• Calendar of Upcoming Events
  
• Baby Pictures Needed for 8th Grade Students
• Park Center Presents - Asian New Year
• School Spirit Week
• Minnesota's Teacher of the Year
• Bus Safety Poster Contest
• Black History Month
• Donations Needed
  
• Volunteer Information
  
• Order Your Yearbook by April 7
• Weekend Food
• Absences & Appointments - What To Do
  
• Moving or Attending Another School
• Who to Contact

• UPCOMING
• February 6 - NO SCHOOL for Students - Licensed Staff Workshop
• February 7-10 & 14 - School Spirit Week - See below for details
• February 9 - 6th Grade Choir Concerts 6:00 & 7:30 PM
• February 14 - 7th Grade Choir Concert 7:00 PM

• A LOOK AHEAD
• February 20 - NO SCHOOL for Students - Presidents' Day
  
• February 23 - District Orchestra Festival Concert is at OMS 7:00 PM
• February 27 - PACT Meeting 7-8:30 PM
• March 1 - 8th Grade Band Pops Concert 7:00 PM
• March 9 - Last Day of Trimester II
• March 10 - NO SCHOOL for Students - Marked Reporting

We need baby pictures of our current 8th grade students for the 2022-23 yearbook. Please take a picture of your favorite photo and upload it by clicking the button below.

Submission deadline is Friday, February 3, 2023.

School Spirit Week is coming. It will be Tuesday, February 7-Friday, February 10 & February 14. During this week students will have an opportunity to purchase candy grams for their friends. Please see the attached flyer for the attire for each day.

Maple Grove Middle School is proud to announce we have two educators that have been nominated for Minnesota Teacher of the Year. Melissa Engel is a sixth grade Social Studies Teacher, and Jennifer Hairrell is a seventh and eighth grade Spanish Teacher. There is an independent panel of leaders in the field of education, business, government, nonprofit and philanthropy who will read the candidate's portfolios and select a group of semifinalists. In March the panel will review additional material and select a group of finalists. The winner will be announced in May.

Parents, please share this with your student.

Here is your chance to show your artistic ability and your knowledge of school bus safety. Create a colorful and informational poster and include the slogan “Safely Rolling To My Destination.” It is important to read the attached rules before you begin.

Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each grade level, PreK-12 and special education students. The winners will then advance to the state competition where there is opportunity to win additional prizes including tickets to the St. Paul Saints baseball game. State winners will then advance to the national competition for a chance to win $500.

Poster Details: Click the button below for all the specific details. Posters must be on 11”x17” or 12”x18” tagboard and feature the theme “Safely Rolling to My Destination” must be included in the poster design.

Please read the details carefully as not following directions could result in disqualifications.

Submissions: Please send all submissions to Debbie Schmoyer in the transportation department at the Educational Service Center - 11200 93rd Ave N - Maple Grove 55369.

Deadline: Friday, February 10th. We will then forward onto the state committee in time for their deadline of March 6th, 2023.

Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history. Please see the attached links to read about some amazing people.

At MGMS we practice the Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS) to support the teaching and learning of positive school behavior. Students have the opportunity to earn Mustang Pride Tickets. We began this on Jan. 30, and are having weekly drawings of these tickets where students can come and pick out a treat if their name is drawn. This is where we are asking for parent support by way of donations. If you feel so inclined to donate non-perishable items (think variety box of chips, box of candy bars, box of cool pens) or anything you can think of that a middle schooler would be excited about, we would appreciate your generosity. Donations can be brought to the front office and we will stock for our "store". Thank you so much for considering to support our efforts to reward our students for being amazing humans!

Best,

Jennifer Hinker, Assistant Principal

The school year is under way and we couldn’t be happier to have the students back in person!!! With school being back in session, so are the volunteer opportunities for you to check out at MGMS! The weekly “Friday Emails” will give you a glimpse into what parent volunteer needs we have for the upcoming week. “NEW” sign-ups will be indicated NEW in Mustang Blue. If you don’t see something that interests you, let me know and I will make sure to find something that works for you!

NEW- 8th Grade Escape Room 8th Grade Teachers Julie Spanier and Mike Herdan are putting together an Escape Room for their Social Studies classes. They are looking for parent volunteers to assist with the activity and hope you can help in one of their available time slots.

NEW- Valentine Candy Grams Supervisor Student Council is fundraising Gratitude Grams for students to purchase to show gratitude towards other students. Please click on the link, bring a friend, and sign up for time slot that works best for you. Volunteers would be supervisors to the student council students and assist with money transactions as needed.

NEW-The CLOSET MGMS has what is called “The CLOSET” which offers school supplies, hygiene items, snacks and clothing to our students in need. It is accessed by students through the counselors and social workers often by referrals from teachers and staff. Items for the CLOSET are donated on a regular basis so housekeeping is always appreciated to keep the CLOSET organized and accessible for kids to find what they need. We need help with the following:

• Organize the shelving /rods by folding and straightening clothing.
• Removing empty hangers.
• Any clothes volunteers find on shelves or hanging that volunteers think there is no way a student would ever want that item; the item can be put in the beige canvas bag.

PACT (Parents and Community Together) What is PACT? Parents/guardians & Staff who are working to ensure that MGMS is a great place for students and their families!! Please join us for the first PACT meeting on Monday, February 27, 7- 8:30pm in the Media Center to learn how you can become involved. Check out MGMS Facebook Page for the virtual link to the meeting.

Thanks for volunteering…..have a wonderful weekend and be on the lookout for next week’s “Friday email.”

If you know of other parents who would like to receive these emails and be included on the happenings in the hallways of MGMS, please have them email me dorna@district279.org to be added to next week’s emails.

**Please reply to me if you wish to be removed and/or do not have students at MGMs.

Thank you,

Andrea Dorn

Volunteer Coordinator

Capture your student's school memories by ordering a 2022-23 yearbook. It is a hardcover yearbook in full color. The price is $30 if you order by April 7th. To order, visit ybpay.com and enter the yearbook ID code: 10405523 or click the link below.

Maple Grove Middle School partners with Every Meal to provide weekend meal bags for families. Families may choose from three options structured around the USDA MyPlate standards. All bag types contain 4-5 pounds of nutritious, non-perishable food, including a variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and soups/entrees. Click here to enroll your student.

MGMS Counseling Department

• Please only drop off and pick up students at the curb.
• No students are allowed to walk through the parking lot for safety reasons
• Please watch carefully as you pull away from the curb as staff are crossing the parking lot
• Please do not drop off or pick up students in the second lane nearest the parking lot. That is only for cars passing through.

Thank you for keeping everyone safe.

ABSENCES

If your child is going to be late or absent from school, please call the school with the reason for the absence. The telephone call eliminates the need to send a note with your student when he/she returns to school. Excused absences consist of illness, medical appointments, and family emergency situations such as a funeral. Oversleeping, missing the bus, or skipping school are not excused and are considered truancy.

MGMS 24 Hour Attendance Line: 763-315-7603.

ATTENDANCE -

If you received a call saying your child was absent one or more periods, please check your ParentVue account for the period your student was absent. Have your child talk to the teacher for the class that they were marked absent. The teacher will then communicate with our attendance person.

APPOINTMENTS/EARLY RELEASE - HERE IS WHAT YOU DO

1. Send a note with your student in the morning

2. When the student gets to school they go to Student Services to get a white pass

3. At the stated time on the pass, your student leaves class and comes to the office with the white pass and signs out in the main office

4. The person picking up can wait in the car (very helpful on cold winter days)

If you didn't send a note, you will need to come in with your driver's license and we will call your student down when you arrive.

This procedure is in place to ensure student safety.

The Closet at MGMS is a place within our school where students in need/crisis can get clothing, school supplies and hygiene items. Students should speak with their counselor to access The Closet. The Closet operates from donations, and we are currently looking for donations of:

• Hairbrushes, combs, picks
• Body wash
• Toothpaste
• Bras size large and XLarge
• Female underwear sizes med, large, and xlarge
• Leggings- all sizes
• Male and Female Jogger pants all sizes

Thank you.

If you are moving or going to withdraw your student to attend another school, please notify the school office at 763-315-7600.

Thank you.

School Phone: 763-315-7600...............................Website: https://mgms.district279.org/

Attendance: 763-315-7603………………………………..Transportation: 763-391-7244

6th Grade

Jason Olson, Assistant Principal……..Email: Olsonj@district279.org

Katie Gerdts, Counselor 6th Grade......Email: GerdtsK@district279.org

7th Grade

Patrick Smith, Principal………………….Email: SmithPatrick@district279.org

Megan Woods, Counselor 7th Grade...Email: :WoodsM@district279.org

8th Grade

Jennifer Hinker, Assistant Principal.....Email: HinkerJ@district279.org

Kaia Paquin, Counselor 8th Grade.......Email: PaquinK@district279.org

Student Management Specialists Assist With All Grades

Nathanial Davies (Grade 7 & 8 A-L) – Email: DaviesN@district279.org

Levy Jones (Grade 6 & 8 M-Z) - Email: JonesL@district279.org

District Tip Line.........763-391-8660