Friday, March 13th - Career Day

Friday, March 20th - 11:30 AM Dismissal for students

Friday, May 8th - 8th Grade Dance

Week of May 11th - Book Fair

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

Career Day is this Friday, March 13th. Be sure to ask your child to tell you about the sessions and all they learn!

National School Social Work Week 2026 was observed from March 1st to March 7th. This week highlights the role of school social workers in helping students with academic, social, and emotional challenges. SHMS HSA is grateful for the care and support of our middle school social workers, Avril Takiff-Weiner and Jenelle Thomas.

Ramadan began at sundown on February 17th and ends on March 19th. Wishing you a happy Ramadan.

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 

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!

Order your yearbook today.  Order online at www.jostens.com/btsyrbk. The cost is $35.00.

Please join us on Thursday, March 19th 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. February minutes 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