Maize South Middle School
February 2023
A message from Principal Mr. Cort Haynes
MSMS Parents/Families:
We just completed our Great Kindness Challenge week. As always, our Mavs did a wonderful
job collecting hygiene products for Give The Basics (GTB), located here in Wichita. In total, we
collected over 600 items! Our Mav Ambassadors toured the GTB headquarters and spent
Thursday morning helping organize donated hygiene items. Thank you for supporting and
encouraging your student in kindness and generosity.
It is a fun time of year as we have many activities taking place here at MSMS. Science Olympiad,
Scholar’s Bowl, and Boys Basketball to name a few. These activities provide a connection and a
way for students to stay involved. Track will begin prior to Spring Break and sign-ups will take
place at that time. Students will do that in their grade-level hallway.
Winter AimsWeb scores will be shared with parents during our conferences in February. We
look forward to visiting with you during that time. If you have questions or concerns in the
meantime, please reach out to your child’s teacher. Let us know how we can continue to
partner with you toward the success of your child(ren). #Huddle
February 9 - Parent Teacher Conferences – No School
February 10 – No School
March 6 - Track Season begins
March 13-17 - Spring Break
March 31 – Mav Night In (PTO fundraiser)
April 2- May 6 - State Assessments and Spring AimsWeb Testing
May 19 - Bull Rush in afternoon
May 24 - 8th Grade Celebration
May 24 - Last Day of School
MSMS Traffic Flow Map
Nurses Corner: Health Room reminders
Maize School district is offering FREE dental screenings by GraceMed Dental Hygienists on April 11th 2023- They will provide dental screenings, cleanings, fluoride varnish and sealants. All students who attend a Maize school are eligible for these services. If you already have a dentist you see, please continue care with them. But if you do not have dental insurance and your child is in need of a screening or cleaning, or has a tooth that has been bothering them, please plan to have them attend this screening!!
Dental care is so important for our whole health! If your child has never had a screening, they need to go to this. Please take advantage of this opportunity!
If you would like to sign your child up for this screening, please reach out to me. I will get you the necessary form that will need to be filled out and returned by April 4th.
The district will have transportation for the students to and from the screening, it will take place during the school day. Parents do not have to be present.
Stay Connected
Visit our school website at www.usd266.com/msms.
Connect with Mr. Haynes at chaynes@usd266.com or 316-722-0421.
Maize South Middle School is located at 3403 N. Tyler Rd. in Wichita.
Facebook: msmsmavnews
Instagram: msmsmavnews
Twitter: msms_news
Parents of 8th grade students:
Since your child has finished reading Diary of Anne Frank, they will be participating in a virtual reality tour of Auschwitz through the Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation in their English classes on February 6 & 7. Students will also get to hear from a student at MSHS about their experiences, and be offered a moment to ask questions about the experience or about Jewish religion and culture. Be on the lookout for more information from your child’s teacher soon!
Your child has also been busy reading a novel related to the Holocaust! Beginning mid February, they will be engaged in a project using the novel they have read. For this project, they will need a shoe box! Please let your student’s teacher know if you are unable to provide one and we will have one for them! They will be given a week in class to work on this project so please don’t worry about that. They also will be presenting their project in class. Many of the students seem to have anxiety over this, so please start boosting their self-esteem now!
Thank you so much for all your help!
Mrs. Self, Ms. Coltrane, and Mrs. Yowell
Winter AimsWeb+ Scores
Assessment Information:
Students took the Winter AimsWeb+ assessments before Winter Break. Those scores can be viewed in Skyward in the next couple of weeks. Teachers will hand out the score snapshots during Parent-Teacher Conferences on February 9th. Those who cannot attend Parent-Teacher Conferences will have their AimsWeb+ reports sent home through their ELA and math classrooms.
The Spring semester brings Kansas State Assessments for our students. Students will take the English, Math, and Science (8th graders only) assessments April 11th-19th. Students will take interim and practice tests prior to these dates.
Track and Boy's Tennis Parent Meeting
We will be having our Spring Sports Parent Meeting for any student who is interested in going out for Track and any boy who is interested in trying out for Boys Tennis. These parent meetings will be held on Monday February 27th at 5:30PM. Track will meet in the Commons and Boys Tennis will meet in the Library. If your child has already played a sport this year, we have everything we need. If this is the first sport your child will participate in, we will need a physical on file before the first day of practice. Boys Tennis will begin on Thursday March 2nd and Track will begin on Monday March 6th.
Shane Paulus
Assistant Principal/Athletic Director
Information for Class 2027 High School Enrollment
Please click the link below to gain more information for your 8th grade student to get enrolled at the high school for next year.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sOxw2CKVtaeuJ1a_h7ZzTPnhTNqL3h8N5_e7j5H7wW0/edit?usp=sharing
Mav Ambassdors Take A Field Trip!
With another Great Kindness Challenge in the books, we are thankful for our Mav families that donated basic personal care items for people in need. Our MAV Ambassadors traveled to Give The Basics headquarters and helped sort supplies and then came back to school to enjoy pizza and friendship. Thank you to everyone that helped to make this happen!
Counselor's Corner
Attention All 8th Grade Parents: High School Enrollment is Here!
High school enrollment is underway! High school counselors met with all 8th grade students about freshman enrollment and the Xello portal today during their ELA class. Freshman enrollment must be submitted in the Xello portal by midnight on Friday, February 10th. Helpful enrollment information can be found on the MSHS Counselor website, and please feel free to contact your student’s high school counselor if you have any questions. Students and parents are also welcome to visit with high school counselors during conferences on Thursday, February 9th between 8am-8pm about any enrollment questions.
Class of 2028 Enrollment
Online elective enrollment for all current 7th graders is coming! More information will be shared next week through email and also available during parent/teacher conferences, so please watch for this.
We encourage parents to work with students during this process and be aware of which elective courses students choose. If you have specific questions about your student’s placement in math or reading, please talk with your student’s math or ELA teacher during conferences on February 9th.
Mav Ambassadors
Maize South Middle School counselors launched a new program last year called “Mav Ambassadors.” Last year, Mav Ambassadors had the opportunity to mentor students, be buddies to new/existing students, give back through community service, and create innovative ways to continuously improve the culture of Maize South Middle School. Applications will be accepted once each semester, and once a student is granted the opportunity to become a Mav Ambassador, they may remain a Mav Ambassador until they move on to high school (so long as criteria is upheld).
Criteria for becoming a Mav Ambassador includes the following:
Student must be nominated as a Mentionable Mav for at least ONE of the six Maize Way Character Traits.
Student must exemplify all six of the Maize Way Character Traits (Community, Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Optimism, and Grit). This will be vetted by building staff members.
Student must maintain a quarterly GPA of at least a 3.0.
Student must have at least three hours of community service within the last year.
Click on the flyer for more information. Applications will be completed via the Counselors Corner Google Classroom.
MSMS PTO
Mark your calendars for March 31st!! This will be our third annual Mav In Night! It’s sure to be a memorable night for all! It will begin after school that Friday. Tickets will go on sale soon! More information will come out next month.
PTO is providing a meal for the staff during Parent/Teacher Conferences. Sign up HERE to help provide something - you can bring your items to school by Wednesday, February 8th or before, but no later than 10:00 am on Thursday February 9th.
You can support the PTO for free! February 27th we’re hosting a Spirit Night at Barn’rds on Maize Road, from 10:30 am - 9:00 pm. Buy your lunch, dinner or a snack and mention you’re there to support the school, and Barn’rds will donate a portion of sales to the PTO to support the school!
You can also support the PTO now by shopping at Dillon’s and linking your Plus Card to our PTO. Here’s how: go to Dillons.com/communityrewards, find your location and click enroll now, find our organization Maize South Middle School PTO #79456, click save. Every purchase you make at Dillon’s helps to support for MSMS PTO.
Check out our website at www.msmspto.com. You can email us at maizesouthmspto@gmail.com.
Our next meeting of the year will be in the library at MSMS on February 27th 6:00-7:00pm , come through the exterior library door. We’ll see you there!