Dear Patuxent Valley Families and Community,
This week we welcomed our rising 6th graders to our building and gave them a taste of the amazing activities and learning opportunities they will have at Patuxent Valley, but, most importantly, we introduced them to people who will hopefully become their people as they adapt to life at Patuxent Valley. After meeting our next group of sixth graders I am filled with hope for the future. Thank you to Mr. Howe, our student representatives, and the grade 6 team for putting together a great welcome.
Today our GT Seminar students, lead a seminar on Micro:Bits at the HCPSS County Middle School GT Expo, and I’m looking forward to the Theater Showcase this evening. Well done to all students who participated and were or will be recognized at each event!
Next week is a big week for our eighth graders as we go on the rising 9th grade visits to their next High Schools, and the PTSA hosts our 8th Grade Dance. I can’t believe we are already engaging in our end of year activities with them, I have so many dreams for them as they end middle school and think about beginning the High School Journey. 8th grade parents make sure you review all the important end of year information here: https://linktr.ee/pvms8thgrade.
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:
6/3 - Spring Band Concert, @HaHS
6/5 - High School Visits
6/6 - PTSA 8th Grade Dance
6/11 - 8th Grade Promotion from 6-8 at GPHS (Tickets Only)
6/13 - 8th Grade Field Trip to the Baltimore Zoo
PVMS Updates (Priority and New this week)
PTSA: 8th Grade Yard Signs are In!!
The PTSA will have a second pickup day for pre-ordered signs in front of the school on Wed, June 4, from 5:30-6:30 pm. Please stop by and pick up your sign. Additional signs will be available for purchase for $5, CASH ONLY.
PTSA: 8th Grade Dance!
All 8th Grade PVMS Students are invited to attend the 8th Grade Dance: “A Night at the Oscars!” on Friday, June 6th from 5:30 - 8:00 pm!
The time has come for 8th grade students to celebrate their middle school years! There will be a dance, desserts, & concessions in the Cafeteria; games, volleyball & socializing in the Gym; and lots of photo booths & memory opportunities in the hallways! Tickets are free for students but a parent or guardian must complete their online permission form: https://forms.gle/ZbUUW4pVupdKH6yV6
This event is entirely sponsored by PTA Parent Volunteers & community help is needed to ensure a great experience; tickets will be released based on the number of adult volunteers signed up to chaperone. Volunteers can indicate that they will be there and select their preferred tasks here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4AA8AB2FA1FC1-56664803-2025
From PTSA:
The PVMS PTSA is urgently needing volunteers willing to serve on the board and/or fulfill positions for the upcoming school year.
Does your student look forward to the “Back To School Block Party”, “The school dance”, “Spirit-wear”, “8th grade activities”?
Do you want to support our staff?
If we do not have parents willing to step up to fill these vacant positions for next year BY JUNE 12TH, we risk not having a PTSA and that means none of the events above for your children.
If you are interested in helping please email pvmsptamd@gmail.com for more details.
HC DRUGFREE UPDATES
Teen Advisory Council - Open to Howard County students in grades 8-12. Earn Community Service Hours and make meaningful contributions to the community. Next meeting: Monday June 9, 2025, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Must register to receive the meeting link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TAC_6-9-25 More information: https://hcdrugfree.org/teen-advisory-council/
Senior Week: Staying Safe in Ocean City - Senior Week should be a celebratory, memorable time with friends—not a risk! With the right planning, it can be a safe and fun experience for everyone. Check out HC DrugFree's recorded webinar, "Senior Week: Staying Safe in Ocean City", for graduating high school seniors and their parents. The tips shared by Howard County teens, the Ocean City Police, and the Ocean City Beach Patrol are appropriate for all families or anyone visiting Ocean City, MD this summer or throughout the year. View webinar: https://hcdrugfree.org/senior-week/
Thank you for your continued support!
PVMS Updates (recurring from previous newsletters)
SAVE THE DATE - GPHS Rising 9th Grader Sports Information Night - Tuesday 6/10 @ 6pm - GPHS Auditorium
GPHS is hosting Rising 9th graders and their parents on Tuesday 6/10 @ 6pm in the GPHS Auditorium. We encourage ANYONE interested in playing sports at GPHS to attend to learn about dates, required forms, summer workouts, and meet the coaches!
- Entrance will be on the side of the school with the panther graphic on the doors
- There will be a 15 minute presentation by the Athletic Director
- Handouts with all important information will be provided
- Student-Athletes and parents will be given time to meet and ask questions of the coaches
Guilford Park HS Boosters - 2025 Summer Camps - Baseball/Volleyball/G. Lax/Basketball/Soccer/Wrestling/Football/Cheer/Field Hockey - Open For Registraton
- - Most camps are $145! Go to https://gphsboosters.com/summer-camp to register!
- - Camps are open to rising 4th-9th graders
- - Campers will be grouped by age and skill level
- - Campers DO NOT have to be future GPHS athletes to attend
- - All camps will be led by GPHS coaches - skill development, drills, assessments, games, and competitions will be conducted
- - All campers will receive a GPHS t-shirt upon the conclusion of camp
New Options for Reporting Hate Biases Now Available: HCPSS is committed to providing safe and inclusive learning environments for all students. When harmful incidents occur in schools, it is important that those incidents are appropriately investigated and responded to. On February 11, the HCPSS Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment and Intimidation formLinks to an external site. was updated online and new paper copies of the form have been distributed to your school. This new form now allows students, staff and families to report hate bias incidents as a type of harassment.
PVMS Attendance Procedures 24-25
If your student is absent or will be absent, please contact us at the following email address to explain the reason:pvmsabsence@hcpss.org. In the email please Include the following information:
- Student First and Last Name
- Grade
- Reason for absence (e.g., illness, bereavement, observance of a religious holiday, lack of transportation)
Late Arrivals Procedures
If your child is late to school, please either send in a note/email to pvmsabsence@hcpss.org explaining the reason for the lateness if you are unable to sign your child into school.
Early Dismissals
Please email on the day of your student's early dismissal, pvmsabsence@hcpss.org, and indicate the time they will be picked up and by whom. Please bring your ID to show the main office.
With the collaborative effort of HCPSS parents, staff and students, we are confident that all students can have successful attendance. This will improve student success in school and in future life!
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL MESSAGE FOR PVMS/BBES CAMPUS
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. Read more
LIGHTSPEED PARENT NOTIFICATIONS
Parents/guardians can monitor their child’s HCPSS Chromebook internet usage by signing up for Lightspeed Parent Notifications to receive a weekly email summary of their child’s usage.
Once parents have signed up for Lightspeed Parent Notifications, the email summary delivered each Sunday will contain a link with access to the Lightspeed Parent Portal, which provides near real-time information on their child’s internet activity.
The Lightspeed Parent Portal offers additional details about internet usage and the ability to control a child’s online activities when they are not on the HCPSS network at school by allowing parents to pause the internet for 1 hour, 3 hours or until 6 a.m. the next morning. Frequently asked questions about Lightspeed and the Parent Portal can be found online.
HCPSS teachers will access Lightspeed in the classroom to monitor student Chromebook usage. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher if they notice their child is regularly on non-academic websites during the day.
Find instructions on signing up for Lightspeed Parent Notifications online.
Parents/guardians are encouraged to review HCPSS Student Mobile Technology Duties and Obligations, which outlines the responsible use of technology in accordance with HCPSS Board Policy 8080 Responsible Use of Technology, Digital Tools, and Social Media.
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.