SMS

Dear Hawk Families,

As we continue our journey through the school year, we encourage all families to stay actively involved in their scholar's academic progress. PM1 testing scores are now available in FOCUS under the Testing tab. Please take time to review your child's scores and compare them to last year's PM3 results. Remember that proficiency is defined as a Level 3 or higher, and every testing cycle is important because the next assessment builds upon previous performance. Our next FAST assessment window will take place in December, so now is the time to ensure scholars are receiving the support they need to continue growing academically.

Families are also encouraged to regularly monitor grades, assignments, attendance, and tardies through FOCUS. Consistent attendance, arriving to class on time, and staying current with coursework are critical factors in student success. By checking progress frequently and communicating with teachers when questions arise, families can help scholars stay on track and reach their full potential.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Together, we can ensure that every Hawk has a successful and rewarding school year.

Go Hawks!

Dr. Ovalle

Your connection to all things Hawk! From school happenings and community events to helpful resources and need-to-know information, Hawk Connection keeps you in the loop!

Parents, we need YOU for the Great American Teach-In! This is one of the most exciting opportunities we have all year to connect our students with the world beyond the classroom—and we need more community members to make it happen!

And here’s the important part: You do NOT need to have a “cool” or unusual job to participate. You don’t need to explore outer space or have a job that sounds like a movie! 😄

Our students need to hear about real people and real careers. Are you a doctor, nurse, teacher, realtor, yoga instructor, electrician, welder, musician, business owner, mechanic, artist, chef, contractor, accountant, first responder, or something else entirely? We want to hear from you!

Your everyday work experience could introduce a student to a career they’ve never considered.

You don’t have to be a professional speaker. You just have to be willing to share what you do!

If you can give our students even 30 minutes of your time, please consider volunteering for GATI. We would LOVE to have you!

Help us show our Hawks just how many possibilities are waiting for them beyond middle school.

Our first All Pro Dads meeting was a huge success! We had a great turnout and a wonderful time bringing students and their important adults together. It was so exciting to see our Hawks spending quality time with the people who support and encourage them every day!

And we’re just getting started! We’d love to see even more families join us at our next meeting. All Pro Dads is about making memories, building connections, and giving our students a special opportunity to spend time with the adults who matter most in their lives.

And remember—you don’t have to be a “dad” to participate! Come join the fun, connect with other families, and show your Hawk that you’re cheering them on!

We hope to see you at the next All Pro Dads!

Our Hawks had a great time at our first WyldLife meeting last month, and we’re excited to welcome students back for another fun lunch gathering this month! Last month’s meeting was full of energy, laughter, and plenty of fun, and we can’t wait to do it again!

Join us for Parent Lunch! On Friday, October 30, come and enjoy lunch with your Scholar during their scheduled lunch period. Parent Lunch will always be the last Friday of the month.

The protocols for this lunch will be the same as last month - Enter in through the BUS CIRCLE DOORS and BRING YOUR GOVERNMENT ISSUED ID.

Lunch 1: 11:39 - 12:09

Lunch 2: 12:27 - 12:57

Mark your calendars! On November 10, we will be having our Veteran's Day breakfast. We invite all of our Hawk families and their Veterans to come and join us and Veterans from Freedom Square Senior Living Community as we honor those who so bravely served our country. This was an amazing event last year and one you don't want to miss! More information to come.

Take Stock in Children is a mentoring and scholarship program designed to help students reach their full potential and prepare for life after high school. Students who successfully complete the program can earn a Florida Prepaid College Scholarship to help make their college dreams a reality!

Students must meet program eligibility requirements, including academic and household income guidelines. Interested in learning more? Contact Mrs. Lukens to find out if your student may qualify and how to get involved. The application window closes October 19!

If you have questions about any of the above events or events happening at the school, please contact Mrs. Lukens, our Family & Community Liaison.

PM1 testing scores are available in FOCUS under the Testing tab. Parents are encouraged to review their scholar's PM1 scores and compare them to last year's PM3 scores. In most cases, you should see consistency between these scores. Please pay close attention to any differences of two or more achievement levels, as this may indicate an area that needs further review and support.

It is important to remember that proficiency is defined as a Level 3 or higher. Every testing cycle is important because scholars begin their next testing period based on their previous score. Additionally, the assessment measures grade-level standards and content from the entire school year each time it is administered, not just the material recently taught. Consistent growth and strong performance across all testing windows help ensure students remain on track for academic success.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your scholar's learning and achievement throughout the school year.

ELA
6th Grade- 6th ELA is continuing Module B unit, Discovering the Magic of Marine Life. Students have just finished their expository essays on human impact on marine life and are starting the graphic novel, Aquanaut. Students will analyze character interactions, strengthen their reading and critical thinking skills by identifying the author's purpose, analyzing text features, examining how setting impacts the plot, and tracing an author's argument. The unit will conclude with the Module B assessment, which will allow students to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have developed throughout the unit. We look forward to an exciting journey as students learn about the wonders of the ocean while growing as thoughtful readers, writers, and critical thinkers!

7th Grade-

In the first week of October, 7th grade language arts will finish up a unit about extreme environments by writing an argument essay about whether people should expand into the ocean to colonize it. This will be the first time students learn how to write counterclaims, and we will also practice incorporating figurative language into our writing.

In the second week of October, we will begin Module C, which is a unit about Eerie stories. At the beginning of this unit, Students will dig deep to uncover how authors create suspense, mystery, and uncertainty through literary techniques and storytelling choices while exploring an essential question of their choosing that guides their thinking

throughout the unit. Students will explore texts where narrators are unreliable, allusions are referenced, and the useof syntax and diction add foreboding and spine-tingling tones to stories. The module also includes analyzing poetry in various forms, studying Civil War-era texts where shifting perspectives blur reality and perception, investigating unexplained natural phenomena, and reading a text about the alleged haunting of Haslam's Book Store in St. Petersburg. Finally, students will connect real-life events to the creation of the literary masterpiece Frankenstein.

8th Grade-English 1 Honors will be "Unraveling the Mysteries of Ancient Egypt," reading texts about ancient dynasties, hieroglyphics, Egyptian mummies, Cleopatra, and Tutankhamun.

8th Grade ELA will visit "The Twilight Zone," reading eerie texts such as The Lottery, The Monkey's Paw, The Raven, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Science

6th Grade science is working on the Human Body Systems. Then we will be moving into the Classification of Living Things.

Social Studies

Pre-AP Ancient Period-students begin to explore how ancient societies formed and how we know what we know now through primary sources and archaeology.

Thank you to our families for your continued patience and cooperation as we work to improve our arrival and dismissal procedures. The car circle continues to get better each day, and we appreciate everyone doing their part to keep traffic moving safely and efficiently.

For the safety of all our scholars:

• Scholars may not be dropped off in the bus circle. This creates a significant safety concern, as buses are entering and exiting the area throughout the morning.
• Please do not block southbound traffic on 113th Street while waiting to enter the car line.
• We strongly encourage families to enter the car line from 86th Avenue and follow our established school traffic pattern.
• Please do not park on the west side of the road next to the homes. We have been informed that the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) will be patrolling the area to address traffic and safety concerns.

We know arrival and dismissal can be busy, but following these procedures helps keep our scholars, families, staff, and community safe. Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and commitment to making Seminole Middle School a safe place for everyone!

Being on Time Matters!

Scholars are expected to arrive to every class period on time and ready to learn. Scholars will be marked tardy for each class period they arrive late. Starting October 12, repeated tardies will result in additional consequences, including before-school and after-school detention assignments. Our goal is to help scholars develop strong attendance habits that support academic success and minimize lost instructional time.

Parents and families will continue to be notified when tardies occur. To help us monitor and reduce tardies, we have begun implementing tardy kiosks in the front office, with two additional kiosks in the hallways up and running. These kiosks will help us efficiently track tardies and keep scholars moving to class on time.

Thank you for partnering with us to make being on time a habit and learning a priority! Every minute of instruction matters, and arriving on time helps scholars start each class prepared to succeed.

Extended Learning sessions will be held at Seminole Middle on selected mornings and afternoons of each week beginning October 19th.

Tuesday and Thursday morning sessions will run from 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. for math, science, and social studies. Students will arrive at the front of the school and enter by the R’Club entrance near the iron gate.

Monday and Thursday afternoon sessions run from 4:15 p.m.-5:15 p.m. for math, ELA/Reading, and social studies. Please pick up your child by 5:20 p.m. at the front of the school.

We want to inform families that some of our teachers are currently teaching in an area that is outside of their current certification field. While these educators are fully qualified educators, they are actively working toward completing the additional coursework, assessments, and certification requirements necessary to become fully certified in their assigned subject areas.

We are proud of their dedication to professional growth and their commitment to providing high-quality instruction for our scholars. Throughout this process, our teachers receive ongoing support, training, and coaching to ensure students continue to receive rigorous and engaging learning experiences.

Ms. A. Smith- Health

Ms. A. Martorano- ELA (6-8) & ESOL (She is certified in K-6)

Mrs. A. Meyer- Technology Education

HAWK Families, this year Pinellas County Schools has implemented a $50 athletic participation fee when a student makes an athletic team. Please log in to your Parent Focus account, select Student Reservation System, and then select Athletic Fees to view and pay the assigned fee. Please submit your payment quickly if you have not already done so. If you have questions about your athletic participation fee or need assistance with submitting payment, please contact Jessica Hoag hoagj@pcsb.org or visit our website for frequently asked questions: https://www.pcsb.org/learning/athletics-and-extracurricularactivities/athletic-fees

Thank you for your prompt attention and support of our athletic programs.

• Monday, October 5th- Volleyball Game vs. Meadowlawn MS

• Wednesday, October 7th- Volleyball Game vs. Mangrove MS
  

• Friday, October 9th-End of Quarter 1

• Monday, October 12th- No School for Scholars

• Tuesday, October 20th- All Pro Dads Meeting, KONA Ice

• Thursday, October 22nd- Report Card are Available

• Friday, October 23rd- PTA's 2nd Annual Haunted House Event

• Friday, October 30th- Parent Luncheon

https://seminole-ms.pcsb.org/about-us/seminole-middle-school-calendar

Dear Seminole Middle School Families,

October is going to be an exciting month at Seminole Middle School! The PTSA is looking forward to bringing our students, families and community together for some fun events. We are asking for your help and participation to make these events memorable for our students.

🎃 Second Annual SMS Haunted Hallways Family Event

Friday, October 23rd
Theme: Creepy Carnival
Wristbands: $5

Our second annual Haunted Hallways Family Event is back, and this year we are transforming Seminole Middle School into a Creepy Carnival! 🎪👻

Families can look forward to a night filled with:

· 👻 A haunted house

· 🎯 Carnival-style games

· 🍔 Food trucks

· 🎃 Spooky decorations

· 🎉 Family fun and activities

To make this event a success, we need our Seminole Middle School families! The PTSA is looking for parents and family members who are willing to help with decorating, setup, and putting the event together.

If you are able to volunteer your time, please sign up here:

Haunted Hallways Build Out Sign-Up:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4DADA92CA3FD0-65258333-haunted

Haunted Hallways Day of Volunteer Sign-Up:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4DADA92CA3FD0-65437839-haunted?useFullSite=true#/

Even a small amount of your time can make a BIG difference! Please come out and enjoy the event with us! We can't wait to see our SMS families at the Creepy Carnival!

👻 Boo-Grams Are Coming Back!

The PTSA will once again be selling Boo-Grams!

Boo-Grams will be sold Monday, October 26th through Wednesday, October 28th during both lunches.

🎃 $1 each

Students can purchase a Boo-Gram to send a fun Halloween surprise to a friend, and parents can also purchase them through Givebacks to surprise their own little gremlins!

Boo-Grams will be delivered to students on Friday, October 30th.

Keep an eye out for more information on how to purchase Boo-Grams through Givebacks!

Level 2 Parents, please help the PTSA in selling Boo Grams at both lunches! We will need 2 volunteers per lunch. Thank you for any help you can offer!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4DADAC22A7FDC43-66280973-boograms

📣 Local Business Owners — We Need You!

Are you a local business owner looking for an opportunity to increase your business's visibility while supporting Seminole Middle School?

Banner spaces are selling out soon, only a few left on 131st Street, so grab yours while you can!

Interested businesses can purchase a banner space here:
https://seminolemiddle.givebacks.com/shop/items/23ec484c92

We are incredibly grateful to the local businesses and families who continue to support Seminole Middle School. Your support makes it possible for the PTSA to provide fun experiences and meaningful opportunities for our students and teachers.

Thank you for being such an important part of our Seminole Middle School community. We can't do these events without you! Whether you volunteer your time, purchase a Boo-Gram, support a local business sponsorship, or simply come out and enjoy the festivities with your family, every bit of support makes a difference.

We look forward to seeing you throughout October!

The next PTSA General meeting will be held November 12 @6pm.

Sincerely,
Seminole Middle School PTSA