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What’s going on in the world of STMS… From the Desk of Mr. Edwards
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Do you ever play the blame game? “If only the teachers would…”, “If only the principal would…” We are all guilty of playing the blame game. Teachers do it. Parents do it. Students do it. Administrators do it. We point fingers. We blame. Blaming is a culture that exists in too many schools and school systems, and it is toxic. Blaming gets in the way of doing what is best for students. Blaming prevents trust from being established.
The mission of STSD is the success of every learner. In the last month, nearly 50 members of our HOPE Teams came together on two different occasions to discuss, brainstorm, and collaborate on how to improve student behaviors K-12. These meetings included parents, a variety of staff, and administrators from across the district. Our goal was simple, how do we create a learning environment that is safe and supportive? We did not play the blame game. We had honest and difficult conversations, laying the groundwork for building trust.
March 2018
Monthly Newsletter
I am a firm believer that all of our students deserve an excellent education; that excellent education begins by creating a team between parents and school, a team that works together and trusts each member of the team to do what is best for our students.
Join me in working every day as a team and I am confident that all of our students will experience success.
Sincerely,
Ken Edwards Principal STMS
March Events 3/2 College Athlete Presentation for 8th grade students. Parents welcome. For more information, contact Mr. Obielecki at [email protected]
3/7 Early Dismissal at 11:00 AM
3/9-16 Book Fair
3/15 STEM Night at 7:00 PM Book Fair- open to parents at 6:00-8:00 PM Purchase a yearbook at 6:00-8:00 PM- $18.00 cash
3/16 Dodgeball Tournament- For more information contact Mrs. Kelly at [email protected]
3/19 Principal’s coffee at 6:30 PM
3/21 Faculty Talent Show at 7:00 PM in the High School Auditorium- $5.00 at the door PTSO meeting at 6:30 PM-open to all parents
3/23 MS Musical at 7:30 PM
3/24 MS Musical at 2:00 PM
3/28 School In-Session- snow make-up day #2
3/29 School In-Session- snow make-up day #3
3/30-4/2 No School-Spring Break
STMS Spotlight
Geography Bee Winners:
Congratulations to Landon Faulkner for winning STMS annual National Geography Bee and to Joey Enos for being our runner up.
STMS Welcomed Olympian Chris Bourque. Chris is a member of the USA Men’s Olympic Hockey Team. Chris was a guest speaker for our school-wide A.R.R.O.W.S Kickoff assembly.
94-year-old Holocaust Survivor, Ms. Hilda Mantelmacher spoke to our 8th grade students during her recent visit to STMS. Ms. Mantelmacher shared her horrific experiences with our students. Ms. Mantelmacher also shared with students the importance of being kind to everyone we meet.
STMS Orchestra performs at the State Capital
Why It’s Critical for Today’s Millennial Students to Read Works of Fiction
What are you currently reading? What is your child currently reading? In today’s digital society, fewer and fewer students are reading works of fiction, and even fewer are choosing to read books outside of school, simply for the joy of reading. It seems like almost everything else is taking precedence over sitting down with a good book. Most of the prior knowledge we acquire in our lifetime is not a result of an authentic experience; rather, we learn as a natural byproduct of reading. Most of the vocabulary we acquire in our lifetime is also not a result of direct instruction, or memorization, but again, a natural byproduct of reading fictional text. The ability to draw conclusions and make inferences is another critical outcome of being an avid reader of fiction. And, just as in any other discipline such as sports or music, students build reading stamina, and perfect their reading comprehension skills through frequent practice across a wide genre of fictional texts. Our school and public libraries do a terrific job matching students up, based upon their interests, with books that will “speak to them”. In paraphrasing the iconic words of Dr. Seuss, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go…With a Good Book!” Keep on reading!!
Ms. Jess Jacobs
Instructional Coach STMS
Book Fair The STMS Library Media Center is hosting a Scholastic Book Fair Monday, March 9th through Friday March 16th. A Family Event is scheduled for Thursday, March 15th from 6:00 to 8:00p.m., the same night as the STMS STEM Night. Information about our Book Fair and a leaflet published by Scholastic will be making its way home with your student. We hope that families look through this information together. Parents are encouraged to visit the STMS Scholastic Online Book Fair for a wider range of titles. All items purchased at the Online Book Fair will be delivered to students at the Middle School. The Online Book Fair address
is: http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/susquehannatownshipms and it will be open from March 4th to March 20th, 2018. 2018 3rd Annual Central PA Writers and Illustrators Camp Please see the attached flyer for the 2018 3rd Annual Central PA Writers and Illustrators Summer Camp held at Harrisburg University July 9-20, 2018.
Class Tardies We have been experiencing a significant issue with students arriving to class late. This is of great concern to us because if they are not in class they are not learning. After school detentions do not seem to have been effective in reducing tardies to class so effective immediately the following will occur.
• Fifth tardy to class = 1 lunch detention • Tenth tardy to class = 2 lunch detentions • Fifteenth tardy to class = 3 lunch detentions • Twentieth tardy to class = 1 day of ISS
Tardies to class reset each marking period so as of Wednesday every student was reset to zero. Parents will be notified via email each time their student receives a lunch detention for class tardies. Please help us encourage your student to take full advantage of the educational opportunities being offered to them by being in class on time. Get your yearbooks here! Yearbooks are on now sale online! Go to www.jostensyearbooks.com and search for Susquehanna Township Middle School. Yearbooks will be $18.00. Purchase your yearbook now so you can remember these moments forever! AAP Program We hope that your student is taking advantage of our Academic Assistance Program (AAP) which occurs after school Tuesday – Thursday from 2:45-4:15, with a late bus provided. If your student is not registered for AAP please contact the office who will supply you with the necessary permissions. A one-time parent permission is needed for students to participate. In addition, students must sign up each day that they are participating. Sign-ups are in the cafeteria. Any student who did not sign up that day will not be able to attend. Students are not permitted to call home during the day to ask/tell parents about AAP, these are arrangements that must be made in advance.
Steps to AAP
1. Parents must sign, and students must return permission form. 2. Students must sign up during lunch that day. 3. Students must make arrangements with parents prior to coming to school that day.
4. Students must bring work with them to fill the time. 5. Any student not picked up by 4:30 PM must get on the late bus.
Parent Portal The Campus Parent Portal is up and running! Information about creating accounts can be found on the district’s homepage. http://www.hannasd.org/
Nurse’s Corner Parents of sixth grade students: Please be reminded that we will be holding our annual physicals for 6th grade students on Tuesday March 13th, completed by Dr. Cordas. Letters were sent home along with the health history questionnaire if your child does not have a 6th grade physical on file. Please complete the front page health history, sign and return it along with the permission form, if you plan to have Dr. Cordas complete your child’s physical here at STMS. Please be advised that for entry into seventh grade your child will also require a Tdap and MCV vaccination, which are often completed during the 6th grade physical. These vaccinations will NOT be given here at STMS and you will therefore be responsible for seeing that those vaccinations are obtained prior to your child’s first day of seventh grade. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. ~ Rachel Sider CSN, RN [email protected] 657.5125 ext 30117
REGISTER NOW!2018 3rd Annual 2018
Central PA Writers and IllustratorsSummer Camp
aspire • achieve • amazeat Harrisburg UniversityJuly 9 - 20, 2018
Monday thru Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m
To register or for more information, please visit: www.superreader.org or call Floyd Stokes at (717) 580-5429 or email: [email protected]
Early Bird Registration: $375 for both weeks. before February 15, 2018. Special discount for military, veteran, and first responders. Cost in-cludes: writing and art supplies, camp T-shirt, lunch, morning and afternoon snack, admis-sion to Whitaker Center, and other field trips.
During this ten-day creative writing and illustrating program, campers will read and study the classics and not-so-well-known fairy tales and folklores. They will also write their own fractured and original fairy tales or folklores and illustrate pictures to go with the stories.
Fairy Tales Folkloresand
Enriching & inspiring camp!
My son loved being around other people with similar interests. It inspired him to do more after camp.
My daughter loved the
interaction and said it was really
a “fun” time to express herself.
