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Message from Mrs. Kunze
You are probably aware that the school board voted to add a 7th period to the middle school day. Our school start and end time will not change. Students will take 6 alternating day classes and one "skinny" class that will meet for 54 minutes at the end of each day except Wednesday. We are currently in the process of trying to decide what additional non-core courses we will add. Below is a link if you would like to provide us with input. When providing suggestions, please remember that we have to use our existing rooms - no additional portables will be added. This means that the new teachers will be traveling from room to room each period.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TQ5DM7T
The survey will be open through Friday, March 15th.
Talent Show News
The Dreams Come True Club and I wish to thank the talent show performers, sound and light crew, stage hands, and greeters for helping to make the talent show such a huge success. It was a wonderful performance, and because of their efforts and the support of our school community, we raised $2,545.00. All monies raised will help sponsor a dream for a child with a life-threatening illness. WAY TO GO, SPMS!!!
History Fair
St. Johns County recently held its inaugural district competition for the History Fair, a nationally recognized competition (see www.nhd.org, and 11 of our students participated. Two 6th graders, Easton Pillay and Cade Bedell, were chosen to represent the county at the state competition in Tallahassee in May. Their creation is a website about the assembly line and how it impacted recent history. The other participants were Isabelle Amacker who created website about the Siege of Yorktown and received the award for "Most Historically Significant." Nicole Sowell was awarded for "Most Creative" for her miniature medieval town as part of her exhibit on the Black Plague. Bailey King created a wonderful website about the Titanic, while Emma Wood created a brilliant website about feminist Emmeline Pankhurst.
Ethan Griner and Jake Glass won second place for the county for their website creation showing the important of American submarines in WWII, while Karuna Doshi exhibited her knowledge of the ancient Chinese leader, Shi Huangdi. Didi Victor showed off her knowledge of the Cuban Missile Crisis on a beautiful board exhibit. Jake Petlick had a very creative exhibit regarding the importance of refrigeration by making the board look just like a refrigerator. Congratulations to all of the students for their excellent efforts, and their willingness to go the extra mile!
High School Course Selection
Bartram Trail HS and Creekside HS counselors will be onsite this Monday & Tuesday for students to submit their course selections for next year. Students will meet with a counselor during their social studies class. PLEASE remember to bring all paperwork to the meeting.
The Nease HS IB Coordinator and Career Specialist will be at SPMS Tuesday during study hall to meet with students who will be attending Nease.
Parents are welcome to attend during the appointment time. PLEASE allow enough time to sign-in in the main office.
AVID Selections at Bartram Trail High School
8th Grade Parents: AVID Acceptance Letters were distributed to students during Study Hall on Friday afternoon. BTHS Counselors will add the AVID Elective I class to any student enrolled in the program during the high school registration process next week.
Bands performed at Pacetti Bay MS
The Concert and Symphonic bands performed yesterday for their Music Performance Assessments (like an FCAT for band). The Concert Band received straight superiors on stage and in sight reading. The Symphonic Band received all excellent ratings and a superior in sight reading.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL and to Mrs. Zentz for her dedication to our band students!
Good Luck to both bands as they compete this Friday at the Music USA Festival in Orlando!!!
SPMS Beginning Band Concert!
Our 150 member Beginning Band is ready once again to showcase their talent on Thursday, March 14th at 7:00 pm in our SPMS gym! Band students are reminded to wear their grey band polo shirt and black pants for the performance. This concert features ONLY the beginning band and should last about 30 minutes. We hope to see a big crowd cheering us on!
Yearbooks
The LAST day to purchase a yearbook online for $35 is the Thursday before spring break (March 21). After the 21st, the price goes up to $40 and you must purchase through Mrs. Edwards with cash or check. We have sold about 460 so far and we only have about 140 books remaining so it's first come, first serve.
Option Verification Forms Due Immediately
Course registration materials for next year went home last week to current 6th & 7th grade students. The Option Verification Forms were due Friday, March 8th. If your form has not been completed and turned in, please do so on Monday, March 11.
Is your student going to Creekside?
There will be a Freshmen Orientation Experience prior to school opening in early August. Please watch the Creekside website and the Raider Rap for more information Community Empowerment Series
The St. Johns County Education Foundation, in partnership with Communities in Schools, is sponsoring a Community Empowerment Series to better equip parents to help their children navigate difficult areas. The speakers are nationally known and are providing their services free of charge to our community. The next in the series is Saturday, March 9, featuring internationally recognized speaker Dr. Michele Borba, and will cover the topics of bullying, cyberbullying, surviving the social jungle, raising responsible kids, peer pressure, cliques, and relationship aggression.
Where? World Golf Village, Renaissance, St. Augustine, FL 32092. Doors open at 9 am, Speaker 10 am to noon, Meet & Greet 12 pm to 1 pm.
Who? Parents, educators, school-age children, everyone that wants to make our community a safer place fore kids.
For free tickets, more information and speaker bios, visit: Hardship Transfer Application
Letters were distributed to all students today regarding Hardship Transfer applications. Click here to view the letter with important information.
Superintendent's Weekly Review dated 3/6/2013
The Community Relations Department is proud to announce the Superintendent's Weekly Review as an electronic newsletter! Please visit http://blogs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/supt/ to view.
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Daily Rotation & Calendar for the Week
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Week of March 11
Monday - Silver Day
Scheduled Registration Appointments with BTHS & Creekside for 8th graders during social studies class, MPR
Tuesday - Black Day
Scheduled Registration Appointments with BTHS & Creekside for 8th graders during social studies class, MPR
Scheduled Registration Approintments with Nease for 8th graders, 1:15 pm, Media Center
Road Raiders End of Season Celebration, Cafeteria, 2:00pm
Wednesday - Silver Day - 1pm dismissal
Winterguard Practice, 1:00-5:30 pm, Gym
Thursday - Black Day
Chess Club - Study Hall - Raider Roost
FCA Leader's Meeting, 1:15 pm, Teacher's Lounge
Friday- White Day- No Study Hall
Band Trip to Universal to compete(everyone except beginners)
Schedule for Next Week
District Quarter Exams
Monday, March 18- S2 & S3
Tuesday, March 19- B2 & S4
Wednesday, March 20- B3 & B4
Thursday, March 21- Make ups
Friday, March 22- No school students- Teacher Planning Day
Spring Break
Monday, March 25 through Friday, March 29th
Teacher In-service Day - Student Holiday!
Monday, April 1st
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Volunteer Information
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Thanks to the proctors that helped with the FCAT Writes testing. A SignUp Genius went live this past Wednesday requesting proctors for the FCAT testing in April. In the first 24 hours, 13 of 97 slots filled!! Thank you and keep it going!!!
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PTSO
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At our February 15th meeting PTSO approved two motions to purchase 4 new microwaves for the cafeteria as well as a chocolate fountain for Teacher Appreciation events. Please click here for meeting notes.
Next meeting is March 11th, 2013 @ 9:30AM.
2013 Players -- Tickets will be available for sale -- For New Computer Lab- Deadline April 26th
Tickets will cost $40 and are good for ANY ONE DAY grounds (regularly priced daily grounds tickets are $58 and day specific) for ANY DAY. Children 18 and under do not pay when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Free Parking for vehicles containing four (4) or more passengers (voucher should be printed off www.pgatour.com after March 1st, 2013). Ticket Form will be available soon.
Please help us get as close as possible to our goal to donate a total of $20,000.00. THANK YOU!
Domino's Pizza Card Fundraising
Thank you all who helped us with this fundraising. We raised $885 to the new Computer Lab. THANK YOU!
Spring Carnival -- June 3rd - 12:10PM to 2:00PM
Mark your calendars for our Spring Carnival scheduled for June 3rd from 12:10PM to 2:00PM. Inflatables, talent show, cupcake walk are a few of the fun activities lined up for our students to say THANK YOU for a great school year. Tickets will be available for sale during lunch time on May 30th and 31st.
ˇ PTSO Members pay $5
ˇ Non PTSO Members pay $7
Concessions will be available starting at 1:00PM.
Open Board Positions and Committees for 2013/2014
PTSO has two open positionsfor 2013/2014. Please contact Débora McCarty at rdmccarty10@comcast.net if you are interested in holding a position:
President: OPEN
fall/Spring Event: OPEN
Membership 2012/2013
Family membership is $20. Teacher membership is $10. Your membership helps us provide so much more. Please join.
Box Top, Campbell Soup & Tyson Label News
Continue cutting those labels! Be sure to check the expiration dates on each label. Please place your labels in a zip lock bag or an envelope with the student's name, grade and homeroom teacher's name listed. Our next contest will start the first week of January 2013.
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
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SAC News
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Switzerland Point Middle School
School Advisory Council Meeting
Proposed Agenda
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Room 725, 3:30pm-5:00pm
As always, this is a public meeting, and all are welcome to attend.
Proposed Agenda
- Welcome: Call to Order: 3:30
- Good News: Spring Break Plans?
- Vote: Approval Of February Minutes
- Finance Report: Emily Piscitello
- Vote: Request for SAC Monies
- Principal Update: Mrs. Kunze
- New Business/Questions and Answers
- Adjourn
Next Meeting will be April 17th at 3:30pm
SAC Parent Needs Assessment Survey
The following is the link for parents to complete the SAC Parent Needs Assessment Survey.
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Guidance News
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Guidance Counselors
Ellen Dail - 6th grade & 7th grade A-G
Tanya Moseley - 7th grade H-Z & 8th grade
Gifted Parent Advisory Dates 2012-2013:
3/19/13 Ocean Palms Elementary School
5/13/13 Julington Creek Elementary School
*All meetings are from 3:30 to 4:30
Meetings are open to all parents of students served by the Gifted Program in St. Johns County Schools. These meetings are designed to provide information and discuss topics related to the unique needs of gifted learners.
Free Tutoring
With the second semester starting you may need to access tutoring for your child. If you are looking for a way to improve your child's skills you may want to consider utilizing SOAR (Student On-line Achievement Resources). SOAR is an internet based application on which students take assessments aligned to state standards and then directs them to individualized tutorials to improve skills where needed. Parents can check on their child's progress and are provided with resource materials.
SOAR is brought to you by the Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA). You can register your child at www.SoarAtHome.org
Tutoring for Military Children
www.tutor.com is for U.S. Military Families that provides free, personalized 24/7 online academic support to military-connected children. This Department of Defense-funded program is provided at no cost to grades K-12 children in National Guard, Reserve and Active Duty military families, regardless of the service member's deployment status.
Doctor Forms/Checklists - Best Practice
Our students go to a doctor to be evaluated for many reasons and sometimes return to school with forms for the teachers to complete. Please be aware that it is our policy for the forms/checklists to be given by the parent or the student to the guidance department. The student's counselor will make sure that the forms are completed by the teachers and are mailed back to the doctor requesting them (please send in a large enough stamped envelope with the doctor's address on it). If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Dail or Mrs. Moseley in guidance.
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From the Nurse
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Joan Beccard
Licensed Practical Nurse
547-8628
beccarj@stjohns.k12.fl.us
Phone Number Changes
Please notify the front office(547-8621) of any changes in your student's emergency card such as change of home number, new cell number or new work number. This is vital in case of an emergency and we are trying to reach you.
Procedure for Student to Carry Over the Counter Medication
An adult must bring in all medications to the clinic. If you want your student to be able to carry an over the counter medication you must have an over the counter medication form filled out with the medication that you bring. It must be in an original sealed container. Your student fills out the bottom of the form stating that they will not share this medication with anyone. This form can be found on the SPMS website by clicking "Parents" at the top and then clicking on "Clinic/Health Information" on the left side of the page. There you will find both the prescription and the over the counter med sheet. You must have a doctor fill out our St. Johns County prescription form when you bring in a prescription that you want the nurse to give. I cannot give the first dose of any medication in case of a reaction. Call me or e-mail me if you have any questions.
Requirements for 7th Grade
VERY IMPORTANT! Rising 7th graders can NOT attend classes or receive their schedule in August without proof of Tdap vaccine! This shot must be documented on a DH 680(Florida shot record) Please do not wait till the last minute to get this! If you have any questions, please contact Joan Beccard in the clinic at 547-8628.Check with your physician to see if your student has already had the shot and have them document the Tdap along with your student's other immunizations on a DH 680(Florida shot record).
NEW INFORMATION:
If you choose to go to a walk in clinic you must ask the clinic to print you out a hard copy of the 680 shot record which shows the Tdap your child received. A receipt from the clinic will not be accepted! If you choose to go to the St. Johns County Health Department (825-5055) please call ahead to see if you qualify for their Vaccines for Children Program.
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Media Center Messages
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Media Specialist - Jane Phillips
Media Assistant - Nery DiDeo
SPMS Battle of the Books
Congratulations to each of our winning teams:
1st battle held in November - Team 8
Lily Gullett, Alexandra Hudson, Erin Lynch, Alexa Ruscitto, Rayven Miller
2nd battle held in January - Team 6
Tatiana Brown, Emma Geiger, Sarah Kroehler, Lexi Smith, Frederique Victor
3rd battle held March 7th - Team 5
Raffaella Funnell, Amanda Higley, Bailey King, Carley McGovern, Breanna Yost
And the team with the highest combined score from all three battles is Team 5. Congratulations to Raffaella Funnell, Amanda Higley, Bailey King, Carley McGovern and Breanna Yost!
Thank you to everyone for all of your hard work in preparing for each battle!
Media Center Checkout News
Students need to make sure they pay their late fees on overdue books to the Media Center by Spring Break (end of the 3rd Quarter). Starting 4th Quarter, any student with a fine will not be able to check out a book until the fine is cleared. The fine for an overdue book is $.05 per book, per day. Thank you so much for your help and cooperation. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Media Center at 547-8629.
Very Popular Fiction Book:
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald - a SSYRA nominated book
"Charlie Joe Jackson may be the most reluctant reader ever born. And so far, he's managed to get through life without ever reading an entire book from cover to cover. But now that he's in middle school, avoiding reading isn't as easy as it used to be. And when his friend Timmy McGibney decides he's tired of covering for him, Charlie Joe must resort to desperate measures to keep his perfect non-reading record intact."
The book is praised in a Booklist starred review for its appeal to reluctant readers -- "with his deep seated love of not reading, this title's young narrator, Charlie Joe, speaks straight to other book-averse middle-schoolers".
Encourage your child to stop by the Media Center and check out our SSYRA books.
"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."
Sir Richard Steele
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Student Corner
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Counselor-In-Training Program
Click here to view the application for Zoo Camp 2013: Counselor-in-Training Program. The deadline for applications is May 3rd.
Student Volunteers Needed at CCE
Cunningham Creek PTO is looking for volunteers between 3:45pm-7:00pm on Friday March 15 for their Spring Fling Carnival. If you can volunteer some time (you can volunteer for as little as one hour) please email ccespringfling@gmail.com with your name and the time you are available.
Second Semester Reward Trips
6th & 7th grades - Friday, May 24th, location to be determined
8th grade - Friday, May 17th - GradVentures
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Student's Corner- Just for 8th Graders
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Mark your calendars!!
GradVenture Field trip to Universal (both parks) on Friday, May 17th. Leave school 1pm and return 3am (In park from 4pm to midnight) Cost: $85 per student, first deposit of $45 due Friday, February 15, balance due March 8 of $40 to the student's homeroom/study hall teacher.
AT THIS TIME WE HAVE A WAITING LIST FOR CHAPERONES.
Click here to view flyer!
8th grade Awards Ceremony
Friday, May 24th at Swiss Point MS, 9:30am start
8th grade Dance - A Starry Night
Friday, May 24th at San Juan Del Rio from 7pm to 10pm
Tickets $25 and due by Tuesday, April 2nd.
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Policy Reminders
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Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Be Safe
Bus Passes
Bus passes to ride home with another student are NOT allowed. The buses are at capacity.
Volunteer Approval Necessary to be at School
Very soon there will no longer be the option to be just a visitor in schools. Everyone will need to be a cleared volunteer. We review applications everyday. Please fill out an application by visiting http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/depts/cr/volunteer/
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Athletics
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Creekside High School Elementary and Middle School Track and Field Championship
Click here to view information regarding the event on Wednesday, march 13th. Forms are also available in the front office.
FCA Softball Clinic
Click here to view a flyer regarding a Softball Clinic on Saturday March 30. Cost is $30 and it is open to all ages.
SJMSAA Golf Team Tryouts
Coming soon! The names of the golf team!
SJMSAA Baseball
The SPMS Raider Baseball team is doing great and continues to be competitive. Go Raiders!
SPMS Volleyball
Both boys and girls volleyball teams have moved forward in the tournament. The boys will be playing at home on Monday at 6:00 against Liberty Pines Academy. This is Fan Appreciation Night so admittance is FREE! Donations will be taken for Dreams Come True. The girls will be traveling to Landrum for a 5:30 start. If both teams win they will play in the Championship on Wednesday, March 13.
SJMSAA Softball News
Practices have started and their first game will be in March.
SPMS Intramurals
Intramurals is over at the present time. The next intramural session will start in March featuring dodgeball. Students can pick up a permission form from a PE coach or the front office. Any questions, please see Coach Singleton. Don't be left out on all the fun!SPMS Road Raiders The Road Raiders will have their End of the Season Celebration on Tuesday, March 12th at 2:00 pm in the cafeteria.
SJMSAA Tennis News
The first practices will will be Tuesday 2:45-3:45 and Thursday 2:45-3:45 pm at Mills Field tennis courts. Pay to play fees were due today.
SPMS Winterguard
2012 - 2013 Competition Schedule
February 9 - Timber Creek High School, Orlando FL
Congratulation First Place Winners!!!
February 23 - Lyman High School, Orlando FL
Congratulation First Place Winners!!!
March 9 - Freedom High School, Orlando FL
Tentative Performance Time of 11:14 am
Good Luck Raiders!
March 16 - Fleming Island High School, Orange Park FL
March 23 - Fletcher High School, Neptune Beach FL
April 6 - FFCC Championships, Daytona Beach Ocean Center
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Lunch Menu
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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 March 11th
Monday
Macaroni & Cheese
Honey BBQ Ribette Sandwich
Steamed Broccoli
Green Beans
Mixed Fruit Applesauce
Variety of Milk
Tuesday
Mini Corn Dogs
Beef Steak Burrito with Lettuce, Tomato, Cheese Cup
Spinach / Romaine Salad Mix with LF Salad Dressing
Corn
Diced Pears
Variety of Milk
Mustard, Ketchup, Taco Sauce
Wednesday
Cheesy Garlic Flatbread or Personal Galaxy Cheese Pizza Chicken Fajita Salad with Whole Grain Garlic Breadstick Baby Carrot & Cucumber Dippers with LF Dressing Dunk Cup Sweet Peas Fresh Sliced Apples Variety of Milk Thursday
Hamburger on a Bun
Hot Dog on a Bun
Homestyle Chicken Sandwich
Potato Wedges
Baked Beans
Peach Cup
Variety of Milk
Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle Cup
Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo
Friday
Chicken Nuggets Cheese Tortellini with Marinara Sauce Sweet Potato Puffs Cherry Tomato & Celery Stick Dippers with LF Dressing Dunk Cup Whole Grain Garlic Breadstick Choice of 100% juice: Apple, Apple Cherry or Fruit Punch Variety of Milk Dipping Sauce, Taco Sauce |
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Picasso
Click here to view information regarding works of art from the Picasso Foundation Event runs from February 1-May 11 at the St. Augustine Visitor Center
Flash Mob Members Needed
March is Women's History Month and on April 2nd Betty Griffin House is hosting a flash mob in the Plaza downtown. We need participants of all ages as well as boys and girls.
Become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/BettyGriffinHouse and follow us on Twitter @BGHStAug.
Arts Alive is Looking for Talented Students in St. Johns County The St. Johns County Education Foundation (SJCEF) is hosting its second annual Performing Arts Alive competition this year. All students, grade K-12, are encouraged to come showcase their talents as singers, dancers, musicians or actors at this year's competition. Auditions are being held March 19-21 from 4-6 p.m. in the auditorium at the St. Johns County School District Office located at 40 Orange Street in St. Augustine. No registration is necessary prior to auditions, but interested students will need to bring a CD with their music, if applicable.Students auditioning need to dress neatly, modestly, and appropriately for the style of their talent. Both group and individual auditions are encouraged. Students will be judged on presentation, talent and appearance. The panel of judges is made up of professionals from the community including a Grammy-nominated songwriter, a concert pianist and a local television personality. Arts Alive was designed to give students and teachers in St. Johns County a creative outlet while simultaneously raising funds for arts education in our county. With budget cuts being made every year, Arts Alive allows the Foundation to fill in the gaps to keep the arts alive in our schools. What better way to do that, than to show off the potential that students in our county have? Sandlot Beach Volleyball Club
Click here for Sandlot Information and Click here for 2013 Sandlot Volleyball Club Flyer.
Employment Opportunity
The St Johns County School District Transportation Department has employment opportunities as a school bus driver. We provide the training necessary to become licensed as well as a training payment. This is an excellent opportunity to become an employee of the St Johns County School District and to become a member of a team which provides an important service for the school children in St Johns County. We would appreciate the opportunity to provide you with additional information about our Department- 904-547-7810.
Click here to view flyer.
Introducing TeenzArt Workshops by KidzArt Our art-enriched classes are full of challenging design projects and fun surprises intended to motivate students at this age level and to push their creative potential to the max. Our students in grades 6 through 8 become more independent and we see their personal sense of individual style grow stronger. In these 1-2 hour TeenzArt workshops, we will explore many different types of media including watercolors, pastels, collage, acrylic painting, metal tooling, and more! Famous artists, cultural history, art history, and different artistic styles are studied and practiced. Sign up for one workshop, or sign up for them all...you choose! Classes are held at the River of Life United Methodist Church at 2600 Race Track Road Jacksonville, FL 32259 (just South of Julington Creek Elem) every other Friday night. Visit our website www.simpson.kidzart.com to view our complete schedule and to register or call our office (904)287-8603. Registration is required to attend. Minimum of 5 enrollments for class to take place.
Community Empowerment Series
Click here to view a flyer advising Dr. Michele Borba will be speaking on March 9 from 9:00 am until 1:00pm regarding surviving the social jungle, bullying & cyber-bullying, raising responsible kids, peer pressure and cliques and relationship aggression.
Press Release from the District The St. Johns County School District will hold pre-registration for children entering kindergarten and students new to St. Johns County and/or public schools on Wednesday, February 6 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Wednesday, March 6 from 1-6 p.m.; Wednesday, April 3 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; and Wednesday, May 1 from 1-6 p.m. To be eligible for public kindergarten in St. Johns County, children must be 5 years old on or before September 1 and must reside in St. Johns County. To register for first grade, children must be 6 years old on or before September 1 and have documentation of successful completion of kindergarten. Parents must register children at the school where they are zoned for the 2013-2014 school year. Three proofs of residency must be provided such as a current mortgage statement, lease or rent agreement and two other forms of residency documentation such as a current electric bill, car registration and/or driver's license. Additional information on residency and guardianship as well as a link to the Attendance Zone Locator can be found on the website at www.stjohns.k12.fl.us under "Featured Links."
Florida law requires any student entering a Florida school for the first time to show proof of required immunizations documented on the HRS Form 680. Proof of a physical examination that has been obtained within one year prior to enrollment in school is also required. Physical examinations can be performed by either a private physician or by the county health department.
Students can be registered during the spring and summer for the 2013-2014 school year, however; parents are encouraged to register during the designated dates above so that schools can adequately prepare for the new school year. Additional information regarding registration and school attendance zones may be obtained from the Student Services Office at 547-7598.
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