Edition 1 Week of 08/27
Edition 1, August 2023
Here we go!
First day for 6th grade: Tuesday, August 29th
First day for 7th and 8th grade: Wednesday, August 30th
Doors open: 9:05am
Dismissal: 3:55pm
From the Desk of Ms. Hicks
We are extremely excited to welcome our students back to school this week. The summer was hectic with hundreds of construction workers working 7 days a week to enhance our building. The new front office is coming together nicely, and the updated lighting and ceiling tiles make the school feel much brighter. The school is still a work in progress and will continue throughout this school year.
Besides enhancing our building, our team has focused on structures to help students focus, learn and grow. One new structure is our morning schedule where students will have a combination of advisory, academic help opportunities and clubs. More information can be found further down in this newsletter. Another big adjustment will be our updated cell phone policy! Please continue reading below to see specifics on the new procedures for students that violate the policy of “OFF AND AWAY ALL DAY”.
The first day of school has always been my favorite day of the school year. Unfortunately, I broke my foot, needed surgery and am recovering for a few more days, so my first day with the students will be on Wednesday, September 6! Please tell your kids that I can’t wait to return and welcome them back myself!
Thank you PTA for our Welcome Back Breakfast
Thank you to our PTA for sponsoring our welcome back breakfast! It was a wonderful treat and a great way to start our year! Thank you!
Thank you Luci Martin
The start of the school year can be difficult for some. Please know our counselors are here for our students. If your student would like to speak with their counselor, please have them reach out to their grade level counselor below.
6th Grade Counselor
Ms. Weiss dweiss@aacps.org
7th Grade Counselor
Ms. Barnett cmbarnett@aacps.org
8th Grade Counselor
Ms. McFadden cmcfadden@aacps.org
Cougar Calendar
SAVE THE DATE - 9/7 (6:00-8:00pm)
Back to School Night Information
First day for 6th grade is August 29th; students will report to the cafeteria where they will receive their schedule. (Don't worry parents, we will have teachers and staff assisting students with finding their teachers and locations all day.)
First day for 7th and 8th grade students is August 30th; Students will report to their Advisory teacher (period 7). Please have your student check their student portal to find their schedule Student/Parent Portal (available late August).
Make sure your student knows their address and community name. At the end of the day, we help those students who do not remember which bus they are riding by finding their bus based on their address/community name. Bus schedules can be found here.
August 29th will be an A day and August 30th will be B day. For a full A/B DAY CALENDAR click here.
More information can be found on the Bates Website. Check our websites for Uniform Policy, Bell Schedules and more!
Looking for assistance in Spanish? Click HERE.
- AACPS has sent emails asking families to update their Emergency Card Verification Form. Please complete this as soon as possible to ensure we have the most up to date contact and safety information on file for your student. If you need assistance with pin #'s, please contact the office at 410-263-0270. Click here to begin form.
- Go to www.aacps.org/buses to locate your student’s bus route. Have your student arrive at their bus stop a few minutes early on the first day and be patient if the bus is late! Car riders, please see diagram below for drop off procedures.
- Charge your students’ Chromebook. Students should bring their Chromebooks to school EVERY DAY including Day 1!
- Mark your calendars for September 7th from 6-8pm for Back to School Night!
- Students will have to pay for school lunch this school year. Go ONLINE to sign up for FREE and REDUCED LUNCH. Important school funding is determined by Free and Reduced Lunch numbers.
Bell Schedule for 2023-2024
Check out what is NEW with our ADVISORY BLOCK (UPDATED 08/27)
Advisory Block
Monday: Meaningful Monday & Community Circles
Students will receive social and emotional lessons each Monday with their Advisory teacher.
Tuesday/Thursday: Academic Support Time
Students will be able to receive extra time with two selected teachers each week. This is a great time to get extra help, complete missing assignments, or complete upcoming assignments and of course complete i-Ready.
Wednesday: Clubs
Students will select a club opportunity for each quarter. Those students will report to their assigned club every Wednesday after homeroom.
Friday: Focus Friday & Community Circles
Students will review grades, absences, missing assignments, prepare goals for the upcoming week and determine which teachers they will meet with on Tuesday/Thursday for additional help. All students will utilize the Tuesday/Thursday time for extra academic enrichment.
NEW Cell Phone Policy
Please take the time to read the NEW cell phone policy with your student. This policy will be discussed with the students during their advisory lessons in school. The number one distraction and barrier to a majority of our students' learning and success is an increased need to be connected to their cell phones at all times. Please speak with your students as they are required to keep cell phones off and away throughout the school day (this includes air pods, iPhone watches, etc.). If your student needs to call home, they may ask their teacher for a pass to the assistant principal offices and use the phone in that office. Please support us by discussing the attached form with your student.
Supply List
General Middle School Supplies:
Backpack to carry school belongings to and from home (to store in locker for the day)
String bag (students are allowed to carry this throughout the day)
AACPS Issued Chromebook, charger
Headphones compatible with Chromebook
One 3-inch binder
8 dividers
Pencils (2 Packs)
Black and blue pens
Colored pencils
Pencil pouch for binder
Erasers
Ruler
Glue stick
4 Packs of loose leaf paper (keep 3 packs at home to refill)
Combination lock
Other supplies may be needed as requested by teachers
Chromebooks
Please bring your chromebooks to school even on the first day! Please charge your chromebook each day before school. If you have lost your charger or would like an extra one for home, please use the below link to order. We have also attached a chromebook quick fix sheet to help you when you have problems with your chromebooks.
Purchase a charger:
Uniform Information
Still Time to Purchase Uniforms in the Gym Lobby
Monday, August 28: 9am - 2pm
Tuesday, August 29: 9am - Noon
All students at Bates Middle School are required to wear a uniform to school daily! Shirts must be purchased from the school. The color of the uniform shirt is determined by grade level.
6th grade – Black Polos
7th grade – Royal Blue Polos
8th grade – Gray and/or Purple Polos
All students wear uniform style pants, shorts, skirts and/or skorts in either khaki (tan), black or navy. Uniform style pants/shorts/skirts are readily available for purchase from local and online retailers such as Old Navy and JCPenny. The Bates-issued logo polos are priced at $9 (Purple Polos $5). Bates outerwear includes Bates-issued sweatshirts (cost $12). Occasionally we will hold “Spirit Days” which enables students some fun options (i.e., jeans and jerseys).
Students, we hear you! We have had many requests by our students for a plaid uniform skirt. We have found an option on Amazon that we have approved. If you would like to purchase a plaid skirt, we have approved the plaid lilac or purple option at this link (as well as plain khaki, navy, or black). Click here to purchase!
Safety Reminders for a Successful Year
Drop off and Pick Up
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 above, 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. For everyone's safety, no parents/guardians are to drop off or pick up any students in the bus loop. Only buses in the bus loop. Thank you for helping to keep our students safe!
Speed Limit 5mph
Please remember the speed limit is 5mph around the Bates campus. Please reduce your speed as the students are not always paying attention.
Don't get a Ticket!
You are not allowed to turn left from 8 am to 10 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.
Morning Carpool Drop Off
Wiley H. Bates staff will be outside with your children starting at 8:55am. Once you see staff members outside, you may begin student drop off. Please allow your children out of the car where they will wait with their peers outside with staff until 9:05am. You do not need to wait until 9:05am to let your child out of the car. This will allow for the carpool line to keep moving.
Afternoon Carpool Pick Up
The dismissal bell is at 3:55pm. If you are picking up your student, please arrive no later than 4:10pm. Staff at Bates will be leaving at that time each day so please arrange to pick up no later than 4:10pm.
Students Walking to and from the Parking Lot
Please remind your student to always use the crosswalk when trying to walk to and from the school building. In the mornings and afternoons, there is a lot of traffic and we can not have students walking in between buses or darting in front of cars. Let's use the crosswalks and be safe!
When Entering the Building
If you need to come to Wiley H. Bates, you will be asked to show ID each and every time. You must present ID in order to gain access to the building. If you forget your ID, you will be asked to retrieve it prior to entering the building. Please adhere to this policy.
The Bates Way
Please see below for our school-wide policies.
Student Absences
Whenever your child is absent, you must provide a note of explanation within three days of your child’s return to school. Absences due to illness in excess of 5 days shall be verified by a physician’s note and submitted to the front office. If you need to report your student absent for a partial day or for the entire day, you may send in a note to the office or submit a note through PowerSchool. (Instructions below)
Early Dismissals
Please remember when picking up your student for an early dismissal, you must present ID each and every time. All early dismissals must be completed prior to 3:30pm so not to interfere with bus arrival.
Only custodial parents/guardians may pick up the student unless we have a written note from the custodial parent allowing someone else to pick up their child. If a note is not received, a phone call to the parents/guardians will need to happen. If we are unable to reach the parents/guardians, we will not be able to release the student. This is an AACPS policy and please understand this is for the safety of our students.
Any request for an early dismissal to be picked up by someone other than the custodial parents/guardians, you MUST write a note and have your student drop it off at the main office or submit an online request through PowerSchool. (Instructions below)
How to Submit ONLINE Attendance Notes - Absences or Early Dismissals
Absences must be communicated within 3 days of the absence(s). The parent/guardian may send in a written note explaining the absence or complete the online form in the Parent Portal. When a student is absent five (5) consecutive days, a doctor’s note is also required.
Here are the instructions if you would like to submit an online absence/early dismissal note through Parent Portal:
From your phone:
1. Select your PowerSchool app on your phone
2. If you have multiple students at AACPS, make sure the correct student is selected in the top right-hand corner.
3. At the bottom right of the screen, select "... More".
4. Select Forms
5. Select 2023-20024 AACPS - Absence or Early Dismissal Form
6. Enter the information about the absence or early dismissal on the form and submit.
From your desktop:
1. Go to AACPS.org
2. Select Student/Parent Portal tab at the top of the screen
3. Click on PowerSchool in the right side of your screen
4. Make sure you are on your parent account. You should see your name in the top right of the screen.
5. If you have multiple kids at AACPS, make sure you select your student that you are writing your note for (located on the blue bar towards the top)
6. Select Forms
7. Select 2023-2024 AACPS - Absence or Early Dismissal Form.
8. Enter the information about the absence or early dismissal on the form and submit.
Any questions, please contact the front office.
PDF instructions attached below.
Lunch Delivery Policy
Bates Middle School WILL NOT accept deliveries from any restaurant or third-party vendor like DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, etc. Students and parents may not arrange for those services to provide food to students during the school day. If a parent is unable to drop off a lunch for their student, we will provide them with a meal from the cafeteria. Additionally, parents bringing bulk food drop-offs (lunch for your student and some of their friends) will not be accepted or fast food drop offs as this becomes a huge distraction for others in our lunchroom. Please limit any lunch drop-offs to your student only, and only in the rare instance of forgetfulness.
Health Room Policies
1. If your student is not feeling well, they must report to the health room. If the nurse requests the student to go home, our nurse will contact you directly. Please do not pick up your student because your student texts you they are not feeling well. If they contact you and mention they are feeling sick, please direct them to the health room to be evaluated. Our nurses can evaluate and make proper recommendations whether the student will need to go home.
2. If your child will need medication available during the school day, please download this form and have your physician complete the medication order. All medications, including over-the-counter medications, require a school medication form, completed by both the parent and the physician. All medication must be brought to the Health Room by an adult. Do not send any medication to school with your child! A physician’s order and Health Room approval is required before a student may self carry emergency medication in school. Please remind your students they are not allowed to take medicine on their own or provide medicine to other students per the student handbook. (This includes Advil, Midol, Dayquil, Tylenol, etc.)
Additional Free Vaccination Clinics
WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN THE BATES PTA
Welcome, families! Whether you are new to Bates or your student is returning, we would like to invite you to become a part of the Bates PTA for the 2023-2024 school year.
What does the Bates PTA do?
The PTA supports our school in many different ways:
- We celebrate our students with quarterly Honor Roll Celebrations, supporting grade-level Student of the Month awards, and contributing to our 8th Grade Promotion Picnic.
- We enrich student experiences through grants that provide funding for assemblies and field trips.
- We enhance our school by providing things like our school mascot costume and an additional water bottle filling station.
- We support our families through our informative monthly meetings, our newsletters and PTA Facebook group, and funding the subscription service for our school newsletter.
- And we support our hard-working teachers and staff through staff appreciation events.
What can you do?
- Join the PTA! We know that every family's circumstances are different, so we offer different levels of membership. Choose the level that meets your needs best. Higher levels of membership mean we need to do less fundraising to meet our goals.
- Volunteer! We can always use more hands, in whatever way suits you best! What talents or experience can you contribute?
- Attend a meeting! Most of our meetings are online, via zoom or phone, but please mark your calendars for our first meeting of the year, which will be an in-person "Meet and Mingle" on Thursday, October 5th. Come get to know your PTA board and fellow Bates parents and guardians. More details coming soon!
Questions?
Contact the PTA on the web at BatesPTA.org; via email BatesMiddleSchoolPTA@gmail.com; or text 443-782-5423. We can't wait to connect with you!
PTA BOARD 2023-2024
Laura Graham-Booth, President
Roberto Garza, Vice President
Norma McCowin-Reynolds, Treasurer
Colleen Zelenakas, Secretary
Help Support Bates Middle School
K&B True Value - Cash For Schools Program
From August 24th through October 31, donations you make through K&B True Value will be matched twice by the Sponsor Partners above. Please click on this link or scan the QR code above to donate to Bates Middle School. Thank you!
#BePresent - A Community and School Partnership
#BePresent is a community/school partnership designed to increase and improve community relationships within schools. Mentors and volunteers will assist school-based staff and administration with ensuring a safe and orderly school environment by being present during the school’s daily function. Mentors and volunteers are invited to have a greater presence in schools as a way to enhance relationships and make school operations safer and more efficient.
If you would like more information on this pilot program and/or be a part of the program, please click here for more information. We would love to have you!
Stay Connected
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about transportation?
Please forward any questions to our administrator, Mr. Walker at jewalker1@aacps.org
Do you have questions about your student's attendance?
Please contact Christine Clark at cclark3@aacps.org.
Do you have specific student concerns, ie. behavior, scheduling, academic performance, etc. please contact your grade level administrator or counselor:
6th Grade
Administrator: Mr. Walker jewalker1@aacps.org
Counselor: Ms. Weiss dweiss@aacps.org
7th Grade
Administrator: Mr. Lustgarten jlustgarten@aacps.org
Counselor: Ms. Barnett cmbarnett@aacps.org
8th Grade
Administrator: Ms. Adkins ktadkins@aacps.org
Counselor: Ms. McFadden cmcfadden@aacps.org
Do you have an emergency concern (after hours)?
Please contact our Principal, Katie Hicks, at 302-314-6146.
Around the Community
Navy Men's Soccer Back to School Night
Anne Arundel County River Days
Looking for a great way to end the summer? Anne Arundel County is sponsoring a free River Days event at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 27. The event if free and you can register at www.aacounty.org/riverdays.
AACPL September Events
Families supporting Families (6-8pm Virtual Sessions)
9-week group program where families learn, change, grow, and receive support and encouragement from other families and a trained meeting leader. RSVP by Sept 15th. For more information, contact:
Takiya Green, MSW 443-462-9711
Carmelina Gilberto, LMSW 410-693-2878
Rosalind Hill-Kane, Program Manager 410-421-8439
AHS Out of the Darkness Walk
AHS Out of the Darkness Walk
To benefit the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention.
When: Saturday, Sept 16
Time: Gather at 9am; Walk at 10am
Where: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis
Join a Team: Scan the QR Code above or click this link
AACPS is hiring for all positions. Click HERE to apply.
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