Mustangs in the Middle Newletter

• Friday September 26 - Deadline for 8th graders to participate in PSAT

• Monday September 29 - Final PTA 8th Grade Washington DC Trip Meeting 6:30pm SMS Auditorium

• September 29-October 3 - Book Fair in SMS Media Center

• Thursday, October 2 - NO SCHOOL - Parent-Teacher Conferences

• Wednesday, October 8 - Evening Parent Teacher Conferences 4pm-7pm

• Friday, October 10 - NO SCHOOL

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

Mrs. Sarah Atakan is in her fifth year as an EL Teacher at Strongsville Middle School. Mrs. Atakan earned her undergraduate degree at Columbia College Chicago and has a Master’s Degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“It's incredibly rewarding to witness our students' confidence and language skills grow as they overcome challenges. Our students are resilient, and I’m inspired by their perseverance.”

“I love the kindness and patience of our students and staff at SMS. In EL Conversation Partners, students volunteer their time to help their classmates practice speaking and build their confidence. Our teachers are patient with the students that I work with and are willing to collaborate to find creative ways to address their needs.”

Thank you Mrs. Atakan for the connections and strong bonds you are building in your students at SMS! #ModelMustang

Congratulations to Mrs. Gasparro for receiving a special "Extra Yard for Teachers Game Ball" from Polaris for making STEM engaging, exciting and fun for her students. Mrs. Gasparro is one of SMS Polaris satellite teachers who bring energy, creativity, and passion to her classroom everyday.

The Technology Department and Media Center Team has seen an increase in Chromebook repairs at SMS with touchpads that stop working. In most cases, this requires replacing the entire keyboard and touchpad. This repair takes longer to complete and means students may be without their device for an extended period.

Please remind your student that the Chromebook touchpad is designed to respond to light touches. It does not require forceful pressing or repeated hard clicks. Using gentle, consistent pressure will keep the device in good working order and help reduce downtime from repairs.

Thank you for partnering with us to keep our Chromebooks in great condition!

For public school students, the deadline for submitting the College Credit Plus (CCP) Intent to Participate form for Spring semester is November 1. Students who miss the April 1 deadline for a full academic year can still submit by November 1 to participate for the Spring term only.

Key Steps & Deadlines

2. April 1 Deadline:
Public school students must submit their Intent to Participate form to their high school counselor by April 1 to be eligible for the full academic year.

3. November 1 Deadline for Spring:

4. College Application & Deadlines:

The Intent to Participate Form is linked here and closes at 11:59 pm on Saturday, November 1st. Students must still follow all CCP steps that are listed under College Credit Plus in their Google Classrooms.

School pictures are ready!

To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.com or create an account using your student's student ID number.

All families can also log on and order a FREE Digital SmileSafe card.

More about the Smilesafe program here.

*****PICTURE RETAKE DAY will be on Wednesday October 8

Please make sure we have updated information for your student for the 25-26 school year. Please log in to PowerSchool and confirm enrollment details as soon as possible. Without this update, students may not be able to attend field trips or enjoy quarterly incentives off campus.

How to update information on PowerSchool -- please note, this must be done on a desktop.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Chris Broughton, Technology Coordinator/Data Manager, at cbroughton@scsmustangs.org.

Thank you for your prompt attention!

Attention all Mathemagicians!

Our first meeting of the year will be on Wednesday, September 24th from 3-4 in Rm 116. Anyone in grades 6-8 who enjoys problem solving is welcome. Join our google classroom with the code 3wowtxy for more information or email Mrs. Scott with any questions at kscott@scsmustangs.org

Please click on the title above for more information concerning this State Law.

It's the perfect time to order your yearbook! Please note that this year's deadline is final to ensure the yearbooks arrive in time for students to sign each other's copies. You can find all the ordering details on the flyer below, and the form provided contains everything you need to complete your order. Don't miss out!

Order Form (Printable Version)

Dear 8th Grade Parents,

The final SMS Eighth Grade Washington DC meeting will be Monday, September 29 at 6:30 in the SMS auditorium. This is a very important meeting as we will go over what to expect during the trip, what you/your children should pack, and drop off/pick up instructions. Please plan on attending.

If you have not paid the remaining balance for your trip, please do so now. The final payment was due August 29, so you may need to call Nowak to pay.

Please let us know if you have any questions - dc2025trip@gmail.com.

The SMS PTA Cash Calendar is BACK and BIGGER than before!

Purchase your entry to the OCTOBER CASH GIVEAWAY for only $25 and have a chance to win $$$$ every day in October!

https://app.givebacks.gives/smspta-cashcalendar-2025

• Tickets will be drawn every day throughout October, and the winner will receive the dollar amount shown on the calendar for the date they won.
• Winners will be announced daily at school, on our SMS PTA Facebook page and by email to all participants.
• Payments will be mailed out weekly to the address provided during purchase.
• Purchase entries for only $25 each! Or score an amazing deal to purchase 3 entries for just $50!

Sales end at 11:59pm on September 30th.

Thank you for supporting SMS PTA!

Building is Open 7:30-3:30 Monday-Friday when school is in session.

School Counselors

• Mrs. Pietrocini -6th grade

• Mrs. Marozsan - 7th grade

• Mr. Greer - 8th Grade

School Information

Main Office: 440-572-7090

Building Secretary: Mrs. Hallie Malloy

School Attendance: 440-572-7090 Option 2

Attendance Clerk: Mrs. Lynn Haddad

Administration

SMS Principal: Mr. John Telloni

6th Grade Principal: Mrs. Tera Thomas

7th Grade Principal: Mr. Chris Howell

8th Grade Principal: Mr. Bryan Szczepanski

Parents/students have access to our anonymous reporting system. CLICK HERE to access. The more information shared when reporting, the better chance we have to investigate and support.