SMS Family News

Congratulations to the following students who their teachers nominated as a November RAIDER of the Month. In November, teachers focused on the I in RAIDER, which stands for Independent. The November RAIDERs of the Month are:

Grade 6 - Junsiang Kheav and Reese Hunsinger
Grade 7 - Hannah Roies and Nicholas McKenna
Grade 8 - Ami-John Glass and Stormy Mikulski

Congratulations, SMS Raiders!

Congratulations to the following students in Ms. Coppellotti's ELA class who chose to enter the Young Writers' Fright Club Creative Writing Contest. Their entries were selected to be published in their yearly book! This is an impressive accomplishment. Great job, SMS Raiders!

Sofia Nakos
Ty Tetzloff
Brooklyn Alberto
Scarlett Vieira
Amiyah Green
Caroline Cox
David Foehr
Nolan Jean
Bryce Calvano
Damon Cruz
Andrew Sasseville
Winnie Fata
Abigail Dean
Skylar Dufresne
Damien Varanese
Ariana Sylvia
Connor McDougal
Jack Coughlin
Korben Chaney
Hannah Roies
Myles Correia
Sloane Murphy

SMS students and staff collected 583 items to donate to the Somerset Food Pantry located at the Church of Our Saviour on County St. The six grade level teams had a contest to see who could collect the most with themes of various food items, such as canned goods, cereals, juices, snack foods, pasta, etc. We are so grateful for the generosity of our school community in their efforts to relieve the burden for their fellow neighbors. The grade 8 Pride team won the contest with 179 items collected. They were rewarded with mini-donuts and juice which was donated by Mrs. Benoit and her husband. A few pictures to represent all the efforts put forth.

Hello SMS Families,

Hoping all of your families enjoyed a restful Thanksgiving break spent with loved ones. As we begin December with only 3 weeks left until the winter break, a few reminders to help keep our students on track during this very busy season. First, there have been some students not cleaning up their breakfast and lunch foods in the cafeteria after they eat, leaving it behind for someone else to pick up. There has been some food throwing in the cafeteria as well which is not at all appropriate behavior. Additionally, we have also noticed an uptick in students trying to take food from their peers. Students should not be asking others for food, our school lunch is at not cost on a daily basis. The cafeteria is a very busy place at these times with a large number of students gathered together. It is important for school and home to collaborate, so a brief conversation from parents and guardians could help us minimize these events even further. It is typically only a small number of students who partake in such negative actions, but it often has a big impact on the smooth operations in the cafeteria. When students engage in such behaviors and are caught, consequences are given in a progressive and measured manner.

Academics are the foundation of public education for our students. Mid-quarter for term 2 is on December 8th. I encourage all students, parents and guardians to keep up to date on the grades for classes and assignments in Aspen. It is also good practice to check google classroom and student agendas for nightly work to complete, which could be finishing classwork, working on projects, studying for quizzes and tests and/or the weekly homework. Teachers can also be reached by email if you or your child have questions about any of their work. When students ask their teachers for help on specific questions or assignments in a positive manner, that often goes a long way in developing responsibilities related to school work and success. Routines, structure and good study habits are critical to your students success and at the ages of our students in middle school, they still benefit from these supports both at school and home.

In closing, I would like to extend my sincerest wishes for all of the SMS students and their families to have a happy and healthy holiday season. Students get very excited this time of year and are looking forward to the long break. Our staff all look forward to the time to rest and rejuvenate with loved ones as well. Please enjoy the well deserved time to make the most of the two week break. Cheers to 2026 bringing peace and joy to you all!

MassDOT Announces Fourth Annual “Name A Snowplow” Contest for Massachusetts’ Elementary and Middle Schools

Students statewide are encouraged to submit contest applications.

Application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 5

BOSTON - The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing the fourth annual “Name A Snowplow” contest for statewide elementary school and middle school students in Massachusetts. The contest seeks to solicit names for 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service for the upcoming 2025/2026 winter season. The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season, recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors, and raise awareness about the vital role they play in keeping our roads safe during winter weather events. Winning selections will be announced by Friday, December 19.

“Winter is coming and the Name A Snowplow contest is a fun way to engage with students and the communities we serve. It gives our future leaders a chance to show their appreciation for the vital role our workforce plays as we plan and prepare for potential snow and ice events,” said Interim Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng.” Under the leadership of Healey-Driscoll administration, safety of our transportation system will always be a priority. I’m proud of the dedication our crews show year-round and especially during the winter months. Operating a snowplow during winter storms is no easy task, so join us in celebrating their hard work by helping name the snowplows that keep the roads safe for everyone.”

“I’m excited to announce the fourth annual ‘Name a Snowplow Contest’ officially opens today and is accepting submissions,” said Undersecretary and State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “To all Massachusetts students in kindergarten through eighth grade: we hope you will help us make this year’s contest the best one yet by sending us your most creative suggestions.”

Applications for the Snowplow Naming Contest are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 5, and can be submitted by using an online portal: https://www.mass.gov/forms/name-a-snowplow-contest-submission. There is no limit to the number of applications that can be submitted per school. The contest winners will be invited to participate in a scheduled snowplow unveiling event.

A selection panel composed of MassDOT employees will choose two elementary school classroom winners that are located within each of the six Highway Division districts. The winning submissions will be evaluated based on two grade-level categories: 1) kindergarten through fourth grade; and 2) fifth grade through eighth grade.

During the third annual snowplow naming contest last winter, the winning names were: Snowana, Control-Salt-Delete, Taylor Drift, Ice S’now More, Ice Ice Baby, It’s Snow Problem, Mac N’Freeze, Blizzard Buster, C 3 P Snow, Snow Force One, Abominable Plowman, and Meltin’ John. These names, which were placed on the sides of plow trucks a year ago, remain on those vehicles.

For more information on the contest, please visit https://www.mass.gov/name-a-snowplow-contest-2025-26

Pura Vida Bracelets now available! Great stocking stuffers to show off Raider Spirit! Limited quantity!!!Bracelets can be purchased at basketball concession stand or via : https://givebutter.com/SMSConcession(If buying with the link please note student name and advisory. PTO will deliver to school once a week.)**

Attention 8th Graders,

Please take note of the following dates for the DC trip registration and the DC Dunk fundraising opportunity.

December 8th - deadline to register for the D.C trip and get your first payment into Capital Tours.
January 10th - DC Dunk fundraiser at Pearce Beach.
Thanksgiving is a great time to talk to your relatives about the DC Dunk fundraiser. Donation forms are available on Google Classroom.

Quarter 2 progress reports will be available in Aspen on Thursday, December 11th. Please check the parent portal to view this document on December 11th.

All families attending home basketball games should enter via the gymnasium entrance on the North side of the building. HERE is the basketball schedule. Please note that the entrance will not be unlocked until after student dismissal.