Principal's Mid-Month Memo

As we move through the month, I would like to take a moment to celebrate the many positive things happening in our school and to thank you for your continued partnership and support. Together, we are creating a strong, supportive learning community for our students.

As we look ahead to 2026, our school remains focused on several important priorities:

• Student Well-Being: Supporting the social, emotional, and mental health needs of our students while maintaining a safe and caring environment (see more information below).

• Positive School Climate: Fostering a culture of respect, responsibility, and inclusivity for all members of our school community.

• Attendance and Engagement: Encouraging regular attendance , arriving on time and staying for the entire day are goals for 2026.

• Communication and Collaboration: Strengthening communication between school and home and continuing to build strong partnerships with families and the community.

Looking ahead to 2026, we appreciate your support, patience, and cooperation. Here’s to a year of learning, growth, and fewer emails from the principal (no promises).

-Ms. Ward

Yearbooks can be purchased at www.jostensyearbooks.com , by direct link https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A07500270, or by phone at 1-877-767-5217. Yearbooks are on sale until the end of January.

SHS students are planning to start an Active Minds chapter. These students, along with Mrs. Young, attended the Kyle Cares Summit at Rhode Island College. The students shared the following about the experience:

“The Kyle Cares Summit was an eye-opening experience. We attended several breakout sessions that taught us about different components of mental health. Through these sessions, we learned not only about mental health itself, but also about ways we can bring mental health awareness to our school. We are very excited to bring what we learned to Smithfield High School.”

GMS alerted us that students are not boarding the buses at the high school and attempting to get on the buses at Gallagher. This is causing parental concerns, crowd control issues at GMS dismissal and could delay buses staying on schedule. For these reasons, students are not permitted to board the buses at GMS.

If a student misses the bus, SHS will call to hold the bus. Going to the store, hanging with friends (and the like) are not acceptable reasons for causing a disruption at one of our sister schools.

Thank you for helping to keep our community safe as well as being a good neighbor.

In October, RIDE announced a new partnership to expand access to virtual mental health services for students across the state through Hazel Health. This partnership allows all K–12 students to receive high-quality online medical care and counseling at no cost to families.

Recent research conducted by Clemson University highlights the positive impact of Hazel Health’s counseling services. The study reviewed data from more than 3,500 middle and high school students in 11 states and found that 75% of participating students experienced noticeable improvements in emotional well-being, including reduced feelings of stress and worry. The results also showed positive outcomes for students of all backgrounds, with consistent improvements across race and gender.

If you feel your student may benefit from additional support, Hazel Health is available. These free, online services are easy to access, and families can find more information here

April 29, the class of 2026 will be presenting their portfolios as a part of our graduation requirements. Grades 9-11 will be dismissed at 10:58 so all faculty and staff can be a part of a presentation panel. This will be a 1/2 day for grades 9-11 and buses will be available for transportation home.

• January 19- (MLK Day) NO SCHOOL
• January 22- Semester 1 ends
• January 23- Semester 2 begins
• January 28- Senior Graduation Information form DUE!
• January 30- Winter Ball