SCMS Counselor Newsletter

In February:

• February 2-6: National School Counseling Week.
• February 3rd: Silver Creek High School 8th Grade Night, 6PM in Shreve Auditorium
• February 4th: No school for students, Waiver Day
• Feburary 6: SC Middle School Valentine's Dance, sponsored by the PTO, 6:30 PM to 8 PM - Tickets must be purchased in advance before school begins in the mornings Mon-Thursday this week.
• February 9th: IUS speaking with 6th grade during Study Skills on college and careers
• February 10th: Rescheduled 6th Grade Field Trip to the KY Science Center
• February 19: High School Counselors presenting to 8th grade classrooms for 9th grade course requests.
• February 20: PJ Pants/Hat Day - students can pay $2 day of, if they haven't already purchased the pass for the school year.
• Week of Feb 23rd: SCHS Counselors meeting individually with 8th grade students to select HS courses
• February 24th and 26th: ILearn Checkpoint #3 for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Headphones needed for the ELA test as there is a listening part to the test.
• February 27th: Deadline for youth (K-12) to apply for the Indiana Cooperative Art Calendar Contest. Top prize for each grade is $100: https://www.indianaconnection.org/for-youth/art-contest
• February 24-28: National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, link for more resources: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/edaw-campaign-schedule/

March:

• March 11: Randomly selected 8th grade students will participate in NAEP testing at SCMS.
• March 16-27: Spring Break

Please see the attached PDF showing the requirements for the new Indiana Diploma. In summary, there is one diploma (outlined on page one) with six optional honor seals that can be added (outlined on page two).

These new requirements began with the last years' 8th grade class, Cohort of 2029, and continues with the current 8th grade students, Class of 2030.

We are thankful to Family Ark for providing another small group opportunity for students this spring. To learn more if this is a good fit for your student, here is the link: https://forms.gle/Dg6Jx24wQ8xdArL46

How to Observe International Boost Self Esteem Month:

1. Remember your past accomplishments

   This is a great period to remind yourself of the amazing things you’ve done, no matter how little they seem. Doing this will encourage you to look forward to doing more.

   
   

2. Accept and give compliments

   Make sure that when someone admires and says something nice about you, or what you have, you believe them and sincerely appreciate the words. As you feel more confident with the compliments, do well to help others feel the same too.

   
   

3. Build habits that will promote self-improvement

   Whether it’s to get healthier or to perform better in a class, develop habits that will help you achieve these desires. Eventually, they’ll become realities and you will see just how amazing you are.

• Indiana's 21st Century Scholarship - Due by June 30th https://learnmoreindiana.org/scholars/middle-school-resources/
• Ocean Awareness Project - Due by June 8th: https://bowseat.org/programs/ocean-awareness-contest/contest-overview/ This is a creative challenge for teens worldwide. Submissions can be visual art, poetry, creative writing, dance, interactive, etc.

If your student has five or more missing assignments, they may be pulled for a working lunch with one of the counselors to complete any assignments marked as missing.

Be sure to check for assignments, study guides, resources, etc. in Schoology. Also, these Infinite Campus apps for students and parents are really helpful for notifications with grades, missing assignments, and more.

Students enrolled in the Free or Reduced lunch program will also be automatically enrolled in the 21st Century Scholarship Program in the 7th and 8th grades. If you need to apply for the lunch program to see if you qualify, here are the links:

• 25-26 Free & Reduced Application

• 25-26 Free & Reduced Application - Spanish

Be sure to check your email daily for the most up to date news and announcements. Students and parents will receive a daily email from the SCMS Office of announcements Monday-Friday through ParentSquare.

If still needed, here is the link to sign up for ParentSquare: https://www.parentsquare.com/signin

Counselors will share a newsletter each month highlighting upcoming events, reminders, and updates.

Past Editions for School Year 25-26:

Back to School Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/rfpzh1

September Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/h7ymw

October Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/v4u53

November Newsletter: https://app.smore.com/n/m5jd87

December Newsletter: https://app.smore.com/n/zpr0w

January Newsletter: https://app.smore.com/n/npg03