Phoenix Rising. 
Engage. Embrace. Emerge. 

 Beginnings are important... 
Diamond Day, 9th Grade Leadership Training, and Orientation Wednesday’s all led up to our amazing Orientation Ride and Overnight.
It felt great to be out on the road again.
It's the SCOOP for September 6, 2021
Your weekly news from Santa Barbara Middle School
Dear SBMS Families,

We are thrilled to be able to begin the school year with the traditions, rides, and activities of a quintessential SBMS Orientation Week. As we like to say, "Beginnings are important" and this year feels more special than most, given the challenges of the past 19 months. We are proud of your children for their strong riding and enthusiasm on the Orientation Trip and hope you are hearing all the tales and highlights this weekend.

Next week will be a busy one as students get accustomed to academic classes, electives, and the routine on campus. On Friday, we will be hosting grade-level field trips with each class heading out across Santa Barbara for a day to connect, play and have fun. See the general outline of our Friday Adventure Day below with more details to come in specific grade level emails from your Deans!

We all felt the magic Thursday night around the fire looking up at the stars, singing, laughing, and listening to each other's stories. Thank you to all of our students, parents, and staff who have worked so hard to keep us safe and begin the year so successfully.

To the journey,
Brian, Bianca and the SBMS Staff
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
MAGNUS HEALTH & IMMUNIZATION RECORDS
Our Health and Safety survey has shown that upwards of over 95% of eligible middle school students and 100% of full-time faculty have been vaccinated. With the school year starting, we still need to get verification of vaccination status for all students. Please update all immunizations, especially the COVID-19 vaccine, in Magnus Health (login through the HUB Resource Board) as soon as possible. It is imperative to ensure we as a school are in compliance and starting the school year with all the data we need to make smart choices and assess risk. For parents' verification of COVID vaccination for volunteer work, please scan and email proof to office@sbms.org. If you have any trouble uploading documents or proof of vaccination for your student, please email Bridget or Anne for support.

SICKNESS OR ABSENCES NEXT WEEK
We will continue following COVID-19 guidelines and protocols so that we can start the school year off strong and ensure Fall Trips, field trips, community events and so much more can happen. We tested each of our students before we went out on the road last week and were all negative, allowing us to pull off an all-school ride and overnight. On Tuesday morning we will test 6th graders who are mainly unvaccinated AND staff to ensure a safe start back on campus. If your child gets sick over the weekend, please monitor symptoms, schedule a test if anything develops and keep your child home from school if you are worried. Please reach out to Erik Edwards if your child does get sick so he can be aware of any contact tracing that may need to be implemented. We understand that some of our students will be observing Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Please let the office know if your child will be absent due to a religious holiday, sickness, or travel, and check in with your Dean by email for homework and any assignments.

PARKING LOT SAFETY
We know these first few weeks of school can be crazy as we settle into routines, especially when it comes to pick up time in the parking lot. One quick reminder that we have two loops of traffic flow in our parking lot. Please follow staff and teachers' guidance about where to go while in the parking lot, and please, do not drive while on the phone or texting. Until after school sports, drama and other activities begin, our 3:30pm pick up time can get very crowded. We ask that no left-hand turns are made at the top of the driveway until after 3:45 pm on regular school days. We also encourage any of our 8th and 9th grade families who can come a little later to arrive around 3:45pm for the first few weeks to help us ease congestion. Thanks for all your help and understanding.

TUESDAY'S SCHEDULE
Tuesday is our first day of academic classes! You can see a rundown of the daily schedule here and a quick recap below.
  • 8:15-9:00am Diamond Time Drop-Off (optional)
  • 9:15am First Academic Class Starts
  • 3:30pm Regular Pick-up for All Grades
  • What to pack: Backpack, notepad, pen, pencil, water bottle and lunch!

NEWS FROM THE SBMS KITCHEN & DELI
We are so excited to get our Kitchen up and running for the school year!
  • The kitchen is planning to begin hot lunches on September 13.
  • To sign up for our hot lunch program through our new online system, Boonli, please read through Chef P.A.'s most recent email with directions here.
  • Please pack a lunch and water bottle for the next few weeks until we have the kitchen fully running.
VOLUNTEERING AT SBMS
All parent volunteers must complete a volunteer onboarding with our business office. Details on how to do so and what paperwork is needed can be found here and in the HUB. The resource board has all the necessary documents needed for fingerprinting and more. Thank you for volunteering your time!
CUPS AND QUESTIONS
We will be hosting a start of school Cups and Questions for all families on Thursday, September 9 at 9am. You can join us on Bianca's zoom here to discuss the first week of classes, electives, and more. We look forward to seeing everyone!
OUR FIRST SBMS SUNRISE SWIM
One of SBMS' most beloved traditions begins again! On most Friday mornings, the SBMS community begins the day at Leadbetter Beach (next to Shoreline Cafe) with an optional swim in the ocean at 6:45am. Coffee and donuts are provided, and a $2 donation is suggested to cover the cost. Join us on Friday, September 10 for our first Sunrise Swim of the year! This event will continue throughout the school year, every Friday morning when there are regular classes that day. We look forward to seeing you at the beach!
REQUEST FOR ROLLERSKATES & ROLLERBLADES
We are offering a fun new rollerskating elective taught by Brandi! We are looking for donations of skates or blades for students who may not have them. If you clean out your closet and have a pair to donate, please email Brandi@sbms.org. Thank you!
GRADE LEVEL ADVENTURE DAY - FRIDAY, SEPT. 10
Friday we will continue SBMS traditions with grade-level Adventure Days to different places across Santa Barbara for students to connect, play and enjoy time together. Deans will be reaching out to each grade with details for the following!

6th and 7th Grade: Pedal & Picnic
  • Read this letter from Jenna and Marco to learn more about the week ahead!
  • 8:30am - 9:00am rolling drop off at Goleta Beach
  • 2:45pm pick up at Goleta Beach
  • Bring your bike, helmet, gloves, sunscreen, water bottle, and a lunch!

8th Grade: Historical walk and picnic 
  • 8:15am - 9:15am Drop off at SBMS
  • 3pm Pick-up at the Rose Garden at the Mission. *If parents need to pick up early to go pick up a sibling at another location, please touch base with Wren.
  • Pack a lunch, water bottle, sunscreen and wear comfortable walking shoes and attire. 

9th Grade: UCSB R.E.E.F. ADVENTURE DAY
  • In preparation for the 9th grade Leadership Trip, we have tentative plans to visit the REEF center at UCSB. Confirmation will come via email this week.
  • Drop-off: 9am at UCSB campus point parking lot
  • Pick-up: 2:30pm campus point parking lot
  • What to bring: lunch, water, towel, bathing suit, mask
⚠️ SAFETY UPDATE ⚠️
2021-22 COVID SAFETY PLAN
Please ensure you and your family have read through our 2021-22 COVID Safety Plan email. This plan lays out protocols and guidance for our community to follow as we start the school year. We want to keep our students, families, faculty, and staff safe and healthy while delivering the best Middle School program we can. We ask that after fully reading the 2021-22 SBMS COVID-19 Safety Plan and the informed consent letter on the last page that you log in to the HUB and sign the Acknowledgment. If you have any questions on COVID-19 Health and Safety, please don’t hesitate to reach out to erik@sbms.org. Thank you all for doing your part to keep the community safe.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Monday, September 6
Labor Day - No School!

Tuesday, September 7
First Day of Academic Classes & Electives!

Wednesday, September 8

Thursday, September 9
9am Cups and Questions (Join here)

Friday, September 10
6:45am First Sunrise Swim at Leadbetter Beach
Grade-Level Adventure Days - details to come from Deans!
COMMUNITY
SBMS BOOK CLUB
We are excited to start up our parent SBMS Book Club again on Tuesday, September 14, at 9:30am. The book we will be reading is "Far From the Tree" by Robin Benway. We welcome any and all parents to join us for a discussion on Zoom here. Happy reading!
PARENT RESOURCES
Below are some easy access resource buttons for families. All information is also in the SBMS HUB, your home for news, directories, waivers, academic info and more!
ON THE HORIZON
Please note that dates and events are **subject to change or potential to be remote** and updates will be communicated.

September 2021
Tuesday, September 14: SBMS Book Club Meeting
Tuesday, September 14: Back to School Night for 6/7**
Tuesday, Sept. 21 - Friday, Sept. 24: 9th Grade Leadership Trip**
Tuesday, September, 28: Back to School Night for 8/9**

October 2021
Monday, Oct. 11 - Saturday, Oct. 16: Upper School Fall Expedition to San Simeon**
Monday, October 18: No School - trip recovery day (for US)
Monday, Oct. 18 - Saturday, Oct. 23: Lower School Fall Expedition to San Simeon**
Monday, October 25: No School - trip recovery day (for LS)

November 2021
Thursday, Nov. 11: Veteran’s Day - No School / Faculty In-Service
Monday, Nov. 15 - Friday, Nov. 19: Tentative Academic Conferences**
Monday, Nov. 22 – Friday, Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Break
Monday, Nov. 29 - Friday, Dec. 3: Remote Conferences if needed**

December 2021
Thursday, December 2: Winter All-School Town Meeting
Thursday, Dec. 16 - Friday, Dec. 17: 8th Grade Retreat**
Friday, December 17: Annual Solstice Celebration**
Monday, Dec. 20 – Friday, Dec. 31: Winter Break

JANUARY 2022
Tuesday, January 4: Classes Resume 
Monday, January 17: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School

FEBRUARY 2022
Friday, Feb. 18 - Monday, Feb. 21: President’s Day Holiday Weekend - No School**
MARCH 2022
Monday, March 14 – Friday, March 18: March Expeditions**
Monday, March 21 - Friday, April 1: Spring Break

APRIL 2022
Monday, April 25: No School / Faculty In-Service
Saturday, April 30: Songfest**
MAY 2022
Saturday, May 7: Auction** 
Saturday, May 14: Drama Performance 
Sunday, May 22: 9th Grade Departs on End of Year Trips**
Tuesday, May 24: 8th Grade Departs on End of Year Trips**
Wednesday, May 25: 6/7 Depart on End of Year Trips** 
Monday, May 30: Memorial Day

JUNE 2022
Friday, June 3: Return from EOY Trips**
Monday, June 6: No School - Recuperation Day
Tuesday, June 7: 6/7 Media Presentation
Wednesday, June 8: Last Day of School for 6-8 / 8/9 Media Presentation
Thursday, June 9: Rites of Passage**
CONTACT US
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