News. Stafford Middle School Presents:

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1 SPARTAN News Stafford Middle March 2017 Stafford Middle School Presents: March 16, 17, 18 Tickets-Adults $5 7pm Under 18-$3 Based on the iconic animated film, with an Academy Awardwinning score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Disney s Aladdin JR. is sure to send audiences soaring on a flying carpet ride filled with romance and adventure. PRE-ORDER ONLINE TO- DAY! Cost: $25 ~Add $5 for name imprint~ March 24 3:15-6 pm March 25 8am - 5 pm We re excited to host this years Special Olympics. We are one of several sites supporting the 2017 event. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Toby Pickett at picketttd@staffordschools.net. RESPECTFUL RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTIVE - The Spartan Way Mark J. Smith Principal smithmj@staffordschools.net Jeff Howard Assistant Principal howardjd@staffordschools.net Lindsey Conn Assistant Principal connle@staffordschools.net STAFFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL 101 Spartan Drive, Stafford, VA Phone: Fax:

2 6TH GRADE ENGLISH CLASSES A s we begin the month of March, our sixth grade English department is enjoying this spring weather and starting the 3 rd quarter strong! Students are continuing to take their monthly STAR Mrs. tests, Geslock s and will complete Class... their seventh near the end of the month. We have all focused on grammar elements, for example nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, subject and predicates, verb tenses, coordinating conjunctions, and started a few more curriculum topics. Mrs. Castilleja and Mrs. Geslock have ended February with learning sentence structures, building key close reading skills, and perfecting the ability to make inferences and recognize the author s mood and tone. Ms. Rodebaugh and Ms. Jones will finish teaching punctuation with students, including the understanding and application of commas, quotation marks, ending punctuation, and apostrophes. Our English department plans to continue this 3 rd quarter with comparing nonfiction articles and the mastery of common reference materials to ensure students understand the correct way to cite credible sources. Students have completed assessments in both writing and the academic words of the week to showcase their growth in all aspects of their writing and vocabulary knowledge. We appreciate their hard work and dedication as we enter the second semester, and will continue to tailor ourselves to best fit our students diverse learning needs! Mrs. Castilleja Mrs. Geslock Ms. Jones Ms. Rodebaugh In Mrs. Fredettte s and Ms. Sfreddo s civics classes students are continuing to study the three branches of government. This includes the executive and judicial branches of both the state and national Governments. They will also learn about the three types of local governments in Virginia, cities, counties And towns. Once they finish the branches and levels of government, they will begin studying economics.

3 GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE: Thurs, Mar 2 Tues, Mar 7 Thurs, Mar 9 Tues, Mar SHMS VS TMS ATTENTION all 6th, 7th and 8th grade girls interested in trying out for Softball... Try-outs will be March 23, 24, & 27th... you need to have a physical in Ms. Mason's hands BEFORE you will be allowed to tryout! If you do not have a physical yet PLEASE see to it and get it to me ASAP! Tournament Dates: March 16 & 17 Championship: March 21 Lacrosse Stick Skills Intramural The purpose of the Lacrosse Stick Skills intramural is to further enhance and develop the individual stick skills within the game of lacrosse as well introduce lacrosse to new players. This intramural will focus on developing the student athlete into a complete lacrosse player. Each Stafford Middle School student that would like to participate must complete the Informed Consent Form and return to Mr. Seymour prior to March 21, Lacrosse Stick Skill intramural is open to any Stafford Middle student that is interested. Each player should bring his or her own stick to school as well as gloves (optional) and head protection (optional). Coach Seymour has a small amount of sticks that can be used during the intramural. They will be assigned on a first come first serve basis. The intramural will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6:45 am - 7:45 am on the dates listed below: March 28th, 29th, 30th April 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th April 11th, 12th, 13th Times for the intramural will be from 6:45 am to 7:45 am. Please do not drop off before 6:40 am. When dropping off, please drop off at the blacktop located at the back left of school near the back of the gym. Point of contact for the intramural is Mr. Seymour at seymourma@staffordschools.net Thank you, Mr. Seymour

4 Hello Everyone!! I would like to share some information about Seasonal allergies and asthma. Common clues that your child may have an allergy: If your child has cold like symptoms that keep occurring or last more than one to two weeks, or that seem to occur around the same time each year, they may have an allergy. Symptoms may include: Runny nose Nasal stuffiness Throat clearing Sneezing Nose rubbing Itchy, runny eyes Sniffling and snorting Children do not usually complain of itchiness or tingling feelings in the mouth and throat with a cold but this is a common complaint of an allergy problem. Other respiratory symptoms may include coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. Clues that may indicate Asthma: Allergies and Asthma are often seen together but are really two separate conditions. Asthma starts in the lungs and is a chronic condition. Allergies occur due to a reaction that starts in the immune system. Most people with asthma have allergies but not all people with allergies have asthma. Typically asthma causes the airways to become swollen and inflamed, making them overly sensitive. When exposed to common triggers, the airways overreact by constricting and causing an asthma attack. Common triggers: Exercise, cold air, viruses, air pollution, certain fumes and other allergens. About 80 percent of children with asthma, have allergies and these allergens are the most common trigger. Common allergens: Dust that contains dust mites, pollen, mold, and animal dander. Fungi, furry animals, clothing and toys made of or containing animal hair, latex, cleaning products and certain foods. Some things you can do to control allergy symptoms: Reduce contact to pollen in your home and car by using air conditioners when possible, stay away from decaying vegetation such as leaves that may contain mold, put mattresses, pillow, and cushions in allergen proof, zip up covers and replace pillows every 2-3 years. Your child should be seen by your pediatrician for any symptoms of allergy or asthma to be correctly diagnosed and to develop a treatment plan to keep your child as symptom free as possible. Take care all and stay healthy! Nurse Fisher Information collected from the American Academy of Pediatrics/healthy children.org.

5 SMS School Counseling Happy March to our fellow Spartan Families!! Time flies when you re having fun! Some quick announcements for the Counseling Center: 7 th Grade Parents: In just a few months, your 7 th grade students will be selecting classes for next year. Students who qualify have the opportunity to take both Extended English and a World Language in 8 th grade. Selection for this course is based on a set criteria including: Academic Standing (B or better) SOL Scores (450 or higher) STAR Percentile Rank Writing Skills 8 th Grade Parents: This is a vital time for your soon to be high school students! Rising 9 th Grade Orientation has been rescheduled for March 22 6:30 at your respective high schools. Please plan to attend so you and your students are prepared for high school! In February, Ms. Stafford took each of the 8 th grade classes into the lab to register for high school classes together. Students should be taking these home and discussing choices with their families. Once students return their high school forms, Ms. Stafford will be meeting with each individual 8 th grader to finalize high school registration, complete the Four Year Academic and Career Plan, as well as go over PSAT scores. Parents are more than welcome to attend the individual meetings. In fact, it is highly recommended! Please contact Ms. Stafford at staffordjl@staffordschools.net or to schedule a meeting! *8 th grade students interested in applying to any SCPS high school program can visit the Counseling Center for more information and application packets. These include IB, STAT, APPX, JROTC. Good Luck to our 8 th graders on their Writing SOL s in March!! You can do it!!! As always, if you have any questions/concerns for us, please contact us at (540) or by Ms. Stafford (6 th Grade L-Z & 8 th Grade Counselor) staffordjl@staffordschools.net Mrs. Carey (6 th Grade A-K & 7 th Grade Counselor) careygc@staffordschools.net

6 PTO Update Want to serve on the Board? Start giving it some thought and if you are interested Our PTO meeting in May is where we will vote on the new board Check out our Facebook page at Stafford Middle School PTO for PTO updates such as spirit nights and more. PTO Chocolate Fundraiser Forms Coming Home in March The PTO will be hosting a spring fundraiser -we will be selling Gertrude Hawk chocolates and the items will be in just in time for Easter. Catalogs will be going home with students March 2. Orders are due back on March 16. All orders must be turned in with payment in full! Orders will go home with students on April 6 or April 10. If you haven't had Gertrude Hawk chocolates, the company is based in Pa., and the chocolate is amazing. We look forward to a successful fundraiser and we thank you for your support.

7 March 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 5 6 X 7 DMS 8th grd SOL 1 Y 2 X 8 X 9 SHMS 3 Y 4 10 X Y 14 X 15 Y 16 X 17 Y 18 Daylight Savings Time vs. TMS 8th grd SOL Tourn TBA Tourn TBA X 21 Y 22 X 23 Y 24 X 25 Tourn TBA Rising 9th Grd Orientation, 6:30, at high schools Softball tryouts Special Olympics Girl s Softball tryouts Special Olympics Y Girl s Softball tryouts 28 X Lacrosse Stick Skill 29 Y Lacrosse Stick Skill Spring Athlete Parent 30 X Lacrosse Stick Skill 31 Y Meeting COMMUNITY CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION WORD OF THE MONTH: PERSEVERANCE