

Matthew Henson Weekly Update
December 1, 2023
Principal Message
Good morning!
I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving break. We are now into the month of December and the next 3 weeks are going to go very quickly.
Just a few reminders and updates as we head into the weekend:
- Wednesday, December 6th is a 2 Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- Interim Reports will be posted online on Monday, December 11th
- We will have a Spirit Month to celebrate moving into the holiday season. Please check out the attached spirit calendar.
Lastly, I want to thank those who came out last night for our PTO meeting. Over the last few years, we have only had 3-4 parents attend our PTO meetings. However, last night, there were 24 participants who joined our virtual meeting to work to get our PTO up and running. I can't thank everyone enough for taking time out of their evening to spend time as a group. Please look for updated PTO information forthcoming soon! I am excited to about the work we can do together.
Thank you and have a great weekend!
Mrs. Caballero
We are unable to accommodate walk in appointments with administration and the counseling team. Should you need to speak with someone, please schedule an appointment with the appropriate individual. We are typically in the classrooms with students and participating in various activities with students and teachers. If a concern arises, the first point of contact is the classroom teacher, then the grade level administrator. If there is a specific concern regarding a classroom or procedure in general, your concern goes directly to the grade level administrator.
Henson Apparel - Time is Running Out!
Are you interested in purchasing Matthew Henson apparel for yourself or your child? We have an online store from a local vendor who has created an online store. The store will be open beginning today through Monday, December 4th. Apparel will be ready 2 weeks after the store closes.
Library News
It is almost time for our WINTER BOOK FAIR! Just in time for the holidays, we will be having a winter book fair during the week of December 11-15th. All students will have the chance to come down with their ELA class to browse the books and make purchases if they would like. We will also have a Family Night on Thursday, December 14th for families to stop by after school up until 6:00.
Students can pay with cash, credit cards, or use Scholastic’s eWallet to pre-load money on an account directly connected to Scholastic and the Book Fair.
We hope to have another great book fair. The students love coming down and getting the latest books, as well as posters and other school supplies as well. Preview flyers will be coming home soon to show some of the most popular books we will have available. Help get your student excited to read something amazing this winter!
Check out more information about the book fair, featured books, eWallet, and more with our Matthew Henson Book Fair homepage: Book Fair Homepage (scholastic.com)
Yearbooks
Students have voted on the yearbook cover and we are already hard at work to capture the memories of this school year. The yearbook will feature all students who got a school picture, as well as other moments from the year captured in photos, survey responses, and special features. Make sure to get a copy for your student! They are only $30 this year, with options for additional customization as desired.
Check out our new yearbook website to purchase your yearbook today: https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/job/25966
Delivery Services
Items are not permitted to be ordered by students and/or their families for delivery to Matthew Henson. This includes but is not limited to food, drinks, beauty products, balloons, flowers and gift baskets. If you want to bring your child lunch, you can bring it to the front office and we will provide it to them. If a delivery driver drops it off, you will have to pick it up from the front office as we cannot provide it to the students. Additionally, if you do not pick up the perishable items, they will be placed in the refrigerator if space is available for up to 2 days. After this time, these items will be discarded.
Late Work Policy
All missing classwork assigned before interim is due before grades are submitted for interim. Similarly, all late classwork assigned after interim is due before grades are submitted for report cards. Late work will not be accepted after these due dates. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain additional copies of assignments if they do not have the original.
· It is the student's responsibility to make sure that missed material is handed in on time based on their absence(s).
· If a student sits in class and completes no work, they will receive a maximum of 50% when the assignment is submitted late.
· Students will have the following percentage deducted per assignment, when an assignment is submitted late.
o 6th grade – up to 10%
o 7th grade – up to 20%
o 8th grade – up to 30%
The second interim report will be issued on Monday, December 11th. Please be aware of the deadline for turning in any student work is Tuesday, December 5th. Any missing work from the first half of marking period 2 will remain a zero after December 5th.
PPW Update
Mildred Alexander-Moses
Pupil Personnel Worker (PPW)
Community Resource Information
A current list of the food pantries and meal sites in Charles County can be viewed on the website at https://www.ccboe.com/departments/student-services/community-resources .
Attendance
An attendance letter requesting a meeting with the PPW is mailed when your child has been absent 15 days excluding medical notes. Our school-based attendance team works with you to identify ways to support your student and family to improve attendance. Parents are expected to contact the school if your child has been absent 3 consecutive days. Parents have 5 days to verify the reason for your child's absence. Attendance notes may be emailed to Jelissa Jones, attendance secretary, at jejjones@ccboe.com.
The Breakfast Club (Basketball Club)
I am excited to announce the launch of "The Breakfast Club" at Matthew Henson School, starting from Tuesday, December 5th. The club will be held during the 2nd and 3rd quarters, from Tuesday to Thursday, in the mornings before school, running from 6:30 am to 8:10 am. Please note that the club will only take place on school days, and if there is a school closure, the session will be canceled.
Here are some important details about the club:
Club Schedule:
- 2nd Quarter Dates: December 5th – January 18th
- 3rd Quarter Dates: January 23rd – March 22nd
- Days: Tuesday’s – Wednesday’s – Thursday’s
- Time: 6:30 am - 8:10 am
Location: Students will enter through the gym's exterior doors rather than the main entrance.
Club Facilitators: "The Breakfast Club" will be led by dedicated teachers who are committed to providing a positive and enriching experience. The teachers for the club will be Mr. Santiago, Mr. Revell, and Officer Quigley.
Activities: "The Breakfast Club" is open to students of all athletic abilities and experience levels with basketball. Participants can engage in basketball skill drills, conditioning drills, and small-sided pick-up games. The goal of the club is to build student athletes and develop basketball skills.
Attendance Requirements: To attend, students must have 3 Husky-Points each day attended (ex. If you attend all three days you will need 9 points total.). Please check your Husky-Points balance before attending to ensure you have sufficient points. Please note that only the first 50 students who meet the Husky-Points requirement will be able to sign up for the club.
Additional Information:
- If students failed any academic class (MATH, ELA, SCIENCE or SOCIAL STUIDES) for the 1st quarter they are not eligible to participate in the 2nd quarter as they are invited to participate in grade recovery efforts. If a student fails one of these academic courses in the 2nd quarter, they will not be eligible to participate in the 3rd quarter.
- Students may arrive anytime between 6:30 am - 7:30 am.
- Once students enter the gym, they are expected to stay until the school day begins.
- Athletic clothing and shoes are strongly encouraged. Students can change into school clothes in the locker rooms at the end of the open gym session.
- Any form of horseplay, profanity, poor sportsmanship, etc., will not be tolerated and may result in permanent removal from the club.
- Administration reserves the right to remove a student from the club based on behavior or if they believe the club is becoming a distraction from academics.
- This is a recreational club and is not affiliated with Matthew Henson's Basketball team.
- The club is open exclusively to Henson students.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. We look forward to an exciting and positive experience at "The Breakfast Club."
Best regards,
Mr. Santiago
Career Coach Information
Career Coach Corner
The following scholarships are available:
- Carson Scholarship
Student Cam is C-SPAN's annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect their communities and the nation. This year we are celebrating our 20th anniversary of the competition and for 2024, they are asking students in grades 6-12 to create a short (5-6 minute) video documentary on a topic that relates to the competition theme, "Looking Forward while Considering the Past."
APPLY HERE: https://www.studentcam.org
Dates to Remember
December 6th - Two Hour Early Dismissal for Students
December 11th - Interim Reports Posted
December 11th - December 15th - Book Fair Week
December 12th - Chorus Concert - 7:00 PM
December 13th - Band Concert - 7:00 PM
December 14th - Orchestra Concert - 6:00 PM
December 18th - Picture Re-Takes
December 25th - January 1st - Schools/Offices Closed
Administrator & Counselor Contact Information
Please reach out to your student’s school counselor and/or administrator with any questions you may have. See below for counselor/administrator caseload and contact info:
6th Grade
Administrator – Mr. Enrico menrico@ccboe.com
Counselor – Ms. Eichel aeichel@ccboe.com
7th Grade
Last Names A-J
Administrator– Ms. Hamilton bwhamilton@ccboe.com
Counselor– Ms. Giddins agiddins@ccboe.com
Last Names K-Z
Administrator– Ms. Itsuokor ditsuokor@ccboe.com
Counselor – Ms. Eichel aeichel@ccboe.com
8th Grade
Administrator – Mr. Kennedy akennedy@ccboe.com
Counselor – Ms. Giddins agiddins@ccboe.com
School Contact Information
Matthew Henson Middle School
3535 Livingston Road
Indian Head, MD 20640
Mrs. Christina Caballero, Principal
301-753-1784 Office
301-944-0793 Fax
Visit us on the web at HOME - Matthew Henson Middle School (ccboe.com)
TWITTER: @MatthewHensonMS and @ccab_principal