MMS News & Notes

MMS Parents and Guardians,

Greetings! The 2nd marking period is underway and many of our students, who now have some different encore classes, have done an exceptional job with the transition process. I have reminded the students at lunch that each marking period provides a unique opportunity to start fresh despite their 1st marking period efforts. Additionally, student behavior has been very positive. Please continue to encourage your child to seek out adult assistance if situations arise and they are unsure how to navigate through a particular challenge. Students have a much better opportunity to connect with and apply the four words from our CATS' Code (Respectful, Responsible, Resilient and Safe) if they are hearing them both in school and at home.

Please be reminded that school is closed for students this Monday, November 11. Additionally, MMS students have 1/2 days for parent conferences on Wed. (Nov. 13) and Thurs. (Nov. 14). Dismissal will begin at 11:30AM both days and lunch will not be served. If you have not done so already, please be sure you sign up for a conference time to meet your child's teacher(s) https://www.myconferencetime.com/mms/.

I hope you have a terrific ending to your week and enjoy your weekend. Be well!

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. All forms were due on September 20th. We are still waiting for a number of parents to complete the form.

Please go in today to complete this brief form. (http://sapphire.mbgsd.org). Thank you!

• November 11 - No School for Students (Prof. Dev. Day for Teachers)
• November 13 and 14 - MMS Only Early Dismissal at 11:30 due to Parent Teacher Conferences
• November 27 - No School for Students (Contracted In-service Day)
• November 28-December 2 - School Closed Thanksgiving Recess

6th Grade Parent Volunteers Needed

Our class is excited to be a part of the JA BizTown program this year. This program covers important aspects of our community, the economy, work readiness, financial literacy, and business management. Each 6th-grade student will visit JA BizTown on one of the days between January 6th and 9th. During this visit, students will experience a real-world setting where they will take on various roles, earn a paycheck, work in business teams, handle loans, go shopping, and manage a personal bank account. This program encourages students to think critically and learn about fundamental economic concepts, deepening their understanding of free enterprise.

The JA BizTown experience is a memorable one for students, and we hope your child enjoys it. To ensure the success of the simulation visit, we are seeking volunteer facilitators to accompany us to JA BizTown.

We are looking forward to this educational opportunity and hope that you will consider volunteering as a facilitator on the day of your child's trip. If you are interested in volunteering and have not yet completed the form, please click the provided link. We will provide more information once the students' roles are assigned. If you have any questions, feel free to email Mrs. Meyer at mmeyer@masdstudent.org. Thank you for your support!

https://sites.google.com/masdstudent.org/biztown-volunteer-information/home

We’re thrilled to announce the Annual MMS Dodge Hunger Dodgeball Tournament, happening on Wednesday, November 20th, from 3:40 to 6:40 p.m.! This exciting event raises awareness about food insecurity and supports the MMS Marketplace, which provides weekend food packs and wellness essentials for students in need.

Students are encouraged to team up in groups of 8 for a chance to compete! Each player needs to complete a registration form and return it to the office by Friday, November 8th—no late registrations will be accepted, and team spots are limited! Forms are available outside the office or by clicking here.

Let’s come together to Dodge Hunger!

1. **Check Your Child’s Agenda Daily:** Reviewing their agenda each day can help reinforce organization skills and provide a natural time to discuss upcoming assignments and deadlines. This also gives you a sense of what they’re working on and any additional help they might need.

2. **Monitor Grades and Assignments on Sapphire:** Our online grading platform, Sapphire, is a great tool for staying up-to-date on your child’s progress. Checking regularly can help you catch any missing assignments early and celebrate their achievements as they progress.

3. **Reach Out to Teachers:** If you have any questions about assignments or if your child is struggling, don’t hesitate to contact their teachers. Our team is here to support your child’s learning journey and values open communication.

4. **Contact the School Counselor for Additional Support:** As always, we are here to provide additional resources and guidance if your child needs extra support. Please feel free to reach out if you’d like to discuss any concerns or explore further resources.

Thank you for your continued involvement and encouragement! Working together, we can help make this marking period a successful one for your child.

Warm Regards from the Middle School Counseling Team,

Ms. Katie George, Ms. Emily Normand and Mrs. Kristie Socha

Attention all skiers and snowboarders! Winter will be here before you know it, and MMS ski club is gearing up for another great season. Ski club is open to skiers and snowboarders of all ability levels in 6th through 12th grades. Never skied or snowboarded before? No problem! Options for beginners are available, including lift tickets, lessons, and rentals. Students with Epic Passes are welcome to join as well. Please check out this link or see Mr. Shotts for more information on how you can join.

Yearbooks are on sale now through March 28, 2025. Pre-order your 2024-2025 yearbook online at ybpay.com OR yppay.lifetouch.com and enter school code #1212225 to reserve a code. Be sure to pre-order a copy for your student now to guarantee that they receive one at the end of the school year. Limited copies of the yearbook may be available for purchase at the time of delivery but are not guaranteed.

Marianna's Hoagie and Pizza Fundraiser:

Reminder that orders are due November 8th (late orders may be sent to school on November 12th at the very latest). Delivery date is November 20th 4-6:30pm in the MMS cafeteria.

• All subs and pizzas are $10 each
• Please make checks payable to MAPTO

A sub donation option is available in support of the Dodge for Hunger event! The top selling homeroom (including the donation option) for each grade level will receive a doughnut and orange juice breakfast. Happy selling!

Book Fair:

Book Fair is next week and volunteers are needed! Interested in helping with setup, cleanup, or shopping hours November 11-15th? Sign up here: http://ttsu.me/mmsbookfair2024

Click here for Book Fair details including eWallet setup and online shopping information.

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.

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.

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.

Here are some important points to remember:

• It is important to avoid blindly sharing rumors and posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if the threats are not credible, they can still cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff. We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about appropriate online behaviors.

• We all play a vital role in school safety. We ask that our families, staff, and students continue to remain vigilant and report any concerning behavior or messaging. The best method to report an issue is to notify your child’s teacher or administrator. If the concern occurs after hours and is of an emergent nature or you wish to remain anonymous, then you can report a concern through the Safe2Say program (through the Safe2Say app, www.safe2saypa.org or by calling 1-844-723-2729).

• STOP the PROP - You may begin to see the red STOP THE PROP stickers strategically placed on doors throughout the district as we raise awareness to the importance of ensuring exterior doors are always closed and locked from the outside.
  

• Remain confident that we will reach out to you should there ever be a cause for concern. Be sure to keep your information updated within the Sapphire Parent Portal to ensure you get school and district messages.

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