| 2016-17 MSMS Administration |
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If you would like to speak to an administrator during the school day, you may call 316-722-0421.
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| 2016-17 MSMS Counseling Department |
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Steffanie Moore,
A-L Counselor
John Suchan,
M-Z Counselor
Diane Hewlett,
Registrar
If you would like to speak to a counselor during the school day, you may call 316-722-0421.
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| 2016-17 MSMS Athletic Department |
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Craig Ryan,
MSMS Athletic/Activities Director
Tamy Pollman,
MSMS Athletic/Activities Secretary
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| Maize South Middle School |
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(316) 722-0421
fax (316) 722-4077
3403 N. Tyler Rd.
Wichita, KS 67205
Office Hours:
6:30am-3:30pm
School Hours:
7:30-2:35 M,T,Th,F
7:30-2:00 Wednesday
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MSMS Parent Newsletter
August 2016 |
Principal's Corner
It's hard to believe that our 2016-2017 school year is already here! We are very excited to begin another school year at MSMS, and to work with all of our students and families this year!
As a refresher, and for those of you who are new to Maize this year, you are welcome to log into your child's Skyward Family Access account to keep up-to-date on his/her grades, attendance, etc. There will also be times when our teachers may send messages to your family, through your child's Skyward Family Access account. You may find Skyward Family Access in two areas. First, you are welcome to visit our Maize School District Home Page at www.usd266.com
. Once there, you may click on "Skyward Family Access." The second option to find Skyward Family Access is to visit our MSMS Home Page at www.usd266.com/msms. Once there, you may click on "Skyward Family Access" tab. As a parent, if you do not know your username and password for Skyward Family Access, please contact our Registrar, Diane Hewlett, at (316) 722-0421, for assistance. Students also have their own log-in information for Skyward Family Access. Each student is given a "student ID number." This number is the username for students to log into Skyward Family Access. The general password for students has been reset to "266Maize" Students are welcome to customize their password once they have logged into Skyward.
In an attempt to help parents remain up-to-date regarding school activities happening both during the school day and outside the school day, such as concerts and sporting events, MSMS will be using "RSchool" this year. This is a live online calendar that will remain up-to-date regarding all school events. You may obtain access to the RSchool Calendar in two ways. First, you may visit our MSMS Home Page. Once there, you may click on "RSchool Activity Calendar." The second option to find the RSchool Calendar is to click on the following link: MSMS RSchool Calendar
. This site pertains to school activities for MSMS only. This calendar will list all school events such as Charity Hat days, school socials and/or dances, concerts, sporting events, etc. This calendar will also list times and locations for each of these events. You are able to search this calendar by month, and/or limit your search to your child's specific activity, such as "Band" or "Girls Basketball." This type of limited search will allow you to view the activities your child is involved in, without having to view the entire school calendar. The RSchool Calendar also offers an address and directions to locations which will host events for our students. While in RSchool Calendar, you are welcome to subscribe for communication to be sent directly to you, regarding when changes and/or updates to school activities are made, such as an event being postponed due to weather.
We are continually striving to ensure MSMS maintains open communication with families, regarding school happenings and/or events. We invite you to join our MSMS Facebook Page by clicking on the following link: MSMS Facebook. We are also active on Twitter, and invite you to follow us on Twitter by clicking on the following link: MSMS Twitter.
We look forward to working with each of you this year! Please contact us if you have any questions throughout the school year.
Student Lunch Policy
If a parent elects to take their child out to lunch, they are welcome to do so. Parents will need to come into the front office and sign their student out. We will not be able to dismiss any student via request over the phone or email. For security reasons, students will only be released to their parents/guardians or a person who is listed under your child's Emergency Contacts, in Skyward Family Access. Friends are not allowed to accompany another family to lunch. If a student is dismissed during their lunch hour, they must still adhere to the bell schedule. A tardy will result if the student does not return on time for his/her next class.
Food deliveries from companies are not allowed. However, parents are welcome to deliver food to their child. If a parent is delivering food, please ensure your child is aware of this prior to the school day. Deliveries may be made to the front office only, and may not be delivered to the cafeteria. Students are welcome to come to the office to retrieve their lunch, during their allotted lunch time. Students will not be called to the office to retrieve their lunch.
Front Office Procedures
To help the Front Office of MSMS run as smoothly as possible and communicate important information, please be aware of the following processes:
1) When your child is absent:
*Provide your child's name (and spelling).
*Provide a reason for the absence (ill, out of town, etc.)
2) When you call to request your child's homework:
*Homework requests will be taken on the second consecutive day the student is absent.
*All homework requests must be called into the Front Office no later than10:00 a.m., the day the homework is requested to be picked up. This is to ensure teachers have time to check their messages throughout the day, and gather homework and books for your child.
*Homework may be picked up from the Front Office between 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
*Please remember that students have two days for every one day they miss, to make up homework.
*Parents are also welcome to email teachers to discuss work missed.
3) When your child needs to leave school before the end of the day:
*A parent/guardian must be the person to retrieve the student during the day. If another person is picking your child up for an appointment, etc., please be sure that person is listed under your child's Emergency Contacts, in Skyward Family Access. For security reasons, under no circumstances, will a child be released to a person who is not listed on his/her Skyward Family Access Account.
4) When your child is riding the bus home with another student:
*Both the student who normally rides the bus, and the student who will be riding a different bus home, will need a signed and dated parent note, stating permission for this occur.
*Bus notes must be brought to the Front Office first thing in the morning, for administrative approval, and may be picked up during the student's lunch.
*Student may not call home if they forget a bus note.
5) When you bring something in for your child:
*Please have the item labeled with the student's first and last name, printed legibly.
*Please have money (cash and checks) in a sealed envelope and labeled with the student's first and last name, printed legibly.
*Please understand the Front Office is not responsible for any items left for students.
*Items will be delivered to students throughout the school day. Students will be called to the office at the end of the school day, to retrieve any item that might still remain in the front office.
*Please remember the Front Office does not accept delivery of items such as flowers, stuffed animals, balloon bouquets, etc.
6) When you leave a message for your child:
*Provide your child's name (and spelling).
*State concisely what the message is.
*Please understand that all messages must be called in to the Front Office no later than 1:00 p.m., in order to ensure your child receives the message.
*Students will be called via intercom at the end of the school day to retrieve the message. Please understand that your child is responsible to pick up his/her message, when called by the office. Messages will not be delivered.
One of our goals in the Front Office is to not disrupt classrooms during the school day, except in case of an emergency. Emergencies will be identified by the building principal. When an item or message is received just a few minutes before the student needs it, it is extremely difficult to get it to the student on time and without interruption to the classroom. It is the students' responsibility to come to the Front Office when called.
MSMS Site Council Committee
Our MSMS Site Council Committee is a group comprised of the building principal, various staff members, and parents representing all grade levels. This committee is led by our building principal, Gillian Macias. The purpose of our Site Council Committee is to allow the committee to discuss up-to-date information regarding both MSMS, and the Maize School District. Committee members are welcome to bring questions and/or concerns to the committee, for discussion. The goal of the Site Council Committee will be to problem solve and/or communicate about all important information, to allow for an open forum of collaboration. This committee meets four times throughout the school year.
If you are interested in being a part of our MSMS Site Council Committee, please contact Gillian Macias, MSMS Building Principal.
MSMS Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO)
Our MSMS PTO is a group comprised of various staff members and parents representing all grade levels. This organization is led by parents. The purpose of our PTO is to determine areas where parents and the community can assist MSMS. A few areas our PTO has assisted in the past few years is by completing fundraisers, and using those funds, as well as parent donations, to provide opportunities for our students and/or resources for our MSMS staff. If you are interested in learning more about your PTO, you can visit their website at http://msmspto.weebly.com/. If you are interested in being a part of our MSMS PTO, please contact our PTO at maizesouthmspto@gmail.com.
Important Reminders
- Remember to furnish the office with a copy of any legal documentation in regard to custody issues.
- If your student is going to be tardy to school, they are allowed three parent excused tardies per quarter, not including medical excuses with notes. Please call the school if your student is going to be late for any reason.
- KS State Law requires notes for medical absences. Please be sure to provide a doctor's note to the front office when your child has seen the doctor, dentist, etc.
- If you need to pick up your child from school during school hours, please remember that we cannot pull your student out of class until you have come into the office to sign them out.
- Just a reminder that the school district does not provide any type of health or accident insurance for injuries incurred by your child at school. The school district makes insurance available to those who wish to purchase it on a voluntary basis. Forms may be obtained in each school office.
- Please check your student's lunch account balance in Skyward Family Access regularly to be sure they have enough money for breakfast and/or lunch.
Follow MSMS
Follow MSMS updates by checking the following sites:
Transportation Change Form
Parents needing to make changes to pick up or drop off locations for student bus transportation may now access an online form in Skyward Family Access. Simply log in to your Family Access account and click "Bus Change Form" under the District Links in the left side navigation pane.
For the safety and protection of our students, any change in a student's bus transportation arrangements must be provided using this form. Please allow up to three school days after the form is received by the Transportation Department for the changes you have requested to be made.
Please note if your home address has changed, you must provide proof of residency to your child's school before changes in transportation occur. We can accept an electric bill, gas bill, or water bill with service address, a housing contract with date of residency, or a lease/rental agreement.
Gillian Gaskill Macias
Maize South Middle School
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Important Reminders
Important Reminders
- Remember to furnish the office with a copy of any legal documentation in regard to custody issues.
- If your student is going to be tardy to school, they are allowed three parent excused tardies per quarter, not including medical excuses with notes. Please call the school if your student is going to be late for any reason.
- KS State Law requires notes for medical absences. Please be sure to provide a doctor's note to the front office when your child has seen the doctor, dentist, etc.
- If you need to pick up your child from school during school hours, please remember that we cannot pull your student out of class until you have come into the office to sign them out.
- Just a reminder that the school district does not provide any type of health or accident insurance for injuries incurred by your child at school. The school district makes insurance available to those who wish to purchase it on a voluntary basis. Forms may be obtained in each school office.
- Please check your student's lunch account balance in Skyward Family Access regularly to be sure they have enough money for breakfast and/or lunch.
Thanks for your help!
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Nurse's Corner
Health Screenings
Students will have hearing or vision screenings during the school year as required. 6th and 8th grade students will have vision screening. 7th grade will have hearing screening. Students new to the district will receive both hearing and vision screenings. Parents will need to write a note to the school nurse ONLY if they do NOT want their child screened. Results will ONLY be sent home if further testing is needed. Screenings are very basic and are not meant to take the place of professional evaluations.
Immunizations for 7th graders
7th graders are required to have a Tdap booster. Please send the updated record to the school nurse as soon as possible.
PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF INFECTION AT SCHOOL
- Wash your hands often!! Wash your hands after coughing, blowing your nose or sneezing, after using the toilet, before and after eating, after touching or caring for animals, and before and after caring for a sick or injured person,
- Don't touch your eyes, nose, or mouth to avoid transferring germs from your hands to the inside of your body,
- Keep cuts and skin sores covered with a bandage,
- Cover your sneezes and coughs with a tissue. Cough into your sleeve when one is not available,
- Never share drinks, water bottles, or eating utensils with other people.
- Stay home from work or school and contact a doctor for advice when you have these symptoms of infection:
Fever, cough, sore throat, headache, chills, muscle aches, stomach- ache, persistent vomiting and/or diarrhea
"THE FLU" is an illness caused by one of a number of virus' that causes fever, cough, sore throat, headache, chills, and muscle aches. A vaccine is available each year which may prevent or lessen the symptoms of the flu. The flu is spread when an infected person coughs sneezes or speaks and sends the flu virus into the air. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his eyes, nose or mouth. The best defense against the flu is washing your hands often!!
Children and teenagers with symptoms of the flu should NEVER take aspirin. A rare but very serious and sometimes fatal illness called Reye's syndrome can develop. Your physician can recommend safer ways to treat symptoms of the flu.
Joann Wheeler BSN RN
Maize South Middle School Nurse
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Welcome New MSMS Staff
Chris Christian
Mr. Christian has joined our MSMS Team as a 6th Grade Reading/English Teacher. This will be Mr. Christian's 27th year of teaching. Previous to this position, Mr. Christian taught 4th and 5th grades. He is very excited to teach 6th grade and be a part of the MSMS staff. Mr. Christian is a part of a very close family, and feels blessed to have his mom, two sisters, brother-in-law, and niece right here in Wichita. Mr. Christian also has a nephew, who works in Washington DC and aspires to have a career in politics. Mr. Christian and his family love to vacation in NYC. They have had a blast seeing Broadway shows, hanging out in Times Square, and eating at some of the best restaurants in the world. Mr. Christian sold his home over three years ago to move into College Hill's historic Hillcrest. It has been fun to live in a building built in 1927! Mr. Christian believes it is truly a privilege to be a teacher and have the opportunity to work with children.
Erin Loyd
Erin Loyd has joined our MSMS Team as one of our 8th Grade Literature/Composition Teachers. Ms. Loyd loves commas and the smell of new books! Ms. Loyd feels it is wonderful to be in the Maize School District, and looks forward to working with all her new students and parents!
Shelbi Markham
Shelbi Markham has joined our MSMS Team as a 7th Grade Literature/Composition Teacher, and is also our new Yearbook Sponsor.
Ms. Markham is a recent graduate from Kansas State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education.
Ms. Markham is originally from Topeka, KS, and is very excited to begin her teaching career in the Maize School District.
Janice Oliver
Janice Oliver has joined our MSMS Team as a 6th Grade Special Education Teacher. Mrs. Oliver is very happy to have the opportunity to work with some of our students. Mrs. Oliver is entering her 19th year of teaching Special Education, and can't imagine teaching anything else. Mrs. Oliver previously taught for the Wichita School District, with students ranging in grades K-8th. Mrs. Oliver is a native Texan and started her education in Texas. After moving to Kansas, Mrs. Oliver received her Bachelor and Master Degrees from Wichita State University. Mrs. Oliver has been married for 33 years to a wonderful man whom she loves to spend time with. Her husband is an Experimental Flight Test Engineer. His job brought their family to Kansas. Mrs. Oliver has been blessed and is so grateful to have raised two absolutely beautiful and awesome daughters. One of Mrs. Oliver's daughters is a Financial Analyst, and another is a Registered Nurse. In addition, Mrs. Oliver has a son-in-law, who is a Physician's Assistant, and she feels so fortunate to know him. Mrs. Oliver is a very proud "Sassy" (rather than being called Grandma) of a one year old grandson that, without a doubt, is the smartest and cutest one year old she has ever seen! Mrs. Oliver is also expecting a granddaughter, to be born this December; and of course, she will be the smartest and cutest baby, too! Mrs. Oliver feels that being a parent is great, and that being a grandparent is your reward for having patience through the sometimes trying teenage years of raising your own children. If your child comes home and states that Mrs. Oliver claims she can out-fish them, know that Mrs. Oliver has probably told them that verbatim. Mrs. Oliver absolutely loves fishing. If it is nice outside, Mrs. Oliver is ready to be at the lake, where she plans on spending a good portion of her time when she retires. Just a little bit of trivia about Mrs. Oliver: Her dad invented the Data Man and the Little Professor for Texas Instruments. Both are calculators for children.
 Tyler Slattery
T
yler Slattery joined our MSMS Team as one of our 8th grade
Literature/Composition Teachers. Mr. Slattery will be entering his third year of teaching, and first year at Maize South Middle School. Mr. Slattery is a graduate of Wichita State University. Following graduation, he spent two years at Liberal High School, teaching 21st Century Journalism, Creative Writing English I, and Newspaper. Mr. Slattery is delighted to be back in the Wichita area and especially ecstatic to begin his career in the Maize School District.
 Nicole Vulgamore
Nicole Vulgamore has joined our MSMS Team as a 7th/8th Grade Special Education Teacher. Mrs. Vulgamore has been in education for the past five years, in the Wichita Public Schools, at the elementary level. This will be Mrs. Vulgamore's 6th year in education, and first year at the middle school level. Mrs. Vulgamore loves getting to know her students , working with them, and learning new things from each student. She feels that teaching is one of the most rewarding jobs that a person could have. Mrs. Vulgamore graduated from Friends University with her Bachelors Degree, and from Southwestern College with her Masters Degree. Mrs. Vulgamore has been happily married to her high school sweetheart, Justin, for four years. They have a two-year old son, Hudson. They also have a dog named Ebony that they've had for three years. Mrs. Vulgamore and her husband enjoy playing with Hudson and having family time.
Next month we will feature our remaining new staff members: Janelle Dillon, Kristen Eck, Hannah Martin, Shane Paulus, Kim Pohl, Rey Ramirez, and Aaron Schrag.
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MSMS Athletics -
We would like to invite all Maize South Middle School parents and students out to our Fall Sports Extravaganza on August 25th at 5:00pm. All of our fall sports programs (Football, Volleyball, Girls Tennis, Cross Country, and Cheer) will be spotlighted at the Maize South Sports Stadium. Once the athletes have been recognized, the teams will then scrimmage. Come out and help us kick off a great year, and see who will be representing MSMS on the field/court this year.
Please check the MSMS RSchool Calendar for sports and activities happening at Maize South Middle School. This is where you will get the most up to the minute information on schedule changes, weather, and cancellations. Try subscribing to an individual schedule in the top right corner of the calendar.
There are a few new faces on the coaching staff this year. Coach Pfaff and Coach Eastlick will take on 7th Grade Volleyball this year. Coach Pfaff attended a WSU volleyball camp over the summer to get some strategies to incorporate into the team. She is feeling confident about the season, and cannot wait to get started. Also, the Mark sisters, Erica and Natalie, look to take our cheerleading squad to new heights. Coach Paulus joins Coach Lang and the 7th grade football team this season. He brings ten years of high school football experience with him. Lastly, our student teacher, Coach Welch, will help out our Cross Country team. She bring experience from running at Friends University. We cannot wait to see what these coaches can do!!!! #TheseCoachesAreGood
Home Openers
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Volleyball -
- August 30th, 5:00pm vs Hutchinson at Maize South Middle School
Football -
- September 1st, 5:00pm vs Valley Center at Maize South Middle School
Girls Tennis -
- September 6th, 3:30pm vs Goddard at Maize South Middle School
Cross Country -
September 6th, 4:00pm at Kansas Coliseum
Let's Move Club
Hello Maize South Middle School students, parents, and staff.
On behalf of the Let's Move Club, we are very excited about
the 2016-2017 school year. We have multiple changes and
we can't wait to tell you about them. Our club sponsors are
Andrew Moore and Brandon Wolff. We have many new
students that are now a part of our club along with quite a few
of the last school year's students. Our club is made up of 13
8th graders and 7 7th graders. We can't wait to see what our
club is capable of this year.
Our administration was happy to let the Let's Move
Club continue again this year. In this brand new year we have
lots of changes that we think will be very beneficial for this
year. A few of these changes include new groups. Instead of
the club being divided into 5 groups that do 5 different jobs,
our club is divided into 5 groups that rotate jobs every month.
One month a group might be assigned to writing our
newsletter, and the next month that same group would be
assigned researching donations for the Bull Rush. Our groups include
School Culture, Research/Newsletter, Brain Boost, Recess management, and
Interviewing group. We each are assigned to do a certain job
within our groups.
We would love your support for our club this year.
You could help support us in donating your time, money, and
materials. One thing we would benefit from is having a laundry
dryer for our jerseys and sports uniforms. Our club is hoping
to be able to go on a field trip to help our community and we
would love your donations to fund this trip. If you are
interested in donating or have any questions, please contact
Andrew Moore or Brandon Wolff at (316) 722-0421.
Our school is just one of the many schools involved
in the Let's Move Active School initiative. As a nationwide
project, our mission is 50 million Strong by 2029. This mission
is for the 50 million kindergartners in the USA, we would love
for all of those kids to be active and exercising daily by their
graduation year of 2029. Thank you for your time in reading
our newsletter, we hope to have your support this year.
Sincerely,
Sydney Holmes and Jack Byrne
8th graders at MSMS
Let's Move Club Newsletter Group
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From the Counselor Corner
Spotlight on Effort
"When your middle school child brings home a graded test or assignment, first ask what he learned rather then what grade he got. You'll send a message that its not just his grades that counts- its also the effort he puts into his education and what he gets out of it. Plus, his answer may lead to an interesting discussion."
MSMS 7/8 Grade Choir
Students are excited for our choir trip! We will board charter buses and head to Oklahoma City on Saturday, September 24!
On this trip, MSMS singers will sing at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum and pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the bombing. Another highlight of the trip will be attending the national tour of the mega-hit Broadway show, "Newsies".
Mrs. Sims and the Maize Choir students at the OKC Memorial over 10 years ago, what an amazing memory!
Character Education
One goal of the Maize District is to cultivate good character within our students and faculty: the Maize Way! Along with the other Maize secondary buildings, Maize South Middle School has chosen to focus on Integrity, Respect, Optimism, Responsibility, Grit, and Community. We believe that it is vitally important to foster an environment which promotes outstanding character among members in our community.
Our "Student of the Month" initiative is to recognize students who have demonstrated outstanding character. Monthly, teachers from each grade level nominate students for "Student of the Month." All of these students are recognized via school-wide announcements and receive a sports drink. From that list, four students from each grade level are then selected to eat at Pizza Hut! We are excited to implement new initiatives this year which will encourage outstanding character. More information will be shared next month. We invite you to participate in our Character Education by asking your child what they have done to show good character today: the Maize Way!
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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:
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 2016 to credit Maize South Middle School. Sign-in and make your contribution selection using this 5-digit NPO number,
18969
Maize South Maverick Patches
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| Use of Student Information in Media and District Publications
Information which may be shared with media or used in district publications is limited to: participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, school activities, honors and awards received, grade level and photographs.
Parents/guardians have the right to refuse or permit the designation of any or all of the above information for use in the media or in district publications. Parents/guardians who do not want this information published must file written notification to Lori Buselt, Director of Communications, Maize USD 266, 905 W. Central, Maize, KS 67101 on or before September 20, 2015.
If you do not file a refusal, Maize USD 266 assumes you have no objection to the release of the above information for media or district publication purposes.
Click here
to access the "Do Not Photograph" form.
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Kay Club
Kay Club information can be reached by clicking here:
http://msmskay.weebly.com/
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SADD
Please save your Box Tops for Education! MSMS Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club will be having a Box Tops Competition between Encor classes beginning September 19th. We cannot accept expired box tops. If you have questions, contact
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MSMS PTO Updates
Welcome Back MAVS!
The PTO has already been hard at work! We sold MAV apparel at the open house and were very successful! We sold out of many things and had to do a re-order. Look for our table again at parent teacher conferences.
We also served 975 donuts on the 1st day of school for our 2nd Annual BOO HOO back to school breakfast. This is our 1st of 3 student give backs each year.
Please like us on FB to keep connected. "Maize South Middle School PTO"
Mark your calendars for
September 9th. This is MSMS All Star Night. From
6-9 pm, you get unlimited mini golf, bumper boats, go-karts, laser tag, and rock wall climbing. Wristband cost is $15.
We had our 1st PTO kick off meeting this past
Tuesday
and we were very happy to see so many new faces! If you missed and still want to be apart of PTO or have any
To visit our MSMS PTO website please click here.
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Warren Theater Tickets
PTO is currently selling Warren Theater tickets for $8.00 each. You can print an order form on the MSMS website, the tickets can be picked up in our office. We only accept checks, no cash please.
Thank you!
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Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. If you have any questions or feedback, please call us at (316) 722-0421 between 6:30am and 3:30pm or send an email to swright@usd266.com.
Sincerely, 
Maize South Middle School
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