SMS Weekly Update

This week our students were able to participate in their first Choice Flex of the year. This is a once a month opportunity for our students to pick an activity being offered by a teacher that interests them. Some of our more exciting offerings for this month included Taylor Swift fan club, crocheting, digital photography, and disc golf among others.

Another exciting event is that our Event Planning Leadership students have been busy building their entry for the 2023 Sherwood High School Homecoming parade. This year's theme is "Fairytales" and our students chose to decorate their float as Alice in Wonderland. Information about the parade (happening today) can be found below.

Lastly, an upcoming exciting event is the introduction of our new Student of the Month breakfast. Each month staff will be nominating approximately 30 students who represent the chosen character trait of the month. This month's trait was "Self Starter." The students who are nominated will be invited, along with their families, for a light continental breakfast where students will be recognized for their successes! We're looking forward to an opportunity to celebrate the amazing traits our students already posses throughout the school year.

Take a look below for some photos from our dance Flex and our Homecoming float.

October 4

• Early Release, Dismissal at 2:26 pm

October 6

• Student of the Month Breakfast, 7:45 - 8:15am, Commons

October 10

• PSO Pledge Drive Begins (see the Freaky Friday Flyer below)

October 11

• Early Release, Dismissal at 2:26 pm

October 13

• Statewide Inservice - NO SCHOOL

October 16 - 20

• Freaky Friday Ticket Sales (at lunches, during school)

October 17

• PSO's "Monster Dash" Run (during PE classes)

October 18

• Early Release, Dismissal at 2:26 pm

• School Board Meeting, 7:00pm - 9:00pm, District Office

October 20

• PSO Pledge Envelopes Due
• Freaky Friday Family Event, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm, at the SMS Activities Entrance
• Freaky Friday Student Dance, 8:00pm - 9:30 pm, re-entry at the Activities Entrance

October 26

• Conferences, 4:45pm - 8:00pm, Gym and Commons

October 27

• Conferences, 8:00am - 12:00pm, Gym and Commons

Additional events may be viewed on the SMS Calendar and the District Calendar.

Front Office Hours: 7:30 am - 3:45pm

Student Hours: 8:45 am - 3:26 pm (Except on scheduled Early Release days)

Doors Open to Students: 8:30 am (Main Entrance and Activities Entrance)

Wednesdays: 2:26 pm Dismissal

The District holds one-hour Early Release days each Wednesday. Please refer to the 2023-2024 District Calendar for the scheduled Early Release days. Dismissal for those days will be at 2:26 pm.

Why Attendance Matters

The Impacts of Attendance:

• Chronic absence has more than doubled since the start of the pandemic, from 8 million to an estimated 16 million students nationwide. That’s one out of three students.

• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.

• By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.

• Missing 2 days of school a month results in missing approximately 10% of the school year.

• Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful, and on track to graduate.

Being part of the school community: Being present means your child is learning how to be a good citizen by participating in the school community, learning valuable social skills, and developing a broader world view.

What Can You Do?

• Make school attendance a priority.

• Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day.

• Help your student maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.

• If your student must stay home because they are sick make sure they check Canvas for any assignments, and email their teacher for clarification on assignments.

Helping Your Student Stay Engaged

• Does your student feel interested and/or challenged by their classes?

• Is your student missing classes because of challenges with behavioral issues or school policies?

• How is your student doing academically? Are they invested in their learning?

• Does the teacher have updated contact information for you?

• Are you able to check Canvas and access ParentVue?

• Are you aware of who your student is engaging with online, or what sites they are visiting?

• Does your student have outside activities that they feel successful in?

How to Report an Absence

Send a Note with Your Student:

This acts as their pass out of class and ensures that they know when to be in the main office to wait for pickup.

Call The Attendance Line:
(503) 825-5510

Email: SherwoodMiddle_Notification@sherwood.k12.or.us

Join us for Family Fun with food, raffle and an all new Haunted Maze!!! The event is Friday, October 20 from 5pm to 8pm. Students will come home with envelopes for the Monster Dash and we need lots of volunteers to help us pull this event off (more information to come soon).

Yearbooks can be ordered on treering.com. Please include your students flight time teacher when ordering (that ensures they get their own book.) If you have ordered a yearbook in the past few years from any elementary in Sherwood you should already have an account. You have the opportunity to personalize pages for your student throughout the year and share photos from sporting events etc. with the yearbook team. You can do this via the app on your phone or the website. There are photo folders for various categories. The SMS school code can be found on the flyer in the newsletter and on the FB PSO site as well as flyers coming home soon. If you are feeling generous you can donate a book when you check out. The school counselors will ensure it goes to someone in need.

Order by October 31st for 10% off.

Directory information means those items of personally identifiable information contained in a student education record which is not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released.

Under Sherwood School District 88J Policy JOA, directory information shall be released only with administrative direction and directory information considered by the district to be detrimental will not be released. Sherwood school district has parents update this information three times during a student's time in SSD. Once when entering Kindergarten, once when entering 6th grade, and once when entering 9th grade. Of course a parent can change or modify their wishes any time with the school.

All students and families have the opportunity to opt out of Directory Information and to not allow their information to be released. Please complete this Opt-Out form if you do NOT approve the release of your child’s directory information. Student directory information will be released with the absence of this Opt-Out form.

Don't miss this year's Homecoming Parade on September 29, 4:00-5:00pm. See map below for this year's parade route.