Friday, October 13th

Happy Friday the 13th, Sharks!

What a great week here at Sutherland. We have made our way through Parent/Teacher Conferences where the PTO treated us to an awesome chili dinner (thanks, all!). We had two nights in a row of basketball where our SMS teams continued to do well. Today, despite the dreary weather, we have the 8^th grade Busch Gardens trip.  The busses rolled out of Sutherland this morning, and the students, parents, and teachers are anticipating a great day at the park, rain or shine! The student will not leave the park until 6:00 pm. Typically, we instruct students to text or call their parents when they are on Pantops, so that you can plan to pick them up in a timely manner.

Looking ahead to next week, we have All-County Drama and All-County Orchestra field trips. We also have our second dance of the year. We have a number of events coming up, including next week’s dance, that need some parent help, so please review the announcements below for lots of information.

That’s all for now, folks. Have a terrific weekend!

Next Week @ SMS:

Monday, October 16^th: Black Day

Tuesday, October 17^th: Teal Day

Wednesday, October 18^th: Black Day

AVID 7 field trip

All-County Drama @ MHS

Thursday, October 19^th: Teal Day

7:00 PM: All County Orchestra Concert @ MHS

Friday, October 20^th: Black Day
4:00 – 6:00 PM: DANCE!

News from SMS:

1.    Attention Parents & Guardians, each year, we administer several surveys to our students to check on issues like school climate, bullying, homework, etc. The data we gather from these surveys helps us steer our school in terms of areas of improvement. We will administer the first of these surveys on October 24^th. As part of this survey, we also include questions about those who are victims of bullying here at Sutherland. This portion of the survey is a county-wide initiative and there is some literature about this portion of the survey. For more information, you can use these links:

English Version

Spanish Version​

2.    It's time for our Annual PTO Yard Sale on Saturday November 3rd!! All proceeds come right back to the school!! We will be collecting donations on Friday November 3 from 5-8 pm in the Sutherland Cafeteria. Please clean out those closets and send in gently used items!! We are always looking for furniture, clothes, toys, games, books, household goods, tools and other items you would like to donate. We also need YOUR help to make it a success. 

3.    SCA will be selling Fall Candy Grams from October 19 - October 25th. Please help support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Send your friends or favorite teacher a candy gram and help a great cause.

4.    SCA is collecting BOX TOPS! Please send in your box tops with your student. Every year the money earned by redeeming box tops earns the PTO and school about $2000.00. We would love your support in helping us reach that amount this year too. Please send in Box Tops now through October 25th.

5.    We have a dance coming up on October 20^th and need chaperones. 

Thursday, October 5th

Happy Thursday, Sharks!

A bit early this week as I am out of the building tomorrow, which is quite disappointing as I love the cardboard arcade. The games the students have worked on this year are fantastic, so I expect the Hollymead students will have a real treat tomorrow. This week, our basketball teams started their games. The various teams played Walton on Tuesday, and then Burley last night. We have a great group of players, and it was terrific to see so many students and parents make it to the games. 

Tonight, we have the first round of Parent/Teacher Conferences from 4:30 – 8:00 PM. We have locked the sign-up for tonight to give teachers time to prepare for the conferences, but there are still spaces open for next Tuesday. Those can be found on the SMS website. Those conference sign-ups will be closed Monday by noon. The staff would also like to take a moment to thank our very generous PTO for taking care of our dinner this evening. It is terrific to know how supportive you all are, so thank you.
Next week’s theme seems to be field trips – both small and large. We have a science class trip to PVCC, a group heading to the Writer’s Eye trip at UVA, a robotics field trip, and then the whole 8^th grade heads to Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream trip on Friday. Lots of great activities coming up! Just as a reminder, we have a High School 2020 parent meeting here at Sutherland on October 24^th starting at 6:30 PM regarding the changes coming for all students in regards to their high school experience for next year. We do encourage folks to attend since these changes affect all of our students as they prepare for high school.

We hope you have a terrific Friday and enjoy a wonderful Fall weekend. On with the news…

Next Week @ SMS:
Monday, October 9^th: Teal Day
Normal school day
Tuesday, October 10^th: Black Day
Mrs. Percival’s class trip to PVCC
4:30 – 8:00 PM: Parent/Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, October 11^th: Teal Day
8^th Grade Robotics field trip
5:00 – 8:00 PM: Boys’ basketball game @ Henley
Thursday, October 12^th: Black Day
10:30 AM – 2:00 PM: Mrs. McCullough’s Writer’s Eye trip to UVA
5:00 – 8:00 PM: Girls’ basketball games @ Sutherland

Friday, October 13^th: Teal Day
7:15 AM – 8:00 PM: 8^th grade trip to Busch Gardens (side note: a Friday the 13^th trip to Howl-O-Scream? Excellent!!!)

Friday, September 29th

Happy Friday, Sharks!

What an awesome week here at Sutherland. We have a lot of excitement in the air today as it is our first ICA day of the year. Students will head outside shortly (or stay indoors) for whichever activity they selected. Throughout the week, students have been working on the 8^th grade cardboard arcade, attending the SMS Book Fair, working on class projects, and generally having fun. As some of you may have noticed, we have decided to delay Autumn and allow the summer-like weather to stick around. With PE and a lot of outdoor activities going on, a friendly request to make sure students bring a change of clothes on PE days would be most appreciated. Ah, middle school!

Coming up next week, we have a lot of after school items. Our Boys’ and Girls’ basketball games start next week, we have a PTO meeting, Band Boosters, and Parent/Teacher Conferences starting at 4:30 on Thursday. There are still spots available if you have not signed up for conferences yet. The link can be found on the SMS website under “ANNOUNCEMENTS”. Friday will be the big day for the 8^th grade geometry students as the students from Hollymead come to visit the cardboard arcade the students here have created. It is always great when we get one of our feeder schools to interact with our Sharks.

If you happen to go to the AHS football game tonight, cheer on our 8^th grade Band students who will perform during the game.

Have a terrific weekend and on with the news!

Next Week @ SMS:

Monday, October 2^nd: Black Day

Tuesday, October 3^rd: Teal Day
5:00 – 8:00 PM: Girls’ basketball game @ Walton Middle School
6:30 – 7:30PM: Band Boosters Meeting

Wednesday, October 4^th: Black Day
8^th Grade AVID Field Trip to JMU
5:00 – 8:00 PM: Boys’ basketball game @ Burley Middle School
7:00 PM: PTO Meeting

Thursday, October 5^th: Teal Day
4:30 – 8:00 PM: Parent/Teacher Conferences – Round 1

Friday, October 6^th: Black Day
Morning: 8^th grade Cardboard Arcade

Friday, September 22nd Message

Happy Friday, Sharks!

A short message today as the students are not here. It has been an exciting week here at Sutherland with a few isolated incidents that have complicated the day. The main ones being the misfires from the fire alarm system that caused two interruptions. The great thing that came from this was that the students, amid the chaos of an alarm going off during lunch and recess, did a great job. Everyone was quickly accounted for. The biggest complaint was that the first alarm happened on picture day, and the cooler Autumn-like weather had departed, so some students may look a bit “shiny” in their photos.

Coming up next week, we have our first ICA schedule next Friday. For those who are new, we run a shortened class schedule to allow for an hour-long clubs/recess period at the end of the day from 3:00 – 4:00 PM. Students have signed up online for an activity during that time period. It is always good to remember if you come to pick your child up on Friday between 3 – 4, you will want to leave some extra time for us to get your child as many are outside at the lower fields playing soccer, kickball, or ultimate Frisbee. More details below.

If you have not done so already, please make sure you visit the SMS website to sign up for Parent/Teacher conferences.

Have a great (longer) weekend, folks!

Next Week @ SMS: BOOK FAIR WEEK all week.

Monday, September 25^th: Teal Day

Lock Down drill

Tuesday, September 26^th: Black Day

Wednesday, September 27^th: Teal Day

6^th Grade AVID trip

YWLP Dinner

Thursday, September 28^th: Black Day

Friday, September 29^th: Teal Day

ICA Day / ICA Schedule

8^th grade Band to AHS for football game

Friday, September 15th - Dance Day!

Another great week here at Sutherland. We have been able to get into a bunch of classrooms and see the good work taking place. Students in 8^th grade are working hard on the cardboard arcade projects. This is an event where Hollymead students get to come over and play games that the 8^th grade students have created out of cardboard. 7^th grade students have been exploring the scientific method in science class. 6^th graders have been starting memoirs in their Language Arts classes and doing a paper airplane lab in science. There is, of course, a lot of buzz in the air today due to the first dance of the year. Needless to say, the 6^th graders seem a bit wound up as many of them will attend their first middle school dance. For those staying after for the dance, please remember to have a ride here by 6:00 PM.
Looking ahead to next week, we will hit the end of the first interim period marking 4.5 weeks of school. Gradebooks should be up to date the week thereafter so parents can see the grade status mid-way through the quarter. We also have school picture day on Wednesday of next week during the morning. Wednesday is a busy day as we also have a very cool band concert over at Burley that evening where our 8^th grade band and Burley’s 8^th grade band will do a joint concert. Last but not least, Friday is a teacher work day, so no school for students. We hope you have a terrific weekend!

Next Week @ SMS:
Monday, September 18^th: Teal Day
Tuesday, September 19^th: Black Day
Wednesday, September 20^th: Teal Day            
Day of Caring
School Picture Day
7:00 PM: free Band Concert @ Burley Middle School
Thursday, September 21^st: Black Day
End of Interim period # 1
Friday, September 22^nd: Teacher work day              
No school for students

Friday, September 8th Message

Happy Friday, Sharks!

It has been a pretty eventful week here at Sutherland. Jazz Band auditions, a PTO meeting, and last night’s Back to School Night were just a few of this week’s events. It was great to see so many of you last night at Back to School Night. Thank you to those of you who spent the evening with us. We will post the slides from last night on the SMS website. Hopefully, everyone made it to class and got a chance to hear from your child’s teachers. A huge shout out to the PTO last night as they kept our staff well fed for the evening. You all are amazing! A few blurbs before we get to the news.

Next week, we have our first dance of the year. For those who are new, the dance runs from 4 – 6 PM. Anyone staying for the dance will stay in their fourth block class until after the buses roll out and the walkers leave the building. We then open up half of the cafeteria for the dance and the other half for food and snacks. The theme for this dance is a White Out dance, which simply means to try and wear white (not actual white out). Students are not allowed to leave the dance before 6:00 unless a parent comes inside to get them. We ask that parents make sure your child has a ride promptly at 6:00 PM. Students will exit from the cafeteria side of the building. Cost for a ticket is $5.00 and will be available at lunch next Friday.

Also, be on the lookout next week for sign-ups for Parent/Teacher Conferences coming in October. We will post that next week on Tuesday. We have a bunch of announcements below, so that’s it for this week. Have a terrific weekend!

Next Week @ SMS:Monday, September 11th: Black Day
Tuesday, September 12th: Teal Day
Wednesday, September 13th: Black Day
Thursday, September 14th: Teal Day
Friday, September 15th: Black Day4:00 – 6:00 PM: Dance!

Friday Message: September 1st, 2017

Happy Friday, Sharks!

Our first full week was quite a success. Now that the year is off and running, students seem to be settling into the school routine. Mrs. Robertson and I have been able to make it into a number of classrooms this week to see kids already hard at work. English and math classes have been working on their MAP tests this week. CHOMP classes have been working on building the community that makes Sutherland unique. It was great to see our 6^th grade homerooms brainstorm ways to help the Houston area throughout the week. All in all, it has been a terrific start.

As a reminder, there is no school on Monday. Next week, Morning Study Hall begins on Tuesday. Study hall runs from 8:15 – 9:00 AM and is required for any students who arrive at Sutherland before 8:45 AM. Study Hall meets in the Cafeteria. This year, we will use the Cafeteria entrance for students to enter the building for Study Hall. Once they enter, students will sign in with the teacher on duty and then will stay in the Cafeteria until the school day begins.

Also, as a reminder, we have Back-to-School Night on Thursday from 6:30 – 8:30 PM. This is a chance for parents to come to school and learn more about what your children do here each day. Mrs. McCullough is also hosting a brief Gifted meeting from 6:00 – 6:30 in the library prior to the start of the evening’s events. Starting at 6:30 PM, there will be a short State of the School Address in the Cafeteria to kick the evening off. Afterwards, parents and guardians will follow their child’s schedule and will hear from each teacher your child has throughout the day (pro tip: bring your child’s schedule with you or have it open on your phone). We hope to see many of you at this event.

Coming up next week, we also have our first PTO meeting and our Jazz Band auditions. We hope you all have a wonderful long weekend and will see you again on Tuesday!

Next Week @ SMS:

Monday, September 4^th: Schools are closed. Enjoy the long weekend!Tuesday, September 5^th: Black Day8:15 AM: AM Study Hall begins
6:30 PM: Band Boosters Meeting
Wednesday, September 6^th: Teal Day
8:00 AM: Jazz Band Auditions
7:00 PM: PTO Meeting
Thursday, September 7^th: Black Day
6:00 – 6:30 PM: GRT Meeting in Library
6:30 – 8:30: Back to School Night
Friday, September 8^th: Teal Day
10:30 AM: CHOMP Summit for homeroom representatives