MMS News & Notes

MMS Parents and Guardians,

Happy Fist Bump Friday! As another week comes to a close, please be reminded that we have officially reached the midpoint of the 1st marking period. This weekend provides the perfect opportunity to sit with your child, take a look at his/her grades in Sapphire and discuss what needs to remain in place (or possibly change) the second half of the marking period.

We would also appreciate you taking the opportunity to remind your child of the CATS Code, the importance of doing the right thing and the opportunity each day offers to make someone's day. We have been working hard at MMS to create the most positive learning environment where all students feel a sense of belonging. This will remain one of our goals this year and your partnership will remain critical to our success.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher(s) or grade level counselor with any questions and/or concerns you may have. I hope you have a terrific weekend!

Joel Yohn

MMS Principal

At MMS, we believe wellness is key to creating a positive learning environment and setting students up for lifelong success. Led by the MMS Student Assistance Team, next week’s Wildcat Wellness Week will focus on promoting resilience and emotional health. Students and faculty are invited to participate in spirit days that highlight different dimensions of wellness, with daily announcements on Wildcat TV to share more insights. The week will conclude with a Wellness Walk during PASS on 10/04. Together, let’s make a lasting #iMPACT for health and happiness!

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!

This year’s MMS Musical is the Addams Family, Young @ Part. If your child is interested in auditioning, please encourage them to pick up an information packet in the school office or visit the musical website at https://sites.google.com/masdstudent.org/mms-musical-24-25/mms-musical. We do not have a stage crew at MMS, but if your child enjoys singing, dancing or acting, this may just be the perfect opportunity to share that talent! Deadline to sign up to audition is September 27th!

• October 11 - Act 80 Day (K-12) No School for Students
• October 14 - Fall Recess Schools Closed
• October 31 - School is in Session at MMS (Act 80 day for Elmwood Academy Gr 4/5 ONLY)

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.

PTO Pulse:

HOT OFF THE PRESS! Check out the first edition of the MMS PTO Pulse where each month we’ll share important PTO updates, interesting school tidbits, and information on what PTO is up to and how you can get involved.

Follow us on Facebook:

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

If your student is missing required vaccines for school, Sadler Health Center will be coming to the Wildcat Activity Center (located behind the high school, next to the track) to provide required vaccines for students in grades K-8 on October 11, 2024, from 8:30-3:30. Please contact the school nurse to register and complete consent forms.

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).

• 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