8/28/26

Bullpup Families,

Welcome to the school year!

Yes, summer is drawing to a close. My slight sadness about that is far, far outweighed by my excitement about the year ahead. We’re looking to build on last year’s academic success while also building our building. That’s a lot of building!

Sure, balancing those two tasks will be a challenge. I’m sure many principals would dread facing it. But me? I’ve got a secret weapon in my pocket: the amazingly outstanding staff at SMS. I know they will embody the flexibility and positivity this year will require, and I know our students will rise to the occasion as well.

Together, we’re going to do more than “make it through” this year. We’re going to thrive.

Please take a few minutes to read through this newsletter. There is some important information you’ll want to know before school begins.

Open House

Schedule Pick-Up and Open House will be held Tuesday, September 1, from 4:00–6:00 p.m.

This is your chance to pick up and walk through your schedule, meet your teachers, and take care of any loose ends before the year begins.

Remember, students will not use lockers this year due to the remodel, so there is no need to bring all your school supplies with you.

A few other important points:

·      Parking may be an issue. We hope our North Lot will be available by then, but we aren’t certain. Please pay attention to signage and      park where you can.

·      Please enter through the main Gymnasium doors. We’ll be set up just inside to hand out schedules.

·      Questions about your schedule? Please see a counselor before you leave Tuesday, if possible. Waiting until the first day of school        will make changes much more difficult.

·      Due to construction, some classrooms will not be accessible until the first day of school. Teachers from those rooms will be stationed in the Gym so you can still meet them. Those teachers are:

o   Balera

o   Bouchard

o   Clad

o   Dignan

o   Johnson

o   Klein

o   Packard

o   Ribeiro

Math Intervention

When you pick up your schedule, you may see a class called Math Intervention.

This class provides extra math support — a “double dip” — for students who did not demonstrate proficiency on the Math ISAT last spring. About 50 students will participate during 1st quarter, with a different group of approximately 50 students during 2nd quarter. For 3rd and 4th quarters, we will select students who continue to need additional math support, including some who participated earlier in the year.

Math Intervention is not optional. We understand that it will usually take the place of an exploratory class, and we know that can be disappointing. However, we have made a district-wide commitment to give our young mathematicians the support they need to succeed. We ask for your support in that commitment.

Construction Update

We are mostly on schedule! There are just a couple of things you should know:

·      Some materials needed for the expanded cafeteria and kitchen have been delayed. For the first part of the school year, we will continue using the cafeteria stage as additional seating. School lunches will also be of the brown-bag variety for the first couple weeks while we wait for the kitchen work to be completed.

·      Parent Drop-Off for SMS will now be in the North Lot, across from Superior Street. Only buses will be allowed to unload directly in front of SMS. All other vehicle traffic entering from Michigan Street will be directed left toward SHS.

·      For the first few weeks of school, students dropped off in the North Lot will need to walk along the Division Street sidewalk to the front of the school. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Overall, we’re very happy with the progress. These minor glitches are nothing compared with the flexibility and positivity we will bring to this year.

We’re taking one for the team — and the result will be a better SMS for generations of Bullpups to come.

Fall Sports

Just a reminder that all fall sports — Cheer, Volleyball, Cross Country, Tennis, and Football — begin immediately on the first day of school with either a practice or informational meeting.

Please plan accordingly. You can get more information at Open House or stop by our office.

Finally…

Did you know that SMS’s academic performance last year compared very, very well with the top-performing public middle schools in Idaho? In fact, when we compare SMS with schools similar to us in enrollment, resources, and other factors, we’re awfully close to the best in many ways.

We are committed to maintaining that excellence throughout this remodel.

We understand something very important: your student gets just one shot at 7th or 8th grade. Construction will bring inconveniences, distractions, and probably a few surprises along the way. But it will never be an excuse for anything less than our best.

I ask you to join us in that commitment.

Together, we will support our students, maintain the gains we’ve made, and keep moving forward — even while the building changes around us.

Together, we can See the Good & Spark the Great!

Best regards,

Mr. Penrose