Markham Message
Week of September 12, 2022
Principal's Note
Dear Markham Families,
I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend! The second week of school went very well and wrapped up nicely with Thursday's Welcome Back Picnic-it was wonderful seeing so many of you there!
In this week's newsletter, you'll find reminders about Picture Day, our 9/11 ceremony, information on the district's Schoology course, and more! As always, please review it and let me know if you have any questions!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Jocelyn V. Artinger
Principal
jartinger@mtlsd.netElementary Day Rotation
Monday, September 12: Day 5
Tuesday, September 13: Day 1
Wednesday, September 14: Day 2
Thursday, September 15: Day 3
Friday, September 16: Day 4; School Picture Day
Important Upcoming Dates
- September 12: 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony, 9:00 AM on the front lawn
- September 13: Homeroom Parent, Event Chair, & GLC Meeting 8:45-10:30 AM & PTA Meeting 9:15 AM
- September 15: Hispanic Heritage Month Begins
- September 16: School Picture Day
- September 22: Grades 2 & 4 Coffee at 8:45 AM
- September 23: Grades 1, 3, & 5 Coffee at 8:45 AM
- September 25: Rosh Hashana Begins
- September 26 through October 3: Read-A-Thon
- September 27: Rosh Hashanah Ends
Picture Day is Friday, September 16!
Our annual school pictures will be taken on Friday, September 16. . Order forms have been sent home with students and extra forms will be available on picture day. Class photos will be taken as well.
Please remember to:
- complete the order form and have your child bring it to school
make checks payable to Wayne’s World of Photography or complete the credit card information on the order form
have students come to school “ready” for their school pictures
A NOTE ABOUT smart WATCHES AND OTHER DEVICES...
As students have had to have an increased relationship with technology. Some of our students have Gizmo watches, Apple watches, or other devices that may be pertinent to them staying in contact with their family during their walk to and from school.
If your child has one of these devices, please remind them that during school, they should not be playing with, calling from watches, texting, etc. Students may be asked to leave their watches in their bookbags if it becomes a distraction or a violation of the District's cell phone policy.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me or your child's teacher. Thank you for your support!
Important Reminders:
Please see below for some reminders now that the first week has gotten underway!
- Dogs are not permitted on school grounds, especially during arrival and dismissal.
- The Markham campus is closed to the public during school hours for safety reasons.
- Please avoid the blacktop area during the moments before the dismissal transition so that children can utilize the outdoor spaces without interference during recess and P.E.
- Please do not send students into school with glass water bottles. They can shatter and injure students and staff.
- We recommend sending children to school with closed-toed shoes as they are a safer option for play during recess.
9/11 Rememberance Ceremony
We invite the Markham Circle to wear red, white, and blue on Monday in honor of Patriot Day and our 9/11 ceremony.
PTA Angel Fund
District News:
Schoology Course:
FAMILIES can sign into Schoology by going to app.schoology.com and signing in using the email address registered through PowerSchool.
Note: STUDENTS sign into Schoology using Clever, or at mtlsd.schoology.com with their Google account.
Once signed in, families can follow these directions to join a course.
The access code for Markham families to join MTLSD's Family Guide to Schoology is 7JM7-72TR-T9DD6.
Families with more than one student only need to join one course, though it is suggested to join a secondary course if the oldest student in that family is enrolled in one of our secondary schools.
If you have not received initial communication from Schoology about your account, email us at schoologysupport@mtlsd.net.
PTA NEWS:
PTA, GRADE LEVEL COORDINATOR, Homeroom Parents, AND COMMITTEE CHAIR MEETINGS
If you signed up to be a Grade Level Coordinator, Homeroom Parent, or a PTA Committee Chair, please join us at 8:45 on Tuesday, Sept 13 in the MPR. Please enter through the MPR door.
Directly following this meeting is the PTA General Meeting at 9:15 in the MPR. Please join us for information on the Markham PTA! (If you are just joining for this meeting, also please enter through the MPR door.)
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL PICTURES NEEDED
READ-A-THON IS COMING!
Stay tuned for the Markham READ-A-THON, our yearly reading challenge/ fundraiser. Packets will be distributed Sept 16.
ODYSSEY OF THE MIND IS BACK
Odyssey of the Mind is an international creative problem-solving program and competition for students in grades K-college. It fosters teamwork, divergent thinking, risk-taking, creativity - and much more! Students work in small teams and solve open-ended problems. They learn to think on their feet, analyze results, & see things differently! It's FUN & CHALLENGING. If you've never done Odyssey of the Mind before, this is your year to start! Teams are forming now at Markham. We are in need of participants and coaches. Contact Sarah Levinthal srlevinth@gmail.com for more information.
PTA MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
The Markham PTA uses a software platform called Membership Toolkit to manage all of our communication for general information, events, and volunteer opportunities. Membership Toolkit can be accessed via the web at https://markhampta.membershiptoolkit.com or by downloading the app onto your mobile device.
When you first go to the site, you will have the opportunity to create an account. At the minimum, we ask that all families create an account so that we have accurate contact information. The school district is not permitted to share family contact information with the PTA, so this is our best way to share all of our information with you.
This year, a family PTA membership fee will be $25 and will include up to two parents or guardians. Your purchase of a membership allows the PTA to enrich our student’s experiences by supporting educational programs including field trips, class parties, and other educational and fun programs and events. We also support teachers through the purchase of items for the classrooms that are not covered by the district budget. As an added perk, only PTA members have access to our online student directory, which is an invaluable tool for communicating with other Markham families throughout the year.
Our initial membership drive will close on September 30, 2022. Again, please email markhamelementary@gmail.com if you have any questions about Membership Toolkit or other PTA information. Thank you for your support!
HELPFUL LINKS!
Contact Information
Email: jartinger@mtlsd.net
Website: www.mtlsd.org/markham
Location: 165 Crescent Drive, Mount Lebanon, PA, USA
Phone: 412-344-2152
Twitter: @MarkhamSchool