MMS News & Notes

MMS Parents and Guardians,

Happy Holidays! As we approach the holiday season and our upcoming break, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude for your support and involvement throughout the first part of the school year. It’s been a wonderful semester, filled with growth, learning, and many memorable moments.

During this season of giving, we encourage students to share moments of kindness, reflect on what they are thankful for, and embrace the spirit of the holidays. This season offers our kids an opportunity to consider small acts of kindness during this season. Whether it’s donating to a local food bank, volunteering, or simply sharing time with loved ones, your efforts can inspire your child to grow into a responsible citizen.

School will be closed for the holiday break from December 23, 2024-January 3, 2025. We hope this time allows you and your family to rest, recharge, and enjoy quality time together. Thank you for all that you do to support your child's education. We wish you a holiday season filled with joy, peace, and love. Here’s to a wonderful start to the new year in 2025!

Warm Regards,

Joel Yohn

MMS Principal

Parents/Guardians,

On December 4, 2024 you were sent the Wildcat e-Connect Newsletter via Sapphire. In this newsletter you were encouraged to take a moment to watch the brief introductory video from Dr. Bitz regarding our 2025 Comprehensive Planning process. Dr. Bitz then welcomed you - our family stakeholders - to engage in this process through the completion of the survey. Your feedback and support are integral to our success. Feedback can be completed till the end of winter break.

As the temperatures are stating to get colder, I'd like to take a moment to remind you of our plans to handle inclement weather.

Mechanicsburg Area School District will use a traditional snow day on our first inclement weather day which would be made up on April 17, 2025. For additional weather events, we will follow a Remote Learning Day schedule beginning on the second inclement weather day this school year. Our approach will look similar to last year. If we have additional weather events, we will follow a Remote Learning Day Schedule on any day in which school would be closed due to inclement weather.

Explanation of Schedule:

• Should the need for this schedule to be put in place, students will continue to follow their schedule from their homes. All students will need to log-on to their computer, follow the scheduled class times, and meet with their teachers synchronously throughout the day.
• Zoom links will be posted in the teachers’ Google Classroom prior to the start of the day (10:30 a.m.).
• Students should eat during their regularly scheduled 30 min. lunch period
• Band/Chorus/Orchestra students scheduled for rehearsals on these days will meet from 3:00-3:30 p.m. remotely.
• These days DO count as cycle days.
• Attention: NO students will be reporting to the building when the “M.M.S. Remote Learning Day Schedule” goes into effect.

Students who need technology assistance with their Chromebooks on Remote Learning Days should email Mr. Sebastian Diegel, MMS Technology Support Specialist, at sdiegel@mbgsd.org . If students are unable to contact Mr. Diegel via their school Chromebook, you can then leave a voicemail at his external phone line, 717-691-2479.

Thank you in advance for your support in helping our students remain engaged during Remote Learning Days.

Calendar of Snow Days

Snow Day #1 - Will be made up on April 17, 2025

Snow Day #2 - Remote Learning Day

Snow Day #3 - Remote Learning Day

Snow Day #4 - Remote Learning Day

MMS Musical January 24 & 25, 2025

Tickets for the MMS Musical, The Addams Family, Young @ Part, are on sale beginning Monday, December 9th. Click here for more information and the link to our online ticket vendor

https://cur8.com/16726/project/127953

At the beginning of the year it is required that one parent log on to the Sapphire portal and update your child's beginning of year information. There is no hard copy to complete it must be done electronically. This will ensure we have the most up to date information for your child. Email address and phone numbers can be updated through Sapphire at any time throughout the year. All forms were due on September 20th. We are still waiting for one-third of our parents to complete the form.

Please go in today to complete this brief form. (http://sapphire.mbgsd.org). Thank you!

• December 23 - January 2 - School Closed Winter Recess
• January 3 - Contracted In-service Day (School Closed)
• January 6 - School In Session
• January 6 - 9 - Gr 6 Biztown Fieldtrips
• January 20 - Martin Luther King Recess (School Closed)
• January 21 - Act 80 Day (No School for Students)
• January 22 - MASH ONLY Act 80 Day (Elem/MMS students will have school that day)

6th Grade Parent Volunteers Needed

Our class is excited to be a part of the JA BizTown program this year. This program covers important aspects of our community, the economy, work readiness, financial literacy, and business management. Each 6th-grade student will visit JA BizTown on one of the days between January 6th and 9th. During this visit, students will experience a real-world setting where they will take on various roles, earn a paycheck, work in business teams, handle loans, go shopping, and manage a personal bank account. This program encourages students to think critically and learn about fundamental economic concepts, deepening their understanding of free enterprise.

The JA BizTown experience is a memorable one for students, and we hope your child enjoys it. To ensure the success of the simulation visit, we are seeking volunteer facilitators to accompany us to JA BizTown.

We are looking forward to this educational opportunity and hope that you will consider volunteering as a facilitator on the day of your child's trip. If you are interested in volunteering and have not yet completed the form, please click the provided link. We will provide more information once the students' roles are assigned. If you have any questions, feel free to email Mrs. Meyer at mmeyer@masdstudent.org. Thank you for your support!

https://sites.google.com/masdstudent.org/biztown-volunteer-information/home

Attention all skiers and snowboarders! Winter will be here before you know it, and MMS ski club is gearing up for another great season. Ski club is open to skiers and snowboarders of all ability levels in 6th through 12th grades. Never skied or snowboarded before? No problem! Options for beginners are available, including lift tickets, lessons, and rentals. Students with Epic Passes are welcome to join as well. Please check out this link or see Mr. Shotts for more information on how you can join.

Yearbooks are on sale now through March 28, 2025. Pre-order your 2024-2025 yearbook online at ybpay.com OR yppay.lifetouch.com and enter school code #1212225 to reserve a code. Be sure to pre-order a copy for your student now to guarantee that they receive one at the end of the school year. Limited copies of the yearbook may be available for purchase at the time of delivery but are not guaranteed.

PTO Pulse:

Don't miss out on the December PTO Pulse! It's packed with festive updates, exciting highlights, and everything you need to end the year on a high note.

Follow us on Facebook:

Mechanicsburg Middle School PTO @ facebook.com/MbgsdMMSPTO for updates, information, and volunteer opportunities at MMS.

In December, we talked about the importance of sleep during morning announcements. Getting a good night’s sleep helps improve memory, sharpens focus, gives you more energy and a better mood. It can also help with weight control and improved sports performance. Middle school students need at least 9 hours of sleep every night. But only 4 out of 10 middle school students get enough sleep on school nights. What can you do to help yourself get more sleep?

• Turn off electronics at least one hour before bed. The light from the screen tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime and keeps you awake.
• Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends
• Avoid drinks with caffeine in the evening
• Get some exercise during the day, which can help you fall asleep more easily at night.

We have our holiday break coming up, and it is important to try to keep the same routines of eating well and getting enough sleep. This will help you stay healthy and enjoy your time over your break.

Medications in school: If your student needs to take any prescription medication during the school day, we will need a written physician order and the medication in the original bottle with the pharmacy label attached. If your student has emergency medication for seizures, asthma or allergies, the required forms can be found here, along with the medication policy: https://www.mbgsd.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=838633&type=d&pREC_ID=1820507

Physical/Dental exams: 6th grade is required to have a physical and 7th grade is required to have a dental exam and immunizations for TDAP and Meningitis. Exams completed in the past year can be accepted. Here is the link for all of the district health forms. It can also be found on the district home page, under District Services – Health Services – Health Forms.

https://www.mbgsd.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=838633&type=d&pREC_ID=1820507

If you have any questions or concerns about your student’s health, please contact the health room at (717) 691-2454, or email Mrs. Kessler skessler@mbgsd.org, or Mrs. Kresge jkresge@mbgsd.org . Thank you for helping us to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Mechanicsburg Area School District is privileged to offer a weekend food distribution program free of charge for those who may need or want it. Weekly non-perishable and easy to prepare foods are made available to middle school students and their families who pre-register with The MMS Marketplace and students are reminded that they should not open their food packs until arriving home. Students or their parent/guardian may register for a weekend Food Pack by scanning this QR Code, emailing Mrs. Coffman at mcoffman@mbgsd.org, or by contacting the school counselor to be included in the program.

MMS conducts evacuation drills, relocation drills, and assorted other safety drills monthly. Also, once per semester, we conduct lockdown drills. All drills are conducted in accordance with MASD safety protocols. Additionally, the Upper Allen Police Department often attend to monitor and provide feedback.

Here are some important points to remember:

• It is important to avoid blindly sharing rumors and posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if the threats are not credible, they can still cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff. We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about appropriate online behaviors.

• We all play a vital role in school safety. We ask that our families, staff, and students continue to remain vigilant and report any concerning behavior or messaging. The best method to report an issue is to notify your child’s teacher or administrator. If the concern occurs after hours and is of an emergent nature or you wish to remain anonymous, then you can report a concern through the Safe2Say program (through the Safe2Say app, www.safe2saypa.org or by calling 1-844-723-2729).

• STOP the PROP - You may begin to see the red STOP THE PROP stickers strategically placed on doors throughout the district as we raise awareness to the importance of ensuring exterior doors are always closed and locked from the outside.
  

• Remain confident that we will reach out to you should there ever be a cause for concern. Be sure to keep your information updated within the Sapphire Parent Portal to ensure you get school and district messages.

In an effort to ensure that we are providing our students with a safe and orderly parent/guardian drop-off and pick-up area at MMS, we would like to send out the following changes regarding our process as the school year begins.

Traffic:

• To drop off or pick up students, enter MMS Campus at the light near Upper Allen Elementary School. The entrance off Market Street near Lindenwood is closed to vehicles and will be used solely for the school buses.
• Drivers of vehicles picking up or dropping off students are to use the Counseling entrance driveway and students will enter the building at this entrance.
• This area will be coned off into two lanes in order to allow vehicles to serpentine to the drop off point. (Figure A)
• Drivers of vehicles picking up or dropping off students must pull up as far as possible in the driveway towards Upper Allen Elementary School before stopping to ensure that our traffic does not interfere with bus patterns and Market Street traffic.
• Drivers of vehicles picking up or dropping off students should use extreme care and caution when attempting to pass another vehicle in our driveway and when crossing over the designated pedestrian crosswalk.
• Students are to exit vehicles to the right side of the vehicle onto the sidewalk and walk directly to the Counseling Office entrance.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram:

Instagram(New): @mmsprincipals

Facebook: Mechanicsburg Middle School PTO

Mechanicsburg Middle School

1750 S. Market Street

Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

Phone: (717)691-4560

Fax: (717-791-7977