PSSA Testing Dates:

Tuesday, April 21st, Wednesday, April 22nd, and Friday, April 24th-ELA

Tuesday, April 28th and Wednesday, April 29th - Math 

Thursday, April 30th and Friday, May 1st (8th grade only) - Science

Other Important Dates:

Friday, May 8th - 8th Grade Dance

Week of May 11th - Book Fair

Friday, May 15th - SHMS Music at Dorney Park (8th grade ensembles, Cantabile, Ellington, and Signature Strings ONLY)

Monday, June 8th - SHMS Music to Hidden Hollow Swim Club

Tuesday, June 9th - 8th Grade Hershey Park Trip

The week of April 6-10 was National Assistant Principal Week. This was a special week dedicated to our fabulous asisstant principals. Mrs. Stock and Mr. Kelly are there for our children every day. They make each child feel valued, cared for, and accepted. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for keeping our children safe and engaged every day. 

April is Autism Awareness Month. It is a time for everyone to get involved, raise awareness, and celebrate autism acceptance! Our brains all work in different and amazing ways! We promote acceptance, celebrate neurodiversity, and increase awareness of the challenges and strengths of autistic individuals.  We challenge discrimination and ensure that everyone has access to support and opportunities. 

Make sure to check out The Art of WSSD exhibits at the Community Arts Center. It will run through April 24th. Congratulations to our talented students and a special thank you to the amazing art teachers who guide and inspire them daily!

Remember to save the date for the Spring Fine and Applied Arts Nights.

Tuesday, May 5th - 8th grade ensembles and Cantabile

Thursday, May 7th - 7th grade ensembles and Signature Strings

Tuesday, May 12th - 6th grade ensembles

The spring sports schedule can be found at https://47726.digitalsports.com/.

Monday, April 13

Tuesday April 14

Wednesday, April 15

Thursday, April 16

Friday, April 17

This Week's Rehearsal Schedule

Monday: 8^th Band (7:10-8am) and Ellington Jazz (2:30-3pm)

Tuesday: 7^th Band (7:10-8am) and Basie Jazz (2:30-3pm)

Wednesday: 6^th Band (7:10-8am) and Ellington Jazz (2:30-3pm)

Thursday: 8^th Band (7:10-8am) and Basie Jazz (2:30-3pm)

Friday: 7^th Band (7:10-8am)

This Week's Lesson Schedule

Monday: 8^th Grade Makeup Lessons during 1st, 2nd, and 3^rd period

Tuesday: 7^th Band

Wednesday: 6^th Band

Thursday: 8^th Band

Friday: Beginners

HSA Positions Available for 2026-2027

We are now in the process of looking for volunteers for next year's HSA board. Many current members have agreed to continue in their positions, but of course several 8th grade parents are moving onto high school. The following committee chairs are open!

Career Day - Help organize Career Day for students by soliciting volunteer speakers, snacks/drinks and surveying students

Web Sponsors & Fundraising - Seek out web sponsors and other fundraising opportunities such as dining out at restaurants 

Bowling Night Raffle Baskets - Seek donations and create raffle baskets to support 8th Grade Bowling Night for service project

Sports Concessions Coordinators - Purchase concession items such as candy, chips, drinks and pretzels to sell during the winter sports season. This would involve setting up on days when there are home games for basketball and wrestling. 

For questions on any of these positions, please contact the co-chairs at shmshsa.chairs@gmail.com

Please consider donating to the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Panther Pride initiative. Students are recognized for their positive actions, good choices, and contributions to the school community. Sign up to donate here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B4BA8A82EAAF58-62062919-panther 

Middle school students are invited to a Hang Out. The event is Sunday, April 19th from 5PM to 7PM. Everyone will enjoy food, activities, music, and friends. All middle schoolers are welcome to attend this event promoting mental health awareness. The entry fee is a $5 donation for Hope for Hallie. 

Registration is now open for the WSSD Summer Music Program. The program has some BIG changes this year! It is open to chorus, strings, and band students - both in and out of district. It's a great opportunity to keep kids playing and singing, all while making new friends and hearing new music!  Check out the flyer below and make sure to sign up!

Please join us on Thursday, April 16th at 7 pm in the middle school library for our next Home and School Meeting of the year.  ALL are welcome to attend!  Dr. Matsanka will be there to give school updates and answer any questions and we will also hear updates from our grade reps and committee chairs. Expect meetings on the third Thursday of the month. March meeting miniutes can be found here.

In order to volunteer for events and activities at SHMS (concessions, musical, dances, book fair, etc.), ALL volunteers need their clearances on file with the school district. Please submit these now, as opportunities come up quickly and it's good to have them in place now. If you are unsure of your status, please contact Heather Fili at hfili@wssd.org

You can find what clearances you need to submit here.

SHMS HSA Website, Student Directory, & Online Store

Please check out the HSA web page! In addition to getting up-to-date information on activities, all families have FREE access to the online Student Directory (you must set up an account). The HSA offers the Directory at no cost to our families thanks to our website sponsors. Important: The email address families use to log in to MTK must be the same as the primary email address contact in PowerSchool. The Directory team recently completed a mid-year update of student/family contact information. If you are having trouble accessing the Directory or wish to change whether your family's contact information is displayed, please email Jennifer Griffin (jensgriffin@gmail.com - parent volunteer) or Derrick Clements (dclements@wssd.org - WSSD staff member in the registration office).

SHMS HSA website and directory*: https://shmshsa.membershiptoolkit.com

Online Store: https://shmshsa.membershiptoolkit.com/store

*For safety, you need an account to access the directory.

Do you have a business or know someone who would like to become a sponsor helping fund all of the great activities that the Home and School support? This is a great opportunity to reach over 1,000 parents in the community.  

For $150 the sponsorship includes a banner ad featuring the sponsor's logo on our SHMS HSA home page.  This clickable logo will lead the reader to the respective business website. The ad will remain on our website for the entire 2025-2026 school year.  

Families who may be interested in partnering their organizations with our HSA as a website sponsor can find more information on our MTK homepage. https://shmshsa.membershiptoolkit.com/assets/05203/SHMS_25_26_Corporate_Sponsorship_Letter.pdf

Please contact Jennifer Griffin with any questions at  jensgriffin@gmail.com

Dear WSSD Community Stakeholders,

We’re excited to share some important news about the future of our schools. On June 18, the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District Board of School Directors approved the scope for the district’s comprehensive long-range capital plan that will guide investment in our facilities for years to come.

An overview of the plan is attached and can be accessed through the following link. We encourage you to take a look and help share it through newsletters, on social media, or in conversations with neighbors so more members of our community can stay informed.

This plan focuses on three big goals:

• Keeping our schools warm, safe, and dry for all students and staff.
• Making sure our buildings are the right size to support today’s enrollment and future growth.
• Creating spaces that meet the needs of our educational programs so every student can thrive.

The plan was shaped through several years of study, community input, and a careful look at our enrollment projections, building conditions, and overall capacity.

You can learn more about the WSSD Capital Plan here.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our schools.

Warmly,

Rachel Riley

Communications & Community Relations Liaison

Wallingford-Swarthmore School District

Office Phone: 610-892-3470  ext. 1108

Cell Phone: 610-389-1136

Communications Office

@strathavenmshsa

@SHMS Info+

@Strath Haven Class of 2032

@Strath Haven Class of 2031

@SHHS Class of 2030