#EagleNation Updates

• October 18: No School (Staff Professional Day)
  
• October 21-26: Mental Health Awareness Week
• November 4: No School (Grading and Planning Day)
  
• November 5: No School (Election Day)
• November 6: Picture make-up day (NEW DATE)
• November 19: Open House

EASTERN'S School Year Calendar/ MCPS School Calendar 24-25

Sign up to earn SSL hours by coming in to pull weeds and work on cleaning out the beds on the side of the building. You must sign up to participate:

When: Saturday, October 26

Time: 8:30-11:00

Hours Earned: 3 (Includes 30 minutes of prep time)

SIGN UP HERE

If you missed getting your picture taken on picture day–or just hated your hair–you can try again on November 6. The photographers manufacture 2024-2025 IDs immediately so don’t be camera-shy!

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Enjoy the pictures, including beautiful sightings of the Northern Lights and the PTSA sponsored Reptile Man experience. So much hard work goes into this activity and our staff is dedicated as they stay overnight apart from their own families, and their beds! We are thankful to the families who trusted us enough to care for your children for three days and the weather could not have been better!

This week we said, "goodbye" to one of our main office staff members. Ms. Alexander has moved on to a promotion in MCPS at central office! We are currently interviewing candidates for her replacement and you should see a new face greeting you in the main office soon.

Excel Beyond the Bell (EBB), an after school program run by Montgomery County Recreation, is coming to Eastern Middle School in February 2025.

• Monday through Thursday
• Students who participate will take classes that are tailored to their interests.
• Starting on Tuesday, October 22nd, from 3:15-4:15pm, and they want to hear from students about the classes that they want to take.

Please email Ms. Levin (deirdre_m_mcshealevin@mcpsmd.org) if your child is interested in attending the EBB interest meeting on October 22nd. Click here to see some of the class offerings.

Find information about Mental Health Awareness, Food Opportunities for Families and Game Changer Conference here at the Counseling Corner!

Students in Ms. Hill and Ms. Ray's Literacy 7/8 attended a virtual field trip to the Poe Museum in Richmond; it was a success! Students enjoyed and acquired a better understanding of Poe.

Eastern’s lost and found is filling up fast! If your student is missing something, please tell them to look in the boxes on the stage in the cafeteria. On Friday, the boxes will be cleared out, so it is important that items be claimed this week.

*Going forward, we will clear out all unclaimed items on the last day of each month.

“Hello EagleNation families ! The Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARMS) application is still available! Families must renew their FARMS application each school year, even if their child qualified the previous school year ! We have passed October 8th, students will begin to accumulate a balance who have not renewed their status. Please use this link to apply : https://www.myschoolapps.com/ . If you need any assistance with filling out the application please call (240)740-6280”

• Free and Reduced Lunch Application
• Solicitud de almuerzo gratis o reducido

Next week we will recognize National Bus Safety Week, so be sure to THANK YOUR DRIVER!

The Department of Transportation services approximately 102,000 students on our buses, logging 19.8 million miles per year. Our nearly 2,000 bus attendants and bus operators are tasked with an enormous responsibility to safely transport our students to and from more than 230 schools, field trips, and school-sponsored activities. It is important to share tips and reminders with our students, staff, and families for school bus safety, including expectations for students when they are entering and exiting, as well as riding the school bus. This is also an opportunity to highlight the Maryland school bus laws for motorists to ensure they are aware of when and how to stop for school buses to ensure the safety of our students. School Bus Safety Week is held to raise awareness so that everyone can remain safe while students ride the bus.

Please join us in saying thank you to all who transport Montgomery County Public Schools students by observing bus safety and sharing your gratitude!

Learn more about Bus Safety and School Bus Laws by visiting the following websites:

• MCPS Rules & Safety About Riding the School Bus Safe Routes to School
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) School Bus Safety

Join 8th grade community members in the SSIMS Media Center on Tuesday, October 15, from 7:00pm-8:30pm for a student-led panel discussion on the High School Choice and Application Process.

This SSIMS PTSA-sponsored panel discussion will feature student representatives from all five DCC high schools, as well as several interest- and criteria-based programs. Panelists will discuss their high school experiences, describe their academic programs, and take questions from the audience.

• What: Student-led panel discussion on the High School Choice and Application Process
• When: Tuesday, October 15, from 7:00pm-8:30pm
• Where: SSIMS Media Center
• Who: Grade 8 students and parents (and also Grade 7 students and parents who are looking ahead)

Join us for 8th Grade High School Choice Form Assistance Night on October 29, 2024! Get your questions answered and submit your High School choice form. The event will take place from 6-8 PM at Eastern Middle School in the Cafeteria. Don’t miss this opportunity to get all the help you need for your high school decision process!

• Flyer
• Folleto

• Sign up for the PTSA email group. It's FREE! Connect with other parents and receive important communications and reminders. https://groups.google.com/g/eastern-ptsa

• Become a member of the Eastern PTSA. Suggested donation: $10. Your contributions go to academic programs, teacher mini-grants, social events, staff appreciation meals and more. https://fspta-00016130.givebacks.com/store/items/709250

This message is being shared by our PTSA

Dear Community Members,

We are pleased to invite you to participate in an important professional learning session on Hate-Bias, which mirrors the training that school-based administrators across Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) have been receiving. This session, titled "Honoring Humanity to Halt Hate-Bias," aims to deepen your understanding of critical issues related to hate-bias, including:

• Terminology related to hate-bias

• The history and current state of hate-bias laws in the United States

• Current hate-bias processes in Montgomery County and MCPS

• How hate-bias develops, is demonstrated, and impacts various protected groups/classes

• Approaches to preventing and addressing hate-bias in classrooms, communities, and among colleagues

Additionally, we will provide an overview of upcoming professional development being developed for all school-based employees.

Background and Systemwide Goal

While MCPS has worked to improve its structures for reporting and investigating hate-bias incidents, we recognize that more must be done to ensure coherence, professional learning, and accountability. Concerns from staff, students, community partners, and the Montgomery County Anti-Hate Task Force highlight the need for a more robust and unified response to this growing challenge. Our systemwide goal is to create an inclusive environment in which the identities of all students and staff are respected and valued. The rising number of hate-bias incidents threatens this goal and compromises the sense of belonging and safety that is essential for both learning and personal growth.

Session Details

We are offering two "Honoring Humanity to Halt Hate-Bias" sessions, available on a first-come, first-served basis:

Session 1:

• Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024

• Time: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

• Location: 15 W. Gude Drive Rockville, MD (Patuxent Room)

• Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-hate-bias-training-tickets-1044528251117

Session 2:

• Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024

• Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

• Location: 15 W. Gude Drive Rockville, MD (Patuxent Room)

• Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-hate-bias-training-evening-session-tickets-1044566184577

Please RSVP as soon as possible to secure your spot in this critical learning opportunity. We believe your participation will help strengthen our shared efforts to address hate-bias, foster mutual respect, and create an environment where all identities are valued within MCPS.

We look forward to your involvement.

THANK YOU TO OUR PTSA FOR SPONSORING REPTILE MAN at Outdoor ED!

We are thrilled to extend a warm invitation to The 2024 Fall Game Changer Conference for Young Males! hosted by UCF (Unity Christian Fellowship, Inc)! This transformative event, is set to take place on Saturday, October 26, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon at Montgomery College, Germantown Campus - Globe Hall, 20200 Observation Drive, Germantown, MD 20876

Last week's Thursday message includes information about the superintendent’s final two community engagement sessions, the Marching Band Showcase on Oct. 19, a partnership with the Parent Encouragement Program, a Hispanic Heritage Month profile on Daysi Castro, the Game Changer Conference on Oct. 26, the Councilmember for a Day Challenge and other student opportunities, Cheryl Kagan Senatorial Scholarships and more. You may read the full message here:

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2024-2025/Community-Update-20241010.html

Find out about how MCPS plans to teacher Arab History in the Social Studies curriculum. Find more information below:

• 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
• Flier
• Zoom Registration Link

Emails and phone numbers for support in the school:

• Main Office: (240) 740-6280
• Admin Secretary: Ms. Perez: priscilla_b_smith@mcpsmd.org
• Attendance Secretary: Ms. Blanco: isaura_m_blanco-flores@mcpsmd.org
• Front Office Secretary:
• Financial Assistant: Ms. Zhang: rui_zhang@mcpsmd.org

Counselors: (COUNSELING WEBSITE- RESOURCES FOR MENTAL HEALTH)

GRADE 6

• (Last Names A-Q): Ms. Meyer jessi_meyer@mcpsmd.org
  
• (Last Names S-Z): Ms. Birkett shondell_birkett@mcpsmd.org

GRADE 7

• (Last Names A-R): Ms. Greene- rachel_m_greene@mcpsmd.org
• (Last Names S-Z): Ms. Birkett- shondell_birkett@mcpsmd.org

GRADE 8

• Ms. Cwerner cayla_cwerner@mcpsmd.org

Administrators:

• Principal - Ms. Shorts: lisa_n_shorts@mcpsmd.org
• 6th Grade Assistant Principal- Deidre Levin: deirdre_m_mcshealevin@mcpsmd.org
• 7th Assistant Principal- Matthew Kerwin: matthew_f_kerwin@mcpsmd.org
• 8th Grade Assistant Principal- Charles Feamster: charles_s_feamster@mcpsmd.org

Family Supports:

• Parent Community Coordinator - Mirna Medrano-romero: mirna_a_medrano-romero@mcpsmd.org
• PTA President- Shripal Shah: eastern.ptsa.president@gmail.com

• Online Bullying Reporting
• Formulario para Reportar Acoso, Hostigamiento o Intimidación
  

Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/easternms

Location: Eastern Middle School, University Boulevard East, Silver Spring, MD, USA
Phone: (240) 740-6280
X : @EasternMS_Prin