MP Middle Messenger
Week 4 - 9/20/2019
Sports have started! First round of projects are being presented!
Inside the classrooms, this week saw the completion of many first major assignments - whether it is cell presentations and demonstrations in Life Science, or plot diagrams in English Language Arts, or Math Jeopardy, there are many different kinds of learning activities taking place. (See teacher tweets for examples!)
Now that we are almost half way through First Quarter, please talk with your student about their favorite class, their most challenging class, and how Middle School is going for them. Check on their grades through the PowerSchool Parent Portal (click on the button below for the link - this will be in the newsletter for the rest of the school year,) and support your student's academic and emotions success in school.
As always, if you have a concern - please reach out to a teacher right away or call/email the school. We are committed to working together with our MP family to make school an amazing place for all kids to learn.
Important Dates and Events Coming Up!
September 23: Boys Soccer and Girls Volleyball @ Reagan MS
September 24: Girls Track Home Meet @ 5 pm!!
September 25: Boys Soccer and Girls Volleyball home game @ 5 pm
September 26: MS Football @ Parkside MS
September 30: Boys Soccer and Girls Volleyball home game @ 5 pm
October 1: Girls Track home meet @ 5 pm
October 2: Boys Soccer and Girls Volleyball @ Stonewall Jackson MS
October 3: MS Football @ Marstellar MS
October 4: MPMS Hosts the Special Olympics!
****Note: All MPMS Athletic Events require the purchase of a ticket at the door.****
****$3 for adults, $1 for students****
The Elizabeth Krafsig Memorial Fund has been established by United Bank.
The MPCS community, with the assistance of our bookkeepers at each school, can now make donations (cash or check) to the fund to support the family of Cougar Elementary Teacher Elizabeth Krafsig. The campaign for donations will run until October 1, culminating with a recognition event at the Special Olympics Meet in the Middle at Cougar Stadium on Friday, October 4. This Meet in the Middle will be dedicated to Elizabeth’s memory and will ensure her legacy at MPCS is remembered for years to come.
Members of the community are welcome to contribute to the Memorial Fund as well. Please feel free to share this information with those you feel would like to further support the Krasfig Family. Contributions can also be made at United Bank, 9872 Liberia Avenue, Manassas, c/o Talya Conroy, Branch Manager. Ms. Conroy serves MPCS as President of BELL, the education foundation of our school division.
Checks should be made payable to the Elizabeth Krafsig Memorial Fund and can be left with the bookkeepers at any one of the four schools.
Thank you for your patience as the family worked to establish this memorial fund and for all that you have done and continue to do to support the Krafsigs.
Meet a New Teacher @ MP Middle School!
Ms. Dudding is our new 6th Grade English Language Arts teacher, coming to Manassas Park from her hometown in Pittsburgh, PA! As one of our floating teachers, she can be found all over the building throughout the school day, or hard at work planning in the 6th grade pod. She is on twitter as @ms_dudding.
Quick Facts about Ms. Dudding:
-Attended Kent State University!
-Majored in Integrated Language Arts!
-Likes watching sports (Go Steelers!)
-Enjoys spending time outdoors, hanging with friends and family, going to the movies!
-Loves working with students, so her job teaching!
When you see her in the building or at a school sporting event, please welcome Ms. Dudding to Manassas Park!
Check out this week's Teacher Twitter Posts! (And a bonus parent tweet!)
Only 4 students remain without their laptop - Does your student have what they need for school?
If you missed deployment, you should have received a few phone calls requesting that you complete infosnap and/or pay/setup a payment plan for any fines.
The steps to your student receiving their device are:
1. Complete infosnap - updating your information.2. If needed: Make sure all fines are paid or set up a payment plan for fines.
3. If both are completed, let us know through placing a work order for delivery and the laptop or Chromebook will be delivered to your student at school.
and that's it!
If you have any questions - please call the school at 703-361-1510. If you are unsure, please come in to the front office between 7:00-2:30 and we will help you get everything completed!
September is Attendance Awareness Month!
Help your child get to school every day and on time. Parents and families are essential partners in promoting good attendance because they have the bottom-line responsibility for making sure their children get to school every day.
Just as parents should focus on how their children are performing academically, they have a responsibility to set expectations for good attendance and to monitor their children’s absences, so that missed days don’t add up to academic trouble. Strategies include:
- Make getting students to school on time every day a top priority.
- Alert schools and community agencies to any challenges that keep kids from attending class.
- Ask for and monitor data on student absences. Maximizing the time in school means more learning happens, better instruction happens (because teachers know what students can do,) and students can complete their work during school hours, instead of worrying about making up missed assignments!
A Note From The Clinic
All students and parents are reminded of the following:
School personnel cannot administer any medication until a form, signed by the parent is on file in the clinic.
All medications, prescriptions and/or over-the-counter (i.e. Tylenol, Advil, etc.) must be in the original sealed container and kept in the clinic. It should be in small amounts as storage space is limited.
Prescription medication: Must have physician's signature on the medication form before administration.
Students may keep in their possession certain medications, as warranted with a Health Treatment Plan on file signed by the physician (Inhalers & Epi-Pens). New plans and medication forms are required at the beginning of each school year.
Under no other circumstances will students be permitted to carry medication without appropriate documentation.
Do You Know if You Are Eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch?
The application is open and available for all families to see if they qualify. The paperwork must be completed in the first 30 days of school. After this time, if the paperwork is not completed, all meals charged to start the school year will be billed at their full price.
Please submit your application as soon as possible. The link to the form is the button below.
2019-20 MPMS SOL Test Schedule!
Save the date(s)!
SOL tests are critical days for the assessment of students and the school.
Please make sure that you do not schedule any trips that would pull your student out of school on or immediately before the following SOL testing dates.
Semester 1 Grade 8 Civics and Science 8 SOL: January 15, 2020
Grade 8 Writing SOL - Multiple Choice Section: March 17, 2020
Grade 8 Writing SOL - Short Paper Section: March 19, 2020
Read Aloud Testing (only for those with this accommodation, all grade levels): Week of May 11-15, 2020
Math 6 and Geometry SOL: May 19, 2020
Reading SOL for All Grades (6-8): May 21, 2020
All 8th Grade Math SOLs (except Geometry): May 27, 2020
All 7th Grade Math SOLs: May 28, 2020
Semester 2 Grade 8 Civics and Science 8 SOL: May 29, 2020
Can't Come to a School Board Meeting? Watch from Home!
Help the Middle School - Here are the Many Different Fundraisers That Are Always Running!
Box Tops: Please continue to snip and send your box tops to school with your students! Or, you can now scan in your box tops using their app - Click here to see more: https://www.today.com/parents/there-s-whole-new-way-collect-box-tops-education-t159507
Shoparoo
Shoparoo is an app that allows you to take a picture of your receipts (from any store )and upload them. When you reach $50, they will mail a check to the school. It doesn’t cost anything and it is an easy way for us to raise some money for our school! Just make sure you choose Manassas Park MS when you set up your account to start earning!
Harris Teeter Together in Education Program
Harris Teeter’s Together In Education program gives schools a chance to earn funds when you link your VIC card and shop Harris Teeter brands. Harris Teeter has donated over $28.7 million to Together In Education schools since 1998! When you shop Harris Teeter brands, a percentage of your purchase is donated to the school that your VIC card is linked to. There are NO LIMITS to how much a school can earn. All you need to do is go to https://www.harristeeter.com/together-in-education and click the “Link Your School Today” button. Either log in to your “My Harris Teeter” account or create one using a valid email address and make sure your VIC Card is connected to your online account. Once you are logged in, use code 6643 to add Manassas Park MS to your account so you can start earning for your school!
Shutterfly
Shutterfly is an online photo printing service. You can print photos, canvases, holiday cards and more! If you use the link: https://www.mpms.ShutterflyStorefront.com Shutterfly will donate 8% of your purchase to the school. Be sure to follow our specific MPMS link and purchase using a web browser, not the Shutterfly phone app.
Staples Classroom Rewards
Staples Classroom Rewards program helps parents give 5% of their Back to School purchases directly to their child’s teacher. Teachers will enroll in the program and parents can easily visit the site, select their child’s teacher and enter in their receipt number and purchase amount. This will be automatically added to the teacher’s classroom account. Sales can be donated until 9/15/19 so be sure to get your receipts entered for your students classroom account!
Connect with us on Twitter!
If you want to see what Mr. Sieloff is reading regarding educationally focused articles and more MPMS, MPHS, and MPCS likes and retweets, follow him @MattSieloff
If you want to be the first to know about any school delays or cancellations, follow our Superintendent @MPCSmcdade
There are also a number of teachers who are showing off what's going on in class on Twitter. If you like their tweets above, follow them!
Check us out!
Matt Sieloff, Principal
Email: matt.sieloff@mpark.net
Website: mpark.net
Location: 8202 Euclid Avenue, Manassas Park, VA, USA
Phone: 703-361-1510
Twitter: @MattSieloff