MAIZE unified school district 266
CONNECTING.
LEARNING.
LEADING.

Volume 15, Issue 5
January 29, 2021
Maize Middle School News
Principal's Message

MMS Families,

First and foremost, I would like to thank our MMS staff, students, parents, and community for all of the support during these challenging times. It was quite a first semester with several changes and everyone had to continually pivot, which our remarkable MMS staff and students did just that and did so very well. I am not going to pretend, it hasn’t been easy as we have had some bumps in the road, but I appreciate everyone's hard work and dedication. It has been a year of stepping outside the box to try new things to support our students. Thank you to everyone for your perseverance through this challenging year. We will keep plugging away and doing our best to give our students the best!

We will be continuing in our Hybrid model through February 19th, at which point we will be transitioning to a full Face-2-Face with all of our students. From now until February 19th, please encourage your child to follow a school day routine on their remote days. Students should complete their remote work like they would if they were in-person. Staying on top of the school work and completing work during the remote time is half the battle. 

Students are expected to continue zooming in on Wednesdays, following the Wednesday Hybrid schedule. Please make sure your student logs onto their zoom classes each hour, teachers will take attendance. If your student will be absent for a zoom class times, please call the MMS office at (316) 729-2464 so we can mark it in our attendance system. We will also continue to work on supporting our students that are struggling during this time. We want to find ways for students to get the support they need to be successful.  

We are underway in the second half of our split season. The boys basketball teams have started very well in their first four games of the season. Our Scholars Bowl has had three competitions so far and competed well at each event. Science Olympiad has been practicing and preparing for their modules. Good luck to all of our students as they compete during this season!

Have a great weekend and hope for a positive 2nd semester!

Brian

Brian Thompson
Principal
Maize Middle School
4600 N. Maize Rd.
Maize, KS 67101
316-729-2464


 
Make Today Matter


Nurse's Corner

Hello Maize Families-

We continue to work on our screenings. We are hoping to complete them in February. You will receive a referral letter in the mail if your student fails wither the vision or the hearing. All 6th and 8th graders receive vision screenings, and all 7th graders receive a hearing screening.

We want to thank you for your help with all of the contact tracing we have needed to do. We would not be able to accurately complete that task without all of your help! Than you for your patience and kindness as we work through this process. We will continue to do our best to keep your student safe and healthy!

If your child has health needs and will be returning to face to face learning in February, PLEASE contact me! We want to be sure to be prepared to serve your student appropriately.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns!!


Shelley Funk BSN, RN
350-2308
sfunk@usd266.com



Online Enrollment
 
February 26th through March 5th is open enrollment in Skyward for students to select their electives for next year. This applies to students that will be in the 7th and 8th grade for the 2021-2022 school year. We will be sending out an auto dialer with more information as we get closer to this date. In the meantime, we are always happy to answer any questions. 


Caitlin Hamilton (Letters A-L)
chamilton@usd266.com

Meghan Ugues-Chavarria (Letters M-Z)
mugues@usd266.com

(316) 729-2464

6th Grade Choir

I am incredibly proud of the work the MMS 6th grade choir pulled off during our hybrid/remote time. We practiced on zoom and they continued practicing on their own. I had not heard or seen them in person for 6 weeks. Once they were on stage they created something magical! Congrats to these singers who stepped up to the plate to create something outside of the box!





Cortney Woodruff
MMS Vocal/Music Teacher













Maize USD 266

Food Service Department
316-722-0900
foodservice@usd266.com




Maize USD 266 is offering hybrid students To Go Meals for their remote-learning days at no charge.

School meals are available for student pickup in the cafeteria or at the athletics concession stand immediately following end-of-day dismissal. Meals are intended to be taken home, refrigerated, and consumed on the day(s) the student is learning from home. The menu for these meals can be found online or in the Nutrislice app.

Mondays/Tuesdays - pickup meals will contain 2 breakfast meals & 2 lunch meals
Thursdays/Fridays - pickup meals will contain 1 breakfast meal & 1 lunch meal

Students may opt in or out at any time; however an RSVP is highly encouraged to help determine how many To Go Meals to prepare. RSVP for February To Go Meals now.  

We look forward to serving your student!
KAY CLUB

The Maize Middle School KAY Club has been actively participating in zoom meetings on Wednesdays. Students should plan on attending the virtual KAY Club regional conference on Wednesday, February 3th and Wednesday, February 10th. 

If approved, the KAY Club members hope to host a Valentine’s Day fundraiser week. Please be on the lookout for further details. 

Over the last several months, the club has participated in several service projects. Some of these projects included: writing a letter or showing appreciation for a first responder, snow removal for a neighbor, spending time outdoors, and a thoughtful task for the elderly.


Student Enrichment Grants

Here is an attachment that gives an overview of the application process and some details about what types of activities are eligible.

Two important things for you to remember:
  • All applications are online (no paper submission). A hyperlink is embedded in the pdf, or students may visit our website for details and to begin their application.
  • Our website is not the same as the district website. Our url is www.maizeeducationfoundation.org.

Click on the link below for an overview.



Attendance/Tardies

Attendance Counts: 

Regular attendance is necessary to fully realize the benefits of educational opportunities. Students are expected to be present and punctual for all classes throughout the year. The responsibility of school attendance is with the student and his/her parents. Parents/guardians should notify the school via our attendance line in the event the student will be absent. Excused absences include illness verified by a doctor, appointments with a doctors note, school sponsored activities, funerals or administrative approved absences. Due to the pandemicparents are encouraged to provide a doctors note for appointments and illnesses.  

When your student is absent:
  • Please call 729-2464 and leave a message with the student's name (and spelling)
  • Provide a reason for the absence (ill, out of town, appointment, etc.)
  • If you plan to have your student out of school for 3 or more days, stop by the MMS office to pick up an administrative approval form

Dates For February

Monday, 2/1
*Picture Retakes, 7:45-12:00
*7/8 Boys Basketball @ Goddard, 5:00/6:15

Tuesday, 2/2
*Groundhog Day
*Picture Retakes, 7:45-12:00
*Scholars Bowl @ Hutchinson, 3:30

Thursday, 2/4
*7/8 Boys Basketball vs. Eisenhower, 5:00/6:15

Monday, 2/8
*7/8 Boys Basketball vs. MSMS, 5:00/6:15

Thursday, 2/11
*7/8 Boys Basketball vs. Salina Lakewood, 5:00/6:15

Sunday, 2/14
*VALENTINE'S DAY!

Monday, 2/15
*Presidents' Day
*7/8 Boys Basketball vs. Derby, 5:00/6:15

Wednesday, 2/17
Virtual Parent/Teacher Conferences, 7:30-2:30

Thursday, 2/18
*7/8 Boys Basketball @ Maize South MS, 5:00/6:15

Monday, 2/22
*MMS Spirit Night @ Chipolte


From the MMS Front Office

To help the Front Office of MMS run as smoothly and efficiently as possible, please be aware and reminded of the following:

Front Office Hours:
  • 7:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

When your student is absent:
  • Please call 729-2464 and leave a message with the student's name (and spelling)
  • Provide a reason for the absence (ill, out of town, appointment, etc.)
  • If you plan to have your student out of school for 3 or more days, stop by the MMS office to pick up an administrative approval form

When dropping off something for a student:
  • Please have it labeled with their first/last name
  • Checks/Cash in envelopes with student name
  • Front office is not responsible for any items left for students

home-keys-globe-sm2.jpg
Are You Moving?

If you are moving out of district, please contact Shelley Lambert, MMS Registrar/Data Secretary, at slambert@usd266.com or by phone at 729-2464. Please include the new school, city and state you will be transferring to so we can prepare your student's records for transfer.

If you have moved or will be moving, but are still in district, please send a Proof of Residency to the MMS office as soon as possible. You can either email it to slambert@usd266.com, or fax it to our office at 316-729-2479.

A utility bill is preferred, but a mortgage/lease agreement can be temporarily accepted. If you have any questions regarding Proof of Residence, please don't hesitate to call the MMS office.


Dillon's Community Rewards


Dillons is giving away $2 MILLION to local organizations!
Where Shopping and Giving Come Together!
Use your Plus Shopper's Card & them grow!
Supporting their organization has never been easier-just shop at
Dillons and scan your Plus Shopper's Card!

Here's how to enroll:

  1. Visit www.dillons.com/communityrewards
  2. Scroll down to find your location and click "Enroll Now"
  3. Sign in to your online account, or create an account.
  4. Find and select our organization, and click "Save"

You'll start earning rewards for our organization right away on qualifying purchases made using your Plus Shopper's Card!
Everyone must enroll in the Reward Program. This is necessary in order for purchases throughout the year to credit Maize Middle School. Sign-in and make your contribution selection using this new 5 digit NPO number, NI311.
One Ma1ze Care


Are you feeling like you could use some extra support? USD266 and Comcare are partnering to bring additional resources at school (including therapy). For additional information about the OneMa1ze Care Team and your eligibility for these supports, email your schools behavior health liaison, Chris McKinney. cmckinney@usd266.com
Box Tops

MMS rocks the Box Tops! Thank you to everyone who sends in Box Tops............ and keep clipping! It's an easy way to benefit our school and PTO.

MMS MISSION STATEMENT
EXPECT EXCELLENCE*****DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY and
CHARACTER*****PRODUCE RESULTS and
ACHIEVEMENT*****PROGRESS

Principal
Brian Thompson
bthompson@usd266.com

Assistant Principal/Athletic Director
Kevin Roulhac
kroulhac@usd266.com

Assistant Principal
Paige Hill
phill@usd266.com
Thank you to taking the time to read our newsletter. If you have any feedback or questions, please call us at (316) 729-2464 or send an email to jgeorge@usd266.com.

Sincerely,
Maize Middle School
ONEMA1ZE  #OneMa1ze