Hello MCMS Families,

Happy August! I hope your summer is going well. While this is the longest summer we will have in a while, it is still flying by! I hope you have all had some time to recharge, regroup, and refocus as we have an exciting 22-23 school year ahead! While it is not quite time to put on those new school shoes and head out of the door to the bus stop, we wanted to send you a few updates and reminders that may help to prepare you for the start of school.

As in previous years, we are excited to continue our Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) program. We received positive feedback from our learners and we are excited to continue this journey! We will also continue our Learning Experience Opportunities (LEOs). Learners will get to pick their LEO for the first semester in September.

Please check out the rest of the newsletter for a more detailed description of all you can expect in the 22-23 school year! Our next newsletter will be sent out on September 1st. We look forward to the 22-23 school year!

We are Barons... We are Difference Makers!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We appreciate your continued support!

Sincerely,

Krystle Nemeth

Manheim Central Middle School will be at Manheim's First Thursday on August 4th, 2022! Come check out our table for some fun giveaways! If your middle schooler shares a book they are reading with us, they can put their name in for a prize! The winner will be announced on the first day of school! We will also have some amazing books to give away to all learners! We hope to see you there!

Learners from Manheim Central Middle School had a wonderful time exploring the Teton National Park. Check out the learner-written blog below!

https://mcmstetontrip.wordpress.com/

Feel free to follow the trip Instagram account as well. @mcmstetontrip

Look for information at Back to School Night for information about the 2024 Teton Trip!

Mrs. Reinert-DImera is no longer with the middle school. We wish her well on her next endeavors! We are currently in the process of hiring a new Assistant Principal at Manheim Central Middle School. More information will be shared once we conclude the interview process.

We would like to welcome our NEW MCMS Learning Facilitators and wish the best of luck to our current Middle School Learning Facilitators moving into new positions this school year! Some of the facilitators on this list started mid-year last year.

• Shane Neiffer - 8th Grade Science
• Kandis Sharp - 7th Grade Science
• Ashley Stank - Moved from 7th Grade to 5th Grade Math
  
• Jonas Atkinson - Itinerant Emotional Support (board approved in August)
• Janelle Groff - 5th and 6th Learning Support (Janelle will be on maternity from the start of the year through January 2nd)
• Alexander Schweizer - Long-Term Substitute for Music (Megan Wagner)
• Kelly Shreiner - 7th/8th Grade Learning Support Para (board approved in August)
  
• Nicolle Maioriello - 7th Grade Math (pending board approval in August)
  
• Heather Ginder - PCA (pending board approval in August)
  
• Sally McCauley - PCA (shift of position)
  
• Denise Hess - 5/6 Learning Support (shift of position)

We are currently hiring a 5th and 6th grade Art Teacher as well as an 8th Grade ELA teachedr.

We will be holding building tours for our new 5th-grade learners and any new learners coming to MCMS for the 22-23 school year.

The Building Tours will be held on:

• August 11th, 2022 1:00 - 3:00 PM
• August 18th, 2022 1:00-3:00 PM

No RSVP is needed, just stop by if you would like a tour. Our fantastic 8th Grade Web Leaders will be leading these tours.

At MCMS we will hold our Back to School Night for grades 5-8 on August 30th, 2022 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM.

Please be on the lookout for more specific details about the evening soon!

At Manheim Central School District our mission is: "Ignite Passion and Purpose to Empower Difference Makers". In order to reach this goal, we want to ensure that we are developing difference makers! The traits we have established for what makes a difference-maker are as follows:

• Innovator
• Reflective Learner
• Critical Thinker
• Responsible Citizen
• Collaborator

Our focus as a district for the 22-23 school year will be on the "Responsible Citizen" Difference Maker trait. We will highlight learners each month based on these specific traits! We will continue to share more information about our Difference Maker traits throughout the school year!

Schedules will be available for you to view on Home Access Center and Schoology in approximately two weeks. Please let us know if you have any trouble viewing your child's schedule. To access your child’s schedule and grades throughout the year you will access Home Access Center. If you do not have your username and password, you can contact the middle school. Also, an individualized letter with usernames and passwords will be emailed to you in approximately two weeks.

Please visit Manheim Central’s homepage. Scroll down the page and click on 'Parents Quick Links'. Click on ‘Home Access Center'. After inputting your username and password, you will be able to view your child’s academic progress. Grades are updated every Tuesday and Thursday at 1:00 PM throughout the school year.

Two years ago, Manheim Central Middle School began using the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) framework. This framework focuses on implementing proactive, building-wide teaching, support, and reinforcement for encouraging positive behavior in all learners. We will continue the PBIS initiative this school-year, beginning the first day of school. On the first day of school, building-wide expectations will be presented to learners in all common areas and our kick-off assembly will detail many of the positive rewards able to be earned by learners exhibiting the positive traits of a Difference Maker! For more information on PBIS, please visit https://www.pbis.org/. You will also be able to access PBIS information specific to MCMS on our website soon!

There will be many opportunities to volunteer here at Manheim Central Middle School! Whether it is helping out at school functions, chaperoning field trips, or helping out a club or sports team, we welcome volunteers as partners in your child’s educational experience. Please note, all volunteers need the proper clearances and paperwork on file with the district. This process can take some time, so we encourage anyone wishing to volunteer to begin filling out the forms now. Forms and instructions are located on Manheim Central’s district homepage under ‘Parents’ and ‘Volunteering’ (see link below). Please note, once initial clearances have been obtained, they are good for 5 years.

Manheim Central Middle School’s dress code policy can be found in full in the MCMS Handbook. The following represents the essential components of this policy:

All clothing must cover stomach, back, chest, upper thighs, and undergarments. Shoes must be worn at all times. No bare feet, slippers, or socks only are permitted.

School officials will impose limitations on dress or attire which interferes with the teaching and learning process, disrupts the educational climate, or constitutes a health or safety hazard. Learners dressed inappropriately will be required to change. Repeated violations of the dress code may result in further disciplinary action.

Two processes were implemented at MCMS to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of all learners. Safe 2 Say Something is a state-wide initiative that allows learners to anonymously report safety issues. Reports can be made which come directly to school personnel as well as law enforcement which allow for a quick response to a potentially life-threatening situation such as suicide ideation, drug use, etc. All middle school learners were trained on this reporting system last school year. This year, 5th grade learners as well as any learners new to our school will be trained so they are aware how to access and use the system. The website can be found at https://www.safe2saypa.org/ although tips can be reported through a phone call or available app download.

Additionally, our MCMS Learner Appointment Scheduling system helps to make it more accessible for learners to report something or ask for help. This system allows learners to schedule an appointment with the administration or one of our school counselors. These appointments can be academic, socio-personal, or safety-related. This is just another tool that MCMS gives learners to increase their ability to self-advocate as well as handle issues and conflict in a healthy and proactive way. We encourage all learners feeling overwhelmed by an issue to schedule an appointment. Please also feel free to encourage your child to access this!

We are excited to announce that Manheim Central Middle School will be engaging in our Baron Breakfasts for the 22-23 school year! Baron Breakfast centers around our core components of being a Difference Maker. One parent with their child will be encouraged to attend! We will communicate specifics on how to sign up closer to the date of each event. The schedule for the 2022-2023 Baron Breakfast Events at MCMS is outlined below.

Dates for the Baron Breakfast events for the 22-23 School Year are:

• September 22nd, 2022
• November 10th, 2022
• January 26th, 2023
• March 23rd, 2023
• May 25th, 2023

If you would like to donate for any of these events, please reach out to Mr. Huber: huberma@manheimcentral.org. Thank you!

Pennsylvania law requires students to have updated immunizations. All learners entering grades Kindergarten, 7th grade, and 12th grade are required to have immunizations prior to the start of school. The deadline to submit all updated immunization records is October 31st. It is important that you provide the school with a copy of the updated immunization record as soon as possible.

7th graders are required to have:

• Tdap
• Meningococcal (MCV4)

Information on free immunization clinics for those who do not have insurance coverage can be found on the district website. Contact the school nurse with any questions. The deadline to submit all updated immunization records is October 31 in order to avoid exclusion from school.

Medical forms for mandated physical and dental exams, medication orders, and actions plans for the 22-23 school year were sent home with designated learners at the end of the school year. Please check with your child to see if a form or envelope has been sent home. All forms may be returned to the school during the summer office hours, scanned and emailed to the school nurse (forwooda@manheimcentral.org), or returned on the first day of school. We greatly appreciate your attention to this matter!

Looking to get more involved in your child's school? Enjoy helping to plan events and strengthen our school community? Join our Manheim Central Middle School PTO! Info can be found on our website or by clicking this link.

Meetings are scheduled bi-monthly at 7:00 PM in the Middle School Media Center and via Zoom. We meet on the following dates this year:

• September 8th, 2022
• November 10th, 2022
• February 9th, 2023
• April 6th, 2023
• May 11th, 2023

Please reach out if you are interested in joining!

Amazon Smiles:

Did you know you can support Manheim Central Middle School PTO by shopping on Amazon? Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Manheim Central Middle School Parent-Teacher Organization. Be sure to make Manheim Central Parent-Teacher Organization your supporting charity if you want to be part of this. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Support Manheim Central Middle School PTO today by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com

Please see the information below to access your child's Summer Reading plan! Your child should access the plan for the grade they will be in for the 22-23 school year.

• 5th Grade:This summer, the 5th grade teachers challenge you, a future 5th grader, to read at least one book! In the fall, you will have the opportunity to share the best book you read. For book suggestions, click this link. 5th grade summer reading

• 6th Grade: (see attachment below)
• 7th Grade: Hello Seventh Graders!! Summer is a wonderful time to refresh and rejuvenate from a year of hard work! It’s also the perfect time to renew or discover your love of reading. Use the following slideshow to guide you through this summer reading activity. We are looking forward to seeing where you like to read. Have fun. Make Summer Reading a Snap!
• 8th Grade: Attention 8th graders: This is a friendly reminder that you will need to read at least one novel this summer. If needed, please check out a book from an 8th grade ELA classroom before leaving for break. You will have a reading activity using your novel to complete within the first week of school next year. Happy reading!!

August 11th & 18th - Building Tours 1:00 - 3:00 PM

August 24th - 5th Grade Orientation 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

August 30th, 2022 - 5th-8th Grade Back to School Night 6:00 - 8:00 PM

August 31th, 2022 - Open House at MCMS - 1:00 - 3:00 PM (with book swap & ice cream social)

September 6th, 2022 - First Day of School

September 8th, 2022 - PTO Meeting @ 7:00 PM in the MCMS Media Center

September 21st/22nd, 2022 - Hearing Screening

September 22nd, 2022 - Baron Breakfast

September 30th, 2022 - Picture Day

Our school is partnering with Weis Markets in the Weis 4 School Program where we can earn money for our school simply by shopping. When you shop at Weis, scan this barcode to register your Weis Club Card with the middle school. You only need to do this once.