Spartan Update- Week of 9/15/25

Posted Date: 9/12/25 (2:09 PM)

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Spartan Update

Week of 9/15/25

Picture of a school that captures the SBMS school campus area under a bright, clear sky. The architecture is characterized by mid-century modern design elements: slanted rooftops with clean lines, supported by slender columns, giving a sense of openness and functionality.

The foreground features a row of trees, some with lush green foliage and others displaying vibrant autumnal colors, suggesting a transition in seasons. These trees add natural warmth and breathing space to the otherwise structured environment. Alongside the trees, neatly kept bushes and a paved walkway create a welcoming atmosphere for students or visitors.

In the background, the school buildings are made of stucco and large glass windows, emphasizing both durability and the importance of natural light. The overall scene evokes a tranquil, well-maintained educational setting.

Colorful 2025 design with floral patterns on a dark blue background, alongside the text 'National Hispanic Heritage Month' in yellow, teal, and pink

Close-up of a woman with shoulder-length wavy brown hair. She is wearing glasses with black frames and a gray, possibly knit, turtleneck-style sweater. The sweater has a slightly asymmetrical design at the neckline, with two visible round, light gray or beige buttons.

Note from Principal Paula Nolan

This was a good week at SBMS! Students are getting into their routines and it has been wonderful to see all of our students working hard in their classes. Thank you families for supporting your child(ren) and reminding them to put forth their best effort at school! Your work at home is paying off.

This newsletter is a little bit longer than the last one. Please see below for important information.

National Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15-10/15)

National Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 and ends on October 15 to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success. It first started as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and expanded to a full month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. The dates were chosen because September 15 is the anniversary of independence for the Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. (Source)

Quick Information for Families- (More Information In Articles Further Down the Newsletter)

SBMS Safety Week

This week we will be teaching students about our emergency protocols. If you would like to learn more about our procedures at SBMS, please see below.

Fundraiser Begins!

SBMS runs one fundraiser a year. We kicked off our Community Connection, Learning & Kindness Fundraiser today. This year our building had a $15,000 cut to our budget. A successful fundraiser will help us to continue to offer many benefits to our Spartan students and community. Detailed information further down.

Illness- When to Keep Students Home From School

Fevers, vomiting, etc... when to keep your child home and when they are able to return to school. Information is below.

Support for Students to Get to Class on Time

At SBMS, being in class on time is defined as being in assigned seats with needed materials by the time the tardy bell rings. Next week we are starting our Be There, Be Ready program to help support students to get to class on time. In this program, students who do not have unexcused tardies each week are eligible for prizes via drawings. It is also important to know that students who receive 2 unexcused tardies in a day or 5 in a week will be met with to create a support plan to help get them to class on time. Continued tardiness would then lead to lunch detention being assigned.

Contact Me

I am here to be of service to our entire school community. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions, concerns, or just want to connect about how to help your child this school year. My contact information is below and also at the very bottom of every newsletter.

-Paula

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Paula Nolan

Principal

Spencer Butte Middle School

541-790-8300 | nolan_p@4j.lane.edu

SBMS Safety Week- Learn About Our Emergency Procedures

The safety of our students and staff is our #1 priority.

This week is safety week and we will be running drills for the Hold, Secure, Shelter, Evacuation, and Lockdown procedures. We do not have surprise drills at SBMS. As a point of notification to families, school violence is discussed in the context of when each drill would be called.

One component of our operational safety plan at Spencer Butte is the Standard Response Protocol or SRP. This is a program that has been adopted district-wide, and one that I have used for 11 years as an administrator. It's called the SRP because it standardizes operations language so everything is clear to students, staff, visitors in the building, and for first responders. We have 5 different protocols at SBMS:

Hold- We keep students in classrooms because there's an issue in the halls (not a threat, usually a medical issue and we want the halls to be clear). Teaching continues as normal in classrooms.
Secure- A problem outside the building so we bring everyone inside. Teaching and travel inside of the building are normal. Everything is normal inside of the building.
Evacuate- This is when we leave the building. We practice this each month with a fire drill.
Shelter- This is sheltering inside the building in the event of a weather event (we practice this with earthquake drills) or something else outside the building that is dangerous (like a chemical spill).
Lockdown- This is when there is a threat inside the building. Everyone hides with rooms locked and the lights turned off.

More information about the Standard Response Protocol can be found at the following links:

[Link to English Version: SRP for Parents]

[Link to Spanish Version: SRP for Parents]

As a school staff member and 4J parent, I know that this can be a difficult topic. I'd be happy to connect with you if you would like to discuss this on the phone, in person, or via online meeting. Please contact me if you'd like to arrange a time to talk.

Colorful image of the word Fundraising. The word is in block letters and is surrounded by red, blue, and gold confetti.

Fundraiser Kickoff! First Collection Turn In Date is 9/16!

We kicked off our Annual Walk The Amazon Fundraiser this week!

The focus of the fundraiser is Community Connection, Learning and Kindness. We have found that our fall fundraiser is a great kickoff to building a stronger Spencer Butte community while also raising funds for SBMS specific projects.

Last year, our fundraiser was a success! Each year some of the ways that the funds are used at SBMS are:

Funding student clubs
Paying for Field trips
Purchasing fresh produce and non-perishables for our food drive
Buying equipment and supplies for classes
Funding staffing for after hours events like activity nights.
Paying for Kindness Day- Whole school field trip to help the community
Purchasing rewards for students and classes and the school
Funding evening events like Bingo Nights, Trivia Nights, and Movie Nights
Supporting student driven campaigns like Sources of Strength and No Place for Hate
Purchasing school supplies
School needs and operation
Providing direct student support

At the end of the fundraiser, we will continue our tradition of the Walk The Amazon on 10/8. This has been a school tradition since in 2006 (and paused during the pandemic). We will take our entire school on a walk around part of the Amazon Trail and celebrate as a SBMS community. While walking the trail we will let the community know why we are walking as well as helping clean up the route.

Our money collection days will be Tuesdays and Thursdays between now and 10/2/25.

Students do have the opportunity to earn prizes via raffle tickets. Every student at SBMS has earned 5 raffle tickets just for being a member of our school community! Additional raffle tickets are awarded for every $10 raised with a max of 55 tickets. There are also additional rewards for different amounts of money raised, including ice skating with a friend, lunch provided at school by the Principal for a student and a friend or two, a snack pack at a SBMS school movie night, and the ability to slime staff members (with Spartan Blue Slime!).

Each student received an envelope with all pertinent information on Friday 9/12. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. We want to thank you for your help and support with this event.

Image of Spencer Butte fundraising envelope. Text says "Thank You for donating to Spencer Butte's Fall Fundraiser" with information about how to donate with a check or via QR code. There are also text boxes for the name of the person who donated, their phone number, the donation amount, and whether the payment is in cash or check (including check number).

Close-up of a digital thermometer showing a temperature reading of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit

When to Keep Students Home From School

When students return to school we start to see an uptick in illness calls. Please see below for this year's rules for when to keep your child(ren) home from school. If you have any questions, please contact the office or Nurse Jenny at downes_j@4j.lane.edu.

Fever

A measured temperature of 100.4°F or higher.

Return to School: After being fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.

Vomiting

Two or more unexplained episodes within 24 hours.

Return to School: 24 hours after the last episode OR after being cleared by a healthcare provider.

Diarrhea

Three or more watery stools in 24 hours, OR sudden loose or bloody stools, OR inability to control bowel movements.

Return to School: After diarrhea improves (no more than two extra bowel movements in 24 hours), and no accidents. Bloody diarrhea should be evaluated by a healthcare provider prior to return.

Cough

Persistent cough not diagnosed by a healthcare provider OR cough that is frequent/severe enough to interfere with participation in usual school activities.

Return to School: After symptoms improve for 24 hours (no cough or well-controlled cough).

Difficulty Breathing or Shortness of Breath

Not explained by situation such as exercise: feeling unable to catch their breath, gasping for air, breathing rapidly or shallowly, breathing with extra effort such as using muscles of the stomach, chest, or neck.

Return to School: After symptoms improving for 24 hours.

Seek immediate medical attention if needed.

Headache with Stiff Neck and Fever

Return to School: After being fever-free for 24 hours without medication AND when symptoms resolve.

This may indicate a serious condition. Seek medical attention.