MJH JANUARY PARENT NEWSLETTER

#TogetherEveryoneAchievesMore

JANUARY CALENDAR

4:4th 6 weeks begins/New 2nd semester schedules passed out in the large gym

6:Boys Basketball home 4:30

7:Report cards passed out at Bear Time

7:Boys Basketball tournament Friday and Saturday

12:Choir pictures on stage 7:20 a.m.

13PTO Meeting in library 8:45

13:Girls Basketball home 4:30

13: 6th grade author presentation - Bluebonnet author, Alda Dobbs

17:Student Holiday

18:All 8th graders go to MHS for course selection/Incoming 9th grade Parent night at MHS

20:Boy Basketball home 4:30

21:Choir at Rainbow Roller Rink 3-7 p.m.

25:6th grade course presentation 2nd per/7th courses presentations 3rd per

25:MJH Curriculum Fair 6-7 p.m.

26:Progress reports passed out at Bear Time

27:Girls Basketball home 4:30

A Note from our Administration

I hope everyone has had a chance to relax and enjoy some quality time with family and friends over the holiday break. The start of school, after a significant break, always provides a good opportunity to re-establish a focus on learning. January will bring a fresh start for each of us and is always a time we set goals and prioritize for the year. We are no different at school. We are now into the long stretch before state assessments begin and it is during this time we see the most growth from students. So, we will be helping students look at their mid-year progress, and working hard to meet the challenges that come with change, in addition to preparing our students for whatever path to college and career that they may choose. One thing for sure, we know how to do hard things at MJH and we know we can achieve our goals.


I also want to take this opportunity to thank all the teachers, students, families, friends, and community members that came together in the spirit of giving to help members of the Montgomery Community that needed help during this holiday season. Many needs were met, tears shed, and grateful hearts filled. We love our Bears!


Happy New Year Everyone! We are looking forward to what the new year brings!

A Note from our Counselors:

Student schedule change requests for 2nd-semester electives or advanced course drops will be accepted for consideration until Friday, Jan. 14. Schedule Change Request Forms can be found online on the Counselor's Corner webpage and hard copies are in the counselor's office for your convenience. Please return completed forms to your designated counselor below. Also, we will begin visiting our students by grade level regarding course selection for the following year. Below are dates for your review.

If you have any questions, please contact your child's counselor at:


Barbara Gagliano: 6th grade

barbara.gagliano@misd.org

936-276-3321

Lesa Dunbar: 7th Grade

Lesa.dunbar@misd.org

936-276-3322

Tressie Stewart: 8th grade

Tressie.Stewart@misd.org

936-276-3320

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A Note from our Nurse

Parents,

Please remember to keep your child at home if they are not feeling well or are sick, even if they don't have a fever. Please make sure to notify the nurse if anyone in the family tests positive for Covid, your child tests positive, or any close contact with a positive individual. Thank you for helping us keep our students safe and healthy.

Courtney Buckner, RN - MJH Nurse

936-276-3309

courtney.buckner@misd.org

A Note from our Librarian

On Thurs., Jan. 13, the 6th graders will get to listen to local Bluebonnet award winner, Alda Dobbs. She will be sharing about her book, The Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna. She will be signing books after her presentation, for any parents interested in purchasing books for their children. Please contact the library for more information.

Mrs. Smith (936-276-3367)or shelley.smith@misd.org

Congratulations to our NOVEMBER student "Rockstars"

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NOVEMBER STAFF OF THE MONTH - 6th grade ELA teacher, Mrs. Vanessa Larrison

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ACADEMIC UIL - GO BEARS!

When we get back in January, students may begin signing up for UIL Academics in the cafeteria for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.


There are many events that you may compete in. Practice times will be organized and set up by the UIL event coaches. The competition will be held at Brenham Jr. High this year. We won first place in UIL Academics last year! Events are:

  • Speaking and Writing
  • Art, Spelling, Calculator Applications, Science, and Maps/Graphs/and Charts
  • Math, Number Sense, Dictionary Skills, Listening Skills, Chess, Social Studies


Please contact the 7th and 8th grade UIL Coordinator if you have any questions:

6th-grade UIL Coordinator- Christie Ducharme Christie.Ducharme@misd.org

7th and 8th-grade UIL Coordinator- Tammy Lumpkin Tamara.Lumpkin@misd.org

IMPORTANT LUNCH REMINDER:

Parents,


A friendly reminder, we do not have an open lunch policy so please do not order food for your child from outside vendors to be delivered to the school during the school day (i.e. Uber Eats, Grub Hub, Door Dash, or any kind of delivery service). This is a safety concern that disrupts the educational process within our community and random people delivering food is not part of our safety plan. In addition, please do not not bring or share lunches with other students due to safety, medical concerns, allergies, etc.


We have a parent lunch table now for parents to eat lunch with their student.


If students forget their lunch, we have a parent drop off table in the front foyer for you to drop off lunches. Please let your child know you have brought their lunch to school.


As a reminder, all breakfast and lunch this year is free of charge. Any extras, such as water, chips, treats, etc. will need to be purchased.

MJH STUDENT COUNCIL - ThAnK YoU!

MJH Student Council would like to thank everyone for participating in this year's Grinch Day. The generosity of MJH students, staff and parents allowed us to raise $700! These funds will be put back into the Montgomery community through Angel Tree gifts and the purchase of Bags of Hope from Brookshire Brothers.

Athletic Sports Information:

JR HIGH ATHLETICS:


All other information is on the boy's and girl's athletics tab of the MJH website.

PARENTS OF 7TH GRADERS! Washington D.C./Williamsburg Summer Trip

8th Grade History is already making plans for this all-inclusive trip. The trip occurs at the end of your student's 8th grade year and is customized to include places that your student learns about during their 8th grade year in U.S. History. The earlier you decide to enroll, the lower your monthly payments will be. Use the following link www.efexploreamerica.com/2485729uh to see a sample itinerary, optional insurance, tentative dates, payment plans, etc. and to enroll. For specific questions, email pegi.morgan@misd.org

MJH YEARBOOK

This is the last month to pre-order a yearbook. We must tell the publisher how many yearbooks we are ordering on February 1st. We do not order extra yearbooks. We SOLD OUT last year. Order your yearbook at Balfour.com. E-mail kristy.krause@misd.org if you have any questions about yearbook orders.


https://www.balfour.com/texas/montgomery/montgomery-junior-high-school

DRESS CODE REMINDERS

  • No Pajama Pants or Blankets-Pajamas are only allowed on designated spirit days.
  • Shorts: There can be no thigh showing (boy or girl) above mid-thigh. Boys must have shorts longer than their mid-thigh, rips cannot be above mid-thigh, and skirts must be longer than mid-thigh.
  • NO Mid-drift showing – No stomach or waist should be visible with natural movement. Having a button up over but not buttoning it up until told is not ok or unbuttoning it after being told to show waist exposed is not acceptable.
  • Leggings: Girls must have a shirt that covers their backside if they are wearing leggings.
  • No hats or hoodies on head in the building (just leave the hat at home).

MJH PTO

Attendance

Regular school attendance is one of the most important indicators of school success. Students who attend school regularly not only improve their chances of being academically successful, but it builds strong relationships with their peers and teachers.

We know there are a wide variety of reasons that a student must be absent. Communication is Key! Always send in a note (either parent or doctor) with your student when they return to school. Absence notes will be accepted within 3 days of the Six Week grading period. If your student will be absent multiple days, please communicate with your child's teachers via email.

Our teachers provide challenging, hands-on learning experiences that engage our students' minds and hearts! We miss your student when they are not here, and your student misses outstanding learning opportunities and valuable teacher/peer interactions when they are not present in class.

Please visit our attendance page to report an absence: https://montgomeryjh.misd.org/for_parents/attendance

MJH Parent/Student Handbook

The Parent-Student Handbook will be available on the MJH website. We encourage you to become familiar with the information contained in the handbook. Forms such as Release of Picture/Directory Information, Medication for the Nurse, Change of Address/Phone Number, and Technology Agreement are found at the back of the Handbook.

Transportation

We ask that you make every effort to request transportation changes prior to 1:30 p.m. in order for us to be certain that your student leaves in the correct manner. You may make changes by:

1. Sending a note with your child;

2. Faxing with a photo of your I.D. to 936-276-3301. Please include your student’s first & last name on any change. Emails or texts to teachers, phone calls to the front desk, and student-relayed messages are not requests that we honor for safety reasons.

MJH CAR RIDER LINE/BUS POLICY

Due to the continued growth of MISD, we will no longer allow extra riders to ride the bus routes. Only registered riders will be allowed on the bus routes. We highly encourage students to car-pool to school due to the high volume of traffic and limited parking during the morning hours.

Meal Viewer and Cafeteria Charges

The Child Nutrition Department has moved to a new website to display menus for students and parents. The website it MealViewer, here is the link - https://schools.mealviewer.com/district/Montgomery%20ISD,%20TX

Parents can set accounts for students to alert them when their favorite meals are being served in the cafeteria, what foods contain their students’ allergens, and so much more!!


MISD has an easy online way for you to keep your child’s account. Go to the MISD webpage and click on the left tab “Child Nutrition Info”. Then click “MySchoolBucks.com.”

Parents will be encouraged to make prepayments on students’ accounts using my school bucks, cash or checks to avoid cash transactions during meal service.

Montgomery Junior High School

Home of the Bears: #TogetherWeWill


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