Maize Middle School

We are getting ready for the end of the semester and the school year. I appreciate your participation in your child’s academic and extracurricular activities.

During Eagles’ Landing, one time a week, students participate in Second Step Middle School lessons. As parents and caregivers, you are your child’s first and most important teachers, and you play a vital role in their social, emotional, and academic development. Maize Middle School and your child’s classroom teachers support you in this. Earlier this year you had the option to opt your child in to participate in a Second Step survey. Students have the opportunity to participate again in this survey after completing the Second Step program for a school year. Please follow this link to opt-in your child to participate in the survey. Please complete the opt-in form by Wednesday, April 14th. Here is a sample copy of the questions that will be on the survey. These are the same questions that were used earlier this school year. The school information included in this survey is for the Haysville school district but will be updated to reflect the Maize School district prior to students participating.

State Assessments will be taking place in April. Here are the dates for the state assessments:

April 3rd and 4th: 8th grade Science

April 10th and 11th: 7th and 8th grade ELA

April 13th and 14th: 7th and 8th grade Math

It is vital that your student is at school on test taking days. The very best way to prepare for the test is to get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast. Encourage your child to do their best and not to give up on hard questions. Go through test taking skills with your child to show them how they can approach difficult questions. Here are a few ideas:

1) Read questions slowly

2) Read the questions before any readings

3) It is not a race to finish. Take your time

4) Go back and reread

5) Skip and come back to difficult questions

6) Most often your first answer is the best answer (don't over think questions)

7) Relax: When your stressed answers don't come as quickly.

Click here to check out the Maize Middle School drop-off and pick-up video created by OneMaize Media. Our social media sites have all the details of what is happening at Maize Middle School. Check us out on Twitter @MMS_Eagles or on our Maize Middle School Facebook page. You can also find Maize Middle School information on our website at usd266.com.

Marney Hay

MMS Principal

Visit our website at www.usd266.com/mms.

Connect with Mrs. Hay at mhay@usd266.com or call 316-729-2464.

Maize Middle School is located at 4600 N. Maize Rd. in Maize.

Spring sports are off to a great start and we are looking forward to ending the year on a high note! As we start to wrap up the school year, I wanted to let you know that we will be offering a variety of sports camps to our students this summer. Please check out the Maize Middle School website for more information on these camp opportunities.

Ty Hamilton
Assistant Principal | Activities Director
Maize Middle School
316-729-2464

Hello Maize Families!

As we begin to wind down for the year- just a few reminders…

1) If your student has medication (prescription OR over the counter) in the health office… it will need to be picked up by the end of the year. We are not allowed to keep medication at school over the summer. We will plan on a parent picking up the medication from the health office, unless you have given us written or verbal authorization to send it home with your student.

2) Any medication NOT picked up by May 24, 2023 by the end of the day will be discarded.

3) If you know that your student will have medication at school NEXT year- we will be happy to send home a medication administration form at the end of the year.

4) Incoming 7th graders will all need to be sure they are current on the TDaP booster and the Meningococcal ACWY vaccine.

5) As you are going through your student’s closet- if you find Maize Gear that is in good shape that they have outgrown- we would be glad to take it off your hands!

As always- we are here to help your student- if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call!!

Important Upcoming Dates For Maize Middle Band.

April 8th - Color Guard Interest Camp @12:30-3:30PM Maize High Band Room

May 13th – Field Trip

May 19th – Band Concert @ Maize Middle School 7pm

May 22nd – Marching Band run through night (8th graders only) @ Maize High School band room 5-7pm

Please refer to the band Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter account and the band website for more information.

--Connor Siler

Maize USD 266

Co-Director of Bands

MHS – MMS – MIS

Per the Student Handbook Section 5.1:

A student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) should notify the school by 10 a.m. in the event the student will be absent on that day. Reason for the absence should be stated. Parents are encouraged to provide the front office staff with any medical appointment cards, physicians’ notes, court documentation, etc. Each document should state the student’s name, the time and date of the appointment/illness, and the reason for the absence from school.

--

Renee Frisk

Attendance Secretary

April

• Apr 3: PTO Meeting 6:30PM
• Apr 3-4: 8th Grade Science Assessments
• Apr 4: Chick-fil-A Spirit Night 3-10PM
• Apr 5: 8th Grade Field Trip to Thunder Hockey Game
• Apr 7: No School
• Apr 10-11: 7th & 8th Grade ELA Assessments
• Apr 13-14: 7th & 8th Grade Math Assessments
• Apr 17: No School- Professional Development day
• Apr 22: Choir Field Trip

• May 1-2: Math AimsWeb+ Testing
• May 3: Guys and Dolls Musical @ Maize High School 6:30PM
• May 5: No School- Professional Development day
• May 8-9: ELA AimsWeb+ Testing
• May 11: Parent Night for Incoming 7th Grade
• May 12: Schoolwide STUCO Event 6PM
• May 13: Band Field Trip
• May 16: Chipotle PTO Spirit Night 4-8PM
• May 18: Orchestra Concert 7PM
• May 19: Band Concert 7PM
• May 23: 8th Grade Field Trip to Aviate
• May 24: Last day for students
• May 24: 8th Grade Breakfast Luah-Students Only
• May 24: 8th Grade Promotion 1-1:50PM-Parents Welcome

Access the 2022-2023 Maize USD 266 Calendar by clicking here.

Save the Date for Upcoming PTO Events

April 3rd- PTO Meeting - Maize Middle School Cafetorium 6:30 pm

Chick-fil-A - Tuesday, April 4th 3-10 pm
Chipotle – Tuesday, May 15th 4-8 pm

Please email maizemiddlepto@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns.

Maize Middle School PTO Facebook Link

Maize Middle School PTO Twitter Link

State Assessments:

State Assessments are right around the corner! Here is a parent guide to the Kansas Assessment Program. Students will have the opportunity to take a practice test the first week of April in order to acquaint themselves with the state testing program. Due to test security, students will not be allowed to have cell phones, smart watches, or wireless earbuds with them during testing; students will need to bring WIRED earbuds to use during testing.

Don’t stress! Consider these helpful tips to ensure your student feels confident and comfortable with the testing process:

• Attend school daily and arrive on time to ensure students don’t feel rushed or have to worry about a make up test

• Get a good night of sleep before the test

• Eat a good breakfast

• Encourage students to try their best and to select the best answer for each question

• Take deep breaths and remember that a state test is just one data point when looking at student achievement

Test dates are as followed:

• Science: April 3rd and 4th (8th Grade ONLY)

• English Language Arts: April 10th and 11th

• Math: April 13th and 14th

• Social Studies: Classroom-based assessment (7th Grade ONLY)

April is Stress Awareness Month:

Stress is real for all of us but students may experience stress in different ways and struggle to cope with it in healthy ways.

• This website explores the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as well as tools for teens using a comic book style.

• The Calm app and website have a number of tools including monthly calendars with daily challenges that you can use as a family. Check out April’s calendar here!

• Action for Happiness also features a monthly calendar with challenges for happier living. Check out April’s calendar here!

• We’ve seen an increase in the number of students turning to self-harm as a coping skill, specifically cutting. We encourage you to learn more about self-harm here.

If you have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to the school counseling office.

Maize Middle School Counselors:

Monica Heide (Student Last Names A-K) | mheide@usd266.com

Meghan Ugues (Student Last Names L-Z) | mugues@usd266.com

Enrollment Information and Mandatory Parent/Student Meeting

USD 266 Maize Schools will once again offer summer driver education. Any student who turns 14 on or before Thursday, June 1, 2023 and has or will graduate 8th grade by June 1st will be eligible to enroll in summer driver education.

Students will have 31 days (April 12th - May 12th) to complete the coursework online through Google Classroom. Students failing to complete the online portion by May 12th will be dropped from the class and forfeit the $200 enrollment fee. Students will also complete at least five, one hour driving sessions starting no earlier than May 30th (schedule to be determined after class begins). We prefer that students get an instructional permit at the DMV in advance of the class and spend as much time as possible driving in safe locations with their parents. Practicing with parents before class starts is a plus considering that driver education is only five hours of driving.

Enrollment will be offered on a first come, first serve basis with enrollment limited to the first 150 students to register. Enrollment registration will open at 8:00 AM on Monday, April 3, 2023 and will close on Monday, April 10, 2023 or when enrollment capacity has been reached. Please enroll early as the class will fill up fast. To register go to https://forms.gle/3ySnBoDJos1bdieB8 (form not accessible until April 3rd at 8 AM).

Please click here to read the full article.

If you plan to be gone for more than 3 days. Please pick up an Administrative Excuse Form from the office or click the link below

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lewO__4GCONHJFpDFps5xt63DbNrf6kMIoE2HlnVEpg/edit?usp=sharing

Weekly grade checks will continue for all student-athletes. If any student-athlete has an F when grade checks are conducted on Fridays, they will be given an "Opportunity to Improve" sheet that lists the class and teacher of the class(es) they are failing. Students will have the opportunity to stay eligible for the following week and work to get all their grades to passing. If on Friday the following week they are still failing a class, student-athletes will be ineligible for the following week and will not be allowed to participate in competitions for the week.

Please contact Mr. Hamilton with any questions regarding this policy.

Click here to follow us on Twitter: @MMS_Eagles.

Click here to follow us on Facebook.

You can also follow our Maize Middle School PTO by clicking here.