Saline Middle School Hornet Highlights for Sunday, March 14, 2021

Principal's Message:  (Can also be viewed by clicking link).

Hello Saline Middle School Families:

At the Board of Education meeting on March 9, 2021, Dr. Laatsch, Interim Superintendent, announced that

Heritage School, Saline Middle School, and Saline High School students will have the opportunity to attend

school four days a week (Monday through Thursday) beginning Monday, April 5th.  Saline Middle School

will use March 10th - March 26th to prepare for four days a week of in-person learning. The virtual learning

model is still being provided for the remainder of this school year as well.

Please note that our sixth grade students will change classroom teachers and/or platforms if they
switch learning models now.  Also, if there is a significant increase in the number of students
selecting in-person learning, a virtual teacher may need to return and this will displace students
that did not want a change in teacher.

A return to four days of in-person instruction for In-Person Learning looks like:

• A continued commitment to mask-wearing and emphasis on hand hygiene. There will be little physical distancing within the classroom and hallway spaces due to the number of people, this increases the likelihood of COVID close contact situations.
• Students will be spread between the Gymnasium and Cafeteria during lunch in an effort to maintain physical distancing during eating. Parent volunteers are welcome to help clean these areas.
• Seventh and eighth grade teachers will continue teaching bothvirtual and in-person learners in their classrooms. Some classes will have up to 32 in-person students in the room.
• In-person 6th grade classes currently have 30 to 32 students in rooms.
• Currently, there are 388 / 401 in-person students on a Blue Days / Gold Days, respectively.
• When all in-person learners return for four days of in-person instruction, there will be a total of approximately 851 students in the building each day (as new students will be joining us in the third trimester).

The following In-Person Logistics will result from moving to four days of in-person learning:

• Expect longer wait times and increased traffic congestion on Maple Rd. and throughout the pick-up / drop-off loop during arrival and dismissal. 

Virtual Learning will look like the following when we return to four days of in-person instruction:

• An increased number of in-person learners in classroom spaces may result in times where teachers are having to focus attention on in-person students to ensure classroom management and safety protocols are followed. More in-person learners in classrooms increases the likelihood of unexpected student behaviors.
• Virtual students are expected to attend class every hour for synchronous instruction on Monday - Thursday as in-person students will be back all four days. Video lessons may decrease or be eliminated as they will be replaced by live teaching during the hour.  Friday is the only day of the week where asynchronous learning will occur.
• Virtual only special education students may not get as many 1 on 1 Zoom sessions and/or their zoom times may be changed. Their service time may be met by zooming into larger group sessions. In addition as more students return, small group or 1:1 instruction will most likely happen virtually on Friday for Special Education students. If you are a virtual student who has been coming in for drop in times, those times may be changed, decreased, or eliminated.

Please look for an additional survey on Monday, March 15th, for the April 5th start date, if you would like to
make a change to your Tri 3 learning model selection.

Only complete the survey if you have changed your mind from your original survey response for the third trimester. 

Beginning Monday, March 15, 2021 we would like to welcome back students who have already selected to return! Again, thank you for your patience and understanding during this process.

Schedule for the Week of March 15-19, 2021

(Image from sierrawave.net)

General Hybrid Schedule

Click here for the daily hybrid schedule.

Elective Day	Monday A	Tuesday A	Wednesday B	Thursday B	Asynchronous Friday Both A and B Electives
Blue (A-K)	In-Person	Remote	In-Person	Remote	Remote
Gold (L-Z)	Remote	In-Person	Remote	In-Person	Remote

New and Important Information for the Week:

NEW:  Attendance Change for 3rd trimester in-person students:  In-person students are expected to be in-person to be marked "Present." In-person students will be marked "Absent" if they call in for any reason that is not related to COVID-19.  Students would still be allowed to Zoom if they wish, but they will be marked "excused or unexcused absent" depending on the reason if they are not physically present at SMS.

Do you plan on traveling internationally over Spring Break?  According to the CDC, anyone traveling internationally must quarantine for 10 days upon return.

Note: If a parent travels internationally and returns, the parent would quarantine but the kids could still come to school as long as no symptoms arise. But if—for example—the entire family goes to Mexico for spring break—the kids will not be able to come back to school until 10 days have passed. 

 

Details are here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html

 

The exception is that anyone who has had both doses of vaccine (and is at least two weeks past that second dose, up until 90 days after their immunization) does not need to quarantine.

Did your student not take a yearbook photo and would like to be in the yearbook? Please email David Reeves at reevesd@salineschools.org for details. If you would still like to order a yearbook, there is still time. Please order by the end of this week! To purchase yearbooks, visit yearbookforever.com and search for Saline Middle School.

NEW: Artwork recycling contest-Deadline April 30, 2021

Michigan Family Alliance. https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/upcoming-events/

2021-22 BYOD+ Expectation (Incoming 6th and 7th graders)

Next school year, there is a BYOD expectation for both 6th and 7th-grade students. For current 6th grade families that have received a school-issued device during COVID, we will collect those devices at the end of this school year. Please refer to the BYOD+ Informational Flyer for more information and the link to the scholarship form if needed.  

Students who are 8th graders in 2021-22 will be provided a school-issued device and expected to participate in BYOD during their 9th-grade year. 

There will be a BYOD community forum on Wednesday, March 24 at 6:30 PM via Zoom: 

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://salineschools-org.zoom.us/j/91511777004?pwd=UU1mTndCNDF1Y0EvTHBoZWJRZEMzQT09

Passcode: 885764

Is your student interested in TRACK?  Click here for all of the information that you need or open up the QR code!

WIN 4 AUTISM:

NEW! TRANSITION INFORMATION:

Please click on the link if you were not able to attend the informational

Webinars or missed emails.

• Class of 2028 (Current 5th Graders)
• Class of 2027 (Current 6th Graders)
• Class of 2026 (Current 7th Graders)
• Class of 2025 (Current 8th Graders)

Covid-19 Related Items:

Covid-related absences:

• If your student is currently in quarantine for testing positive or having symptoms within the past 10 days or are awaiting test results
• If your student has been identified as a close contact to someone who has tested positive within the past 10-14 days   
• If you have traveled outside of the United States in the last fourteen days

The attendance line can be reached at:  734-401-4600; press #1 for attendance OR use the Google Form.  

Updated COVID-19 information from the Washtenaw County Health Department:  If You Test Positive, If You Test Positive (en español), Quarantine/Isolation FAQ, Saliva Testing Site

What Happens When Someone Gets Covid

Flowchart for Symptomatic Individuals

New Saliva test released

Here is the latest version of the SAS Connected Learning Plan. This includes updates to sample schedules and a new flow chart for health scenarios.

From the SMS PTO:

PTO No Hassle Fundraiser.  Please donate at this link:  http://mspto.weebly.com/fundraising.html

Box Tops:  Happy Holidays Saline Middle School Families! Have you downloaded the Box Top$ for Education app yet? Please keep box tops In mind while you are grocery shopping this holiday season. It is now easier than ever to submit box tops via the box tops for education app. Just scan your receipt within 14 days of purchases and the app will check for eligible items in order to give our school credit. If you’re shopping online for groceries or get emailed receipts, you can still earn Box Tops for our school. Download the app and start earning today.

Upcoming Dates:

For information about clubs, athletics and school events, subscribe to the Saline Middle School calendar or go to the Saline MIddle School Website.

Monday, March 15th:  Start of Trimester 3

Monday, March 29th to April 2nd:  Spring Break

Monday, April 5th:  Start of 4 day in-person (see hourly schedule for all students)

Repeating Messages:

Attendance Reminder:  We are finding that students are electing to learn virtually on a given day for a variety of reasons unrelated to a COVID-19 situation and this is becoming very difficult to track for classroom attendance, particularly in 7th and 8th grade.  

If your student is currently attending in-person for hybrid instruction, please send them to school on a consistent basis UNLESS they are showing the symptoms in the COVID-19 health screener graph below.  If your child is showing symptoms of COVID-19, then we would ask that they either get tested for COVID-19 or see their pediatrician.

If your student prefers to remain virtual for the remainder of the trimester, please email Laura Washington at washingl@salineschools.org

Item Drop Off and Pick-Up Times:  The Saline Middle School vestibule doors will be open from 7:00 am-4:00 pm Monday-Friday this week for drop off and pick-up of items.   

Report Cards:  Report cards are now available in the PowerSchool Parent Portal.  If you are having difficulty accessing the Powerschool Parent Portal, please email  powerschool@salineschools.org.  Thank you for your patience as we have had difficulty sending report cards electronically this trimester.

NWEA Scores are now available in Powerschool!  Here are the directions to access them.

Food Pantry Locations: If you or someone you know are in need of food and food items during this difficult time, here is a list of food pantries in the area.

Need tech help?  The SAS Tech Department is here to help!  Fill this form out with your tech questions and problems.

Attendance:  Please remember that if your child is going to be absent, even remotely, please call the Saline Middle School front office to report attendance at 734-401-4600; press #1 for attendance OR use the Google Form.  

Grades:  Please check Powerschool or Summit Platform as many teachers have begun to enter grades.  Please contact the technology department here if you are having difficulty accessing Powerschool.

Breakfast and lunch continue to be free for ALL students as long as Federal funding allows.  

A new Covid-19 saliva test has now been released!  Here is the press release from the Washtenaw County Health Department.

Here is the At-Home Learning Toolkit released by the SAS Elementary buildings.  There is a lot of useful information that may also help our secondary students.