Principal's Weekly Report

Principal's Update

Stone Magnet Middle School – Week 19 Update

Happy New Year and Welcome Back!

We hope everyone enjoyed a restful winter break and is ready for an amazing second semester. Here are a few important reminders as we kick off 2026:

✅ Semester 2 Begins Wednesday
Students will receive any updated schedules on Tuesday, so please check for changes before classes start on Wednesday.

✅ SAC/PTO Meeting
Join us on Wednesday at 5:00 PM for our School Advisory Council and Parent-Teacher Organization meeting. Your input is valuable!

✅ FAST Track Saturday
Start the semester on the best foot forward! Our FAST Track session will be held this Saturday—a great opportunity to set goals and prepare for success.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Let’s make this semester the best yet!

Go Gophers

Lauren Feronti Williams

Principal

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Home | Stone Magnet Middle (brevardschools.org)

Starting the 2025-2026 school year, all K-8 schools are personal electronics free per state statue. Personal electronics include cellphones, headphones, tablets, etc. As Principal of Stone Middle School an electronic free campus is important to me. Cellphone and other electronics may be silenced in backpacks to not distract the learning. Students must secure all electronic devices in backpacks before coming on campus and may use their phones after the dismissal bell. This past summer, I read "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt and would like to share information from this book regarding teen use of electronics.

"Are screen-based experiences less valuable than real-life flesh-and-blood experiences? When we're talking about children whose brains evolved to expect certain kinds of experiences at certain ages, yes. A resounding yes. Communicating by text supplemented by emojis is not going to develop the parts of the brain that are 'expecting' to get tuned up during conversations supplemented by facial expressions, changing vocal tones, direct eye contact, and body language. We can't expect children and adolescents to develop adult-level real-world social skills when their social interactions are largely happening in the virtual world. Synchronous video conversations are closer to real-life interactions but still lack the embodied experience." p 99

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Aug 25 Substance Use Abuse Prevention Monthly Newsletter (1).pdf

Starting this year, two automated calls will be scheduled to families regarding students' attendance. A morning call between 11:00 am and 11:15 am will take place to alert families of an absence in the morning to help verify a student arrived to school. An additional call will be generated between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm to share with families a student's overall attendance for the day. Please remember attendance is crucial for a student's academic success.

Stone Magnet Middle School will adhere to the School Board Rules of Brevard County as cited in the Secondary Student Parent Handbook.

These are the portions most frequently referred to by parents, students, and school personnel.

The educational program offered by this District is predicated upon the presence of the student and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation. Attendance shall be required of all students enrolled in the school during the days and hours that the school is in session.

School attendance is the responsibility of parents/legal guardians and students.

A student who is absent from class with an unexcused absence may need to complete supplemental learning opportunities.
Excused absences may include medical appointment of the student, pregnancy related issues, court dates, religious holidays, illness with medical documentation and chronic and extended illness, insurmountable conditions, death in immediate family, and appointments for a therapy service provided by a licensed health professional.
For excused absences, the student shall have a reasonable amount of time, up to ten (10) school days, to complete make-up work. Principals or designee may grant extensions to the make-up time limit for extenuating circumstances.