Scott's Branch Middle High School

We've survived our first month of school. We are continuing to work toward preparing for upcoming MAP and EOC testing. Shout outs to all our students who worked hard to show what they have learned on our first common assessments this week.

High School EOCs will be administered at the end of the semester for English 2, US History, Biology, and Algebra 1. Parents we kindly ask that you remind students to be on time for class, pay attention, and be actively engaged in their learning so that they will be prepared for common assessments and upcoming EOCs.

Parents and students, please remember that teachers have office hours once a week after school for an hour. Students please utilize these opportunities to get extra help or to make-up/retake assignments. Please check in with the course syllabus or ask the teacher for their office hours.

Thanks for an awesome first month of school at Eagle Nation!

Rise up, Eagle Nation, and meet the expectation!

Dr. Tyrone Cummings, Ed. D.

Principal

This week in Mr. Bodzo's 6th grade science class, students explored plant and animal cells. Instruction focused on the parts and functions of cells. Students worked in collaborative groups to create anchor charts on showing all the organelles found in a plant cell. All students were actively engaged and working collaboratively. Thank you students for showing your Eagle excellence!

In Mr. Twumasi's Geometry class, students have been diligently learning how to calculate the distance between two points. Students showed great initiative by asking thoughtful questions and seeking additional support during class time. Job well done, Eagles, for setting the standard of teaching and learning!

I am an avid reader and love sharing my joy of reading with others. This week I've had some wonder book discussions with some high school students. Reading is so important and has lots of benefits. When students read for just 20 minutes a day they are being exposed to more words and increasing their vocabulary. When students then share and discuss what they are/have read they build comprehension skills.

To help get our students excited and reading every day, I will be creating reading challenges for students to participate in each month. Students will be receive incentives/rewards for completing the challenge at the end of the month.

The challenge for the month of September is Reading Response BINGO. To participate students need to visit the media center to pick up a BINGO card. There are a total of 25 squares with reading response prompts on the BINGO card. Each week random prompts will be announced. These prompts might be posted outside the media center, announced during the morning announcements, or even announced by a mystery teacher. Students will write a response to the prompt based upon the book they are currently reading. To get BINGO, students will need to have completed 5 squares in a row (up/down, side/side, or diagonally). In order to count the prompt on the square has to have been announced. I will be keeping track of all the prompts randomly drawn so that all students have a fair chance to win BINGO.

September 6th is National Read a Book Day. In celebration of read a book day, we'd like to create a display of our students/staff reading either the book they are currently reading or reading their favorite book. Please make sure that your picture is school appropriate. We encourage everyone to take some time to read a book on Saturday, September 6th!

I will be sharing an invitation to all SBMHS students to join our Library Google Classroom. Parents I ask that you please encourage your student to join this google classroom. Information about library activities and challenges will be shared with students in this google classroom.

Ashley Davis, LMIS

Library Media Specialist

Middle School SEL Focus: Self-Improvement

This week, our middle school students participated in their second SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) discussion and activity on the topic of Self-Improvement.

Students were encouraged to:

• List the top 10 things they like or love about themselves

• Identify 5 areas they would like to improve for their personal growth

Through this activity, students practiced increasing their positive self-image and self-esteem, while also becoming more aware of the skills and tools they want to strengthen for better self-care and personal development.

Marjetta J. Bulter, LMSW

School Social Worker

Scott’s Branch Middle High School is excited to announce the return of our Eagle Buck Initiative!

All students will now have the chance to earn Eagle Bucks daily by showing great leadership, positive behavior, academic achievements, and completing tasks throughout the school day. Teachers and staff will be on the lookout and can issue Eagle Bucks anytime a student is CAUGHT IN THE ACT making a positive impact on our school community.

Eagle Bucks can be redeemed for a variety of incentives, such as:

• Selected Canteen Items

• Selected Concession Items

• Canteen Basket Raffles

• Incentive Auction Items

We encourage all students to treat Eagle Bucks like real money and work hard to earn as many as possible. Let’s make this a fun and rewarding way to celebrate leadership, responsibility, and school spirit.

Good luck, Eagles—start earning today!

Scott's Branch JV & Varsity Cheerleaders Shine at Season Kickoff!

At Friday's game against East Clarendon Middle High School, our Scott’s Branch JV and Varsity Cheerleaders had an amazing opportunity to represent our school district with unity and spirit. Both cheer teams came together to meet, connect, and perform unity cheers, showcasing the true meaning of sportsmanship and school pride.

A special thank you to East Clarendon for being such wonderful hosts and helping make this first game of the season an unforgettable kickoff!

Scott’s Branch would like to extend a special thank you to Mr. Davion Petty, Director of Admissions and Recruitment at South Carolina State University, for visiting our seniors on Friday.

Mr. Petty shared valuable information about the college admissions process, financial aid resources, campus life, athletics, and student organizations. He encouraged our seniors not only to get a head start on applying to SCSU as an option, but also to take the first steps in shaping their college journey and future success to begin applying to colleges and scholarships of their choice.

We look forward to hosting many more college sessions and continuing to support our Eagles as they prepare for their promising futures.