...........

Box Tops

SCMS will be collecting Box Tops in our first hour classes during the week of Oct 17th-21st. Neimans is donating a donut party to the first hour class that collect that most Box Tops. SCMS earns ten cents for each Box Top collected when we redeem them through Box Tops for Education. We will be having another drive in the Spring, so please continue to clip and save your box tops all year long.

Parking Lot Cluster

Need some help. Our dismissal after school has turned into a mess. Watching our students leave the building is like watching a horror movie, when they turn the lights on and all the cockroaches scatter. We've got kids crossing between buses, cutting across the parking lot in front of school, cutting across the lawn headed toward Pug road, etc. It seems were ever I am standing, things are running pretty smoothly, but I can see if I'm not there, students are taking the path of least resistance. In all honesty, it's an accident waiting to happen. At the end of the day today I'm going to make an announcement regarding general safety and the areas that students are allowed to cross. Basically, students can cross the driveway in two areas. Straight behind the school leading to the bike path that connects to the Highlands/River Ridge/River Point and also directly East of our building, in line with our Gym, there is a crosswalk painted on the asphalt that leads to a walkway that connects to the bike path toward Pug Road. I'm also going to ask that parents do not pick up students in the front circle loop/parking area. Cutting between buses, cars picking up kids and leaving while other kids are trying to get to their parents is a bad mix. If you are picking up your student, please park along the curb or in the main/large parking lot on the East side of the building. Your help is greatly appreciated.

MEAP Info and Incentive

As you may or may not of heard, the MEAP has changed their "cut scores" this year. What this means in layman terms, the bar or level to be considered proficient has been raised. For example, if we apply our last year scores to the new "cut scores" SCMS's 6th grade class was at a 94% proficient level...this year it would be a 64% proficient level. Quite a differnce. The reason I bring this up is three fold. First, it's good information for all parents to have so you're not caught off guard when you get your child's scores back. Secondly, every year we have a number of kids that don't give their best effort from start to finish. Lets be honset....our kids aren't used to taking tests that last more than an hour. We see it every year that kids tail off toward the end of the test. Our goal this year, as it is every year is to finsh strong. Lastly, telling kids to finish strong and do their best doesn't always work so I've come up with a "carrot" that I hope will help keep them focused. If we get our Math and Reading scores at every grade level to a minimum of 70% we will have an assembly when we get the results back, choose one student to come out to center court and shave my head in front of everyone. If we get every student to do their best from start to finish, I'm hoping that I'll be looking for hats to wear.

One Month Down

Wow...one month already in our rear view mirror and it was a GREAT first month. Looking back at some of the changes we made and things we accomplished in this first month makes me feel pretty good about where we are....actually, I feel great about were we are, I'm just thrilled that with everything going on that I didn't mess things up. Here's a partial list of some of the tings we had going on the first month of school:

Saints Day...huge change that allowed out school to get off to a great start.
New Responsibility Program being piloted in the 6th grade
Washington DC trip for our 8th graders
Open House
School wide Magazine Sale
Got our very successful Anti-Bullying Committee back up and running
Preparing for the MEAP
Instituted a SSR/IT block of time
Smartboards in every classroom (wow...that's a biggie) Hats off to the staff, we are really taking off with this new technology.

All in all...I think I've said this already....we've been dealt a great hand this year with the students at SCMS. Looking forward to Month #2

Parent Connect Problems?

Parent Connect is an awesome tool that I'd like everyone to take advantage of. With that said, every year we have a few parents that have issues with Parent Connect. Either your computer won't connect, you forgot your password, your child has no grades in any of their classes, or about a thousand other possible bumps in the road happen when you try to take advantage of it. When this happens you have two choices. You can call me, which will be of zero help, or you can go to the East China School District website (http://www.ecsd.us/), click on "Parent Resources", then click on "Parent Connect". Once there, select "Onlne Help Request Form" and you'll be on your way to fixing the problem.

May the force be with you.........

Lions Day

Well....we've had Wolverine Day, Spartan Day and Tigers Day. Since they're 4-0 (who would of thought) and they have a Monday Night game coming up, we're going to make next Monday a Lions Day. Staff and students are encouraged to wear their Lions shirts/jerseys/hats next Monday, October 10th.