September 20, 2024

Dear MMS Families,

We have had a wonderful opening to the 2024-2025 school year! Classes are in full swing, students are finding their rhythm, and our newest students have become experts at getting into their lockers. Over the last two weeks our teams have emphasized community and relationship-building through classroom and team activities and our Advisory lessons. We want all students to "know their people" and feel a part of our school community, so this will continue to be our focus throughout the opening of school and this year.

You will read in this edition an update from our School Counseling office and the lesson series they will teach on each team about student support. As always, reach out to the main office or to your child's School Counselor if you are ever in need of assistance. We are also excited to announce that most of our extracurricular clubs will be starting for the year in October. You can read more about our current options later in this newsletter.

Finally, we want to thank all of you who were able to attend our MMS Open House. We estimate that we had well over 1,000 attendees that evening. Thank you, as always, for your support of our school!

Sincerely,

Kelly Grantham, Principal

Amy Troiano, Assistant Principal

September 25 - Early Release Day (12:00 dismissal)

September 26 - School Picture Day

October 2 - MEA Through Year Reading Test Date

October 2 - Custodian Appreciation Day

October 8 - MEA Through Year Math Test Date

October 14 - NO SCHOOL (Indigenous Peoples' Day)

October 16 - NWEA Science Test Date

Student pictures will be taken next Thursday, September 26th, starting at 7:45 a.m.

Homeroom teachers sent information home this week on how to order prints. You may place your order on the form provided, or you can also order online.

To order online, login to: mylifetouch.com or scan the box on the form.

Be sure to use the Picture Day ID number EVTNXM3T8 when ordering.

Please email or call if you have any questions at lisasawyer@rsu57.org or 207-247-6121, ext. 4002.

We are excited to be in classrooms and seeing all of our students during Meet the Counselor lessons. We taught and practiced coping strategies that can be used in and out of school and ensured all students know how to access us if needed. Our next lesson series will focus on reviewing resources available to students if they have a concern about themselves, a friend, a classmate, or our school regarding safety. We will review the types of things to look for that may warrant a student to seek additional help. As part of the MMS community, we should all look out for one another and do what we can to get someone help if they need it or if we are concern. We want all students to know their trusted adults and additional resources, including access to Say Something anonymous reporting, which is linked and publicly available. As always, please reach out at any time if you or your student have a concern. We are all here to help!

Sincerely,

Kathryn Bernier, Grade 6 School Counselor (kathrynbernier@rsu57.org)

Julie Pagano, Grade 7 School Counselor (juliepagano@rsu57.org)

Jessica Tremblay, Grade 8 School Counselor (jessicatremblay@rsu57.org)

Our fall athletics have had record high participation and we want to see the same participation in our extracurricular clubs! We are happy to announce that our clubs will begin in October. Students will begin to hear announcements about permission slips next week, and they can pick them up for the various clubs in their team areas, Main Office, or School Counseling office. Clubs are open to everyone and we encourage students to try out a variety of clubs that are of interest. Read the link for club descriptions and more information!

Student arrival at MMS is 7:10- 7:30 a.m. All students must arrive before 7:30 to be considered on time. Students who ride the bus will enter at the bus entrance. Students that are dropped off will enter through the Main Entrance. Drop off students that arrive prior to 7:10 am will wait in the library until the 7:10 bell, when they will be allowed to go to their homeroom and get breakfast.

Our first academic class of the day begins at 7:35 am. We appreciate your assistance in making sure that all students are present and ready to begin their day prior to 7:30 am.

Some tips & tricks for regular school attendance:

• If you have a planned absence, please fill out the online Planned Absence form at least 3 days in advance. You can find the form linked on school websites.
• Set a regular bed time and morning routine.
• Lay out clothes, pack lunches, and backpacks the night before.
• Don’t let your child stay home unless they are truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.
• If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselor, or school administration for advice on how to make them feel comfortable and excited about learning!
• Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
• Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.

If your child is out ill, try to limit screen time to avoid this as the expected norm. Maintaining these rules can help prevent a free-for-all scenario, which could complicate matters once the child recovers and needs to readjust to their regular schedule.

Any questions or if you need support, please reach out to Megan Wakefield, Attendance Coordinator, at meganwakefield@rsu57.org.

Students participating in after school clubs or athletics may access the MMS/MHS late bus.

In an effort to continue to provide this service, routes and stops were consolidated for the '24-25 school year. Please review the attached schedule, located on the RSU 57 Transportation website and linked below, for bus and stop locations.

Click here to access the RSU 57 Athletics and Activities page to find out about events happening within the district, get out there and show your Mustang Pride!

Please note that middle school students are encouraged to attend high school sporting events, but must be accompanied by a supervising adult.

Do you have the ParentVUE app? Please be sure to download the Parent VUE app or access the site online to view your student's gradebook, assignments, schedule and more. Student gradebooks are updated frequently and we ask that you regularly check your student's account. Please contact our main office for assistance if you have trouble activating or accessing your account.

Be sure to read the MMS Family Handbook

Website: https://middleschool.rsu57.org/
Location: Massabesic Middle School, Old Alfred Road, East Waterboro, ME, USA
Phone: (207) 247-6121