MMS Parent Newsletter

R-Responsible

E-Engaged

A-Accepting

L-Leading

We are so excited to celebrate our students of the month! These students were chosen based on their embodiment of one of the four REAL character traits. Responsible students show up to class and activities on time and use effective strategies to manage their responsibilities at school. Students who were chosen for engagement demonstrated the ability to focus in class and apply themselves to their assignments and/or activities. Our accepting students displayed kindness and treating others the way they wished to be treated. Our student leaders were chosen for setting positive examples for their classmates in all areas of Mustang Middle School! We are so proud of all our students and look forward to the continued celebration of our amazing scholars this school year!

Before and after school Academic Recovery is ramping up. If your student is struggling to keep pace or needs extra help, we may be calling to assign them that extra time. If you believe that your student would benefit from this opportunity, feel free to give us a shout!

Our wonderful STUCO has organized a spirit week for students and teachers the week of 12/11-12/15. Below are the dress up days.

We would like to thank everyone who participated in or helped by promoting Fill the Bus this year. The toy drive was a huge success!

Below are the totals as well as the number of families/kids impacted by your donations.You are making the magic of Santa come to life this Christmas for at least 1900 kids in our community. We are very proud to be a part of the MPS family, and appreciate all that you do for your students and our community.

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Semester testing will be December 18th and 19th. Even hour classes will test on Monday and odd hour classes will test on Tuesday. There will be no early testing for these assessments. Please ensure that the kiddos are in class those days and prepared to knock those tests out of the park!

Thursday, January 25th 2024, 8th graders from Mustang Middle School are participating in the 2023-2024 Reality Check sponsored by Canadian Valley Technology Center. Students will be transported on buses to CVTC in El Reno. Students will leave MMS by 9:00 AM and return around 12:15 PM. Eighth graders will eat lunch upon their return to school.

The Reality Check is an event for 8th graders and is a part of their ICAP (Individual Career Academic Plan). Through this program, students will be assigned a career, family dynamics, income, debt, etc. and be required to budget and spend their money wisely.

Students will be divided into two groups. While one group participates in the program, the other will tour the technology center and learn about the programs that are offered there.

What is Title I?

Ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.

Title I Parent Involvement Policy

The Mustang School District’s Title I program encourages each Title I parent to be involved in their child’s education. This policy outlines the parent involvement activities that will be conducted during the school year.

*During the 23-24 school year teachers and/or staff will provide:

• Open House on 8/21/23

• Parent-Teacher Conferences - Fall (9/22/23 & 9/26/23) and Spring (2/22/23 & 2/27/23)

• Bronco Family Night - 11/6/23

• Suggestions and strategies for working with your child.

• Information will be sent home periodically to inform parents how to help students succeed at school.

• Parent resources are also available on district and teacher websites/Canvas.

What is a Title I FAMILY-SCHOOL COMPACT?

A Family-School Compact is a voluntary agreement co-developed by parents, students, and teachers. It identifies how parents and the classroom teachers will work together to ensure all students receive the individual support they need.

Effective Compacts:

• Begin with standards

• Focus on student learning

• Respond to school data

*The students, parents, and staff of Mustang Public Schools Title I developed this Family-School Compact for Achievement. Parents created the suggestions for home activities to support learning.

As a STAFF MEMBER, I will provide your child with every opportunity to learn and grow by:

• Providing a high-quality curriculum and research-based instructional practice to equip students to be successful both academically and for life.

• Creating a learning environment where students feel safe, respected, and nurtured in order for healthy student-to-student relationships and healthy teacher-to-student relationships to exist.

• Providing two-way communication with parent/guardian and child.

• Communicating with parents/guardians regularly on ways to help their child learn.

• Expecting and challenging all students to learn at a rigorous, high level of thinking and make connections with learning to real-world applications.

• Seeking resources and assistance to ensure high levels of learning for all students.

As a STUDENT, I will keep my focus on what is important in meeting my goal of learning by:

• Helping create a safe environment by following school rules.

• Coming to school prepared with supplies, books, and completed homework.

• Arriving at school on time and ready to learn every day.

• Having and showing respect for school staff members, other students, and myself.

As a PARENT, I will support Mustang Middle School's programs and activities that will give my child the optimum opportunity for learning by:

• Communicating regularly with my child’s teachers.

• Making sure my child attends school on time and ready to learn.

• Balancing my child’s TV and video game playing time with learning opportunities such as reading 20 to 30 minutes daily or going to the library.

• Informing teachers if my child is having difficulty with homework or is having difficulty in school.

• Providing necessary supplies to help my child to be prepared for school and to be able to complete assignments.

• Creating a home environment that is safe for my child.

Classes are 8:40 a.m. - 3:35 p.m.

The building is open 8:10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. each day

Please do not drop off your student(s) prior to 8:10am. Students will not be allowed to enter prior to that time regardless of weather conditions, and there is no supervision.

If you are coming to MMS, please come through the Front (West) Doors and check-in at the office.

Mustang Public Schools will be closed December 20th through January 5th. Classes will resume January 5th. Have a wonderful holiday!

Our Lost and Found is filling up! Please encourage your student to check for missing items.

We recognize that this can be a difficult time of year for some students and their families. If you are needing anything from the counseling office to help assist you, please contact:

8th Grade: Mrs. Larson - larsona@mustangps.org

7th Grade: Ms. McGavock - mcgavockk@mustangps.org

Support Groups will be starting in the second semester. We offer 3 different types, Calm Waters, Journey of Hope, and Chance to Succeed.

Contact the Counseling office at 405-376-7985 for details if you are interested.

Please follow the Mustang Middle School Instagram page! The Instagram page is @mustangmiddleschool

Go to ybpay.com to order your Mustang Middle School 2023-2024 yearbook.

Use yearbook ID Code: 15094124

$35 from October 11, 2023 to March 14, 2024

$45 from March 15, 2024 until sold out

Parents, if you are having trouble accessing PowerSchool, please see us in the office during parent/teacher conferences or contact the front office during the school day.

Please review the district-wide expectations regarding student conduct on buses. In order to provide safe transportation to and from school, it is very important that all students adhere to the following expectations.

STUDENT CONDUCT ON BUSES

Riding a school bus is a privilege and students must maintain safe and respectful conduct to ensure safe travel to and from school. Student safety is our main priority and rules that are enforced at school also apply on the bus. Our bus drivers have the same authority over pupils while riding buses as the teachers have while in school.

The following rules and regulations shall govern the conduct of school bus passengers:

• Students must be respectful of the driver and other passengers at all times;

• All students must stay in their seats from the time they load the bus to the time they exit the bus;

• Students must keep their hands and feet to themselves;

• Students must avoid tampering with the windows or the emergency door of the bus unless instructed by the driver to do so.

Disruptive behaviors, which potentially jeopardize the safety of all passengers, will not be tolerated. The following are some examples of disruptive behaviors which may bypass the warning and result in the loss of bus-riding privileges:

• Fighting, shouting, profanity, horseplay, using tobacco or electronic cigarettes, extending any part of the body through an open window, throwing objects, refusing to obey the bus driver, *vandalism.

*Students who deface or vandalize a school bus in any way may have bus riding privileges suspended and will not be permitted to resume bus privileges until all damages are paid.

The following items will not be permitted on the bus:

• Balloons

• Glass containers

• Trash from snacks and drinks

WRITTEN CONDUCT REPORT

A written report about a student’s unsatisfactory conduct will be issued by the bus driver and delivered to the school principal for disciplinary action. The action taken by the principal may include short-term or permanent suspension from bus riding privileges and/or suspension from school- depending on the severity of the behavior.

W.I.N. Time is now a regular part of our weekly schedule at MMS. W.I.N. stands for "What I Need."

The goal of W.I.N. Time is to provide students 30 minutes a day twice a week (Tuesday/Thursday) for intervention or extension in areas of need. Students are assigned to a teacher or class for extra help, reteaching, or enrichment activities. The schedule on WIN days is listed below.

Please See the picture below for the traffic flow of student drop-off and pick-up. Please note that students should never cross the parking lot and should always use the crosswalks on the East and West sides of the lot when making their way North of the school.

Please do not park in the north parking lot when picking up students. This requires students to cross through the pickup line and through several lanes of traffic. We are also getting reports of parents turning left from the right lane or right from the left lane from the pickup lanes onto Dowden. Please follow the arrows on the pavement for the safety of everyone.

Thank you to Mr. Peter Bostwick! We are very fortunate to have him at MMS to assist with student safety in the parking lot and on the west crosswalk in the mornings and afternoons.

Just a friendly reminder to encourage your kiddos to have their chromebooks charged and with them every day. These chromebooks are an essential tool to facilitate learning each and every day!

Using Canvas From Home:

To access Canvas from home, students will need to go to: https://mustangps.instructure.com/login/canvas

When they log on, they will need to select log in with google.

More helpful canvas information is located on our canvas for students and parents link:

https://www.mustangps.org/canvasforstudentsandparents8957.aspx