Friday Message: 8/31

Friday Message 8/31/18

From Ms. Wood…
Our first full week of the 2018 -2019 school year has been completed!  It was a great week with a lot classroom visits, fun with students, and engaging conversations with staff members.  Mr. Stow and I were invited into Mx. Holmes and Mr. Wamsley’s classes to test out the design and functionality of student created cardboard chairs.  We were highly impressed by their creative designs and functionality! Our SCA leadership team also visited the office this week to discuss their ideas for upcoming events at Sutherland. It was a great conversation and made me look forward all the exciting opportunities that our students will have throughout the year to give back to our community. The service oriented component of our Student Council is admirable and makes me proud of them.

We held two of our “Meet and Greets” this week and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know more of our parents and the conversations.  We consider ourselves very lucky to be part of the Sutherland community and want to thank everyone for how welcoming you have been to us both. We look forward to a busy week next week by hosting another “Meet and Greet” on the Wednesday, September 5 before our first PTO meeting.  In addition, we will be hosting Back to School Night on Thursday, September 6. Please be on the lookout for a separate communication regarding Back to School Night information.

Coming Up @ Sutherland...
Monday, September 3rd: Labor Day (Schools are closed)

Tuesday, September 4th: Black Day
     8:15 AM: Morning Study Hall begins in the cafeteria
Wednesday, September 5th: Teal Day
     8:00 AM: Jazz Band Auditions   
     6th grade introduction to counselors through Language Arts classes
     6:15 – 7:00 PM: Come out and meet the new administration team!
     7:00 – 8:30 PM: PTO meeting
Thursday, September 6th: Black Day
     6:30 – 8:30 PM: Back to School Night
Friday, September 7th: Teal Day

Announcements...

A reminder that all schools are closed on Monday. Throughout next week, we will be practicing our various drills (fire, lockdown, bus evacuations). Teachers and staff will review the procedures with students prior to each drill. 

Parents and Guardians, please make sure you take a moment to sign on to ParentPortal to complete the student verification process. Our ability to reach you by phone or by e-mail depends on updated information.

Hello SMS Parents, The Sutherland Debate Team will begin meeting on Monday, September 10.  We are lucky enough to have UVA students that are members of the Charlottesville Debate League work with our team.  This is a club open to all Sutherland students.  Your child will develop skills in research, writing, public speaking, teamwork, and argumentation.  Debate builds confidence and promotes a passion for learning and commitment to civic engagement.  Students will meet weekly on Mondays after school and will be invited to several debate tournaments held throughout the year.  I hope your child decides to participate.

The location is yet to be determined as I’m not sure how many students will want to attend.  Therefore, I am asking students to stop by room E-1 and add their name to the sign-up sheet that is located on a desk outside of the room.  If your child comes home and tells you they couldn’t find the room, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

The deadline for signing up is Friday, September 7.  Please send any questions you may have to dmccullough@k12albemarle.org.

Back to School Night is on Thursday, September 6^th from 6:30 – 8:30 PM. Mrs. McCullough will meet with parents from 6:00 - 6:30 PM for those with students receiving gifted services. More information to come regarding Thursday evening’s schedule! 

We are excited to invite you to share a free opportunity with K-8 girls and their parents to join the upcoming 2018 ESTEAM for Girls Summit. This Saturday program planned and presented by a diverse group of women and community partners is designed to help build a better future for our girls and young women interested in Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.  K-8 girls join the Summit on Saturday, September 22, 2018!  Come to Albemarle High School from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm (K thru 4 students and their parents) and 9am to 2:30 pm (5-8 with lunch included). Visit our website, http://www.esteamforyouth.org/ to register, and check out last year’s highlight!

NEW this year for Professional Women! Join us for “ShESTEAM Meet and Greet” Friday, Sept. 21st, 6:00pm-7:30pm Featuring the Discussion “Mentoring and Leadership at the Intersection” Get involved with this year's activities with a financial contribution; facilitate a session; volunteer; and/or showcase your organization in our exhibit area.

     Contact us! Please visit our website, http://www.esteamforyouth.org/ to register, check out last year’s highlights, or email us at estemforgirls@gmail.com. Many thanks, and we look forward to your support and participation!  Youth Alexis Mason, Heather Arquitt, Zoë Padrón, Joyce Ivory, and Sara Nitcher estemforgirls@gmail.com

     FRENCH FOOD and GAMES? Oui, Oui! Come learn French in a fun and exciting atmosphere at SMS! Students will “Build a French City”, exploring le marché while purchasing their veggies and fruits with Euros, eating in a café français, playing Pétanque in le parc, staying in l’hôtel, buying bread and pastries at la boulangerie, sending letters from la poste, and more! Thursday mornings in the Art Room, from 8-8:55. Cost is $15/class, with all fees included. Must enroll for all 10 classes. Checks payable to SMS for $150 - turn in to the office by Friday, Sept. 7th. Classes begin Thursday, Sept. 12th. No French experience required. If you are already taking French at SMS, this is a fun way to learn more and to practice! Classes will be taught by Michelle Katstra, director of School Programs for the Alliance Française of C'ville and a mom of 3 kids who all attended SMS! Questions? mkatstra@gmail.com. Forms can be found in the Main Office and on the Parks and Rec. table near the cafeteria.

First Week Bell Schedule

Dear Parents,

It was so great to see everyone last night at Open House and meet so many people!  I want to thank you 

for your patience as we wrap up the final stages of our renovations.  I am looking forward to greeting our students next Wednesday on the first day of school.  I am always excited about all the possibilities each new school year brings.

As we start this new year together, we will be running a different bell schedule for the first three days.  All students will report to their homeroom (CHOMP) at the beginning of the day rather than their first period each morning next week. We will use CHOMP as a time to hand out first day packets, conduct orientation regarding laptop usage, and begin the essential process of creating a supportive school community.

Please click here to view the first week's bell schedule.

Starting, Monday, August 27, 2018, we will operate on a regular bell schedule.  Please click here to access our regular bell schedule.

Have a great weekend!

Ms. Megan Wood

You're Invited to a Meet and Greet!

Dear Sutherland Community,

August is here and we are fast approaching the beginning of the school year!   This week, our new teachers start their work with us and ParentPortal will open on August 10th; returning teachers report back on the 13th; Open House is the 16th from 3 pm - 5 pm; and students report for the first day of school on Wednesday the 22nd!

Both Art and I are looking forward to meeting you all and we want to invite you to a meet and greet.  We will be hosting three meet and greets during the first couple of weeks of school.  They will be held in the library and are intended to be casual.  We will do a brief introduction of ourselves, provide some light refreshments for us to gather, talk, and get to know each other.  We hope you can come in for a few minutes to meet with us.  Dates for the meet and greets are listed below;  

• Meet and Greet #1: August 28, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
• Meet and Greet #2: August 30, 9:15 am - 10:15 am
• Meet and Greet #3: September 5, 6:30 pm  - 7:00 pm

In addition, we will be hosting parent forums.  Please be on the lookout for another communication regarding these events soon.

On another note - please take a look at our website for a new elective offering for our seventh grade students. 

Take care and have a great rest of the summer!

Sincerely,

Ms. Megan Wood 

Members of our Sutherland Community:

I hope you are enjoying the summer break and looking forward to the 2018 – 2019 school year.  I cannot express how excited both Art Stow and I are to be joining the Sutherland community. Personally, I am so excited to be returning to middle school. It is such a unique time for our students and one filled with so many possibilities.  There is an energy in a middle school that cannot be replicated anywhere, and I can think of no better place to be!

We have already had the opportunity to meet with many wonderful staff members and have learned so much about the Sutherland community. It has been apparent to both Art and I how committed our teachers are to our students’ success.  We are thrilled to be joining a community of learners that is engaged in practices that support learning for all of our students, and works hard to ensure that our learning experiences are meaningful.

We are looking forward to meeting and learning more about our students and their families as the school year begins in August. In the next couple of weeks, we will be sending out invitations for meet and greet opportunities to engage in conversations so that we may get to know you and your families.  

A couple of informational items you may find of importance included on our website is the 2018 - 2019 School Supply List, Middle School Vaccination requirements, and the link to sign up for our digital newsletter “Sutherland Matters”.  Please note: if your child is a sixth grader or new to Albemarle County Public schools and does not have the proper vaccinations before August 22, 2018, they may not begin school.

Thank you for all you do to support our learning community.  Please feel free to reach out to us any time. We look forward to getting to know you, the school, and the community throughout this year and to continue the wonderful work that is happening at Sutherland Middle School. 

Enjoy the rest of of your summer!

Sincerely,

Ms. Megan J. Wood

Principal

Final Friday Message

Happy Friday, SMSers!

OK, so we have officially had more days off this year for things that were not snow; floods, ice, false snow…etc. If you just came to Virginia this year, welcome to our crazy weather. We sent out an e-mail yesterday, which hopefully everyone received as we have juggled a bunch of items due to yesterday’s closure and today’s delay. Highlights…

• ·         Film Festival today at 11:10
• ·         Computer check in and collection today
• ·         Field Day now Monday (rain or shine)
• ·         6:30 PM Monday night – Drama 7 and 8 performance
• ·         WWII Tree dedication Tuesday @ 11:00
• ·         May/June birthday celebration: Tuesday @ 3:45

From this week, we have a few items to brag on. First and foremost, the 6^th grade drama students put on two shows Wednesday evening. The students did an amazing job acting out a play about what mannequins do when people aren’t around and then a Disney version of Law and Order. The plays were fantastic, and it was great to see so many talents on display throughout the evening. We did get through most, but not all, of the exams this week prior to yesterday. A few teachers have e-mailed students if a reschedule was needed. The SMS Film Festival this morning was terrific, as always. The 8^th grade students involved in the films put a lot of energy and time into making these pieces, and the hard work was evident during the films.

We also had the results of our SCA election this week. Lots of hard work from those who ran for office, so all who were brave enough to go for it deserve a lot of credit. A huge shout out to our new officers for 2018/2019…

·         President: Charlie M.

·         Vice-President: Maggie L.

·         Secretary: Savannah M.

·         Social Director: Brenna S.

We look forward to your leadership next year as you take the reins for the SCA.

Don’t forget the Band Lock-In is tonight! Have fun!

If you have any of your child’s medications left in the clinic an adult may pick up medication any time during school office hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. through June 8th..  Any medication left at the school after this date will be discarded.  County school policy does not permit the storage of medication for the next school year.

As this is the final Friday Message of the year, let me just say it has been great to work with you all this year as the temporary AP. I do not have to do a long good-bye as I will still be over in Guidance next year. Thank you all for making this a terrific experience for me. The final week is upon us, so hold on tight. Have a wonderful weekend and stay dry! Here is the daily breakdown…

Next Final Week @ SMS:

Monday, June 4^th: Teal Day
Field Day
6:30 PM: 7^th and 8^th grade drama performance

Tuesday, June 5^th: Black Day

8^th Grade class practice for ceremony
11:00: Brill/Briesemeister class trip
11:00: WWII Tree Dedication

3:45 PM: May/June birthday celebration

Wednesday, June 6^th: Teal Day
10:00: 6^th grade pool party
10:00 AM: 8^th Grade Moving On Ceremony (information below)
12:00: 7^th grade pool party

Thursday, June 7^th: Black Day
1:05 dismissal for students

End of Q4/S2

Have a great summer!

Friday, June 8^th: Teacher Work-Day

                           8^th Grade ‘Moving On’ Ceremony Reminders

Next Tuesday, June 5^th, the 8^th graders will practice for the ceremony itself in the morning.  On the following day, all students will need to come to school dressed in their planned outfit. Shortly after the morning announcements, we will begin lining them up for the processional to the gym area for the ceremony. Please review the following guidelines so that this can be a meaningful occasion for our students and their families.

1. A prompt arrival is appreciated as the ceremony is slated to start at 10:00am. Please plan to arrive about 10 to 15 minutes early to allow time to find both a parking spot and a seat for the ceremony. Although teachers park on the blacktop to allow parents all available parking places, the logistics ensure that people be flexible, and understand that some people will most likely be walking from a side street. 

2. As you know, the graduation is a momentous occasion for our departing students and many of them have elderly relatives who will be in attendance for this event. Since the graduation is in the gym with bleacher seating, we kindly ask you to give these guests priority seating on the last several rows of chairs located on center part of the gymnasium floor. Thank you in advance for this courtesy.

3. In addition to the graduation certificate given to each student during the ceremony, we have numerous well-deserving students who will be recognized for a variety of awards. In order to conduct the ceremony in a timely fashion, we kindly ask that you hold your applause until all names have been read aloud during instances where more than one student is receiving an award. We greatly appreciate your cooperation with this request.

4. We will be reading the individual names of students at a moderate pace, and appreciate your respect for each one of them crossing the stage. After the ceremony itself, we will recess the students first, starting with the back row. Please wait until all the 8^th graders have left the gym before following them. Everyone should plan on meeting his, or her student out on the grassy area in front of the school so that we can avoid bottleneck at the exits from the gym.

*Most of our 8th grade teachers will be out there, as well, to say our fond farewells to our 8^th grade students as they transition to the high school setting. We wish them all the best of luck and happiness!

Friday, May 25th

Happy Friday, Sharks!

Hard to believe the last full week of school has now come and gone. The next 8 days will be pretty packed with special events, so I will preview the upcoming events for the remainder of the year here in a bit rather than just the week ahead. We have been busy here at school this week as the SOLs finally wind down. Civics and Science SOLs are now complete, and with just a few students still taking make-up tests, we look to be in pretty good shape in terms of those tests. We do still have a few re-tests next week on Tuesday and Wednesday. Algebra I, Spanish I, French I and Geometry students have final exams starting next week. Information should have come home regarding the school’s exam exemption policy.

This week also saw the last two performances from our current Band and Chorus students. Wednesday night, all bands put on a show to a packed house featuring former SMS Band students (current AHS students) who took the stage with our 8^th grade band to end the evening. Thursday night, our choral groups were on display for their Spring Concert.

Coming up next week, we have the final drama performances of the year, SCA elections, WWII Tree Dedication, the SMS Film Festival, student computer collection, and Field Day. Looks to be pretty busy, so hopefully the long weekend helps energize everyone for the final push. Here is what is coming up…

Coming up @ SMS:

Monday, May 28^th: No School

Tuesday, May 29^th: Black Day
B Day Spanish I Exam
French I Exam

Wednesday, May 30^th: Teal Day
Civics and Science 8 SOL retakes
Exams: Spanish I (T Day), Geometry (Holmes), Algebra I (7^th and 8^th)
SCA elections during CHOMP
6:30 – 7:30 PM: 6^th Grade Drama performance

Thursday, May 31^st: Black Day
SMS Film Festival – all classes shortened
11:35: WWII/Holocaust remembrance dedication in front of school
6:30 – 7:30 PM: 7^th and 8^th Grade Drama performances

Friday, June 1^st: Teal Day
Field Day (have kids bring sun screen)

Monday, June 4^th: Black Day
Field Day rain date

Tuesday, June 5^th: Teal Day
Briesemeister/Brill class field trip

Wednesday, June 6^th: Black Day
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: 8^th Grade Moving on Ceremony
6^th and 7^th grade pool parties

Thursday, June 7^th: Teal Day
1:00 dismissal for all students

Friday, June 8^th: SUMMER!

News from SMS:

1.      New class for rising 8^th grade students: ​We are offering an additional elective for 8th grade students next year for those who may be interested. The course is Digital Media 8; students will utilize digital tools in the fields of programming and coding, game design, creative design, photography, animation and film, and they will enhance their knowledge of media software and how to manipulate and design digital media. This course will be an extension of the 7th grade curriculum for those who took the course this year.

If interested, please fill out this form so we can see if this new course can be added to your 2018/2019 course requests. You can review your course requests in PowerSchool if you can't remember them. A counselor will be in touch if we need clarification or if you indicate below that you'd like to see someone before making any changes.

2.      The 8^th grade team would like to thank all of our parents for helping students to maintain focus and concentration as we finish out the year with important SOL tests, final exams, and class projects and presentations during the final weeks. Since next Monday is a holiday, and Field Day is on Friday, the week will definitely fly by for our students! Please know that we have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to teach your students during this school year, and wish them the best as they transition to the high school setting, where we know they will shine in a variety of arenas.

Please note: Important details regarding the Moving On practice, and the ceremony itself, were sent thru the SMS Matters Line, and via a link on the website last week. Today, all 8^th grade students were given a hole-punched copy of the information to take home, as well.

Please contact Gayle Rainey at 975-0599, or email: grainey@k12albemarle.org, with any questions related to the ceremony.

3.  SCA wants to sincerely thank all the parents and students who donated to our Police Department Service Project. We were able to deliver 150 treat bags for officers at the police department. They were very appreciative. Thank you for your help. We couldn't have done it without you. 

Friday, May 18th

Happy Friday, Sharks!

A brief message from me today as the school day has escaped me. It was a busy week here at SMS as we continued SOL testing, sharing scores with students, and offering retakes. Our students have done a great job this year and have made a lot of progress on their tests. As the scores continue to roll in, we have found that there are lot of success stories to highlight with your children. Kudos to you and them for all the hard work. As we head into next week, a reminder that 8th grade still has their Science and Civics SOL tests. We still have a few 6th and 7th graders doing remediation and/or make-up tests, but we should be done by Friday. After that, we start looking to 8th grade Exams and some of the fun items, like the band, choir, and drama performances, Field Day, and closing exercises. The next three weeks will be busy ones, but the end is in sight. Have a great weekend, stay dry, and enjoy the time together!

Next Week @ SMS:
Monday, May 21st: Teal Day
Tuesday, May 22nd: Black Day
   Afternoon: 8th grade Civics SOL
Wednesday, May 23rd: Teal Day
   Afternoon: 8th grade Science SOL
   7:00 - 9:00 PM: Spring Band Concert
Thursday, May 24th: Black Day
   7:00 - 9:00 PM: Spring Chorus Concert
Friday, May 25th: Teal Day
   SOL Make-us tests
News from SMS:
1. All 8th grade information today...see below:

                          2018  8^th Grade ‘Moving On’ Ceremony Information
Moving On Ceremony Practice: Tuesday, June 5th from 9am until 11am
Please ensure that your student is here on the morning of practice, so that they are prepared for the ceremony on Wednesday.  After the televised morning announcements, we will have the students line up in alphabetical order, and then proceed to the gym and be placed in their anticipated seating arrangement. At that time, we will discuss the planned agenda for the ceremony so that the students have an understanding of the procedure before the event the next day. They will then follow their normal schedule for 3^rd block in their exploratory and PE classes. During 4^th block, the 8^th grade team will be treating the students to a Sundae Party to celebrate their last year of middle school.
Moving On Ceremony: Wednesday, June 6^th at 9am
All 8^th grade students will need to come to school on time and dressed in their planned graduation outfit, rather than changing once they get here. Shortly after the morning announcements, we will begin lining them up for the processional to the gym area for the ceremony. Please review the following guidelines so that this can be a   meaningful occasion for all of our students and their families.

1. A prompt arrival is appreciated as the ceremony is slated to start at 10:00am. Please plan to arrive about 10 to 15 minutes early to allow time to find both a parking spot, and a seat for the ceremony. Although teachers park on the blacktop to allow parents all available parking places, the logistics ensure that people be flexible, and understand that it is likely that there will be a number of people who will be walking from a side street.
2. As you know, the ceremony itself is a momentous occasion for our departing students, and many of them have elderly relatives who will be in attendance for this event. Since the ceremony is located in the gym with bleacher seating, we kindly ask you to give these guests, senior citizens, and those in wheelchairs, priority seating on the last several rows of chairs located on center seating area of the gymnasium floor. Thank you in advance for this courtesy.
3. In addition to the ceremony certificate given to each student during the ceremony, we have numerous well-deserving students who will be recognized for a variety of awards. In order to conduct the ceremony in a timely fashion, we kindly ask that you hold your applause until all names have been read aloud during instances where more than one student is receiving an award. We greatly appreciate your cooperation with this request.
4. We will be reading the individual names of students at a moderate pace, and appreciate your respect for each one of them crossing the stage. After the ceremony, we will recess the students first, starting with the back row. Please wait until all the 8^th graders have left the gym before following them. Everyone should plan on meeting his, or her student out on the grassy area in front of the school so that we can avoid bottleneck at the exits from the gym. Thank you for your cooperation with this request.