| | Upcoming Events: 8th Grade Sock Hop Friday, May 2nd
7:00 p.m.to 10:00 p.m.
Suffield Middle School Gym BOE Meeting Tuesday, May 6th
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
SHS Media Center T. G. I. F. - Thank Goodness It's Friday Friday, May 9th
2:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
SMS Gym and Cafe 2014 Suffield PMC Kids Bike Ride Saturday, May 10th
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
McAlister Intermediate School SPED PAC meeting Tuesday, May 13th
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
McAlister Intermediate School Portable 4 Early Release Tuesday, May 13th
12:15 p.m.
Professional Development BOE Meeting Tuesday, May 20th
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
SHS Media Center No School Monday, May 26th
Memorial Day
2013-2014 School Calendar 2014 - 2015 District Calendar School Lunch Menu Bring your own Technology STUDENT SUCCESS PLAN TRIFOLD FORM INTRAMURAL CALENDAR UPDATE as of 2-12-14 Attention all 7th & 8th grade students! ATTENTION ALL 8th GRADE STUDENTS: College for Kids at Westfield State University Girls and boys beach volleyball intramurals starts Monday, May 5th. Jets Youth Football and Cheerleading Registration North Central Community Collaborative Support Groups Orientation Program for Parents of Incoming Sixth Graders Online Auction - Suffield Foundation for Excellent Schools PINE LAKE CHALLENGE FIELD TRIP ROCK CATS FIELD TRIP - Grade 8 Band SMS SBAC Testing Schedule - All Grades Suffield PMC Kids Bike Ride - May 10, 2014 - Jimmy Fund benefit Suffield Public Schools TEACHER of the YEAR NOMINEES Summer Camps and Recreational Activities for Children with Special Needs TGIF - Thank Goodness it's Friday - Friday, May 9th Afterschool-8:00pm Transition Skill Programs for Families, Parents, Guardians and Caregivers of Adolescent/Young Adult Children with Disabilities Updated PROMISE Calendar Walking Club: | |  A Message from the Principal The month of May begins with our students participating in the field test of the Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium. If effect, Connecticut students will be testing the test and their collective performance will help develop this on-line computerized assessment validity and reliability. Although there will be no individual results, our students’ participation will help insure that this form of assessment will provide measurable and credible results in the years moving forward. May is also the month where we start work on next year’s scheduling, dividing students onto new grade level teams, sharing recommendations with parents regarding academic level placements for grades seven and eight, gathering information from sixth graders regarding the seventh grade world language preferences, and making sure that students have their elective opportunities. All of this occurs as we continue to provide quality learning opportunities, community building activities, and our spring traditions at each grade level. Given my pending retirement from education after 41 years, I regret that this year has proceeded so quickly. I will miss Suffield as my daily destination and feel privileged to have served this community with the best of my administrative years, skills, heart, and dedication. Multiply Your Options (MYO) Conference  On April 10th, nineteen 8th grade girls traveled to UCONN Storrs and participated in the 17th annual Multiply Your Options (MYO) conference. The purpose of the conference is to expose young women to careers in science and encourage them to pursue science at the college level. It was hosted by the UCONN School of Engineering. During the morning sessions, students were involved in hand-on workshops or problem solving activities which were conducted by female facilitators w
ith science, mathematics, engineering and technology focused careers.  Students participated in a variety of activities from building a bioengineered hand to learning about the material that makes disposable diapers possible. After lunch, students participated in an interactive panel activity called "tool clues". During a tool clues panel session, female role models are asked to bring from work objects or "tools" that give "clues" about their profession. It’s up to the girls in small groups to determine what each woman does for a living.
Suffield Student Advances to Top Ten at State Finals of National Geographic Geography Bee Dario DeCosmo was a top ten finalist in the 26th Connecticut State Geographic Bee, a program of the National Geographic Society. Dario was named Suffield Middle School’s National Geographic Geography Bee champion after multiple rounds of competition at the school in January. In March, the seventh grader learned that he scored well on a written qualifier test that earned him the right to compete in the semifinals of the 2014 Connecticut State Geography Bee at Central Connecticut State University on Friday, April 4th, 2014. The program brings together the top 100 geography students from across the state. Dario obtained a perfect score in the preliminary round and survived an elimination round to advance to become a top ten finalist. Dario finished fifth in the state. Dario said that participating in the Geography Bee was a very positive experience and that he likes learning new things. Dario also said that he is grateful for the opportunity to represent Suffield and that he is looking forward to competing again next year since the competition is open to students through grade 8. The state winners receive a $100 cash prize and a trip to Washington DC to participate in the National Geography Bee at the National Geographic Society Headquarters. The national winner receives a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership to the society, and an all-expense-paid trip to the Galapagos Islands. Upcoming Trip to Boston Under the leadership of Joseph Rossi, members of the SMS LEO Club designed a service-based field trip to Boston aligned with their 2013-2014 focus of Military and Veterans. In March 2014, the SMS LEO Club hosted a Pasta Dinner raising $1000 for the Wounded Warrior Project. The service trip to Boston has expanded to include the Giraffe Club, P.R.O.M.I.S.E., and M.I.L.D Clubs. The service trip to Boston will take place May 9-10, 2014. Aimee Gauvin, the advisor for the Giraffe Club reached out to Strongwater Farm, a therapeutic Equestrian Center. Students participating in this trip will volunteer from 12-4 PM at Strongwater Farm on Friday May 9th. Strongwater Farm has several diverse programs including one specific to providing veterans and their families opportunities to explore therapeutic recreation outlets through equine assisted activities. Friday evening will be spent at Harvard University. Dan Brown, a student in the doctoral program, will be giving Suffield Middle School students a tour of Harvard and offering an informational session on careers in social entrepreneurship. Mario Carullo, the advisor of the SMS LEO Club, and Dan Brown met while teaching in Ghana during the summer of 2013.
On Saturday morning, Suffield Middle School students will participate in the Boston Marine Corps Honor Run at Carson Beach. Local honor guards will be onsite, as well as Marine Corps Cadets to help warm the runners’ muscles up. Race participants will include active duty officers and veterans from all branches of the U.S. Military and local law enforcement groups. The Honor Run aims to raise awareness and to recognize the sacrifices of our nation’s men and women in uniform. Seventh grade LEO Club member Millie Kochman-Sabbatino sums it up “I am excited to run in a 5K for the first time with friends that I’ve worked with throughout the year! I am also excited to tour Harvard and learn about social entrepreneurship because I hope to pursue a career in helping others.” | |
| | Greetings and happy spring from the SMS guidance department! We are in full swing during the last quarter of the school year and are amazed at how quickly the year has passed. We are reminded about all of the fun and exciting events that occur during the last quarter of every school year and want to share a few of them with you. The guidance section of the SMS web page lists specific information with regard to 8th – 9th grade course planning for grade 9. By accessing the Suffield Middle School guidance homepage, parents and students can reference the timeline for upcoming important dates with regard to the grade 9 course selection process. All student request files have been completed and the high school counselors will be meeting 1:1 with their assigned student case load beginning the week of May 19th to finalize each individual grade 9 schedule. We continue to work with the advisory classes in order to discuss the importance of positive relationships and friendships. This continued initiative directly relates to the districts emphasis on school climate while fostering and promoting a positive school environment for all of our students and their families. Our guidance interns recently visited 6th grade world cultures classes and facilitated a lesson on various communication styles. We also look forward to our yearly 5th grade step up day and the incoming grade 5 parent orientation evening program in late May. This is an opportunity for current 5th grade students to fully experience a day in the life at SMS. We have activities planned and an enthusiastic “panel” of 6th graders who will be helping with the transition process. 5th graders will spend time in the classrooms, tour the building and have lunch at SMS which is always a big hit! The parent night program will be held the last Thursday evening in May and more information will be sent home to parents of 5th graders. May and June are busy months at SMS and students will be experiencing several fun and educational field trips such as the Bushnell in grade 6, Grade 8 foreign language field trips to Quebec and NYC, and ultimately the grade 8 end of year festivities ranging from High Meadow to Class Night. As always, we have an open door policy and we welcome any questions, comments or feedback you may have. Best regards,
Tom Kadamus & Tracy Scatolini | |
