Pony Express

We hope everyone had a wonderful time at Round Up, enjoying all the food, fun, dancing, and exciting raffles! The event wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of our sponsors and the hard work of our volunteers. A heartfelt thank you to all who contributed—we truly appreciate your time and generosity. Be sure to check out our PTA section for a full list of those we want to recognize!

We’d also like to extend a huge congratulations to our teams for their amazing performances. We celebrated victories in both Cross Country, Football and Volleyball, and our talented Band, Choir, Cheer, and Dance teams gave us multiple fantastic performances. It was so inspiring to see so many Mustangs actively participating in enriching school activities. Whether on the field, in the stands, or joining in the fun at Round Up, the spirit and energy of our students were truly a joy to witness.

As we move into this short week, with school in session only Monday through Wednesday, we’ll be following the CAB schedule. Please note that progress reports will be finalized on Monday. For our 7th and 8th graders participating in UIL events, this will serve as an important eligibility check. We encourage students and families to use this as a moment to reflect on academic progress and celebrate successes or identify areas for improvement.

For families with students participating in UIL activities such as Athletics or Fine Arts, it’s essential to note that if a student is failing a course, they will lose eligibility to compete or travel for school-related events until their grades improve. We encourage you to reach out to your student’s coach, director, or sponsor for any questions or guidance on how to best support your child’s success.

Looking ahead, 8th-grade students will be taking the PSAT on Wednesday, October 9th. Testing will take place until noon, and students will have C lunch following the exam. This is a great opportunity for our 8th graders to practice the skills that will help prepare them for future standardized testing, and we wish them the best of luck!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of our Mustang community! We are grateful for your partnership and look forward to an exciting rest of the week.

Let’s make it a great week to be an O. Henry Mustang!

☮️, ❤️, and 🐴’s,
Marlo Malott

Monday 9/30-- C Day

• 5th period STIR time- always have a book with you

Tuesday, 10/1 --A Day

• 5th 4-SEL Lesson
• Football at Nelson Field-- OHMS vs Lamar
• 6:00 7A
• 7:30-8A
• Note-- all students should be picked up within 15 minutes of the conclusion of the game. An administrator will ask students to contact their rides at the 3rd quarter of the final game.

Wednesday,10/3--B day

• 6:00/7:00 Volleyball versus Lamar
• 8th grade at OHMS, 7th grade at Lamar
• 6:00 B Team Football versus Bailey
• 7th grade at OHMS, 8th grade at Bailey

Save the Date-- 8th Grade PSAT test on Wednesday, October 9th

We need to address a serious issue at O. Henry Middle School and ask for your help in reinforcing its importance.

A recent social media trend has led students to steal zipper pulls (toggles) from others' backpacks, which is essentially theft. This behavior is not only disruptive but undermines the respectful community we strive to build. Stealing in any form is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

We have spoken to students about the seriousness of this matter, and many have already returned the stolen toggles to their teachers or the main office. However, we urge you to talk to your child about the importance of respecting others' property and the consequences of stealing, which can lead to disciplinary action.

If your child’s backpack has been affected, they can retrieve matching toggles from the main office. We appreciate your partnership in helping us stop this behavior and maintain a positive school environment for everyone.

Thank you for your continued support.

Just one of many articles circulating: https://nypost.com/2024/09/25/lifestyle/teenagers-are-stealing-zipper-pulls-from-nike-backpacks-why/

Congratulations to the cross country team! They competed at the Marble Falls meet on Saturday.

A special congratulations goes to 8th graders Peter Hadlock who placed 3rd, Jude Wilson who placed 9th, and Sully Hoge who placed 13th. The 8th grade boys' team placed 4th overall. Braylon Pitts was O. Henry's top scoring 7th grade runner, and Helen Canally was O. Henry's top scoring female.

Way to go Mustangs!

Congratulations to all the 7th and 8th grade C volleyball players for a successful season! Please get your uniforms back to Coach Kobs this week.

Kristine Kobs

O. Henry MS

6-8 PE & Athletics

Coach Gray A Team scott.gray@austinisd.org

Coach Hibbard B Team leslie.hibbard@austinisd.org

If your 7th or 8th grade Boy is interested in playing soccer this fall, please fill out the following survey. (Link below if it is easier)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfESgrz8Zu6nKsGJX0GYk12OoNKDgSnrrqWVFq3iUAcZBRHBQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Soccer Tryout Information

• You must have a completed AISD physical in order to try out for Soccer. The entire physical packet must be completed, with signatures, in order to be valid. The physical must be turned in by the first day of tryouts.

• Pre-Tryout Practice will be held after school from 4:00 to 5:15 on the following dates: October 8th, 9th, and 10th.

• Tryouts will be 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm on October 15th, 16th and 17th.

• Please wear cleats and shin-guards to every practice.

Regular Practice Schedule

• Monday, 4:00 - 5:15

• Wednesday, 4:00 - 5:15

• Thursday- 4:00 - 5:15

• Saturday - 9:00am A Team Game - 10:30am B Team Game

This is subject to change - more info will come as we get closer.

Our Game schedule is shown in the survey above. If your child participates in club soccer and has game/practice conflicts, please reach out to me. We can work out a plan to make sure they can still participate.

Book clubs are held in the library during lunches:

8th grade meets Tuesdays during A lunch

7th grade meets Wednesdays during B lunch

6th grade meets Thursdays during C lunch

We are currently reading:

8th grade - The Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (young adult mystery)

7th grade - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (coming-of-age multi award winner)

6th grade - Caraval by Stephanie Garber (fantasy romance)

The GSA club meets every other Wednesday during ACES in the library. Last week we listened to music and made bracelets.

All students are welcome at both book club and GSA! Stop by the library to learn more.

Our annual Scare Fair (book fair) will be held on Oct 21-25. Stay tuned for more information!

Robbi Horvath

Librarian

O. Henry Middle School

Meet our Mustangs- You will have a chance each week to meet two members of our Mustang Family.

Hungry kids have trouble focusing, so get kids to eat before they come to class. Set up the night before so it’s one less thing to do in the morning. For teens, send a snack like protein bars or cheese sticks in backpacks if they don’t feel like eating right away.

Please, ensure your cell phone number and email address are correct (and that messages aren’t going to spam). Also, confirm that everyone on the school pickup list still is accurate. Sometimes these important details get overlooked and we cannot reach you or who you would like us to notify.

This event could not have happened without the efforts from all of these amazing people!

2024 Round Up Committee:

VP Fundraising: Holly Lanham

Chairs: Lindsey Majors, Sara Trantham & Pam Roberts

Sponsorship: Jenny Butterworth & Allison Jackson

PR & Signage: Amber Reed

Volunteer Coordinator: Jennifer Murchison

Dance: Joy & James Speer

Food & Beverage: Melanie Dow & Xio Goss

Raffle: Shannon Grethel & Dalton Young

Booths& Arrangements: Erinn Edmonds & Leslie Person

Tickets & Wristbands: Elisabeth Anderson, Leslie Newberry, Megan Sink & Nikki Williams

Backpack Coordinator: Signae Seiler

Website: Glenn Chase

Treasurer: Lindsay Hadlock

And ALL volunteers who helped with Round Up week, set up, working the event, and take down. OHMS is GRATEFUL!

A HUGE THANK YOU to our generous sponsors as of

Saturday, September 28th:

THOROUGHBRED

Keystone Bank & St. George Family

Tarrytown Pharmacy

STALLION

1900 Wealth

Allison & Trey Jackson

Benchmark Bank

Dalton and Victor Young

Emily and Clayton Chandler

Frost Bank

Horizon Bank

Jefferson Bank

Kelly Legal Group

Lindsey and Will Majors

Natalie and Trent Kelly

Rigby Slack Lawrence Pepper + Comerford

Sara and Austin Trantham

The Fox Family

The Harper Family

The Ip Family

The Person Family

The Roberts Family

The Schlegel Family

The Shirk Family

APPALOOSA

68 Degrees

Angie Kaps-Oberman

Anna and Ben Smith

Anonymous

Cameron and Anne Campbell

Cecilia Allen

Chris Wooster Creative

Elisabeth and Zach Anderson

Heritage Tree Care

Jennifer and Jimmy Murchison

Kelley and Joe Newberry

Kindred Realty Group

Laverty Family

Lucas Tire & Auto Service

Lynn and Ryan Kasten

Melanie and Jim Dow

Pac Family

Rypka Family

SWBC Mortgage Corporation

The Alexander Family

The Duckworth Family

The Edmonds Family

The Grethel Family

The Grigsby Family

The Hadlock Family

The Hershey Family

The Kolerich Family

The Maloney Family

The Matetich Family

The Norris Family

The Reed Family

The Rein Family

The Romano Family

The Skloss Family

The Williams Family

Torchys Tacos

Upper Crust Bakery

Whitney Bludworth

CLYDESDALE

Adolfo Valadez and Alicia Zander

All Trades Austin Contracting Co.

Amy and Chris McClung

Anonymous

Austin Orthodontic Arts

Barbie & Mike Jeffrey

Boebel Family

Burnett Family

Cory & Danielle Older

Dierks Family

Dunlap-Goldsby Family

Fred L McGhee, Ph.D.

Jason & Kristi English

Rousseas Family

Sarah and Matt Powers

Segrest/Teeter Families

SMILES of Austin

Tarrytown Dance

The Allens

The Barksdale Family

The Butterworth Family

The DiRe Family

The Givens Family

The Gleason-Dillon Family

The Jester Family

The Krieg Family

The Nicolas Family

The Owens Family

The Tidmore Family

QUARTERHORSE

Allison Jackson – Compass Real Estate

Estilo

Food! Food!

Hill Family

James and Jessica Scott

Joy Victory

Kevin Haines-Realty Austin

Lissa Gray Anderson/Gottesman Residential

Martha and Matt Mangum

Mary Emma Partain – COMPASS

Meredith and Alan Marks

Scout Ventures/The Harrison Family

Tarrytown Texaco

The Birge Family

The Chen Family

The Clifton Family

The Darnell Family

The Fraser Family

The Gupta Family

The Hargis Family

The Hartmann Family

The Lanham Family

The Martyak Family

The Nehme Family

The Richey Family

The Rodenberg Family

The Salman Family

The Vertuno Family

The Worrell Family

Windsor Ikard

Xio Goss

PALOMINO

Amy Cureton

Anonymous

Assanbayev Family

Crumley Family

Erika & Keith McKay

Gail and Larry Runyon

Glenn Chase

Goldstein Family

Kate Kyle

Melissa Matthys

The Kuhns

The Perico Family

The Steiner Hoang Family

Your membership in the PTA helps support the many valuable programs and activities that occur throughout the year at OHMS. Help us beat our goal of 248 members and JOIN THE PTA TODAY! Membership is $12 - It's the best investment you'll make this year!

October 3-4 - STUDENT HOLIDAY

October 10 - PTA Coffee 8:30am

October 14- STUDENT HOLIDAY

Reminder: The 2024 Hispanic Heritage Talent Show call for entries is open until September 30. Submit videos of yourself or your children dancing, playing music or singing, as well as photos of drawings or paintings that celebrate Hispanic culture, for more than $4,000 in prizes! The award ceremony will take place Saturday, Oct. 12.

• Need to report an absence? Please do so within 2 days. All student absences are to be emailed to ohenry@austinisd.org
• Need to check out your student early from school? Please bring your ID to the office for check out. You may call ahead (512-414-3229) for us to send a pass, however an in-person check out is still required. NOTE: No early check outs will be accepted after 3:30 p.m.

At O. Henry Middle School, we believe that regular school attendance is crucial for your child's academic success and overall development. Consistent attendance not only helps students stay on top of their coursework but also fosters a sense of responsibility and discipline that will benefit them throughout their lives. Encouraging your child to attend school every day helps them stay connected with their peers and teachers, creating a more cohesive and supportive learning environment.

We kindly ask that you review the attached attendance slide deck, which outlines both Austin ISD and Texas attendance policies and laws. Thank you for your continued support in fostering a positive and productive school experience for all our students at O. Henry Middle School.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nrhCEXu_cJckkuIw3ss9tlNISB-3TlvNjQlhdioX-gE/edit?usp=sharing

How to Stay Updated:

• Current Parents and Staff: Download the new AISD app and follow O. Henry Middle School to get all updates.

• Other Community Members: If you're a step-parent, grandparent, future parent, or simply interested in O. Henry Middle School download the app and follow us to stay informed.

App Features:

• Follow Multiple Schools: Once you have the app, you can follow all the schools your children attend.

• Customize Your Feed: You can set your preferred school as the default in the app settings, so you see updates from O. Henry Middle School without being distracted by other posts.

Action Steps:

1. Download the AISD app today. Look for the AISD apple with the white background.

2. Follow O. Henry Middle School within the app.

3. Set O. Henry as your default school in settings

Thank you for your attention, and we look forward to keeping you updated through the new AISD app!

The nomination window for GT identification is now open and will remain open until October 6th. This will be the only nomination window for this school year. To learn more about GT services in AISD and to submit a referral, click here. Please note that signing the form gives permission for your child to be tested and screened for the Austin ISD Gifted and Talented Program. Questions? Reach out to: Casi Cook (casi.cook@austinisd.org)

GT Family Information Session

1. In order to streamline the GT referral process for families, the GT Referral Window opened on the first day of school. The window will close on October 7 for campuses and Advanced Academics to move forward with GT assessment and screening.

2. Advanced Academics will host 2 virtual information sessions: one on Tuesday, September 24 at 6 PM and one on Wednesday, September 25 at 12 PM via this zoom link. Information can also be found on the Advanced Academics website.

Car Riders: To keep traffic flowing, follow the arrows on the map below. Be patient, student safety is our most important priority. To keep our Mustangs safe, do not drop off in back bus lot. If pickup is altered due to bad weather, a Schoolmessenger alert will go out from the Principal.

Bus Riders: Bus riders may only ride their assigned bus. Use the Bus Finder page to check which route you are assigned. Buses leave promptly at 3:57 PM each day - information about late buses will be available in coming weeks. Buses drop off and pick up on the east side of campus. For additional questions about transportation see AISD's website here.

Walkers/Bike Riders: If walking or biking to school please be safe and use crosswalks to get across streets. Bike racks are available for student use.

Here are the clubs we offer for middle school aged students:

Strong Girls Athletic Training | Tuesdays 4:20-5:20pm | 6th-8th grade

10K Race Training Group | Tuesdays 6-7pm | 3rd-8th grade

Middle School Biking Club | Wednesdays 4:30-6pm | 6th-8th grade

Kids Run Wild Trail Running Club | Saturdays 9-10:15am | 3rd-8th grade