Swartz Creek Middle School

Families! This year we are continuing our student planners. These are designed specifically for our Swartz Creek middle school families. You can look at your child's planner daily to determine what work your child did not finish at school, if your child has any tests this week, any major assignments due, whether your child is at a 1 or a 5 on the 5-point emotional scale that all students are taught. You can even see how many times your child left class to use the bathroom or go to their locker. The most important thing we use planners for is to teach students executive functioning skills for life. We will be giving your child a new a planner every 4-5 weeks so they will have approximately two planners each marking period. Planners are expected to be handed out in your child's Dragon Time on Monday August 26th.

So happy to see our SCMS survivor camp leaders visiting the offices today! It's nice to have the family back together!!!!

Calling ALL actors, dancers, singers and tech students interested in joining our Swartz Creek Middle School Drama Club! Please attend this upcoming meeting on August 28th. The 2024-2025 upcoming school year we will be performing 2 shows. This fall we will perform The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Spring 2025 we will bring High School Musical Jr to the stage. We look forward to an incredible school year and seeing everyone on the 28th. Please contact Kendra Babcock with any questions at kbabcock@swcrk.org

Exciting News for Swartz Creek Community Schools! We are thrilled to announce that the state of Michigan has once again approved a budget that allows Swartz Creek Community Schools to offer FREE breakfast and lunch to ALL students in grades pre-K through 12, thanks to the Michigan School Meals program! Last year, we saw a significant increase in student participation, leading to higher reimbursements for our Food Service Program. This means we can invest more in better food, equipment, staffing, and more. We need your help! Please fill out the Education Benefit Form through the Meal Magic Family Portal. Gathering this information is crucial for securing higher reimbursements through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), determining eligibility for Summer Food Service Programs, and ensuring our schools receive full access to federal and state funding for educational programs. Parents can create an account or just fill out the form without creating one. Please ONLY add children who are currently registered with Swartz Creek Schools. Any other children in another District or not yet registered should be added to the “number of members in the household”. Visit our website: [swartzcreek.org](http://swartzcreek.org) and click “Food Service” for more information. The Meal Magic Family Portal is also a fantastic resource for families. Here, you can set up accounts for your children to deposit money, view purchases, transfer funds between children, and set restrictions. Both the Middle and High School offer a la carte items for all students, whether they bring a lunch or eat a free meal, they can purchase additional items for lunch. Menus are available on the food service page under the NutriSlice tab, detailing nutritional value, calories, macros, and allergens. If your student has special dietary needs, please contact our food service department directly. This will ensure that their meals are modified and documented accordingly for state compliance, and the school will be notified of any dietary restrictions. #FreeMeals #StudentNutrition

Swartz Creek Middle School Families: welcome back letters from the school office are in the mail! It's time to order your school picture packages. Visit [strawbridge.net](http://strawbridge.net) and use the online code FM441158 to place your order. Reminder: All forms in Power Parent need to be completed before students get their pictures taken and receive their school ID. Ensure everything is filled out to guarantee a smooth start to the school year! Please direct all questions about the Power Parent/Student Portal to Barb Parker at bparker@swcrk.org or 810-591-1709 for assistance.

Attention SCMS sixth grade families: If your child is registered for Survivor Camp, please drop off campers at the pool doors at 9am and pick up from pool doors (north side by the bus loop) at 12pm for AM sessions. Same for PM sessions, but drop off is at 1pm and pick up is at 4pm. Students do not need to bring anything with them. We hope they have a great experience and feel more prepared to start school in a few weeks!

Good Afternoon Dragon Families, Welcome back to a great new school year! We are so excited to kick off the 2024-2025 school year. We have many new faces and initiatives that will make this school year fantastic and memorable. Our goal is to give all our students a meaningful journey and learning experience. As always, we will be focused on relationships over the content during our first four weeks of school. Research shows that a connection at school dramatically increases the likelihood of a successful school experience. We are committed to this success and look forward to a great year with you. Here are some SCCS updates: •All principals and secretaries are back in the buildings. The principals are on retreat next Monday through Wednesday, so please email them if you need to contact them. They check their emails daily. You can also call the office to discuss general questions with the secretary. Classroom placement letters will be coming home shortly. •Our first student day back is Wednesday, August 21st. It is a half-day in the afternoon. Please check the district website under "District: School Hours" for each building's official start and end times. We are so excited to have students back. •This November, SCCS will present a crucial $38.8 million ZERO-TAX-RATE increase bond proposal on the ballot. The bond projects, which aim to bolster safety and security, upgrade learning environments, enhance classroom technology, and renovate building interiors and exteriors, are vital for our school's future. The bond proposal, which will not increase the current tax rate, will only extend the 2018 bond for two additional years. Please mark November 5th on your calendar as a reminder to cast your vote. Next week, I will share the FAQ, Press Release, and Feedback QR code for your reference. We have had a busy summer hiring season. If you or a friend are interested, we still have many support staff openings. It is a great place to work! If you are considering joining the Dragon family, please call 810-591-2300 for more information. Please see the list of our current principals at each school building: Swartz Creek High School Jamie Dammann, Principal Josh Attwood, Assistant Principal Amy Hart, Assistant Principal Adrian Trzebiatowski, Athletic Director / Assistant Principal Swartz Creek Middle School Dave Simonsen, Principal RJ Kaplan, Assistant Principal Theresa Anderson, Assistant Principal Dieck Elementary Heather Briggs, Principal Elms Road Elementary Shauntel Manning, Principal Gaines Elementary Michelle Paul, Curriculum Director and Principal Morrish Elementary Jaclyn Thompson, Principal Syring Elementary Brandie Bevel, Principal Swartz Creek VLC Kevin Klaeren, Executive Director of Compliance and Safety Swartz Creek Little Dragons Amanda Bendall, Early Childhood Coordinator Again, we are thrilled to start the year. Please contact your building principal or secretary if you have any specific questions or concerns about the start of school. They have all been working tirelessly to prepare for a great year. We are all here to make school an exciting, enjoyable, and safe place to learn and grow. We are eagerly looking forward to a great first week of school! Let's make it memorable and full of learning and fun! Rodney R. Hetherton, Superintendent

Attention 7th and 8th grade football players: Voluntary conditioning practice starts this Tuesday, July 30th from 4:00-5:00 on the middle school practice field. Wear shorts and bring water. Voluntary Conditioning Dates: (4:00-5:00) July 30th August 6th August 13th August 20th The season officially starts August 26. Please direct all questions to Coach Dan Murphy at dmurphy@swcrk.org

We're thrilled to announce the new app for Swartz Creek! It's everything Swartz Creek, in your pocket. Download for Android https://bit.ly/41IpftU Download for iPhone https://apple.co/41K06z6

Just a quick reminder for our Middle School students planning to attend the game. You must be accompanied by an adult in order to get in. Also, no balls, boards, bags, or open drink containers. Thanks for your cooperation!

📣2023-24 SCMS Yearbook Announcement 📣 Order your yearbook now while it’s on sale for $40 with 4 free icons until September 8th! 8th grade families can purchase a proud parent ad for $30. https://www.jostens.com

No school Friday, August 25!

🚌 COMING SOON! New Bus Routes for 2023-2024 on your STOPFINDER APP🚌 The new bus routes are in the works! Check your STOPFINDER APP for the updated information. If you have recently created a STOPFINDER ACCOUNT, your invitation will be sent out as well. VIDEO: https://www.mytransfinder.com/mytf/videos/StopfinderApp.mp4 Article in district newsletter: https://swartzcreekview.mihomepaper.com/pageview/viewer/SCCS

Good Afternoon Dragon Families, Welcome back to a great new school year! We are so excited to kick off the new year on Tuesday. We aim to give all our students a meaningful journey and learning experience. As always, we will be focused on relationships over the content during our first four weeks of school. Research shows that a connection at school dramatically increases the likelihood of a successful school experience. Here are some SCCS updates: •Tuesday is a half-day in the afternoon. Please check the district website under "District: School Hours" for each building's official start and end times. •We have a new school website with a cleaner look and more accessible search capabilities. We also have a new website app. It is much more mobile device friendly and allows for quicker and more accurate communication. You can download our app: “Swartz Creek Community Schools.” •We have partnered with iWellness for the upcoming year. As you know, wellness has been a crucial topic since the pandemic. iWellness uses seven unobtrusive well-being questions to screen our students weekly or bi-weekly. This initiative will launch in 3rd through 12th grade. We are excited to be able to be even more proactive with our students' mental health. •Our partnership with Hanover Research continues. We will conduct another Culture and Climate Survey in October. This survey will be our second annual attempt to understand where we are improving our culture and climate and where we need to continue improving. Look for more to come from Hanover. •There is no school Friday the 25th. There is also no school for Labor Day Weekend, Friday (9/1) or Monday (9/4). Enjoy the holiday! Again, we are so excited to start the year. Please contact your building principal, secretary, or teacher if you have any specific questions or concerns about the start of school. They have all been working very hard to prepare for a great year. We are all here to make school an exciting and enjoyable place to learn and grow. Please send pictures of your first day of school to mcorbat@swcrk.org if you want them shared on our social media sites. Have a great first week of school! Rodney Hetherton, Superintendent

If your child needs medication, please fill out the appropriate form as highlighted and listed under section 5 of the Parent/Student Handbook (pages 26-33). https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3693/SCCS/3346141/Parent-Student_Handbook__2023-24_.pdf