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Murray Messenger 3.17.23
A Note From The Principal Dear MHMS Families, We are so excited to present our musical production, High School Musical Jr. this weekend. Tonight is opening night with a show starting at 7:00 p.m. Saturday’s 7:00 p.m. production will be an open curtain viewing, where audience members will have the opportunity to see the backstage crew in action. And, the final performance will be on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Admission is $5.00 per person, and we ask that all students are accompanied by an adult. We have just two weeks until the end of the third quarter. Students have been working hard throughout the quarter. Take time to have a conversation with your student about finishing the quarter strong. Check Canvas this weekend to see if there are any outstanding assignments that they can still submit. I wanted to take a moment to share a few reminders about school-wide expectations, so that parents/guardians can help support our school community. First, we continue to see an uptick of students using their personal devices. Please be reminded that students are not permitted to use their personal devices at all during the school day, included but not limited to class time, in the hallways,and during lunch and recess time. We are finding that some of our parents/guardians are sending students text messages during the school day, and students feel obligated to engage with their devices when they see a message from a parent/guardian. If you have a message that needs to be shared with your student during the school day, please call the school, and our front office staff will assist in ensuring that your student gets the message in the most appropriate manner. Second, please be reminded of the HCPSS Dress Code Policy. Among other things, students are not permitted to wear clothing that displays anything affiliated with tobacco, drugs, or alcohol or that depicts violence or weapons. Additionally, clothing that reveals or exposes the chest, midriff, pelvic/groin area and/or buttocks is not permitted. Finally, we have found that many students are snacking throughout the school day, which unfortunately is causing spills and debris to be an issue throughout the building. Breakfast is available daily to all students, and students are given the opportunity to eat their breakfast during the first ten minutes of their period one class. Additionally, students are permitted to eat in the cafeteria during their designated lunch period. And our 8th graders, because their lunch shift begins so late in the day, are permitted to have a small snack either during their period 4 or 5 class. Other than these times, students are not allowed to eat. I want to thank you all for reviewing these expectations with your students for the betterment of our school community. Sincerely,
Lisa R. Smithson
Principal
Murray Hill Middle School
Important Dates:
MHMS News: MAP Reports: Home report PDFs for the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Winter testing are now available in HCPSS Connect. The assessment was given to students in grades 1-8 in reading and mathematics. Reports can be viewed/downloaded by Parents/guardians by taking the following steps:
Note: Students in Algebra I/II or Geometry, and English 8 G/T do not participate in MAP testing. If your child did not participate in the Winter administration, a report may still appear based on the previous administration. Additional details on MAP testing and how to interpret the report can be found online. Spring Pictures: Spring Pictures are scheduled to take place during the school day on Friday, March 24th. Only students who pre-purchase a picture package online, or bring the picture package envelope with payment on the day of spring pictures will be photographed. Picture envelopes and package prices will be sent home with students today. MHMS Memory Book Sales: It’s time to order your 2023-2024 Memory Book! Students have been working hard to create a great keepsake from this school year. A variety of events, student groups, and activities have been included! The online ordering system is open and you can place your order now to reserve your copy of our Memory Book. The cost of our Memory Book is $20. Memory Book sales will close on April 14. To ensure you get a copy, purchase it now! Directions for ordering online:
Clothing To Cash Recycling Program: MHMS is a part of the Clothing To Cash Recycling Program. The program not only supports environmental efforts, it also serves as a fundraiser for our school. MHMS earns a cash payment for every pound of collected items. So please, bring your used clothing, shoes and other items in plastic bags, and place them in our collection bin located at the entrance of our parking lot. Clothing For Cash.png Late Arrivals to School: We are experiencing a high volume of late arrivals in the mornings. Please be reminded that doors open to students at 8:15, and students are considered tardy to school at 8:25. If your student is consistently arriving to school after the 8:25 late bell, they are consistently missing instruction in their period one class. We monitor student arrival on a monthly basis, and those who are chronically tardy to school (four or more tardies in the month), will be assigned morning detention. Early Dismissal From School: Please note that we will only be able to accommodate early dismissals before 2:55. This will ensure that any early dismissal students have been properly signed-out and have cleared the property before our 3:10 dismissal begins. Also, please be reminded that when picking up your student early, you must show ID, and if someone other than a legal parent/guardian is picking up a student, they must be listed as a person who can pick-up on Family File. Absences To School: If your student is going to be absent, please send a message to MHMSAbsence@hcpss.org. The message will go directly to Ms. Speiser, who manages our daily attendance. Please take time to review HCPSS’s Attendance Policy 9010. Secondary Student & Parent Handbook: All families are encouraged to take time to review The Secondary Student & Parent Handbook which includes the HCPSS Student Code of Conduct and other important policies/procedures. The handbook is posted on the school system website. MHMS reviewed the information listed HERE with all of our students during the first week of school. Stay Connected: Please stay connected to our Murray Hill Middle School Community by visiting our website frequently- MHMS Website. You can also follow our school community on Twitter- @hcpss_mhms. Also stay connected with all HCPSS news and information by visiting the HCPSS website and following @HCPSS on Twitter. MHMS PTA: Double Good Popcorn Fundraiser: Today is the FINAL DAY to support the MHMS PTA and order from the Double Good Popcorn Fundraiser; sales end at 8:00 p.m. TONIGHT. 1. Download the Double Good app 2. Enter our Event Code AEYQVD in the app 3. Create your Pop-Up Store 4. Share your popcorn link with friends and family The Double Good app is available for free on iOS and Android.
PTA 2022-2023 Membership: Please visit THIS LINK to obtain your MHMS PTA membership for the 2022-2023 school year. MHMS Spiritwear: MHMS Spiritwear is available to order online! Support our MHMS PTA and show your MHMS pride by purchasing today! Spiritwear can be customized and all merchandise will be mailed directly to the address of your choice. HCPSS News: Atholton High School Spring Musical- Spelling Bee: Come see Atholton High School’s Spring Musical, Spelling Bee (PG), March 23th-March 24th . Tickets must be purchased online: https://hcpss.booktix.com/view/99/71022cc7d6f42daa/ The Essence of Us Workshop Series: The Council of Elders of the Black Community of Howard County and the HCPSS Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have partnered to present "The Essence of Us: Chronicling the African American Experience," a workshop series geared toward middle and high school students that will provide a better understanding of African American history and how it is written. Workshops will be held both virtually and in-person. Participants will receive an email with details upon registering online. Virtual and in-person Workshops will take place on Saturdays (April 15 and May 13) from 10-11:00 a.m. HCPSS Gifted and Talented Summer Institute: HCPSS Gifted and Talented Summer Institutes for Talent Development is available to all HCPSS Middle School students and registration is open now! New classes this year include “Environmental Justice League,” a combination of policy making and entrepreneurship, “Crime Stoppers,” and “Adventures in Printmaking.” We have STEM classes such as "Civil Engineering" and humanities offerings like "Becoming a Historian." Check out our full course list here or on the HCPSS Summer Programs Website. Directions to register through HCPSS Connect are here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1382ja7snHr76LJnWvq9xAy5oEc_xUnHU/view. Classes run from June 26th-July 7th and July 10th-July 21st and are held at Burleigh Manor Middle School from 8:30am-12:30pm. Limited community bus stop locations will be available based on enrollment. Before and after care on site is available through Howard County Parks and Recreation. Registration is open until March 15th at 6pm. Scholarship opportunities are available. If you have any questions, please contact GTSummer@hcpss.org. |
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Murray Hill Middle School | 9989 Winter Sun Road, Laurel, MD 20723 | 410-880-5897 | mhms.hcpss.org |