Swain County Middle School

Athletes of the week: Volleyball(Aria Toineeta), JV Cheer (Piper Stanberry), Band (Gaby Cruz), XC (Charlie Clapsaddle and Kennedy Roper), JV Football (Offensive and Defensive lines. Koen Smith, Bentley Coday, Coy Rowland, Corbin Wade, Xavier Turner, and Kam Pursley), Soccer (Selah Gunter) Midget Football(Magus Clark, Oakland Deas, Liam Raper, Reed Scaggs, Aaron Floyd, Carson Reagan)

Each month at SMS, students who excel in i-Ready and Achieve 3000 are entered into a special drawing as a reward for their dedication to academic growth. These students stood out for their consistent effort, progress, and commitment to completing lessons. Congratulations to our winners for September, whose names were selected in this month’s drawing! Keep up the hard work and continue setting a great example for your peers!

Each month at SMS, students are recognized as Leaders of the Month for demonstrating outstanding leadership qualities in and out of the classroom. These students were selected by their teachers for consistently exhibiting traits such as responsibility, initiative, teamwork, and a positive influence on their peers. Their actions throughout the month have shown a commitment to making our school community better, and we are proud to celebrate their contributions!

Weekly Act of Kindness! Hurricane Helene has left many families in need, especially with colder weather approaching. At SMS we’re launching a Blanket Drive to help provide warmth and comfort. Challenge for the Week: For the next two weeks, we’re asking students for blanket donations to support families affected by the storm. Our students have also created handwritten cards of encouragement to go with the blankets. Every donation brings warmth and hope to those in need. Let’s work together as a school community to make a difference!

Weekly Act of Kindness Challenge! This week, our students at SMS stepped up for our Act of Kindness Challenge by creating heartfelt cards of encouragement for schools affected by Hurricane Helene. We’re so proud of their compassion, kindness, and commitment to supporting others during tough times.

In recognition of National School Custodian Day, Swain Middle School wants to give a heartfelt thank you to our incredible custodians who work tirelessly to keep our school in top shape! From ensuring our classrooms are clean and safe to going above and beyond for our staff and students, your hard work and dedication never go unnoticed. We are so grateful to have you as part of our team and appreciate everything you do every single day!

JV Football travel to Robbinsville today for their final game of the season.

Volleyball traveled to Murphy on Tuesday and came away with a win.

Swain County Schools will operate on a regular schedule for Thursday October 3rd and Friday October 4th

FEMA can help with assistance after a disaster like Helene. This article has good useful info on contacting FEMA, how to file, website, phone number etc. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article293256609.html#campaignName=raleigh_afternoon_newsletter&linkType=nmeintro

Swain County Schools will be offering Grab & Go lunches again today for students. Pick up will be at the Swain High School cafeteria!

For information on the status of utilities, debris sites, etc., we want to share the following resources. As communications are restored and more information becomes available, these sites will be continue to be updated. Drinking Water Systems: Public Water Supply Situation Report Tracking Debris Disposal Sites: Active Temporary Debris Disposal Sites NCDEQ Situation Report Tracking System NCDPS Hurricane Helene – Storm Information NCDPS County Emergency Management Agencies How to Apply for FEMA Assistance After Hurricane Helene For information on any of the above go to the Department of Environmental Quality at https://www.deq.nc.gov/news/deq-dashboard

Walmart’s Hurricane Helene Information page, which provides up-to-date details on store and club closures. You’ll also find information on how we’re supporting local communities with essential supplies and relief efforts as these resources become available. Walmart, Sam's Club, and the Walmart Foundation are committing an initial $6 million in support of hurricane relief efforts, including donations of food, water, essential supplies, and grants to organizations providing relief to these devastated areas. As part of this commitment, Walmart will match customer donations to the American Red Cross 1:1, up to $2.5 million, when they donate to support hurricane relief at the registers in stores and clubs and on Walmart.com from Oct. 1 – Oct. 13. We are committed to working together to ensure that those affected have the support they need. To stay informed, please use this link for real-time updates on our current relief activities. https://corporate.walmart.com/purpose/community/disaster-response/hurricane-helene

Grab and Go lunches will be available for Swain County Students from 12-2 today at Swain County High School

Due to continued connectivity issues, Swain County Schools will not be in session for students Tuesday or Wednesday. Tuesday will be an annual leave day for staff and Wednesday will be an optional teacher workday. We are working with our provider to reestabilsh communication as soon as possible.

Swain County Schools will be closed for students and staff on Monday, Sept. 30th. Additional information for the remainder of the week will be released as soon as possible. With current communication limitations, we ask that you share this message with others to ensure all are informed.

Attention Parents of 8th Graders! GearUp needs your input! Please take a moment to complete our GearUp Parent Survey for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card! Your feedback helps us support you and your student better. How to participate?: Scan the QR code in the image or reach out to Taylor Dodge at tdodge@swainmail.org if you have any questions. Thank you for your support! Together, we can make a difference!

Important message about school for Thursday and Friday.

Coaches needed.

JV Football wins over Cherokee