Dear
Parents,
We are off to a great start and the first
six weeks have progressed smoothly! It is hard to believe this past week marks
the end of the first quarter of the 2013-14 school year. I am sure you have noticed Middle School is a
time of great change for your student.
Students seem to grow inches overnight and begin to develop a sense of
independence. Hopefully by now, your
child has a solid understanding of the school and the many teachers he/she
interacts with on a daily basis.
Thank you for reinforcing
the importance of attendance, promptness, academics at school and at home, and
having your student wear their student identification badge everyday. As most of you know, October is a critical
month for us due to the “Official Count
Day,” which determines how public schools are funded. We appreciate your efforts in having your
student at school during the count window (September 24th-October 8th)
and every day of the school year.
Attendance is a critical factor in a student’s ability to
attain the maximum benefit from the educational environment.
Some of you may
have experienced a call or a letter regarding an attendance concern. The district attendance intervention policy
is based on the Positive Behavior Support (PBS) philosophy to help schools
prioritize levels of student attendance concerns and direct resources
proactively through the systems’ support strategies. The following steps are being implemented to
prevent attendance concerns: 1. A
teacher will speak to a student once the student has 2-3 absences (excused or
unexcused). 2. When a student has 4-5 absences (excuse or
unexcused) a teacher may make parent contact to discuss the possible attendance
concerns. 3. When a student has 6-7
absences (excused or unexcused), an administrator will either call or send a
letter to notify parents of his/her concern about continued absences. 4. When a student reaches 8-10 absences (excused
or unexcused), an administrator will arrange for a conference to be held with
parents, student, and teachers to develop a Student Attendance Stipulation
(Contract). Again, the purpose of the guidelines is to assist your child in
realizing the importance of school and becoming the best student possible.
The staff continues to
support academics by providing extra help before/after school, during lunch,
and at Homework Helpers (four days before and four days after school in the
media center), and at SRMS Saturday School (every other Saturday). Always feel free to contact your teacher by
email or phone, with email being the more efficient source of communication.
Make sure you mark your calendars
for Thursday, October 10th (5-8 p.m.) and Friday, October 11th
(12 Noon – 3 p.m. & 4:30-7:30 p.m.) for SRMS Parent/Teacher
Conferences. There will be no school on
Friday, October 11th due to morning training for staff and
conferences beginning at noon.
Eighth (8th) grade
parents, please note District 12 is sponsoring a High School Open House,
November 13th from 5:45-7:50 p.m at the Adams 12 Five Star Schools
Educational Support Center (ESC). A general welcome will occur from
5:45-5:50 p.m., with school presentations starting at 6 p.m., 6:40 p.m, and
7:20 p.m.
Thank you for your support for our school wide
fundraiser. We are excited for the second annual
SRMS Read-A-Thon. Last year we raised
$6,000 on short notice. Our goal this
year is to raise over $12,000. As most
of you know, the fundraiser is spent on building technology. We continue to implement technology into our
instruction in various methods.
Thank you for your continued care and support for your
student, Shadow Ridge Middle School, and Adams County School District 12!
Sincerely,
Susie Wickham
Principal
