Principal Page

Dear Alden Middle School Families,

It has been an exciting start to the 2024-2025 school year at Alden Middle. This will be the first of four publications of “View for the Middle” and will be one of the many ways we will keep you informed on the events and activities happening at our school.

It appears that students are off to a great start. All students have adjusted nicely to their new surroundings and teachers. I thank the parents and teachers for their commitment to helping alleviate, or at the least minimize, any anxiety our students might have experienced. Our students participated in an opening day Code of Conduct assembly that included the introduction of new staff members, a review of expectations and acceptable student conduct, as well as a bus emergency evacuation. I have asked every student to go over the student handbook with their parent/guardian and sign that they understand the school’s Code of Conduct. Students also attended a kick-off assembly at the HS presented by Duncan Kirkwood with a message on resiliency and how to overcome obstacles. As a part of our continued efforts to address and prevent bullying and promote positive character we will have monthly meetings during class which focus on RULER. Our first RULER meetings will take place in October.

As the leaves change and autumn arrives, there are many activities scheduled for the fall. October 4th will be our annually scheduled emergency drill/15 min early dismissal. During the week of October 7th - October 11th we will have the district-wide safety week. We conducted several drills to practice our District Emergency Response protocols.

School Report cards will not be mailed or sent home. Parents/guardians will have access to their children’s report card via Parent Portal. The Parent Portal provides you access to your child’s academic information. With a Parent Portal account, you may log on at any time to view information regarding your child’s schedule, grades, and attendance. All parents/guardians will need to create an account with Parent Portal through PowerSchool. For information on the steps needed to create this account, please visit our site at www.aldenschools.org and select the Parent Portal link.

Parents who do not have access to a computer may pick up a copy of their child’s report card at the Middle School office. Please call the Middle School at (716) 937-9116 ext. 3111 to request a report card.

To provide a safe environment for our students to learn and grow, visitors will need to enter the foyer and get buzzed into the main office before entering the building. All visitors entering the building will need to present valid, government-issued picture identification before gaining access to the building. Without this identification access will be denied. Visitors who do not need to enter the building and only plan on entering the main office will not need identifi- cation. We thank you in advance for your cooperation as we continue to provide a safe environment for our students. I am also happy to announce that Officer Piel and Kojak will be with us for another year. At the Middle School, the SRO will attend evening events, help with safety drills, visit homes when needed, push into some classes to speak on the hot topics in the world today, and most importantly have a presence in the building, which will allow her to build relationships with our students.

For the 2024-2025 school year we have a new location and procedure for MS student pick up at 3:35pm dismissal. Please visit the Alden Middle School website under “News” to view the new location and procedures. Parents should use the Crittenden Road (Intermediate School) entrance if they are picking up a student from the Health Office. I look forward to partnering with you in your child’s education this year. I would encourage you to visit our website at www.aldenschools.org for additional information and a yearly calendar of events. You can also follow us on Twitter @Aldenmiddle1. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at 937-9116, extension 2191.

 Sincerely,

Steven Smith