Mandarino Minutes for 3-24-16

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Ren Baldwin Technology Festival-

The 5th Annual Ren Baldwin Student Technology Festival will be held on Friday, May 13, 2016.  The deadline for student project entries is Friday, April 15th.  Many students have been working on projects in their various classes, and they will be encouraged by their teachers to enter those.  Students are also welcome to enter their own individual projects as long as the project is educational and has the sponsorship of a staff member.  Each child can submit up to three entries.   For more information and project ideas, please access this webpage: http://www.mybigcampus.com/bundles/2016-ren-baldwin-student-techology-festival---489792


If you have any questions, please contact Amy Dirlam, Media/Technology Integration Coordinator, at 269-926-3416 or via email at adirlam@sjschools.org

Tennis Club-

What:  Tennis Club information and sign up meeting
When:  Wednesday 3/30/2016 from 6:30 to 7:00pm
Where: Upton Cafeteria
Who:  All interested 6th-8th graders (Young ladies and Young men)

Cell Phones-

Please help the staff of Upton Middle School out by having a conversation with your son/s & daughter/s on having cell phones in the classroom.  This week alone we had several phones go off during class.  This is a distraction to the learning process and also against our guidelines spelled out in our handbook.  It is very popular for the phones to be in computer bags, tucked into their pants, or down a boot.  We would appreciate you talking to your child about keeping them in their locker during the school day.  Thanks for your help with this!

Here is the exact wording from the handbook:

CELLULAR PHONES
Students may not carry cell phones during the school day. These must remain turned off and kept out of sight in a pocket, book bag, or the like when entering the building, and must be kept in the locker between 7:35 am and dismissal at 2:44 pm. At no time are cell phones to be used in the bathroom or the locker room. Cell phones may not be turned on or used on the bus as well. If it is critical that a parent must get a message to a student, please call the office and they will see that the student receives it.
Student and parents may not expect that the student will be able to monitor text messages during the school day. If a parent needs to get information to a student, please call and leave the message with the office.

Quote of the day:
"The family is one of nature's masterpieces." - George Santayana

See you at the Variety show this evening,
Mr. Mandarino