Dear Patuxent Valley Families and Community,
I hope you are all enjoying the amazing return of Fall weather and are looking forward to a great weekend!

This week we celebrated our November Students of the month.  Look out below for the amazing young people who were recognized for their hard work and service:

6th grade: Jamaal J., Genesis G-Z., Henry R., Eyan E., Toni T., Kofi A-K., Ada P., Anfaal F., Kimberly M. F., Robert P.
7th grade: Maybelline M. T., Areena A., Italy R., Liv M., Nicholas G., Lilah P., Jordan M., John K., Haris M.
8th Grade: Cleon W., Dylan M., Immanuel M., Anthony J., Loni S., Darla Y., AJ E., Ellie H., Elena H., Diego S. M.

The month of November is jam packed with important events:

• Report cards will be released, Today, November 8 in HCPSS connect and we encourage you to review grades with your students, celebrate successes and consider signing up for conferences in November if there are areas that should be problem-solved with our instructors.
• American Education Week is from November 18-22.  We are sending out more information this coming week, but look out for an opportunity to come to an Honor Roll and On a Roll celebration, and to join us at school for coffee with the principal and visits to classrooms.
• Conferences will be held from November 25 to November 27.  Conference sign ups open on November 8 and you can see directions to set up those meetings below.
• Check out the information below for items we’ve been sending out this week, and a number of new items. Let us know if you have any questions or if there is something you’d like to see in the newsletter.  All of this information is also posted on our website at http://pvms.hcpss.org/.

Check out the information below for items we’ve been sending out this week, and a number of new items. Let us know if you have any questions or if there is something you’d like to see in the newsletter.  All of this information is also posted on our website at http://pvms.hcpss.org/.

There is nothing too big or too small for us to work on together, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

Regards,

Richard Smart, Principal (richard_smart@hcpss.org)

UPCOMING DATES:

11/8 - Quarter 1 Report Cards available through synergy at 4:00 PM

11/8 - Parent/Teacher Conference scheduling window opens

11/18-11/22 - American Education Week

11/21 -  Parent/Teacher Conference scheduling window closes

11/25 Schools close 3 hours early, Parent/Teacher Conferences, in person

11/26 Schools close 3 hours early Parent/Teacher Conferences, virtually

11/27 Schools closed for students

11/28 Schools and offices closed, Holiday

11/29 Schools and offices closed, Holiday

PVMS Updates (Priority and New this week)

Parent-Teacher Conferences: November 25, 26, & 27

Read more

PTSA Help with the Teacher Luncheon

 

The PVMS PTSA will host a luncheon on November, 25th for all our hardworking PVMS staff during parent/teacher conferences. We are catering the main meal from Pepperjacks but are asking that parents help by donating a side, dessert or drinks. 

Please click the link below to sign up to donate. All donations need to be dropped off on November, 25th 7:00am - 10:00am. 

Thank you so much for your continued support!!!

SIGN UP HERE 

Ben Carson Scholarship Nominations:

Patuxent Valley Middle School can submit one student to be nominated for the chance to win a Ben Carson Scholarship Award. To be considered, students must have at least a 3.75 GPA, have completed community service, and submit an essay. The nomination is not a guarantee of an award. Please see this link for more information. 

If your child would like to be considered for this scholarship award, please have them write an essay of no more than 500 words, and a list of community service activities that they have participated in. 

Essay Questions (between 450 and 500 words). Students choose one to respond to for consideration of the Carson Scholarship. 

1. Imagine you have the opportunity to create a new club or organization in your school or community. What would it focus on, and how would it benefit others?

2. Think of someone who inspires you to reach for the stars. How has that person influenced you to achieve more?

 Student Essays will be evaluated on the following criteria by our committee.

1. CONTENT: An essay with ample information, including supporting details.

2. ORGANIZATION: An organized essay with a well-developed beginning, middle and end.

3. STYLE/MECHANICS & USAGE: Interesting, varied, imaginative and age-appropriate vocabulary. Correct punctuation, capitalization, spelling and paragraph distinction.

4. FOCUS: Appropriate information to make the reader clearly understand the ideas being presented.

Interested students should submit their essay and list of community service to Mrs. Chelidona, mchelidona@hcpss.org by December 1st, 8PM. Title the document: “(Your Last name) Ben Carson Essay Entry”.

PVMS Updates (recurring from previous newsletters)

College and Career Readiness Monthly Newsletter

November 2024 Read more

MAP Score Reports in ParentVue

Student Progress reports are available in ParentVue. Visit the link below for helpful directions:

https://help.hcpss.org/how-can-i-access-my-childs-map-test-results

WINTER COAT GIVEAWAY

November 25 and 26 at Harriet Tubman Lane, Columbia. See flyer for more information.

ARL OPEN HOUSE: Current 8th-11th grade students and their parents/guardians are invited to attend in-person information sessions on HCPSS career academies on Tuesday, Nov. 12 or Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024 at the Applications and Research Laboratory, 10920 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD. The evening will include two 15-minute information sessions beginning at 6:45 p.m.

Participants will learn how Career and Technical Education (CTE) career academies provide high school students with opportunities to earn college credit, scholarships, and industry-recognized credentials, participate in worksite and mentorship experiences, and become creative problem solvers by participating in hands-on project-based learning.

HCPSS Food and Nutrition Service First-Ever Taste Test Event

The HCPSS Food and Nutrition Service is holding their 1st Regional Food Taste Test Event at the Guilford Park High School cafeteria on November 14 from 6:00-7:00 pm The food taste test would be an exciting opportunity for parents and students to try new and currently prepared foods and share their opinions. In those ways, parent and student voices and choices would be strongly represented as the food service program improves the quality of meals and services provided to students. This event is an authentic method to engage our school community to support and celebrate the value of being willing to try healthy school meals. In addition to tasting samples of food, the event will also be an opportunity to provide participants with relevant information and literature about school food service. Participants are asked to register for the event by November 7 at https://forms.gle/Fypx58DtXWf5vhA7A since capacity is limited to a maximum of 450 persons.

From PTSA: Spirit Wear is now available to order online! 
Show your school spirit and be prepared for our upcoming spirit wear days by ordering your PVMS spirit wear today! 

ORDER HERE : https://www.selectspiritwear.com/v5store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=1751

PVMS 8th Period Clubs will begin on October 15th and run through January 16th.  All registrations closed on October 9.

NOTE: We will not have transportation during this session.  Your child will need to be picked up at 4:15 if they are not walking home.

If you have any questions, please contact LaVerne Porter via email at lporter@hcpss.org or via phone at 410-880-5840.

 

 

From HC Drug Free:

Free Online Parenting Classes (Open to HoCo grandparents too) - HC DrugFree offers an evidence-based, interactive prevention program that helps parents, guardians and/or grandparents develop stronger relationships with their kids, while also providing skills proven to reduce the risk of youth engaging in substance use or other risky behaviors. These classes are for families with children 9-14 years old (slightly younger and older may register and will be considered) and held on Zoom on November 12, 15, 19, 22, and December 3 from 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. For more information and to register, go to https://hcdrugfree.org/currentevents/

Medication and Sharps Disposal Take Back Day - HC DrugFree will host another convenient drive-thru medication and sharps collection on Saturday, October 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Wilde Lake Village Center parking lot (near the CA Swim Center). Bring unwanted and expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medication, “sharps” (needles, syringes, and EpiPens), vapes without the batteries, inhalers, and more. Medication will be guarded and transported by the Howard County Police and DEA. For more information and to volunteer, go to https://hcdrugfree.org/currentevents/

Teen Advisory Council - The Teen Advisory Council (TAC) receives Community Service Hours for providing the youth perspective to HC DrugFree's staff and Board of Directors. Youth input increases the effectiveness of HC DrugFree's educational programs, newsletters, website and other services. TAC is open to Howard County students in grades 8 through 12 (public, private and homeschool) who meet monthly during the school year to discuss teen use of alcohol and other drugs and to develop educational messages that promote a vision of a county where youth are drug-free by choice. For more information and to register, go to https://hcdrugfree.org/currentevents/

 

Annual MLK Contest from Howard County Government MLK Commission:

We are approaching the time to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in our community. I am reaching out to invite you to share information about the upcoming Annual MLK Contests.

This year, we have several exciting opportunities for students to engage with Dr. King’s vision of equality, justice, and community service. Additionally, all the awards come with cash prizes.

The contests include:

Oratory Contest: Open to Middle and High School students, this contest challenges participants to express their understanding of Dr. King's message through the art of speech.

Essay Contest: Also, for Middle and High School students, this competition invites students to articulate their thoughts and reflections on Dr. King's impact and teachings in essay form.

Poster Contest: Open to Elementary, Middle, and High School students, participants can visually express their interpretation of Dr. King's dream through creative poster designs.

Additionally, they are hosting a Living the Dream Award Contest for individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to making Howard County a better place, embodying the principles that Dr. King championed.  We believe that these contests not only honor Dr. King's legacy but also inspire our students to think critically about their roles in serving the community.  We encourage you to share
these opportunities widely with your students and families and to support their participation.

For more information, including deadlines and submission guidelines, please visit https://bit.ly/2025MLKContests 

PVMS Attendance Procedures 24-25

If your student is absent or will be absent, please contact us at the following email address to explain the reason:pvmsabsence@hcpss.org.  In the email please Include the following information:

• Student First and Last Name

• Grade 

• Reason for absence (e.g., illness, bereavement, observance of a religious holiday, lack of transportation)

Late Arrivals Procedures

If your child is late to school, please either send in a note/email to pvmsabsence@hcpss.org explaining the reason for the lateness if you are unable to sign your child into school. 

Early Dismissals

Please email on the day of your student's early dismissal, pvmsabsence@hcpss.org, and indicate the time they will be picked up and by whom. Please bring your ID to show the main office.

With the collaborative effort of HCPSS parents, staff and students, we are confident that all students can have successful attendance. This will improve student success in school and in future life!

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL MESSAGE FOR PVMS/BBES CAMPUS
We are excited to return to the school buildings and have been working hard to prepare for a safe and efficient arrival and dismissal from Bollman Bridge and Patuxent Valley. The administrations at both Bollman Bridge and Patuxent Valley Middle Schools have been collaborating this summer on a joint traffic pattern and arrival and dismissal plan. Read more

LIGHTSPEED PARENT NOTIFICATIONS
Parents/guardians can monitor their child’s HCPSS Chromebook internet usage by signing up for Lightspeed Parent Notifications to receive a weekly email summary of their child’s usage.

Once parents have signed up for Lightspeed Parent Notifications, the email summary delivered each Sunday will contain a link with access to the Lightspeed Parent Portal, which provides near real-time information on their child’s internet activity.

The Lightspeed Parent Portal offers additional details about internet usage and the ability to control a child’s online activities when they are not on the HCPSS network at school by allowing parents to pause the internet for 1 hour, 3 hours or until 6 a.m. the next morning. Frequently asked questions about Lightspeed and the Parent Portal can be found online.

HCPSS teachers will access Lightspeed in the classroom to monitor student Chromebook usage.  Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher if they notice their child is regularly on non-academic websites during the day.
Find instructions on signing up for Lightspeed Parent Notifications online.

Parents/guardians are encouraged to review HCPSS Student Mobile Technology Duties and Obligations, which outlines the responsible use of technology in accordance with HCPSS Board Policy 8080 Responsible Use of Technology, Digital Tools, and Social Media.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR VISITORS

Please be aware of the following procedures for any visitor to a school/office:

• The front door is the only entrance point for all visitors.

• Please ring the bell and look into the camera.

• Be prepared to state your name and purpose for visiting.

• All visitors must walk directly into the front office with a valid photo I.D. and sign in using our LobbyGuard system.

• A visitor’s sticker will be given to visitors following the above procedures and must be worn and prominently visible.

• Any visitor in the school without a visitor sticker will be escorted directly to the front office by a staff member.

SCHOOL MEALS AND PAYMENT INFO

HCPSS no longer will use Nutrislice for school menus or MySchoolBucks for meal payments. LINQ Connect is a secure, online portal that allows families to view breakfast and lunch menus, make online meal payments, monitor their child’s account, schedule automatic recurring payments, set up low balance alerts, submit a Free and Reduced Meals program application, and more. Details and information. are available online.

WELLNESS CENTER AT PVMS

The Patuxent Valley Middle School-Based Wellness Center is a partnership between Howard County Health Department and Howard County Public School System. School Wellness Centers do not replace students' regular health care providers in the community. By providing some health care at school we can help parents stay at work and help students stay at school or more quickly return to school. There is no co-pay or fee for visits at the Wellness Center. Read more

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please visit the Community News and Programs page on the HCPSS website for announcements of upcoming events and programs sponsored by non-profit organizations.