Dear Patuxent Valley Families and Community,
Happy New Year and welcome to 2025! I hope you had a refreshing break - it is great to see our young people back in the building and to have the opportunity to begin again with the new calendar year.
I encourage you to take this opportunity of new beginnings to check in with your young person about school and to review their progress and grades using the Canvas gradebook. With just three weeks before the end of the quarter this is the perfect time to do a progress check and make any plans that need to be made to finish the quarter strongly. Only yesterday I had a young woman come talk with me about Honor Roll and their plans to improve a grade in a class to ensure they get that recognition!
Also, as we enter the season of wintry weather, please review the HCPSS Emergency and Weather closing information posted below. It's important that we all make sure we have access to the information we need.
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:
1/6 - Guilford Park Rising 9th Grade Night
1/8 - Hammond High Rising 9th Grade Night
1/9 - PTSA Meeting
1/22 - Rising 6th Grade Night
1/30 - Family Night
PVMS Updates (Priority and New this week)
HCPSS Emergency Closing Information (For Delays, Dismissals and Closings due to weather and other emergencies: https://www.hcpss.org/schools/emergency-closings/
New Late Arrival Procedures, Beginning December 18, 2024
On December 18th, the process for logging late arrivals will be changing. Currently, parents/students are asked to sign in on the Late Arrivals clipboard and a pass is generated for the student to be admitted to their class.
There are two ways for students to sign in beginning December 18th:
- Student barcodes (based on student ID#, unique to each student) have been generated and will be stored in the front office. Starting December 18th, when a student is tardy, their barcode will be scanned; this timestamp will be captured directly into Synergy.
- Students, with parental/guardian permission can use the StudentVUE app. This free app is a HCPSS app that will have a unique QR code the students will scan themselves (with staff assistance) and have a pass generated for class admittance.
If the app is the method being used, please note that the cell phone is used as the student enters and must immediately be put away for the balance of the school day.
Parents can view time of arrival via HCPSS Connect by navigating to the Attendance tab>clicking on the day of concern in the calendar display>reviewing the timestamp under Attendance detail.
As a reminder, if you student is going to be absent, please send an email to PVMSabsence@hcpss.org .
The Rising 9th grade registration window is set to open on December 16th.
This week counselors visited 8th grade classes and presented a screencast reviewing graduation requirements, academic courses, and college and career opportunities in high school. Additionally, a guided video was shown instructing students on the steps to review and select courses for the 25-26 school year. To assist students and parents, Student Services has compiled a list of links in one document. Hopefully these resources will be of help. Should you have questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Glover at Jamie_Glover@hcpss.org or (410)880-5840.
Please see the attachment for important dates and information to help with this scheduling process.
Rising 9th Grade PVMS Students
Thank you,
Ms. Glover
8th grade counselor
The annual PVMS dental clinic will be held at PVMS on 1/28/25. Sign up forms will be sent home with students this week. If you wish to have your child seen, please fill out the form and have it returned to the health room before December 17th 2024.
PVMS Updates (recurring from previous newsletters)
PVMS 8th Period Clubs will begin on October 15th and run through January 16th. All registrations closed on October 9.
NOTE: We will not have transportation during this session. Your child will need to be picked up at 4:15 if they are not walking home.
If you have any questions, please contact LaVerne Porter via email at lporter@hcpss.org or via phone at 410-880-5840.
From HC Drug Free:
Free Online Parenting Classes (Open to HoCo grandparents too) - HC DrugFree offers an evidence-based, interactive prevention program that helps parents, guardians and/or grandparents develop stronger relationships with their kids, while also providing skills proven to reduce the risk of youth engaging in substance use or other risky behaviors. These classes are for families with children 9-14 years old (slightly younger and older may register and will be considered) and held on Zoom on November 12, 15, 19, 22, and December 3 from 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. For more information and to register, go to https://hcdrugfree.org/currentevents/
Medication and Sharps Disposal Take Back Day - HC DrugFree will host another convenient drive-thru medication and sharps collection on Saturday, October 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Wilde Lake Village Center parking lot (near the CA Swim Center). Bring unwanted and expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medication, “sharps” (needles, syringes, and EpiPens), vapes without the batteries, inhalers, and more. Medication will be guarded and transported by the Howard County Police and DEA. For more information and to volunteer, go to https://hcdrugfree.org/currentevents/
Teen Advisory Council - The Teen Advisory Council (TAC) receives Community Service Hours for providing the youth perspective to HC DrugFree's staff and Board of Directors. Youth input increases the effectiveness of HC DrugFree's educational programs, newsletters, website and other services. TAC is open to Howard County students in grades 8 through 12 (public, private and homeschool) who meet monthly during the school year to discuss teen use of alcohol and other drugs and to develop educational messages that promote a vision of a county where youth are drug-free by choice. For more information and to register, go to https://hcdrugfree.org/currentevents/
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.