EMMS Eagle News - March 12, 2021

Fri, 03/12/2021 - 5:47pm
Ellicott Mills Middle School  
EMMS EAGLE NEWS
Friday, March 12, 2021

UPCOMING:

  • March 29: 6th grade Group A students return for hybrid instruction
  • April 1: 6th grade Group B students return for hybrid instruction
  • April 2: Schools and offices closed
  • April 5 and 6: Spring Break (note: school offices will be closed on April 5 only)
  • April 12: 7th and 8th grade Group A students return for hybrid instruction
  • April 14:
    • End of Third Quarter
    • 1/2 Day for Students
  • April 15: 7th and 8th grade Group B students return for hybrid instruction
  • April 22: Report Cards Issued

EMMS SPIRIT WEAR

Items are shipped directly to you. There are LOTS of different items to choose from (even masks) and you have the ability to CUSTOMIZE with a school design and more. Feel free to contact Ms. Jennifer Johnson ("JJ") @ jennifer_l_johnson@hcpss.org if you have any questions.

EMMS CELEBRATING OUR EAGLES

EMMS Teachers, Staff, and Elliott the Eagle are proud to recognize the following students for showing perseverance:
 
Grade 6: Zeishaan Amir
Grade 7: Ryan Doody
Grade 8: Deontroy Johnson
 
Thank you for Making Great Things Happen at The Mill!

EMMS GENERAL NEWS

Please Return EMMS Media Books/Materials: Students, please take some time to locate overdue library books and play-a-ways that you borrowed either from our EMMS Media Center or from your elementary schools last year. You may return all media items to the permanent return bin in front of EMMS 24/7! If you have any questions about library items, please reach out to our EMMS Media Center staff: donna_monger@hcpss.org or christina_batelka@hcpss.org. Thank you for your cooperation!
 
Returning Textbooks: There are three ways for you to return borrow textbooks. 
  1. Bring the textbook back with you when you come to a distribution event.
  2. You are welcome to drop off any textbooks any weekday 7 am to 3 pm. There is a cart in the vestibule on the left that you may simply place the book there. 
  3. Please feel free to drop the textbook in the Media Center bin located under the overhang at the top of the bus loop any day, any time. 
Family Technology Support: Before contacting the Technology Support Team, please make sure that you have checked all of the resources available to you @ hcpss.me. If you still have a Canvas or Synergy technology-related question, please complete this form, and a member of our support team will be in touch with you within 2 school days.

NEWS From Our Feeder High Schools

Howard High School: 
 
Fan Cutouts - Since each student-athlete on the roster will only get 2 tickets for each home game, we have a great way for all Howard High School sports fans to show their support.  These are perfect for grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, and even pets to be an HHS sports fan! Order yours today: Howard High School Fan Cutouts – Varsity Graphics (vgfans.net)
 
ORDER DEADLINE: March 13th
  • STADIUM Signs for Football, Cheer, Field Hockey, Boys/Girls Soccer, and Poms will be displayed on the stadium bleachers outdoors.
  • GYMNASIUM Signs for Volleyball will be displayed on the bleachers in the gymnasium.
  • COURSE Signs for Golf and Cross Country will include a metal yard stake so they can be displayed at the course.
Lions' Pride summer camps range in age from 3rd to 8th grade for the 2020/21 school year. All camps will be held at Howard High School. Camps are OPEN to ALL kiddos regardless of the schools they attend. If you are currently enrolled as a High School student, please do not sign up for a summer camp. Register now to get the early bird rate!

HCPSS NEWS

[NEW] 2021 Summer Programs Registration to Open March 15: Online enrollment requests for currently enrolled HCPSS students will open at 6 p.m., Monday, March 15 for BSAP Summer Institute, Gifted and Talented Summer Institutes for Talent Development, Innovative Pathways High School (Math and Science only), and STARTALK Chinese Language Summer Camp. Read More.
 
Updated Attendance Procedure: Effective March 1, a student who attends class in person or synchronously Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday will be marked present. A student will be marked absent if they do not attend instruction in person or virtually. Additional information, including attendance procedures that apply on Wednesdays, is provided online.
 
Update to Student Meal Service: Effective March 1, meals will be available for pickup from 7:45—8:45 a.m. at elementary school locations and 9:00-10:00 a.m. at middle and high school locations on specified days. There will be no pickups on Tuesdays and Fridays. Students and parents/guardians will continue to have the option to receive meals at their child’s school or at any designated meal distribution site. Additional details about changes to meal service are available online.
 
Non-Instructional Video Streaming Sites Not Accessible: Video streaming services—such as Netflix, TikTok, Hulu, Showtime, Snapchat, Tumblr, Xbox live, Fortnite and HBO—are no longer accessible on the HCPSS network or on HCPSS-issued devices. These services are not approved instructional technology sites and use of these sites has created network performance issues.
 
FAQs Available on HCPSS Help Site: Featuring answers to hundreds of FAQs, HCPSS’ Help Site provides a wealth of information about the Bridge to Normalized Instruction Hybrid Instructional Model, health and safety, transportation, technology, and more. The site is organized by category and can be searched by keyword, making it easy to navigate to the information you need. New FAQs are continually being added and we encourage you to visit the site regularly. A separate Staff Help Site provides FAQs and answers for HCPSS employees.
 
Hybrid Learning Resource: A new resource document summarizes all major aspects of the school system’s planned transition to hybrid in-person and concurrent virtual instruction that begins on March 1. The document is intended to serve as a reference for both families and staff. Read More.
 
Online Resources Available to Aid in Hybrid Transition: Information and resources, such as this tip sheet on virtual learning, are available online to aid families and students in the transition to hybrid and concurrent virtual learning. HCPSS’ Help site provides answers to hundreds of questions about hybrid learning, health and safety, transportation, and more.
 
COVID-19 Dashboard: Read More.
 
2021-2022 Academic Calendar: Read More.
 
Online Bullying Reporting Tool: Read More. 
 
 
Google Meet Expectations for Students and Parents/Guardians: To ensure a positive and productive virtual learning experience, it is important that all students and parents/guardians adhere to these Google Meet expectations, and review the virtual instruction responsibilitiesexpectations, and best practices provided online.

COMMUNITY NEWS / EVENTS

HCPSS Community News / Events: Families can quickly discover educational and recreational resources, events, and after-school programs offered by community non-profits on HCPSS’s new Community News and Programs website.
 
Howard County Association of Student Councils Virtual Meeting: All middle and high school students interested in getting involved in student leadership and service are invited to the monthly meetings of the Howard County Association of Student Councils (HCASC). For more information, please email cindy_drummond@hcpss.org.
 
Suicide Prevention and Substance Abuse Discussion
Saturday, March 13, 9-10:30 a.m., virtual session
Representatives from HCPSS and partner organizations will provide information on risk factors, warning signs, protective factors, and community resources. Register online to receive the link to join this free session for parents/guardians of students at all levels, co-sponsored by The Council of Elders.
 
Transition Workshop
Tuesday, March 16, 4-5:30 p.m., virtual session
Families of youth aged 14 and above with a developmental disability are invited to attend this virtual workshop, where representatives from Total Care and MMARS will present information about Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration services and the Transitioning Youth (GTYI) process. Register at least 24 hours prior to the event by emailing Dawson Robertson at dawson_robertson@hcpss.org.
 
Community Advisory Council Meeting: Improving Student Performance with More Sleep
Wednesday, March 17, 7 p.m., virtual meeting
Colonel Brian Robertson will discuss pushing back school start times and the effect of that change on student performance. Interested participants may request the virtual meeting link online. The link will be sent on the day of the meeting. The CAC nominating committee will also announce the slate for the 2021-2022 CAC elections. CAC meetings are open to the public.
 
Glen Mar Church & The Maryland Food Bank
PANTRY ON THE GO
Friday, March 19, 2:00-5:00 p.m., Glen Mar Church Parking Lot
Click here to download flyer: English & Spanish
 
Student Logo Contest
Entry deadline: 5 p.m. Friday, March 26
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) invites all HCPSS students to submit designs for its new Instagram and Twitter social media account logo. The logo should represent diversity, belonging, empathy, justice, and joy. The designer of the winning entry will receive a $25 gift card. Design specifications and entry submission information are available online.
 

HCPSS / TECHNOLOGY HELP https://help.hcpss.org/technology

HELP and INFORMATION concerning TECHNOLOGY (Chromebooks, HotSpots, etc.). Read More.

Need to Get in Touch with Someone at EMMS?
Though teachers and staff are beginning to return to EMMS to work on-site, please consider continuing to use email to reach our staff (click here for staff contact information).