Spartan Update- Week of 1/5/26

Posted Date: 01/03/26 (11:15 AM)

Spartan Update

Week of 1/5/26

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.

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

Happy New Year and welcome back to school! We are excited to welcome our students back to classes on Tuesday, 1/6/26! I hope that our students had a nice and restful break.

Food Drive- Thank You

I want to thank our school community for your participation in our winter food drive. Your generosity is appreciated and allowed SBMS to provide many SBMS families with needed food support.

2 New Year Updates to School Rules

With the new year comes two updates to our school expectations that I want to share with you:

#1: Personal Electronic Devices- Governor's Executive Order Implementation

When students return from winter break we are implementing the Governor's Executive order that prohibits student use of personal electronic devices (such as cell phones, smartwatches, and personal earbuds) during the school day. At our school, this order and the school district policies adopted to carry it out require that personal electronic devices be placed in lockers from the beginning of the school day to the end of the school day.

This isn't a big change for our school because we have always asked students to do that with cell phones, earbuds, tablets, etc.... The largest shift at SBMS will be that now students will be asked to store their smartwatches in their locker along with any other devices.

As always, parents can reach students by calling the main office, and students are able to bring their devices to the main office to contact their authorized contacts if they want to text or do a voice call with their devices.

For more details, please click here. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

#2: Colognes, Perfumes, Body Sprays, etc...

We are asking for your partnership in reducing a growing disruption to our school campus. We have had an increase in the spraying of colognes, perfumes, body sprays (example: AXE), etc... at school. We have members of our school community who are sensitive to these types of products and the amount that is sometimes sprayed in our halls causes a disruption to teaching and learning.

To reduce disruptions, we are now asking students to leave all containers of perfumes, colognes, body sprays, etc... at home. Students can wear these products and are able to apply the products at home. This change only prohibits students from bringing the products to the school.

This new expectation does not apply to deodorant or antiperspirants.

We appreciate your help and support in reducing this disruption to the school environment. Please contact me if you have any questions about this change for our school.

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

Upcoming Events

Please click here for the SBMS Events Calendar

12/22-1/5: No School- Winter Break

1/6: First Day Back for Students

1/16: Martin Luther King Jr. Activity (For Students During the Day)

1/19: No School- Martin Luther King Jr. Day

1/29: Trivia Night 6:00-8:00- A fun and free SBMS Family Event!

1/30: No School- Semester Grading Day

2/2: No School- Semester Transition Planning Day

Help Needed: Mentor Program Volunteer Coordinator

Spencer Butte is looking for a volunteer to be the Spencer Butte Mentor Coordinator. Our Middle School Lunchtime Mentoring Program helps students who would benefit from extra support by partnering them with a mentor for lunch once a week.

The Spencer Butte Mentor Coordinator volunteers one day a week, on Mondays from 11:45am-12:45pm, and does up to 30 minutes of other communications during the week.
The volunteer Mentor Coordinator is fully trained and supported by the 4J staff Mentor Coordinator.

This is a fantastic way to get involved in our community, and make a difference in the lives of young people, come join us!

Please contact Kate Becker for more information: becker_k@4j.lane.edu 541-517-0394