Weekly Update 12/8/25

Parents, Students, and Faculty,

Last Friday night, Seminole County faced Miller County on the basketball court. Our Lady Indians battled hard, coming up short, while our boys brought home a win. The energy in the Jesse McLeod Gymnasium was incredible—our stands were full, and our students showed up loud and proud to cheer on their Indians. It was also an especially meaningful night as we dedicated the new floor of the Jesse McLeod Gymnasium. Members of Coach McLeod’s family were present and were presented with gifts in honor of his legacy and lasting impact on Seminole County athletics and our community. Our boys then went on to defeat Bainbridge on Saturday. Go Indians!

Over the weekend, our One-Act cast and crew brought Hairspray back to the stage for three public performances. All shows had strong turnouts, and we are proud of our students, directors, and volunteers for sharing such a fantastic production with our community. The group also delighted the crowd with several Christmas carols which helped get everyone in the holiday spirit. Great job, everyone!

This week, we are wrapping up benchmark testing. Our i-Ready diagnostic results were very encouraging, showing promising growth across grade levels. We appreciate our teachers and students for their hard work, focus, and determination.

Looking ahead, varsity basketball will travel on Tuesday and Friday, with a home game set for Saturday. Middle School basketball will also take the court at home on Thursday. That evening, we will host our Middle and High School Band and Middle School Chorus Christmas Concert—please join us for an evening of holiday music and student talent.

Just two more weeks until Christmas Break and our long-awaited move into the new building! Exciting times are ahead—let’s finish strong, stay focused, and make these next days count.

Have a great week at Seminole County Middle High School, the best school in southwest Georgia!

Monday, December 8:

• Science Benchmark

Tuesday, December 9:

• Social Studies Benchmark
• Leadership Team meeting - 3:30 PM
• Varsity Basketball @ Calhoun- 6:00 PM

Wednesday, December 10:

• Club Rotation C
• Social Studies Benchmark
• Youth Leadership - 11:00 AM
• Safety Team meeting - 3:15 PM

Thursday, December 11:

• MS Basketball vs Miller - 4:30 PM
• MS Chorus/Band Concert - 6:30 PM

Friday, December 12:

• Varsity Basketball @ Quitman - 6:00 PM

Saturday, December 13:

• Varsity Basketball vs Pelham - 6:00 PM

Our students are making strong strides in both math and reading. In math, 55% of students have already met their Typical Growth target—a benchmark they are expected to reach by the end of the school year. That’s a powerful indicator that our instruction, interventions, and daily student effort are pushing growth in the right direction.

Reading is also moving in a positive direction. So far, 41% of assessed students have already met their Typical Growth target, with additional students still completing diagnostics. While we have more work ahead, this early momentum shows real promise.

Overall, these results reflect thoughtful instruction, consistent expectations, and a whole lot of perseverance from our students.

Help the Student Council make a difference this Christmas! Starting December 8, bring canned food items to your Tribe teacher. The Tribe with the highest total will earn Nations Points and bragging rights! Let’s come together as Seminole County Middle High School and brighten the holidays for families in need!

Senior Student Council representatives enjoyed decorating the Class of 2026 Christmas Tree! This annual tradition features personalized ornaments created for each senior, making the tree a special celebration of the Class of 2026.

Christian Albritton is a senior at SCMHS and is completing his work-based learning hours with Albritton Farms. As an Agriculture Mechanics pathway completer and an Agribusiness pathway concentrator, Christian has applied his knowledge and skills to support daily operations on his family’s farm. From feeding cows and checking fences to repairing equipment and picking peanuts, he consistently uses what he has learned through years of agriculture classes to excel in his role. This combination of classroom learning and hands-on experience will continue to benefit him as he works toward his future goals.

Albritton Farms has been a valued WBL partner for two years, and we greatly appreciate their continued support. We wish Christian the very best in his future endeavors and have been honored to have him as a WBL student.

• Support the arts at SCMHS by joining our Fine Arts Booster Club! Your involvement helps provide resources and opportunities for our talented students in band, chorus, visual arts, and drama. Whether it's volunteering your time or offering financial support, every contribution makes a difference. Join us in celebrating and strengthening the arts at SCMHS! Email seminolefinearts@gmail.com for more information.

Our region-winning One-Act production of Hairspray returned to the spotlight this weekend for three outstanding public performances. Audiences filled the seats for the 2:00 showings on both Saturday and Sunday, as well as the 6:00 show on Saturday evening—each met with energy, excitement, and plenty of applause.

Our cast and crew poured countless hours of work, rehearsals, and heart into delivering a show worthy of the stage. Their dedication was evident in every scene, every song, and every character brought to life. After earning the Region Championship and representing Seminole County at the state competition, they continued to shine with professionalism and talent for our community audience.

We are incredibly proud of our One-Act team for their commitment to excellence and for sharing their hard work so brilliantly with our students, families, and supporters. Hairspray was a hit once again—congratulations to the cast, crew, volunteers, and director, Mrs. Maribeth Burke! 🌟

The fishing tournament scheduled for December 5 has been rescheduled for December 20 due to weather. Please see Coach Ingram with questions.

The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) voted to amend its policies regarding Name, Image, and Likeness payments to prep student-athletes. The changes are focused on curtailing any activity from what is known as NIL Collectives, a system that has permeated and fundamentally altered college athletics. NIL Collectives are shell corporations that function to exploit loopholes in NIL policy and allow donors to pay student-athletes for their athletic talents and enrollment at specific institutions –– these payments are often used in a recruiting context to maintain current players, solicit transfer athletes, or sign top level high school recruits.

With fear of the NIL Collective system seeping down from the NCAA and into the high school level, the GHSA has taken swift action to amend its rules. The new language to GHSA policy was formally voted in yesterday: “No student-athlete may be a member of nor receive compensation or any other benefit from a Collective or NIL Club. A Collective is defined as any group organized or existing for the purpose of compensating or benefiting an individual student[-]athlete or group of student athletes of a member school. NIL Clubs are defined as a group of student athletes organized or existing for the purpose of soliciting funds or other benefits from fans, members or other sources, managing or promoting NIL activities of student athletes or otherwise providing funds or other benefits to an individual student athlete or group of student athletes.”

School Attendance public service announcement from GaDOE and Georgia Public Broadcasting