EMMS EAGLE NEWS
Mondy, August 17, 2020
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#EMMSOneMillOneFamily
#EMMS_Pride
Hello Ellicott Mills Middle School Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the Ellicott Mills Middle School (“EMMS” or “The Mill”) 2020-2021 school year from your EMMS Administration! We are here to make great things happen! #OneMillOneFamily
I hope this email finds you safe and healthy and you are enjoying these hot, and recently, rainy summer days. It is hard to believe that in just over three weeks, students will be back to school. Over the summer things have not slowed down much here at The Mill, as this transition serves as an important time of learning and preparation. Our amazing teacher-leaders have been dedicatedly working to gear-up for another virtual teaching and learning experience. EMMS leadership has centered this preparation on culturally and digitally equitable teaching practices. We strive to meet the diverse needs of all of our students and community.
We understand that virtual teaching and learning experience can be challenging, so please feel free to reach out to any staff member should you require help in any way. Remember to check out our website http://emms.hcpss.org for up-to-the-minute information. All contact information, for any EMMS staff member, can be found on the Our Staff page ( CLICK HERE).
Counselors: (assigned by student’s last name)
EMMS News
School Supply List: Please find the school supply list for all middle schools here (click here to download). For the 2020-21 school year, there is one supply list for all middle schools. The number of supplies on the list have been reduced to keep costs down for families and reflect those most essential for virtual learning. Virtual New Student Orientation: This event will be held on Thursday, September 3rd. Please save the date. Students new to Ellicott Mills Middle School, including 6th graders and any 7th or 8th graders new to the EMMS Community, are invited to attend. More details, including Google Meet codes and full schedules, will be posted on our website and a week prior to the event.
Virtual Gifted and Talented Program Information Session: This event will be held on Thursday, September 17th @ 5:30pm. Please save the date. Parents and guardians are invited to visit with Ms. Adelman, EMMS GT Teacher. More details, including Google Meet codes and full schedules will be posted on our website a week prior to the event.
Virtual Back-to-School Night (BTSN): This event will be held on Thursday, September 17th @ 6:30pm. Please save the date. Parents and guardians are invited to visit teachers in a virtual setting. More details, including Google Meet codes and full schedules will be posted on our website a week prior to the event.
Virtual Back-to-School Night (BTSN): Wanna rock that school spirit with EMMS gear? The Mill is currently working with a vendor to offer EMMS School Spirit Wear for our students and families. All sales will be online ONLY and orders will be delivered directly to your home. More info to come soon!!!
Welcome NEW EMMS Staff
Burton, Melissa: Special Education Teacher - Ms. Burton joins The Mill having previously taught at Reservoir High School for the past 17 years. She has 21 years of teaching experience teaching everything from Bio to Mathematics.
Clark, Laural: Reading Teacher (Careers / Innovation & Inquiry) - Ms. Clark joins The Mill family after working at Wilde Lake Middle School for many years with a total of 10 years in HCPSS. She has extensive experience teaching Careers, Digital Citizenship, and Writer’s Café.
Freel, Carolyn: Vocal Teacher - Ms. Freel joins The Mill family after moving back from the West Coast where she taught in Portland, Oregon for two years. Prior to that, Ms. Freel taught in HCPSS at Hammond High School.
Isberg, John: Special Education Teacher - Mr. Isberg joins The Mill after teaching at St. Elizabeth School for two years. He has been coaching Cross Country at River Hill High School for the last numbers of years.
Lu, Nange: English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) - Ms. Lu has been a teacher in HCPSS since 2013. She joins The Mill after teaching at River Hill High School for the last two year. She has also taught at Centennial High School and Long Reach High School.
Shafer, Heather: Student Services Secretary / Registrar - Ms. Schafer will be joining The Mill family as our new Student Services Secretary. She is brand new to HCPSS as an employee, but not as a community member.
Song, Chi: Special Education Teacher, Academic Life Skills (ALS) - Ms. Song joins The Mill family after teaching in Anne Arundel County for the past 8 years as an ALS teacher. She has a wealth of experience and knowledge.
Strasser, Shelby: Speech Language Pathologist - Ms. Strasser is also brand new to EMMS and has a year in HCPSS at the elementary level.
West, Jason: Physical Education / Health - Mr. West joins us from Wilde Lake Middle School where he has taught for the last 6 years. He will be joining us in the Spring to teach both Health and P.E.
Whittaker, Brittany: Paraeducator, Special Education - Ms. Whittaker joins The Mill family after working both at the elementary level at Stevens Forest Elementary School and at the High School level at Howard High School.
HCPSS NEWS
Family File Update Reminder: Every year HCPSS parents must complete a Family File for each child. HCPSS utilizes Family File for parents/guardians to complete emergency information. Parents/guardians must verify and/or update information for each child and can do so by logging in to HCPSS Connect and selecting the Family File tab on the left and then clicking on Family File. Once logged in, you will be asked to update or provide the information listed below. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
- Student Information
- Parent/Guardian Contact
- Emergency Contacts
- Medical Information
- Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
- Photo Approval
- Data Confidentiality
- PTA/PTSA Directory
HCPSS Immunization Reminder: All children must have the required State of Maryland immunizations (click to download) in order to attend school. Parents are responsible for providing proof of immunization to the school prior to the student attending or proof of an appointment for necessary immunizations within 20 calendar days of the first day of school. The Maryland Department of Health has not lifted the requirement for immunizations, which are still required for entry into school. At this time, the state has not given any exemption to families in districts utilizing virtual instruction. To help our students obtain the necessary vaccines, HCPSS Health Services continues to partner with the Howard County Health Department (HCHD) and the Maryland Partnership for Prevention (MPP) to offer several immunization clinics for any student who may need them. These clinics will take place outdoors at some HCPSS school buildings during the week of September 21. Multiple vaccines will be offered at no cost to families. Parents/guardians will complete the online consent process prior to the clinic dates. More details are forthcoming. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
Does your child need a Chromebook and/or internet access?: Through grants and additional funds, HCPSS is able to purchase a sufficient amount of devices necessary to eventually achieve a 1:1 student-to-device ratio for all students in grades pre-K through 12. Due to vendor delays, order fulfillment will not arrive as expected and HCPSS is adjusting its device distribution plan. Parents/guardians will receive detailed instructions on picking up Chromebooks from their child’s school in the coming weeks.
HCPSS will provide a Chromebook to every student in middle school within the first quarter.
- While devices are being procured, parents/guardians of middle school students currently in need of a device may request one.
- Requests will be prioritized based on students’ access to personal devices meeting the minimum requirements.
Middle and high school families can request a Chromebook using the directions below. Elementary families do not need to request a device.
In addition to Chromebooks, any family without access to the internet should notify the school system using the directions below. HCPSS is working with the Bright Minds Foundation and Comcast to support families who may be eligible to participate in the Comcast Internet Essentials program. Additionally, HCPSS will prioritize distribution of a limited number of hot spots to families who cannot obtain access to the internet.
To identify your need for a Chromebook or internet:
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From the left menu, last choice, select “More Options” then choose “Student Technology” from the center of the screen.
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On the HCPSS Student Technology screen, use the drop down arrows to indicate the Technology Requested for each student. Changes are saved immediately.
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If a device has already been issued, it will appear in the inventory list. If a student already has a device issued, a new request will not be processed.
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Families will receive a confirmation email with necessary information, including pickup location, date and time.
HCPSS 2020/2021 School Calendar Reminder
Please ensure you have the latest calendar updates. The 2020-2021 school calendar was modified, making Tuesday, September 8, 2020, the first student day and with school staff returning on Tuesday, August 25, 2020. Spring break will be shortened to April 2–6, 2021, and the last scheduled day of school is June 15, 2021 with possible inclement weather days after that date. The EMMS website calendar is automatically updated.
HCPSS SchoolMessenger/Canvas/Synergy Reporting Forms
If you are having issues receiving HCPSS district/school emails and/or text messaging please use this new form for reporting your issues regarding emails/text messages not being delivered. If you are experiencing issues with Canvas/Synergy messages, please complete this form.
HCPSS Summer Meals Extended
HCPSS Free and Reduced Meals Program
Participation in the FARMs program also qualifies students for additional opportunities and services. Parents must submit a new application every school year. Learn more and apply. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
EMMS Community News / Events
SUMMER 2020 Opportunities
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WEngineer will be running another TechWreck Summer Academy during the last week of August. More information can be found in the poster below. Let’s gear up for some more engineering fun! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
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Address
4445 Montgomery Road
Ellicott City, MD 21043
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Phone
410-313-2839
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