SMMS Weekly Update

This time of year sometimes gets tricky when it comes to attendance for students. The weather gets warmer, it gets more appealing to stay home and enjoy a relaxing day, and testing season sometimes puts a damper on the enjoyment school can bring.

That being said, our students and staffulty have worked hard to maintain progress toward our attendance goals. Here is where we stand currently.

• Compared to this time last year, our chronic attendance rate is down nearly 5%! That is awesome!
• Compared to this time last year, our average daily attendance rate has increased by more than 1%! That might not sound like a lot, but we have seen an increase in average daily attendance each month this year.

While those numbers may seem arbitrary, they suggest that our students generally enjoy being at school and our staffulty are successfully creating an environment that promotes student engagement! Way to go SMMS!

Unfortunately, there was not enough interest in our 8th grade dance this year to host the event. All total, 58 students paid in advance. We issued refunds to those students this week, so they should be bringing that money home.

Recently, we have seen an increase in potentially unsafe behaviors for students during morning arrival afternoon departure. We have reminded students during our daily announcements about safety when walking to and from school, and we ask that parents follow established traffic flow patterns for school drop-off/pick-up procedures as well.

Walkers

Students who are walking from the Hammonds Mill subdivision must cross at the cross-walk and walk on the sidewalk in front of the primary school and up the sidewalk next to the SMMS side parking lot. The sidewalks are there for student safety; please use them! We cannot have students cutting between cars in the road and in the side parking lot. Students, please watch for traffic.

In the afternoon, walkers are dismissed after the buses pull away.

Parent Drop-off and Pick-up

Drop-off in the front circle ends at 7:12 – we cannot block buses from dropping off there. If you are later than 7:12, parents must enter the side parking lot and circle to drop off at the side door.

Afternoon pick-up is in the front circle after the buses pull away at approximately 2:30. Students are not permitted to walk to other locations and meet parents for pick-up. Please be at school for parent pick up by 2:30 PM. Pickup is typically finished by 2:43.

Students will once again have the opportunity to sign out their school-issued device for the summer. If you would like your child to keep the school issued device, please complete the online form by Friday, May 8. Please use the red button below to complete the form.

If you do not opt in for summer use, your child will return their school issued device and charger at the end of the school year. Devices will be returned to the students when school resumes in the fall.

If you would prefer not to Opt-In, you do not need to complete the online form. The student device and charger will be collected and stored at the school sometime after May 18th.

These Flex Days are all upcoming 7th and 8th graders for next season. Please meet Coach Payton at the entrance of the Boy's Locker Room. Please bring water.

Scheduled Dates:

• May: 11th and 18th
• June: 1st and 29th

May: 11th, 13th, 18th, 20th, 25th, and 27th FROM 2:30-4:00

The WVSSAC is working hard to better communicate our mission, role and goals to coaches, parents, teachers, students and communities throughout the Mountain State. As parents, their voice is a valuable part of that effort. Please complete this survey to share your perspective.

After school Homework Help will concluded this week. Thanks to all of our students who attended over the course of the year.

If you missed out choir concert, feel free to check out the performance using the link below.

Are you looking for online tutoring options for your student? If so, consider Tutor WV. It is individualized. There is no cost, and it if offered from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. each day.

Click the image below for more information.

• May 12: Election Day--> No School
• May 13: WVGSA Reading Test
• May 14: WVGSA Math Test
• May 14: Strings Concert at SMHS at 6:00 p.m.
• May 15: 7th Grade Field Trip
• May 25: Memorial Day--> No School for Students or Staffulty
• May 26: 8th Grade Field Trip
• May 26: 5th Grade Step-up Day
• May 27: Students vs Staffulty Basketball Game
• May 28: SMMS Annual Carnival--> LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

This week, we celebrated all of our wonderful staffulty members. Thanks to the following local businesses who helped us recognize so many deserving individuals!

Angelo's Pizza

A to Z Insurance (Josh Hykes)

Beth Shipe ( parent)

Create a Candle - Hagerstown

Equitable Advisors

First United Bank and Trust

Food Lion of Falling Waters

Lew Palladino Guitar Lessons

Lexi Reed (parent)

Lindsay Sharpe (parent)

Mel's Nail Room

Tilty McFlipperz

Sip'n Sodie Shop

Sloane’s School of Music

Smallwood and Small

Spring Mills Diner

Taylor Barrett

The Vault Salon and Spa--> Caitlin

The Wellness Center, Shepherd University

Westwood Charm Boutique