
SMS Weekly Update
March 10, 2023
Dear Archers,
We had a fun week at SMS, with our grade level assemblies and some more surprise snow on Wednesday. Thank you for taking the time to review the following information, and have a wonderful three-day weekend!
Upcoming Events
March 12
Daylight Saving Time Begins
March 13
Teacher Workday - No School
March 14
Middle School Choral Festival, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, Chehalem Cultural Center
McMenamins Band Fundraiser, 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
March 15
Early Release, dismissal at 2:20 pm
March 18
Swingin’ The Green Band Fundraiser, 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm, The Oregon Golf Club
March 20
Spirit week - Airport Day
March 21
Spirit week - Hawaiian Day
SMS Spring Band Concert, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm, SMS Gym
March 22
Spirit week - Pink Out
Early Release, dismissal at 2:20 pm
All District Choral Festival, 6:45 pm - 8:00 pm, Chehalem Cultural Center
March 23
Spirit week - Jersey Day
Sherwood Bands Exchange Concert, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm, SHS Auditorium
March 24
District Wide Furlough Day - No School
March 24 - 31
Spring Break - No School
Additional events may be viewed on the Sherwood Middle School Calendar and the Revised 2022-2023 District Calendar.
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Sparrow Club Fundraising Update:
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State Testing
Oregon's Statewide Assessments in science, mathematics, and English language arts will begin in April for students in grades 3-8. Scheduled testing will take place during the school day. For additional information on the State Assessments from the Oregon Department of Education, please review the following link.
While no single test can give a complete picture of your child’s progress, statewide tests provide information to students and families, as well as to educators and administrators about what educational approaches are working and where additional resources are needed. Your child’s participation is important to ensure schools and districts receive the targeted resources they need to help all students succeed. Districts are rated on their participation levels as well as student performance on this exam.
Oregon law (ORS 329.479) permits parents and adult students to annually opt-out of Oregon’s statewide summative tests in English Language Arts and Math by submitting a form to the school the student attends. If you decide to opt your child out of the math and/or ELA state assessments, please submit the following form to your child’s teacher or the front office by April 7, 2023 to best support our school with planning.
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Bowmen Cheer Tryouts
Incoming Freshmen, your love and support of Sherwood is needed! Join Bowmen Cheer next year! Bowmen Cheer Tryouts are scheduled and we are looking for athletes to join us! Our cheerleaders are sideline and competitive athletes who embody school spirit for SHS and our community. Regardless of prior experience levels, you can tryout and see if cheer is for you.
Tryout Clinics are May 10, 11, and 12, 5:30-8:00 PM at SHS
Tryout Day is one of: May 16, 17, or 18 5:00-8:00 PM at SHS
Complete this interest form and additional information and a Tryout Packet will be emailed to you. We look forward to seeing you. Go Bowmen!
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Attendance Notifications
Attendance is one of the most important factors for academic success. Studies have shown that students who regularly attend school are less likely to struggle academically as they move on to high school. At the same time, there are several uncontrollable factors that can make coming to school difficult, from illness to family events to mental health. We understand how these factors can impact a student’s attendance.
The Sherwood School District has been working on helping to inform families of their child’s attendance rates this year via postal letters and electronic communications. These attendance letters are strictly informational and are automatically generated every six weeks for students who have attendance rates lower than 90%. If your family receives an attendance letter, there is no action required on your family’s part.
If you would like help increasing your child’s attendance, we are here to partner with you. Please reach out to our administrative team if you have any questions or concerns:
Associate Principal Emily Anderson: Eanderson@sherwood.k12.or.us, (503) 825-5505
Associate Principal Nick Sidlin: Nsidlin@sherwood.k12.or.us, (503) 825-5506
Dean of Students Kyle Virding: Kvirding@sherwood.k12.or.us, (503) 825-5504
Thank you for your partnership!
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Flex and Attendance
At Sherwood Middle School, we are committed to providing exceptional opportunities to our students and are excited to be offering Flex! Flex is a block of time in our schedule dedicated for our students to receive extra academic support, make up missing work, meet with clubs, and attend enrichment activities.
Students go to Flex twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in place of their regularly scheduled Flight Time. Students sign up weekly, on Fridays, in StudentVUE for the following week. Students can sign up for and attend the same Flex for both days or choose two different Flex offerings for that week. If a student is behind or struggling in one or more classes, they may be requested to attend a Flex session with their teacher.
The window for Flex sign ups remains open for students through the weekend and closes every Monday at 2pm. Automated emails are generated and sent out to students every Monday and Wednesday afternoon notifying students of their Tuesday and Thursday selections/placements respectively. Students can also access the location of their upcoming Flex by logging in to StudentVUE and clicking on Flex schedule. Flex will show up as Period 8 on their schedule.
Flex is treated like any class. Attendance is required and will be taken. If a student misses a Flex period, phone call notifications will be sent home notifying parents/guardians of the absence. Attendance is one of the most important factors for academic success. We appreciate your partnership with this, and if you have any further questions regarding Flex or attendance, please reach out to the school.
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SRO Reminder: Helmets and Bikes
Please remind students that they need to be walking their bikes on the SMS campus. Recently we have noticed that students are riding quickly through crowds creating a safety concern. Remember, it is also the law for students on bikes and skateboards to wear a helmet until they are 16. Thank you for your partnership in keeping all students at SMS safe.