From the Desk of the Principal, December 12, 2025

Dear Patuxent Valley Families and Community,

Over the past week, I have had the privilege of hearing our bands, orchestras, and choirs at the winter concerts at Hammond High School, the Dance Concert at Guilford Park, and both orchestra and choir at the Christmas Tree Lighting in Savage. Tonight and next week will round out a wonderful stretch of fine arts performances from Patuxent Valley with the Choir Concert this evening at Hammond and the Orchestra Concert on Tuesday. Thank you to Ms. Lentz, Mr. Bickham, Ms. Goeke, Ms. Beauchamp, and Ms. Gum for your hard work and dedication. And a huge congratulations to each of our students on the fruits of their hard work.

On Tuesday, our 8th grade students who will be attending Guilford Park High School next school year met with members of the GPHS 9th grade team and learned more about their next steps in their educational journey.

As a former high school educator and ninth grade administrator, this made me reflect again on the importance of the work we do in middle school to help our students feel ready for what comes next. I shared with our 8th graders this morning that the most important factor in a successful transition to high school is having a person—or people—with whom they feel connected, both among peers and among staff. I’m grateful that our Panther colleagues share the commitment to relationship-building that we are centering at Patuxent Valley, and I can’t wait to hear the message from Hammond’s staff next Tuesday.

Next week, our 8th graders will also be going on the science field trip to the Science Center, and we will be finishing out the last full week of 2025. There is not much left of the second quarter, so please review grades with your students and offer them messages of encouragement and challenge. Please reach out to our instructional staff with any questions.

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:

12/12 - Chorus Winter Concert at 7pm, Hammond HS

12/16 - Orchestra Winter Concert at 7pm, Hammond HS

12/18 - 9th Grade Scheduling Night at Guilford Park High School, 5:30pm

1/6 - 9th Grade Scheduling Night at Hammond High School, 5:30pm

1/14 - Rising 6th Grade Scheduling Night @PVMS, 6pm

PVMS Updates (Priority and New this week)

Dear 8th Grade Students and Parents,

We are entering an exciting time in the school year as we begin registering for high school. For many of you, this is a new experience, and for those of you who have done this with older children, some things have changed. Below are all of the links and information needed to register for the 2026-2027 school year.

On December 16th, students and parents will be able to view their teachers' high school course recommendations and register for elective classes in Synergy.

Resources and materials needed to register for 9th-grade classes:

High School Registration Dates:

  • December 16 - Students and parents can view teacher recommendations and begin entering course requests and alternates into Synergy.  Students must select 2 electives and 3 alternates.
  • December 18 - Guilford Park HS Parent Information Night, 5:30pm
  • January 6 - Hammond High School Parent Information Night, 5:30pm
  • January 12 - Last day to enter your High School registration in Synergy. The recommendations close at 4:00 pm.
     

Any questions should be directed to your child's school counselor:

Jamie Kim | School Counselor, Students G6-8, A-F | Jamie_Kim@hcpss.org

Stephanie Dine | School Counselor, Students G6-8 G-N | Stephanie_Dine@hcpss.org

Jamie Glover | School Counselor, Students G6-8, O-Z | Jamie_Glover@hcpss.org

​​​​​​​PTSA Updates

Donations Needed for the December Coffee Cart -12/15/25

We are excited to roll out our December coffee cart to thank all of our wonderful PVMS staff during the holiday season! This is a staff favorite but we can't do it without your donations!! Please consider helping! Please drop all coffee cart items off at the PVMS front office no later than 7:45 am on Monday, December 15th. Items can be store-bought or homemade. We appreciate your donations and thank you for your support! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4AA8AB2FA1FC1-60686438-pvms

FUNDrive Updates

A big THANK YOU to everyone who donated to last weekend’s FUNDrive fundraiser!! It was a HUGE success! We received 4,745 lbs of donations and we made $857.30 thanks to all of the donations brought in by the PVMS community!! This is AMAZING and a big jump from our total last year!! Thank you again for your support in this fundraiser!! All of these funds will go towards school and PTSA activities.

Thank you as well to our parent volunteers and our fantastic student volunteers from the PVMS NJHS and Hammond NHS.

Spiritwear Update

All spiritwear orders were handed out to 7th period classes on Tuesday this week!

School Dance Committee

The PTSA is planning a school wide dance for March or April 2026. We have a volunteer who has stepped up to chair the dance committee but we are looking for other volunteers to help. If you are interested in helping, please email pvmsptamd@gmail.com.

Angel Tree

During the holiday season we have a tradition at PVMS of doing an Angel Tree to help our families that might need extra support during the holidays.  If you would like to participate, we will be doing the sign-up digitally through a sign-up genius.  You can find all the additional information here.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E084FA8AA2FA6FF2-60196461-angel

8th Period Programs (Intramurals and Co-Curricular Activities)

8th Period Programs (Intramurals and Co-Curricular Activities) will begin December 2nd and run through February 12th.   Some clubs meet on Tuesdays and some Thursdays.  Please refer to the link for descriptions of programs being offered.  The deadline for submissions is November 21st .

All programs meet 2:35 and end at 3:45. There is no snack or transportation offered. 

This form must be completed as it is the permission slip for the clubs.  No students will be permitted to stay without a completed form from a parent or guardian.

Notify Jenny Whitebloom, jennifer_whitebloom@hcpss.org with any questions.

PVMS Updates (recurring from previous newsletters)

REGISTRATION FOR BSAP SATURDAY MATH ACADEMY
The HCPSS Black Student Achievement Program Saturday Math Academy Spring Session is approaching! The BSAP Saturday Math Academy will offer an  in-person enrichment program for Howard County Public School System students in all levels of math for grades 3-12, based on course availability. Registration will take place online on Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 9:00 am until capacity is reached. Class space is limited. Families can register by accessing the HCPSS Connect Website on the registration date. For more information, please visit HCPSS News.
Flyers for distribution:
BSAP SMA Spring 2026 Flyer (English)
BSAP SMA Spring 2026 Flyer (Spanish)
BSAP SMA Spring 2026 Flyer (Chinese)
BSAP SMA Spring 2026 Flyer (Korean)

Roving Radish, a partnership between HCPSS and Howard County Government, is coming to our school community to promote healthy eating with a mobile produce market!

Where: School Bus Loop  (*parking or driving in the Bus Loop during dismissal times is still prohibited - please walk over or park in the PVMS lot after 2:45pm)

When: Tuesdays, 2:45-4:30pm

Anyone can participate -- students, families, staff, and community members!

Regular Members: Sign up for 50% off weekly special items.

Exclusive Members: Qualify through a subsidy to receive free weekly specials + 50% off all other items.

Applications will be available at the mobile market.  An online application link will be coming at a later date.

Telehealth Appointments

Starting with the 2025-2026 school year middle and high school students may participate in a telehealth appointment with a provider selected by the family, medical or behavioral health, during the school day. The Telehealth Procedures Manual outlines the requirements for a telehealth appointment and can be found on the HCPSS website. To schedule a telehealth appointment for your child please contact Jennifer Whitebloom (Jennifer_Eley-Whitebloom@hcpss.org). If you have questions please contact Richard Smart, Principal, (Richard_Smart@hcpss.org).

The HCPSS Telehealth Procedures Manual is now available on the HCPSS website.

Locker information for families

Students can pick up a locker request form beginning on Monday, September 23 in the front office before or after school, or between periods. Completed forms should be dropped off to the bin in the front office at the same times. We will assign lockers and share assignments with students through their first period teacher within a few days.

PVMS Arrival and Dismissal Information:

Talk with your young person today about how they are getting to school on the first day.  Consider a trial run and check out the resources below.  Contact us with any questions - we are here to help.

HCPSS Important Transportation Reminders and Updates

We are excited to return to the school buildings and have been working hard to prepare for a safe and efficient arrival and dismissal from Bollman Bridge and Patuxent Valley.  The administrations at both Bollman Bridge and Patuxent Valley Middle Schools have been collaborating this summer on a joint traffic pattern and arrival and dismissal plan.

  • Please review the map below carefully as you review with your child and those taking them too and from school and read the key points below.
  • Both the PVMS and BBES parking lots are available to families from both schools for drop off and pick up.
  • The Bus loop is for School Buses and Staff Parking only.
  • Please only drop off and pick up in the designated areas and follow all traffic laws, signs and school personnel’s instructions.
  • Staff will be posted at arrival and dismissal to support walkers, car riders and bus riders.
  • PVMS’ School Day begins at 8am and school is open to students from 7:40am.  School finishes at 2:35pm
  • BBES’ School Day begins at 8:45am and school doors will open for students at 8:35. School dismisses at 3:15pm.

Please contact the office at either school with questions - we are here to support you.

BBES PVMS Arrival and Dismissal Map

HCPSS Change of Residency Communication

Any change of residency must be reported through Family File within 10 school days of the move. Current residency documentation must be provided to the school each time residency changes.

Update Your Student/Family Emergency Information Today!

Parents/guardians must verify and/or update emergency information for each child every school year. This is completed online in Family File, which has several new updates including how and where to access. Full details on updating your Family File are available online.

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.

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.