Dear Patuxent Valley Families and Community,
The New Student Orientation yesterday truly affirmed to me that we have an amazing community and school home here at Patuxent Valley.  It was wonderful to meet new faces, see some friends from last year and hear so many stories from students, and families about why they love our community and school.  Thank you to every staff member and PTSA member who helped to support the event, and to everyone who attended for the part they played in beginning the school year well!

This afternoon from 5pm to 7pm the PVMS PTSA is hosting a Welcome Back to School Block Party on the PVMS Blacktop. There will be games, music provided by DJ POV, 360 photo booth and food from Chick Fil-A! Please come join us!

Next week Patuxent Valley is open for the 23-24 school year beginning at 7:50am on Monday morning.  Our doors will open at 7:40am and we’ll have staff in the parking lots and bus loop to help our families and young people.  Plan to get here early and have patience for each other as we navigate new routines and the return to school - our primary goal for Monday is to get every student connected to their people for the school year.

Please save the date, Thursday, September 5, for Back to School Night.   We will begin the evening at 6pm with a presentation from our Gifted and Talented Resource Teacher. Parents will then have a chance to follow their students schedule and meet our amazing staff.

Check out the information below for items we’ve been sending out this week and some new things to help us all be prepared for the new school year!  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:

8/23 - Back to School PTSA Block Party, 5pm to 7pm

8/26 - First Day of School for Students

9/2 - Labor Day, Schools and offices closed

9/5 - Back to School Night, 6pm to 8pm

9/18- Schools close 3 hours early

PVMS Updates (Priority and New this week)

 

Back to School PTSA Block Party!

• On August 23 from 5pm to 7pm the PVMS PTSA is hosting a Welcome Back to School Block Party on the PVMS Blacktop.
• There will be games, music provided by DJ POV, 360 photo booth and food from Chick Fil-A! 

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

UPDATED PATUXENT VALLEY SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST
Click here for the 24-25 PVMS School Supply Menu!

• This is the most comprehensive list.  Most students will not need all items, and no student is expected to have more than what is listed here.
• Teachers will share needs for individual classes at the 6th grade orientation and on their Canvas page.
• The supply list includes a need for a School Planner to help all of our students with organization.
• Contact team leaders or Richard Smart with questions.

LOCKERS and BACKPACKS.

Students are permitted to use backpacks during the day. Lockers will be assigned to students in September using the locker request form (which will be distributed in home room).  Students are permitted to access their locker before school, before and after lunch, and at the end of the school day.  Lockers are for individual use only – students are not permitted to share their combination or allow others to use their assigned locker. 

PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. Per HCPSS Policy 8080, all middle school students are not permitted to use personal electronic devices in school during the school day.  All devices, including cell phones, iPad, personal computers, earbuds, and headphones must be off and away in their backpack or locker until 3:15 PM.

STUDENT TECHNOLOGY DEVICES. 

PVMS will continue to have a 1:1 student-to-device ratio.  All students have or will be provided with a Chromebook. These devices are required for all county and state testing and assessments. HCPSS Technology and Devices information 

All 6th graders will be issued a device in the first weeks of school.

7th or 8th graders who have not been issued. If a student has not been issued an HCPSS device, they will report to the Media Center to be assigned a device during the first week of school.

 

HCPSS POLICIES, STUDENT HANDBOOK, CODE OF CONDUCT. HCPSS policies are regularly reviewed and updated. For the most current policy revision, or to view the policy in its entirety, along with supporting regulations and procedures, you may visit the HCPSS Policy Web Page: www.hcpss.org/board/policies.

Important information/links:

Student Handbook - https://www.hcpss.org/about-us/handbook/

Student Code of Conduct - https://www.hcpss.org/about-us/student-code-of-conduct/

PVMS Theater Newsletter

Information about the Theater Program at PVMS from Ms. Clark!

Theater Newsletter

PVMS Updates (recurring from previous newsletters)

Student Schedules

Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 21, all students and parents/guardians can log in to HCPSS Connect Synergy to view courses, teachers and schedules.

Change of address   
Families are required by Policy 9000 to notify HCPSS if they move to a new home address. Current residency documentation must be updated each time residency changes. Contact pvmsregistrars@hcpss.org with any questions. 

Changes in Social Media and Gaming Access

Beginning July 1, HCPSS will block access to social media at all schools and most game websites at middle and high schools only on the HCPSS instructional (student) network and on student Chromebooks. Español | 中文 | 한국어

Message from the Health Room:

Immunizations for Upcoming 7th Graders 

Current 6th grade parents- Please email your students updated immunizations records to the Health Room if you have been contacted by the health room about your student missing required 7th grade immunizations.

Howard County School-Based Wellness Centers are offering free health visits this summer for children without health insurance.

Families with medical coverage should visit their primary healthcare provider. You must make an appointment; no walk-ins.

Email HowardSBWC@howardcountymd.gov or Call 410-313-6362 to schedule a summer appointment if needed.

English Spanish Flyer

Enrollment Poster

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.