• Calendar of Upcoming Events
  
• Minnesota's Teacher of the Year
  
• AVID Information
• Black History Month
  
• Volunteer Information
  
• Order Your Yearbook by April 7
• Weekend Food
• Absences & Appointments - What To Do
  
• Moving or Attending Another School
• Who to Contact

• UPCOMING
• February 20 - NO SCHOOL for Students - Presidents' Day
  
• February 23 - District Orchestra Festival Concert is at OMS 7:00 PM
• February 27 - PACT Meeting 7-8:30 PM

• A LOOK AHEAD
• March 1 - 8th Grade Band Pops Concert 7:00 PM
  
• March 9 - Last Day of Trimester II
• March 10 - NO SCHOOL for Students - Mark Reporting
• March 13 - Tri III begins
• District Jazz Festival at MGSH
• March 20-24 - School Spirit Week -
• March 20 - PACT Meeting 7-8:30 PM
• March 23 - MGMS Grove Singers Concert 7:00 PM
• March 27-31 - Spring Break - No School

Maple Grove Middle School is proud to announce we have two educators that have been nominated for Minnesota Teacher of the Year. Melissa Engel is a sixth grade Social Studies Teacher, and Jennifer Hairrell is a seventh and eighth grade Spanish Teacher. There is an independent panel of leaders in the field of education, business, government, nonprofit and philanthropy who will read the candidate's portfolios and select a group of semifinalists. In March the panel will review additional material and select a group of finalists. The winner will be announced in May.

The AVID application window for the 2023-24 school year opens this week! AVID is a college preparatory elective class that is offered to 7th and 8th grade students by application. AVID is a rigorous, active, and collaborative environment where students have fun while building the skills they need to excel in high school and college. Most AVID students go on to take High Performance and Advanced Placement classes in high school. CLICK HERE to access our MGMS AVID website where you will find more information on the program and the AVID application!

Questions? Email Julia Fromm-Mohlencamp, AVID Coordinator

FrommJ@District279.org

Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history. Please see the attached links to read about some amazing people.

The weekly “Friday Emails” will give you a glimpse into what parent volunteer needs we have for the upcoming week. If you don’t see something that interests you, let me know and I will make sure to find something that works for you!

NEW-The CLOSET MGMS has what is called “The CLOSET” which offers school supplies, hygiene items, snacks and clothing to our students in need. It is accessed by students through the counselors and social workers often by referrals from teachers and staff. Items for the CLOSET are donated on a regular basis so housekeeping is always appreciated to keep the CLOSET organized and accessible for kids to find what they need. We need help with the following:

• Organize the shelving /rods by folding and straightening clothing.
• Removing empty hangers.
• Any clothes volunteers find on shelves or hanging that volunteers think there is no way a student would ever want that item; the item can be put in the beige canvas bag.

PACT (Parents and Community Together) What is PACT? Parents/guardians & Staff who are working to ensure that MGMS is a great place for students and their families!! Please join us for the first PACT meeting on Monday, February 27, 7- 8:30pm in the Media Center to learn how you can become involved. Use the link below to log into the meeting: https://mgms.district279.org/families/pact

If you know of other parents who would like to receive these emails and be included on the happenings in the hallways of MGMS, please have them email me dorna@district279.org to be added to next week’s emails.

**Please reply to me if you wish to be removed and/or do not have students at MGMs.

Thank you,

Andrea Dorn

Volunteer Coordinator

Capture your student's school memories by ordering a 2022-23 yearbook. It is a hardcover yearbook in full color. The price is $30 if you order by April 7th. To order, visit ybpay.com and enter the yearbook ID code: 10405523 or click the link below.

Maple Grove Middle School partners with Every Meal to provide weekend meal bags for families. Families may choose from three options structured around the USDA MyPlate standards. All bag types contain 4-5 pounds of nutritious, non-perishable food, including a variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and soups/entrees. Click here to enroll your student.

MGMS Counseling Department

• Please only drop off and pick up students at the curb.
• No students are allowed to walk through the parking lot for safety reasons
• Please watch carefully as you pull away from the curb as staff are crossing the parking lot
• Please do not drop off or pick up students in the second lane nearest the parking lot. That is only for cars passing through.

Thank you for keeping everyone safe.

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.

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.

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.

The Closet at MGMS is a place within our school where students in need/crisis can get clothing, school supplies and hygiene items. Students should speak with their counselor to access The Closet. The Closet operates from donations, and we are currently looking for donations of:

• Hairbrushes, combs, picks
• Body wash
• Toothpaste
• Bras size large and XLarge
• Female underwear sizes med, large, and xlarge
• Leggings- all sizes
• Male and Female Jogger pants all sizes

Thank you.

If you are moving or going to withdraw your student to attend another school, please notify the school office at 763-315-7600.

Thank you.

School Phone: 763-315-7600...............................Website: https://mgms.district279.org/

Attendance: 763-315-7603………………………………..Transportation: 763-391-7244

6th Grade

Jason Olson, Assistant Principal……..Email: Olsonj@district279.org

Katie Gerdts, Counselor 6th Grade......Email: GerdtsK@district279.org

7th Grade

Patrick Smith, Principal………………….Email: SmithPatrick@district279.org

Megan Woods, Counselor 7th Grade...Email: :WoodsM@district279.org

8th Grade

Jennifer Hinker, Assistant Principal.....Email: HinkerJ@district279.org

Kaia Paquin, Counselor 8th Grade.......Email: PaquinK@district279.org

Student Management Specialists Assist With All Grades

Nathanial Davies (Grade 7 & 8 A-L) – Email: DaviesN@district279.org

Levy Jones (Grade 6 & 8 M-Z) - Email: JonesL@district279.org

District Tip Line.........763-391-8660