Shepherd Middle School

Announcements, Thursday, September 19... Cross Results from last nights JPC Jamboree at Meridian The girls team took 2nd place out of the 12 teams in the Conf. The boys team took 3rd place out of the 12 Our Volleyball teams are at home tonight to take on the Mustangs of Sanford-Meridian. Matches start at 5:00pm and will be played in the HS Gym. Good Luck ladies! Lost & Found Students, please check the lost and found tables across from the counseling offices. There are several lunch boxes, water bottles and sweatshirts that are lonely and looking for their owners. Today during SOAR is Grade Check Day. Check your grades in PowerSchool and then email your parents those grades. After grade checks are complete, students are to read.

Announcements, Wednesday, September 18... Volleyball Results The 7th Grade B Team lost 20-25 & 11-25 The 7th Grade A Team won 25-18 & 25-9 The 8th Grade B Team lost 25-22 & 15-25 The 8th Grade A Team split 25-22 & 23-25 Cross Country travels to Sanford-Meridian tonight for a JackPine Conf. Jamboree. Students will be dismissed from class at 2:50 Bus leaves at 3:00. Students check the lost and found table across the hall from the Counseling Offices, around the corner next to Ms. Pramuka’s room 313. There are a lot of sweatshirts, lunch boxes and water bottles on the tables. Today during SOAR all students are to work on their Math IXL. Students need to finish the Diagnostic before working on your Recommended Skills.

Announcements, Tuesday, September 17, Constitution Day... the day that the United States Constitution was ratified. The U.S. Constitution is known as one of the most important documents ever created. It is what helps the U.S. maintain our freedoms still today. Exactly 237 years ago the Constitution was signed and adopted as the supreme law of the land. The 39 men that signed this document signed it with courage and hope that it would serve America well, and assure that our freedom would last. Throughout U.S. history there have only been 27 amendments, or changes, to the Constitution. Today many other countries struggle with corrupt leaders and incorrect use of power. The Constitution is what protects America from any leader or group misusing their power. A constitution is a rulebook or guidelines that are agreed upon by the group that everyone will follow. We actually have classroom constitutions. The Social Contracts that you created in each of your classrooms a couple of weeks ago are actually classroom constitutions. We owe our debt and gratitude to James Madison, the father of our great Constitution. Today I urge you to take a moment and remember what these great men have done for our country, and how the Constitution affects and helps us maintain our freedom. Good luck to the Volleyball teams as they travel to Ogemaw Heights tonight. Players will be dismissed at 2:35 and the bus leaves at 2:45. Affirmations Starting today, in both the MS office and on Mr. Farley’s hallway desk down by the Band Room, there are Affirmation starter sheets and a jar to keep them. These are for you to write positive affirmations to other students and adults here at school. You do not need to write who they are from, but write a short message recognizing someone for something that they have done. Today during SOAR all students are to work on their ELA IXL. Students need to finish the Diagnostic before working on your Recommended Skills.

Announcements, Monday, September 16... Results of the football games on Saturday; The 6th grade team lost to Millington 0-6 The 7th grade team beat Millington 28-12 The 8th Grade team lost to Millington 12-30 An AirPod earnbud was found in the hallway this morning. It can be claimed here in the MS Office The winners of our teacher drawing for a new office chair are; Mrs. Courtright and Mr. Byrne Today during SOAR all classes will be doing lesson 2 of Second Steps.

Announcements, - Friday, September 13... Congratulations to the cross country teams for their finishes at the Lansing Catholic Invite last night, where they competed against mostly division 1 teams The girls team took 2nd place and the boys team was in 4th place. The Cross Country teams run again next Wednesday at Sanford-Meridian. Students that ride the school buses after school; moving forward the buses will be leaving the bus loop at 3:05pm. That gives students 5 minutes to leave your classroom and get on the bus, which is plenty of time. Remember, it is your responsibility once you leave your 6th hour class, to get out and onto your bus. Today during SOAR students have the option to complete assignments for other classes, read, or work on IXL.

Announcements for Thursday, September 12... Results from the girls’s volleyball teams against Bullock Creek last night. The 7th grade B team lost 22-25 and 17-25 The 7th grade A team lost in three sets 26-24, 21-25 and 11-15 The 8th grade B team lost tonight against Bullock Creek 11-25 and 10-25 The 8th grade A team won with scores of 25-19, 25-27 and 15-11 Students, if you are not sure if you ordered a yearbook and would like to check, please stop by the office. We have a list of all those who ordered a yearbook online last year. Connection Days will be held today during lunch on the playground. Come join Mrs. Gall for a game called Electricity! All Students during SOAR today, you will be checking your grades in PowerSchool then sending an email to your parents telling them what your grades are in each of your classes. If you have a D+ or lower grade in any of your classes, you must also include an explanation of the reason for that grade. After completing that task, all students need to be silent reading. Each Thursday during SOAR, students will be emailing their parents their grades, and then silent reading. You must remember to bring something to read to SOAR class on Thursday.

Announcements, Wednesday, September 11... Today is Patriot Day Patriot Day is an annual observance on September 11 to remember those who were injured or died during the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. Many Americans refer to Patriot Day as 9/11 or September 11. On September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked. The hijackers then deliberately flew three of the planes into two important buildings, the Pentagon in Washington DC and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. The fourth crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The loss of life and damage that these hijackings caused form the biggest act of terrorism ever on United States soil. Nearly 3000 people died in the attacks and the economic impact was immense. To honor all those who died on September 11, 2001 and for all those who have since that day in the protection of our freedoms and in protecting our country against terrorism, following the Pledge of Allegiance, we will have a 30 second moment of silence for those who want to individually reflect and remember all those who have died. 7th grade Volleyball B team won in three sets 25-22, 21-25 and 15-12 7th grade Volleyball A team lost in three sets 15-35, 27-25 and 15-17 8th grade Volleyball B team lost 19-25 & 14-25 8th grade Volleyball A team lost in three sets 25-4, 4-25 & 13-15 The BlueJay Volleyball teams play again tonight at home against the Lancers of Bullock Creek. If you ordered a yearbook last school year and did not get one yesterday, check with your SOAR teacher and then come to the MS office during SOAR or after school today. Connection Days will be held tomorrow. Come join in on the playground during lunch for a game called Electricity! If you have any questions, see Mrs. Gall in the counseling office. Today during SOAR all students are to log into IXL and work on their Math Diagnostic and then move onto their Recommended Skills if the Diagnostic is completed.

Good luck to the 7th & 8th Grade Volleyball teams as they take on the Pioneers of Clare tonight here at home. Matches begin at 5:00pm and will be played in the HS gym. Someone will be around to SOAR classes this morning to pass out Middle School Yearbooks. Connection Days will be held on Thursday this week. Come join Mrs. Gall for a game called Electricity! If you have any questions, see Mrs. Gall in the counseling office. Today during SOAR, all students are to log into their IXL and complete the ELA Diagnostic. Once the diagnostic is completed, you are to work on your Recommended Skills.

Results from Saturday’s Youth Football games verses Montross The 6th Grade Football Team lost to Montross 0-38 The 7th Grade Football Team tied Montross 8-8 The 8th Grade Football Team had a bye and did not play This next Saturday the BlueJay football teams are at home versus the Cardinals of Millington. Students who ordered a Middle School yearbook last school year; they have arrived and we will be passing them out during SOAR on Tuesday. Connection Days will be held on Thursday this week. Come join Mrs. Gall for a game called Electricity! If you have any questions, see Mrs. Gall in the counseling office. Today during SOAR classes will review the SmartPass system; including hall pass limits that could be put into place, and also review your Social Contracts and checking to see if there are any items that need to be added.

Volleyball Results from last night's matches verses Pinconning; 7th grade B Team lost 11-25 & 7-25 7th grade A Team split 25-23 & 9-25 8th grade B Team lost 14-25 & 8-25 8th Grade A Team lost 17-25 & 13-25 Keep working hard girls. Their next match is Tuesday (9/10) at home versus Clare. Home cheer on our Lady Jays! The Dental Bus will be here September 11, 12, 13 & 16. Anyone interested in participating, pick up a form in the MS office. The form must be completed and returned to the office by Friday (9/6). Shepherd Middle School skeet team signups are in the MS office. Registration starts now and will end September 8th. You will need to sign up in the office and then you will be contacted to do an online registration that has to be completed. The Skeet Team will shoot at the Isabella County Sportsman’s club on Sunday afternoons. If you or your parents have any questions you can contact Mike or Danielle Cole ( 989-621-7660) or by email Danielle.cole@morbark.com Let’s remember our Hallway Expectations In the Hallways, being respectful means; Walk and stay to the right Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself Use appropriate language and voice level (inside voices) In the Hallways, being Engaged means; Arrive on time Follow adult directions. Use a hall pass during class. In the Hallways, being Accountable means; Keep all electronic devices off and out of sight Act appropriately Treat everyone with respect and kindness In the Hallways, being a Leader means; Help keep the hallways clean. Keep a positive attitude.

The Dental Bus will be here September 11, 12, 13 & 16. Anyone interested in participating, pick up a form in the MS office. The form must be completed and returned to the office by Friday (9/6). Any 6th, 7th, or 8th grader interested in Robotics; MS robotics will meet for 1 hour after school today (9/5). All you need is an interest and we can show you the rest. If you have any questions just email Coach Davis (jdavis@shepherdschools.net) or stop by the Media Center, Behave Out room to chat with Mr. Davis. Shepherd Middle School skeet team signups are in the MS office. Registration starts now and will end September 8th. You will need to sign up in the office and then you will be contacted to do an online registration that has to be completed. The Skeet Team will shoot at the Isabella County Sportsman’s club on Sunday afternoons. If you or your parents have any questions you can contact Mike or Danielle Cole ( 989-621-7660) or by email Danielle.cole@morbark.com Connection Day is TODAY! Find Mrs. Gall outside during recess to play Lightning and connect with new friends! If you have any questions, see Mrs. Gall.

The Dental Bus will be here September 11, 12, 13 & 16. Anyone interested in participating, pick up a form in the MS office. The form must be completed and returned to the office by Friday (9/6). Any 6th, 7th, or 8th grader interested in Robotics; MS robotics will meet for 1 hour after school this Thursday September 5th. All you need is an interest and we can show you the rest. If you have any questions just email Coach Davis . (jdavis@shepherdschools.net) or stop by the Media Center, Behave Out room to chat with Mr. Davis. This morning each class will be continuing to develop their Classroom Social Contracts which you started during SOAR yesterday. This is a process and may take a few days to finish. Students will also begin developing their Social Contracts in their Science and Social Studies classes today. We will begin contracts in Math and Language Arts tomorrow and in Elective classes on Friday.

Students, SmartPass is now fully implemented and everyone must use the SmartPass to leave the classroom during class time. But let me be clear…students must FIRST get permission from their teacher to leave the classroom before filling out their SmartPass. If a student leaves the classroom without the teacher's permission, their SmartPass access will be revoked and they will not have the ability to create hall passes. Get Permission from your teacher before filling out a SmartPass. I want to remind everyone of our school cell phone policy. Cell phones are to be turned off and secured in a student's locker throughout the school day, 8am to 3pm. If a student has their phone during the school day, the phone will be turned over to a staff member and then turned into the office. Consequences for violating the cell phone rule is as followed: 1st Offense - Students will pick up their phone after school. 2nd Offense - Students will turn in their cell phone to the office for 2 weeks, receive a lunch detention will be given, and parents will be notified. 3rd Offense - Students will turn in their cell phone to the office for 2 months, receive a lunch detention will be given, and parents meeting will be scheduled. 4th Offense - Student will turn in their cell phone to office for remainder of school year, lunch detention will be given, and parents will be notified This evening there is a meeting for HS & MS parents and students who want to be involved in this year's musicals. The meeting is at 6:00pm in the auditorium. We hope to see you there! Any 6th, 7th, or 8th grader interested in Robotics; MS robotics will meet for about 1 hr after school this Thursday September 5th. All you need is an interest and we can show you the rest. If you have any questions just email Coach Davis . (jdavis@shepherdschools.net) or stop by the Media Center, Behave Out room to chat with Mr. Davis. Today during SOAR, classes are going to begin developing their classroom social contracts, which are agreements amongst the class on how everyone in that classroom, adults and students are expected to treat one another. This is a process and may take a few SOAR class periods to complete.

Students, SmartPass now fully implemented and everyone must use the SmartPass to leave the classroom during class time. But let me be clear…students must FIRST get permission from their teacher to leave the classroom before filling out their SmartPass. Get Permission from your teacher before filling out a SmartPass. Students, if you still have any paperwork to turn into the office, please give it to your SOAR teacher and they will get it to the office. Are you interested in being part of the MS musical “Charleston!”? There is a meeting on Today at lunch for people who are wanting to be part of the cast, crew, or tech for the production. After eating in the cafeteria, head to the media center. On Tuesday there is a meeting for HS & MS parents and students who want to be involved in this year's musicals. The meeting is at 6:00pm in the auditorium. We hope to see you there! Art Club will not begin until the beginning of October. There will be more information in the announcements when it gets closer. Following announcements, 6th graders are to go to the MS gym for a school safety presentation with Chief Sawyer. This presentation will last until the start of 1st hour.

Announcements Students, if you are not getting a breakfast here at school, then do not stand in the breakfast line in the cafeteria with your friends. Wait for them to get through the line and then you can hang out with them. Having people in line that are not eating causes confusion and does not need to happen. Students, if you have specific schedule changes you must fill out a change of schedule request form, which you can pick up outside the counseling office. This form must be completed, signed by a parent and turned into the Counseling Office by this Thursday (Aug. 29). Students, if you have any paperwork to turn into the office, please give it to your SOAR teacher and they will get it to the office. Following announcements, 8th graders are to go to the MS gym for a school safety presentation with Chief Sawyer. This presentation will last until the start of 1st hour. Mrs. Gall will be hosting Connection Days this fall. The first Connection Day is TODAY during both lunch periods! There will be water balls available outside for water dodgeball today. Connection Days will happen about once a week. Pay attention to the announcements for more information about upcoming events or see Mrs. Gall for more information.

Expectations for the Hallway Today we are going to review our Hallway Expectations again. This is how we expect all students and adults to behave while in our hallways. In the hallways, being respectful means; Walk and stay to the right Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself Use appropriate language and voice level (inside voices) In the Hallways, being Engaged means; Arrive on time Follow adult directions. Use a hall pass during class. In the Hallways, being Accountable means; Keep all electronic devices off and out of sight Act appropriately Treat everyone with respect and kindness In the Hallways, being a Leader means; Help keep the hallways clean. Keep a positive attitude. Today, during passing time, we are ALL going to work on our hallway expectation of walking on the right hand side of the hallway. We all walk on the right side to prevent congestion and be safer for everyone. This morning during SOAR, we are again asking everyone, including staff, to wear the stick on name tags. This has been so helpful, that after the weekend, we wanted to do it one more time to help everyone learn each other's names. Please wear these name tags appropriately for their given purpose. Students, if you have specific schedule changes you must fill out a change of schedule request form, which you can pick up outside the counseling office. This form must be completed, signed by a parent and turned into the Counseling Office by this Thursday (Aug. 29). Students, if you have any paperwork to turn into the office, please give it to your SOAR teacher and they will get it to the office. Following announcements, all SOAR classes will watch a short video on our new SmartPass system for hall passes and then discuss it as a class. There will be a learning curve as we implement this new system, and we will help each other as we learn to use this platform.

Congratulations to Brogan Eisenberger (left) for being awarded the Outstanding Male Performance and Brayden Eisenberger (right) for being awarded the Leadership Award, as they were both a part of the Mt. Pleasant Police Department 2024 Summer Youth Police Academy Program.

Announcements Today we are going to review our Hallway Expectations. This is how we expect all students and adults to behave while in our hallways. Expectations for the Hallway When walking in the hallways here at school we have very simple and clear expectations on how we all should behave. These expectations are broken down into four categories: Respectful - which means we value ourselves and others. Engaged - which means we stay focused. Accountable - which means we take responsibility for our actions. Leaders - which means we model expected behaviors. Respectful, Engaged, Accountable and Leaders In the hallways, being respectful means; Walk and stay to the right Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself Use appropriate language and voice level In the Hallways, being Engaged means; Arrive on time Follow adult directions. Use a hall pass during class. In the Hallways, being Accountable means; Keep all electronic devices off and out of sight Act appropriately Treat everyone with respect and kindness In the Hallways, being a Leader means; Help keep the hallways clean. Keep a positive attitude. These are all simple and easy to follow expectations. If you forget or ever need a reminder, we have signs hanging throughout the hallway. When you are in the High School end of the building, the same expectations are expected. The high school has the same expectations as we do here in the middle school. This morning during SOAR, all students will be given a sticker name tag to put on their shirt again. This has been very helpful and impactful to both staff and students. The expectation is that you will wear this name tag appropriately on your shirt throughout the school day again. I really appreciate everyone’s cooperation in following this request and honoring this process. Students, if you have specific schedule changes you must fill out a change of schedule request form, which you can pick up outside the counseling office. This form must be completed, signed by a parent and turned in before next Thursday (Aug. 29) to the Counseling Office. If your schedule has a mistake on it; such as two of the same class or an incorrect grade level class, stop in the Counseling Office and see Mrs. Cahoon today. Students, if you have any paperwork to turn into the office, please give it to your SOAR teacher and they will get it to the office Girls signed up to play 7th/8th grade volleyball must be at practice Monday, August 26th from 3:15-5:00 to participate. All parts of Final Forms need to be completed to practice, this includes a student part, a parent part and a current physical. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Coach Dodick or Coach Blonairczyk. Any 6th, 7th or 8th graders who are interested in signing up for cross country, see Mrs. Gimmey today in room 318. You can still sign up.

Welcome back, everyone! As we step into this new school year together, let's embrace the opportunities ahead with renewed energy and a shared commitment to inspiring our students. Here's to a year filled with growth, collaboration, and the joy of learning!

Join us for the BlueJay Bash on Tuesday, August 20th from 5 - 7pm.