Dear Patuxent Valley Families and Community,
Happy March, Women’s History Month, National School Social Worker Week and National School Breakfast Week!  There is so much to celebrate and I want to take a moment to thank both Ms. Flores, our school social worker, and Mr. McCulloh, Ms. Woodley and Ms. Mistry, our Cafeteria team, for their contributions to our school - we would not be able to support our students in the way we do without them.

Our Marque still holds the quote from James Baldwin: “Know from whence you came, if you know from whence you came there are no limitations on where you can go.”  I was honored last night to attend our Rhythm and Flow: the Ties that Bind Us Black History Month program.  Our cafeteria was filled with families, students, staff and community members to see performances from Patuxent Valley, Guilford Park, and Reservoir students, and from staff and community members. 

The evening was a celebration of Black Excellence and yet another example of the strength of our community.  Thank you to every student, family and staff member who supported this event and especially to Tiffani Peguese, our Black Student Achievement Program liaison who spearheaded the event.  If you attended and have not completed our feedback form, please click this link and let us know what you thought!

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday each of our Band’s performed in their assessments at Guilford Park and Hammond High School.  I’m so proud of each of our students and their teachers, Mr. Bickham and Mr. Curry, who represented our school and community so well.

Congratulations to 7th grader Kris G., for representing PVMS and leading the county book club discussion at the Miller Branch library this Tuesday. Kris did an amazing job organizing a fun ice breaker and engaging discussion questions along with leading the discussion with about 20 Howard County middle school students.

On behalf of Patuxent Valley Middle School I would also like to extend our best wishes to Muslims throughout our community on the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.  For any student who is participating in the month of Ramadan we are offering our front office conference room during grade level lunches.  Students should check in with the secretaries as they come to lunch.  If any student has other needs during the month of Ramadan they should contact their school counselor who wil arrange with them how we can support them.

Next week on Friday, Saturday and Sunday we are hosting our Spring Show: High School Musical Junior!  See below for the show flier and ticket details.  I have seen a number of rehearsals and I can’t wait to see the amazing performances next weekend!

Check out the information below for items we’ve been sending out this week, and a number of new items. 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:

3/10: Spring Forward 1 hour - Daylight Savings Time

3/13, 2024 -Professional Work Day-3 hr early dismissal  for students

3/15, 3/16 & 3/17 - Spring Musical - High School Musical Junior

3/14 - PTA Meeting - 7pm in the PVMS Library

3/25 - 4/1, 2024 - Schools Closed for Spring Break

4/9- End of third Marking Period

4/10- Professional Work Day- Schools closed for students4/17- Reports cards issued via Synergy

PVMS Updates (Priority and New this week)

Ramadan:

On behalf of Patuxent Valley Middle School I would also like to extend our best wishes to Muslims throughout our community on the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.  For any student who is participating in the month of Ramadan we are offering our front office conference room during grade level lunches.  Students should check in with the secretaries as they come to lunch.  If any student has other needs during the month of Ramadan they should contact their school counselor who wil arrange with them how we can support them.

2023-2024 YEARBOOKS ARE ON SALE NOW!

Click here for more information, including price and how to order.

Spring Spirit Wear is here http://bit.ly/pvmsspirit! We asked the students what they would want and they spoke up! Head over to our Spirit Wear Store to pick up some items with the NEW PVMS Design. Spirit Wear Store will be open until March 15th. Payment is due at the time of order. Items should be delivered to students by April 9th. Be sure to indicate your student's 7th period teacher name during check out to help with delivery of goods. 

HC Drug Free Updates:

High school seniors and their parents, grandparents, and siblings: Mark your calendars.

HC DrugFree's annual Senior Week program will be held on Wednesday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom.

Learn water safety tips from Ocean City Beach Patrol, the latest law updates from Ocean City Police, and much more to help save your life at any beach and stay safe while enjoying time with friends.

Registration is required and open.

Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time will begin on Sunday, March 10, at 2 a.m. when clocks will go forward one hour. The one-hour change means it will be darker in the mornings. Please talk to your children about the time change and remind them to be cautious while walking to school or their bus stop. Safety tips for motorists, bus riders and walkers are available on the HCPSS website.

PVMS Updates (recurring from previous newsletters)

LGBTeaQi&A 

This program is an opportunity for parents to meet, connect, and learn. In this second LGBTeaQi&A, we’ll be joined by Millisa Bell, an HCPSS graduate, and her mom, Dr. Keisha Bell, to speak with parents about their personal advocacy journey both in and out of HCPSS.

Students currently enrolled in HCPSS are also welcome to attend.

A special activity has been planned for attending students to connect with each other as well as learn effective communication skills to engage with peers and adults.

Space is limited. See below for a link to the Flyer advertisement as well as a link to register. 

Link to Flyer

Link to Registration

2024 Summer Programs Registration Opens February 15 at 6 p.m.

Synergy online enrollment requests for currently enrolled HCPSS students will open Thursday, February 15 at 6 p.m. for the Innovative Pathways High School (math and Science courses only), STARTALK Chinese Language Summer Camp, and Summer Math Scholars programs.

Families can find up-to-date course information and enrollment directions on the Summer Programs web page (https://www.hcpss.org/summer-programs/.)

Recognizing and Reporting Bullying

As we approach the second half of the school year, we wanted to remind you that HCPSS is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment that focuses on student well-being. We are taking this time to uplift the importance of reporting any type of bullying that has occurred. We will be reviewing this with our students and staff as we start the second half of the school year, and we hope that you, too, can uplift this at home. 

For children facing the emotional toll of bullying, a supportive individual can make all the difference. Please encourage your children to reach out to a trusted staff member at school should they need to report anything. As parents and guardians, you will use the same reporting form as students by following the steps outlined below. 

How do I report bullying?

1. When you believe bullying has taken place, you should report it through the Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment, and Intimidation (BCHI) reporting form.  Reporting can take place in one of three ways:
   1. Complete a BCHI online reporting form
   2. BCHI paper reporting form (available in the main office, staff workroom, school counseling office, media center, and health services office
   3. An oral report to a staff member 
2. It is important to note that the policy states “In the event the reporting party does not complete a BCHI Reporting Form, school administrators/supervisors will take the appropriate steps to address and document the incident.”  Therefore, if you or someone else makes an oral report, it then must be documented (i.e. through a BCHI reporting form) by the administrator.

Thank you for your partnership and attention to this important topic.

CELL PHONES - MIDDLE SCHOOL
This is a friendly reminder to our community that per HCPSS Policy 8080, middle school students “will not use personal technology devices during non-instructional time, to include but not limited to transition between classes, lunch, recess, or in bathrooms.”  Please remind your students that their cell phones should be off and away during the school day. Students are always welcome to use an office phone to reach out to a parent during the school day. If you need to contact your child at school, please call 410-880-5840.

PVMS Attendance Procedures 23-24

Please review for comprehensive attendance procedures.Read more

FAMILY FILE UPDATES

HCPSS utilizes Family File for parents/guardians to complete emergency information. All parents/guardians must verify and/or update information for each child each school year.  Parents/guardians can access their student's Family File by logging into HCPSS Connect, selecting the “More Options” tab on the left and then selecting “Family File” in the center column.

Please be sure to read each section carefully and answer all of the questions.  You can contact us here at school if you have any questions or concerns.

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.