EMMS Eagle News - March 26, 2021

Mon, 03/29/2021 - 9:44am
Ellicott Mills Middle School  
EMMS EAGLE NEWS
Friday, March 26, 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

MESSAGE FROM STUDENT SERVICES

 
Howard County Sources of Strength would like to formally invite you to a student-led community sharing session in the spirit of having conversations about mental health, reducing stigma, and building coping skills and strength. We are hosting a virtual workshop on April 21st at 7 pm, which will focus on the unique challenges our community has faced this school year, the connections that have helped us persevere, and resources where students and families can access more supports.
 
To register for the event, you can click this link, or head over to the What Helps Me Eventbrite page
 
We hope to see you there!
  
For more information, you can contact Leah Bulka at lbulka@howardcountymd.gov or by phone at 410-313-6240.

EMMS CELEBRATING OUR EAGLES

Congratulations to our EMMS Debate Team
 
The EMMS Debate teams went up against Hammond Middle and Patuxent Valley Middle on Wednesday to debate whether Howard County should switch to Year-Round Schools. We lost the first debate but won the second. Both teams worked extremely hard, and we are very proud of them.  --  Congratulations on a job well done.
 
EMMS Teachers, Staff, and Elliott the Eagle are proud to recognize the following students for showing perseverance:
 
Grade 6: Maame-Ama Yankey
Grade 7: Luke Moore
Grade 8: Raymond Hernandez
 
Thank you for Making Great Things Happen at The Mill!
 

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.

Promoting Health and Safety on HCPSS Buses: With many students returning to school on buses, HCPSS is taking extra measures to keep buses clean and help protect the health and safety of both students and bus drivers. These measures include cleaning and disinfection and protocols for seating and bus loading and dismissal. External cameras have been installed to discourage drivers from passing buses illegally. Additional information on transportation procedures for the 2020-21 school year is provided in the Bridge to Normalized Instruction (document download) resource document. General transportation information is also available online.
 
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:

HCPSS NEWS

Enrollment is OPEN for the 2021-2022 School Year: Online Registration is now open to enroll new HCPSS K-12 students for the 2020-2021 (current) and 2021-2022 (upcoming) school years. Parents / guardians of children who will be five as of September 1, 2021, must enroll their children in kindergarten or apply for a waiver. Learn More.
Current HCPSS students do not need to be re-enrolled each school year.
 
2021-2022 Digital Education Center: HCPSS is planning for a full-time virtual option for students entering grades K-12 who wish to learn virtually for the 2021-2022 school year. Learn More.
 
2021 Summer Programs Registration: Online enrollment requests for currently enrolled HCPSS students are open 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.
 
Health and Communications Protocols: HCPSS has developed protocols for responding to positive cases in schools in conjunction with the Howard County Health Department. These protocols outline how parents should communicate with school staff in instances of suspected or confirmed exposure, as well as how staff communicates with their school communities in those instances.
 
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 the 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.

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

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

Connect with Us:

 

Address
4445 Montgomery Road
Ellicott City, MD 21043

 

Phone
410-313-2839

 

Website
emms.hcpss.org

 

Twitter
@hcpss_emms

 
 
 
 

 

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