MMS News & Notes

MMS Parents and Guardians,

Greetings! I wanted to thank each of you for a terrific start to the 2024/2025 school year. The MMS faculty and staff have been overly impressed with the positive attitudes and high level of enthusiasm the students have brought back to MMS from their summer break. 6th grade students, and our new students to our building, have been doing an excellent job navigating their way around the school and following our building's processes and procedures. Additionally, our students returning to the building have begun to model expected behaviors in order to create a school environment where all students feel connected to trusted adults and peers. Please encourage your child to continue to bring a positive attitude each day, give their very best effort and do the small things to make MMS a place where all students feel safe and supported.

I wanted to remind you of a few upcoming dates which are quickly approaching:

August 30 through September 2 - School Closed for Labor Day Recess

Due to limited parking, we will have a staggered start for the evening.

• 6th grade registration will begin at 5:30 PM and the program will run from 5:40-7:10 PM.
  
• 7th and 8th grade registration will begin at 7:30 PM and the program will run from 7:40-9:13 PM.
  
• I would ask that 7th and 8th grade parents do not arrive any earlier than 7:20 PM in order for 6th grade parents to clear the parking lot for 7th and 8th grade registration.
  

We would love to see all of you at this year's Back-to-School Night as it will provide you with an opportunity to follow your child’s schedule and meet his/her teachers. This is a great way for you to take a walk in your child’s shoes for an evening and show your commitment to their education.

Again, thanks for all of your support in bringing in a new school year. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your grade level Assistant Principal or School Counselor with any questions or concerns. Have a great evening and enjoy your Labor Day weekend.

Joel Yohn

MMS Principal

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. Thank you in advance for completing this by Friday, September 20, 2024. http://sapphire.mbgsd.org

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.

• August 30 through September 2 - Labor Day Recess (School is Closed)
  
• September 4 - Back to School Night (More information will be shared)

Student Activity Fundraising Drive:

The 24-25 MMS Student Activity Fundraising Drive is underway! Please see the attached flyer for more information or click here to submit your donation to help offset the cost of school-wide events.

Save the Date:

Join us Wednesday, September 11th, 2024 at 4:30pm in the MMS Library for our first PTO meeting of the school year. Come hear updates from Mr. Yohn and receive PTO information for the new school year. All are welcome and hope to see you there!

Follow us on Facebook:

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

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.

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.

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