News from the Shark Tank
August 7, 2022
“Intelligence plus character—that is the true goal of education.” ~ Martin Luther King
Important Dates
August
August 8: Open House 10:30 - 12 or 5:00 - 6:30
August 10: First day of school!
August 14: : SSES Night at the Fred Nats!
August 22: Be Positive school spirit day
August 29: Sunglasses school spirit day
September
September 5: Labor day holiday for staff/students
September 9: Patriot day
September 15: International Dot day
September 16: Fall picture day
Need to Know
Open House!
We are excited to welcome back all our returning Sharks and meet our newest Sharks on Monday during our Open Houses! We will be open for two sessions so families may choose the time that is best.
Session 1: 10:30am - 12:00pm
Session 2: 5:00pm - 6:30pm
Additional Tasks at Open House:
Daily Parent Pick Up:
If your child will be a daily pick up and you have not picked up your new car tag, please stop by the table in the lobby. Parents must complete the paperwork in order to receive Car Tags and family identifying number.
Chromebooks:
Please visit the cafeteria in order to complete the Chromebook Agreement for your students so they may use a school device.
Student Profile Sheets:
These are available in your students' classroom. Please review and/or update for correct information regarding your student so that we may have the correct contact information and adults who have permission to pick up your child.
PTO
Our PTO will have a table set up with more information regarding memberships, volunteer options and spirit wear to purchase!
First Days of School
Dismissal:
Parents, please be patient during our dismissal process during the first few days of school. As we take special care to ensure all students learn the dismissal process, buses will be later than usual and our parent pick up line will take more time. As everyone learns the routine the process will speed up and dismissal times will improve.
School Cash Online
Spotsylvania County is introducing a new way for parents to pay for field trips, yearbooks, school clothing, athletic fees, and more. It's called SchoolCash Online.
SchoolCash Online is a web-based program that integrates online payment options for parents with our offices' school-level accounting. SchoolCash Online helps parents and community members pay school-related fees safely, quickly, and easily. By using SchoolCash Online, you help increase efficiency and security at your school by making payments directly into your school's bank account. This allows teachers and secretaries to focus on helping students, and not counting cash. In addition, you are immediately informed about school activities!
Powered by KEV Group, SchoolCash Online is the industry leader in the management of school fees. This system puts all of the school-related fees for your student online for purchase. Schools post their items and activities and assign the relevant fees to your student, so you can then make purchases online using your credit card. This allows you to stay informed about upcoming school activities while keeping track of the school fees that require your attention.
SchoolCash Online is safe, simple, secure, and saves time. The online platform offers tremendous benefits to parents, guardians, staff and students. Please refer to the handout provided by your child's teacher for more in formation and register an account for your family!
Should you encounter any difficulties, please contact the SchoolCash Online parent help desk by visiting schoolcashonline.com/Home/Support.
Shark Counselor's Corner:
Welcome back Sharks!
We are so excited to start this new school year. Great news in the counseling department- we have two full-time school counselors to serve our students and families! Alicia Eye is returning this year and will be working with grades 1, 3, and 5. A big welcome to Jennifer Waterman, who is coming to us from Spotsylvania HS! She will be working with grades K, 2, and 4.
This form will be sent home as part of the Back to School paperwork; however, if you prefer to fill it out virtually please click here. It is a survey to let us know how we can support you and your family OR if you are interested in donating school supplies/food for the school food pantry.
To start bulking up our supplies, we are in need of several food and school supply items:
Chips/crackers
Pop tarts/oatmeal
Applesauce/fruit cups
Granola bars
Binders
Scissors
Headphones
Pocket folders
Pencil Sharpeners
If you are able to donate, please drop off items in the front office and let them know they are for the school counseling department. A HUGE thank you to anyone able to donate!
We will be starting the Friday food bag program for our families who have a limited supply of food at home on August 19, 2022. Please contact your school counselor if you are interested in participating in this program.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your school counselor with any questions, concerns, or even to just say hello! We can’t wait for a wonderful school year!
Alicia Eye
School Counselor; Grades 1, 3, and 5
540-786-5443 ext. 8424
Jennifer Waterman
School Counselor; Grades K, 2, and 4
jwaterman@spotsylvania.k12.va.us
540-786-5443 ext. 8426
News from the PTO
Come meet members of the PTO board at Back to School day at our table! There will be donuts for sale ($1.00 each or a dozen for $10.00) along with some school spirit wear (cash or check accepted).
We could use your help, join Smith Station PTO by filling out the online link or printing out the form and bringing it to the Back to School event or sending in with your student on the first day of school.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1N3sTcGSiUCC1igxH7-tSMRjSUeZO8LucacDsY_w1Z4w/edit
If you haven’t already, please follow us on Facebook. We will be posting our events, school news and our meeting dates and times.
Purposity
Looking for a way to support our families in need? We’re excited to announce our new partnership with @purposity! To support our mission, just download the Purposity app and follow Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Your donations will help fill the shelves of our Treasure House, which directly supports our students in need. To get started, download the Purposity app in the App Store or Google Play and be sure to follow us.
Purposity
get one weekly notification, read the story of a student in need, and decide if you want to help - all from your phone in under a minute. Download Purposity in the App Store or Google Play and be sure to follow SCPS!
IMPORTANT RESOURCES:
RACSB 24-hour emergency mental health services: (540) 373-6876
The Fredericksburg Food Bank (540) 371-7666 is still providing food for families in addition to what we distribute at schools
The RACSB Spotsy office is able to offer virtual intake sessions and therapy appointments: 540-582-3980
Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Department non-emergency number: (540) 507-7200
Domestice Violence Hotline (Empowerhouse): 540-373-9373, 1-877-734-7238
Virginia 211 offers local information about services, food/rent support, etc.: dial 211
Suicide hotline: 800-273-TALK
Substance abuse hotline: 800-662-HELP
Smith Station Facebook Page
Translation Help
Spanish:
Para traducir este documento a otro idioma, por favor use el botón "Traduce" al final de la página.
Urdu:
س دستاویز کو کسی دوسری زبان میں ترجمہ کرنے کے لئے ، براہ کرم ذیل میں "ترجمہ کریں" بٹن کا استعمال کریں۔
Farsi:
برای ترجمه این سند به یک زبان دیگر ، لطفاً از دکمه "ترجمه" در زیر استفاده کنید
Smith Station Elementary
Website: spotsylvania.k12.va.us/smithstation
Location: 7320 Smith Station Court, Fredericksburg, VA, USA
Phone: (540) 786-5443
Facebook: facebook.com/SmithStationElementary
Twitter: @smith_station