The Pirate Post

The first grading period officially ends on Tuesday, so now is the time for students to double-check that all assignments are turned in and any missing work has been made up.

Report cards will be sent home on Tuesday, November 3. Parents are encouraged to stay up to date on their child’s progress throughout the year by checking Infinite Campus, where grades and assignments are updated regularly.

Thank you for partnering with us to help every Pirate finish the quarter strong!

Come out and join us for our Powder Puff Football Game on Tuesday, October 27 at 6:00 p.m.!

Admission is $5 and families will have a couple of great dinner options that evening. Barbecue will be available for purchase at the Powder Puff game, and Burrito Shack will also be hosting a fundraiser from 5:00–8:00 p.m., with a portion of sales going back to the SBMS Cheer Team to help support the purchase of uniforms.

Whether you grab barbecue at the game or stop by Burrito Shack before or after, we appreciate you supporting our students and school programs. Come hungry and enjoy a fun night with our Pirate community!

Boo Grams are currently on sale for $1 during lunches until October 28th. Students can buy a candy treat to be delivered to a friend on Halloween!

SBMS will celebrate Halloween with a fun $1 costume fundraiser on Friday, October 30! Students may wear a school-appropriate costume to class by bringing $1 to their homeroom teacher that morning.

Please remember that the school dress code still applies, and no masks or face paint are allowed. All proceeds will support school events and activities. Thank you for helping us keep this day fun and full of Pirate spirit!

We are excited for our first Blitz Day of the school year, happening this Friday, October 30 during Encore time! Students are eligible to participate if, during the eligibility period of September 2–October 27, they have:

• No full-day ISS or OSS

• A 70% or higher in all classes

Blitz Day is our way of recognizing and rewarding students for making positive choices and maintaining strong academic performance.

We are also looking for parent volunteers to help make the event a success! Families who would like to volunteer can sign up through Pirate Parents by clicking this link.

We are looking forward to celebrating our hardworking Pirates!

Our Fall Scholastic Book Fair was a huge success, and we are so grateful for the support of our Pirate community! This year’s Book Fair generated $6,048.72 in total sales. Through our Share the Fair program and community sponsors, 44 books were donated to students, 39 books were donated to teachers, and 76 new books were added to our school library!

A heartfelt thank you to all of the families and community members who shopped, donated, and supported the Book Fair. We are especially grateful to our parent volunteers who generously gave their time throughout the week and helped everything run so smoothly. Your support helps us put more books into the hands of students, support our teachers, and continue growing our library collection. Thank you for helping us build a community of readers at SBMS!

Want to celebrate a birthday, big game, accomplishment, special occasion—or just because? You can now reserve the Pirate Rock and paint it for your special message!

🎨 Reserve your date: Sign Up Here

💳 Make your payment: Pay Here

Let’s have some fun with our Pirate Rock! 🏴‍☠️💙

There is a lot happening in our Encore classrooms at SBMS! From music, art, and PE to Spanish, carpentry, STEM, and CTE, our students are creating, performing, building, problem-solving, and learning new skills every day.

Be sure to check out the attached Beyond the Core: News & Highlights from the SBMS Encore Team for a closer look at what students have been working on, upcoming performances and activities, important reminders, and a few ways families can support our Encore programs.

Get ready to dress to impress and join us for a night under the city lights! This year’s Winter Formal theme is Under the City Lights, featuring a nighttime cityscape with navy, black, gold, ivory, stars, and plenty of lights.

The Winter Formal is open to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. The dance will run from 6:00–8:30 p.m., and tickets will be $10, which includes admission, pizza, and a drink. To meet capacity limits, we will sell 150 tickets per grade level on a first-come, first-served basis during lunches beginning mid-November. Tickets are presale only—there will be no tickets sold at the door, and students who do not purchase a ticket in advance will not be permitted to enter. Dismissal from the dance will follow the same procedures as our regular daily school dismissal.

Our Pirate Parents are also helping us prepare for the event and are seeking donations of decorations and other items to help make the evening special for our students. Families who would like to contribute can purchase an item directly from the Winter Formal Amazon Wish List below. We greatly appreciate any support our Pirate families are able to provide!

We cannot wait for our Pirates to enjoy a great night Under the City Lights!

SBMS is partnering with MENAC, Inc. (Mentor Every Neighborhood and Community) to bring an on-campus group mentoring program to our students. Trained adult mentors will meet with students weekly at school—sessions focus on life skills, emotional management, conflict resolution, goal setting, relationship building, and self-confidence with the aim of strengthening academics, attendance, and behavior. All mentoring is coordinated with school staff and supervised on site. If you’d like more details, please complete our short MENAC interest form linked below.

• Complete the Free and Reduced Lunch Application here if you haven’t already. A new application must be submitted each school year.
• Add funds to your child’s cafeteria account through k12paymentcenter.com.

Our Backpack Buddies Program provides weekend food bags for students who are experiencing food insecurity. Each Friday, qualifying students will receive a backpack filled with food items to take home. This program is run through our Student Services Department and is designed to make sure no Pirate goes hungry outside of school.

If your family would benefit from this program, please complete the form below. All information will remain confidential.

Wrestling and Girls Soccer will kick off their season on November 2nd at home versus Jacksonville Commons Middle School at 4:00 PM. Wrestling and Girls Soccer also play at home on November 5th versus Brewster Middle School at 4:00 PM.

To be eligible for any sport, students must:

• Must be a 7th or 8th grader

• Have passed 5 out of 6 classes last semester

• Have been present for at least 85% of last semester

• Have a current physical (within the last year)

• Attend a Sportsmanship Meeting with a parent/guardian

Athletic eligibility for second semester has already begun, so make sure to stay on track!

If you plan to attend games at Swansboro Middle or High School, check out the Century Club membership—it’s a great way to save money while supporting our teams! Info is linked below.

Our SBMS Golf Club is getting underway! Practices will be held from 3:00–4:00 p.m., with parent pickup in front of the Annex building at 4:00 p.m.

6th & 7th Grade Practice Dates:
October 20, November 17, December 15, January 26, February 23, April 20, and May 11. There will be no March practice, and the final event date is still to be determined.

8th Grade Practice Dates:
October 22, November 19, December 10, January 28, February 25, April 22, and May 13. There will be no March practice, and the final event date is still to be determined.

Students may not stay after school for Golf Club unless a completed permission form has been turned in. Extra forms are available in Ms. Walker’s room for 7th and 8th grade students and Ms. Eckerfield’s room for 6th grade students.

The SBMS Art Club is hosting a special Family Painting Night with Happy Cloud Art Studio on Friday, December 11, from 6:00–7:00 p.m. in the SBMS Cafeteria! Bring your friends and family for a fun evening of painting while supporting our Art Club. The cost is $15 per painter, and a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will go directly back to the SBMS Art Club.

Reserve your spot here

We hope you will join us for a fun and creative night with our Pirate community!

We are excited to share that dental services will be available at SBMS on October 29th.

Families who would like their child to be seen for a dental cleaning at free or reduced cost may complete the required permission form online or contact Kamryn Garza for assistance.

To sign up:
www.MySchoolDentist.com

Questions or need a permission form?
Kamryn Garza
kamryn.garza@onslow.k12.nc.us
910-548-0103

This is a great opportunity for families to access dental care conveniently during the school day.

Families interested in learning more about the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) are invited to attend an informational session on Thursday, October 29, from 5:30–7:00 p.m. The session will be held at the Family Education Professional Development Center (Triple Wide Trailer), 200 Broadhurst Road, Jacksonville. Families will have the opportunity to learn about several NCSSM programs, including Residential, Online, Step Up to STEM, Accelerator, Connect, and Summer Ventures.

This is a great opportunity for students and families to explore the many STEM-focused opportunities available through NCSSM and begin thinking about future academic pathways.

We are sharing the Kind Co October Food Distribution Calendar to support families in our community who may need food assistance this month. The calendar is available in both English and Spanish, and includes locations and dates for local food pantry distributions.

Families can access, download, and share the calendar anytime using the link below:

🔗 Kind Co October Calendar

🔗 Kind Co October Calendar (Spanish)

🔗 Kind Co Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thekindnesscommunity
📘 Facebook Group: Kind Co – The Kindness Community
https://www.facebook.com/groups/thekindnesscommunity

The Kind Co Facebook group also provides additional resources beyond the calendar and can help answer questions. Families may also email questions directly to kindco.calendar@gmail.com.

If your family or someone you know may benefit from this resource, please take a moment to review and share. Together, we can continue supporting one another and strengthening our community.

Onslow County Schools Federal Programs (Title I) has access to the Parent Institute Digital Library—a bilingual (English/Spanish) online resource hub designed to strengthen family engagement and support student success.

Families can find quick, research-based handouts, newsletters, and short guides organized by grade level (early childhood through high school). Topics include academics, study habits, attendance, social-emotional learning, mental health supports, and school–family communication. Resources are mobile-friendly, easy to use, and can be viewed digitally or printed at home—making it a great tool for busy families and a helpful support for our Spanish-speaking community.

Click the link below to access the Parent Institute Digital Library!

We are proud to support our military-connected students and families at Swansboro Middle School. The Camp Lejeune–New River School Liaison Program has shared their quarterly Educational Military Minute, which highlights helpful resources, upcoming events, and ways schools and families can stay connected and supported throughout the year.

October 27: Powder Puff (10/29 Rain Date)

October 27: End of Grading Period

October 30: Blitz Day

October 30: 8th Grade Band Night @ SBHS

November 2: Wrestling/Girls Soccer JCMS 4:00

November 3: Report Cards

November 4: Pirate Parent Meeting 10:30

November 4: ERPD *3 hour early release, 11:40* *locked in instructional services*

November 5: Wrestling/Girls Soccer v. BMS 4:00

November 7: OCS Cheerleading Competition (SBHS time tbd)

November 9: Wrestling/Girls Soccer v. NWPMS 4:00

November 9: Lock Down Drill (required)

November 11: Holiday - No School

November 12: Wrestling/Girls Soccer @ TMS 4:00

November 13: Career Day (8th Grade) during Encores

November 16: Wrestling/Girls Soccer v. SWMS 4:00

November 18: Fall Makeup Pictures

November 18: Interim Reports

November 18: Fire Drill (Required every month)

November 19: Wrestling/Girls Soccer @ DMS 4:00

November 21: 7th Grade Walk a Thon 9 -11

November 23: Wrestling/Girls Scocer @ NWPMS 4:00

November 25: No School for Students (Teacher Workday)

November 26 - November 27: Holiday - No School

December 1: Wrestling/Girls Soccer @ HCMS 4:00

December 2: Pirate Parent Meeting 10:30

December 3: Sportsmanship Meeting 6 PM (required 1x per year before tryouts/preseason workouts)

December 4: Winter Formal

Email: alicia.hodal@onslow.k12.nc.us

Website: https://www.onslow.k12.nc.us/swansboroms

Location: 1240 West Corbett Avenue, Swansboro, NC, USA

Phone: 910 326-3601

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwansboroMiddleSchool/