Week of September 26th - 30th 

Monday - Silver Day

Tuesday - Black Day

Wednesday - Silver Day- 1pm dismissal

Thursday - Black Day

Friday - Silver Day

2nd Annual Drive Fore Education Golf Tournament

Saturday, November 5th with a 1:30pm start time

The Champions Club at Julington Creek

$75 per golfer and $300 per foursome.

7th Grade (TIP) Talent Identification Program Information

Duke TIP (Talent Identification Program) seeks to identify students with strong intellectual abilities that would like to voluntarily take the ACT or SAT while in 7th grade. This program is not sponsored by Swiss Point but we are happy to provide parents with the information needed to register with TIP if interested:

1. Please review your child's 5th or 6th grade standardized test scores (FCAT, TerraNova, Iowa, CTBS, SAT, ITBS, etc).

2. If your child scored at or higher than 95% on either the reading OR math portions on a norm referenced test, he/she is eligible to register for TIP. Florida students took the FCAT in 5th and 6th grade which does not provide a percentile score, however, the developmental score can be converted to a percentile score that can be used on the registration form. If your child scored at or above the following developmental scores in 5th OR 6th grade they can register:

5th grade Reading 2142

5th grade Math 2018

6th grade Reading 2220

6th grade Math 2079. 

***Please note that all of the qualifying developmental scores are within the FCAT Level 5

3. Please find all of the information about the program, differences between tests (ACT/SAT), when and where the tests are offered and how to register by going to Duke TIP's website at www.tip.duke.edu. If you have any additional questions please call TIP at (919 )668-9100

4. If you do register for one of the tests ($72.00 cost), you will use the following middle school ID: 200293-AB

5. If unable to access the site please send your child to the guidance office for a paper registration to take home.

Support Groups for Grieving Families

Community Hospice of NE Florida conducts therapeutic support groups throughout the year. To learn whether a Community Hospice therapeutic support group might be right for you, call Roxanne Miller at 904-407-6330. Locations for the group meetings are in Mandarin (September 20-Novermber 8) and in St. Augustine (October 5-November 30).

How To Help Your Child Succeed in School

Parents often ask School Counselors for tips on how to help their child be more successful in school. While every student is different, there are some basics that are beneficial:

Be informed:

1. Subscribe to the school e-newsletter so that you will not have to depend on your child to give you accurate information. 

2. Write the password to the Parent Assist account in a safe but visible place and use it so you and your child will know how he/she is doing at least every other week. Please remember that we only send report cards home at the end of each quarter and it is your responsibility to check the Parent Assist account for ongoing progress updates.

3. Create shortcuts to your desktop or to your favorites for each of your child's teachers webpages. This will ensure easy access to homework/projects that teachers post on their websites for your child to check against their planner and for you to be aware of.

4. If you have a concern about your child's performance in a class please email the teacher.

Structure your child's home study area and time: Middle school students NEED BOUNDARIES!

It is the parents' responsibility to create and implement those boundaries. Your child should empty his/her backpack every day, organize materials for the next day, finish homework that was not done during study hall, study for assessments and read every school day. We have many students who do not complete or turn in homework and we need their parents' support. The adults (at home and at school) should not have to work harder that the child to ensure they are responsible, but they do need to provide the expectation, place, time and supplies to make sure homework is completed. With Silver and Black days, a visual reminder of the classes for each day, a color coded calendar for the month with both color days marked, and even a different trapper/drawstring bag for each color day will help.

Limit and monitor the use of social media sites/video games/texting:

Middle school students are not adults who have the self-regulatory skills to know how to manage this technology or the risks associated with them. Students need their parents' guidance to benefit and not be hurt by this technology. Additionally, when at school, students will focus on learning and not so much on the "drama" that social media sites such as Facebook may create.

Have dinner together as much as possible: 

Dinner is a great time to ask specific questions about your child's day. If you ask open ended questions that do not result in your child responding with "yes, no, nothing, OK, fine" it will give you a chance to learn about your child's social and academic life at school.

Monday - hot dog on bun OR fish sandwich on bun, baked beans, applesauce, assorted fresh fruits, fruit juices & milk

Tuesday - cheeseburger on bun OR chicken quesadilla max, vegetable blend, sliced peaches, assorted fresh fruit, fruit juices and milk

Wednesday - popcorn chicken/roll OR tacos with lettuce, tomato, cheese, corn, pears, assorted fresh fruits, fruit juices and milk

Thursday - macaroni & cheese/roll OR breaded chicken sandwich on whole grain bun, season green beans, cinnamon apples, assorted fresh fruits, fruit juices and milk

Friday - "BRUNCH FOR LUNCH" breakfast biscuit with sausage, egg and cheese OR french toast sticks with yogurt, potato triangles, mixed fruit cups, assorted fresh fruits, fruit juices and milk