Mustangs in the Middle Newletter

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! We are excited to kick off another fantastic year of learning, growth, and new experiences at Strongsville Middle School. Whether you are new to our school or returning, we are thrilled to have you as part of our school community.

Our school day will run from 7:55 AM to 3:00 PM. To help accommodate an expected increase in car drop-offs this year, Door R will open at 7:25 AM for student drop-off. The main entrance will open at 7:40 AM for bus riders. Students arriving through Door R before 7:40 AM will go directly to the cafeteria, where they can sit and wait until it’s time to head to their lockers and classrooms. Please note: Door R will close and lock promptly at 7:55 AM. If you arrive after that time, you will need to drop your child off at the main office, where they will sign in as late to school. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us keep morning arrivals safe, organized, and efficient for all students. More information on this can be seen below in this newsletter.

Lastly this year, our focus is on providing a Superior Student Experience. Every child who walks through our doors should feel valued, challenged, and supported. This is a commitment we are going to strive for daily and a standard the Strongsville community can expect when entrusting us with your children. We look forward to partnering with you to make this year a success for all our Mustangs.

John Telloni - SMS Principal

• New 7th & 8th Grade Student Orientation: Tuesday August 12, 9:30am-11:00am (For only NEW to the district 7th & 8th grade students, parents you are also welcome to attend if you choose to)

• Open House: August 14, 2025, 5pm-7pm (5:30pm & 6:30pm Parent Meeting in the Auditorium)

• First Day of School: Monday August 18, 2025

• School Picture Day: Thursday August 28, 2025

1. ARRIVAL:

See the parking lot diagram below- It is imperative that ALL CAR RIDERS entering the school lot follow this diagram strictly.

*Door R will be open at 7:25AM for car rider student to come into the building. If your student arrives between the times of 7:25AM-7:40AM, they will report to the cafeteria to sit and wait until 7:40AM when they can then either get breakfast or head on to their locker and first period.

*Bus riders and walkers ONLY will enter the main entrance.

*Car Riders- Enter Door R

*Parents please DO NOT park in the staff parking lot. This lot is reserved exclusively for our staff, ensuring they have space to park and get into the building on time to prepare for your children’s day. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in keeping this area available for our team. There are visitor spaces available but please only utilize them if you have to come into the building for a meeting or some other official school business.

2. DISMISSAL:

Cars need to wrap the building, similar as drop off. You can notify your student where in the loop you are if they have a device to look at when they finish their day. Students will exit the back and side doors to find their cars. Those are Doors R and Q. Bus riders will exit the front doors.

DO NOT PICK UP your STUDENT IN THE FRONT MAIN LOT- this will block special bussing that loops in the front of the building.

Please do not encourage your student to meet you in other nearby locations to get into your car- this creates a HUGE safety issue as cars are exiting and entering, and affects our Pearl Road traffic. If we efficiently use our system and are patient, we hope to get all out of the lot efficiently and timely. Following these rules models to your student your support to SCHOOL RULES and following them as requested.

***PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW OF PROPER DROP OFF PROCEDURE***

• Thursday August 14 from 5pm-7pm at SMS
• Purpose of evening is to get to know your student's teachers, walk their schedule, and become familiar with the school.
• At 5:30pm and 6:30pm, Principal Telloni will be hosting a brief parent meeting in the Auditorium to share important information about the school and upcoming year.
• Students are welcome to bring school supplies to Open House. 7th & 8th graders will be able to receive their lockers that evening and may place their supplies inside. 6th graders have already been assigned lockers during Orientation, but if your child was unable to attend, you'll have the opportunity to get your locker that night.

• Nursing staff will be available in the clinic from 5:00-6:30 pm. This is a great opportunity for parents to drop off medications, action plans and to discuss medical needs with the nursing staff. As a reminder, medication must have a prescriber and parent signature, remain in the original container, and the prescription label must match the order. Non-prescription medications require a prescriber order. New orders are required each school year. Please refer to the link for more information regarding our health services and any necessary paperwork you may need:

  
  

  https://www.scsmustangs.org/departments/student-services/health-services

  
  

  If you have any questions, the District Nurses return to work on August 13th and are available by phone 440 572 7069, or email, kdubsky@scsmustangs.org, hkupetz@scsmustangs.org.

  
  

All students must have a lock on their locker at all times. If they do not bring back their own lock, they may purchase one from the main office for $6.60. Locks must be school issued, personal locks are not permitted. Students will receive their locker information either on the first day of school or during Open House if you attend that. Lockers will be assigned by your student's team. If you attend Open House, simply locate your team (listed on your schedule), and they will assist you with your locker assignment.

CLICK HERE for directions on how to unlock a combination lock at school.

Students can bring their school supplies to their team pods the first day of school or Open House if they attend. On the first day of school when students arrive they will go directly to their pods.

Students who need to be signed out during the school day must be signed out by a parent, guardian, or an individual who has been approved by the parent or guardian. The person signing the student out must present a valid photo ID at the time of pick-up and come into the school to sign the student out. This policy ensures the safety and security of our students by verifying that only authorized individuals are permitted to remove students from school during the day.

To maintain a focused and productive learning environment, we have established the following rules regarding cell phones and ear buds:

Classroom Guidelines:

• No Cell Phones or Ear Buds in the Classroom:

• Cell phones must be placed in the designated holder at the front of the room, or in your locker.

• Earbuds must not be in your ears unless you have explicit permission from the teacher or a documented need (e.g., IEP or 504 plan).

Bathroom and Hallway Guidelines:

• No Cell Phones in the Bathroom or Halls:

• Students cannot leave the classroom without first placing their cell phone in the designated holder.

Permissible Use:

• Academic Labs / Lunch:

• Cell phones and ear buds may be used during study hall and lunch unless otherwise specified by school staff.

To summarize cell phones and airpods / earbuds are not permitted during any class or in the hallways. During class, cell phones will be stored in the classroom caddy / storage system or kept in a locker. During class changes on the way to and from lunch, cell phones should be in a student’s pocket or purse. Remember SMS students may use their cell phone in an academic lab or at lunch. If students do not follow these rules, school discipline and confiscation of device may take place.

Breakfast and Lunch is offered daily in our cafeteria for all students.

Payment: Cash or check in person, or you can put money on your student's account to purchase with their student ID at check-out. Your student can also bring money or check into the cafeteria to put money on the account as well.

Building is Open 7:30-3:30 Monday-Friday when school is in session.

School Counselors

• Mrs. Pietrocini -6th grade

• Mrs. Marozsan - 7th grade

• Mr. Greer - 8th Grade

School Information

Main Office: 440-572-7090

Building Secretary: Mrs. Hallie Malloy

School Attendance: 440-572-7090 Option 2

Attendance Clerk: Mrs. Lynn Haddad

Administration

SMS Principal: Mr. John Telloni

6th Grade Principal: Mrs. Tera Thomas

7th Grade Principal: Mr. Chris Howell

8th Grade Principal: Mr. Bryan Szczepanski

Parents/students have access to our anonymous reporting system. CLICK HERE to access. The more information shared when reporting, the better chance we have to investigate and support.