UMMS News & Updates

Middle School Student Hours: 7:35 AM - 2:25 PM

Email Attendance & Dismissal Changes to msattendance@umtsd.org

Nurse Emails to msnurse@umtsd.org

February 12: African American Read-In & Community Event @ 6:00 PM, UMMS

February 14: No School (Staff Development)

February 17: District Closed (Presidents Day)

February 21: Jazz Fest

As we make our way into 2025 and continue with trimester 2, I want to express my amazement with our students’ hard work and continued efforts to showcase their Bear Pride, our building’s theme: Belonging, Empathy, Achievement and Resilience. It is an honor and my pleasure to continue to build on our successful school year here at Upper Moreland Middle School! I am reminded each day of how proud I am to serve as the Principal and I am excited to continue to work alongside our dedicated staff to support UMMS students.

January is a refreshed opportunity for our students to take time to celebrate their learning and growth from the first part of the school year. To all of our students who met their trimester 1 goals and challenged themselves, I applaud your hard work and commitment to honing your skills. With the interim point of trimester 2 approaching in three weeks (January 22, 2025), now is a chance for students to re-establish their routines and learning habits. I would encourage all of our students to frequently monitor student work on the Home Access Center, access their school counselors for academic planning and social-emotional skill-building, and continue to focus your efforts on being the best version of yourself! We look forward to celebrating our students as they demonstrate their Bear Pride.

We are excited to share everything that makes UMMS and our Bear Pride special with you. Our dedicated staff and teachers are equipped to help make the 2025 portion of our school year a success. Do not hesitate to contact your grade level administrator or student services provider as listed below.

Grade Level Administrators

• Shannon Franczkowski, Principal, Grade 7 Administrator, sfranczkowski@umtsd.org
• Kevin Burke, Assistant Principal, Grade 6 Administrator, kburke@umtsd.org
• Daneyelle Jordan, Assistant Principal, Grade 8 Administrator, djordan@umtsd.org

School Counselors

• Brian Haupt, School Counselor, Last Names A-K (all grade levels), bhaupt@umtsd.org
• Jennifer Haney, School Counselor, Last Names L-Z (all grade levels), jhaney@umtsd.org
• Katie Beck, School Counselor, Emotional Support Program, kathleenbeck@umtsd.org

• Mary Nally, School Nurse, mnally@utmsd.org

UMMS is fortunate to have an outstanding Home & School Association who is committed to student engagement. Please take a moment to see some upcoming events below sponsored by the HSA. In addition, I want to draw your attention to upcoming 8th grade events to celebrate the culmination of their middle school experience. Stay tuned for more details and information in the e-communicator on Mondays.

Upcoming HSA sponsored events & Grade 8 celebrations:

• 8th Grade Volleyball Fun-Raiser, February 7th sponsored by the HSA
• 8th Grade Hershey Park Trip, May 27th for Grade 8 students
• 8th Grade Farewell Dance, May 30th from 7pm to 10pm
• 8th Grade Pool Party, June 6th* (tentative date based on the last student day) sponsored by the HSA
• 8th Grade Promotion, June 11th* at 9AM (tentative date which will occur on the last student day) *Please note the grade 8 promotion is limited to two tickets per student

Please stay connected throughout the school year and be sure to read our weekly UMMS Bear Print via the e-communicator on Mondays. If you have not signed up for the email, please do so here: https://www.umtsd.org/page/weekly-newsletters Also, I want to invite you to visit the UMMS nursing web page for forms and time sensitive physicals here: https://www.umtsd.org/o/umms/page/nurses-corner

I look forward to continuing our partnership as we move into the 2025 portion of our school year. GO BEARS!

Kind Regards,

Shannon M. Franczkowski, Principal

sfranczkowski@umtsd.org

Upper Moreland Middle School has a lot to be proud of as the first Trimester was a huge success! We closed out the trimester with our 2nd annual Turkey Trot. Our building continues to shine and demonstrate BEAR Pride as seen by the 35 Turkey baskets put together by students and staff. UMMS came together to celebrate the contributions, and students who demonstrated academic success and positive decision making earned the opportunity for grade level gym time. Thank you to all of those who donated, volunteered, performed an act of kindness, and supported the middle school's mission to give back to the UM community!

As we move into the beginning of the second Trimester, we are encouraging parents/guardians to please speak with your student about their personal strengths from trimester one as well as goals for trimester two. Students might wish to explore student resources on our webpage, identify their study habits, organization strategies, and ways they engage in their own learning. Additionally, we are encouraging all students to continue to monitor their grades and progress on the Home Access Center (HAC) throughout the trimester. Any parent/guardian or student experiencing challenges with login can email the help desk at helpdesk@umtsd.org Thank you for your continued partnership to support our students!

Do not hesitate to contact your grade level administrator or student services provider as listed below.

• Grade Level Administrators
• Shannon Franczkowski, Principal, Grade 7 Administrator, sfranczkowski@umtsd.org
• Kevin Burke, Assistant Principal, Grade 6 Administrator, kburke@umtsd.org
• Daneyelle Jordan, Assistant Principal, Grade 8 Administrator, djordan@umtsd.org
• School Counselors
• Brian Haupt, School Counselor, Last Names A-K (all grade levels), bhaupt@umtsd.org
• Jennifer Haney, School Counselor, Last Names L-Z (all grade levels), jhaney@umtsd.org
• Katie Beck, School Counselor, Emotional Support Program, kbeck@umtsd.org
• School Nurse
• Mary Nally, School Nurse, mnally@utmsd.org

Requested Donation Items:

• Cheese & Peanut Butter Crackers
• Microwavable Macaroni & Cheese
• Microwavable Ramen Noodles
• Individual Chip Bags
• Individual Cereal Containers
• Individual Juice, Water Bottles, Gatorade
• Pop-Tarts / Granola Bars
• Individually Wrapped Snack Items
• Canned Goods (Beans, Tuna, Chicken, Vegetables, Fruit)
• Pasta
• Rice
• Pasta Sauce
• Peanut Butter
• Soups
• Oatmeal
• Cereal
• Toiletries
• Can Openers

Help the UMMS HSA raise money for Spring Student Activities by purchasing candy through Perfect Candy Company Fundraising. Complete this Google Form https://forms.gle/FhSZTTVoqYFdnCmM6 to order. There is a PDF attached to the form that shows the products available. The fundraiser will run 2/10 through 2/28. Payment will be accepted via check made out to UMMS HSA or Venmo (please include student name and homeroom). Candy will be delivered to students mid-March. Thanks for helping us!!

Where? UMMS Library

When? Wednesday, March 26 from 6:30 - 8:00ish

What? Read the book. Then come with the whole family to enjoy powerful group discussions, fun activities, delicious food & exciting trivia!

Come to our next #ProjectLIT Book Club meeting of the year! We will read Thirst by Varsha Bajaj. All you have to do is read the book. We will engage in powerful group discussions & fun activities.

Please sign-up below if you plan on attending our March 18th, 2025 #ProjectLIT meeting. In addition, if you are able to bring a food, drink, or paper product to share with the group, please add that to your RSVP. Thank you!

If your middle schooler is interested in being a part of the student committee for this meeting, please email me (slevy@umtsd.org)

UMMS is happy to partner with Jefferson Health and Safe Harbor to provide students with the opportunity to attend a 8-week grief group for students who had someone important in their lives die. There is no cost involved and the group takes place during the school day. Read here for information regarding Safe Harbor. If you are interested in having your student participate, please fill out this attached permission slip. Paper copies can be provided upon request.

Any questions can be directed to Mrs. Haney or Mr. Haupt in the school counseling office.

The National African American Read-In (AARI) is an event to encourage communities to read together, centering African American books and authors. It was established in 1990 by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English. (from NCTE)

Join us for our third annual AARI&C event at UMMS! All families and ages in the community are welcome! Wednesday, February 12, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM, Upper Moreland Middle School.

Featuring:

• Local author Jonathan Marshall
• A performance by the middle school dance team, including a solo by London Warrick
• Local businesses including Nutz about Popcorn & The Sweet Spot
• Upper Moreland Free Public Library
• Literacy crafts & activities
• A book raffle
• Bookmarks made by the UMMS Crochet Club

Schedule:

• 6:00: Event begins! Come early to enjoy all the activities offered!
• 6:25: Lynette Smith from Nutz about Popcorn presentation on entrepreneurship
• 6:40: Local author Jonathan Marshall presentation
• 7:10: Dance team performance
• 7:25: Raffles pulled!
• 7:30: Event ends

Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 13th at 7:00 PM and join us at the Simmons Elementary School in Hatboro-Horsham School District for a special College Prep Night event.

This informative evening is jointly sponsored by State Rep. Nancy Guenst, State Rep. Melissa Cerrato, and PA Senator Maria Collett.

The event will feature a Q&A-style presentation with representatives from PHEAA and the Department of Treasury answering questions about:

• PA 529 Plans
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships
• FAFSA Applications & Deadlines
• Finding the Right Fit for Your Child

This is an excellent opportunity for families to gain valuable insights into planning for their child’s higher education. Don’t miss it!

With our clubs and sports in full swing, we have made some changes to better suit our students and drivers for our late buses. Please note that late buses have the same expectations for students are their typical buses do and to please make sure your students are aware of this.

• All students entering 6th-grade must have a physical examination
• Submitted by December 15, 2024
• All students entering 7th-grade must have a MCV & TDAP vaccine
• Submitted by September 3, 2024.

Be sure to check our website for the full calendar of athletics & activities events.

NOTE: Only 7th & 8th Grade Students Can Participate in Sports.

UMMS Bears, Empathy, Achieve, Resiliency

Scan QR codes on the Conference Resource below to assist and support our students and families.

BELONG:

• Clubs & Activities: A list of after school options for all students.
• Athletics: PIAA available to 7th & 8th grade students
• UMMS eCommunicator: Weekly emails containing important information

ACHIEVE:

• ELO: After school academic support on Wednesday with late bus transportation home, contact a counselor to sign up
• HAC: Access student's grades through Home Access Center

EMPATHY:

• Food & Holiday Help: We have resources to help families experiencing financial need or food insecurities. Email a counselor or Principal.

RESILIENCY:

• Aldersgate: Ongoing group and individual student support around various pre-teen related topics, speak to your counselor for more information or scheduling.

Students should not be calling or texting parents/guardians to pick them up when not feeling well during the school day. All students are required to see our school nurse, Ms. Nally who will determine if there is a need to send the student home. Then the nurse will contact parents/guardians to pick up the student.

Students are expected to have their ID cards out and ready to scan at the cashier for breakfast, lunch and snack purchases. If students are in need of a replacement student ID card they can get a new one by stopping by to see tech aides in room CAO3. New cards cost $5.00 and can be paid through the obligations online portal.

• BREAKFAST and LUNCH MENUS
• Breakfast is FREE for ALL Students during the 2024-2025 school year.
• Lunches are at cost. Visit our website for meals and snacks price list.
• Free / Reduced Meals information and application is available on our website.

This year, lockers are done by request. If your student feels the need to use a locker, this can be done by contacting their corresponding guidance counselor and setting up a meeting.

Brian Haupt: bhaupt@umtsd.org ( A-K )

Jennifer Haney: jhaney@umtsd.org ( L-Z )

We're excited to announce that we have transitioned to a new platform for processing applications and renewals.

If you have already been approved and are in our system, no action is required. The change only applies to new applicants and those renewing their applications.

For assistance with the online volunteer registration, please refer to the Volunteer Guide for an overview, or contact Human Resources Specialist, Matthew Mastrogiovanni, at mmastrogiovanni@umtsd.org for support.

• Attendance: Please email MSattendance@umtsd.org for student absences, late arrival, or if you need to sign your student out early for the day.
• School Nurse: Visit our website to learn about health and dental requirements & to access the medication permission form.
  

Please review the important arrival procedures to ensure a safe and orderly drop-off.

We wanted to send a reminder of our Middle School Campus traffic flow to ensure we can all commute safely onto and through our campus. Failure to follow this traffic flow plan can create hazardous conditions for everyone.

GREEN Lane depicted in the lot below is the car rider drop off loop for students. Please pull all the way into the lot to the back, turn left, and proceed to the top of the lot to drop your student off at the top of the sidewalk.

The RED lane depicted on Orangemans Rd below is not a safe dropoff location for students. Dropping off on Orangemans creates a hazardous condition for our crosswalk. Please do not drop off on the main road in front of the school.

Thank you for your cooperation and your support in keeping our school community safe.

Drop Off Procedures

• Car Riders: Drivers should enter the parking lot directly off of Orangemans Road and follow the one way traffic pattern. Cars will pull up to the end of the parking lot while following the orange cones. Students should exit the vehicle at the sidewalk and enter the building from the main entrance. On the map below, student drop off will occur where the green line follows. Please follow the directions of the staff and signage. Thank you!
• For everyone's safety, drivers should not make "U" or "K" turns on Orangemans Road to drop off a student. Car riders should exit the vehicle in the designated drop off locations.
• Bike Riders: Students who ride a bike will report to the rear of the bus port to park their bikes. Students will then enter the building through the bus port.
• Bus Riders: Students who take a bus will enter the building from the bus port.
• Walkers: Students will enter the building through the main entrance.

Start Times & Late Arrival Procedures

UMMS doors open at 7:35 AM on typical school days and 9:35 AM on two-hour delayed schedules. All students are expected to be in their assigned homeroom by 7:50 AM and 9:50 AM on two-hour delayed schedules. Students who arrive at homeroom after 7:50 AM will report to the main office and be marked late.

Breakfast

Students who choose to eat breakfast will do so in the cafeteria between 7:35 AM and 7:50 AM. Students are expected to report to homeroom directly following breakfast.

If you would no longer like to receive weekly email updates from Upper Moreland School District and wish to opt out from further communications, please email mmarass@umtsd.org.