SCMS Counselor Newsletter

Important Dates

In March:

March 6th: All grades - Friday is the last day of 3rd Quarter
March 6th: PJ or Hat Day at SCMS. This is part of the year pass, but if a student hasn't purchased the year pass they may bring $2 for the day. Proceeds go back to student services and incentives.
March 16-29: Spring Break
Classes resume March 30th
ILEARN testing for Checkpoint 3 is complete. Counselors are meeting with students for make-ups until all students have completed ILEARN.
Testing: Some 6th grade students will be taking IREAD in March
Testing: Some 8th grade students will be taking CogAT on March 10th and/or NAEP on March 11th. Not all students will need to participate.

Coming up in April and May:

The last round of ILEARN testing for the year will begin in April. All grades will test for ELA and Math, with a writing component embedded in the ELA section. 6th Grade will also test for Science. Students will need to bring their headphones to complete sections of their tests.
6th Grade Field Trip Permission Forms and payment due by April 25 for the May 6 Bats Baseball Field Trip
May 1: Deadline for current 6th grade students to apply for Camp Kilowatt: https://www.indianaec.org/programs/youth/camp-kilowatt/

How to Access the ILEARN Family Portal: View Your Child's Scores

Students across the district recently completed their ILEARN checkpoint assessment. You can access the ILEARN Family Portal to view your child’s assessment scores, review their strengths and weaknesses, download and print score reports, and access additional resources.

Before accessing the portal, make sure you have your student’s unique 6-digit access code.

If you have not received an access code, please contact your child’s school.

To access your ILEARN Family Portal please follow the instructions below:

Go to the ILEARN Family Portal login page: https://in-familyportal.cambiumast.com/#/
Enter your child’s unique 6-digit access code, their date of birth and legal first name
Click the sign in button

Additional Information and Helpful Resources

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Students will attend an Education Day game designed especially for school groups. Lunch is included. This field trip is also considered a reward trip.

No in-school or out-of-school suspensions
3 or fewer office referrals
Fewer than 5 missing assignments total in all classes

Cost is $22 and includes lunch, transportation, and ticket. Permission slip is due by Friday, April 25th for the May 6th Field Trip. Please contact one of your student's core teachers with any questions.

As March arrives, it’s time to reflect on your goals and approaches to the first two months of the year, January and February.

A new month means a new opportunity for reflection and change.

Take a second and think about the things and people around you, an old habit or a routine. Does it still serve you? If not, now is the perfect time to do the right thing.

Respect your pace of growth
Allow yourself to make mistakes
Surround yourself with positive people
Take responsibility for your health
Challenge your negative self-talk
Validate your feelings

For more inspiration: https://www.ourmindfullife.com/march-quotes/

Be sure to check for assignments, study guides, resources, etc. in Schoology. Also, these Infinite Campus apps for students and parents are really helpful for notifications with grades, missing assignments, and more.

Zeros Aren't Possible

If your student has five or more missing assignments, they may be pulled for a working lunch with one of the counselors to complete any assignments marked as missing.

Indiana's 21st Century Scholarship - Due by June 30th https://learnmoreindiana.org/scholars/middle-school-resources/
Ocean Awareness Project - Due by June 8th: https://bowseat.org/programs/ocean-awareness-contest/contest-overview/ This is a creative challenge for teens worldwide. Submissions can be visual art, poetry, creative writing, dance, interactive, etc.

Students enrolled in the Free or Reduced lunch program will also be automatically enrolled in the 21st Century Scholarship Program in the 7th and 8th grades. If you need to apply for the lunch program to see if you qualify, here are the links:

PRIDE Awards:

Weekly we do a Dragon Pride drawing. Teachers have been rewarding students who demonstrate our P.R.I.D.E characteristics with a ticket. Congratulations to our winners so far. Keep up the P.R.I.D.E. actions to win more tickets and prizes.

How to sign up to see your counselor:

Fill out a slip at the front office by the dragon head, OR
Email us and let us know that you would like to be seen, OR
Ask your teacher to call/send an email

Be sure to check your email daily for the most up to date news and announcements. Students and parents will receive a daily email from the SCMS Office of announcements Monday-Friday through ParentSquare.

If still needed, here is the link to sign up for ParentSquare: https://www.parentsquare.com/signin

Counselors will share a newsletter each month highlighting upcoming events, reminders, and updates.

Past Editions for School Year 25-26:

Back to School Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/rfpzh1

September Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/h7ymw

October Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/v4u53

November Newsletter: https://app.smore.com/n/m5jd87

December Newsletter: https://app.smore.com/n/zpr0w

January Newsletter: https://app.smore.com/n/npg03

February Newsletter: https://app.smore.com/n/e1quxk