UPCOMING EVENTS:

 

11/9: Quarter 2 begins

11/11: Veterans Day

11/16: Report Cards Posted

11/16 through 11/20: American Education Week

11/17: Music Boosters Meeting, 7 PM

11/18: PTA Meeting, 7 PM

11/23 - 11/24: Schools close 3 hours early schedule - Parent/Teacher Conferences

11/25: School closed - Parent/Teacher Conferences

11/26 - 11/27: Schools and offices closed - Thanksgiving Holiday

 

Dear Patapsco families and community:

We want to recognize all of our Veterans in the Patapsco community. November 11 is designated as Veterans Day in the United States of America.  Originally known as Armistice Day in recognition of the end of World War I on November 11, 1918, this special day was renamed in 1954 to honor all of our veterans. At this time we are reminded of the sacrifices that our veterans have made in order to preserve the freedoms that we all cherish.  

We salute Mr. White (Air Force) and Ms. Vasquez's student teacher, Mr. Gaffney (Army) from the Patapsco Staff... who served in the military.  We also want to express our appreciation to all of the Patapsco Middle families and community members who have served within our military branches. Thank you for all that you have done ... your service is truly appreciated.

I wish everyone a safe and relaxing weekend.

Mike Babe

Principal

 

Canvas Notifications

Parents and students can sign up for their preferences regarding Canvas notifications. You can choose the level of frequency of communication including the following options:

• Notify me right away

• Daily summary

• Weekly summary

• Don't send

Please see the links below for a detailed explanation of how to set up notifications.

How to set up Canvas notifications

Quarter 2 Classes

All students will begin a new quarterly related arts class on Monday, November 9, 2020.  If your student would like to look for their class schedule, they can find it through the HCPSS Connect (Synergy). The class will also show up on your student’s canvas calendar. 

Parents or students:

Log into your HCPSS account (SYNERGY) and click “class schedule” on the left-hand side. The student classes will appear and click in the top right-hand corner to select Q2 classes.

Canvas: Student's dashboards will show their new Q2 class on Monday, November 9th. Students will be able to access their Q1 class (not semester 1which they have access to through February 2021) for approximately 3 weeks after the start of quarter 2 on November 9th, if they have any makeup work to turn in to their teacher.

Quarter 2 Art Class Materials

Does your student have Art in Quarter 2?

If your student has Art in Quarter 2 and you did not pick up the supply packet at the start of the year, please email sandra_nedzel@hcpss.org so we can provide the art materials.

Cameras in Google Meets

While cameras are not required - our staff is finding that students that regularly have their cameras on are more engaged, attentive, and participating more. Most importantly - we really love and miss your kids and it is great when the class is able to interact with one another. 

Did you know? There is a new feature in Google Meet where students can change their background or blur their background so their surroundings are not visible to others. To do this, students can click on the three dots in the bottom right corner and click “change background.”

Student Absences

If a student has to be absent from school, a note must be submitted to pmsabsence@hcpss.org 

When emailing a note, you will receive an automated message to verify that your email was received.

Please do not send attendance notes to your child's teachers. If you have any questions about your child's attendance, please email pmsabsence@hcpss.org.

If you would like to submit a Discretionary Absence Form FILLABLE.pdf  form, please complete the form and email it to pmsabsence@hcpss.org .

Student Attendance Guidelines:

Active student participation is the key to student achievement, both in the classroom and during distance learning. Teachers will design engaging lessons and activities, both for virtual live classes and online assignments. Regular participation is essential for student growth, and students are expected to engage in learning activities every week.

Student attendance for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday instruction will occur as follows:

• At the middle and high school level, each teacher will take period attendance, noting whether students were present online for synchronous instruction.

• Daily attendance will be based on teacher-recorded attendance for the entire school day.

• If there is technical difficulty, a student may submit asynchronous work for a particular day to receive credit for attendance and should contact the teacher.

Student attendance for Wednesday instruction will occur as follows:

• A student will be counted as present if they do one or more of the following since the previous Wednesday:

  • Submit assignments to their teachers

  • Engage in synchronous instruction with their teacher

  • Complete work in the Canvas learning management system

 Tech Help Sessions to help Middle School Students Navigate Canvas/ Google Drive

The students of Mount Hebron's National Honor Society are offering tutoring for middle school students and also help with canvas/google drive. Please see the attached flier for information and the sign-up document. Middle School Tutoring Flier.pdf 

Memory Books 19-20

Did you miss out on last year's memory book? We still have some available for purchase and distribution. If you are interested in purchasing one, please click here Online School Payment.

Parent/Teacher Conferences 

Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for November 23-25, 2020 and will be held virtually. From Friday, November 13th at 6:00am through Thursday, November 19th at midnight, parents/guardians can log into HCPSS Connect to view and select available time slots to meet with teachers.

The purpose of this conference window is to allow parents/guardians the opportunity for a virtual meet and greet with staff to discuss general student progress. Accordingly, each conference slot is 15 minutes long and will be conducted through google meets. If you have a pressing concern, you are strongly encouraged to contact the teacher to discuss it outside of the conference window. Synergy Conference Management allows users to schedule time with individual teachers. We do not recommend scheduling your conferences back-to-back as you will lose meeting time while logging into your next meeting. 

To permit access to our staff by all parents with interest, we ask that parents schedule conferences only for those classes for which there are concerns. Unlike your experience in elementary school, middle level educators do not have a slot for each and every student. So, please be strategic about who you’d like to see and mindful of the need for your neighbors to have the same access.

For step by step directions, please refer to the parent directions. Should you have any questions or require assistance scheduling your appointments during the scheduling window, please contact Lindsey Miles, Student Services Secretary, via email at Lindsey_Miles@hcpss.org. For questions about availability or course specific questions, please contact the teacher directly.

Wanted: Student Member of the Board Delegates

Have you ever wanted to share ideas on how to make our school a better place? Have you ever wanted to use your leadership skills and voice to make a difference? Patapsco Middle School is looking for you! Every year, the Board of Education holds an election for the Student Member of the Board. The Student Member of the Board sits in on education meetings to act as the student voice. In order for the Student Member of the Board (SMOB) to be elected, students need to vote on who they want to represent them. That’s where you come in! We are looking for Patapsco representation to serve as a Student Member of the Board Delegate. This is a meaningful opportunity for you to lead and serve both your peers and community in a challenging and rewarding capacity. Accepting the position of delegate and making the required time and energy commitments affect all other participants in the Student Member Convention process.

A successful delegate will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the Student Member.

• Demonstrate respect for the ideas of others.

• Work well with other students.

• Evaluate the Student Member applicants before convention.

• Complete a training program for delegates.

• Give and receive constructive feedback.

• Serve as a representative leader.

• Demonstrate cultural awareness and sensitivity.

• Promote the position of Student Member of the Board.

Interested? Complete our application for an interview by November 30th. 

Additional information on SMOB can be found here. 

Delegate Application: https://forms.gle/yDSNHMrQc5BoGSnn8

2020-2021 Intramural Programs  

Click here for more information.

Pediatric Eye Exams

Pediatric Eye Exams for uninsured or under-insured. If your child is having difficulty seeing or failed an eye exam please visit allchildrensee.org for more information and to fill out the application. EYECare.pdf 

AN ART CONTEST – Calling Howard County Residents of all ages and abilities!

2020 marks the 30th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a civil rights law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability. The Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services and the Howard County Commission on Disabilities invite you to mark this milestone anniversary by entering the ADA30 Art Contest. The Contest is free and open to all Howard County residents. Contestants are invited to enter up to two (2) works of art (digital submissions only). Prizes will be awarded in each category: 1st Place Prize $200, 2nd Place Prize $100. Deadline for submissions is November 30, 2020. Winners will be announced on December 18, 2020. Visit the web page at www.howardcountymd.gov/CDI for full rules and instructions.

Stakeholder Input on Spring Semester Instructional Model

Parents/guardians, students, staff and other stakeholders may provide input and feedback to the Board of Education regarding the spring semester instructional model by emailing spring-input@hcpss.org. The Board will review all emails; however, due to the anticipated volume, individual responses should not be expected.

 

Community Notices:

Please visit the Community News and Programs page at http://www.hcpss.org/community-news-and-programs/ for announcements of upcoming events and programs sponsored by non-profit organizations.