School Services

8th Period After School Program

We are planning now and will start October 5th.  More details are forthcoming!

Gifted and Talented Program

Seminar Application(1).pdf

What are G/T Seminars?

G/T instructional seminars are designed to extend student interests beyond the regular classroom. In these seminars, students develop a broad range of advanced level skills for in-depth study and creation of a product or presentation.  Many of the seminars will include guest speakers or field trip opportunities, so students can work with experts in an area of interest. Seminars are open to ALL STUDENTS.

Important Things to Remember:

• Since the seminars meet during the school day, you must be responsible for all make up work, and keep grades up in your classes.
• Staple monthly pass in agenda, and write seminar in agenda in the period/ day for teacher to sign.  Ask if you can be dismissed.
•  If a test, lab, or other class where it is difficult to make up work, then you should stay in class. See me or email me for missed work.

Seminar Descriptions:  If you are interested in one or two of these seminars, you must apply for the seminar(s). Applications are due September 24th. If a student applies late, he or she must check availability with Mrs. Chelidona first.  

African American History:

Students in this seminar will have an opportunity to develop an understanding of the African American history through the use of primary documents, speeches, and discussions. You will also utilize research skills to investigate the various historical time periods in order to understand the global perspective and influences of the time period.

Book Club

Students in GT Book Club will choose at least three books to read this year from the GT Book Club List. Students may also sign up to be book club leaders. Book club leaders create strong discussion questions, and facilitate the book discussion.  Two or three students from book club may also participate in a county-wide discussion each month at the Miller Branch library.  

Creative Writing

The creative writing seminar provides advanced-level creative writers with the opportunity to produce original creative writing based on their interests. Mini-lessons focus on areas like story elements, figurative language, generating ideas, and diction.  Students will prepare works for publication and evaluate their own growth as writers by applying metacognitive reflection skills. Throughout the year, writers should maintain a portfolio of polished work and should actively participate in providing feedback to other writers.

Debate

Are you good at arguing your point and persuading others? In debate, students will research current issues, write argumentative speeches, and organize arguments. They will use public speaking skills and etiquette to refute and close their arguments. In the spring, students on this team will debate in a county middle school competition at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. Students should be strong readers, writers, and speakers.

Film

Do you enjoy watching movies? Now it’s your turn to be behind the camera or on the screen!

Introduction to Film: Students will learn techniques and basic skills with photography and videography through short film projects and advertising. Students learn film techniques including camera angles, adding b-roll footage, and transitions, and will create short films which can be broadcast to the school community.

Advanced Film: Students will create an documentary on a topic of their choice. Students who finish their documentary by the deadline have been able to show their film at the AFI Theater in Silver Spring for an environmental film festival or the HoCo Film Festival.

Little Bits:

Students in the Little Bits seminar will learn coding concepts like inputs and outputs, loops, and variables, and then apply these concepts to create app based games and inventions.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Menus

Patuxent Valley Middle School's school menu can be accessed through the LINQ Connect portal or mobile app. Families do not need a LINQ account to view menus, which are available to the public.

Free and Reduced Meals (FARMs)

HCPSS participates in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs. Students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. Parents/guardians must submit a new application every school year to maintain their student’s eligibility. To apply, go to the HCPSS FARMs webpage.

Prices

Patuxent Valley Middle School is part of the Maryland Meals for Achievement (MMFA) program where students receive free breakfast. Lunch is $3.30 per meal.

Payment

Meal payments may be made via credit card using the LINQ Connect portal. On-site payments and prepayments may be made using cash or check. Parents/guardians will need to create an account to make online payments to their child’s meal account, monitor their child’s account, schedule automatic recurring payments, set up low balance alerts, submit a Free and Reduced Meals program application, and more.

Wellness and Quality Commitment

Information on the HCPSS wellness policy and commitment to quality is available online.

Health Room

Students should not carry any medication on them while in school. If a student needs access to medication during the day, a medication form should be filled out and signed by a doctor. The school nurse will keep the doctor's medication order on file and will keep the medication in the health room for the child to have access to as stated by the doctor. There are some medications (like Epi-Pens and inhalers) that a doctor may give permission for a student to self-carry, but that must be indicated on the doctor's signed medication order. 

In the school health room, we do not diagnose your student. If a student is not feeling well, we will take their temperature and call the parent to inform them. The parent has the choice to come and pick up their child or to come and administer medication. However, students are automatically sent home if they have a temperature over 100.00 degrees (they cannot ride the bus). We can provide first aide for simple injuries but will call the parent or 911 for any serious injuries, or if we believe it may be something the child should see a doctor for.  We can administer daily medications or emergency medications with a doctor's order.  We will always call a parent if we have any concerns. 

Parents are encouraged to enroll their children in the school's Health & Wellness center so that they are not responsible for immediately coming to pick up their child and take them to a doctor for high temperatures or slightly more serious complaints. Students enrolled in the Health & Wellness center who report a sore throat, earache, or fever can be refered to the registered nurse at the health center for an exam. The nurse on staff may be able to administer medication and send the student back to class.  This is a great benefit for both the student and the parent!

Health and Wellness Center

Through a partnership between the Howard County Health Department and the Howard County Public School System, Patuxent Valley Middle School now has a School-Based Wellness Center available to our school community: A school based Wellness Center open two or more days a week. Health services provided include physicals, immunizations, treatment of illness, and treatment of chronic illnesses. The Patuxent Valley Wellness Center will be open several days each week when school is in session, the nurse practitioner covers both the BBES and PVMS Wellness Centers; days and times will vary depending on students' needs at each center. Appointments can be made by calling: 301-490-1655.

Wellness Center Enrollment Packet