I've included by budget notes from last week.

School budget requests will go to the Superintendent's Business Administrator's office next month.

MMS is in need of your support to ensure that we are a priority in SOMSD. How can you help? Engage our Board members regarding the needs of MMS. Reach out to your HSA board so that they too can use their positions to influence our district to ensure that we are set up to meet the needs of MMS students.

Use your collective voices to ensure that there is equity for our students. MMS arguably has the most diverse student body in the district as it relates to the needs of its students. We have a large number of students with Special Needs, 504 plans, students who are in need of support who have not yet met grade level academic standards, and students in need of social-emotional supports to manage the sometimes challenging transition to middle school. This is a unique time for adolescents and our budget must reflect our students' unique needs.

We are in need of a third school counselor who can assist 8th graders with making course selections that fully realize the Access and Equity Policy. A third counselor will allow us to have the counselor stay with the same group of students for 3 years in MMS.

We want to increase opportunities for student choice in our elective program. For that reason, we need a full time STEM teacher.

We need to invest in our facility. We are requesting facility upgrades in the basement, auditorium, and ongoing projects in the media center to reimagine that space into a 21st century learning facility and maker space. When compared to other school sites in SOMSD, these three areas are in need serious work. Our kids deserve the best and we need your help to get it!

--Ms. Gronau, MMS Principal

This year, the MMS Principal has added a school-wide "Remind App" as another way to communicate with families. Many of your child's teachers will share Remind class codes for you and your child to stay up to date about class events and assignments. As needed, the MMS Principal will periodically use the Remind App to share important info with our school community. Our Maplewood Middle School school-wide code Remind code is listed above (@k92d29). The link below explains how to begin getting notifications. It's a simple way to stay in touch. Join us!

https://help.remind.com/hc/en-us/articles/203179887-How-do-I-join-a-class-