It was wonderful to see everyone back at school and much healthier than before the break! It has certainly been a snowy start to 2020. Thanks to parents for using extra caution when dropping off and picking up students. This is a key learning term at Shuswap Middle School. Read on for more info about upcoming events.
Drop off and Pick up
With more snow than we can ever remember at SMS, please use extra caution when in and around our parking lots. The SD 83 maintenance crew and the City of Salmon Arm have been working hard to help us keep up with the snow that just keeps on coming! We have extra supervisors outside in the morning and after school to ensure safety for our students and staff members. The City is working hard to keep the Field of Dreams Parking Lot and the crosswalk clear. This is an excellent option for pick up and drop off. If you use our lower parking lot (by turning right as soon as you enter the school driveway), please remember that the exit is onto Okanagan Ave, and you cannot return to the driveway. Please drive as far down as possible before dropping your child(ren) off to avoid a back up of cars. If you are dropping your students at the door, (we try to keep this option for students with physical needs or carrying extra supplies), please ensure you have good snow tires to get up the hill, and stop at the stop sign above the now buried crosswalk to ensure no students are crossing, and no buses are entering before proceeding. There is no student pick up in the upper parking lot after school. Our administration team is meeting with all classes today and tomorrow to remind students to use extra caution as well. Please remind your child(ren) that drivers are dealing with extra stress in all of this snow, and to be thoughtful and safe when they are walking. Thanks everyone, for your extra awareness and caution as 670 students and 80 staff members are safely getting to and from school.
Term 1 Celebration and Effort List
We celebrated the many accomplishments of our students at our final assembly of 2019. Congratulations to students who achieved straight Gs on their report cards, and made the Term 1 Effort List. We were proud to recognize the athletes and coaches who represented SMS on our rugby, cross country and volleyball teams, and gave a cheer to the students who dedicated time to helping in the library and office. The assembly was topped off with a rousing sing-a-long led by Mr. David Izik-Dzurco who returned to SMS with his fabulous choir. We are not sure the “Twelve Days of Christmas” has ever been sung with such enthusiasm and volume!
Term 2
The second term at SMS is a key learning term for our students. It was wonderful to see the productive learning already taking place on our first day back to school after the break. The next few months provide students with an opportunity to focus on their learning. Our teachers have worked hard to prepare excellent learning activities, and our classrooms will be focused on academics in addition to the many extra-curricular events that take place in the upcoming months. Mr. Matheson, Ms. Major and Mrs. Woodhurst are visiting all classes this week to review school wide expectations for a respectful and productive second term. We have been very impressed with our students this year, and many guest speakers and presenters have commented on how engaged and well behaved our students are during school wide and classroom events. Thanks to all parents for sending us great kids, and our staff for their hard work with our SOAR expectations (Safe School, Own our Behaviour, Actions, Respect for all), and great teamwork when students make mistakes they learn from.
Winter Sports
Wrestling is well under way with practices each Tuesday. Thank to Mr. Lazar for coaching! We have over 100 grade 6 and 7 boys and girls playing basketball. This is the last week to come out to practice if students wish to play on the grade 6 and 7 teams. Girls practice Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30-4:00 and Monday mornings at 7:00. Boys practice on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:30-4:00 and Friday mornings at 7:00. We have a large number of coaches helping Mr. Smith with the teams! Thanks to Mme Vezina, Ms. Mueller, Ms. Verney, Mme Tait, Mr. Neid (from Jackson), Mrs. Currie, Mrs. DeWitt, Mr. Mueller, and Mrs. Woodhurst for making it possible to have so many grade 6 and 7 students participating. Grade 8 basketball is in full swing with Ms. Mueller and Mr. Smith coaching the girls, Mr. Rodwell and Mr. Henderson coaching one of our boys’ teams, and Mr. and Mrs. Harrington coaching the other. The Pirate Loppet takes place at the end of January. Mme Weir and Ms. Major will be working with our skiers. As always, we are proud of our athletes and coaches who represent SMS so well.
Activities
The sledding hill is a popular place at lunch time and provides great exercise! Mr. Matheson will be purchasing extra sleds this week to keep up with the demand. In addition, the library is open on Mondays and Wednesdays for grade 8s, Tuesdays and Fridays for grade 6/7s and Chess Club for all at lunch on Thursday. Our Art Room and Sewing Room are open at lunch on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays. Other opportunities include Dungeons and Dragons on Mondays, the Gay Straight Alliance on Thursdays, Magic Club on Tuesdays and Fridays, leadership on Tuesdays, Pinterest Club on Tuesdays and Thursdays, mindful Mondays on Mondays, Francais Fridays on Fridays, Indigenous Boys group on Tuesdays, Indigenous Girls group on Thursdays and the Indigenous room open to all for Popcorn Fridays. Phew! We have an incredible staff who work hard to provide interesting opportunities for our students in addition to the great work they do in the classroom!
Phones at SMS
A reminder that each classroom has a telephone for student use with their teacher’s permission, and that there is a phone for student use outside of the counselling center. If students bring a phone to school they are asked to put their phone in their locker during the day to ensure safety. Phones are not to be visible unless a classroom teacher gives permission. We ask that parents do not text your child(ren) during the school day. If you need to reach your child(ren), please contact Cinnamon at the front desk and she will get a message to them. If there is a family emergency, please ask Cinnamon to have one of our administrative team connect with your child(ren). Students may use their personal phones after school to connect with parents. We are working hard to respect the positive learning environment at SMS and appreciate your support.
Upcoming Events
Please remember to check our website each Sunday. Our goal is to post weekly events prior to dinner time so that families can organize their week. Here are a few January dates for your calendars:
January 10th Grade 8 Band Students “Family Day” with Jackson. Parents welcome to
attend concert at 1:45 in gym.
January 17th Yellow Team to Larch Hills
January 20th PAC meeting 6:30 pm in the library
January 22nd Grade 8 Ski Day at Revelstoke Mountain (permission forms due Jan. 10th)
January 31st Wrestling Tournament at SMS
January 31st Pirate Loppet at Larch Hills
Feb. 7 & 8 Barry Dearing Basketball Tournament at SMS
It is nice to have our regular winter weather back! Thanks to everyone for helping to keep our students safe and warm last week. Mr. Matheson will be the acting principal at Silver Creek Elementary School for the next two weeks. We are pleased to have Mme Weir helping us in the office and Mme King working with Mme Weir’s CORE. Our Winter Band Concert is just a week away. Hope to see you Monday, January 27th in the gym for a 7:00 pm start.
