MVMS Pride Newsletter
August 2018
Welcome Back!
Greetings! We hope this newsletter finds you and your family well-rested and prepared for an exciting and engaging 2018/2019 school year. Here at MVMS, the summer has flown by as we have been working hard on various projects throughout the building, acclimating new staff members to the school, and getting everything ready to go for August 28th. We are anxiously awaiting the energy and excitement the student body brings to the school!
Building Projects
In addition to the work completed by our own staff, the school has welcomed a large student-generated project, initiated by members of our Student Voice leadership group. The project consists of several new signs and decals hung throughout the building.
Current middle school students Hannah V, Alex M, Colby M, Trevor S, Ryan C, Olivia G, James K, and Hailey O, began the design process last October by defining what qualities an MVMS learner should demonstrate. This acronym, the group decided, would serve as the foundation for the signs. The group came up with the following qualities:
P- Positive
R -Responsible
I -Intelligent
D -Determined
E -Encouraging
After defining the acronym, the the group began working with Gary Brooks, of Brooks Signs in Loudon, to choose the products they wanted in our building. After consulting with Gary, the group chose several different items they liked. They also discussed potential locations of the signs throughout the building.
This summer, their work came to fruition as Gary and his team began instillation of the signs and decals throughout their building. The final touches will be made over the next few weeks and everything should be up by mid-September.
In addition to the Student Voice group, we would like to extend a huge thanks to the MVMS PTO for their assistance and support with funding the project! Thank you!
Check out the below link for pictures of the new artwork as well as updates of the various summer projects.
First Day Procedures
Students will begin arriving at 7:20 a.m. Sixth grade students should report directly to the gym, while 7th and 8th grade students will report to the fields outside the gym. If you are dropping off your student, you may pull into the staff parking lot at the front of the building. Please pull all the way up when dropping off your student(s). Students who are dropped off will enter through the main entrance. Students taking the bus will be dropped off outside the gym entrance at the back of the school. Staff members will be present throughout the building grounds to answer questions and assist students on where to go.
In the gym, 6th graders will be welcomed by administration. Following the welcome, 6th grade teachers will gather their Pride Block classes, give them their schedules, and escort students to their Pride Block classroom.
While the 6th graders are in the gym, 7th and 8th school counselors and Pride Block teachers will be in the field, gathering students into their Pride Block classes. Students will receive a copy of their schedule and report to Pride Block. While in Pride Block, teachers will go over student schedules and answer any questions students have.
Once the 6th graders have departed the gym, they will spend the remainder of the period in Pride Block, and their teachers will help them get acclimated to the building (bell schedule, room locations, lockers, lunch procedures, etc). After the 6th grade assembly, 7th graders will be paged to the gym for a brief class assembly and will return to Pride Block. Finally, 8th graders will be called into the gym for their class assembly.
Period 1 will begin at approximately 9:00 a.m., and the day will run on a modified schedule. There will be a tremendous amount of support in the 6th grade wing throughout the day to assist students with finding their classes, navigating the building, and answering questions.
For a detailed schedule of the first day, please check out the First Day of School Schedule below.
New Student Information System - ALMA
ALMA is a secure, easy-to-use, online platform that merges important school information with efficient tools to enhance communication. While ALMA brings about a level of efficiency to our day-to-day operations, we are most excited with its ability to provide a more complete profile of student performance, as well as real-time communication. In addition to various educator tools, ALMA offers a parent and student portal that provides real-time access to the following:
- School Calendar
- Staff Directory
- Attendance History
- Assignments
- Grades
Moreover, parents can directly email teachers and other school staff via ALMA. In the event a parent or guardian has multiple children enrolled in separate MVSD schools, all pertinent information can be accessed using a single log-in.
Soon, you and your child / (children) will receive an email from ALMA. This initial email is important, as it will provide information on how to set-up an account, and subsequently, log-in to the portal. If you have not received an email from ALMA by Friday, September 14, please contact Marla Miller in the main office (mmiller@mvsdpride.org) or 753-6336. A link to access ALMA will be included on the MVMS website.
For more information on ALMA, visit their website at www.getalma.com or access this frequently asked questions (FAQ).
PTO Members Wanted!
PTO members are needed! We hope to continue the great work of this organization with some new members. Please join us at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 13th for our first meeting. Future meetings will fall on the first Thursday evening of the month.
Last year's PTO was very active in planning different activities including dances, carnation sales, and our first Spring Carnival. If you are interested, please attend the meeting on September 13th. We hope to see you there!
Important Documents
Also included below are the AM and PM bus times for the middle and high school.
Save the Date
- First Day of School! - 8/28/18
- School Picture Day - 8/30/18 - Click Here
- Fall Sports Team Picture Day- 9/5/18
- MVMS Open House - 9/6/18 (6:00 PM)
- School Board Meeting - 9/10/18 (7:15 PM) - Salisbury Elementary
- PTO Meeting 9/13 (6:00 PM) - MVMS Library Media Center
Merrimack Valley Middle School
MVMS's mission is to promote an environment that teaches students to be active learners, critical thinkers, and responsible citizens in an ever-changing global society.
Email: blynch@mvsdpride.org
Website: http://mvms.mvsdpride.org/
Location: 14 Allen Street, Penacook, NH, United States
Phone: (603) 753-6336
Twitter: @mvmsPride