Dear Patuxent Valley Families,
What an amazing school year! I am so thankful for our community, our staff and our young people. There was no better way for me to end my time at Patuxent Valley than in our two promotion ceremonies this week. Thank you to each and every 8th grade family for sharing your young people with us and I cannot think of a better way to showcase our amazing community than those ceremonies. My heart was full seeing the passion our community has for our young people and the potential in the room.
We are also saying goodbye to a number of staff members who have served our young people with dedication and care. I wanted to acknowledge here Mr. Pletcher, Ms. Cobble, Mr. Tijerina, Ms. Iwanczuk, and Mr. Hoffman who are all moving on to different schools or opportunities. Thank you for all you have done during your time at Patuxent Valley.
There is a long standing staff member who is retiring this week who has been at Patuxent Valley for a long time and served many families and students with true dedication. We celebrated them on Monday and at their retirement parties, but she deserves a public acknowledgement:
Martha Oppong has been a staff member at Patuxent Valley since 2018 and an educator in HCPSS for 22 years. She finishes as one of our English Language Development teachers and is known for her support of students and the way she challenges us all to be better. Thank you for your commitment to our students and community. You will be truly missed.
Today is my last day with students and I feel very lucky to have had the last three years here and to share that time with the hardest working staff, the most supportive community and amazing young people.
From Patuxent Valley I have learned how important extracurricular and co-curricular activities are for student success. From our amazing music programs, to STEM initiatives, and our Student Council and NJHS groups I have gained energy seeing our students thrive. Through our Culture Nights, Step Team, Boys Group, Hispanic Achievement programs, Lavender Leaders and many other groups I have learned so much about the strength in the diversity of our community, and the importance of partnering with all students and families.
I want to thank you for your support and for sending your students into our care for the past three years. I could not have worked with a more engaged community and I have appreciated the open communication we have developed. Thank you to all the volunteers and especially to our PTSA whose hard work has provided so much for our young people. I have so many good memories of our work together.
Once again, I want to thank each of you for supporting me in my time at Patuxent Valley; it is truly a special place.
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
6/18: Last Day of School!
6/22: Report cards issued at 4:00 pm
8/20: New Student Orientation 1:00 pm
9/2: Back to School Night (BTSN) 6 - 7:30 pm
PVMS Updates (Priority and New this week)
Quarter 4 Report Cards
Quarter 4 report cards will be available in HCPSS Connect Synergy after 4 p.m., Monday, June 22. Directions on how to access them are available online.
From the Health Room
Vaccines: The Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene requires all incoming 7th- and 8th-grade students in the state of Maryland to have one Tdap and one meningococcal (Meningitis) vaccine before entering school. Letters have been mailed home to parents of students who still need to provide proof of vaccination. Failure to provide proof of updated immunizations by the first day of school, August 25, 2025, will result in your student being excluded from school.
See flyer for details: English Version and Spanish Version
HCPSS Summer Meal Program
To continue meeting the growing need to feed hungry children and families in Howard County and fill the nutritional gap over the summer months, the Howard County Public School System announces its free summer meal program, which will run weekdays Wednesday, June 24-Friday, July 31, 2026. Meals will be served only on days schools are open and there will be no meal service Friday, July 3.
Summer Reading
Recommended summer reading lists for students in all grade levels, developed by HCPSS library media specialists and Howard County Library System staff, are available online. Children, teens, and adults are also invited to participate in the HCLS Summer Reading Program. All HCPSS students received an A+ Student Card account number at the beginning of the school year. With it, they have access to all HCLS eContent by using their account number to log in via hcpss.me.
Guilford Park High School Athletics Update - Summer Camps - Fall Sports
- Summer Camps - OPEN for registration - field hockey, football, cheer, basketball, softball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, and girls lacrosse! Camps are open to rising 4th-9th graders. Link to the Camp Flier - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aJqOtmfUI5ms5mhRPUNAlawLpy2hK8po/view?usp=sharing
- Fall Sports Start Date: 8/12/26 - All required forms MUST be submitted through a parent's hcpss.connect account prior to participation
- Fall Sports - Football, cheer, boys soccer, girls soccer, golf, volleyball, cross country, field hockey, and girls flag football
- Directions to submit all required forms - https://drive.google.com/file/d/120Q5264YLlGynzloZ0KksF6A8hfl-JuT/view?usp=sharing
- Trouble submitting forms? Email them to the GPHS Athletic Director - MLerner@hcpss.org
- List of GPHS Coaches and Other Frequently Asked Questions - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YTsOFoK3c_f0Tu0Cx52r0VcHFizXYSIfip-zMPJCzvA/edit?usp=sharing
Hammond Boosters Summer Camps!
The Hammond Boosters are excited to announce that our summer camps are officially open for booking! Camps are available for students entering grades 4-9 and take place at Hammond HS.
This season, we’re offering a variety of engaging, fun, and enriching experiences designed to keep participants active, learning, and making lasting memories. We are offering camps for a variety of sports, as well as band. Spaces are limited, so we encourage early registration to secure your spot.
If you have any questions or need assistance with the booking process, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to welcoming you to camp!
https://www.hammondboosters.org/events/summer-camps
PVMS Updates (recurring from previous newsletters)
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.