Friday, January 19th

Happy Friday, Sharks!

Well, what can I say? An incredibly short week here at SMS due to the holiday and the snow. Students and staff have tried to fit a lot in while they have been here. The 7^th grade Engineering classes have braved the frozen tundra to launch their student-created catapults. Our 8^th grade class got a bonus field trip to the Paramount Theater today to see a show. I was able to get down to the gym and watch the girls do some of their jump rope routines as the boys finished Family Life. Classes started to wrap up projects as the semester was supposed to end today, but then the snow came. That brings us to two important items to touch on before the news blurbs:

First, we have extended the second semester start date to next Thursday to allow students and staff to wrap up their projects and tests on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. This means 2^nd semester electives for 6^th and 7^th graders will now start Thursday.

Also, as you may know, we are right in the middle of flu season. If your child is officially diagnosed with the flu by their pediatrician, please let the school know so we can keep track. Along with this, if your child has a fever, please make sure they stay home and return to school when they recover. This will help everyone stay healthy.

Thanks all! Have a great weekend. Remember, no school on Monday. On with the news…

Next Week @ SMS:

Monday, January 22^nd: No school ~ Teacher workday
Tuesday, January 23^rd: Black Day
Wednesday, January 24^th: Teal Day
6:00 PM: 5^th grade parent information meeting
Thursday, January 25^th: Black Day
6:30 PM: 7^th and 8^th grade Drama performance
Friday, January 26^th: Teal Day
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM: SCA/PTO Dance!

News from SMS:

The Golden Apple Award nominations are now live for parent or student input. The 2017-2018 Annual Golden Apple Awards Ceremony for outstanding teachers in our school systems. These awards are presented to faculty members from the public and private schools in Albemarle County and City of Charlottesville, including CATEC. Eligible private schools are those that are current members of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS). The Golden Apple Award is a means of selecting and honoring some of our outstanding teachers. Teachers are most important in nurturing our children’s inquisitive minds and preparing them for the challenges of the future. For more information, or to nominate a SMS teacher, please click here.

Due to the snow days, we are extending first semester to Wednesday. Students will start their new elective classes on Thursday, January 25^th.

The 7^th and 8^th grade drama performance has been rescheduled to Thursday, January 25^th from 6:30 – 8:00 PM.

From the PTO: Hello everyone! We will need many parent volunteers for the dance next Friday. Since it is sponsored by the PTO and SCA, we may not have as many teachers as usual. Please, please sign up to help if you can and encourage your friends to do so too! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080d4bafab2fa2f85-star