MEAP Results

The 2011 Fall MEAP results recently became publicly available.  As you may have read, there was a change in how the MEAP scores are evaluated for proficiency levels.  Below is a link to an article from Mr. Kasmer, our Assistant Superintendent.

MEAP Family Letter

Your child's MEAP results will come home with their report cards in March.

Thank you.

Celebrate Success

We will be organizing an afternoon to celebrate student success at SMS.  All students who complete the second trimester with A's and B's will be invited to a celebration in the afternoon.  There will be activities available for them to participate in with their peers.  We want to recognize their efforts and celebrate the commitment they are making to their education.  We are currently planning the events and may reach out to families to request the assistance of those available to help chaperone the activities.  We will send out further information regarding the event later.

For those students that are not able to participate, we are planning to provide assistance with the core math and language arts skills.  We will also look to incorporate study skills into the time to assist these students with skills that can lead to future success.

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.