MERMS Weekly Newsletter: 5.2.16
May 2, 2016
Manchester-Essex Regional Middle School
Email: gudituss@mersd.org
Website: http://www.merms.mersd.org
Location: 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA, United States
Phone: 978 526 2022
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Manchester-Essex-Regional-Middle-School/969588269741913
Twitter: @MERMS_01944
Wednesday, 5/4/16: early release at 11:30am
Fame, Jr. May 6/7/8 - please join us!
MERMS and The Y Theatre Company are pleased to present...Fame, Jr.! Please join us!
The performances will take place on May 6, 7 and 8, 2016 at the MERMHS auditorium.
5/6 @ 7pm
5/7 @ 7pm
5/8 @ 2pm
Important Alert: afternoon of May 4
Thank you! Washington Trip Fundraiser
May MCAS Dates
- Wednesday, May 11 (MCAS Math Session #1)
- Thursday, May 12 (MCAS Math Session #2)
We will hold Science/Technology/Engineering (STE) for 8th grade on:
- Monday, May 16 (STE Session #1)
- Tuesday, May 17 (STE Session #2)
Students should come with two #2 pencils, well rested and relaxed!
Shakespeare & Company Visits This Week
- 6th grade: Twelfth Night
- 7th grade: A Midsummer Night's Dream
- 8th grade: Macbeth
Additionally, we held an all-school performance of Macbeth on Thursday morning. Thank you to all the parents/guardians who helped out and volunteered with crowd control and photos! Your assistance is most appreciated. A big thank you to Mrs. Plante for spearheading the writing of grants and finding of this exciting program.
Spring MS Concert: 5/12/16 @ 7pm
MIDDLE SCHOOL SPRING CONCERT - Thursday, May 12th - 7:00 PM - MERMS Auditorium
- 6th Grade Chorus
- 7/8 Chorus
- Intermission – bake sale to benefit the 8th grade Washington Trip
- 6th Grade Band
- 7/8 Band
Chorus students should arrive and report to the Dining Hall at 6:20.
Band Students should arrive and report to the Band room at 6:45.
Performance Dress for BOTH groups:
- Boys: Black pants, white dress shirt, tie, dark shoes
- Girls: Black skirt (appropriate length), or dress pants (no yoga pants or leggings alone); white dress shirt (blouse) WITH short or longs sleeves; Chorus members – no heels or sandals without backing (unsafe on the risers).
Our students have been doing a wonderful job - and we are looking forward to the concert!
Hope to see you there!
Ms. O'Neill and Mr. Janack
Wellness Blog: Spring Alert - tick bites
Please read below for an alert from Mr. Ricci-Munn regarding the spring season of tick bites:
7th grade foreign language projects
Order 16-17 School Supplies...and fundraise for PMEMS!
The Parents of Manchester Essex Middle School is partnering with 1st Day School Supplies to offer families a convenient, no-hassle solution to rounding up school supplies for next year. This is the same company that elementary families have come to love! They provide name brand products and prices that consistently beat the super stores, and you won't drive from store to store looking for hard to find items. Easy ordering in available through June 30 and will support your school PTO. PMEMS will receive $5 for every order placed! Thank you for checking them out:
Rising 7th Grade Foreign Language Courses
Attention all 6th Grade Parents/Guardians:
Due to a last-minute staff resignation in August 2015, we were unable to offer French to sixth graders. We hope to rectify this situation for next year's sixth graders.
Next year as a 7th grader, your child will have the opportunity to study either French or Spanish. Our middle school foreign language program enrolls students in French I (split over two years - 7th and 8th grade) or Spanish I (split over two years - 7th and 8th grade). This prepares our middle schoolers to enroll in French II or Spanish II when they become 9th graders.
Making this decision is an exciting one for your child and family. If you have any questions, please contact the Foreign Language Department Head, Michelle Magaña, at maganam@mersd.org or 978-526-4412. She is happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Please complete this electronic form no later than May 6, 2016 with your child's 7th grade foreign language preference. Providing us with this information will allow us to schedule classes appropriately. If you have more than one child in sixth grade who takes foreign language, please submit this form once for each child.
2016-2017 Rising 7th Grade Foreign Language Preference Form
Questions to consider:
1. Does your child have an older sibling studying a language/music?
2. What language/music did parents/guardians study in college?
3. Do you have family members that are native speakers of a language/musicians?
4. Do you have relatives or friends living in a foreign country?
5. Does your child have a strong preference for a particular language?
Middle School STEM Club - Fridays
The Middle School STEM Club will be starting a new activity Next Friday, March 4. The program will run every Friday from 2:20 – 3:30 through April 15. Students will be building model rockets from both kits and from scratch. Our launchings should take place just before the spring break. If your child is interested, please complete the permission slip attached to my Google Classroom and bring it to our first meeting next Friday. The signup code is - mswtf8i.
Thank you,
Mr. Pennoyer
MERMS Newspaper: The Sting, February 2016
TechHappenings
Middle School Jazz Band Meets Tuesdays
The Middle School Jazz Band meets every Tuesday from 2:30-3:30pm. If you are interested in participating, please see Mr. Janack, even if you do not play in the school band. Mr. Janack is particularly looking for any students who play piano, guitar, or bass that are interested in joining Jazz Band.
Mr. Janack can be reached at janackj@mersd.org.
Cell Phone Policy
A student is permitted to have his/her cell phone in school, and there are three requirements for use around cell phone use:
- Cell phones (or other electronic devices) should be powered off and stowed away starting at 7:45am, and until 2:15pm.
- Cell phones may be used only with teacher permission.
- If a student receives teacher permission, he/she may use his/her cell phone for educational purposes only.
If these any of these three rules are violated, the cell phone will be confiscated, turned into the main office, and the student may pick it up at 2:15. If these rules are violated multiple times, additional consequences may occur (including turning in one's cell phone in the main office at 7:45am for the day).
As a parent/guardian, you can help by not texting or calling your child on his/her cell phone during the school day. If you need to get your child a message, please call Mrs. Hunt in the main office and we can get the message to your child with no problem. Thank you for your help and assistance with this as we teach our students to be responsible digital citizens.
Green Card Prizes
In the past, students have earned milkshakes from Richdales, ice cream from Captain Dusty's, Dunkin' Donuts giftcards, Surfari gift cards, and iTunes gift certificates. We are looking for donations in the form of prizes or gift cards in small values ($5, $10 or $15) as prizes for our monthly drawing.
If you are able to make a green card prize donation, please drop it off with Mrs. Hunt in the main office, labeled with "Green Card Prizes." Thank you for your consideration!
Clubs and Activities
- Student Council: Mondays with Mrs. Schaub and Mrs. Petrie (A319)
- Mountain Biking Club: Mondays with Mr. Ricci-Munn (Gym)
- Homework Club: Mondays with Mrs. Kavanagh (A304) and Tuesdays with Mrs. Plante (A309)
- Bradford Ski and Board Club: Mondays with Mr. Magers: SIGN UP HERE - associated fee
- Bug Club: Tuesdays with Dr. McGravey (A319): SIGN UP HERE - associated fee
- Card-Marking Club: Thursdays with Mrs. Vosseler (A308): SIGN UP HERE - associated fee
- Gay-Straight Alliance: Thursdays with Dr. McGravey (B139)
- Computer Coding Club: Fridays with Ms. Arthur (A117): SIGN UP HERE - associated fee
- Journalism: Fridays with Mrs. Plante and Mr. Stefanek (A309)
- STEM Club: Fridays with Mr. Pennoyer (A231)
Manchester-Essex Apparel Sale
Check out our Manchester-Essex School Spirit Store. A percentage of the cost is donated back to our PTO, Parents of Manchester-Essex Middle School (PMEMS). Items ship directly to your home with a flat $8 shipping rate. To order, you can go directly to:
MERMS Day Calendar
Pictures from MERMS This Week
Websites of Interest
Upcoming Events
Early Release
Wednesday, May 4, 2016, 11:30 AM
Manchester Essex Regional Middle School, Lincoln Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA, United States
Fame, Jr. The Musical
Friday, May 6 @ 7pm
Saturday, May 7 @ 7pm
Sunday, May 8 @ 2pm