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Switzerland Point Middle School


     8/24/2012

 777 Greenbriar Road

St. Johns, FL  32259
547-8650
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Message from Mrs. Kunze

 

Thanks for a great opening!  The students have been amazing this week navigating the building and remembering their locker combinations.  

 

THANK YOU to all who attended our "Get Ready for School" event last Saturday.  Having students prepared for day 1 makes a huge difference.  Also, THANK YOU to all of the parents who volunteered and worked the event!!

 

Monday, August 27th

District Writing Prompt in Language Arts Classes

Basketball Tryouts, 2:00 pm, Gym

 

Tuesday, August 28th

District Writing Prompt in Language Arts Classes

Basketball Tryouts, 2:00 pm, Gym

 

Wednesday, August 22nd

Early Release - 1pm- White Day- Classes in this order: Silver 2, Silver 3, Silver 4, Black 4(lunch), Black 2 & Black 3

PTSO Magazine Fundraiser Kick-off

Basketball Tryouts, 2:00 pm, Gym

Band, Instrument Rental Night, 6:30 pm

 

Thursday, August 23rd

Road Raiders, 2:00 pm

Band, Instrument Rental Night, 6:30 pm

 

Friday, August 24th

Band, Instrument Rental Night, 6:30 pm 

 

 Click here to read the Superintendent's Weekly Review.  

 

Home Access Information and Instructions

The school district has launched a new system for parents to access their child's academic progress.  Please review the following documents to learn more about how the system works and instructions on how to access the system.

Home Access Account Registration Instuctions 

eSchoolPlus and Home Access Center (HAC) Introduction

Home Access Center Email Verification Form 2012-2013 

 

Daily Rotation for the Week

Week of August 20

  

Monday -  Silver Day

 

Tuesday - Black Day

 

Wednesday - White Day

  

Thursday - Silver Day

 

Friday-  Black Day

 Volunteer Information
Huge Thank You
Thanks to all the students and parents that helped get the school ready before the first day.  The office aides, students of teachers, the cheerleaders, SPMS alumni and so many more took time from their summer vacation to help out.  Great Job! To all the parents that helped, thank you as well

Book Fair Volunteers
Look for a sign up email going out next week to help with the book fair!

PTSO News

PTSO NEWS

Please click below to view the meeting calendar for this school year.  Please join us, if you can.

Click here for the 2012-2013 PTSO Calendar

 

See below important PTSO information for the first few weeks of school.

 

Membership 2012/2013

Family membership is $20. Teacher membership is $10. Your membership helps us provide so much more. Please join. See form below.

Click here for membership form

 

Fundraising opt-out options are:

1) $40 (includes drawstring bag)   Correction from last newsletter

2) $60(includes drawstring bag and a t-shirt) Correction from last newsletter

(You may still receive fundraising materials, just disregard them if opted-out).

 

PTSO Member Perks
2 RAIDER BUCKS per child
FALL Dance Discount
SPRING Carnival Discount
FREE Calendar Refrigerator Magnet
FREE Directory
The winner of the "Hunger Games" Basket was Juliana Cernatescu with Mrs. Kennedy.  Congratulations Juliana!  

 

Magazine Fundraising

PTSO will kick off the school year with their first Fundraiser with Magazine Sales.  So hold off on ordering or renewing your subscriptions.  Our kickoff launch will be on Wednesday, August 29,2012.  There are great prizes including a Limo Lunch and an Extreme Dunkers Show.   All funds raised benefit Switzerland Point Middle School.

 

Important dates:

8/29 -- Magazine kick-off

8/30 -- turn in address booklets

9/7 -- 1st Turn in date 

           (sell 10 orders by 9/7 to get the limo ride)

9/14 -- 2nd Turn in date

9/21 -- 3rd and last turn in date

10/8 -- Basketball dunk show

10/12 -- Limo ride (includes lunch)

 

Spirit Wear

SPMS PTSO has a brand new spirit wear logo for both boys and girls. T-shirts (short and long sleeves), hoodies and drawstring bags will be available for pre-order only. See form below.

Click here to view exciting new Spirit Wear!

 

Box Top, [Marker]Campbell Soup & Tyson Label News

It's time again to cut those labels and be sure to watch the newsletter for upcoming contests!  Remember, each student who brings in 50 valid labels will receive one Raider Buck.  Please make sure to place your labels in a zip lock bag or an envelope with the student's name, grade and homeroom teacher's name listed. 

 

Also, please visit http://www.boxtops4education.com/  to register and learn more ways to earn Box Top credits for our school.  Thank you for your support.

Teacher Appreciation

 

Book Fair

Please look for SignUp Genius emails next week about the SPMS Book Fair. We have a lot of opportunities for Volunteers to help on different days. The SPMS Book Fair is from Monday, September 10th until Tuesday, September 18th. If you have any questions about volunteering for the Book Fair please feel free to contact Nery DiDeo at nerydideo@comcast.net  

SAC News

Switzerland Point Middle School

School Advisory Council Meeting

 

Remember! Only 1 more weeks to self-nominate for SAC membership

 

Looking to help serve your school? Do you like to be the first to know what is happening?

 

If you answered "Yes" to the questions above then SAC is right for you!

 

Please read below the responsibilities of a SAC member.  We meet the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 3:30-5:00pm.   If you are interested in SAC email Megan Miller at: millerm2@stjohns.k12.fl.us.  All interested parents and community members should contact me by September 1st.

 

The primary responsibility of the Switzerland Point Middle School (SPMS) School Advisory Council (SAC) members is assisting in the preparation and evaluation of the School Improvement Plan (SIP) while simultaneously developing the consensus among the total school community necessary to implement the SIP successfully. Details of SAC responsibilities are as follows:

1.   To take primary responsibility for developing the vision and goals, both short and long term, for Switzerland Point Middle School

2.   To oversee the development of a needs assessment and its implementation and collation

3.   To address the required State Goals and the St John's County School District's Strategic Plan based on the results of the needs assessment

4.   To oversee the development of the operational processes needed to reach the highest priority goals and standards

5.   To oversee the development of an action plan for each operational goal

6.   To oversee the development of evaluation procedures to measure progress toward meeting goals, including indicators of individual student performance

7.   To seek input from all other groups, committees, and individuals as needed

8.   To draft the initial and subsequent School Improvement Plan utilizing results from steps 1-7 with a timeline for change

9.   To assist in preparing the School's annual budget

10. To perform other activities as required by DOE and the St. Johns County School Board

11. The SAC will not involve itself directly with the day to day decisions and operational policies, unless requested, of the School, but will ensure that all activities are consistent with established goals and are designed to move the School and students toward those goals.

12. The fiscal year for the SAC will be July 1st to June 30th.

 

Membership:

 

1.   The membership of the council shall reflect the diversity of the total school community, including racial, ethnic and socioeconomic status. Membership shall consist of 9 - 15 members with 51% of members not employed by St. Johns County School District. It is further recommended that equal representation be sought from the feeder pattern. The Council may change its composition and size at any time by a majority vote of the membership provided the composition retains the required representation and balance. Each constituent group will be represented in the following way:

 

SCHOOL STAFF

-Principal

-Non-teaching staff member (1)

-Teaching Representatives (5)

 

PARENT MEMBERS - Representation by at least (5) and no more than (8) parents.

 

COMMUNITY Representatives - One or two (1-2) community representative(s) shall be appointed by the council in order to maintain an odd number of council members.

 

2.   Membership in the school council shall be determined in the following ways:

- Parents/guardians shall be elected by parents and guardians of students at the school. Parents/guardians may be nominated and acclaimed if there are equal numbers of positions and candidates.

- The community representative(s) shall be appointed by the council.

- The school principal shall be a designated member.

-Teacher representative(s) shall be elected by members of the teaching staff

- The non-teaching staff member shall be elected by members of the non-teaching staff.

 

3.   Members of SAC may not serve in more than one category at a time.

 

4.   With the exception of the Principal, members of SAC will serve a two-year term.

 

5.   Members may seek additional terms to allow for council continuity if necessary.

 

6.   Members of SAC missing two consecutive meetings or a total of three without prior notice to the Chair will automatically be dropped from  membership. The Council may vote to reinstate.

 

7.   In the event of a vacancy, it will be publicized to the school community, and the Council will appoint a representative for that position until the next academic year.

 

8.   It is the responsibility of each group to name a replacement member to fill a vacancy in a timely manner Alternates should be given priority.

 

9.   A list of persons interested in serving on SAC will be maintained in the Principal's office.

 

10.    In the event that the SAC does not have representative membership the principal, after consulting with the chair and co-chair, will appoint members. 

 

 

GUIDANCEGUGUIDANCE NEWS
Guidance NewsGuidance NewsG
Guidance Counselors
Ellen Dail - 6th grade & 7th grade A-L
Tanya Moseley - 7th grade M-Z & 8th grade

    

"Be a Parent, Not a Friend" Town Hall Meeting

The PACT Prevention Coalition will be hosting their signature event titled "Be a Parent, Not a Friend" Town Hall meeting at Bartram Trail on September 20th, 2012 from 7-9pm in the auditorium (doors open at 6:30 PM). The topic of discussion will be underage drinking and drug abuse. They will have a panel of experts along with author Toren Volkmann speaking about his personal story "From Binge to Blackout". This book has been incorporated into the HOPE curriculum in 9th grade throughout the county & parents with students at any grade level are invited to attend. For more information please contact Leann Daddario, PACT Prevention at 829-6261 or visit

www.pacttownhallmeetin.weebly.com 

REDIRECTING CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR COURSE
Are you in need of strategies that foster appropriate behavior in your children? You can learn about assessing and building relationships, styles of interaction and results to expect, handling emotions during heat-of-the-moment exchange, diagnosing motivations that lead to misbehavior, appropriate redirection strategies, improving self-esteem, fine-tuning communication skills, and creating problem solvers.
The Exceptional Student Education department of the St. Johns County School District is offering the course free of charge. The 15-hour course is divided into a series of five 3-hour classes (one night per week). Participants must attend the first class to be eligible for the remaining classes. The course is open to school district staff and to the public. Seating is limited. To register, please contact George Freeman at 
freemag2@stjohns.k12.fl.us

CAMP HEALING POWERS
This camp is for children ages 7 to 17 who have experienced the death of a loved one in the past two years. The death has to have occurred at least three months prior to the camp date. Pre-assessments are conducted by Community Hospice mental health professionals and space is limited. Please call 904-407-6222 to schedule an appointment for a camp assessment.
Camp date: September 7-9, 2012
Registration deadline: August 26, 2012 
Student's CornerSTUDENT CORNER

Attention Band Parents
If your child is enrolled in one of our band classes and you have not received any emails from our band director, Mrs. Zentz, please email her so you can receive important updates.
 zentzl@stjohns.k12.fl.us

 

Language Exploration Enrichment (LEE) 
Semester 1, Sept.-Dec 2012 
Spanish class meets twice per week after school for 50 min. each. 
Fee: $195 per student, for 24 classes. All 6-8th grade students are welcomed.  
You can download a LEE flyer for your school here

 

http;//leestjohns.pbworks.com/ 

OR visit the LEE link on your school website.
For more information contact us via email at:LEEStJohns@aol.com OR
via telephone at 904 657-1918 and leave a message.
LEE is a non profit organization benefiting your school.
Learn a Language, Share a Culture, Change the World.

 

Student's Corner- Just for 8th Graders

Watch for exciting news just for the 8th graders!

Policy Reminders
Switzerland Point Standards
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Be Safe 
 

School Safety! 

Students, remember YOU help us keep Switzerland Point safe.  Report any suspicious activity to Dean Hurst or Deputy Kowieski, or use the school tip line at 335-8609

 

Backpacks

Just a reminder that large backpacks can be carried to and from school.  Students MUST keep the backpack in their locker.  Students are allowed to carry a small drawstring backpack to class with supplies.  Students who carry a large backpack to class will be told to return to their locker and will be given a tardy to class.

 

Chewing Gum

Gum is NOT allowed on the Swiss Point campus.  All students have been given their warning during the Expectation Assemblies this past week.  Students chewing gum will immediately be sent to In-School-Detention.  

 ATHLETICS

SPMS Road Raiders

Road Raiders will begin on August 30, 2012 right after school from 2pm - 3:30 pm. All students will meet at the courtyard near the library. All students need a physical completed and turned into Ms. P before they are allowed to run.

 

Students who are interested need to stop by either Ms. Piscitello's room (Rm. 575), Mrs. Bransford's room, or Mrs. Miller's room (Portable 1) for more information. The SPMS Road Raiders website will also provide information, and parents are encouraged to look at that.

 

2012 SJMSAA Raider Football Schedule

Date     School              Location                           Time

8/30      Indian Trails      Plantation Park               7:00

9/6        Pacetti Bay       Plantation Park               5:00

9/13      Murray               Murray MS                       5:00

9/20      Sebastian         Joe Pomar Park             6:00

9/27      Fruit Cove         Plantation Park               6:00

10/4      Landrum            Landrum MS                   5:00

10/11    Buddy Taylor    Flagler Palm Coast HS  6:00

10/24    Liberty Pines    Bartram Trail HS             5:00

 

 

  

Lunch Menu
Click here to view information regarding the cafeteria. 

 

Traditional  lunch is $2.60
Ala carte pricing can be found using the link on the parent page of the SPMS website.

  

Week of August 27

 

Monday - Macaroni and Cheese, Asian Glaze Chicken over brown rice, Steamed Broccoli, Cherry Tomatoes & Celery Stick Dippers with LF Dressing Dunk Cup, Pineapple, Variety of Milk

 

Tuesday - Mini Corn Dogs, Cheese Tortellini & Marinara Sauce, Baby Carrots & Cucumber with LF Dressing Dunk Cup, Peaches, Variety of Milk

 

Wednesday - Cheesy Garlic Flatbread Pizza, Spinach and Romaine Mix Salad, Corn, Sliced Apples, Variety of Milk

 

Thursday - hamburger on a Bun, Hot Dog on a Bun, Potato Wedges, Baked Beans, Pears, Lettuce, tomato, pickle cup,Variety of Milk

 

Friday - Chicken Nuggets, Beef Quesadilla Max, Sweet Potato Puffs, Green Beans, Applesauce, Variety of Milk


Community Events
Just for Parents

The Florida Department of Education's Bureau of Family and Community Outreach is pleased to send you our "Just for Parents" newsletter.  We hope that you will share this newsletter with your friends, colleagues, schools and especially parents. 

Our first issue, published in July, focuses on fun ways to keep children actively learning throughout the summer break from school.

Our August issue offers great tips for parents to help get the new school year off to a great start, how to choose a quality afterschool program, what children will be learning in their grade level this year, and more!

To view the July and August newsletters that include "live" links to other helpful resources, please click on the link below which will take you to the Florida Department of Education's "Just for Parents" web page. http://parents.fldoe.org/newsletter