In the Middle

As we gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible community we have built together. Your dedication, support, and hard work make Scituate Middle School a special place to learn and grow.

I am truly thankful for our amazing students, who bring energy, enthusiasm, and creativity to our classrooms every day. I am also grateful for our dedicated teachers and staff, who go above and beyond to provide our students with a high-quality education.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with joy, love, and good food.

With gratitude,

Dana

Nov. 25th - Toys for Tots Assembly Kickoff Assembly

Nov. 26th - Grade 8 Music Department Field Trip

Nov. 26th - Agriculture Club and Detention cancelled - no late buses

Nov. 27th-29th -Thanksgiving Recess - No School

Dec. 9th - Lifetouch Picture Retakes

The Agriculture Club will have a table set up at our local Winter Farmers Market this year! Stop by if you can and check out our festive selection of tiny decorated cacti.

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. All links are in our Linktree below

A simple thank you doesn't seem big enough. To all the donors, students, faculty, staff, parents, and all the volunteers that helped make this so successful, we are eternally grateful. A special thank you to the parents who volunteered their time the day of the event; without you, it would not have run so flawlessly. We are looking forward to many more of these in the years to come. The funds will be used to bring the students of SMS the best middle school experience by offsetting costs to field trips, dances, events, etc. Thank you again from the bottom of our Spartan hearts!

Next week kicks off our annual Holiday Sale! There will be new designs featured as well as exciting new product lines! We will be adding some winter sports as well. This sale will run through November and beginning of December, with guaranteed delivery for Christmas.

Several parents have reached out to inquire about access to SmartPass to monitor how much time their child is out of class. SmartPass offers a parent account. Please email me for your child's unique access code.

Late buses are available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Buses typically arrive around 3:45-4:00, depending on when the elementary runs are complete. Parents and guardians picking up their children should wait in the high school's main parking lot. Students will exit those doors and not the middle school doors; they would usually get picked up at normal dismissal time.

Students, did you know that beginning on Wednesday, October 23rd, you can sign up each week to get extra help after school in reading, writing, or math if you need it?

Ms. Kennedy (Math) is available after school on Wednesdays from 2:20-3:20 for Math Academic Support in Room 404.

Ms. Limoges (ELA) is available for reading and writing support after school on Thursdays from 2:20-3:20 in Room 402.

Sign-up sheets will be in the main office, and attendance is on a first come, first served basis, as there is a class cap. Please see Ms. Limoges, Ms. Kennedy, or Ms. Goffe if you have any questions about staying after school.

Agriculture Club meets on Tuesdays and is open to middle and high school students interested in nature and the environment. Projects throughout this year include the creation of an on-campus butterfly garden, a "power of plants" great plant give-away, a holiday sale, and filling our greenhouse throughout the early spring with flowers and veggies to sell at our annual plant sale. Additionally, we volunteer at the local water festival and participate in DEM's RI Salmon in the Classroom experience. For more details, please see our Agriculture Contract below. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Travers (email is linked here).

The Technology Student Association is a national student organization with over 300,000 members. TSA projects and competitions include robotics, game design, engineering, and more. Through hands-on learning experiences, these projects aim to nurture innovative thinking. We hope to empower the next generation of inventors, storytellers, and problem-solvers. Join us as we use technology to unlock our students' creative potential! This club meets on Wednesdays after school. Reach out to Mr. Sheehan if you have any questions. His email is linked here.

Project Linus is a national organization that makes blankets for children in crisis. In past years, there have been students who were recipients of blankets while they were hospitalized. At one point in time, SMS was the only school-based club in the state.

This club is open to all grades and meets on Thursdays. During these first few weeks, Mrs. Battey teaches the 8th graders how to make the blankets. By the second meeting, these students are then tasked with preparing the fabric for others to finish off. As new students join the club (once the club is opened to 6th and 7th graders), these 8th grade student leaders are in charge of teaching these students how to make the blankets. This, then, becomes a student-led club where students are truly leaders as they teach and otherwise manage the club. If you have any questions about this club, please reach out to Mrs. Battey. Her email is linked here.

Scituate Middle School’s student council is a student-led organization that aims to enhance the school experience for all students. They meet on Thursdays in room 424 in the middle school. Ms. Sandra D'Amico is the advisor. She is not only a parent of a SHS senior but also a paraprofessional at North Scituate Elementary School. The roles and responsibilities of the student council include:

Planning and Organizing Events:

• Spirit and awareness days

• Feinstein community service projects

Developing Leadership Skills:

• Learn about leadership roles and responsibilities

• Practice public speaking and presentation skills

• Gain experience in teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving

Building School Spirit:

• Promoting school pride and unity

• Organizing school-wide activities

• Encouraging positive behavior and school culture

Ms. Norton will be creating the middle school yearbook this year. If you have photos that you would like to see included in the yearbook, please email them to sms_yearbook@scituateschoolsri.net This includes photos from all of our SMS Athletic Teams.

Dear Scituate Families,
It’s hard to believe the holidays are right around the corner! In past years, the Scituate community has been able to provide families with support in purchasing gifts for the holidays and preparing a meal for their holiday celebrations.

If you are interested in receiving for the upcoming holiday season, please complete this form with the information needed, or you may contact Ms. Jennifer Ricci, our middle/high school social worker, at jennifer.ricci@scituateschoolsri.net. Please be assured your confidentiality will be maintained.

https://forms.gle/in27n3SUDyzBiYDT8

Forms should be completed by Friday, December 6th, so we may plan for the number of families we will support.
Thank you!

Parents and guardians, do you have prescription medications at home? Do you need a safe way of storing them and protecting teens in your household?

Officer Parenti and the members of our high school's SADD program have brand new med safe lock boxes and bags to give out.

Request a box or bag from Officer Parenti by sending an email to: richard.parenti@scituateschoolsri.net

The CDC reports the US has had increases in children diagnosed with walking pneumonia among all school aged groups. Walking pneumonia is a less serious form of the lung infection pneumonia. It's often caused by bacteria called Mycoplasma pneumoniae, but other bacteria or viruses can also cause it. When it seems like a cold is lasting longer than 7 to 10 days, especially if a cough is getting worse or not going away, it could be walking pneumonia. Symptoms can come on suddenly or take longer to start. The symptoms are often mild, but sometimes can be more severe.

There is no home treatment for pneumonia. Although cough suppressants, expectorants, or fever-lowering drugs may be helpful, they should not be started without discussing their use with your doctor. If you have bacterial pneumonia, you will need to take an antibiotic. Fluids and rest during bouts of the common cold can help prevent progression to pneumonia. If you wash your hands frequently, you can reduce your chances of catching a virus. Students may return to school when they are fever-free, and after being cleared by their health professional. If your child has been diagnosed with Pneumonia please report this to the health office.

For more information, please refer to this article from the CDC.

Thank You,

Sarah Makowski RN

School Nurse

sarah.makowski@scituateschoolsri.net

We will be holding a vaccination clinic on Thursday, December 5th.

The Scituate School Department has partnered with Unite Us to streamline the process of applying for free and/or reduced lunches.

Please click the link which will take you to the meal benefit application on the State of Rhode Island Department of Education website.

https://ride.ri.gov/child-nutrition/unite-us-electronic-school-meal-benefit-application

Please fill in all fields. Be sure to select Scituate Public Schools in the field “Select the school district that your child will receive school meals from”.

If you have any questions, please call: Jennifer Carnevale, Executive Finance Assistant at 401-647-4100 option 2, then option 3

The meeting schedule for the 24/25SY are listed below. The meetings will take place at Ponaganset Middle School, Room 150 at 6:00 pm.

Dec 10, 2024

Feb 11, 2025

May 13, 2025

The Scituate School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, race, religion, national origin, color, creed, political affiliation or disability in any of its educational programs and activities, and in employment and application for employment, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1965, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and other federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Equal Employment Officer, P.O. Box 188, North Scituate, Rhode Island 02857, Telephone: (401) 647-4100; Email: EEO@ScituateSchoolsRI.net. You may also direct inquiries directly to: Office for Civil Rights (Boston Office), U.S. Department of Education, 8th Floor, 5 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109-3921, Telephone: (617) 289-0111; Facsimile: (617) 289-0150; Email: OCR.Boston@ed.gov. If you require an accommodation to attend a meeting or program at a school, call the Equal Employment Officer at least two business days in advance of the meeting or program.