Weekly Update 12/15/25

Parents, Students, and Faculty,

As we wrap up the first semester, all diagnostic and benchmark testing has been completed, and we are pleased to report that students are showing strong growth across grade levels. This week, students are focused on culminating projects, which will serve as the final academic component of the semester. In athletics, our middle school basketball team will travel to Bainbridge on Monday, while varsity basketball will play at home on Tuesday and travel to Early on Friday. Our Seminole Stix fishing team will also compete in a tournament out of Big Jim’s on Saturday, December 20.

Several important events are also scheduled this week, including a Band Interest Meeting on Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the current Middle High School cafeteria and a School Council meeting on Wednesday. Friday will be an early release day, with students dismissed at 12:30 as we begin Christmas break. This year’s break will be slightly longer for students, as teachers will have a full week of workdays dedicated to preparing for students’ arrival in the new building. We look forward to welcoming families to Open House on January 8 for high school from 1:00–3:00 p.m. and January 9 for middle school from 3:00–5:00 p.m. All students will return on January 12 in our new building as we begin an exciting new chapter for Seminole County Middle High School.

We wish all of our students, families, and staff a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We hope everyone enjoys a safe, restful, and joyful break, and we look forward to seeing you in January as we start the spring semester together at Seminole County Middle High School, the best school in southwest Georgia!

Monday, December 15:

• MS Basketball @ Bainbridge - 4:30 PM
• Band Interest Meeting - 5:30 PM

Tuesday, December 16:

• Varsity Basketball vs Mitchell - 6:00 PM

Wednesday, December 17:

• Club Rotation D
• iReady Growth Reward Party - 1:45 PM
• School Council - 3:30 PM

Thursday, December 18:

Friday, December 19:

• End of 2nd 9-weeks/1st Semester
• Early Release - 12:30 PM
• Varsity Basketball @ Early Co - 6:00 PM

Saturday, December 20:

• Seminole Stix - 2:00 PM

December 20 - January 11 - Christmas Break 🎅🎁🎄

Thursday, January 8:

• Open House - High School - 1:00-3:00 PM

Friday, January 9:

• Open House - Middle School - 3:00-5:00 PM

Monday, January 12:

• First Day in K-12 Building

Seminole County Middle High School is proud to participate in Cards for a Cure, a heartfelt project supporting 13-year-old Karson Pender of Cottonwood, Alabama. Karson was diagnosed in April with angiocentric glioma, a rare brain tumor, and is currently undergoing 15 months of chemotherapy.

This year, our 8th grade Tribes led the effort by creating handmade Christmas cards to help meet the project’s goal of sending 3,500 cards to Karson by Christmas. Cards for a Cure also encourages including $1 with each card to help the family with medical costs. Thanks to the generosity of our school community, we have collected 143 cards and $277 to send to Karson—helping bring joy, encouragement, and support to him during this challenging time.

We are grateful to everyone who contributed and helped spread Christmas cheer. Your kindness truly makes a difference. Thank you to Mrs. Melanie Spooner for heading up this great cause!

Learn more at https://www.wtvy.com/2025/12/09/cottonwood-boy-fighting-brain-tumor-receives-thousands-letters-around-world/

Congratulations to all the grade-level and schoolwide winners of the 2025-26 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Eighth grader Grayson Benefield is the new SCMS Spelling Bee Champion and will compete later this week in the county-wide spelling bee. The Seminole County Spelling Bee champion will advance to the region competition in March. Good luck to Grayson in the county-wide bee!

The journey to the National Spelling Bee begins each year with millions of students competing in schools across the country. In Seminole County, students advance through grade-level, schoolwide, and countywide contests to determine our region finalist.

Congratulations to Grayson Benefield, the 2025–26 Seminole County Spelling Bee Champion, and to Emerson Roland, this year’s region alternate. Grayson will represent Seminole County at the region bee in March.

We are proud of both students for their hard work and dedication!

On November 20th, the McFadden Nature Center welcomed the 7th grade class for an exciting day of hands-on exploration and outdoor learning. As students arrived, the Center staff had multiple interactive learning stations prepared, each designed to spark curiosity and deepen scientific understanding.

Students rotated through three engaging activities: a wildlife station, a density station, and a wetland walk. At the wildlife station, students examined skulls and animal furs up close and even participated in an invasive species game that demonstrated how non-native organisms can overpower an ecosystem. The density station offered a surprising challenge—students tested buoyancy by floating objects such as bowling balls and feathers, prompting great discussions and even more amazement.

The wetland walk was a highlight for many. Along the trail, students identified native birds, observed a small alligator, and studied the trees and habitats that support life in the wetland ecosystem.

After lunch, the afternoon brought a new round of adventure as students practiced shooting magnetic arrows and tried their hand at disc golf. Before departing, the McFadden Nature Center surprised everyone with stickers and pencils—a fun souvenir of a day well spent outdoors.

This memorable field experience offered students a chance to connect classroom learning with the natural world, all while exploring, asking questions, and getting their hands a little muddy. A wonderful day of science in action!

Our Youth Leadership group joined youth leaders from Miller County today for a joint leadership session featuring a panel of local and state leaders. Students had the opportunity to ask questions, engage in meaningful conversation, and learn more about the roles, responsibilities, and impact of each position represented.

Panelists included:
Sam Watson – Georgia State Senate
Gerald Greene – Georgia State Representative
Mark Earnest – Seminole County Superintendent
Michael Keown – Miller County Superintendent
Michael Kirkland – Facilitator

This collaborative experience allowed students to deepen their understanding of government, education leadership, and civic engagement. We are proud of how confidently and thoughtfully our students represented Seminole County.

Help the Student Council make a difference this Christmas! Starting December 8, bring canned food items to your Tribe teacher. The Tribe with the highest total will earn Nations Points and bragging rights! Let’s come together as Seminole County Middle High School and brighten the holidays for families in need!

• Support the arts at SCMHS by joining our Fine Arts Booster Club! Your involvement helps provide resources and opportunities for our talented students in band, chorus, visual arts, and drama. Whether it's volunteering your time or offering financial support, every contribution makes a difference. Join us in celebrating and strengthening the arts at SCMHS! Email seminolefinearts@gmail.com for more information.

The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) voted to amend its policies regarding Name, Image, and Likeness payments to prep student-athletes. The changes are focused on curtailing any activity from what is known as NIL Collectives, a system that has permeated and fundamentally altered college athletics. NIL Collectives are shell corporations that function to exploit loopholes in NIL policy and allow donors to pay student-athletes for their athletic talents and enrollment at specific institutions –– these payments are often used in a recruiting context to maintain current players, solicit transfer athletes, or sign top level high school recruits.

With fear of the NIL Collective system seeping down from the NCAA and into the high school level, the GHSA has taken swift action to amend its rules. The new language to GHSA policy was formally voted in yesterday: “No student-athlete may be a member of nor receive compensation or any other benefit from a Collective or NIL Club. A Collective is defined as any group organized or existing for the purpose of compensating or benefiting an individual student[-]athlete or group of student athletes of a member school. NIL Clubs are defined as a group of student athletes organized or existing for the purpose of soliciting funds or other benefits from fans, members or other sources, managing or promoting NIL activities of student athletes or otherwise providing funds or other benefits to an individual student athlete or group of student athletes.”

School Attendance public service announcement from GaDOE and Georgia Public Broadcasting