September 20, 2019

Hello Warrior Families:

This week we welcomed Superintendent Tom Seigel and two of our Bethel School District board members, Brenda Rogers and Marcus Young, to our school to meet with staff and the community. We are thankful for their support of our school and community!

Attendance Matters!

September is Attendance Awareness month. It is important that students are at school every day, on time and present in classes, and this video will show you more about the importance of attendance and its connection to student success.

Late Start

Our first Late Start is Wednesday, September 25. Doors open at 8:45 a.m. and classes start at 9:15 a.m. We will be on a schedule with Periods 1, 2, and 3. We will end our day in our first awards assembly of the year. We are excited to celebrate our Warriors showing the Warrior Way!

Mr. Rashad Norris at Spanaway Middle School

On Friday we welcomed a special guest speaker, Rashad Norris, to our school to speak to students about the importance of education and reading, and being successful as we start the year. Mr. Norris spoke about how education is key and gave students four keys to success:

1. Know yourself
2. Challenge yourself
3. Trust/Stay in the process
4. Follow through

We are thankful for Mr. Norris' message and the time he spent with our students! It's going to be a great year, Warriors!

Second Step Social Emotional Learning Curriculum

The Bethel School District has adopted a new social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum for all students grade PS - 8 called Second Step. We are excited to be addressing this critical piece of adolescent growth and learning through our advisory classes each week.

We will let you know what we have done at each grade level through this newsletter, and will include some ways to engage with your student in their learning, thinking and growing. These messages and questions are also in Spanish here. If you have any questions about the curriculum, please reach out.

Lesson #1: September 17, 2019

• Grade 6

In this lesson, students learned how their brains are changing and how the Second Step Program can help them grow their brains and learn to be successful.

**Family Lesson Question**

This week, ask your child what he or she is looking forward to learning this year in school. Describe something you enjoyed learning when you were in sixth grade.

• Grade 7

This lesson helped your child understand some of the changes that happen during adolescence, and how the Second Step Program can help your child succeed and do well, both as a student and as a friend.

**Family Lesson Question**

Ask your child about any changes he or she has noticed in friends now that they’re growing up, and what your child thinks about these changes.

• Grade 8

This lesson helped your child understand some of the changes that happen during adolescence and how the social-emotional skills taught in the Second Step Program can help your child be successful and get along with others, in middle school and beyond.

**Family Lesson Question**

Ask about any changes your child has noticed in friends now that they’re all growing up and what your child thinks about these changes.

Second Step and the BSD in the News: Social Emotional Learning for all Elementary and Middle Schools

Spanaway Elementary School social worker Mallory Shull recently sat down with Q13 FOX to talk about the district’s new Social-Emotional Learning curriculum and how it will help Bethel students thrive in school. https://youtu.be/fJCHiC0_n1E

Back to School

Please make sure you look at this important information about the 2019 - 2020 school year. This will also help as you begin the new school year.

Fall Sports Update

We are excited to cheer for all our Warrior athletes and encourage you to attend our games! Find schedules for all athletic events here, as well as additional information about athletics at Spanaway Middle School. Please remember that students attending games must leave campus when school ends and return for the game no earlier than 3:15 p.m.

TRACK & FIELD

On Wednesday, September 18, our mighty Warriors participated in the first track meet of the 2019 - 2020 season. They made us so proud with the grit and determination they showed on the track and in the field events! Our boys team took first by scoring 71 team points and the girls finished 2nd with 52 team points. Our next meet is Thursday, September 26 at Graham Kapowsin High School and starts at 3:30!

BASEBALL

Our Warrior varsity boys had a hard-fought battle to the last inning against Frontier on Friday. The players did well in their first game after only 9 days of practice, finishing with a close loss, 6-7. The JV team persevered all the way through, scoring two runs in the last inning to beat the Falcons by one run. Way to represent the #WarriorWay, Spanaway!

Free and Reduced Lunch Application

The Free and Reduced Price Meal Application is now available online! Apply here → https://emealapps.bethelsd.org/

iPads at Spanaway Middle School

Most students now have their iPads, but we still need to get devices in everyone's hands as soon as possible. If you have not already completed the paperwork and purchased (or declined) insurance, please visit the Bethel SD website to do that now. You will need your student's BSD ID, and their last name is your password. All classes are using iPads consistently for class work.

While we are thrilled that our students have the opportunity to work, learn, and create on and with dedicated digital devices, we also recognize they can be the cause of distraction, frustration, and confusion at home. Some expectations and tips to minimize some of these potential hurdles:

• Student devices belong to the Bethel School District and are to be used for educational purposes only. All associated accounts, network access, hardware and software (apps) belong to the BSD. All activities are subject to BSD and SMS access and management.
  

• Students may not be logged into any account other than the BSD-managed Apple ID they were issued at receipt of the device. Logging out of the BSD Apple ID will result in an unusable device and progressive consequences.
  

• We are a Google Apps for Education (GAFE) district. This means all students have a Google account for associated products. Students may not add their personal accounts to their device (i.e. they cannot add their personal email address to Gmail or Google Drive). No one other than the student the iPad is checked out to may have accounts on the device.
  
  
• We strongly encourage family management of time spent on the iPad at home. This means it is completely appropriate to remove it from the student's access when not being used specifically for schoolwork.
  

• All iPads are expected at school 100% charged every day. Student success in the classroom depends on it.
  

• Finally, we love Common Sense Media for excellent resources and tips around family monitoring and managing your child's access and use of digital devices and media. Check them out!

Have a fabulous week!

Shannon Leatherwood, Principal

Spanaway Middle School