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Spencer Butte Middle School

Spartan Update- Week of 5/18/26

Posted Date: 05/16/26 (09:00 AM)
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A logo for Spencer Butte Middle School.  The logo features a stylized illustration of a school building situated on a stylized landscape with rolling hills and water.  The building is depicted in dark navy blue, with large, light-blue windows visible. Pine trees are outlined in light blue at the top of the image, behind the building. The hills and water are rendered in varying shades of light blue. Below the illustration, the words "SPENCER BUTTE" are written in a clean, sans-serif font in dark navy blue. "Middle School" is written in a smaller, matching font below that. The overall color scheme is cool toned, using shades of blue and white.

Spartan Update

Week of 5/18/26

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.
An image titled "Asian American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander HERITAGE MONTH" in white text on a dark blue background with a gold wave pattern border. The title is written in three lines with "HERITAGE MONTH" at the bottom and a small green 'Ed' logo in the bottom right corner.
An illustration featuring the text "JEWISH AMERICAN" in large blue capital letters on the top line, with the text "HERITAGE MONTH" in large red capital letters on the second line. Below the text are four horizontal stripes in dark blue, blue, light red, and dark red from top to bottom.
 
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

As the school year enters its last month, I want to encourage families to continue to support your student to work hard in classes and to help them remember that even with spring excitement and summer anticipation, it is important treat members of the school community with kindness and follow all school expectations.

There are many ways to get help at school if there are interpersonal conflicts:
  • Students can get in-the-moment help in classrooms by talking to their teacher or staff in the room.
  • Students can also come to the office and ask to speak to an administrator or fill out a report (all reports are investigated).
  • Parents and family members can contact the office, me, or assistant principal Sequeira.
  • Another option is to utilize SafeOregon. This is a 24/7 option with multiple ways to make a report. These reports are screened and then provided to the school.
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A few items of note this week:

8th Graders to Field Trip to South on Monday
On Monday morning, all 8th graders will take a field trip to South for a tour. This trip takes place during the school day and students will be back by lunch.

6th Grade Science Field Trip on Thursday
On Thursday, 6th graders will take a science field trip to the Bauman Tree Farm to learn about sustainable tree farming. Students will leave at 9:15 and return by 2:30. Please see your emails from Ms. Kimball for more detail.

Thursday- Parent Education Evening- Boundaries and Social Media (Presented in partnership with Ophelia's Place)
Come and join us from 6:00-7:00 in our cafeteria for a workshop on how to support middle schoolers as they navigate social media.

Friday- Activity Night- Help Needed
SBMS activity nights are a fantastic way for students to connect with one another in a fun way!

The event is from 6:00-8:00 with chaperones arriving at 5:45 to get signed in.

We host a game room, open gym, movie room, dance hall, and for our May activity night we are trying something new- a "quieter" Bingo room (a space for students to have fun in a quieter environment). Giving students a variety of supervised choices takes help and we would love to have you join us. There is no set-up and no clean-up on your part! Chaperones come a little bit early to get signed in and assigned to a station, and leave right after the event!

If you would like to help with the activity night on 5/22, please use this form or contact Stephanie at 541-790-8300 or minter_s@4j.lane.edu.

Need assistance? 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
 

Upcoming Events


  • 5/21- Boundaries and Social Media Parent Education-Ophelia's Place Event at SBMS (6:00-7:00; more information to come)
  • 5/22- Activity Night 6:00-8:00
  • 5/28- 5th Grade Visits to SBMS
  • 5/28- 5th Grade Parent Evening
  • 6/4- End of Year Concert
  • 6/10- School Play
  • 6/11- 8th Grade Recognition 6:15-7:30
Example calendar with dates pinned
 

State Testing Begins the Week of the 11th

This year's state testing will begin in all grades of language arts the week of May 11th and all grades of math will follow the week of May 18th. 8th grade Science will test on May 26th and 27th.

I want to encourage our students to participate in state testing. Not only is the state test a good way to practice for future standardized testing environments like the PSAT, SAT, ACT, etc... but we also see that our students do great work and the vast majority of them go to high school ready for the academic requirements of 9th grade. However, when the state calculates SBMS student success on state tests, we don't see that competency reflected. So why the discrepancy? We believe it largely comes down to how opt-out data is handled by the state.

Students who are opted-out of taking state tests are instantly counted as failing the state tests. We believe that largely because of this calculation, our school has been designated as a school needing improvement, a status that we feel does not accurately reflect the level of work that our students demonstrate to us. Last year we had about 40% of our students opt-out of state testing.

We would like to show the state what we know our students can do. To do that we need our students to participate in testing. I want to emphasize that we receive no additional funding for higher rates of participation or higher test scores.

A Simplified Testing Schedule
To make the testing process as smooth and low-stress as possible, we are changing how we administer the tests:

  • No Half-Day Sessions: We will not be disrupting the entire school day with special testing blocks.
  • Testing During the Class Period: Students will simply participate in the state testing during their regularly scheduled ELA. math, or 8th grade science class. Students will follow their typical daily schedule for all other periods.
  • Please note that students who still choose to opt out will remain in the classroom with their teacher during that time.

If you do decide to opt-out your child from state testing, you may do so by going here and following the directions for accessing the paper form, and we have opt-out forms in the office.

You can learn more about state testing by clicking here and you can always contact me. I am happy to connect with you about this topic.
 

9th Grade Transition Information (Last update 4/12/26)

South Field Trip
  • Monday, May 18, all 8th graders will take a field trip to South.
8th Grade Promotion
  • 8th grade promotion will be held in the SBMS large gym at 6:15 on June 11th.
 

Repeat: Free- Before and After School Academic Support

I am excited to share that we now have before and after school classwork help. Each week we have a team of education assistants who are available 8:00-8:30 Monday through Friday and 4:00-4:30 Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. The team will be in the front hallway tables, or if several students come for help, the group will move to the cafeteria. The help is drop-in so there is no signup required. Whether your student needs help or just a place to work, all students are welcome. If you have any questions, please contact me.
An informational flyer for Spencer Butte Middle School (SBMS) seeking "Community Responder" volunteers. The top left features bold text that reads: "Spencer Butte MS Community Responder Volunteers Needed." Below it, a description explains: "Community Responder Volunteers sign up to receive text message and email 'alerts' when there is an unmet need for an SBMS student." In the center is a large QR code with an arrow pointing to it from the bottom right, accompanied by the text: "Scan QR code or sign up at www.15thnight.org/volunteer/4j-school-district/." The bottom left lists "Most common needs" in two columns: Shoes Clothes Food School supplies Personal Hygiene products The top right features a logo with the letters "SB" overlaid on a blue graphic of evergreen trees. The bottom right includes the "15th Night" logo and the message: "Thank you for supporting the SBMS community!" The overall design uses a clean white background with dark blue circular accents and text.
Community Responder Sign-Up
 
Folleto informativo para la Escuela Intermedia Spencer Butte (SBMS) que busca voluntarios para el programa "Respuesta Comunitaria". En la esquina superior izquierda se muestra un texto en negrita que dice: "Se necesitan voluntarios para la respuesta comunitaria en la escuela secundaria Spencer Butte". Debajo, una descripción explica: "Los voluntarios para la respuesta comunitaria se inscriben para recibir alertas por mensaje de texto y correo electrónico cuando haya una necesidad insatisfecha de un estudiante de SBMS". En el centro hay un código QR grande con una flecha que lo señala desde la esquina inferior derecha, acompañado del texto: "Escanee el código QR o inscríbase en www.15thnight.org/volunteer/4j-school-district/". En la esquina inferior izquierda se enumeran las "Necesidades más comunes" en dos columnas: Calzado Ropa Comida Útiles escolares Productos de higiene personal En la esquina superior derecha se muestra un logotipo con las letras "SB" superpuestas sobre un gráfico azul de árboles perennes. En la parte inferior derecha se encuentra el logo de "15th Night" y el mensaje: "¡Gracias por apoyar a la comunidad SBMS!". El diseño general utiliza un fondo blanco limpio con detalles circulares y texto en azul oscuro.
Registrarse como respondedor
 

Food Resources

 
A distribution calendar for the FOOD For Lane County Mobile Pantry, presented in both English and Spanish. The schedule is as follows: Unitarian Universalist, Eugene: 1st and 3rd Fridays, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Bethel School District, Eugene: 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM. Cottage Grove (7th and Whiteaker): 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM. Sheldon Community Center, Eugene: 2nd Fridays, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM. Bob Keefer Center, Springfield: Last Fridays, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM. The flyer includes a reminder: "Please bring your own bags!" and lists foodforlanecounty.org for more information. Partner logos are displayed at the bottom.
Food for Lane County Resources
 
SBMS Website Link
 

Contact Paula

I am here to support the SBMS community. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. You can reach out via the following ways:

  • 541-790-8300
  • nolan_p@4j.lane.edu
Person using a laptop