SPARTAN News

Stafford Middle School @WeAreSMSpartans May 2019

Jeff Howard Assistant Principal

howardjd@staffordschools.net

Jill Bryant Assistant Principal

bryantjm@staffordschools.net

Stafford Middle School 101 Spartan Drive, Stafford, VA 22554 ● Phone: 540-658-6210 ● Fax: 540-658-6204

Dr. Mark J. Smith

Principal smithmj@staffordschools.net

RESPECTFUL RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTIVE - “The Spartan Way”

/ staffordschools.net/SMS

Thursday, May 23rd

at 7:00pm

Cost:

$3—SMS students

$5—adults/non-SMS students

SMS Theater Arts presents

May is here! We are excited to start a new month and look forward to all of the excitement that lies ahead. Our students are preparing to take their SOLs later this month, our spring sports are closing out their seasons, and we are practicing for our end of the year events. Please keep an eye on our main calendar so you are up to date! Our spring SOL testing will begin on Tuesday, May 14. Our 6th grade students will take tests in Reading and Math; our 7th grade students will be tested in Reading, Math and Civics; and our 8th graders will complete tests in Reading, Math and Science. Once we are done with testing, we will end the year with final exams. The SOL schedule will be posted on our main website and we will share final exam and closeout procedures at a later date. Please be mindful of the test dates for your students and make sure they get plenty of rest and breakfast to start their day. Softball and track have been competitive this spring. Our softball team will culminate its season with the county tournament which will begin on May 6. The location of the games will be determined after the regular season. Our track team will compete in their county tournament on May 8. The start time is 3PM and the meet should be over by 7:30 or 8:00. Our county champion wrestlers will be recognized by the Stafford County School Board on Tuesday, May 14 at 6PM. We are very proud of our wrestlers and our coaches. Thank you to all of the parents who supported our athletes throughout the year. Several principals and coaches from other schools commented on how respectful our athletes were. Well done! Our performing arts will host several spring events to culminate their year. Band, chorus, orchestra, and drama will showcase their skills during evening events later this month and in early June. Orchestra will host its concert on Monday, May 20 at 7PM at Brooke Point. The High School Musical Drama Showcase will be Thursday, May 23 at SMS. Start time is 7PM. The Chorus Concert will take place at Brooke Point at 7PM on Tuesday, May 28 and our Band Concert will be Thursday, June 6 at 7PM at Brooke Point. We will also host the 8th Grade Moving on celebration on Friday, May 31 from 6PM to 8PM and the 8th grade awards program on Wednesday, June 5 at 7PM. Both events will be at Stafford Middle. As we close this school year, I want to say thank you for your involvement and support. I wish you a productive close to the year and a restful summer. I look forward to seeing our returning students in the fall and wish the very best to our outgoing 8th graders. If there is anything that you need from me, do not hesitate to reach out. Go Spartans! Dr. Mark J. Smith Principal

END OF THE YEAR MEDICATION

PROCEDURE:

The school year is almost over and all medications will need to be picked up from the clinic. You will need to pick up your child’s medication on or before the last day of school (June 14th) between the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. prior to the last day or between 8:30 A.M. and 12:30 P.M. on the last day.

No medication, prescription or over the counter, will be sent home with students. Medication that is not picked up will be destroyed.

ATTENTION 8th GRADE PARENTS!

Your child should have brought home a school health information form the end of April from their home room teachers. If you have not done so, please complete and return this form to me as soon as possible. This will update your child’s medical chart for high school.

Thank-You,

Donna Fisher, RN

Mrs. Geslock’s Class...

In 8th Grade Science, we will be finishing up our year learning all about the physics of motion. The Science SOL will be on May 29th, so we will also be incorporating a lot of review in the upcoming weeks!

Spring has sprung! I hope everyone had a wonderful and

relaxing Spring Break. Currently, our sixth grade students are

working with poetry and figurative language. Not only are we

reading and analyzing different poems, but we are also

creating our own pieces. After poetry, our next focus will be

reviewing for the Reading SOL Test. Students have already

begun working in their SOL review workbooks. The librarian,

Mrs. McBride, is also helping us review for the test by

providing activities for the students to complete while in the

library. Each evening, students should be reviewing the

information that was covered in class each day. After the SOL

Reading Test, students will work with various writing

activities and grammar lessons.

Mrs. Geslock’s Class...

May is here and the end of the school year is near. It is hard to be-lieve that our seventh graders will soon be entering their last year of middle school.

In Civics, English, and Math, students are in review mode as we prepare for our upcoming SOL tests.

In Science, students are currently studying Cell Division (Mitosis and Meiosis) by drawing and studying the stages of each. Up next is our Heredity and Genetics unit, which will cover inherited family traits, Punnet Squares, and a Crazy Traits

Lab- where we “breed” wooden Alien creatures. We will also watch videos,

discuss our lab, and take notes.

In March, students from Stafford Middle School participated in the National Latin Exam. This exam is given all across the United States in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and 20 foreign countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Republic of Georgia, Russia, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe. Students are tested on their knowledge of language, history, mythology, everyday Roman life, and Latin phrases. The following students received awards for their scores on the exam: Aily B. – Silver Medal – Maxima Cum Laude Angie B.– Silver Medal – Maxima Cum Laude Kevin G. – Silver Medal – Maxima Cum Laude Angelina T. – Silver Medal – Maxima Cum Laude

Music Department

Concert Dates

Orchestra — Monday, May 20th at 7 pm at BPHS

Chorus — Tuesday, May 28th at 7 pm at BPHS

Band — Thursday, June 6th at 7 pm at BPHS

Mrs. Geslock’s Class...

Greetings from the Health and Physical Education (HPE) Department at Stafford Middle School! The month of April is behind us and we welcome in the month of May! We hope that you had a phenomenal Spring Break and you are ready to return with a purpose to finish out the 2018-2019 school year. In the month of May, we will be conducting our end of the year Fitness Tests. Make sure you bring your “A” game in order to rock these end of the year fitness tests. We have been preparing for these tests all year and are excited to see the progress in our student’s scores. The HPE department would also like to recognize our HPE Students of the Month for April:

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th grade: Katie B., Amalie S.-H., Joseph L., Logan M., Aaron J., Malakai M.

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th grade: Ella S., Emily L., Jeffrey G., Carlos R., Johanna T., Breylen D.

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th grade: Fiona S., Feranmi O., Patrick C., Jada M., Hannah W., Ymani O.

CONGRATULATIONS to these students for showing “THE SPARTAN

WAY” EACH and EVERY day…Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be

Productive!!

Amalie S.-H. Julia M. Leonel E. Melanie A.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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Word of the Month:

DEPENDABILITY

Softball— 1st round of

Tournament

EARLY

RELEASE

Memorial Day—

NO

SCHOOL

County Track

Tournament

Softball @ Drew

Track Home

7pm—Orchestra

Concert @ BPHS

Softball— 2nd round of Tournament

Softball Championship

7pm—High

School Musical

7pm—Chorus

Concert @ BPHS

6pm—8th Grade

Moving On

Celebration

Mother’s Day

Honor’s

Ceremony

SOL Reading 6 SOL Reading 7 SOL Reading 8

SOL Math 6 SOL Math 8

GEO/ALG SOL Math 7