Thank you to our staff, students and teachers for a great day yesterday and allowing us to take time, hold each other, express ourselves and be in this space of processing and healing.
IT'S THE SCOOP for January 19,  2018
Your weekly eNews from Santa Barbara Middle School
D ear SBMS Families,

As we begin the process of healing, we do so in the only way we know how: holding each others' hands, walking together, and taking each day one at a time. We returned to campus on Tuesday with a special program designed to address last week's events and to just be together. 

Working with professional counselors and SBMS staff, we are providing a variety of ways to support each other while also providing normalcy for our students with the routines they know on campus. As we are all still processing the devastation and loss, we are also able to enjoy having classes and electives back in full swing. We will continue to connect as a community by scheduling events and time to circle up in the coming weeks. 

Kim and Lauren continue to recover, and we are looking forward to welcoming Lauren back to school next week. Sadly, Jack is still missing and we are holding out hope for his return. As the family continues to process and grieve, we ask for privacy and the space they need during these difficult days ahead.

We are working with our families who have been displaced, gathering a list of resources available. If your family has been impacted, please see the list of SBMS Cares Resources compiled by our school to help you during this most difficult time. 

Thank you for your tremendous understanding last week and in the weeks to come as we make adjustments to our school calendar in response to these events. See details below in the "Updated Calendar" section.

We greatly appreciate the outpouring of concern and support within our community. Thank you parents for your compassion; thank you students for your energy and positivity; and thank you teachers and staff for your tireless dedication to our school and community. 

With love and gratitude, 
Brian & the SBMS Faculty
UPDATED CALENDAR
OPEN HOUSE RESCHEDULED
We have postponed this Saturday's (1/20) Open House. We will post a new date soon. The deadline for admission and financial aid applications for new families has been moved to February 12. 

FINANCIAL AID DEADLINE EXTENDED
The financial aid application deadline for returning families has been moved to Friday, January 26. If you need help with applications or extension of deadlines, please contact  Anne .

ACADEMIC FAIR
To allow students time to prepare Academic Fair projects, the 6/7 Academic Fair will be rescheduled to late February or early March. A new date will be announced. The 9th Grade will perform Shakespeare on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 6:30 pm. The 8th Grade Academic Fair and additional 9th grade projects will be rescheduled for a later date.

NO SCHOOL FEB. 15
Please note there is no school on Thursday, Feb. 15 to give families and staff a longer break in February. School will be closed (as already scheduled) on Friday, Feb. 16, and Monday, Feb. 19, for the President's Holiday.

MARCH TRIPS
We are currently assessing our March expeditions and will re-route some trips so that we are out of any areas affected by the Thomas Fire.

SPRING BREAK
Spring Break has been shortened to one week. We will return from the break on Monday, April 2.
UPCOMING EVENTS (see details below)
Tuesday, January 23 : Boys JV Basketball game, 3:45 pm
Wednesday, January 24: Auction Kick-Off Meeting, 8:45 am, Lotus Theater
Wednesday, January 24: Parent Association Meeting, 6 pm dinner & 7 - 8:30 pm meeting (extended meeting with dinner - see Parent Association section for details)
Thursday, January 25: PA Parking Lot Coffee, 8:30-9:30 am
Thursday, January 25: Girls Soccer and Boys Varsity Basketball games, 3:45 pm
Friday, January 26: Financial Aid applications due for returning families
Important Links

Parent Association Contacts 

Parent Association Chair

Vice-Chair

Co-Secretary
Jill Sagner 

6th Grade Class Reps

7th Grade Class Reps
 
8th Grade Class Reps

9th Grade Class Reps
If you are interested in available positions in the PA, please contact Heather Copp. Thank you.
Contact SBMS
1321 Alameda Padre Serra
Santa Barbara, CA 93103

p 805.682.2989
f 805.682.0893
HELPFUL LINKS
SBMS CARES
Our SBMS community is here to support our school families who were affected or displaced by last week's tragic events. The resources available through the generous offers of our community, including housing, services, and donations, are listed  here .  Thank you to everyone who has offered your assistance during this time of need. We are so grateful for the outpouring of support.

If you are in need of any support (truly, there is no request too small!), please reach out to  Victoria . If you are able to provide additional resources similar to the ones listed, or have other available ways to help, please contact  Phoebe .

FROM THE NATIONAL CHILD TRAUMATIC STRESS NETWORK
A great list of resources can be found here.

CAL FIRE INFO
Cal Fire Incident information is available  here.

HOSPICE OFFERING COUNSELING
Hospice of Santa Barbara has free counseling services; details are  here.

DAILY PRESS CONFERENCES BY EMERGENCY MGMT OFFICIALS
KEYT is posting videos of local daily Press Briefings on their YouTube channel here.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY EVACUATION MAP
Interactive map provided by SB County can be found here.
SPORTS GAMES
Tuesday, 1/23 : Boys JV Basketball game, 3:45 pm
Wednesday, 1/24: JV Boys Basketball Game & 
Varsity Boys Basketball Game, 3:45 pm
Thursday, 1/25 : Girls Soccer, Boys Varsity and Boys JV Basketball games, 3:45 pm

Please check the SBMS calendar for location and teams played. Thanks for your understanding as these games have been rescheduled several times. If you have questions, or for the most up-to-date schedule, please contact  Jake. 
DELI NEWS
FROM LOCALLY GROWN KIDS
Dear Parents, Students, Faculty and Staff,

As a local Montecito dad, I have been devastated by the unimaginable tragedy we are all experiencing. My heart breaks for those that have lost homes, businesses and God forbid, loved ones. I am truly here to help in any way that I can. If I can do something to make your day easier please email me. I am humbled by the love and support I have witnessed and grateful for the heroic men and woman that have worked day and night during this disaster.

Locally Grown Kids is a small company and we want to help. If you are displaced and have your hands full, let us know. We can place orders, make special arrangements, etc. We will do absolutely anything and everything that we possibly can to help. Credits from all missed meals have been or are in the process of being applied to each of your accounts. Thank you so much for your business and for allowing us to provide each of you with a little bit of comfort food during these extremely difficult times.
 
Bryan MacPhail 
And all of our team here at Locally Grown Kids

For all questions, please email Bryan here.

ORDER LUNCHES
Please remember to order lunches here.
FROM DEVELOPMENT
Auction Kick-Off Meeting,  January 24, at 8:45am in the Lotus Theater
Join fellow SBMS parents for a fun community meeting to kick-off the planning of this year's Spring Dinner & Auction Benefit! Learn the auction's theme, sign up to volunteer on different committees, and meet new SBMS parents!

Can't make the meeting, but want to join in the fun? No worries,  email Phoebe to receive more info on volunteer opportunities. 
PARENT ASSOCIATION NEWS
Dear Families,

As we navigate the weeks ahead, I want you to know that the PA is working hard to support the SBMS community in all ways possible. We are constantly in communication with the staff and families in order to best support our amazing school.

It was so special to see so many parents and hear stories  on Tuesday at our impromptu parking lot coffee that it got us thinking that in order to best support our families we decided to create a community Town Hall PA Meeting next Wednesday evening, January 24 when current parents along with alum parents with kids currently in high school can come together with several professional counselors and psychiatrists to help us heal from last weeks traumas and give us the tools to better support our children through these troubling times. This forum will allow the parents to share feelings or just listen to stories of survival and help others through their time of need. It would be nice to be together to give reassuring hugs, look each other in the eye and know it's going to get better.

We will be coming together at 6:00 pm for a "breaking of bread" with a meal available before the Town Hall PA Meeting provided by the fabulous P.A. from the Deli. The meeting will run 7:00-8:30 pm. If you have small children, there will be high school students that will babysit on campus, and we will set up homes that will invite current students for dinner and study time (more info on that to come).

We are looking forward to this special PA Town Hall Meeting night and welcome all of you!

With Love and Gratitude,
Parent Association Chair
SUNRISE SWIM
JOIN US!
Please join us for our regular Sunrise Swim* on Friday, January 26, at 6:45 am at Leadbetter Beach. Donuts and coffee provided; please bring a mug and $2 suggested donation for donuts.

*Swimming permitted only if water quality is safe.

To sign up to bring donuts for any of the Friday morning swims, please visit here.
COMMUNITY: WAYS TO HELP
BILINGUAL HELP NEEDED
Are you bilingual or multilingual or know someone who is? Just Communities needs your help to support the community during the aftermath of the Montecito Flood and Thomas Fire. 

Since the Thomas Fire broke out, Just Communities has been coordinating interpretation and translation services for emergency services in both Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. With the floods and mudslides, the number of requests we've received have now surpassed our capacity. Santa Barbara County is looking for interpreters to cover shifts at the Local Assistance Center from  11 am to  6:30 pm Monday to Friday and  10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays through February.

To help meet the demand, Just Communities will be hosting a one-day crash course in Community Interpreting for bilingual and multilingual community members who are willing to volunteer their time to serve as interpreters.

We are still trying to find an exact date for the course, but it will most likely be the week of 1/21. If you are interested, please contact Lena Moran at  [email protected].
ON THE HORIZON
JANUARY 2018
Sat.,  Jan. 27:  Admissions Test,  9:00 - 11:30 am
Mon., Jan. 29: Q3 Mon-Thurs Electives Begin

FEBRUARY 2018
Wednesday, Feb. 7: PA Meeting, 8:45 am
Monday, Feb. 12: Admissions Applications & Financial Aid Applications for Prospective Families due
Tuesday, Feb. 13: 9th Grade Shakespeare Performance, 6:30 pm
Thursday, Feb. 15: No School
Friday, Feb. 16 - Monday, Feb. 19: President's Weekend - No School
Thursday, Feb. 22: PA Parking Lot Coffee, 8:30 am
Friday, Feb. 23: Contracts Due for Returning Families

ONLINE CALENDAR
We recommend that you bookmark the calendar link, Click  here  to get the school calendar. You can also add the SBMS calendar to your Google calendar!