The Counseling Chronicles are a quarterly update that we will be sending to all SRMS parents. Along with quarterly updates, we will also post resources that may be of interest to SRMS parents. Please do not hesitate to reach out, we are certainly a team!

Need to pick up your child early?

Please submit your intended pick-up time into School Dismissal Manager to make the school aware. Once you arrive at SRMS, you may pull up to the front doors by the flagpole and call the main office. They will locate your child and send them out to you. Please allow extra time for your child to stop at their locker.

Will your child be late?

Please submit your intended drop-off time to the School Dismissal Manager to make the school aware. Please make sure your child checks in with the attendance office upon arrival in order to be properly excused.

Will your child be absent?

When your child is home sick, they should rest. If they are up to working, they can check Google Classroom and do what they can. Please do not forget to report absences in School Dismissal Manager (SDM).

Chromebook Advice:

Please make sure your child has their Chromebook charged for each school day. Students are not allowed to place stickers on their Chromebooks, a fine will be charged if this occurs.

STAY UP TO DATE:

Teachers will post assignments on Google Classroom. Your child has Google Classroom access, feel free to sit with them and have them show you what they are working on.

PowerSchool is where grades are posted. If work is missing, you will see a zero. When the work has been made up, the zero will change to the new grade.

Hello 6th Grade Families!

Let me begin by introducing myself to you, my name is Mrs. Boatman, the 6th grade counselor. I am excited for the adventure ahead with this wonderful new class of students. I will be meeting and getting to know all 200 students in the class of 2031! It is our mission to equip our students with specific skills to help them navigate these important middle years. Through the next 3 years, I will provide a program that focuses on academic, career, and social, emotional, and behavioral development. Some supports that I offer all students in our class are:

• Individual counseling

• Group counseling

• Lunch groups- I had 102 kids sign up!

• Counseling lessons- I push into the classroom at least once a quarter

• Collaboration with teachers, parents, administrators, and other key stakeholders

• Referrals and collaboration with outside agencies

• Academic assistance and grade reporting

• Parent resources and support

• High school planning and career exploration

• And much, much more!

Middle school is a time of life that is filled with changes and challenges. We are definitely in this together so please do not hesitate to call or email me with questions.

Warmly,

Stephanie Boatman

Dear Scotts Ridge Families-

Welcome to the start of your child's 7th grade year! It has been a pleasure to welcome your child back to SRMS! As they start out on this new chapter of middle school, I am committed to providing students with a supportive and nurturing environment. I understand that the new year can bring about both excitement and uncertainty. I am eager to support your child in navigating any challenges they may face. It is going to be an incredible year filled with many successes, lessons learned, celebrations and hopefully very few disappointments!

It is my pleasure & honor to begin my 20th year as a School Counselor. Over the years, I have found working with families and students to be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. I consider myself fortunate to be engaged in a career that I have passion for and allows me to connect in a meaningful way with adolescents. It is my goal to help every child feel appreciated and honored for the unique individuals that they are and understand that what they do and say in the world matters. I try to instill the same philosophy at home with my own three children as well! It's not uncommon for a parent to leave me a voice mail or send an email saying "I'm not sure if I should bother you with this..." I want to assure you that I not only would like your input, I need it! After all, no one knows your child as well as you do and that knowledge can be invaluable for planning the work I do with them. I love being able to collaborate with families and parents to help each and every child strive for their goals. School Counselors can offer a variety of services such as short-term individual counseling, check-ins, skill-based Workshops, student advocacy, developmental guidance, family consultation, collaboration with teachers, case management, and restorative practices.

I’m thrilled to continue my work with the 7th-grade class this year and continue on their middle school journey as they grow into young adults. I have started meeting with them individually and have started weekly lunch groups. Please do not hesitate to call or email me if there is anything I can do to assist your child. I hope that it’s a great start to the school year for your family, and I look forward to an exciting year ahead!

Warmly,

Liz Reynolds, MA, NCC, LPC

School Counselor

Scotts Ridge Middle School

Welcome back SRMS families!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable and refreshing summer! A great focus point for the start of the year is time management as it is one of the skills 8th graders continuously work on perfecting. Modeling how to carve out time for school work, relaxation, extra curricular activities and family time is a great way to foster those skills.

8th grade is a very exciting year full of milestones as we pave the way for the transition to 9th grade. This is a key time for students as they prepare for high school. This fall, I will meet with students to discuss Alternative High Schools in the area and Naviance (a comprehensive online platform to help students make informed decisions about their future). In the winter and spring, RHS school counselors will visit and discuss the different class choices prior to students selecting their classes for freshman year.

I’m delighted to continue my work with the 8th grade class this year and further their journey as they prepare for high school. I hope your family is having a great start to the school year and I look forward to an outstanding year ahead!

All the best,

Nicki Smith

Check out our Parent Workshops from the 23-24 school year. The first parent workshop of this year will be released in November so please keep your eyes peeled for that!

Check out other Parent Workshops here!

Department Leader

Email: sboatman@ridgefieldps.net
Website: srms.ridgefield.org
Location: 750 North Salem Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: (203) 894-5725 3407

Email: dsmith@ridgefieldps.net
Website: srms.ridgefield.org
Location: 750 North Salem Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: (203) 894-5725 3410

Email: ereynolds@ridgefieldps.net
Website: srms.ridgefield.org
Location: 750 North Salem Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: (203) 894-5725 3409

8th (M-Z), 7th & Rise

Email: sminotti@ridgefieldps.net
Website: srms.ridgefield.org
Location: 750 North Salem Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: (203) 894-5725 3416

8th (A-M) & 6th

Email: kvanallsburg@ridgefieldps.net
Website: srms.ridgefield.org
Location: 750 North Salem Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: (203) 894-5725 3408

Email: aavila@ridgefieldps.net
Website: srms.ridgefield.org
Location: 750 North Salem Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: (203) 894-5725 3451