February 29, 2008

Attendance Policies

Early Dismissals require a note to be taken to Student Services (Guidance) Office in the morning. Student's name and the dismissal time will be printed on the daily attendance bulletin and displayed on the MVMS News Ticker that runs on the classroom televisions. To reduce the amount of interruptions into the classroom and wait time for parents, students will report to the front office at the early dismissal time.

Tardy procedures include that ALL students who enter the building after 7:40 AM are required to have a note and a parent must come to the front office to sign-in the late student. (MVMS Attendance Policy)

Teacher Notes

From Mrs. Quinn, GT Resource Teacher:

New students, nominated by a teacher or parent, who enroll in the Howard County School System after the Winter/Spring testing period can register for GT Testing. However, the student must register at his/her new middle school and receive an ID number first. The Student Information Sheet must be completed and sent to the GT Office by Friday, April 25th. GT Tests will be given at the Faulkner Ridge Center in Columbia on Saturday, May 3rd.

Howard County History Day is on Saturday, March 29th at Reservoir High School. Students from Mr. Lewis' GT Social Studies class and Mrs. Grimes' Challenge Reading class will participate in History Day All students and parents are welcome to attend this event. Details about the schedule will be advertised soon

The GT Orientation Meeting for Incoming 6th Grade Parents is on Thursday, April 17th in the Media Center from 7:00 PM - 7:45 PM. Parents will learn about the GT Content Area classes and enrichment opportunities for all students.

PTA Opportunities

MVMS PTA is recruiting officers and committee chairs for the 2008/2009 school years. If you would like to become more active in the PTA, contact Lori Ferraro at ferrarofamily4@verizon.net, 410-489-2577 or Tracey German at jgerman@comcast.net, 410-489-6245.

Volunteer Lunch Monitor

Volunteer Lunch Monitor needed every other Tuesday beginning February 26th from 10:45 AM-11:50 AM. If interested please email Lori Ferraro at ferrarofamily4@verizon.net or call 443-286-6117.

Free Chorus Concert Monitor

The MVMS Chorus will perform High School Musical II and more on Thursday, March 13th at 7:30 PM in the MV cafeteria. All are welcome.

Winter Bash Update

The Spirit Team's Winter Bash, originally scheduled for Friday February 22nd, has been rescheduled because of the snow day to Friday, March 28th from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM in the Mount View cafeteria. Students who have bought tickets, please hold on to them (keep them in a safe place!) until the dance on March 28th-additional tickets will be sold during lunches on March 26th, 27th and 28th. If you purchased a ticket for the February date and cannot attend the March 28th rescheduled dance, you can turn in your ticket for a refund during the lunch ticket sales. If you were signed up to chaperone, you will be recontacted to assess your availability on the March 28th. Anyone interested in volunteering to chaperone on March 28th can contact Janet Gilbert at
janet@janetgilbert.net.

Community News

Attention 8th grade boys who will be attending Marriotts Ridge High School for 2008-2009: The Mustang Boys soccer teams participate in an outdoor league in the summer. Games are 7 vs. 7 and are played at Liberty High School in Carroll County. Two teams representing Marriotts Ridge HS will be registered. One team will be potential varsity level/age players (players CURRENTLY in 10th and 11th grade). The other team will be potential JV level/age players (players CURRENTLY in 8th and 9th grade). The JV team will play on Wednesday nights starting the week of June 16th and will end about August 2nd. The team will play 7 games - weather permitting. This team is a good way for the potential JV players to get to meet each other and have an experience playing as a team. There are no practices for this team. Please be aware that participation on this team does not guarantee selection to the HS JV team. If you are interested in participating in this league please email Kathy Martin. Please include your name, CURRENT grade, school you are attending, home phone number and parents' names. This team will be formed on a first come/first served basis. The team is allowed a roster of 15 players. The high school coaches do NOT participate in this league. The team is coached by parent volunteers. The final cost per player will be determined when the roster is complete and will most likely be somewhere between $35-$45 per player.

The Stressless Tests Program is offering the following programs this spring:

Spring Middle School Study Skills classes meet Monday evenings April 7th - 28th, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM, or Tuesday afternoons April 22nd - May 13th from 3:45 PM - 5:45 PM. The fee is $175 and includes the Study for Success DVD. Classes meet at Burleigh Manor Middle School.

Summer Study Skills is now a 5-day course, with new games and activities for a lighter touch for summer. Middle School classes start the weeks of July 28th, August 4th and August 11th, and meet from 12:00 noon - 2:00 PM. The fee is $185 and includes the Study for Success DVD. All classes meet at Centennial High School.

To register go to www.Stresslesstests.org or contact Betty Caldwell at 410 740-4659 or at Bcaldwell@comcast.net. High School classes are also available.

The Horizon Councils and Howard County Library present Family Communication Night Series Safe Surfing Workshops on Online Safety. This two-part workshop is designed to increase communication between parents and students about internet safety and to increase parents' understanding of social technology sites MySpace and Facebook. Part1 is a pre-requisite for Part 2. Free dinner is provided at Part 1. Reservations required.

Part 2: Safety Techniques for MySpace and Facebook - Hands on workshop for parents. Choose one (1) session to attend. Sessions dates are March 12th, 13th, 27th, or 31st, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM at Howard County Library, Miller Branch (410-313-1950).

The College Savings Plans of Maryland now offers more options from the State of Maryland to help make it easier than ever to save for college. The Maryland Prepaid College Trust Allows you to lock in tomorrow's tuition at today's cost and offers the security of a Maryland Legislative Guarantee. The Maryland College Investment Plan offers 13 different investment portfolios managed by T. Rowe Price. Both plans are affordable, flexible, and offer great State and federal tax benefits! To find out more, plan to attend one of the Parent Information Nights, presented by Howard County Public Schools and the College Savings Plans of MD. All presentations are scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM.

For more information, go to www.collegesavingsmd.org (click on "Events") or 1-888-4MD-GRAD (option#5).

The Howard County Autism Society and AMC Theatres at Columbia Mall will be offering movie showings for families with special needs. There will be no trailers, the volume will be kept down and the lights will be kept up. Children are encouraged to take sensory breaks and all families and friends with special needs are welcome. All showings will start at 9:30 AM. Doors open at 8:45 AM. The cost is $6 per person. The upcoming schedule is as follows:

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