Cougar Chronicle
Edition 2, August 2022
T'was the Night Before School Starts
We are excited and looking forward to a great 2022-2023 school year! The teachers have been working hard to prepare for your kids to arrive. Our 6th grade students will arrive for their first day Monday morning, August 29th, and our 7th and 8th grade students will arrive for their first day on Tuesday, August 30th. Please read below for all the information you will need for your first day at Wiley H. Bates Middle School.
We Are Back!
What will your first day look like?
6th grade students: 6th graders will line up and enter through the door by the flagpole. At 9:00am, students will be allowed to enter the building and will report directly to the cafeteria for their first day. Here they will be introduced to their Advisory teachers, given their schedule, and will be escorted to their classrooms where they will be taught "The Bates Way". Don't worry, we will walk through, step by step, the daily routines and expectations.
7th and 8th grade students: 7th graders will line up by the breezeway (the area between the two buildings). 8th graders will line up by the gymnasium entrance. At 9:00am, students will be allowed to enter the building and will report to their advisory teacher. Please have your students check PowerSchool for their schedule to find their advisory teacher. If your student is not sure or is having problems accessing PowerSchool, we will have staff available to help them. After advisory class, they will report to their other classes following the A day schedule.
What should you bring on your first day?
On the first day of school, please bring the following:
- Charged Chromebook
- Charger for the Chromebook
- 2-3" binder and other school supplies
- Lunch container or lunch money ($3/lunch)
- Combination lock for their assigned locker (we do have a limited number of locks for sale for $3) *** Helpful Hint: Practice using your combination lock ***
The Bates Binder
All students are required to have a 2-3" binder. To help students with our school-wide focus on organization, we will be teaching the kids how to organize and maintain their "Bates Binder" during their Advisory class. Please encourage your student to bring their binder and supplies to school on the first day.
What should you wear on your first day?
All students at Bates Middle School are required to wear a uniform to school daily!
6th grade – Black Polos
7th grade – Royal Blue Polos
8th grade – Purple Polos
All students wear uniform style pants, shorts, skirts and/or skorts in either khaki (tan), dark blue, or black.
If you are still in need of a uniform, you may purchase them on 08/29 and 08/30 from 8:30-9:30am. Cash and checks accepted only.
Transportation
Bus Schedules
Please review the aacps bus schedules to determine which bus your child will be riding. Please note the following buses are currently out of service:
149
159
376
Car Riders
Please review the procedure below for families who will be dropping off or picking up their children to or from school.
FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS, ONLY BUSSES IN BUS LANES!!!
Parents who are driving students to/from school should follow the above map to help us ensure student safety. The speed limit in the parking lot is 5 mph. Please note, as indicated in the picture below, that the traffic flows one way. If a car is still waiting for his/her student and there is space in front of you, please close the gap so that other cars can enter into the parking lot. Please comply with directions from staff members monitoring the parking lot. Students should NOT walk across the parking lot to your car. Thank you for helping keep our students safe!
Don't Get a Ticket!
You are not allowed to turn left from 7 am to 9 am from Spa Rd onto Carraway Lane. ACPD will, on occasion, sit near Maryland Hall and issue tickets for those who make an illegal left turn.
Bell Schedule
Breakfast/Lunch
Each morning, the kids will have the option to receive breakfast. They will need to enter their student id with the cafeteria staff to receive their items. For lunch, the students may bring their own food or they may purchase a lunch for $3. Again, they will need to enter their student id number in order to receive their lunch. Please ensure they know their student id numbers.
All students may apply to receive free or reduced price meals at AACPS. Please click here to apply online.
Student Absences
If you need to report your student absent for a partial day or for the entire day, please click on the image and complete the google form.
Ausencias de estudiantes
Si necesita informar que su estudiante estuvo ausente por un día parcial o por todo el día, haga clic en la imagen y complete el formulario de Google.
(These attendance forms can also be found on our Bates Website). If you have any questions regarding your student's attendance this school year, please contact Ms. Clark at cclark3@aacps.org.
Back to School Night
Please come to our open house where you can see your child's classrooms and meet their teachers!
Cougar Cart
Students have the opportunity to use their earned Bates Bucks to purchase school supplies from the cougar cart. If you have fun stuff you would like to donate, please drop off to the front office to the attention of Ms. Grimail (Cougar Cart).
From the Health Room
Parents/Guardians - Keep Your School Nurse Up to Date!
It is important to inform your school nurse about your child’s health conditions or other special health needs in order to plan for safe management at school. Examples of chronic health conditions that we are made aware of include but are not limited to: asthma, seizures, diabetes or life threatening allergies. Tell your school nurse about any changes in your child’s health or mobility status, or about any infectious disease.
Make sure to tell your school nurse about medications and medical treatments your child requires during the school day. Even though your middle school child may be capable of carrying and taking medication by themselves at home, they cannot do so in school. Maryland State Law prohibits children from carrying medication in schools without a completed doctor’s order, and if caught, students will be suspended. All medications, even over the counter medications or vitamins must be kept in the health room and must have a completed doctor’s order signed by both the doctor and the parent/guardian.
It is prohibited by Maryland State Law for us to have medication in the health room that was not brought in by a parent/guardian. We cannot give your child medication that was brought in by the student- even with permission over the phone. You may come to school to administer medication to your child.
Water bottles are allowed in school. Please be sure send your child in to school with a full bottle of water each day. Be sure to send in more water if the weather is going to be especially hot. Please talk to your student about not using the water bottle inappropriately (flipping the bottle, making distracting noises with bottle or when drinking, throwing water on other students, etc).
Remember to update emergency contact information. If we cannot contact you about your student’s health status this may delay much needed care or pick-up from school.
Any questions or health related concerns? Please contact your
School Nurse, Caitriona Massengale or your Health Assistant, Michele Kelley,
at 410-263-1428.
Working Together for a Safe and Healthy School Year!
School Health Forms can be found on the our website.
Counseling Corner
Main Office: 410-263-0270
Counseling Office: 410-263-4718
Grade 6: Ms. Barnett, cmbarnett@aacps.org
Grade 7: Ms. Darling, mdarling@aacps.org
Grade 8: Ms. Weiss, dweiss@aacps.org
To our Wonderful PTA
Thank you for hosting a Back to School Breakfast for our staff!
Why Join the PTA?
By joining the PTA, your membership:
- Provides for Honor Roll Celebrations each quarter
- Contributes to our 8th Grade Promotion Celebration
- Celebrates our teachers & thanks them for their hard work on behalf of our students
- Supports our Cougar Chronicle
- Funds additional grants for programs and activities at Bates MS
- Allows our PTA to benefit from Anne Arundel County, Free State, and National PTA affiliation and training
- And much more!
All PTA members receive a monthly newsletter with information about monthly PTA activities and opportunities, including information about our monthly meetings.
To join, just aim your phone at the code above or go to https://qrco.de/JoinBatesPTA
Questions? Email batesmiddleschoolpta@gmail.com or call/text us at 443-782-5423.
Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/batesmspta
Mark your calendars!
Please come to our first PTA meeting of the year!
The first meeting will be held online on September 22, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.
To join from your browser go to: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83556274105?pwd=UHM5V1NvU01JREFsM25aNFBjOGJJdz09
Meeting ID: 835 5627 4105
Passcode: Cougars
To join from your phone, please dial 301-715-8592 and enter
Meeting ID: 835 5627 4105
Passcode: Cougars (2684277)
We look forward to seeing you there!
(All future meetings will be the second Thursday of each month)
PTA BOARD 2022-2023
Laura Graham-Booth, President
Roberto Garza, Vice President
JC Johns, Treasurer
Colleen Zelenakas, Secretary
Thank you for volunteering and all you do for Bates Middle School! Questions, contact the PTA at BatesMiddleSchoolPTA@gmail.com
In the Community
Greetings from Dominion Hospital
Join Dominion Hospital experts for a FREE three-part educational webinar for parents, legal guardians, or educators and other school personnel wishing to learn about reducing stress and increasing resiliency in children and adolescents.
With students starting school this month, now is the time to manage back to school stress.
We welcome you to join us for one or for all three sessions to help support mental health and wellness during the return to school.
To register, scan the QR code below or email Ashley.Summers2@hcahealthcare.com to join this educational series.
Wiley H. Bates MIddle School
Christine Clark, Editor
We are better together!
Email: cclark3@aacps.org
Website: www.aacps.org/bates
Location: 701 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD, USA
Phone: 410 263-0270
Twitter: @whbatesaacps