Principal's Weekly Report

Welcome Back to Week 30, Stone Family!

I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable Spring Break. We are excited to welcome our students and staff back as we begin the final countdown to summer! This is an important time of year as we refocus, finish strong, and celebrate all the growth our students have made as we make our way to State Testing in May.

Please remember that FAST Writes will take place this Wednesday, so be sure students are present and prepared.

Also, don’t forget to check out the flyers that were shared regarding tutoring opportunities, FAST Track Saturday, and upcoming Bootcamps designed to help students prepare for FAST testing in May. These supports are a great way to build confidence and reinforce skills.

Volleyball seasons spikes off on Tuesday! Tuesday is away at Southwest and Thursday is Home versus Johnson! Let's go ladies!

Remember NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY April 3!

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Let’s make these final weeks a strong and successful finish!

As always, Go Gophers!

Principal Feronti Williams

Facebook: @StoneMS

TikTok: @stonegophers

Twitter (X): @stonemms

Instagram: @stonemagnetgophers

Home | Stone Magnet Middle (brevardschools.org)

See Coach Vargas or Coach Hill is you are interested in joining the Volleyball team!

Starting the 2025-2026 school year, all K-8 schools are personal electronics free per state statue. Personal electronics include cellphones, headphones, tablets, etc. As Principal of Stone Middle School an electronic free campus is important to me. Cellphone and other electronics may be silenced in backpacks to not distract the learning. Students must secure all electronic devices in backpacks before coming on campus and may use their phones after the dismissal bell. This past summer, I read "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt and would like to share information from this book regarding teen use of electronics.

"But even when students don't check their phones, the mere presence of a phone damages their ability to think. In one study, researchers bought college students into the lan and randomly assigned them to 1) leave their bag and phone out in the entry room of the lab, 2) keep their phone with them in their pocket or bag, or 3) put their phone on their desk next to them. They then ha the students complete tasks that tested their fluid intelligence and working memory capacity, such as solving math problems while remembering a string of letters. They found that performance was best when phones were left in the other room, and worst when phones were visible, with a pocketed phone in between. The effect was bigger for heavy users. The article was titled, 'Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One's Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity' " p 128

Starting this year, two automated calls will be scheduled to families regarding students' attendance. A morning call between 11:00 am and 11:15 am will take place to alert families of an absence in the morning to help verify a student arrived to school. An additional call will be generated between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm to share with families a student's overall attendance for the day. Please remember attendance is crucial for a student's academic success.

Stone Magnet Middle School will adhere to the School Board Rules of Brevard County as cited in the Secondary Student Parent Handbook.

These are the portions most frequently referred to by parents, students, and school personnel.

The educational program offered by this District is predicated upon the presence of the student and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation. Attendance shall be required of all students enrolled in the school during the days and hours that the school is in session.

School attendance is the responsibility of parents/legal guardians and students.

• A student who is absent from class with an unexcused absence may need to complete supplemental learning opportunities.
• Excused absences may include medical appointment of the student, pregnancy related issues, court dates, religious holidays, illness with medical documentation and chronic and extended illness, insurmountable conditions, death in immediate family, and appointments for a therapy service provided by a licensed health professional.
• For excused absences, the student shall have a reasonable amount of time, up to ten (10) school days, to complete make-up work. Principals or designee may grant extensions to the make-up time limit for extenuating circumstances.

Principal: Lauren Feronti Williams

Feronti.Lauren@brevardschools.org

Assistant Principal of Curriculum: Shannon Sejeck

Sejeck.Shannon@brevardschools.org

Assistant Principal of Disciplines: Kelly Borck

Borck.Kelly@brevardschools.org