February letter to middle school families

Dear Schuylerville Middle School families,

We cannot believe that we are already halfway through the 2022-23 school year! As we begin Quarter 3, we feel that now is a good time to send a reminder about how you can best help your son or daughter find academic success for the remainder of the school year. 

Weekly Agendas

  • See what your student is up to in each one of his or her classes. You can also find general information about what has been assigned as classwork and homework. 
  • Go to https://www.schuylervilleschools.org/ → Click on “Middle School” → Click on the “Weekly Agenda” link in the “Middle School Links” section (below the photo on the left). 

SchoolTool

  • This is a great place to see your child’s up to date average. You can also check what he or she has earned on an assignment and see if any work is missing. 
  • Go to https://www.schuylervilleschools.org/ → Click on “Parent / Student Portal” link in the “Quick Links” section (bottom right of page) → Follow the directions on that page
  • Please Note: Once you login, you will have to click on your student’s name in blue to access the information. 

Google Classroom

  • Many of our teachers post detailed assignment directions, handouts, and links on Google Classroom. Parents may choose to sign up for email updates. This is where students usually turn in digital assignments. 
  • Please note, students are able to hit “Submit” without attaching any work. If they do this, the assignment may say “Submitted”, but it will actually be “Missing” in the SchoolTool gradebook. 

Additional things to remember 

  • Students who are failing a subject or who have been recommended by a teacher may be required to attend Academic Support (AS) during 10th period. Keep an eye out for a yellow information sheet in the report card / progress report mailing that will let you know if AS is required. 
  • 10th period Extra Help is offered to all students. They should check with their teacher to see when he or she plans to stay after school. 
  • Reading for fun promotes literacy skills – Encourage your child to disconnect from the screen and dive into a good book! Fun fact: Reading for 20 minutes a day exposes children to 1,792,000 more words a year than a child who only reads for 1 minute a day.
  • According to the CDC, 6 out of 10 middle schoolers don’t get enough sleep! Encourage young teens to stick to a bedtime and sleep for 8-10 hours a night (9-12 hours for kids ages 6-12).  
  • Attendance is Key! Research shows there is a strong tie between a student’s attendance and his or her academic success. 18 days a year is considered chronically absent. Check your student’s report card to see how he or she is doing. 
  • Students who are connected to school by participating in extracurriculars tend to perform better academically. Spring sports sign-ups open on Family ID on March 3rd. 
  • Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or guidance counselor (6th grade – Mrs. O’Connor, 7th / 8th grade – Mrs. Welch) with any questions. You can find staff email addresses by using the “Middle School Teams” link under the Middle School Links section of the webpage. (https://www.schuylervilleschools.org/middle-school/middle-school-teams/). 

We wish you and your family a happy and healthy second semester! 

Sincerely,

Katie Elsworth and Maddie Wright
Principal / Assistant Principal