Mustangs Newsletter - Dec. 15-31
December 15-31, 2023
Upcoming Dates
- December 15-19 - School Spirit Week Continues <---------------------------
- December 19 - Last Day Before Winter Break
- December 20 - NO SCHOOL - Conference Release Day
- December 21 - January 1 - Winter Break
- January 2 - School Resumes - Day 1
- January 12 - Student Asynchronous Remote Learning Day
- January 15 - NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- January 17 - 6th Grade Band Concerts: 6pm & 7:15pm
- January 18 - In Person Academic Conferences - 3:30-7pm
- January 22 - PACT Meeting Online 7-8pm
- January 18 - Virtual Academic Conferences - 3:30-7pm
Spirit Week Continues
News From Our Theater Director
Are you interested in theater? Are you wondering what the spring musical will be? Check out the video below to find out! Or head to the THEATER WEBSITE to check out all the details! Audition sign-ups will go up after winter break.
8th Grade Baby Pictures Needed for the Yearbook by January 19!
Submit a baby picture of yourself to be included in the 2023-2024 yearbook! Take a photo of your favorite baby picture and upload it to share with your peers.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT BABY PICTURE
Submission deadline is Friday, January 19th, 2024.
Card Game/Board Game Donation Drive!
Help Us Help Our Students: Donate your gentle used card games and board games!
Do you have old decks of cards or quick type board games you'd like to get rid of? Please feel free to drop them off in the Main Office any time Monday - Friday, between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
Examples are:
- Uno
- Go Fish
- War
- Crazy 8’s
- Old Maid
- Exploding Kittens
- Regular Decks of Cards
- Trouble
- Sorry
- Bananagrams
We will use these games to continue community and relationship building with our students during lunches and Student’s assigned Game Days.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Dorn at dorna@district279.org.
A New Group is Starting
Donations Needed for Positive Behavior Intervention Systems
At MGMS we practice the Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS) to support the teaching and learning of positive school behavior. Students have the opportunity to earn Mustang Pride Tickets. We will have weekly drawings of these tickets where students can come and pick out a treat if their name is drawn. This is where we are asking for parent support by way of donation. If you feel so inclined to donate non-perishable items (think variety box of chips or candy bars, some cool pens, fidgets, etc.) or anything you can think of that a middle schooler would be excited about, we would appreciate your generosity. Donations can be brought to the front office and we will stock for our "store". Thank you so much for considering to support our efforts to reward our students for being amazing humans!
Best,
Jennifer Hinker, Assistant Principal
PACT
Similar to elementary school PTOs, PACT (Parents and Community Together) works to build a strong, inclusive community at MGMS. Every MGMS parent, caregiver and staff is a member.
Primary ways to get involved and make an impact include donations, volunteering and advocacy.
Volunteer Opportunities
The three student leadership groups at MGMS (Student Council, Fuel Up Team and WEB Leaders) will help define and host social and service events for the school community throughout the year.
Watch for details and volunteer opportunities related to these events. Email mgmspact@district279.org to get involved.
PACT Meetings
Join us to hear an update from Principal Smith and learn about positive MGMS initiatives.
Mark your calendar for these upcoming meetings from 7:00-8:00 PM:
Jan 22 (online)
Feb 26 (online)
April 15 (online)
May 20 (in person and online)
PACT website: https://mgms.district279.org/families/pact
Facebook: Maple Grove Middle School - ISD 279
Order A Yearbook Today
Jostens is the company that will be doing our yearbook. These hardcover books are $30 and will help preserve your child's memories for years to come. Please click on the link below.
The Closet
Maple Grove Middle School is fortunate to have the "Closet". We have received donations of clothing items, hygiene products, school supplies, shoes and more. As winter approaches we do have winter outerwear that families in need may have. If you are in need of this service, please reach out to your grade level counselor.
We are also in need of donations. As you are looking through your own winter gear (or if you have family/friends with growing middle schoolers of their own that may be willing to donate), please drop them off in the main office. We are looking for warm winter jackets, winter hats, scarves, gloves & mittens.
Thank you.
Hello from People Incorporated,
We are happy to announce that starting the 2023-24 school year, District 279 and People Incorporated has placed a licensed mental health therapist at our school, full-time. Michelle Rosenau, MA, LPCC will be on-site Monday-Friday, year round, to provide mental health therapy services to Maple Grove Middle School students.
Please click on the line below for more information.
Reminders for Parents/Guardians
Absences, Appointments, Attendance - What to Do...
ABSENCES
If your child is going to be late or absent from school, please call the school with the reason for the absence. The telephone call eliminates the need to send a note with your student when he/she returns to school. Excused absences consist of illness, medical appointments, and family emergency situations such as a funeral. Oversleeping, missing the bus, or skipping school are not excused and are considered truancy.
MGMS 24 Hour Attendance Line: 763-315-7603.
APPOINTMENTS/EARLY RELEASE - HERE IS WHAT YOU DO
1. Send a note with your student in the morning
2. When the student gets to school they go to Student Services to get a white pass
3. At the stated time on the pass, your student leaves class and comes to the office with the white pass and signs out in the main office
4. The person picking up can wait in the car (very helpful on cold winter days)
If you didn't send a note, you will need to come in with your driver's license and we will call your student down when you arrive. This procedure is in place to ensure student safety.
ATTENDANCE
If you received a call saying your child was absent one or more periods, please check your ParentVue account for the period your student was absent. Have your child talk to the teacher for the class that they were marked absent. The teacher will then communicate with our attendance person.
3 Accounts Parents Need to Have
We have three accounts parents should have; ParentVue, Schoology and EduTrak. ParentVue allows you to see attendance, testing scores and report cards (we do not mail them out). Schoology allows you to see assignments and communicate with the teachers. EduTrak is how you add money to your student's lunch account, pay fees for sports, or other fines. Attached below is a document that will help you set up accounts and answer any questions you may have.
Who to Contact
School Phone: 763-315-7600...............................Website: https://mgms.district279.org/
Attendance: 763-315-7603………………………………..Transportation: 763-391-7244
6th Grade
Jennifer Hinker, Assistant Principal.....Email: HinkerJ@district279.org
Kaia Paquin, Counselor 6th Grade.......Email: PaquinK@district279.org
7th Grade
Jason Olson, Assistant Principal……..Email: Olsonj@district279.org
Katie Gerdts, Counselor 7th Grade......Email: GerdtsK@district279.org
8th Grade
Patrick Smith, Principal………………….Email: SmithPatrick@district279.org
Megan Woods, Counselor 8th Grade...Email: :WoodsM@district279.org
Student Management Specialists Assist With All Grades
Candice Ledman - (Grade 6) - Email: LedmanC@district279.org
Levy Jones (Grade 7) - Email: JonesL2@district279.org
Nathanial Davies (Grade 8) – Email: DaviesN@district279.org
District Tip Line.........763-265-3636