Weekly Update 9/7/26

Parents, Students, and Faculty,

We hope everyone enjoys the Labor Day holiday on Monday! Students will also have Tuesday off while our teachers participate in a workday filled with professional learning and planning. Our Science and ELA teachers will participate in IXL professional development, and we will also hold our Leadership and Safety Team meetings as we continue working together to make SCMS the best it can be.

Even though it is a short school week, our student-athletes will be busy! Middle School Football travels to Vernon on Tuesday for a 6:00 p.m. game before returning home Thursday to take on our rival, the Miller County Pirates. Our Middle School Softball team travels to PCA on Thursday for a 4:30 p.m. game, and Cross Country will compete Saturday in Bainbridge at 9:15 a.m. We hope you'll come out and support our Indians whenever you can!

Progress reports will go home Thursday, marking an important point as we move into the second half of the first nine weeks. We encourage parents and students to take time to review grades together, celebrate what's going well, and identify any areas that may need additional attention. There is still plenty of time to ask questions, make adjustments, and finish the nine weeks strong!

It may be a short week, but it will be a full and busy one at Seminole County Middle School, where we continue "Building the Tribe" and where we all can "Belong. Grow. Achieve."

Monday, September 7:

• Labor Day Holiday

Tuesday, September 8:

• Teacher Work Day
• IXL PD - 9:00 AM
• Leadership Team meeting - 1:00 PM
• Safetly Team meeting - 1:00 PM
• Football @ Vernon - 5:00 PM

Thursday, September 10:

• Softball @ PCA - 4:30 PM
• Football vs Miller - 5:30 PM
• Title I Meeting - 5:30 PM

Friday, September 11:

Saturday, September 12:

• Cross Country @ Bainbridge - 9:15 AM

Please fill out the Parent Engagement Survey to help us gather feedback and identify ways to strengthen family engagement across our schools. The deadline is Friday, Sept. 18.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfP9L1RqKhF10KLIh6wPbp4xn3-OgLjO3f8mC7KSbdRQzkLUg/viewform?usp=header

As you make plans throughout the year, we encourage families to use the holidays, breaks, and scheduled days off listed on this flyer for vacations, appointments, and other activities whenever possible. We know some absences are unavoidable, but every day in school matters! Planning ahead helps our students stay on track, connected, and ready to learn.

Be here. Be on time. Be ready to learn. Be Tribe Strong! 💚

END OF YEAR/SUMMER REMINDER

Reminder to parents of all rising 7th & 11th grade students. Don't forget to make an appointment for your child with their doctor or the local Health Department to get their updated immunizations over summer break. GA LAW REQUIRES all students entering the 7th grade to receive 1 dose of Tdap and 1 dose of the MCV4 vaccine. For 11th graders who are 16 years of age or older a required booster dose of the MCV4 is needed. IF YOUR CHILD RECEIVES THEIR IMMUNIZATIONS IN A STATE OTHER THAN GEORGIA, you will need to obtain a copy of their shot record from your doctor and then take it to our local health department for transfer into the GRITS system. Other state forms are not accepted by our state for compliance. The only exception to not receiving these vaccinations under law is a medical exemption from your child's physician, which is good for 1 year, or a religious exemption, which never expires. These must be documented on the proper forms. Failure to comply with this law puts your child in danger of being WITHDRAWN from school until they are compliant! The deadline to complete this for the 26/27 school year is September 8, 2026. If you have any questions, please contact our school nurse, Tina Calhoun.

This week, we are excited to spotlight Media Specialist Erica Burke and Media Center Parapro Charlotte Sheffield, who are both new to the Media Center this year but have already been busy creating opportunities for our students! From supporting our Middle School Reading Team and working with teachers to bring classes into the Media Center to helping with book clubs and encouraging students to explore everything the Media Center has to offer, they have jumped right in. They are also making plans for even more activities and opportunities as the year continues. We appreciate the enthusiasm and creativity they are bringing to our Media Center and the many ways they are helping our students Belong, Grow, and Achieve as we continue Building the Tribe!

Georgia Reads Day is a statewide celebration of literacy achievements and community impact recognized on September 22nd. The mission is to increase reading proficiency in Georgia and to help children achieve literacy success. SCMHS will be celebrating Georgia Reads Day during the third week of September with a delicious treat during lunch, a Poster Contest, and a Trivia Contest.

Poster Contest

Theme: “Turn the Page to A Brighter Future”

Deadline - Sep 17, 2026 - Turn in to the Media Center

Supplies available in the media center.

3 Winners will be chosen.

For more information, visit the media center!

Our 7th Grade Life Science students became scientists this week as they began an investigation into the microorganisms that may be hiding on everyday classroom surfaces! Students collected samples from keyboards, door handles, hall passes, desks, and even the floor before transferring their samples onto pieces of bread. Each sample was then sealed in a bag and placed in an incubator.

Now comes the interesting part—we wait! Over the next several days, students will observe their samples, record any changes they see, and compare what develops on bread exposed to different surfaces. Which classroom surface will produce the most noticeable results? Stay tuned to next week’s newsletter to see what our young scientists discover!

The 2026 SC Football Program will be available for purchase at all home games this season for $5.00 each. Programs are produced, sold by, and support the SCMHS Seminole Fine Arts Boosters (SFAB) which benefits the Band, Chorus, and Visual Art Departments. Programs are available at the SFAB table next to concessions. Each program contains a unique number in the centerfold, and is automatically entered into the Halftime Program Prize Drawing. Winning numbers are called at halftime, and prizes may be picked up at the SFAB table immediately following the announcement. SFAB will also have SC Spirit Items for sale to help you cheer on our Indians! Cash, Venmo, CashApp, and PayPal are acceptable payments. LET’S GO, INDIANS!

This month, we are excited to introduce a new way of recognizing students who are helping us Build the Tribe at Seminole County Middle School. Each month, students will be recognized in the areas of Belong, Grow, and Achieve—three qualities that represent the culture we want to build at SCMS.

Belong recognizes students who demonstrate kindness, respect, inclusion, and positive relationships. Congratulations to Eva Scott, Layton Pollock, and Arrie Perkins!

Grow celebrates students who demonstrate determination, effort, improvement, and meaningful growth. Congratulations to Matthew Moulton, Michael Horne, and Leah Miller!

Achieve recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding effort, accomplishment, and excellence. Congratulations to Madai Marquez, Blessing Wade, and Jaiden Register!

We are also excited to recognize Mrs. Rhonda Noe as our August Tribe Builder Staff Spotlight! Mrs. Noe was nominated by her coworkers for her willingness to step up when needed and help wherever she can. Her support of our students, staff, and school is a great example of what it means to be a Tribe Builder.

Congratulations to all of our August honorees! Thank you for helping make SCMS a place where we Belong. Grow. Achieve. and continue Building the Tribe!

School Attendance public service announcement from GaDOE and Georgia Public Broadcasting