SMEDBERG NEWSLETTER

January/February 2025

Richard Wall, Principal

Portia Clinton, Vice Principal, 8^th Grade | Jack Woodson, Vice Principal, 7^th Grade

www.SMS.EGUSD.net (916) 681-7525

Message from the Principal

Welcome back! I hope that the vacation has us all rested and ready to take on the second half of the school year. With that, I want to congratulate all our 7^th grade students - they are more than half way through their first year of middle school. Keep up the good work! For 8^th graders, things will begin to move really fast as they prepare to transition from middle school to high school. In the next couple of weeks, 8^th graders will make selections for high school classes. Counselors from both the middle school and the high school will be communicating with students regarding high school classes, activities, athletics, extracurricular activities, and so much more. For us here at Smedberg, we’re focused on keeping high academic standards so all our 8^th graders can participate in our end-of-the-year promotion ceremony – more information about that is to come.

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Have a great second half of the year and… Do Yourself a Favor - Get an Education!

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Richard Wall

Principal

Food service deliveries for students are not allowed during the school day. If it is not possible to reject the delivery, it will be held in the office for the student to pick up after school. Please note that the money paid for the food will not be reimbursed. Thank you for your understanding and support with this policy.

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FOOD SERVICE DELIVERIES

ARE NOT ALLOWED FOR LUNCH

OFFICE HOURS

Mon * Tues * Thurs * Fri

7:30 am – 3:45 pm

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Early-Out Wednesday

7:30 am – 3:00 pm

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Minimum Day

7:30 am – 3:00 pm

BELL SCHEDULES

T. R. Smedberg Middle School | 8239 Kingsbridge Drive | Elk Grove, CA 95829

www.SMS.EGUSD.net (916) 681-7525

1^st/2^nd Lunch is determined by the student’s

4^th period class.

DATES TO REMEMBER

CLICK HERE TO VIEW

SMEDBERG'S COMPLETE

CALENDAR OF EVENTS.

All dates and events are subject to change without notice.

Leadership Applications for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year are available starting January 13^th.

Current 7^th graders can find the application on the Leadership Application Google Classroom (Code: yssrpxv).

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We are going to welcome the new year with two SPIRIT DAYS in January. On January 22, we are going to Fly into the New Year with Superhero Day, and on January 24, we are going to honor the past and future with Time Travel Day.

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Valentine Grams go on sale starting January 27^th.

February 12: We are having a very Huggable Spirit Day - bring your favorite stuffed animal to school.

February 14: Come to school dressed in red, pink and white.

ACTIVITIES

Lunch

Connection

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COUNSELING

LIBRARY

It's almost time to pick classes for next year!

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8^th Graders: 9^th Grade course selections will be in 2 weeks on Jan. 16th (Thursday) @ 3:30-6:30PM in Sheldon's cafeteria. Review important information in the 8^th Grade Wolverine Google Classroom under the 9^th Grade Course Selections folder. If you do not complete your course selections, you will be considered a NO SHOW and your classes will be chosen for you.

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7^th Graders: Join the Incoming 8^th Grade Course Request Google Classroom, Code fyrm73r today! You want to review all the classes offered in 8^th grade and start thinking about what you're most interested in. Counselors will have an informational table during both lunches next Wednesday, January 15. Come by to see us and ask questions!

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Q3 After-School Tutoring starts next week 1/13. Remember students must earn a minimum of 70 credits during the 8^th Grade year in order to achieve a clear promotion to 9^th Grade.

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Happy New Year and Welcome Back, Smedberg Students and Families!

We are excited and ready to start Quarter 3. January is a busy month in the library with textbook distribution, library checkouts, and Chromebooks. February will include activities to highlight events of the month.

For the latest information and updates, please visit our library website. Thank you.

MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS

DANCE

8^th Grade Students -

Are you interested in being in the dance company at Sheldon High School? Keep a lookout for Universal Rhythm tryouts. Information will be coming soon. UR tryouts are for 8^th Graders only.

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Session 2 of No Limit Rhythm will also be starting soon. If you missed out on Session 1, make sure you get in this time! No Limit Rhythm is open to all 7^th and 8^th grade students.

Remember to start your day with a DANCE PARTY!!

BAND, CHORUS, MUSIC

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AVID

ELPAC testing is coming up soon! ELPAC computer tests will be on March 25^th and 26^th. The ELPAC Speaking assessments will start around that time. Stay tuned for those specific dates.

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All students can access Imagine Learning to continue honing their English language skills! This program is located in the portal and will help students to improve reading, writing, phonics, and more!

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Happy New Year!

As we venture into 2025, we also must start thinking about the next school year. Crazy, right? Applications for Smedberg AVID 7 and AVID 8 will open soon, and you can find out more info by scanning the below QR code. Sheldon AVID students will be presenting to English 8 classes this month! Be sure to check in with

your students to see if they

are interested! ~SMS AVID Team

The new year brings many performance opportunities for all of the bands and choirs! Band I and Choir I return from Quarter 1 to get ready for Spring concerts.

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Quarter 3 also showcases the Jazz Band at the Pleasant Grove Jazz Festival on Thursday, February 6, and the Concert Band at the Middle School Band Festival at the Cosumnes Oaks HS PAC on Saturday, March 8. All of these performances are free admission, so please come out and support your Smedberg musicians. All of these performances are fun for all, so bring the whole family!

SCIENCE

PE

Congratulations to all students in PE Quarter 2! You did a great job!

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We are looking forward to seeing our Quarter 1 students back for Quarter 3. Students need to be prepared to dress the second day of the quarter. The PE attire is crew t-shirt with sleeves (black, grey, or white), sweatpants/shorts/leggings (black, grey, or white), and tennis shoes. Due to students getting injured, we ask that students do not wear Crocs, slides, boots, etc.

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Please let us know if you have any questions.

Your Smedberg PE Teachers

MATH

ENGLISH

Welcome Back and Happy New Year!!

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8^th grade is focusing on Physics, Forces and Motion.

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7^th grade will go over Earth history, inheritance and variation of traits, changes in organisms over time, and Comprehensive Sexual Health Education (CSHE). Information about CSHE will be sent home to parents in February.

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Students received their lab manuals. Please make sure that they keep it in a safe place and that they don’t lose it.

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Science Olympiad will compete in the regional NorCal Tournament on March 1 - GO SMEDBERG!

Welcome back, Wolverine Families!

English is starting things off with a bang!

8^th grade is working on the Harlem Renaissance and poetry. They will be focused on literary analysis and/or research essay.

7^th grade is working on reading and writing informational text and argument writing, along with poetry analysis.

Here’s to another great Q3!

Thanks so much,

SMS English Department.

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Welcome back to the start of 2025 and Quarter 3.

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Help yourself get off to a good start by keeping up with your assignments, studying for tests/quizzes, and asking questions in class.

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If you need extra help, please go to the after school tutoring. The schedule will be coming out within the next weeks via email.

- Math Department

YEARBOOK

THEATRE

Theatre workshops are offered after school, open to all students interested in participating in:

IMPROVAPALOOZA, MIDDLE STAGE FEST, or

The Best of Smedberg Theatre SHOW!

See the 2024-25 SMS Theatre Calendar for dates.

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Mark your calendar for Feb. 27 and 28, when you can enjoy outstanding live performances from Q3 theatre classes in SHS Studio Theatre, starting at 7:00 P.M. Tickets at smedbergtheatre.ludus.com Don’t miss it!

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STRATEGIES

SOCIAL SCIENCE

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Quarter 3 has begun and all students have the opportunity to start it off right!

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Please check your grades frequently and use our after-school tutoring to your advantage.

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🌍7^th graders will be learning about China, Japan, Africa, and more.

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🗽8^th graders will be learning about Manifest Destiny, the events surrounding the Civil War, and so much more!

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Welcome back to the last half of the school year. This is Quarter 3, so we are back to the beginning of a new quarter. Remind your students to charge their Chromebooks, bring their headphones, and be ready to rock the last half of the year!!!

Use code “2025” at checkout to get 10% off the yearbook through January 31st! Visit yearbookordercenter.com to order today.

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Contact marmoren@egusd.net with questions.

PBIS - Wolverines show G.R.I.T.

(Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports)

Welcome back to the new year and start of 2025. Starting this week, students will be reviewing our GRIT expectations over the first two weeks of Quarter 3.

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We will now be using 5-Star for students who leave the classroom to use the bathroom. This is a digital hall pass that will allow us to account for students who are out of class.

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Fundraising will be happening this quarter too. Please keep in out out for ways you can help.

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Lastly, this quarter we will be rewarding students who are on-time to class with random class announcements throughout the week. Please encourage your student to be on-time to class daily.

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Go Wolverines,

Ms. Tiner - GRIT Coordinator

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Quarter 3 tutoring will begin on Monday, January 13.

The schedule will be finalized this week and sent out via email and Talking Points.

AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING

Click here to link to the Smedberg website.

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Click here to link to the Smedberg Student Handbook.

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Glasses… Clothes… Electronics…

Hats… Water Bottles…

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The Lost & Found is located in the front office.

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Unclaimed items are donated at the end of each quarter.

SMEDBERG RESOURCES

EGUSD shall not discriminate against any pupil based on actual or perceived ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, immigration status, national origin, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, or sexual orientation in the access to student activities.

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T. R. Smedberg Middle School welcomes those with disabilities to participate fully in the programs, services and activities offered to students, parents, guardians and members of the public. If you need a disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, to participate in any program, service or activity offered to you, please contact the front office at least 48 hours before the scheduled event so that we may make every reasonable effort to accommodate you. [Government Code Section 54953.2; Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 202 (42 U.S.C. Section 12132).

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Please contact the Smedberg front office if you still need to activate your

ParentVUE account.

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ParentVUE is NOT the same thing as StudentVUE.

Click here to visit the EGUSD Food & Nutrition website.

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All Smedberg students will receive meals at no cost for the 2024/2025 school year. Parents are strongly encouraged to complete an online application at EGUSDSchoolMeals.com. Completing the online application can provide access to additional services and waivers.

EGUSD CALENDAR

Elk Grove Unified School District

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Beth Albiani

Jennifer Ballerini

Susan Davis

Heidi Moore

Michael Vargas

Sean Yang

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DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

Christopher R. Hoffman, EGUSD Superintendent

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Mark Cerutti, Deputy Superintendent, Education Services and Schools

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Chad Sweitzer, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Secondary Education

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Chantelle Albiani, Director, Secondary Education

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Richard Gutierrez, Director, Secondary Education

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Shana Henry, Ed.D., Director, Secondary Education

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Sue Hubbard, Director, College & Career Connections

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Nicole N. Brown, District Head Counselor

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Rod Edmiston, District Athletic Director/Facility Utilization Coordinator

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WWW.EGUSD.NET/