Shepherd Middle BlueJay Bulletin

What a fun Friday we had! T-Rexes were scoring touchdowns and throwing strikes on the playground. The costume contest brought out lots of creativity, with many students participating and showing off some fantastic costumes. Be sure to check out the photos below, and visit our Facebook page for a video featuring our choir students and some of the recess fun.

This week, students will enjoy a preview of the SMS Musical, Kokonut Island. The full performances will take place at the SPS Auditorium on Friday and Saturday evening. Come out and support our talented students!

Over the last few weeks, we have had a few instances of students bringing over-the-counter medicines such as allergy medicine, pain relievers, and prescription inhalers. Middle school students start to show more maturity as they grow older, and they might be able to take these items at home under your guidance, but they cannot be brought to school. Students are not permitted to self-carry or self-administer any medication unless there are specific doctor’s orders and the required paperwork on file. Please have a conversation with your child to remind them of this, and contact the office if you have any questions about these procedures.

Our focus this week is on Teamwork, understanding what it means to collaborate and contribute to a team’s success. Students are reflecting on their roles, recognizing their strengths, and learning that we can achieve more together than we can alone.

How you can help at home:
Consider asking your student: “Who is someone you enjoy working with, and what makes your team strong?”

November

• 7 & 8- Middle School Musical

7:00 pm - HS Auditorium

• 11- Veteran's Day
• 14- 1/2 DAY OF SCHOOL
• 17- NO SCHOOL
• 21- End of 1st Trimester
• 26-28- Thanksgiving Break

During the month of November, the counseling corner is focused on gratitude! Gratitude has many benefits, but one of the biggest is that it helps train our brains to look for positive things. The human brain pays more attention to negative things, so when bad things come, sometimes that becomes the only thing we can see. When we practice gratitude on a regular basis, we start to train our brain to look for and notice those positive things that we might be taking for granted or missing!

For the month of November, Mrs. Gall is issuing a challenge to all students to fill out this gratitude calendar everyday. If students complete the calendar by the end of the month (and turn it into Mrs. Gall by Wednesday December 3rd), they will be entered into a prize drawing!

Mrs. Bauer, Mrs. Gall, and Mrs. Smith recently hosted a pumpkin painting activity for our Leadership and Peer 2 Peer groups. The students had lots of fun expressing their creativity on the pumpkins! Mrs. Bauer, Mrs. Gall, and Mrs. Smith send loads of gratitude to Bryant Family Farms for the pumpkins!

Here are our winners:

With the digital world growing every day, kids are naturally drawn to explore online spaces. As parents, our role is to guide their digital journey and ensure their online experiences are safe.

One helpful tool is parental controls, which are features on devices and apps designed to help manage what children access online, limit screen time, and monitor activity. Here’s a quick look at how they work and some common myths:

• Types of Parental Controls:

  • Network-level controls filter content across all devices connected to home WiFi.
  • Device-level controls (like Qustodio) protect smartphones, tablets, and laptops, even outside the home.
  • Application-level controls are built into specific apps, like social media, and can be managed in app settings.

• What They Can Do:

  • Block inappropriate content.
  • Set screen time limits.
  • Track device locations.
  • Disable specific features like in-app purchases.

• Addressing Myths:

  • “It’s spying on kids.” Parental controls are safety tools, not for surveillance.
  • “Kids will bypass them.” Tampering often triggers alerts and opens opportunities to talk about online safety.
  • “They’re hard to set up.” Many controls offer support and tutorials, making them user-friendly.
  • “My kids won’t like it.” Kids may initially resist, but parents often find that open conversations about safety lead to understanding.

While parental controls can be useful, they’re only one piece of the puzzle. Ongoing conversations about healthy online habits, empathy, consent, and mental health are crucial to supporting kids as they grow into responsible digital citizens. The above is a summary of the article and video found here. https://shepherdschools.onlinesafetyhub.io/parent/articles/navigating-the-need-for-parental-controls

PA 57 of 2023 requires districts to provide all students in grades 6–12 with the Michigan Department of Education’s (MDE) Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Information Guide, the district’s Title IX coordinator contact information, and the district policies on sexual assault and harassment. This information, for Shepherd Public Schools, is linked below.

Email: sps_sms_office@shepherdschools.net

Phone: (989) 828-6605