SMS Monthly-ish Newsletter

We are very excited about our upcoming MS Family Night 2023! All MS families are invited to participate on March 23. This will be an amazing night for MS kids and their parents/guardians to do some activities together; our objective is to create an opportunity for MS students and their families to connect and have fun! Session possibilities include: Giant Spoons, musical chairs, an escape room, a murder mystery, card games, Crypto, balloon powered car races, exploring microscopes, Minute to Win It games, pickleball, an art project, trivia, making a bookmark, and cooking! You should have received info about this night via email around March 1. Please RSVP by March 15 to let us know if you'll be able to attend and so that we can plan accordingly for our dinner. No late reservations will be accepted. Childcare will also not be provided; please plan accordingly so you can thoroughly enjoy your time with your middle schooler. Looking forward to seeing all of you there!

Everyone is invited to attend our History Night on March 2 at 7pm in the MS commons. This will be a night for the 8th graders to share everything they've learned in the past few weeks about some self-selected history topics related to the theme of "Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas." Students have created display boards, websites, documentaries, and papers to teach us more about their unique research. Hope you are able to come join us and learn a little more about some interesting historical events!

Spring conferences will be held on March 28 and 30. We look forward to seeing all of you there so that we can share news about what's going at school with your child and to celebrate our successes! Watch for conference letters to come home around March 13.

This year, the Sine Nomine Honor Band will be held in LeMars on March 30. This honor band is comprised of students nominated by their teachers and chosen by a group of directors. In 2023, Sheldon MS is proud to have 17 students selected to this honor band. Congratulations to:

Jordan Verburg (flute); Natilie Schmith (flute); Audrey Punt (clarinet); Kaylee Youngstrom (clarinet); Harper Van Meeteren (clarinet); Desiree Austin (clarinet); Uriel Hinojosa (bass clarinet); Theresa Nilles (horn); Lewis Scheaffer (horn); Elijah Noack (horn); Karston Andringa (trumpet); Jaxon Hegenbarth (trumpet); Levi Sietstra (trombone); Brady Glassmaker (euphonium); Cohen Bruns (tuba); Kyler McCuddin (percussion); and, Brielle Sauer (percussion).

Congrats to our February Students of the Month as selected by our teachers. 5th grade - Cole Dobbins; 6th grade - Claire Nilles; 7th grade - Natilie Schmith; 8th grade - Caiden Jager.

Thank you for showing positive leadership and being a good role model at SMS!

March 6-10, 2023 is National Breakfast Week

Students who eat breakfast will:

· achieve higher levels of achievement in reading and math;

· score higher on standardized tests;

· have better concentration and memory;

· be more alert; and

· maintain a healthy weight.

Breakfast is served daily at the MS from 7:50 - 8:20 and costs $1.75.

We hope to see everyone at the Night of the Notables on April 11 at 7:00. Our 6th graders are diligently working to write and memorize a speech about a self-selected historical figure. They will share their findings with you that evening for the bargain deal of 25¢ so bring your quarters! All funds raised this evening will go towards the 6th grade field trip to Inspiration Hills in May.

We have two big concerts coming up! The Procession of Choirs (for grades 7-12) will be held March 7 while the Parade of Bands (grades 5-12) will be held March 13. Both events will be held in the gym of the high school and will charge a $6 admission fee. The students have been working hard to prepare for these nights, and look forward to showing off their many talents!

As our 8th graders start to think about transitioning to the HS, there is a parent/student meeting scheduled for March 14 at 7:00 in the HS auditorium. This meeting will be hosted by Mrs. Bosma (guidance counselor) and Mrs. Zeutenhorst (HS principal) to talk about many of the changes that students will see as they move from the MS to the HS. All 8th graders and their parents should plan to attend.

All 6th, 7th, and 8th grade band members are busy preparing for the Solo/Ensemble Contest to be held March 20 after school. The public is invited to attend and listen to some amazing music! There is no admission fee; guests may come and go as they would like. If you have more questions, please contact Mr. Carlson.

ISASP testing will be conducted in April. If possible, please avoid appointments or absences on the days listed for your grade below. We will test for short periods each day in our regular classes. For example, math tests will be given during regular math class times, and reading tests will be done during reading class. If students happen to miss a test, we will arrange another time for them to complete things. But, we also appreciate your help up front to try to avoid that. Thank you!

• 5th - April 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 17
• 6th - April 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26
• 7th - April 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14
• 8th - April 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17

Sheldon students and their families have the opportunity to utilize a FREE virtual counseling service called The Student Assistance Program (SAP). SAP is here to help with issues that interfere with your daily activities, happiness, family stability, or overall well-being. Students and families can access SAP at any time, 24/7. By calling the SAP line, you can receive confidential guidance, support, and enroll in virtual counseling sessions. Each member of your family gets up to 6 FREE sessions per issue or concern that they may face throughout the year available to them. The virtual component of SAP helps alleviate any transportation concerns; if your student has a scheduled session during school hours, we will find them a private and comfortable spot to complete their session here at school. Otherwise, your family can access this service wherever is most convenient for you.

Please call the SAP line (800-327-4692), visit their website https://efr.org/programs-services/student-assistance-program/, or contact one of our school counselors if you have any questions or would like more information. (Counselors: Sarah Nelson and Kevin White - 324-4346)

With lots of illnesses going around, please remind your students to wash their hands frequently and to not share water bottles with others. We want to keep all of our students healthy and safe!

Please remember that students should not text/call/email parents to go home if they are feeling ill. If they are not feeling well, students should ask to see a school nurse. Based on her check-up, if the nurse feels your child should go home, we will contact you.

Water Bottle Reminder- We encourage students to drink water throughout the day. They may carry a water bottle with them and use our fountains to help stay hydrated.

Classes at SMS start at 8:25.

Classes dismiss at 3:25

Cell phones are not allowed to be used by students from 8:00 - 3:25. If you need to get a hold of your child at school, please call the office at 324-4346. These limitations are put in place to help your child to focus while at school while also developing verbal speaking skills and face to face interactions. Thank you for your support of this policy!

The Parent Portal is a great tool for looking at your student’s attendance, assignments and grades. This can be accessed on the sheldonschools.com website, clicking on the Parents tab and then Parent Portal. From the Parent tab, existing students can also be registered. If you need assistance accessing your parent portal, please give us a call at 712-324-4346. We can look up your username and reset your password if you’ve forgotten it.

Please remember to send a coat with your child to wear at recess time. Recess is normally held outside unless the temperature or wind chill is below 0. Thank you!

If there is bad weather this winter, announcements will be made on KIWA, KTIV, and the district

website. We will also notify all of you via text and/or voice if you have signed up for our messenger services.

Email: deanna.vanriesen@sheldonschools.com
Website: sheldonschools.com
Location: 310 23rd Avenue, Sheldon, IA, USA
Phone: 712.324.4346
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smsorabs
Twitter: @cindy_barwick

Board Policy – Code No. 102.E1 Students, parents, employees and others doing business with or performing services for the Sheldon Community School District are hereby notified that this school district does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age (except students), religion, national origin, creed, sex/gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or socio-economic status in admission or access to, or treatment in, its programs and activities. The school district does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age (except students), religion, national origin, creed, sex/ gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or socio-economic status in admission or access to, or treatment in, its hiring and employment practices. Any person having inquiries concerning the school district's compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), § 504 or Iowa Code § 280.3 is directed to contact:

Cynthia Barwick, MS Principal Sheldon CSD
310 23rd Avenue Sheldon, Iowa 51201 712-324-4346

Cynthia Barwick, Middle School Principal, has been designated by the school district to coordinate the school district's efforts to comply with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, the ADA, § 504 and Iowa Code § 280.3 (2007).