DECEMBER
2023
Southern Middle School
great job leaving space for students to walk in both directions, they are walking, and demonstrating care toward one another as they move about. For many students, having 500 students
SMS Families:
It is hard to believe that when we return from winter break, the 2nd marking period will be nearly over! As we approach the mid-year mark, students often experience a dip in grades.
Please encourage your child to ask questions of their teacher, use the established help time during Flex and IE, and consider our after school Homework Club.
The permission slip for the After School Club program, which includes Homework Club, can be found HERE.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Our Junior Achievement YES (Your Economic Success) day will be held Tuesday, December 12th in the morning.
YES Day is a half-day program for 7th and 8th graders to explore and participate in activities related to financial literacy and career decision making.
This day is not possible without the 40 volunteers from local businesses and our community. We are still in need of 2 volunteers; if you are able to assist on December 12th, please register HERE.
Finally, I am excited to share that our review of the Warrior Expectations related to hallways has made drastic improvements in the traffic flow in the school this week.
Students are doing a great job leaving space for students to walk in both directions. They are walking and demonstrating care toward one another as they move about.
For many students, having 500 students and staff moving in the school hallways at one time is new for them. Taking this time to teach and provide a visual for students, has proven to be very helpful. Next year, we plan to start the year off providing this information to students.
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season,
Melissa S. Bell, Ed. D.
SMS Principal
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
12/7 | Board Meeting 7 p.m. |
12/12 | Yes Day |
12/13-12/14 | Keystone Testing |
12/25-1/1 | Winter Break |
1/5 | MP 2 Ends |
1/19 | PTSO 7th & 8th Grade Dance 6 p.m. |
Principal
Melissa Bell, Ed. D.
melissa.bell@sycsd.org
Assistant Principal
Ryan Updike
ryan.updike@sycsd.org
SMS Main Office
(717) 235-4811 x3500
smsattendance@sycsd.org
Warrior Word
Check out our recent issue of the Warrior Word,
our student newspaper. Click here to view.
Employment at SYCSD
It’s always been challenging for schools to hire enough qualified teachers, substitute teachers, instructional aides, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and the other staff members who keep a school day humming. But those challenges have never been more daunting.
Congratulations to our 8th grade math teacher, Mike Arnold, who was nominated a Shippensburg Teacher of the Year. On Nov 15th, he and Dr. Bell attended a luncheon to honor all recipients.
American Legion - Essay Contests
Americanism Essay Contest
The Americanism Essay Contest was created to teach students the value of patriotism and what it means to be Americans. Thousands of students participate in the program each year and help promote a lifelong respect of our flag and country.
Current Essay Theme: “What does Freedom mean to me?”
Learn more at https://glenrocklegion.org/ or email Mr. Thiele for a PDF of the contest rules.
All essays may be mailed to:
Joelene Thiele
225 Pleasant Grove Rd.
Red Lion, Pa 17356
PA American Legion 6-8 Grade 2024 Essay Contest
Essay Theme: Do you Believe That U.S. Flag Etiquette Should Be Taught in School/?
For more info, click here or see the brochure here.
ATTENDANCE HIGHLIGHT - TRIPS/VACATIONS
You must submit an Educational Trip and Tour Form ten (10) days in advance of your trip. Make sure you explain the educational value of the trip.
The form can be found at the district website, https://pa02203627.schoolwires.net/Page/64, or you can call the main office and request a copy via email. It will be reviewed and approved by the building Principal.
Per PA Department of Education, your student is allowed a maximum 5 absences due to an educational trip for the entire school year.
Questions? Please contact Mrs. Sherman:
717-235-4811 ext. 3501
717-227-9681
smsattendance@sycsd.org or margarida.sherman@sycsd.org
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
Congratulations to our four October Students of the Month, who have exhibited PRIDE (Prepared—Respect—Integrity—Doing Your Best—Engaged) in their behavior at SMS. Two students are selected from each team. Please congratulate:
Gianna Latko, Mason Keck, Mollie Boehm, Emerson Rankin, Molly Kloster, Matthew Mossman-Lushko, Trevor Calp, Elsie Wrisk
Congratulations to our spelling bee winners:
1st - Evan Boyce (winning word “malignant”)
2nd - Shawn Stansbury
3rd - Gregory Parks
4th - Johannah Bissett
SMS to SES Reading Day
Some of our seventh graders did such an amazing job with their “Trickster Tales” that we just had to share them. Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade were gracious enough to provide our students with an audience. It was a wonderful day and such an awesome experience.
Parents - Watch Out for Wizz!
Wizz is an “tinder-like” app that claims to be designed for teenagers to find friends.
Wizz uses AI face-recognition technology to determine a user’s age and then places the user into an age group. Users can then swipe through suggested connections in their age group and connect. Here’s what you need to know:
- Teens more often view it as a “dating” app as opposed to a place for making friends.
- Wizz claims use of their AI facial recognition offers protection from predators. However, the age verification doesn’t work reliably and adults/predators can also find ways around it.
- Often teens and adults are paired up as matches and only need to accept one another’s friend request in order to chat directly, etc. The promise of the facial recognition software gives teens a false sense of security.
- There are no parental controls.
- While guidelines prohibit sexual or violent content, frequently questionable content occurs regardless, particularly in chats, including sexual pics, violence, profanity, drugs references, etc. Emojis in bios that are used to make references to explicit content (i.e. drug dealer, etc).
- Sextortion has become a problem with nude photos being requested then weaponized.
York County Libraries is hosting their 35th Annual Celebration of Poetry event. They invite students from across York and Adams Counties to submit their best poems for their poetry contest.
To learn more about the Celebration of Poetry contest and submission details, visit their website at: https://www.yorklibraries.org/library-services-programs/poetry.
If you have any questions, please contact Youth Services Department @ ysdepartment@yorklibraries.org
Southern Middle School PTSO
President: Jenn Clements ~ Secretary: Tara Welsh
Treasurer: Kelley Fisher ~ Hospitality: Lisa Russell, Erin Saenz
The next PTSO meeting is Wednesday, January 17, 2023 at 6 p.m. in the SMS Library.
Athletic Department
To learn more about winter sports and find contact information for coaches, please visit the SYCSD website Athletics page.
The Athletics apparel store will be open all year for parents, students, faculty and staff to purchase from.
Counseling Department
Mrs. Lisa Hall School Counselor 7th Grade lisa.hall@sycsd.org (717) 235-4811 x 3522
Mr. Jason Katz School Counselor 8th Grade jason.katz@sycsd.org (717) 235-4811 x 3523
PCBH School-Based Counseling Program
The SYCSD/PCBH School-Based Counseling Program utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to bridge the gap for young people who need mental health care and young people who receive mental health care.
The PCBH program provides coordinated mental health services at a licensed satellite office of PCBH in the familiar environment of the school setting. Please contact Mrs. Hall or Mr. Katz for more information.
Student Assistance Program (SAP)
The Student Assistance Program (SAP) continues to actively function in the middle school. The SAP team is a group of trained staff members who work to identify, intervene and refer students who are having difficulties due to a variety of possibilities.
The program is available to all students at SMS (except anyone already receiving drug/alcohol or mental health counseling). To make a referral, please contact the guidance office or fill out this form SMS SAP Info Request.
Introducing
Check and Connect
Check and Connect is a newly offered data driven program at Southern Middle School developed by the University of Minnesota. For most students, it will not be necessary, but for some it can mean the difference in a successful experience at school.
Check and Connect is a voluntary program that uses attendance, grade, and behavior data to look at a student’s ability to succeed in school. To sum it up, the Check and Connect program is designed to better the student’s success by helping them to improve their routines around the academic setting.
By using weekly check-ins, the Check and Connect Mentor helps the student see their potential success. Often times, the Mentor can act as a secondary counselor, a tutor, and an additional person who holds the student accountable for their actions.
Check and Connect is not just for students. The program mentor works with teachers, administrators, and caregivers to find ways to help the student. It is a team effort to help the student succeed.
If you believe your child is not finding success at school, Check and Connect may be a way of helping them forward. Please contact your child’s counselor or an administrator if you would like to learn more about the program or are interested in signing them up.
York County School of Technology
Parents of 8th graders:
Applications are currently available online. Information about the application process and the application can be found here.
Parents/Guardians are required to create a Skyward account (if they do not have other students currently attending YCST) in order for students to be able to submit an application.
The deadline to apply for the 2024-2025 school year is December 6, 2023.
All applicants will attend a visitation session with 8th Grade School Counselor on Tuesday, January 30, 2023.
Students will receive a tour, complete an interest inventory, meet with admission representatives for a brief interview, and will take Math & Reading placement testing. Permission forms will be provided to students after the new year.
If you have any questions about York County School of Technology, please contact Mr. Katz at jason.katz@sycsd.org.
Aevidum Newsletter
Club Advisors: Mr. Katz & Mr. Snare
The club held its 2023 election on Election Day and is excited to announce that this year’s President is Karleigh Bankert (Team Integrity) and Vice- President is Mollie Boehm (Team Respect).
Karleigh “truly desires for Aevidum to remain a place where students can be their authentic selves.” She believes in the “importance of mental health and well-being within our school community.”
Mollie feels that “everyone should have a safe environment to rely on in school” and strongly believes in the “Aevidum mission of suicide prevention and mental health awareness while making SMS a great school to attend.”
The club conducted an activity during the lunch periods on Monday, November 13 for World Kindness Day. Students had the opportunity to write a kind statement to a friend, another peer, or a staff member.
Lots of students took advantage of spreading kindness throughout the school on World Kindness Day.
The club student leaders also recently traveled to The Cork Factory Hotel in Lancaster with the SHS Aevidum Club for the annual Aevidum Conference, dubbed Amplify Aevidum this year.
It was a fabulous opportunity to join other clubs in the Central PA region to hear all the amazing things that are being done in our schools to further the club’s mission of suicide prevention, improving positive mental health awareness, and having all students feel accepted, acknowledged, appreciated and cared for.
During the holiday season we will be creating a Gratitude chain, working on the second podcast episode, and we will be handing out Aevidigrams to the entire school before the winter break.
Follow the SMS Aevidum Club on Instagram @smsaevidum for club happenings, mental health resources, and a variety of other content. Take a listen to the SMS Aevidum Podcast on Spotify here.
STAFF RECOGNITION
SMS strives to be student-centered and customer service focused. We would like to know if a staff member, including all support staff, (teacher, custodian, instructional aid, secretary, or bus driver) has gone over and above to assist you and/or child.
If you have had such an interaction with a staff member, please consider sending that staff member a shout out.
To send a shout out, simply complete this Google Form and a shout out will be automatically generated and sent to the staff member at the end of the calendar month. Our goal is to let staff know they had a positive impact and to measure our overall commitment to being student-centered and customer service oriented.
At SYCSD we are committed to implementing programs that involve and/or educate students, parents, teachers, support staff, administrators, local law enforcement, mental health and wellness professionals, and elected officials to protect our students, staff, and community.
The Safe2Say Something (S2SS) program is an anonymous reporting system, mandated by PA state law, designed to help students and staff recognize the warning signs and signals (especially on social media) of individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others.
S2SS trains students and school staff to treat every warning sign seriously and to act quickly to get help by talking to a trusted adult and/or by reporting it anonymously via telephone, mobile device, or website to the S2SS Crisis Center.
District staff members have been trained to respond to and manage tips that are submitted in coordination with state and local law enforcement officials. The curriculum is designed to be age-appropriate and research-based.
Music
Department
Cavalcade of Bands Liberty
Open Class Championship
Recently, the SHS Warrior Marching Band won the Cavalcade of Bands Liberty Open Class Championship. (Cavalcade of Bands in the circuit we compete in.
The circuit is split into "A" and "Open" Class. "A" class is for up and coming bands and "Open" class is for the top groups in the circuit).
This is the band's third consecutive Cavalcade Open class championship and our second "three-peat" (we also won in the 2016 - 2018 seasons). Prior to that, the band had only won an Open Class championship once before (2007).
Needless to say, the band is on quite a run and has earned the right to be called one of the best in the state.
We have seven SMS students who participate in the marching band:
Liam Friend - Tuba
Cooper Barrett - Battery Percussion - Bass Drum
Lucas Cluster - Trumpet
Micayla Connell - Color Guard
Madison Gantz - Color Guard
Ella Miliauskas - Mellophone
Caileigh Smith - Color Guard
Please congratulate these students when you see them this week. They've worked extremely hard to be able to participate in this elite high school ensemble.
The SMS Choir and Orchestra Winter Concert will take place on Wednesday, December 13 at 7 p.m. and will be held in the High School Auditorium.
SMS Choir & Orchestra Dress Rehearsals
and Concert Details
The SMS Choir and Orchestra combined concert will be taking place on Wednesday, December 13 at 7:00 pm in the SHS Auditorium.
In preparation for the concert, the students will be participating in dress rehearsals so they can get used to performing in the new space, which is vastly different from the rehearsal spaces here at SMS.
Please note: Dress rehearsals in the past have been scheduled all of period 1 and period 2, however, in an effort to minimize students missing class, we are making every effort to get the students back to 2nd period by 9:10 am, so they can have time with their 2nd period teachers.
Dress Rehearsals:
Thursday, December 7 - SMS Orchestra - Periods 1 - 9:00 AM
Will strive to have students back in class by 9:10 AM
Friday, December 8 - SMS Choir - Periods 1 - 9:00 AM
Will strive to have students back in class by 9:10 AM
Monday, December 11 - SMS Orchestra - Periods 1 - 9:00 AM
Will strive to have students back in class by 9:10 AM
Tuesday, December 12 - SMS Choir - Periods 2, 3, 8 & 9 (this in the afternoon after the YES! Day)
Students will bring all of their materials to go home as they report to the auditorium lobby. More details will be shared once YES! Day schedule is released.
Wednesday, December 13 - SMS Choir & Orchestra (combined - concert run) - Periods 8 & 9
- Students will bring all of their materials to go home as they report to the auditorium lobby (choir) and orchestra room (orchestra)
- Students will report to the above rooms at 12:50 PM so that we can begin our rehearsal at the start of period 8 (1:03 pm)
- The change in dress rehearsal time is to accommodate the students taking Keystone Exam on this date in the morning.
SMS Choir & Orchestra Poinsettia Sale
The SMS Choir and Orchestra are currently selling poinsettias. If you would like to have some poinsettias to decorate your home for the holidays, please contact Mr. Jones or Mr. Althouse to order.
All flowers will be delivered on December 13th, will be used to decorate the HS stage for the December 13th concert and then can be taken home on Thursday, December 14th. Poinsettias are $13.00 each and you have your choice of RED, WHITE, PINK.
Order and payments are due no later than November 28th. Cash or check (made payable to SYCSD Choral Boosters).
PMEAs
The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 7 Middle School SongFest took place this past Saturday, November 11, 2023 at Big Spring Middle School. SMS had 11 students attend-the most number of students from any of the schools attending the festival!
The students had the opportunity to work with guest conductor Dr. Joy Elizabeth Meade, Director of Choral Activities and an Assistant Professor of Music at Messiah University, Mechanicsburg, PA where she conducts the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Choral Arts Society.
They made wonderful progress as a group of 126 student musicians and put on a performance at 4:00 PM. Attached are a few pictures from the day! The following students attended the festival on Saturday.
Madalyn DePalmer
Adela Wooden
Juan Tre Oliver
Arryana Alvarado
John Latko
Courtney Bieder
Sarah Pizzurro
Madison Feyrer
Emmett Lauver
Calleigh Doll
York Junior Symphony Orchestra Concert
Congratulations to: Margaret Mabon, Ally Knauff, Natalie Schanberger and Jared Voss for participating yesterday in the York Junior Symphony Orchestra concert. Margaret Mabon was concertmaster of the ensemble (top violin) and Ally Knauff was principal viola (top viola).
They all did a wonderful job, and these students had to give up their Saturday mornings starting back in August to participate.
When you see them tomorrow, please congratulate them. Here is the link to the program if you would like to take a look. Overall the orchestra had close to 100 students in it from all over York county.
Pigeon Hill String Invitational
A shout out to these 5 students who performed last Friday at the Pigeon Hill String Invitational.
Madison Feyrer
Erin Walker
Jorga Nace
Elora Swindell
Alex Brenton
All 5 did a phenomenal job and performed with students from New Oxford School District, Spring Grove Area School District, and South Western Area School District. Madison Feyrer also sat in the concertmaster seat, which is the leader for the whole orchestra.
Please congratulate them when you see them.
Thank you for supporting the orchestra program!
Congrats to our Turkey Contest winner!
3rd place: Grace Winstead (pink one)
2nd place: Jack Apgar
1st place: Ava O’Conner
The winners can see Ms. Jackie for your prizes.
2nd Place:
3rd Place:
1st Place:
Smart Snack Price List
Pop Tarts $.85
Fresh Baked Cookies $1.00
Fruit snacks/Fruit roll-ups $.85
Granola Bar $.85
Ice Cream $1.00
Rice Crispy Treat $1.25
Frito Lay Snacks $1.00
Bottled Water $.75
Naked Juice $2.50
Snapple 100% Juice 1.25
Izzi Beverage $1.50