Student Conference Reminder

We will be hosting Student-Led conferences on Thursday, February 2, from 4:00-6:30 (Please note the change in time from previous conferences) and Tuesday, February 7, from 4:00-6:30. We highly value your participation and look forward to seeing you at the middle school. 

Also, attached is a link to a survey we are asking parents to respond to regarding student conferences.  If you have time, please consider completing this survey and providing us with your insight.

Parent Conference Survey

Thank you.

Our Local Celebrity

Marissa Noorman is a seventh grader in our building.  She moonlights as a model for a local agency.  This past spring she participated in a photo shoot that resulted in her being placed on the cover of a book series, From Sadie’s Sketchbook.  The first book in the series, Shades of Truth, was given to us by the Noorman family.  It will soon be in circulation in our library.  This is a very cool experience for Marissa and her family.  We are obviously very proud of her.

Winter Conferences Reminder

We will be holding our conferences on Thursday, February 2, and Tuesday, February 7, from 4:00-6:30.  Please note the time change from conferences in the fall.

Magazine Sale Starts Tomorrow!!!

Our magazine sale will launch tomorrow.  Please anticipate your student(s) bringing home a packet consisting of order catalog, postcards and information regarding the sale.  For the first time in years, we are participating in pre-pay for catalog orders.  This means that the individuals who order must send the money in with the order.  Because of this, we are encouraging postcard orders and Internet orders.  This encourages participation but also allows the salesperson to avoid physical contact with money.  We are also following a trend in schools across the country and in our region to offer families the option to participate in the sale by simply sending in a $15 donation.  The fifteen dollar donation was determined because that is the average amount earned by the school for two paid magazine orders.  This allows families to feel the reward of contributing without having to call upon family and friends for support.  I encourage you to consider all options. There are great prizes and potentially awesome prizes for all that participate.  Your consideration and participation is highly valued.

Update for the Week of January 9

I want to inform you of a survey that parents and community members are asked to complete.  On the district website, http://spartaschools.org/, you will find a link embedded into the red banner at the top of the page.  This will provide you with a survey that the Sparta Area Schools Board of Education will use to help shape our future planning for Sparta Area Schools.  Your input is desired and valued.  I strongly encourage you to take the time to provide the district with your thoughts.


Also, under the 2011-12 School Year section, you will find information about the SMS Ski Club.  This is sponsored by Mrs. Switzer, an 8th grade teacher.  If you have specific questions regarding the Ski Club, she can be reached at julie.switzer@staff.spartaschools.org.

Happy New Year!

I hope that you and your family had an enjoyable holiday season.  I wish you all the best in 2012!

While the students were home with their families, the middle school had a couple of improvements done.  The restrooms in our building are lacking in aesthetic appeal.  More important than that, we are experiencing a significant amount of water waste and paper waste due to antiquated faucets and the use of paper towel dispensers.  We are in the process of addressing these issues.  We started this over break.  The restrooms near classrooms 41 and 42, the seventh and eighth grade restrooms, were remodeled over break.  In addition to replacing old and faltering floor tiling, we added a fresh coat of paint.  This is in addition to our replacement of old sinks and faucets and replacing them with motion sensor faucets that limit water use/waste and added air blown dryers to replace paper towel dispensers.   The results are stark.  They look fantastic (if you can say that about restrooms).  Over time, we hope to continue to update our facility to provide a more appealing and cost effective experience.

In addition, thanks to monies from Sparta Education Foundation, building resources and a generous contribution from the Student Government, we have purchased and are in the process of installing five SMART Boards to be used to enhance educational outcomes.  There will be two multi use rooms that have SMART Boards available to staff as well as three dedicated classrooms.  Minimally, on any given day over 300 of our students will have the opportunity to experience the opportunities SMART Boards can provide the learning process.  As we grow our capacities at using these tools even more effectively, the impact of these tools will grow as well. 

Many thanks to the many individuals responsible for these improvements to Sparta Middle School.