Upcoming News and Events at Swampscott Middle School

It has been an exciting 2018 here at Swampscott Middle School.  We are almost half-way through the second trimester and a lot is happening.  Winter sports are underway, the Math Team has exploded out of the gate, students are up to the challenges in the classrooms and have been treating each other with the respect they deserve.  As always, we appreciate your continued support.  Below is a list of upcoming events:

• January 15th - No School~Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• January 22nd - Parent Information Session on Budget - High School Auditorium
• January 22nd - Mid-term grades close 
• January 25th - Early Release, 12:30 Dismissal
• January 26th - 7th and 8th-grade dance from 7pm-9pm in cafeteria
• January 29th - Progress Reports posted online

If you have not done so already, I encourage all of you to read the letter below about vaping.

Update on vaping:  Unfortunately, we have been informed that there are multiple students at our middle school who are currently vaping.  Because of the serious nature and risks associated with this matter, we felt it was crucial to distribute the following revised informational letter to all parents.

Dear SMS Parents,

We are reaching out in order to raise awareness and strengthen our community’s prevention efforts pertaining to the concerning matter of adolescent “vaping” or “juuling” (using e-cigarettes).

We thought it would be helpful if you had information about vaping and juuling so that you can be better prepared to discuss the issue with your child, and intervene when necessary.   

 

• Electronic cigarettes/vape pens/juul vaporizers/vaping bracelets allow the user to inhale, or vape, a mist, which usually contains nicotine or THC/cannabidiol (the active ingredients in marijuana). The process is smoke-free, and there is little to no odor; only a slight mist is exhaled. As a result, it can be very hard to detect. These pens/vaporizers are marketed as “ stealth” devices.

•These devices are promoted as being a healthy alternative to smoking. Although some harmful chemicals found in traditional cigarettes have been removed, these devices still deliver the addictive and/or habit-forming chemicals in tobacco products and marijuana.

• A vaping device looks very much like a pen or a bracelet, and a juul vaporizer looks like a USB device. Please keep in mind that there is no need for a USB at Swampscott Middle School because we use Google Drive.

Vaping/juuling is a serious and pressing concern for adolescents, not only in Swampscott but throughout the country.  These devices deliver addictive chemicals and often serve as an initial introduction to substance use.

 

Thank you very much for your vigilance and commitment to our adolescents’ safety and well-being. Together, as a community, we can work together to address this significant health concern.  

 

If you have any questions or concerns related to this issue, please feel free to contact your child’s school administrator or counselor.

Sincerely,

Jason Calichman, M.Ed

Principal

Swampscott Middle School

**Please visit our Blog @https://swampmiddle.blogspot.com/

**Follow us on Twitter @https://twitter.com/SwampMiddle

Holiday Break

Our Presenter, Rob Surette, of Amazing Hero Art & Principal Calichman

We want to wish all of our Swampscott Families a holiday season filled with peace, joy, and happiness. 

Rob Surette of Amazing Hero Art: 

We are incredibly grateful to the PTO for giving our 6th and 7th Graders an assembly to remember! They had the opportunity to watch Rob Surette paint incredible portraits and share his amazing life story.  If you are interested in seeing more of his inspirational work visit: http://www.amazingheroart.com/

Upcoming Dates of 2018: 

• Return from break on Tuesday, January 2nd
• Midterm Grades Close on Thursday, January 18th
• Progress Reports will be Available Online on Thursday, January 25th

Big Blue Pride Winners for December: 

5A: Noelle Diehl

5B: Costa Shub

5C: Kira Garipova 

5D: Nathaniel Maher

6A: Victoria Quagrello

6B: Jake Collins

7A: Alenka Swanda

7B: Olivia Foss

8A: Colin Masucci 

8B: Maddie Diehl

Specialists: Grace Reiter 

*Please note that Colin Masucci and Jake Collins are not pictured above.  

Tis' the Season

                                  Our 5th graders making gingerbread houses.


Upcoming Events:

Parent Conferences:

Dec 12th from 1-4 - 12:30 Dismissal
Dec 14th from 1-4 and 6-8 - 12:30 Dismissal

Vacation Begins: 
Dec 22nd - 1/2 day ending at 12:00.  Lunch will NOT be served.  See you on January 2nd.

Spread Good Cheer
At Swampscott Middle School, we are constantly reminding our students the importance of kindness.  During the month of December, we would love to have our students extend one act of kindness each day.  

Winter Drive
The SMS Winter Clothing and Winter Gear Drive Has Started! SMS is once again holding its Cradles to Crayons Drive. We are collecting new and gently used:

• kids' seasonal clothing such as long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, pants, and jeans
• winter coats and jackets
• gear such as snow pants, boots, hats, mittens, and gloves. 

Sizes newborn to teen are greatly appreciated. Donations will be collected from 12/1 through 12/20 in our lobby. Questions? Please contact Erica Vanderhoof at vanderhoof@swampscott.k12.ma.us

#fridaysareawesome! Nailed it! Have a wonderful weekend.   

So Thankful

Our 6th Graders engaged in a mindfulness activity with Ms. Cresta

We have many reasons to be thankful here at Swampscott Middle School.  We want to express our gratitude for our dedicated and hardworking staff members who show up every single day willing to do whatever it takes to provide our students with incredible learning experiences.  Special thanks to our students who come to school each day with curious minds, strong work ethics, and kind hearts. 

Upcoming News & Events:

Turkey Drive
Thank you to all who contributed to the Thanksgiving turkey drive this year.  We were able to collect just over $340 in cash and gift cards to donate to My Brother's Table to help local families in need.  Many thanks and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families. 

Annual Volleyball Tournament
Grade Level Champions will be crowned on Wednesday, November 22nd.  Stay tuned for pictures of the action! Please have students wear or bring sneakers to school Monday through Wednesday in preparation to play.  

Thanksgiving Break
Please be advised that there is a noon dismissal on Wednesday, November 22nd (no lunch served) and no school on Thursday, November 23rd, and Friday, November 24th.  

End of First Trimester
The First Trimester ends on November 22nd.  Grades will be posted online for students and families to view on Friday, December 1st at 2:00 p.m.

Winter Clothing and Winter Gear Drive Coming Soon!
SMS will once again be holding its Cradles to Crayons Drive. We will be collecting new and gently used kids' winter clothing and winter gear such as long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, coats, snow pants, boots, hats, and mittens. Sizes newborn to teen will be greatly appreciated. Donations will be collected starting December 1st in the Lobby.

Picture Re-Take Day
Picture Retakes will happen on Tuesday, November 28th.  If you are retaking a picture you must bring back your originals to swap out. 

Parent Conferences
Parents and Guardians will be able to sign up online for teacher conferences on Monday, November 27th at 6:00 p.m. Detailed information regarding sign-ups and conference dates will come out next week before break.  

Big Blue Pride Winners, Honoring Veterans, My Brother's Table and Upcoming News & Events

Our October Big Blue Pride Winners. We are so proud of you! 

Pictured above:  Addie Wood, Lauryn Fahey, Yani Pizarro, Chloe Puzzo, Lily Reiter, Will Van Dam, Greg Keane, and Jennifer Bartram. 
*Not pictured are our 6th-grade winners who are away in Nature's Classroom:  Carson Palmer and Isabella Morales.

Dear Students and Families,

We at SMS would like to honor our veterans in a variety of ways in observance of Veterans Day on November 11th.

In the lobby, we are asking students and staff to write notes of thanks and support to our veterans. If any family has a name or a photograph of veteran it would like to honor, please email the information to Erica Vanderhoof at vanderhoof@swampscott.k12.ma.us or place the name and/or photograph in a box in the lobby.

Additionally, proceeds collected from a Hat Day on Thursday, November 9th where students and staff donate $1 to wear a hat to school, will be sent to a nonprofit that supports veterans and their families.

Thank you for helping SMS to honor our veterans.

My Brother's Table:

This year will be our 6th year collecting money and gift card donations to local grocery stores (Market Basket, Shaw's, and Stop & Shop) to sponsor turkey dinners for local families through My Brother's Table.  We will be collecting items from November 6th-16th.  A donation box for gift cards will be available in the front lobby.  In addition, Grade 8 students will be collecting in the cafeteria at each student lunch from Monday, November 13th until Thursday, November 16th.

The My Brother’s Table staff and guests are always very appreciative of our assistance and involvement at this crucial time of year. For more information about the organization and other ways you can help, please visit their website http://www.mybrotherstable.org/about.shtml.

Thank you in advance!

Mrs. Baer and Mrs. Vanderhoof 

Nov 7th - NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day

Nov 9th - "Hats Off for Veterans" Day - Students can pay $1 to wear a hat to school.  Donations will go towards a veterans non-profit organization.

Nov 10th - NO SCHOOL - Veterans Day

Nov 22nd - First term grades close

Nov 22nd - Swampscott Middle School Volleyball Tournament of Champions

Dec 1st - Report cards available online at 2:00pm

News and Announcements at Swampscott Middle School

                              We are so grateful for our water refill stations, and PJ Day was a hit!


Oct 27th - HOMEWORK FREE WEEKEND

Oct 31st - Halloween - Students in grades 5-8 are allowed to wear costumes to school.  However, no masks that conceal a student's face and no costumes that have weapons are allowed.

Nov 1st - MCAS Parent Information Night.  Please follow the link below to learn more about the event:

MCAS Parent Information Night 

This past spring, all students in grades 3-8 took the new Next Generation
MCAS test, while grade 10 students took the “legacy” test. The new tests
have more rigorous expectations and different scoring descriptors than the
“legacy” test. Please join us for an informative presentation about the
Next Generation MCAS test as well as plans for the grade 10 transition to
the new test.

November 2nd - Open House at Swampscott High School. Please follow the link below to learn more about the event: 

Swampscott High School Open House

Nov 9th - "Hats Off for Veterans" Day - Students can pay $1 to wear a hat to school.  Donations will go towards a veterans non-profit organization.

News from the Middle School

We had a great week here at Swampscott Middle School.

If you haven't already, please remember to check ASPEN as progress reports were posted on Wednesday.

The link below is helpful for viewing progress reports and report cards: 

Aspen Reports

News & Updates: 

Oct 27th - Pajama Day:  Students will pay $1 to wear school appropriate pajamas for the day.  The money will be collected by the National Junior Honor Society.

Oct 27th - HOMEWORK FREE WEEKEND

Oct 31st - Halloween - Students in grades 5-8 are allowed to wear costumes to school.  However, no masks that conceal a student's face and no costumes that have weapons are allowed.

November 2nd - Open House at Swampscott High School. Please follow the link below to learn more about the event: 

Swampscott High School Open House

School Safety and Security Letter:

Dear Swampscott Families,

As you know, the safety and well-being of our students is our top priority. Throughout the school year, all Swampscott Public Schools practice emergency response procedures in order to attain that goal. These drills include fire, lockdown, and evacuation drills. All drills performed have three specific objectives: to improve our ability to protect students, evaluate our emergency operations plan, and improve our response skills.

With that in mind, our school will perform a “lockdown with barricade” drill in the near future during an unannounced date and time.  Assistant Principal Sanborn and I have already met with all classes in order to help prepare them for this drill, and to answer any questions they may have.

Remember, the purpose of this drill is to educate our children regarding the best practices related to school safety, to empower them with this knowledge, and ultimately, to achieve the highest level of safety for both our students and our staff. Given that purpose, we strongly encourage all students to fully participate in this drill. However, if for any reason you do not wish to have your child participate in the school’s upcoming drill, please contact me at (781) 596-8820 by the end of school on Wednesday, October 25th in order to submit this request.

Should you need any further information regarding this school safety training, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Jason Calichman