September 7, 2022

Thank you to all our students and families for a great opening to the 2022-2023 school year! Our students have done a fantastic job acclimating to their new schedules and routines and are setting a strong foundation for the remainder of the school year.

Over the past two weeks, our students have spent time in Advisory class reviewing and discussing our S.O.A.R expectations and building relationships as classroom communities through community building circles. We will continue to review these expectations over the next several weeks and throughout the school year.

Next week, we will begin our Flex rotations. Students will have the opportunity to select club options during Flex and receive additional academic support from their classroom teachers. We will begin our Flex schedule with a rotation through each academic class. We will hold a virtual club fair during Advisory classes on Monday, September 12th and students will select their club choices for the first semester on Tuesday, September 13th. Club rotations will begin the first week in October.

Back-to-School Night will be held next Thursday, September 15th at 6:00 pm. Please join us next Thursday as we learn more about our daily routine at Annapolis Middle, meet classroom teachers, and review the middle school curriculum. We look forward to seeing our Dragon family next Thursday!

Lastly, if you have not already done so, please complete the school meal application for this school year using the link below. Completing the meal application can provide additional funding and resources to support all our students and families. The meal application should be completed each year and all families are encouraged to apply. If you need assistance completing the meal application, please contact your student’s grade level counselor.

Thank you, again, for your continued support of our school and our school community. This year, the Dragon Digest will be sent home on the first Wednesday of each month. Grade level newsletters will be sent home weekly. The next edition of the Dragon Digest will be sent to all families on the first Wednesday in October. If you have questions or need assistance with anything, please do not hesitate to contact us at school.

Ms. Hunt

• Car riders and walkers must enter through the car rider loop (the SECOND entrance on Spa Road) starting at 9 am. Please do not drop off or pick up in the front of the building. Please continue to be mindful of our neighbors as you transition to and from the car rider loop.
  
• In order to keep our students safe and limit visitors to the building, food delivery services (Doordash/Uber Eats, etc.) are not allowed for students. If you have items to drop off, you will be asked to leave them in our vestibule. A staff member will retrieve them and give them to the student.
• Cell phones and electronic devices should be off and away all day. Please do not text/call your student during the day. You may call the front office if you need to reach your student. Students can use the phone in the main office to call home.
  
  

Back to School Night is September 15th at 6 PM!

All students must bring their Chromebooks to school every day. This Friday, September 9th, Advisory teachers will be completing a Chromebook inventory. Please make sure your student has their Chromebook at school on Friday, even if it is broken or not charged. Broken Chromebooks will be collected for repair.

Schoolwide expectations ensure all of our students experience success.students spent part of the first week learning about how to SOAR at AMS.

Would you loke to be a AMS Volunteer? Please complete this GOOGLE FORM.

Donations Requested:

• 8th grade team needs 1 inch binders. Drop off to front office labeled "8th Grade"
• Do you have an extra lock? Please feel free to donate! :) Drop off to front office labled "Ms. Beller"

Annapolis Middle School is equipped with a video camera system. It covers selected hallways and public portions of the building and grounds. It is not monitored constantly, but is monitored during emergency situations. During certain events, when the safety or security of students may be in question, authorized personnel from local, state, or federal police or fire emergency units may be given access to view images projected on the camera system. If you have any questions about the system, you should call the Supervisor of School Security at 410 222-5083. We, at AMS, are committed to your student’s safety.

This year, schoolwide communication will be sent home to families on Wednesdays. Be sure to check your email for a weekly communication from your grade level team (every Wednesday beginning September 7th). The Dragon Digest will be sent home via email and text on the first Wednesday of each month.

Additionally, we have a new website to keep you up to date on school and community happenings. You can also check the AMS Website for up to date information.

Grades and attendance information can be found on Parent Portal.

The Free & Reduced Meal Application is now available online. This year, students will be required to purchase lunch if they do not qualify for free or reduced priced meals. The lunch price for this school year is below. All families may and are encourage to complete a meal application.

2022-2023 Meal Price

Lunch (full price – secondary) $3.00

Even if you do not plan to purchase a lunch at school, it is still important to submit a Free or Reduced-Price Meal Application. Applying can provide additional benefits, such as state and federal funding for Annapolis Middle School, discounted internet and utilities for families, and more! To apply, visit https://aacpsschools.org/nutrition/apply-for-free-or-reduced-price-meals/

Questions? Call Food and Nutrition at (410) 222-5900

Saturday, September 10, 10 am – noon
Third time is the charm! It is round three in the Save Our Trees initiative in Truxtun Park to help remove ivy! English ivy is killing the trees and threatening the very life of the forest. Gather to cut and pull ivy to help save this beautiful park. Bring gloves, loppers, small handsaws, water and plenty of bug spray. Wear long pants and shorts and be prepared to work hard and have fun!
Meet at the "Pip" Moyer Recreation Center (273 Hilltop Lane) at the far end of the parking lot (past the ball field on your right and PMRC on your left) by the trees. Meet near the outdoor basketball courts.
Saturday, September 10th, 10 am to noon
Sign up to volunteer! Any questions? Please email saveourtreestogether@gmail.com.

Saturday, September 10, 11 am – 5 pm

The event will offer a Basketball Skills Clinic and Contest, a Soccer Skills Clinic and Contest, the Drug-Free All-Stars Mayor’s Cup Softball Challenge. Sponsorship opportunities available. Event held outdoors at PMRC supporting a drug-free Annapolis. For more information, contact Gerard Ferri at 954-850-9405 or Tony Fowler at 415-246-3794 or tonyfynot51@gmail.com.

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

7:00 to 9:00 p.m. (ET)

Adolescent girls today tend to be more prone to depression and self-harm than ever before. It is this disturbing trend that led award-winning author Donna Jackson Nakazawa to research the science behind this growing crisis, interview girls about their adolescent experiences, investigate supportive solutions, and write about it in her new book, Girls on the Brink: Helping Our Daughters Thrive in an Era of Increased Anxiety, Depression, and Social Media. Join the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) on September 28 as local pediatrician Dr. Faith Hackett interviews Donna to explain the research behind the book and discuss new findings that reveal that the crisis facing today’s adolescent girls is both a psychosocial and a biologically rooted phenomenon. Through her conversation with Dr. Hackett, Donna will reveal some effective strategies for raising emotionally healthy girls, which are detailed in the book. She will host a question-and-answer session after the talk.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

The Annapolis Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD) maintains a Scholarship Fund for youth and adults who are City of Annapolis residents who do not have the financial means to participate in fee-based ARPD recreational programs, memberships and pool passes as long as applicable and approved. (Scholarship funds cannot be used for facility rentals, before/after school child care and “co-sponsored” programs.) Scholarships are awarded by means of account credit, and may or may not cover the entire cost of the program(s). Details about the ARPD Scholarship Program and how to apply can be found online.