Band and Choir Concert....Great Performance

Having my job is a lot like being a parent. I get to see goofballs all day long and have to remind kids on a daily basis the same things over and over. As a principal, stop running In the hallways, pick up that trash, push your chair in, do you have any missing assignments...as a Dad, clean your room, shut the door, put away your clothes, clean up the mess you made in the kitchen....both lists could go on and on and on. The reason I bring this us is that I sometimes forget how talented our kids are and last night's concert was a great reminder. Our Choir and all three Bands did an outstanding job. Their performance and talent is a direct result of great building leadership (I can't even type that with a straight face). In all honesty, besides having great kids, we are extremely lucky to have Ms. Nadasky and Mr. Decker as part of our team. Congrats to everyone for a fantastic job last night.

Final Food Drive Thought

After a slow start our kids and community really came through...as I knew we would. Three...yes, three truck loads of food were picked up this morning and is happily headed to needy homes. I guess my final thought on this year's food drive is how proud I am of our SCMS family. Special thanks to Mrs. Beindit and our Student Council for all of their efforts. Great Job

No School Friday December 20th

Just like our students, I went to bed last night thinking that the predicted rain/ice forecast might cancel school. When I didn't get a phone call, my morning went on as usual and I headed out to school. On my way to school this morning, I stopped to get our mail. When I stepped out of my truck I was surprised at how slick/icy the road was. After skating to the mailbox and then back to my truck I was thinking that the back roads must be a mess. About 5 minutes later (and I was 5 minutes from school)is when I got the call that school was being called. Hopefully everyone got an automated message this morning and you weren't too far along into your morning "get ready for school" routine. Enjoy the Holiday Break.

School Pickup Logjam

Need some help. As anyone who is reading this knows, we have two driveways at SCMS. The East driveway (toward the river) is a two way driveway. The West driveway (toward Range Road) is exit only. That allows cars and buses to turn right and left at the end of the day as they leave school. Here is where I need some help. It seems that more and more cars are parking long the East driveway before the bus loop. This makes it very difficult for cars to pull in and exit. If you are waiting to pick up a student, please either pull up to the sidewalk past the bus loop or park the large parking lot to the East of the building. Thanks for your help.

Can Food Drive

This year, for what ever reason, our Holiday Food Drive seems to be stuck in neutral. Our students and families have always been extremely generous when it come supporting any cause and our Food Drive has been no exception to that in the past. I'm not sure if our students are waiting until the end of the drive to make a huge push, but after a week our totals are way behind past years. This Friday, December 13th, we will be having a Hat Day to help kick start this drive. The cost to wear a hat is a minimum of one can of food. Hopefully the donations will start to roll in. If any community member would like to be a part of this Food Drive, you are more than welcomed to drop off any number of canned foods and I'll be happy to write you a note so you can wear a hat at work.

December Newsletter

Click here to view our December Newsletter

Thoughts/Questions/Opinions

If I was to write a book for parents on how to prepare for Middle School(and make millions so I could retire to an island in the Caribbean), what kind of info would of helped you going into your Middle School experience? The reason I ask this is that I'm starting to think about our Spring 6th grade orientation parent meeting. After you do something for a few years, like I have, you start to take things for granted that people understand or know. Getting some feedback from parents, current or past, would help me make the meeting more meaningful....although writing a book is a pretty good idea too. It could be about the transition, communication with teachers, being involved, etc. If you have any thoughts or advice for incoming parents, please e-mail your thoughts by e-mailing me at malley@ecsd.us Type MS Parent Suggestions in the subject line. Thanks in advance for your help.

St. Clair City Rec Winter Programs

Boys Basketball Date Change

Our Tuesday December 3rd Basketball game at Marine City Middle School has been moved to Wednesday, December 4th to accommodate the parade MCHS is having for their State Championship Football Team.

Parent Survey

Or, if you don't have a QR Reader, you can click on this LINK

Lost and Found

Like most years, we have a ton (yes…...2000 lbs) of shirts, shoes, coats, boots, backpacks, etc) in our lost and found. It is all being displayed on racks in the main hallway. Please take a look during PTC for any items that have come up missing from your house. Any items not claimed by the end of PTC on Tuesday night will be donated to Kids in Distress.

Rumors.......Arrrrrrrrrrgh

So.....here's an education in how rumors at Middle School start. I have invited any local police officer to stop by the school and if the timing is right, to have lunch with our students. Today we had a St. Clair County Sheriff stop by during 6th grade lunch (phase one of the rumor). Part 2.....As with many days, we had a staff member out ill today (phase two of the rumor). Put those two facts together and at the end of the day I received a phone call from a staff member that the entire 6th grade class was talking about the police coming to SCMS today, arresting a teacher and that teacher was getting fired (the teacher that was out ill). By the time I got that phone call, school was out, the buses had left and there was really nothing I could do but hope that this wouldn't take on a life of its own. Unfortunately...my hopes were dashed. By the time I got home I had received 6 texts from teachers saying they had heard the rumor. My wife said she had gotten a handful of texts and phone calls from teachers in other buildings asking if the rumor was true. Now I'm hearing that it's on Twitter and Facebook (isn't technology great?). As adults, my hope is that we can use this as a learning experience for our children/students and teach them that they need to be very careful in assuming what they hear is fact and then passing it on. In many situations, rumors can be very hurtful and do serious damage to a person's reputation.

PTC Times

Monday, November 25th and Tuesday November 26th, our Parent Teacher Conferences will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 5:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (If you are interested in not waiting in line, the second day is always slower than the first)

Texting and E-Mail Etiquette

Now that technology is the main mode for communication, I think we need a class that addresses texting and e-mail etiquette. On average I probably exchange e-mails/texts with 50 to 60 people a day. I'm not sure why it bothers me so much but it really bugs me when I get texts/e-mails with certain words in all caps or bolded. Do they think I'm STUPID and wouldn't understand what they are trying to say if they didn't yell at me in the text/e-mail? And what's up with multiple question marks?????????? Does that mean that the question is really confusing????????? I completely understand how easy it is to read tone into e-mails and texts, but when all caps, bolding and multiple question marks are used, it’s takes a lot of the guesswork out of it. I sent this out to staff and hopefully it will become a topic of conversation in our classes. I wonder if Einstein used multiple question marks?

Pay it Forward Project

For the days and weeks that lead up to Winter Break, we are going to be talking about “Random Acts of Kindness” and the “Pay it Forward” theory. Our direction with this is to do something for someone that you either don’t know or something that you normally wouldn’t do, expecting nothing in return. The second part of this project is that when someone goes out of their way for you, that you “Pay it Forward” and return the favor to someone else. If you follow the logic of this, if I do two random acts of kindness to two separate people, and then in return, they each do two and then those people each do two…..you can quickly see how this will snowball. Please help promote this at home. Hopefully this can turn into a lifelong lesson/habit.

Thanks You PTO!!!

Our Activity Night was a Huge Success. Below are a few pictures of the fun. The Wrecking Ball, Joisting, Ping Pong, DJ for Dancing, Dodgeball Tourney's and a Photo Booth were just part of the fun our students had.

Activity Night Friday Night

Our SCMS PTO is hosting our first Activity Night of the Year. There will be a DJ, Photo Booth, Large Inflatable Games, Ping Pong and a host of other activities. Snacks and water will be available for students to purchase. We have had pre-sale tickets all week for $2. Cost at the door tonight is $3 for those that did not buy their ticket ahead of time. This is for current SCMS students only and students must have their ID to enter. Activity Night goes from 6:30 until 8:30.

25 Day Challenge

I'm throwing out a challenge to our SCMS Family. As we count down the 25 school days until Winter Break, we are encouraging our students, parents, and community to join us in a random act of kindness each day leading up to the break. Each day, take a moment to say a kind word to someone you don't normally connect with. A simple "hello" or "good morning" could make someone's day. For those of us that are in a little older age group, my challenge to you is to also reach out to someone that you haven't talked to in over a year. Last night I got a phone call from a friend that I haven't seen or talked to in a few years. Neither of us knew why we hadn't taken the time to pick up the phone but we were both glad that one of us finally did. Life is too short.....lets start making a difference today.

Need Some Help

We are in need of some Book Fair Volunteers. Wednesday November 20th, Friday November 22nd, Monday November 25th and Tuesday November 26th are the dates that we are in need of some help. Please contact Mrs. MacDonald or Mrs. Sagan at 810-676-1862 to inquire about the open time slots and the sign up.

Cross Country State Championship Community Rally

Student ID Sale

All next week we will be having a sale on Student ID Cards. Replacement cards are normally $3 but next week they will be discounted to $1. Not only do students need their ID cards to check out material from the Media Center, it also helps with the flow in the cafeteria lunch line. With our first Activity Night quickly approaching, now's a great time to replace that ID card that was lost (students must have their ID card to purchase tickets and attend the Activity Night).

SCMS Hungry Howies Night

SCMS's Hungry Howie night on Tuesday, November 12th. SCMS gets a nice percentage of all pizzas sold on that night as long as you turn in paperwork when you pick up your order. Flyers are available in the main office as well as behind the counter at Hungry Howie's.

SCMS November Newsletter

Click Here to read our November Newsletter

Congrats to SCHS X-Country Team

Many times I know that I tend to take good things for granted.....I think it's human nature. In the East China School District we have a number of outstanding extracurricular programs that I feel don't get the recognition they should. For many years, the SCHS X-Country Team has been one of the best in the State. They recently won their second consecutive State Title. Take a second and let that sink in. Not just the best in the district, county or region but the best in the State. Congrats to Coach Jon Trout-Davidson and the entire team for another great season (fairly sure their success has something to do with the leadership they received in middle school). Next year....Three in a row?

SCHS Football

The Saints have advanced to the second round of the playoffs and play this Friday at East China Stadium, 7:00 pm. I'm sure the team would appreciate as much support as they can get. They are also up for the Game of the Week. Click Here to vote for St. Clair to be picked as Channel 7's High School Game of the Week! (You can vote multiple times)

PTO Meeting Change

We will be meeting on Monday, November 11th at 7:00 pm, not our normal Tuesday. Our main goal is to finalize our first Activity Night Plans. Please help spread the word.

District Middle and Elementary Schools Half Day

All East China Elementary and Middle Schools will have a half day on Wednesday, November 6th (Hours 4, 5 and 6). Students will be dismissed from SCMS at 11:48.

SCHS Playoff Football

The SCHS Touchdown & Quarterback Club's would like to encourage all Saints fans to attend. Every student fan will have a chance to win a free STUDENT POWER PASS at the game by collecting a ticket when they come in the main gate. We'd like to have a big crowd at Friday's game. Game time is 7:00 PM, gates open at 6:00 PM.

MEAP Week Box Tops.

WOW......What I'm about to type amazes me. Here is the breakdown from the Box Tops we collected during MEAP Week: We colleted 6850 Regular Box Tops and 9,722 Bonus Box Tops for a total of 23, 422. That means that SCMS will be receiving a check for $2342.20 sometime in April. Last year we earned $438.68. Special thanks to PTO member Liz Draghiceanu for heading up the organizing and mailing in of the Box Tops and to Mrs. Walton and her NJHS members for cutting/cleaning up the edges so they could be mailed in. The next Box Top drive is the first full week of February. Thanks in advance and start saving those Box Tops.....

District Half Day Thursday October 31st.

Students will have a Half Day on Thursday October 31st while Staff will have professional development in the afternoon. Hours will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd. SCMS students will be dismissed at 11:48.

Michigan Cyber Safety Initiative

Fundraiser for Family in Need

My Bandaged Head

If you see me in the next few days you’ll probably notice that I have a bandage on my head. You might have heard from your student that I got this cut while performing an extreme act of heroism. I told many groups of students during lunch when asked what happened to my head that while driving down the road I noticed a baby on the railroad tracks. I pulled over and noticed a train was coming. I raced down the tracks and was able to grab the baby just as the train bore down on us. Once I had the baby and was walking back to my truck, a bear jumped out of the woods and attacked me. I was able to protect the baby with one arm, while punching the bear in the face with my free arm. After I punched the bear, it ran off into the woods. If you think that story isn’t completely true, you're correct…......there was two bears (I didn’t want to brag). Enjoy your weekend.

SCMS/MCMS 8th Grade Football Game

Our Middle School 8th grade Football Game against MCMS will be aired on Channel 6 Thursday and Friday, October 24th and 25th. The times are 2:00-6:00-and 10:00 (a.m. and p.m.)

SCMS Family in Need

One of our SCMS Families lost their home to a fire this week. Luckily everyone is fine but they lost everything in the fire. One of the things that I'm most proud of is the way that our school community always steps forward in a time of need. SCMS will be having a Hat Day this Friday with all money collected going toward Meijer Gift Cards for the family. We are asking for a $1 donation from students to wear a hat this Friday, October 25th. Thank you in advance for any and all help.

Cookie Dough Fundraiser

The cookie dough from the fundraiser will be delivered on Wednesday, October 23, 2013. Pick up time will be from 3:00 to 5:30 PM in the Auxiliary Gym.

East China Job Fair

Bus Drivers and Custodians Needed. November 6, 2013 @ 9:30 am. East China School District Administrative Building 1585 Meisner Road. No Experience Necessary. Training Provided

NJHS Mackinac Island Parent Meeting

Mrs. Walton will be hosting a NJHS Mackinac Island Parent Meeting on Monday, October 28th at 5:30 in her classroom (room 1209, first floor, East end of the building). The meeting will go over the details of the National Junior Honor Society Trip to Mackinac Island which we have done for a number of years.

Thursday, October 10th, is Tiger Day at SCMS

Thursday is a BIG day for our Detroit Tigers and because of that we are making it Detroit Tiger Day at SCMS. Staff and Students are encouraged to wear their Tiger Gear.

Hey-Hey...We're Famous

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the Times Herald. They did a nice article on our Beat the MEAP Week. Times Herald Article

2nd Tuesday of the Month is SCMS Night at Hungry Howies

The 2nd Tuesday of the Month is SCMS Night at Hungry Howies. SCMS will receive 20% of all orders as long as you mention St. Clair Middle School when you place the order. There is a very, very, very short form to fill out that we have in our main office (and HH has behind their counter if you need one). Your help in supporting SCMS every second Tuesday of the month is greatly appreciated.

Shhhhhhhhhh....We're MEAP'ing

Well.......Beat the MEAP Week is now behind us and the tests have begun. For those of you that are veteran MEAP parents, you know that the MEAP is a marathon, not a sprint. Normally all the Rah-Rah motivational things we do will wear off either tomorrow or early next week. This is where we really could use your help. Stressing at home the importance of finishing strong and doing your best is a quality that obviously will help our scores but it’s a life skill that will pay off down the road. We can do this….(that was a little rah-rah for parents)

MEAP Assembly

What a great way to end BEAT the MEAP Week. Our goal was to get the students focused, review some skills, stress the importance of doing your best and to have some fun along the way. I’d say, Mission Accomplished. We had an appearance by MEAP Crusher, some relays and students that CRUSHED a few pumpkins that were painted with the word MEAP across them. All in all, great job to everyone involved. Now…let’s put the pencil to the paper and show the rest of the State what we already know. SCMS is one of the best in the State.

PTO Meeting

There will be a PTO Meeting this Tuesday, October 8th at 7:00 pm in our Media Center. Hope to see everyone there.

More Twitter....

I'm going to try to remember (starting now) to end all of my St. Clair Middle School Tweets with #scmssaints so they'll be easy to find.

If You're a Tweeter....

I'm new to Twitter so I'm not completely sure how this is going to work....I know how I want it to work which is, I want to link Twitter with this Blog so that when I post something on this Blog it'll also appear of Twitter. Here we go (fingers are crossed). If you follow me on Twitter, hopefully these Blog postings will appear, tweet, twit.... My twitter name/handle/account is Mike_Alley59 If you reply to any of my postings, please remember that anything you type is out there for everyone to see.

In Case You're Wondering.....

Just in case you stop by the middle school in the next few days and wonder why I'm wearing tennis shoes, it's not because I'm a slacker (I'm a slacker for totally different reasons). I've done something to my foot. My dress shoes bend right in the wrong spot which isn't helping in the healing process. Although the tennis shoes look a tad goofy with a tie, my hope is that it eases the pain and I can get on the fast track to recovery. (I tired of getting old)

September/October Newsletter

Click on SCMS Newsletter

Hungry Howies Fundraiser

Every second Tuesday is now SCMS Day at Hungry Howies. For every sale our St. Clair Hungry Howies makes on the second Tuesday of the money, SCMS will get 20%. The only catch is that you have to fill out a form and turn it in when you pick up your pizza. These forms are available in our school office (and worse case, I believe Hungry Howies will have some one hand if you forget yours at home). Please help us by supporting this fundraiser.

Beat the MEAP Week

It’s everyone’s favorite time of year again….MEAP time. The MEAP starts on Tuesday, October 8th and goes through Wednesday, October 16th. Your help in making sure students are well rested, feed, in school and on time during the MEAP window is greatly appreciated. One thing that we started last year that I believe helped was a “Beat the MEAP” week leading up to the MEAP. It helps the kids get focused while adding in a little fun. We run it like a Spirit Week with each day having a theme that students can earn spirit tickets. Students can use those tickets to put themselves into a drawing to compete in some activities during our MEAP assembly. Here are the themes: Monday (September 30th) is Flip Flop Day, Tuesday is Sports Fan Day, Wednesday is Crazy Hair Day (please apply the color at home), Thursday is Anything But Jeans Day (Dress Code applies), Friday is Hat Day and Monday, October 7th is Saints Pride Day (wear Saints gear). Our hope is that by having some fun we’ll be able to draw a little bit of attention and focus to the test. May the force be with us.

Tuesday and Thursday Homework Help

We are expanding our after school Homework Help to Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30. SCHS NHS students will be on hand to assist our students if needed. Many times students just need some extra time, or use of a computer to catch up or finish a project. Students and parents are encouraged to take advantage of this after school opportunity.

Box Tops and Labels for Learning

SCMS will be collecting Box Tops and Labels for Learning at various times of the year. Our first competition collection time will be during our Beat the MEAP Week, September 30th – October 4th. If you haven’t already, please start collecting those Box Tops (which seem to be everywhere) and Labels for Learning for your student to bring into school. Thanks in advance for your help.

Family Access, Student Access....Still Ironing Out the Bugs

If you’ve had a chance to get on Family Access (the new version of Parent Connect) you might have noticed a missing assignment (or two) for your child that they swear they’ve turned in. There is short version and a long version of the explanation for this. Here’s the short version. It’s a new system and we are still learning how to use it. If this happens and your student says they’ve turned it in, especially if it’s just a day or two from the due date, I’d take their word for it. We’re working on fixing this issue and appreciate your patience as we work our way through these bumps in the road

SCMS Hotline

Every year, a few times a year, I'll have a parent either come in my office or call me all upset and tell me about a situation has been going on for months and no one has done anything. After I calm the parent down, I find out that the student/parent hasn't told anyone and we had no idea that there was an issue. Now students have another tool to use. I've created a SCMS Hotline (810-637-1812) that students can text to. Here is how it works. A student has thoughts of wanting to hurt themselves, or know of a friend that talks about wanting to hurt themselves, or they know of another student that brought something to school that they shouldn't have, or they know of a bullying situation, or anything that they feel an adult needs to know, they can text that to the SCMS Hotline. These texts will be monitored by myself, Mr. Westerhof and our counselor Mrs. McElreath. Students do not need to leave their name. I see a HUGE upside to this. Being a Middle School, odds are we might get a few texts that I would classify under the "Middle School Drama" category, but if we can help one student by using this Hotline, then it'll be well worth the effort.

SCMS PTO Meeting

Start spreading the word...our first organizational PTO meeting with be next Tuesday, September 24th, 7:00pm in the Media Center

Another Fantastic Washington DC Trip

I'm typing this entry for two reasons. The first one is to let everyone know that we just got back from our Washington DC Trip, and it was incredible. Once again, the kids packed a week’s worth of history in a little over 2 days. I can’t thank our chaperones enough for the effort in helping make this trip a success and our kids for their behavior. All in all, another fantastic life long memory was made (7th grade parents….start planning). The second is, as most of you heard, there was a shooting at the Naval Yard in Washington DC. We were not at the Naval Yard, nor were we anywhere near the Navel Yard when the shootings accrued. I just wanted to help set everyone’s mind at ease. I had heard that there was a Facebook entry or two that stated we were close to the shootings, which was not the case (I hate Facebook)

Washington DC Weather

Saturday, Sunny, High of 73, Low of 56. Sunday, Sunny, High of 81, Low of 63. Monday, Sunny, High of 81, Low of 56. This is going to be GREAT.

Student Access (Formerly Student Connect) is Now Available

Students can now login to Skyward Student Access (formerly student connect). **Note that student connect login information used in past years is no longer valid. Students will now use their computer login and password to get into Skywards Student Access. Here are the basic steps for students to login: 1. From our East China district home page, the student will click on the Skyward icon link (same link teachers use) 2. They enter their Login ID, which is the East China computer login (ie: jheadlee20) WITHOUT the @ecsd.us 3. They enter their East China computer login password as the password.

Picture Retake is Thursday September 5th

Friday, September 6th is Detroit Lions Day

The Lions are undefeated (how long will be able to say that?). Friday is going to be "Wear Your Detroit Lion Stuff Day" at SCMS. Hats are allowed if they are a Detroit Lions Hat.

Class Meetings/Talk

If you’re ever looking for dinnertime topics, ask you student about my talk I had with them on Tuesday morning. Every opening day, I meet with each class for about 20 minutes to go over some school rules and outline my expectations. My talk varies a bit from 8th grade (young adults) to 6th graders (still transitioning from elementary school) but the message is basically the same. Do your best at everything thrown your way. Behavior, homework, cleaning your room….makes no difference what we’re talking about, always do your best. I used the example of the State’s Top to Bottom list. SCMS is ranked at the 67%. I told our kids that I felt that this was an embarrassment and if we got everyone to give their best effort; we will easily be ranked in the mid 80 percentile. With the MEAP right around the corner, I’m challenging our kids to give their best effort. Any help at home to reinforce the importance of doing their best on the MEAP would be greatly appreciated. We’ve got great kids and a great staff….we’re much better than the 67% ranking we received. I’m hoping our kids help me prove that.

SCMS Open House

Our SCMS Open House is Tuesday, September 10th from 6:30 to 7:30. Hope to see everyone there.

Important Washington DC Meeting

If your student is going on this year's Washington DC Trip, we will be having a very important meeting on Tuesday, September 10th at 7:30 in our cafeteria (our SCMS Open House is the same night from 6:30 to 7:30). We will be going over flight times, itineraries, when to be at school, what to pack, chaperone responsibilities, etc.... Please, please, please, I know how busy everyone is but please make every effort to attend. This meeting is for students and their parents.

Change in Traffic Flow

We have changed the West driveway (toward Range Road) to be an Exit Only. This will help with buses and other vehicles trying to exit onto Yankee Road (being able to turn left and right at the same time). Thanks in advance for your help with this.

2013-14 Class Times

We had to make a sight change to accommodate some shared staff. We moved our SSR time to the end of 3rd Hour (it was at the beginning of 3rd Hour)

2013-14 SCMS Handbook

Here is our 2013-14 Student Handbook. If you have a "QR" Reader on your phone then you already understand how to scan the code below. If you don't and own a cell phone, QR Code Readers are easily downloaded and they are free.

Test Taking Tips

Found this great website on Test Taking Tips. It not only covers Test Taking Tips but also Note Taking, Reducing Test Anxiety, Study Skills/Tips and Test Taking Tips for Parents . So much of test taking is a mind set and understanding some of the "tricks". Please take a minute to check out this website with your student.

Amazing Free Money!!!!!

Sorry....this has nothing to do with free money but I wanted to grab everyone's attention to a really neat website that helps students prepare for the MEAP. Like it or not, we are judge/graded on how we do on these standardized tests. As I'm sure you already know, in the Middle School we take the MEAP in all grades in the Fall and the EXPLORE test is given in the Spring to just our 8th graders. Just as in life, we want all of our students to do their best. Many times, getting an answer correct or getting an answer incorrect has little to do with the student knowing the material but more to do with the student knowing the vocabulary or the format of the questioning. Please take a few minutes and check out this website. Taking some time to go through this site with your student not only will help them on the MEAP but also is a great way to show them that you care and doing your best is lifelong lesson. MEAP PREP

Concussion Fact Sheet for Parents

As our kids grow and become more active, the likelihood of an injury happening increases. Being a father of three sons and now five grandkids, I can speak to this likelihood first hand. As medical technology has advanced, the awareness level of possible head injuries/concussions has also advanced. Please take a minute to look over this Fact Sheet For Parents regarding concussions. All East China Coaches and Administrators have been trained in what to look for and how to handle possible concussions. All teaching staff will also be trained during the school year.

Need an American Flag For Your Yard?

If so, click the following link. American Flag

A Challenge/Favor/Request

As hopefully everyone knows, our East China Supporters have two fundraisers during the school year that help to support all of the "extras" that help our students. The first one is just around the corner. “Crusin Down the St. Clair River” is a boat cruise aboard the Duc d’Orleans on Tuesday August 20th. Boarding begins at 6:00 pm at the River Crab Restaurant with a departure at 6:30 pm. Hors d’oeurves are prepared by the River Crab and entertainment is provided by the Rivertown Gents. Tickets are $50 per person (must be 21 to attend). I can guarantee you that the money goes to a very good cause. As the belt in education continues to tighten, the funds available to purchase “extras” just doesn’t exist anymore. The money from this fundraiser allows the Supporters to give grants to our ECSD staff. Please help support this very worthy cause. Tickets are available from our Central Office on Meisner Road or you can e-mail me at malley@ecsd.us

Looking for Some Help

I’m looking for a few hard working students to help clean up the front of our building. During the school year, we’ll have various student groups that will help take care of the front flower garden and side areas. Over the summer, unfortunately, the weeds take advantage of school being out and try to take over. Anyone that would like to help out, feel free to stop in anytime to stake out an area that you’d like to claim and start weeding. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Fall Sports

I've been getting a few phone calls and e-mails asking about the start of practices for Fall Sports. All Middle School Sports do not begin until school is back in session. Just like every other season, students must have physical forms, permission slips and pay-to-participate forms completed and turned in to the main office before they can participate in tryouts/practice. Our SCMS Main Office will be open beginning Monday August 12th to pick up any needed forms or they can be obtained by going to the main ECSD website and clicking on Parent Resources then clicking on Forms. Our 8th grade Football Team will be having equipment handout on Thursday August 29th from 4:00 - 5:30 in our Main Gym. A complete Football schedule can be found on Mr. Smith's Website.

Saints Day, Friday August 23rd

SCMS SAINTS DAY Friday August 23rd. Photos Taken, Student ID’s, Schedules and Books Passed Out, Touring the Building, Locker Information, Student Book Store Open…. 6th Graders 11:00 am until 1:00 pm, 7th Graders 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm, 8th Graders 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm. More information will be in your August welcome back mailing

Supply Lists

Why is it that stores start their Back to School deals at the end of June, first part of July? I've had a number of parents contact me (and my wife) politely asking for next year's supply list. Well.....here it is. Please remember that this is a very basic list and that nothing is mandatory. 6th Grade Supply List: Scissors erasers lined paper box of Kleenex Six one inch binders (one for each class) dividers for each binder red pens for correcting 4 pack of dry erase markers colored pencils 1 old sock (to use as an eraser for the markers) glue sticks one Green spiral notebook for Math highlighters One Blue spiral notebook for Geography 7th Grade Supply List: Colored Pencils #2 pencils and erasers Glue sticks ruler (English and metric) Highlighters box of Kleenex (turned into your Math teacher) TI-30X-IIS calculator pens One Green (Math), one Blue (Geography), one Yellow (Language Arts) and two red (Science …one for notes and one for labs) spiral notebooks. 8th Grade Supply List: Colored Pencils #2 pencils and erasers Glue sticks ink pens Highlighters box of Kleenex TI-30X-IIS calculator One Green (Math), one Blue (Geography), one Yellow (Language Arts) and one red (Science) spiral notebooks.

Not as Important as I Thought I Was

Funny Story. This past week I got to see opposite ends of the impression I've been able to make on some of our students. Yesterday I had an 8th grade parent come to school to pick up their student and she went out of her way to thank me for the three years and all the great things that have been going on here at SCMS. Of course I didn't stop her to tell her that my job is easy, we've got great kids and I just try to stay out of the way of our staff and good things happen. I thanked her for the complements and it made me feel pretty good. It was a reminder to me that all in all, we're doing a pretty good job. That was the up side. The funny, other side of this story happened about a week ago when a parent came into school to pick up their 8th grade student early. I happen to be in the hallway and began talking to the parent about the past three years, how much I was going to miss their daughter, what a great kid she was and how I wish I had a 100 kids like her here at SCMS. The parent's response 'Who are you?". If you are an 8th grade parent...whether you know me or not, we are going to miss your student. Best of luck the next four years.

East China Supporters Boat Cruise

The East China Supporters a committee that represents everyone from our community that supports our youth. We have two main fundraisers a year, one being a 5K run in February (The Chili Run) and the other being a Boat Cruise on the Duc d'Orleans which is happening this year on August 20th. All proceeds of these events benefit the students of the East China School District. Please help support our kids by purchasing a ticket (or two). Tickets are $50 per person, there is live music by The Rivertown Gents, hors d'oeurves prepared by the River Crab and a Cash Bar. You must be 21 to attend. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Mr. Alley.

Wednesday Homework Recovery and Tutoring

Yesterday, May 29th, was our last Wednesday Homework Recovery for the year. Next year we hope to expand the program to two days a week. Thanks to everyone that helped to support it.

8th Grade Summer School Flyers

If you are interested in your current 8th grader attending Summer School, please click on the following link for more information Summer School Scholarships to help offset the cost or pay for the entire program are available. Paper copies of the registration form are available in the main office. Please call if you have any further questions.

6th and 7th Grade Summer School Flyers

If you are interested in your current 6th or 7th grader attending Summer School, please click on the following link for more information Summer School Scholarships to help offset the cost or pay for the entire program are available. Paper copies of the registration form are available in the main office. Please call if you have any further questions

U-14 Boys AYSO Soccer Team Forming

Any current 7th and 8th grade boy soccer players that are interested, registration for the 2013-2014 season is June 4th (sorry...that's all the info I have). For more information, call Mr. Dale Carney at 810-488-2549

No Homework Recovery After School 5/22

Sorry for the late notice but because of a scheduling conflict, there will be no Homework Recovery after school tonight (Wednesday, 5/22).

Zangle/Parent Connect is Becoming Skyward/Family Access

NEW FOR THE 2013-14 SCHOOL YEAR!!!!!! Zangle Parent Connect will become…..Family Access. All Parent Connect accounts will be disabled on June 30th. Look for your Skyward Username and Password via U.S. Mail in late August!!!!

SC4 Decision Day for 8th Graders

SC4 has hosting Decision Day for our area 8th graders. This is an event sponsored by our RESA and SC4 that we have attended the last few years. It's an opportunity for our students to get a taste of what college is by touring the campus and listening to speakers. Permission slips were sent home and are due back to school tomorrow, May 17th. If you have any questions please call the main office.

Equestrian Team Meet

As we all know, we have a good number of students that participate in activities outside of school. SCMS had a group of gals that represented SCMS very well at a recent equestrian event. The teams compete based on size, and the four girls representing SCMS came in as the reserve champion C team. Here are the results: Carrie Brown (6th Grade): 7th in Western Showmanship 5th in 2-man relay Alison Child (6th Grade): 5th in Walk/Trot hunt seat equitation 7th in trail 7th in Walk/Trot western equitation Emily Tenniswood (7th Grade): 3rd in Western Showmanship 2nd in Hunt Showmanship 6th in Hunt Equitation 1st in trail (with great compliments from the judge I might add) 4th in Western equitation 5th in Western Riding 8th in Western Bareback equitation 5th w/Carrie in 2-man relay Congratulations to all.

TEC Summer Camp

Our St. Clair RESA is offering Technology Summer Camps which provide students with self-paced, hands-on opportunities to explore and learn about the world of technology. Sessions begin in July. Click on the following link if iterested. TEC Camp

Imagination Library

Ever wonder how 10 minutes could make a difference in a young person's life?. If you're up in PH this weekend, please take a minute (or ten) to stop by and test drive a car. Every book we can get in the hands of a little guy makes our job that much easier. Click on this link for more information. Imagination Library

DC Fundraiser

If you are interested in earning money to offset your child’s DC trip, here is an excellent opportunity. As in years past, we have an opportunity to work some Texas Hold’ems. It is extremely easy; no card game skill level is required. Go to our school website (http://www.ecsd.us/scm/) and click on the Washington DC Link for more details. We will be having a meeting on Wednesday, May 15th @ 6:30 in our cafeteria to assign dates and times.

Newsletter

In case you're not on our Newsletter e-mail list, here is our latest Newsletter. Newsletter

Did You Know (YouTube Video)

I mentioned this at our 6th grade Orientation Parent Meeting. If you get a chance, please watch this....it really is interesting and gives you a taste for speed in which changes in technology are happening and some challenges our kids have to look forward to. Did You Know

HELP!!!!!!

It's getting warmer and that only means one thing at the Middle School. Dress Code Headaches. I had my 7th and 8th graders all stand up and face me during lunch today (I was called out during 6th grade lunch so they didn't get a chance to do this). While standing up, I asked them all to reach their arms straight down. They were told if they could touch skin, then their shorts/skirts were too short. As soon as we did this a handful of girls started pulling their skirts/shorts down so that they were at finger tip length. I let them sit down then went on to mention the other "biggies", low cut tops, tank tops, open toe sandals (without socks), etc. I then explained to them that I hate being the Dress Code Police. Please, Please, Please help me out. There are many outfits that look great for going out to dinner, to family gatherings and to church but don't fit our school dress code. If in doubt, please don't wear it to school. Mom and Dad....help in this area is greatly appreciated.

Planning for College

KnowHow2GO is hosting a Saving for College Program on May 7, 2013 at the St. Clair County RESA Administration Building at 6:30 p.m.

Current 6th Graders - Half Day on Wednesday May 1st

Because of our 6th Grade Orientation (bringing over all 5th graders to SCDMS), our current 6th graders will be dismissed tomorrow, Wednesday May 1st, at 11:30 am.

Health Department Reminding Residents of Norovirus Precautions

The St. Clair County Health Department is reminding residents that Norovirus, a common and contagious virus, is still common this time of year. This virus is incorrectly known as the “stomach flu”. Norovirus outbreaks occur throughout the year, however over 80% of the outbreaks occur from November to April. Norovirus is NOT related to the flu (influenza) virus, which is a respiratory illness that can be prevented by getting a seasonal flu vaccination. There is no vaccine or specific medication for norovirus prevention. You can get norovirus from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. The virus causes your stomach or intestines or both to get inflamed causing stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. The virus is passed through vomit and stool and contamination can reach as far as 40 feet from the source. The illness usually begins 24-48 hours after exposure, sometimes sooner. People infected are contagious from the moment they start feeling sick, to atleast three days after recovery; sometimes up to 2 weeks later. Anyone can be infected with norovirus and get sick. Children and older adults can be seriously affected. When sick with vomiting and diarrhea, avoid sending your children to daycare and school until illness ends. Persons working in nursing homes, those taking care of patients, or anyone who handle foods should stay out of work atleast 48-72 hours after symptoms end. Prevention is the key. Remember these tips: Wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap. Hand sanitizers do NOT work against norovirus Properly disinfect all contaminated surfaces using chlorine bleach Wash all soiled clothing and linens Avoid food or water from sources that may be contaminated It’s important to stay home when you are sick. Avoid public places, social events and gatherings. This will help stop the spread of further illness. For additional norovirus guidance, precautions and cleaning decontamination visit http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/index.html or call our Environmental Health Division at (810)987-5306.

Zero Tolerance

Zero Tolerance is a term that is used quite a bit but what does it really mean? Law enforcement agencies, schools, State and Federal Government Officials all use the term “Zero Tolerance” when addressing a poor choice and how it’s going to be handled. SCMS has a Zero Tolerance for any misbehavior. Our definition is that Zero Tolerance means that poor choices have consequences. It does not necessarily mean indefinite suspension or expulsion. The reason I bring this up is because of a conversation I was having with someone whose opinion I value and the term came up. They thought, as I’m betting many community members think, that Zero Tolerance means immediate suspension/expulsion, which is not the case. We’ve been dealt a great hand here at SCMS with our students, but even good kids can and do make poor choices (being a father of three sons, no one knows that better than I). When a student makes a poor choice, there are consequences, there is follow up and then we move forward. It’s all part of the process of maturing. Hope this helps if you’re ever having a conversation and the term Zero Tolerance comes up.

Congrats to Our March No Zero Winners

Through the generosity of our PTO, we are able to give $10 gift certificates to two students chosen at random from each grade that didn't have any homework referrals for the month. March winners are for 6th grade, Alyssa Salagan and Evan Bremerkamp. For 7th grade, Jacob Minano and Makayla Burns. For 8th grade, Mikayla Burke and Gregori Nadtoka. Congrats to the winners and thank you to our PTO.

EXPLORE Test Parent Meeting

The Explore Test is basically a mini-ACT test that we give our 8th graders in the Spring. The EXPLORE Student Score Report gives information about knowledge, skills, interests, and plans. Students and parents can use this information as they plan for high school coursework and begin thinking about college and work. Next Thursday, April 25th, SCMS will be hosting an Explore Test review for parents to help show parents how to use the results. The meeting will be in the Media Center at 7:00 pm. On that Thursday, our US History classes will be going over the results with all of our 8th grade students. Parents are encouraged to bring the results that we will be giving students to the meeting.

Open Invitation to Police to Stop By SCMS

If you’re a regular reader of this Blog than you’ll probably remember a posting a while back that stated I was inviting police officers to stop by SCMS at any time. My thought is that the more the kids see police officers and talk to them the better it is for everyone. This morning I had a conversation with the Sheriff’s Department and was told that they would be regularly stopping by our middle school. Just wanted to keep everyone in the loop in case you drive by and see a police car parked out front of our school.

The Light is Getting Brighter

Our 4th and last Marking Period is now underway. SCMS is no different than any other school in Michigan (and the United States) in that when the days get sunnier and warmer, school work slides down the list of priorities. We need to attack this urge as a team. Any and all help in making this the best Marking Period is greatly appreciated. Please talk to your student on the importance of finishing strong. Not only will this help in the short term, but it's a life lesson that is worth reminding/repeating (over and over).

No Homework Recovery this Wednesday, April 10th

Since Wednesday is the last day of the MP, having Homework Recovery on that day probably wouldn't be a very efficient use of time. Homework Recovery/Tutoring will start back up next Wednesday, April 17th.

Half Day Thursday April 11th

With the end of the 3rd Marking Period this Wednesday, all ECSD Elementary and Middle Schools will have a half day this Thursday, April 11th. SCMS students will be dismissed at 11:48.

Band Booster Dinner

St. Clair Band Boosters Annual Spaghetti Dinner is tonight, March 26th, at the SCHS Cafeteria, 5:00-8:00 pm. Tickets are available at the door, $6 Student/Sr. Citizen, $8 Adult, $20 Family (up to 4). $1 Fishbowl Raffles and musical entertainment provided by all of the SCMS and SCHS Bands.

Congratulations to Science Olympiad

Our SCMS Science Olympiad competed over the weekend and did very well, placing 9th overall with may of the team members medaling in various events. Members of this year's team are Kaylin Zajac, Mikayla Burke, Kiersten Burke, Aubrey Grevemeyer, Cassidy Grevemeyer, Katelyn Vutci, Ben Guilliat, Tommy Karadimas, Karson Wernert, Tyler Warner, Emily Tenniswood, Jill Cain, John Mason, Ashleigh Lappala, Abbie Eitniear. Great Job.

Washington DC/Little Caesar Pizza Kits

The Little Caesar Pizza Kits are being delivered today. Please don't forget to pick them up in our Aux Gym between 3:00 and 6:00.

Used Book Drive

Our NJHS is sponsoring a gently used book drive that ends this Friday (3/22). Please bring in any old (or un-used) books. All books will be donated to Kids in Distress. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Next Fall's DC Trip

Good News....or Bad News. Which do you want first? I'll give you the bad news but you've got to continue reading or you'll miss out. The bad news is that our Washington DC Trip has filled up. The response has been as good as I've ever seen. I've gotten quite a few phone calls and e-mails from parents that didn't register their student in time and are currently not on the list. Here's the good news. After talking to the travel company, they have already reserved enough airline tickets and there is an excellent chance that we'll be able to add another bus...if....we get enough students/parents to turn in their registrations and down payments. If you are still interested in going, please fill out the registration form and send that along with the $125 deposit to SCMS. We'll hold on to the checks (won't cash them) until we have enough to add another bus. Please don't wait until you hear that we've added another bus. If we don't get enough people on the waiting list, the extra bus will never happen. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call.

Activity Night Friday March 15th

Our PTO is sponsoring our second Activity Night this Friday March 15th from 6:30 to 8:30. The first Activity Night was a HUGE success and our hopes are that this one is even better. We've added a few twists, one as a reward and one as a challenge. The reward is that any student that made the Honor Roll this past Marking Period can buy a pre-sale ticket for $1. The challenge is that in order to buy a ticket to Activity Night, a student can not have any Homework Referrals (missing assignments). Pre-sale tickets are $2 (unless you were on the Honor Roll), with tickets at the door Friday night being $4 for all students. You must have your student ID and in order to attend you must be a SCMS student.

No Zeros Pays Off

Thanks to our PTO we've started a new perk at SCMS for those students that are working hard and completing assignments. Every month we will be drawing two names per class of those students that have all of their assignments turned in and those students will be receiving a $10 gift card. This month the gift cards ranged from Target, I-Tunes, Burger King, Subway and Taco Bell. February winners for 6th grader were Abigail Barnum and Nathan Miller, for 7th grade they were Kylie Percha and Ashleigh Lappala and for 8th grade they were Samantha Redinger and Derek McComas. Congrats to our February winners.

Freshman Orientation at SCHS

Freshman Orientation for all current 8th graders and their parents is Tuesday, March 5th at 6:45 in the St. Clair High School Cafeteria.

Washington DC Meeting Change

With the possible poor weather coming, I've decided to move the Washington DC Meeting to Thursday. My fear, with a half day today and waiting until tomorrow to make the call, if we did decide to move it the message would only get to about half the families...if we didn't move it and weather got bad, we'd have a poor turnout. Washington DC parent meeting is now Thursday, February 28th at 7:00 pm in the cafeteria. I completely realize that by moving the meeting it means that the storm will miss us entirely.

No After School Homework Recovery/Tutoring on Wednesday 2/20

I hate doing this since we just had our first successful one last night but I'm going to cancel next Wednesday's after school help. With Mid-Winter being Monday and Tuesday, I'm afraid that the turn out would be poor. We will be back at it Wednesday the 27th and every Wednesday there after.

Homework Recovery/Tutoring. What Was I Thinking?????

As I sit in our media Center with a bunch of students taking advantage of our open lab/homework recovery/tutoring, I'm thinking....why did I set the time 4:00 until 5:30? School gets out at 3:20. What are all of these kids going to do for 40 minutes? I know the reason I set the time at 4:00 was to give them a chance to stretch their legs, clear their head and get organized before jumping back into it. Well.......I slightly overestimated the time our middle students needed to do all of the above. They were lined up outside the Media Center at 3:30. For that reason, I'm changing the time of our Wednesday Homework Recovery/Tutoring to 3:40 to 5:15.

Superintendent Search

As you are probably aware, the East China School District is in a transition period and will be looking to hire a new Superintendent. As the District moves forward in the process, the District is looking to the community for input. The information you provide will be valuable in our search for a new Superintendent. Please take a moment to click on the following link to help in this process. Superintendent Search Input

Washington DC Meeting

We will be having our Parent Washington DC Informational Meeting on Tuesday, February 26th @ 7:00 pm in our cafeteria. The meeting is for all current 7th graders and their parents. The trip is absolutely AWESOME and we want every student to be able to go. At the meeting we’ll discuss the trip, answer questions, talk about fundraising opportunities and have sign up forms for next year’s trip. Please make every attempt to attend this meeting

Missing Assignment Help

Starting next Wednesday, February 13th, we will have tutoring and homework recovery offered in our Media Center from 4:00 until 5:30. NHS students from SCHS as well as NJHS students from SCMS will be on hand to help if needed. We have a number of students that getting some extra help or extra time might be exactly what they need to be successful. If your student is struggling in any of their classes, please take advantage of this opportunity.

Bluewater Lacrosse

The Spring Season registration is now open with flyers available in our Middle School Office. There is also a Lacrosse Open Gym session at Riverview East on 6th street (the old Middle School for those of us that have been around for a while), next Wednesday, 2/13, from 7 to 8 p.m. It is free to attend just wear gym shoes and comfortable clothes. You'll have a chance to meet the coaches and other players, get a shooting lesson, and get information about the team and the upcoming season.

New 8th Grade Cedar Point Rules

This will only apply to a handful of students but I wanted everyone to know. Every year we end the year with an 8th grade trip to Cedar Point as a way of congratulating them for making it through middle school. Every year we have a few students that decide to coast through the last few marking periods and not give the effort that is expected of them. In the past, we didn't have any Cedar Point criteria to deal with that. Well.....that was in the past. In addition to our discipline point rule, which has been in effect for years, this year we have added that in order to go on the trip, you must be passing a minimum of 4 of your 6 classes each marking period. If not, they will not be able to go and they will have their money refunded. As I said above, the vast majority of our students have nothing to worry about because they do their best and pass their classes. My hope that this simple, and very attainable rule, is enough to get a few of our students to put in a little extra effort and pass their classes.

No Robotics Wednesday Morning

Because of exam make ups at the high school which snow days keep pushing later and later (and Mr. Eisele's obligations at SCHS) there will be no Robotics on Wednesday.

School is Closed Tuesday, January 29th

The back roads must be a sheet of ice. Sorry for the late notice. Monday's schedule which was moved to Tuesday will now be moved to Wednesday for make up exams/tests.

Monday's Schedule is Now Tuesday's Schedule

Because of the "Ice Day" our exam/end of Marking Period Test Schedule that we put in place for Monday because of the snowday from last Thursday is now in effect for Tuesday. If you're head is spinning trying to follow that, the easy answer is that we will be following our old, 2nd marking period schedule on Tuesday (hours 1-6) with any make-up exams/tests projects that were to happen last week, will be given in hours 4, 5 and 6. Our new, 3rd parking period schedules will take effect on Wednesday (unless Mother Nature decides to change it again...in which case we'll keep dumping the last day of the Marking Period to the next day). OK...if you're a student reading this, go get the ice off your driveway.

Just the Facts

On Friday, February 8th our Sixth Grade classes will see a presentation entitled "Just the Facts" which is coordinated by the St. Clair County Child Abuse/Neglect Council. Just the Facts is a teaching process designed to inform, empower and educate middle school students about personal body safety and the law. There will be a parent meeting in the Media Center on January 30th at 6:00 pm where you can come and learn more about the presentation. Any questions please contact our main office.

More Monday....

Because of the snowday and final tests/exams, on Monday, January 28th, we will be follwoing our 2nd Marking Period Schedule. We'll start our new classes (3rd Marking Period) on Tuesday.

Friday and Monday's Schedule

Snow days always throw a wrench in the works but when they happen on exam days, it really tends to mess things up. Here is the plan. Friday (tomorrow) which is a scheduled No Students/Staff Records Day remains the same. Too many families have made arrangements to have school on Friday and move our Records Day to Monday. Monday, SCMS will be running a normal schedule (hours 1-6) with exams for our 8th graders in hours 4, 5 and 6. So to recap.....No school Friday (staff only), last day of the marking period is now Monday with tests/exams in the afternoon (hours 4, 5 and 6).

Thursday January 24th...School is Closed

Sorry for the late notice. We just got word that all East China Schools are closed today (Thursday the 24th) due to deteriorating weather. Updates to follow on how exams will be made up

Attention All Runners/Walkers

As most of you hopefully remember, last year we had a very successful First Annual Chili Heart Run (5K) that our East China Supporters Group sponsored. The run starts and ends at SCMS and from all accounts the runners/walkers had a blast. The Supporters Group has supplied our East China Students with countless "extras" that just wouldn't be available without their help. This year the date is Saturday February 23rd. Pre-race registration is online only and can be done at www.chiliheart5k.com (Registration must be done before February 6th to receive a Chili Heart Shirt as part of your registration). Last year we had over 180 runners/walkers. This year we would like to double that number. Please, please, please pass this on to any friends, students, relatives, college students, neighbors, weekend warriors, etc.... Your help is greatly appreciated.

Flu Info

It's that time of year (unfortunately). Here are two documents we've received from our RESA that are worth taking a look at. How to Prevent the Flu and Health Department Letter

New 8th Grade Exam

Not really. Here is an 8th grade exam from 1912 that I got a kick out of looking over. Give it a try. 1912 Exam

What a GREAT Break...But Time to Get Back to Work

With about two and half weeks until the end of the Marking Period we need to hit the ground running. Please touch base with your child regarding missing assignments. We spend a ton of time reminding and encouraging students to get their missing assignments turned in....which far and away the majority do, but we have a handful that need some encouragement that we can't give (read between the lines.....somewhere my Dad has a big smile on his face). Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated.