Welcome to Mr. Duffy’s Site

Spring leads us into the end of our school year and the rapid pace of education accelerates with numerous activities and events. Warm weather and outside activities entice some students to shift their focus away from school after a long winter. I encourage parents to join us in reminding students to “stay focused on your work and finish strong so you can enjoy summer vacation to its fullest!”

Glastonbury families once again showed their generosity by supporting several fund raisers at Smith. Our annual magazine drive, Hoops for Heart, Pennies for Peace, and Relay for Life support Smith Middle School activities, the American Heart Association, education in remote Asian countries, and the American Cancer Society, respectively. This is a perfect example of our students engaging in local, national, and international endeavors to improve our global society.

Scheduling is an important topic at this time as we begin to prepare for next year. Teachers have now submitted level recommendations and students have submitted elective class choices. As we build our master schedule from here, it is important to remember that we do our best to balance our ten teams within the constraints of student requests for elective classes. All of our teams have committed teachers with diverse personalities which will help prepare students for life beyond school. Due to the complexity of the scheduling process, schedules are not finalized and mailed until mid-August.

I am very proud of the individual and group accomplishments of our students that I witness in our classrooms and hallways every day. Your children are the heart and soul of our school and our teachers and staff will continue to challenge and lead them as they grow into young adults. Together, we will all work with families to provide the services and support necessary to continually engage your child in his or her own education.

 “America’s future walks through the doors of our schools each day.”

-          Mary Jean Le Tendre

  Questions

 Should you have any problems while at Smith Middle School, I am always available answer questions and find resolutions to your concerns. However, it is usually best to start at the beginning to solve a problem. Whenever possible, first contact the teacher for questions regarding a specific academic subject, or you may choose to call on the Team Leader if the issue transcends several areas. Our guidance counselors are also here to assist you as needed.

 “The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil.”

                               - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Agenda Planners

 Every student at Smith will receive an agenda planner to record assignments and coordinate short and long-term projects. The agenda planner is also filled with other useful information, including the school calendar, event dates, a building map, and school policies. All students are required to familiarize themselves with these written policies and to use the agenda daily.

 “We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

-          Aristotle

Links

 Smith Middle School Home Page

Student Handbook

Glastonbury Public Schools

School Calendar

Student Resources

Smith Staff Web Sites

Sixteen Habits of Mind