In the Middle

April 8 - No Athletics due to Solar Eclipse

April 11 - Unified Day (Wear Blue & White to School)

April 11 - PTO Meeting

April 15-19 - April Break No School

April 22 - PD Day No School

May 6 - Yearbook Order Deadline (Link below)

The Eclipse will Begin at School Dismissal

A Solar Eclipse is expected on Monday April 8, 2024 starting at 2:15 pm and will peak at 3:30 pm. It is important to remember health risks such as looking directly at the sun can cause permanent eye damage. Please review and share this information with your children from the department of health. Solar Eclipses

Athletics During the Eclipse

In preparation of the Solar Eclipse , Please see the information below provided to us by the RIIL. All MS athletics have been cancelled. Please make sure your athletes are well versed in the dangers of looking directly into the sun.

Learn more about the eclipse from NASA and Rhode Island Division of Statewide Planning.

Health Risks

Looking directly at the sun can cause permanent eye damage. The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can permanently damage the retinal tissue in your eyes, called solar retinopathy. Even small crescents of the sun are intense enough to cause a retinal burn. There are no pain receptors in the retina, so your retina can be damaged before you realize it or feel any pain.

All SMS families should have received an email with their student's report card in PDF on April 5th. If you believe that you did not receive an email after April 5th or if you would like a printed report card, please contact the guidance office at 647-4180. If you believe that you did not receive an email with a report card, please follow these steps: Check the spam or junk folder in your personal email.

If you are unable to access the internet or do not have an email, please contact the guidance office and a paper copy will be printed upon your request.

Please reach out with any questions!

School Counseling Director and grade 8: daniel.casey@scituateschoolsri.net

School Counselor Grades 6&7: kristin.albertella@scituateschoolsri.net

If you’ve ever wanted to be a part of the school's decision-making processes,

please consider joining our School Improvement Team.

What is a School Improvement Team (SIT)?

A school improvement team (SIT) is a group of educators and other stakeholders who, in partnership with the school’s leadership, inform important governance decisions with a focus on improving student outcomes.

SITs play a crucial role in promoting a holistic integration of school operations necessary to support school change. SITs are designed to allow stakeholders to collaborate to better understand school problems and assess needs, set priorities for improvement, and recommend opportunities for change. Including a diverse group representative of the broader community on SITs, stakeholders can incorporate unique perspectives and experiences into improvement strategies.

Who can be a part of the SIT?

In Rhode Island, SITs are designed to include representation from educators, students, families, and community partners. This inclusive design ensures that diverse perspectives are voiced as key decisions are contemplated, and increases the likelihood that initiatives will be supported and implemented as designed.

What decision-making processes is the SIT a part of?

Under the Education Accountability Act of 2019, SITs have a more prevalent role in school decisions. In addition to the formulation of a school improvement plan, the team is tasked with the following: making recommendations to the principal for the development, implementation, and assessment of a curriculum accommodation plan, assisting in the identification of the educational needs of students, assisting in the preparation of the annual budget; and making recommendations for the hiring of personnel.

More information can be found here: RIDE SIT Guidance

If you are interested in being considered for the SIT, please feel free to contact Jennifer Goffe at jennifer.goffe@scituateschoolsri.net.

As the warm weather approaches, we want to take a moment to reshare the SMS Dress Code from page 9 of the SMS Handbook:

SMS encourages students to dress in a way that is appropriate and respectful during the school day and at any school sponsored events. Student dress should reflect the school’s intentions to be inclusive of a diverse range of identities. The responsible parties for the way a student dresses lie in the hands of the student and their parent/guardian. Administration/Dean and faculty at SMS are responsible for making sure student dress does not interfere with student health and safety and/or positive and encouraging school atmosphere. Dress code enforcement will not discriminate against or increase marginalization of any group based on race, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, household income, or body type/size.. Therefore, certain guidelines are noted below:

General Principles of Student Dress:

• Clothing must cover all private body parts with fully opaque fabric.

• a shirt with fabric in the front, back, and sides under the arms.

• pants, jeans, or an equivalent clothing item (skirt, dress, shorts must be at least finger length).

• footwear must be appropriate and safe as deemed by the dean/admin.

• tank tops, given that strap thickness is less than 2 fingers in width.

• hoods or hats (unless documentation shows a medical or cultural reason for wear).

• halter tops.

• shirts which expose a student’s midriff.

• clothing with violent language or images.

• clothing with depictions of drugs, alcohol, or any illegal item/activity.

• clothing with hate speech, profanity, or pornography.

• clothing with images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment or adds distraction from the educational environment.

• clothing revealing undergarments.

• accessories that may be considered dangerous.

• any clothing item that covers the face or ears (unless otherwise allowed due to culture or medical reasons).

Enforcement of Dress Code

Interpretation of these rules shall be in the sole discretion of the administration/Dean. Enforcement of the dress code will only occur if a student is in violation of the policy set forth in this handbook.

When clothing is in violation, students will be asked to put on their own alternative clothing to be dressed according to code for the rest of the school day. If a student does not have their own alternative clothing, the school may provide temporary school clothing to adhere to the dress code for the remainder of the school day. In some cases, a parent/guardian may be called to bring their student alternative clothing.

Any act of enforcing dress code will be done in a way as to not shame a student for their clothing. Students will be pulled aside or asked to talk in an environment away from other students so as not to be targeted in a group. Students may be subject to being told to change their clothing.

Our Middle School PTO is dedicated to building connections among parents, teachers, and staff to enrich the educational journey and create lasting memories for every student. Through effective communication, volunteering, and fundraising, we strive to foster a positive and inclusive environment that promotes academic success and a sense of belonging.

Dodgeball was a huge success! Thank you to all players, volunteers, and spectators.

Also, we hope that you enjoyed your yummy Texas Roadhouse rolls!

PTO Meetings are on the second Thursday of every month.

The next PTO meeting is April 11 at 7-8:30PM in the SHS Library or virtually, using this link.

We would love to see you there!

SAVE THE DATE!

Our SMS 8th grade dance will be on May 10 from 6pm -9pm at The Studios by FHHT.

Ticket sales will be open very soon, look out for the link on social media and in PTO emails.

There will be dinner, dancing and lots of fun! Don't wait to grab your ticket!

We have a Spartan Family fundraising night at Groundwater Cafe, Tuesday, April 23 4pm - 8pm. Groundwater Cafe will donate 10% of all proceeds to our Spartan 8th grade events.

Come down and support our 2024 graduating class and enjoy delicious hot and cold sandwiches, smoothies, cold brew coffee, and so much more!

Monday 4/8 - No Events

Tuesday 4/9 - 3:45pm Baseball MS League vs. Woonsocket MS Hamlet at Barry Field

Tuesday 4/9 - 3:45pm Basketball Unified Game @ Ponaganset MS

Wednesday 4/10 - No Events

Thursday 4/11 - 4:15pm Softball MS Game vs No. Smithfield MS at Scituate MS @ Manning Softball Field

Thursday 4/11 - 4:15pm Baseball MS Game vs No. Smithfield MS @ Scituate MS Manning Baseball Field

Thursday 4/11 - 4:00 Basketball Unified MS Game vs. Feinstein at Scituate HS Main Gym

Friday 4/12 - No Events

Saturday 4/13 - 10:00am Baseball MS Non-League vs. Ponaganset @ Ponaganset HS

Spring Practices are in session!

MS Baseball will meet in the Aux gym at 2:30 pm and practice will end at 4pm.

MS Softball will begin practice at 4:00pm and finish at 5:30pm.

MS Track will meet at the practice field (behind the middle school) at 2:30pm.

Any questions should be directed to the coaches.

Baseball Scott Dumont Scottdum@gmail.com

Softball Ryan Zeolla tmryanz91@gmail.com

Girls Track Jennifer Borin jenniferborin@gmail.com

Boys Track Jay Borin jay.borin@gmail.com

Schedule

Monday - practice after school (field next to track). Pickup 3:30. No Late Bus

Tuesday - practice after school (field next to track). Late Bus available 3:30, otherwise, pickup at 4pm.

Wednesday - location/pickup TBD

Thursday - location/pickup TBD

You must be registered to participate and you must wear sneakers to practice.

Any questions please contact Jenn Borin at jenniferborin@gmail.com

The Scituate Middle School Unified Basketball team is set to begin the season at the beginning of March! The team is part of Unified Champion Schools, a project sponsored by the Rhode Island Special Olympics. Unified Champion Schools’ mission is to “use sports and education programs to activate young people to develop school communities where all youth are agents of change.” The program sets out to foster respect, dignity, and advocacy for people with intellectual and physical disabilities.

The basketball team will be made up of students with and without intellectual and physical disabilities. The goal of the team is to have fun, foster a sense of involvement in the school community, and learn how to play basketball. It is designed to be a fun, low stress environment. Practices will begin the first full week of March, and the team will play a five-game schedule.

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Tuesday, April 9 at 3:30 Scituate @ Ponaganset MS

Thursday, April 11 at 9:30 Feinstein MS @ Scituate (during the day game)

Tuesday, April 23 at 4:00 Gallagher MS @ Scituate

Week of April 29th (location and exact date TBD) - Round Robin End of Season Celebration

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The students and staff at Scituate Middle School are excited for this opportunity and can’t wait for the season to begin! Any student or family interested in participating or helping out with the season should reach out to Coach Christopher Morello at christopher.morello@scituateschoolsri.net.

URI Summer Coding Camp Information

Please consider joining other community members on April 20th this year as they come together to celebrate Earth Day by lending a helping hand to beautify Scituate.

See below for more information and to sign up!

TBD

We are very excited to share two new after school opportunities with you! If your student is interested, registration forms are available in the office.

Below are some team photos from the MS Unified Basketball Game against Feinstein this past week. Great job everyone!

Spartan Shoutouts will be updated next week. Stay tuned!

Tuesdays 2:20-3:20 - ELA with Becky Limoges

Wednesdays 2:20-3:20 - Math with Maureen Kennedy

Wednesdays 2:20-3:20 - Math/SS additional support with Cindy Clark

Sessions will run from 2:20-3:20, and late buses will be available. Students must have a teacher recommendation to attend. During this time, students can get extra support while completing class assignments and homework.

We hope students will take advantage of this opportunity to get the additional time or help they need to be successful! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Ms. Goffe at 647-4120 ext. 1033.

Late Bus & Parent Pick-up Information

Late buses are available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. There are two late buses that have separate routes which are linked below. Buses typically arrive around 3:45-4:00 depending on when the elementary runs are complete. Parents and guardians picking up their children should wait in the high school's main parking lot. Student will exit those doors and not the middle school doors they would usually get picked up at normal dismissal time.

Project Linus

Project Linus is a national organization that makes blankets for children in crisis. In past years, there have been students who were recipients of blankets while they were hospitalized. At one point in time, SMS was the only school-based club in the state.

This club is open to all grades and meets on Tuesdays. During these first few weeks, Mrs. Battey teaches the 8th graders how to make the blankets. By the second meeting, these students are then tasked with preparing the fabric for others to finish off. As new students join the club (once the club is opened to 6th and 7th graders), these 8th grade student leaders are in charge of teaching these students how to make the blankets. This, then, becomes a student-led club where students are truly leaders as they teach and otherwise manage the club. If you have any questions about this club, please reach out to Mrs. Battey. Her email is linked here.

Agriculture Club

Agriculture Club meets on Tuesdays and is open to middle and high school students interested in nature and the environment. Projects throughout this year include the creation of an on-campus butterfly garden, a "power of plants" great plant give-away, starting our first RI Envirothon team, and of course, filling our greenhouse throughout the early spring months with flowers and veggies to sell at our annual plant sale. Additionally, we connect with community members and programs to take part in tree planting field trips, water festivals, and RI Salmon in the Classroom experience. If you have any question please reach out to Ms. Travers. Her email is linked here.

Music Club

The music department will be offering a rotating music club after school on Wednesdays. Students will be able to sign up when the Google Form is posted in classrooms on Mondays for the week. Please note that there is a cap of 25 students. Reach out to the music department if you have any questions.

TSA Club

The Technology Student Association is a national student organization with over 300,000 members. TSA projects and competitions include robotics, game design, engineering, and more. Through hands-on learning experiences, these projects aim to nurture innovative thinking. We hope to empower the next generation of inventors, storytellers, and problem-solvers. Join us as we use technology to unlock our students' creative potential! This club meets on Wednesdays after school. Reach out to Mr. Sheehan if you have any questions. His email is linked here.

Scituate Rotary Club Donates Backpacks

Thanks to a wonderful donation from the Scituate Rotary Club, we have school supplies available to be distributed to our students in the Middle and High School!

Supplies include: Backpacks, Stationary and Art Supplies, Gift Cards (limited amount)

Please fill out the Backpack Request Form below if you are interested/ in need of school supplies for your child/ student(s)!

All requests are confidential and will be handled by our School Social Worker, Jennifer Ricci, LCSW.

The Scituate School Department has partnered with Unite Us to streamline the process of applying for free and/or reduced lunches. Please click the link which will take you to the meal benefit application on the State of Rhode Island Department of Education website.
https://ride.ri.gov/child-nutrition/unite-us-electronic-school-meal-benefit-application
Please fill in all fields. Be sure to select Scituate Public Schools in the field “Select the school district that your child will receive school meals from”.

If you have any questions, please call: Jennifer Carnevale, Executive Finance Assistant at 401-647-4100 option 2, then option 3"

All students, parents/guardians should be able to view their bus info in PowerSchool. Should you have any questions, please reach out to First Student by emailing Wendy.Lacombe@firstgroup.com

Hello! Below are the meeting dates for the Northwest Special Education Local Advisory Committee for the 23/24SY. All are welcome to attend!

• April 30, 2024 at 6:00pm at Ponaganset Middle School, Room 150

Parking is available in the rear parking lot behind the building; entry at the rear entrance of the building.

TITLE: Special Education Assistant Classroom/Hygiene

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Principal

JOB SUMMARY: Primary responsibility is to assist special education students with academic work and the implementation of the student’s Individualized Education Program and personal care routines.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform under special needs teacher's supervision and direction in all areas of school activities and instruction.
• He/she shall be expected to:
• Follow special needs teacher's direction in maintaining classroom structure and behavioral control.
• Assist teacher in academic instruction as identified in and prescribed by Individual Education Programs.
• Assist in inclusion activities supporting students in the general education setting.
• Assist in non-academic instruction carried out by itinerant teachers.
• Assist in correcting student’s assignments, editing or clarifying (simplifying), enlarging general education worksheets as modified by the Special Education teacher.
• Assist in toileting activities and other areas of self-care and independent living skills.
• Assist in carrying out programs designed by the physical and/or occupational and/or speech therapists.
• Assistants shall not be required to perform therapy without prior training from the therapist and they shall not perform any therapy without a signed written directive from the Office of the Director of Special Education.
• Supervise arrivals.
• Assist physically challenged children in the use of wheelchairs and/or other adaptive equipment, if appropriately trained.
• Supervise children leaving and entering transportation vehicles, classrooms and buildings.
• Supervise children during field trips.
• Administer the school rules and regulations governing student behavior.
• Supervise children before school, during recess, during lunch periods, and at dismissal.
• Perform any and all related duties assigned by the building principal or the Director of Special Education subject to Article 21

• ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS: Special Education Assistant shall be evaluated every two years by the school principal.
• SPECIALIZED QUALIFICATIONS: As required by the R.I. Department of Education
• LENGTH OF EMPLOYMENT: Regular School Year.

Apply at https://www.schoolspring.com Job ID 4465435

We want to bring your attention to a matter of great importance - chronic absenteeism. Has your child missed 8 or more days of school? If so, they are considered chronically absent regardless of the reason. Students should come to school everyday unless they are too ill to do so. Currently, 14% or 36 Scituate Middle School students are deemed "chronically absent". Showing up matters for R.E.A.L. because it is an opportunity to:

• Build Routines

• Increase Engagement

• Provide Access to resources

• Support Learning