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Volume 14, Issue 6
February 28, 2020
Maize Middle School News
Principal's Message


  Good afternoon,

We have had a busy February and I think we are all looking forward to the warmer weather. We will finish up our 3 rd nine weeks in two weeks and head into Spring Break. We encourage the students to continue to focus and be engaged as we come to the end of a term and the excitement for Spring Break. We want them all to finish the term strong.

We have now completed our boys basketball season and cheerleading. Thanks to everyone for supporting the student athletes. A big thanks to the cheerleaders for cheering and bringing that school spirit. They have a long season as they cheer fall and winter sports. Great job to all. It was a great winter season. The end of the winter season brings spring sports and we will have boys tennis and track. Boys tennis will begin next week and track will begin the week after Spring Break.

As you are aware, we started the one-to-one chromebook initiative this year for middle school. We have seen an increase in damaged chromebooks from the beginning of the year. It appears students are not handling their chromebooks with as much care to make sure they are not damaged. We are reminding students to make sure they are taking care of their chromebooks and if you can help share reminders about taking care of their of their devices we would appreciate it. Some of the items we are reminding students about are to please keep the case on the chromebook so it helps protect if it is dropped. Please do not stack books on top of chromebooks, this causes screen damage or internal damage. When putting chromebooks in binders, please do not shove them in and make sure there is room so it doesn’t damage the screen. Keep food and drinks away from the chromebooks as we have seen several spills or grime on the chromebooks from food. This has fried a few chromebooks and students have needed a total replacement. The chromebook is assigned to your student only and shouldn’t be shared because if there are any damages the student is still responsible for the damage. We are hoping if we work together on reminding students about protecting our chromebooks we will see less damages turned in to the Tech team. In addition, we are working on ways to help solve chromebook issues here at MMS regarding usage and all the breakage.

Thank you for the great turnout for our Student-led conferences. It was a great way for our students to reflect on and facilitate a conference regarding their strengths and needs. We also appreciate you supporting our book fair during conferences. I also want to say a big THANK YOU to all the parents that brought food for conferences. We appreciate all the time you put in to prepare and bring in food for all the teachers. It was all wonderful. Thanks PTO for setting this up.

Have a great weekend
Brian


Make Today Matter 


Calendar Note for February!

Science Olympiad Regional Tournament is Saturday, February 29th
@ Andover Central, 8:00-4:00.


Math News


The MMS Math Counts team competed Saturday February 2 at our regional level competition. The team of Hung Vo, Noah Bothell, Owen Jarboe and Jacob Froese took 3rd place and will move on to the state competition on March 7 in Topeka. Other individual members who competed were Koen Heuer, Alex Le, Thatcher Auten, Charles Sharp, Matthew McCoy, and Aiden Goertz. Koen Heuer will take the place of Hung Vo at the state level.

The MMS Math Relay team competed Tuesday February 11 at Goddard Middle School against the other 8 teams in our league. The 7th grade team of Ainsley Cramer, Thatcher Auten, Braden Salsbury, Abby Linton & Koen Heuer took 3rd place honors. The 8th grade team consisted of Alayna Alverez, Noah Bothell, Caden Unruh, Owen Jarboe and Hung Vo.

Thank you to all of these students for giving up your free time to do math!!

Pam Stallard




All incoming Freshmen through 2020 Seniors and Parents are invited to the Maize High Football Backers
PRE-SEASON SPRING COOKOUT!
Thursday, April 30th 6:30pm—8:30 pm

Maize High School Commons
                           
You won’t want to miss this event:
¨      Meet and mingle with the MHS Football Coaching Staff and Players
¨      Information regarding Summer Football Camps, Conditioning and Fees
¨      Opportunities to get involved in our 2020 Football Program and upcoming Football Backers sponsored events
¨      Watch for Emails and our Facebook Page ( Maize Eagles Football ) for additional information and updates

Hamburgers/Hotdogs, Chips and Drinks will be provided by
Maize High Football Backers

Next year’s Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors: Please bring a dessert to share
 



Archery Units in Boys P.E.


Congratulations to Jayden Howard on a true Bullseye. According to Coach Norris Poole it's the first one he has seen in 9 years of teaching archery units.


Pre-K, Kindergarten enrollment night March 31 at Maize High School


If you have an incoming Pre-K or kindergarten student who will start school at Maize USD 266 in August 2020, please plan to attend our enrollment night, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. March 31 at  Maize High School , 11600 W. 45 St. N. in Maize.
 
For incoming Pre-K families:  Maize USD 266 is excited to offer Pre-K to all children who live within the Maize School District.
 
Our Pre-K sessions are at our  Maize Early Childhood Center  on Monday through Thursday and use Pre-K Reading and Literacy curriculum along with developmentally appropriate activities and are taught by licensed teachers. If your child meets at least one of our state's at-risk criteria, there is no fee for the program other than the curriculum fee. If you would like your child to attend and he/she does not meet a criteria, a monthly fee applies.
 
Spaces are limited! Enrollment is first come, first served.  Learn more by clicking here  or by calling 316-722-3105.
For incoming kindergarten families: If you have an incoming Kindergarten student who will start school at Maize USD 266 in August 2020, please plan to attend the come-and-go enrollment night. Online pre-enrollment for Kindergarten will start February 10 through March 30 and must be completed prior to arriving at the March 31 Kindergarten and Pre-K enrollment session. Please note that arriving early has no impact on your child's building assignment or class placement.

For more information about kindergarten enrollment, please click here or call the enrollment hotline at 316-350-2050.
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.  Parents are encouraged to provide a doctors note for appointments and illnesses.  Attendance letters will be mailed to parents of students with 5 or more absences during the semester and disciplinary actions can be taken.

Reference student handbook pages 5-8.


 ALL MIDDLE SCHOOL ABSENCE AND TARDY COUNTS START OVER EACH TERM. Middle School Tardies-Being in class, prepared and ready to learn when the bell rings is a necessity. ● Parents may excuse their student for being late to the start of school three times with no consequence. ● After 3 tardies, per class period, the following applies: ○ Warning by administration ○ Lunch detention ○ 1-hour after-school detention ○ 2-hour after-school detention ○ 2-hour Saturday detention ○ 4-hour Saturday detention ○ In-School Suspension ○ Conference with parents and possible suspension. Unexcused Tardies: Students who are late to school without a parent call will be considered unexcused. At administrative discretion, the student may be assigned consequences if the student is persistent in being late to school, regardless of the reasons for the tardiness.
Nurse's Corner

We are still seeing quite a bit of sickness in the Health Office. We are ready for some sunshine and fresh air! To help us combat spreading illness, PLEASE remind your student to cover their cough, wash hands and disinfect their electronic devices! If your student has been running a fever, he/she should NOT return to school until they have been fever free for 24 hours WITHOUT the use of fever reducing medications. PLEASE follow these guidelines for the health and safety of all of our students. We appreciate your help!

Also, just a few routine but important reminders:

1.       If your student takes ANY medication at school, it needs to be checked in with the school nurse. ALL prescription medicines require a doctor order on student’s file, and ALL over-the-counter medicines require a Parent Signed Med order on student’s file.

2.       If your student carries an inhaler for Asthma, be sure it is labeled with the student’s first and last name. Label the inhaler dispenser as well as the medication vial. Again, be sure the nurse has a Doctor order on file if your student carries the inhaler! This is for the safety of your student and all of the students at MMS.

3.       As enrollment time comes near, be SURE to update your child’s health history on Skyward. This is very important for the health office!!

4.       It is NEVER too early to start looking into immunization requirements for next school year. If you have any questions, please give me a call!

As always, please call if you have any questions or concerns. I will be happy to assist in any way I can!

Shelley Funk RN
Phone 316-350-2308
Email sfunk@usd266.com


KAY Club


The Maize Middle School KAY club took 19 club members so the annual KAY conference, held at Burrton High School. It was a great experience. Students learned more about completing service projects and leadership opportunities. Students had the opportunity to partner with students from other schools to make dog chew toys as a community service project. 

Next week the club will have their annual Pennies for Pasta campaign where they are raising money to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This society supports Kansas families who have been affected by blood cancer. KAY members will be passing out collection boxes and bags for students to collect spare change or other monies from home. Please participate in this fun event. Students can turn in their collected money to their teachers or they can turn it in at lunch on stage. After turning in money they will be entered in a drawing to win a catered Olive Garden lunch. Look for collection boxes and see how much you can raise in support for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. All money must be turned in before spring break.  

KLC (KAY Leadership Camp) will be here before we know it. Enrollment for camp is open today. Camp is a five day / four night event at Rock Springs 4-H Center. Camp for 2020 is July 27-31. Please see or email Ms. Gillespie if you would like information about this amazing camp. Registration/payment deadline is April 20th.  

Later this spring, KAY club plans to have their annual Autism Awareness Walk. Be on the lookout for this event!



National School Breakfast Week

Food Service is celebrating National School Breakfast Week with a special menu on Tuesday, March 3rd. This yummy breakfast will be served during normal time and for the standard breakfast price.



Congratulations to the MMS Cheer Squad on an amazing season. Thank you for supporting our teams.







Cheer Tryouts
for 2020-2021
School Year




CASEY'S REWARDS
POINTS FOR GOOD

Now you can earn points on all your Casey's purchases - in-store, online, or at the pump. Turn those points into Casey's Cash, fuel discounts, or a donation to your school.

How can your school earn a chance to win $5,000?
  1. Download the Cash for Classrooms tool kit to help spread the word. Find it at casey.com/schools
  2. Encourage teachers and parents to sign up for Casey's Rewards and select your school by February 14, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. (cst)
Library


A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by the Book Fair during conferences, all purchases help to add extra books to classroom libraries and the school Library.

Does your student have overdue Library books? Please remind them to return or renew their books. Any items that are lost or damaged beyond repair will need to have the replacement cost paid please. There are no late book fees, we just ask for books to be returned so they can be enjoyed by all.

Becky Jones
MMS Library Para

Dates For March


Tuesday, 3/3
*Breakfast Banana Splits for National School Breakfast Week

Wednesday, 3/4
*7/8 Wichita Suburban League Band & Orchestra Festival @ Eisenhower MS, 8:00

Saturday, 3/7
*Math Counts State Competition @ Washburn

Sunday, 3/8
*Daylight Savings Time Begins

Monday, 3/9
*7/8 Grade Choir Concert, 6:30

Tuesday, 3/10
*6th Grade Band Concert, 7:00-MMS Commons

Wednesday, 3/11
*Wichita Suburban League 7/8 Choir Contest @Goddard, 8:00

Monday,3/16-Friday,3/20 SPRING BREAK

Tuesday, 3/17
*St. Patrick's Day

Thursday, 3/19
*First Day of Spring

Saturday, 3/28
*PTO Fundraiser-Maize Middle Mania,
5:30-8:30

Monday, 3/30
*Mandatory MS Cheer Athlete & Parent Meeting
@7:00, MMS Commons



From the MMS Front Office

To help the Front Office of MMS run as smooth, friendly and efficiently as possible and communicate important information, please be aware and reminded of the following processes:

Front Office Hours:
  • 6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

When your student is absent:
  • Please call 729-2464 and leave a message with the students 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

When you have to leave a message for your student:
  • Please call 729-2464
  • Provide your student's name/spelling
  • Concisely state your message
  • Your student will be notified through instant messaging with the teacher, or a note will be delivered wither 4th hour or Encor through an office aide
  • Messages must be received 30 minutes prior to dismissal


Students will not be called out of class and to the office until a parent or guardian is present to sign them out. Our goal in the Front Office is to not disrupt classrooms except in the case of an emergency.



Transportation-Did you know?

Busing FYI

If your student will be riding home with a friend, a signed note by the parents and building administration of both your child and your child's friend is to be given to the driver when the bus is boarded.

Administrative Excuse Form

Please notify the front office if your student will be out of school for 3 or more days in a row. The office has an administrative excuse form for the student to have all of his/her teachers sign for requesting homework while not in attendance.
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Are You Moving?

If you are moving out of district, please contact Dawn Ingram, MMS Registrar/Data Secretary, at dingram@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 students 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 email it to dingram@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


We're giving away $2 MILLION to local organizations!
Where Shopping and Giving Come Together!
Use your Plus Shopper's Card & help us grow!
Supporting our 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 2019 to credit Maize Middle School. Sign-in and make your contribution selection using this new 5 digit NPO number, NI311.
Homework Request

When your student is absent from school and you would like to pick up homework, you must request it by 10:00 a.m. The MMS office will only put the request in when a student has been out for two days in a row. All homework will be in the office after 2:00 p.m.

Thank you.
Lunch Menus

The lunch menu can be found on the District Web Site.

Go to Families
Tools for You
Cafeteria Menus
Find your School

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
Christine Kerbs
ckerbs@usd266.com

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


ONEMA1ZE  #OneMa1ze