From the Desk of the Principal, August 29, 2025 | Patuxent Valley Middle School

Dear Patuxent Valley Families and Community,
This week was a great week, from seeing our young people meeting old friends on Monday, students playing Gaga Ball at recess, to visiting classrooms, it's hard to pick just one highlight! Suffice to say that I'm so glad that your young people are at our school, and that we have the amazing, skillful and caring educators that we do at Patuxent Valley.

All of this is both for our community and dependent on its support. Thank you for your patience with all the new things this week, and especially for your support at arrival, dismissal and with buses.

This week we shared our new school values with our students and asked them to reflect on how they see themselves in them, and how they can use these to show up as their best selves at school. What do you think? Look out for more information on #BulldogStrong as the year goes on!

See here for the slides that were shared in Home Room this week including information on Back to School Procedures, Code of Conduct, and Emergency Preparedness. We took time each day to share important information with our young people and hope you'll take a moment to review yourself and check in with them to see if they have any questions about anything we talked about.

Next week we have Back to School Night on Thursday and we hope to see someone from each of our families. It will have a slightly different structure to previous school years with a welcome fair including school and community activities from 6pm to 6:20pm and six sessions for you to visit grade level content teams, hear about the curriculum and meet your students’ teachers. The main doors will open at 5:45pm and the sessions with content areas will run from 6:30pm to 8pm. There's more information posted on our website here.

Did you know that the public calendar on our website is a Google Calendar that allows anyone to subscribe and add into your other calendar systems. Check it out - we are adding events every month!

Check out the information below for items we’ve been sending out this week and some new things to help us all be prepared for the new school year! 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:

9/1 - Labor Day (School Closed)

9/4 - Back to School Night

9/17 - 3 Hour Early Dismissal

9/18 - Donuts with Dads and Father Figures

9/18 - PTSA Meeting

PVMS Updates (Priority and New this week)

Donuts with Dads and Father Figures, 8/18

Calling all Dads, Grandpas, Uncles, Brothers, and/or Coaches! Join us for a special morning of connection and community!

This is a time to enjoy donuts and coffee, meet other father figures in our school community, and strengthen the connection between home and school. Together, we’ll share values, celebrate the important role you play in your child’s success, reflect on your hopes for your child(ren) this school year, and explore meaningful ways you can support your child and our school community this school year.

What: PVMS presents: Donuts with Dads and Father Figures – Coffee & Conversations

Where: Patuxent Valley Middle School (Cafeteria)

When: Thursday, September 18, 2025

Time: 8:45 - 9:45 am

To assist us plan and make sure we have enough for everyone, please complete this form to rsvp by September 15, 2025.

We look forward to sharing space with you.

Please direct any questions to: Mr. Lee or Ms. Peguese: john_lee@hcpss.org or tiffani_peguese@hcpss.org

PVMS Presents: Donuts with Dads and Father Figures -- Coffee & Conversations

Is your student looking for a great and fun way to get involved, learn new things, and make new friends?

GT Seminars are a great way to expand students' knowledge and skills around a topic of interest in a non-graded environment, and they will have the opportunity to get know other students! Our seminars this year include book club, creative writing, debate, morning news/ television production, photography, forensics, STEAM and stock market game seminar. Participation in seminars is open to all students.

Each seminar offers a unique focus. However, all seminars have these components. They all (1) develop critical and creative thinking skills, (2) involve conducting research, (3) involve working collaboratively to produce an authentic product or creative production, and (4) utilize technology to create and communicate. Check out this document. to learn more about each seminar.

How do students sign up?

Since students are pulled from classes once a week or once every two weeks, it is important that students make up missed work.

Please complete this form.

by Wednesday, September 10th. The form is also located in the GT module of Student Canvas Resources. You may email Mrs. Chelidona with any questions at mchelidona@hcpss.org.

CAREER CAFE 2025-2026

In an effort to begin to expose students to the wide range of careers in today's society we are looking for in person speakers to partner with us to engage students. We also want to leverage the resources within our own community. If you are interested in helping to broaden student exposure through your career journey, please take a few minutes to complete this form. We’re looking for careers that students can access from any of the after high school pathways(Military, Job, 2yr/4yr, Trade school, Apprenticeship).

HCPSS Guide to Policy Notification, SY2025-26

At Patuxent Valley we work hard to support our students in showing up as their best selves at school. This year we are building school culture around our BulldogStrong values. In addition, we follow the Howard County Public School System’s Student Code of Conduct, and teach both of these to our students during classes, assemblies, and in SEL lessons. We also ask that you review the HCPSS Student and Parent Handbook with your child.

In addition to the information contained in the HCPSS Student Code of Conduct and Student and Parent Handbook, we ask that you review the policies listed below with your child. Your support helps us maintain a positive school environment. Thank you for your ongoing support!

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe, engaging, and supportive school environment that fosters the social and emotional safety, dignity, and well-being of all students. HCPSS acknowledges the need for employees

to use an array of research-based positive behavior interventions, strategies, and a tiered system of supports to address student behaviors and keep students safe and free of harm
to minimize the practice of exclusion from the classroom environment
to minimize the use of physical restraint (which may only be used when necessary to protect a student or other person from imminent, serious, physical harm and only after other less intrusive, nonphysical interventions have failed or been determined inappropriate).

It is the expectation of the Board that HCPSS employees will be knowledgeable of and implement proactive positive behavior interventions in an effort to reduce the need for exclusion or physical restraint.

Additional information can be found at HCPSS Policy 9400 - Student Behavior Intervention. If you have any questions regarding this policy or its implementation, please contact a school administrator.

PVMS Updates (recurring from previous newsletters)

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

PVMS BCHI Communication:

Parents, Guardians, and Families, The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all students. Preventing bullying is an important part of this goal. HCPSS Policy 9460 states that bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, and intimidation are prohibited in HCPSS. Our administration and staff have been trained and made aware of this policy as…

PVMS Theater:

The back to school edition of the Narrator! It includes a welcome from Ms. Clark and news on auditions, ITS, and the fundraiser.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DI50iDY7O2VKA6iSVRQnSG1bbKn-6vVYm5BiRRSQ3dU/edit?usp=sharing

Student Schedules

From Aug. 8-15, high school students and their parents/guardians can log in to HCPSS Connect Synergy to view a list of scheduled courses only without details (no teachers or periods). Beginning Aug. 20, all students and parents/guardians can log in to HCPSS Connect Synergy to view schedules including courses, teachers, and room numbers.

Transportation Information

The online HCPSS bus locator application is scheduled to be available Wednesday, Aug. 20. At that time, eligible families can access bus stop locations, and pickup/dropoff times.

Based on revisions to Board of Education Policy 5200 Student Transportation, the distance students may walk to school has decreased. As a result, more households in our school community will be eligible for bus transportation for the 2025-2026 school year.

Please view the online map SY25-26 Walk Area Map that shows the updated non-transportation (walk) area for our school. Families can use the 2025-2026 Attendance Area Locator to verify their transportation status. Please note: bus stop information will be available in mid-August, prior to the start of the school year.

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.

Mental Health Advisory Council (MHCAC)

The Mental Health Advisory Council (MHCAC) is a group of community members who seek to remove barriers and build awareness for behavioral health support in Howard County for our children and families. HCPSS is an active member of MHCAC. MHCAC Fall Newsletter 2025

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.

UPDATED PATUXENT VALLEY SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST

Click here for the 25-26 PVMS School Supply Menu, now updated to include a School Planner to help all of our students with organization.

HCPSS Family Academy Kick-Off

New Date: Friday, Sept. 27, 9:00 am–12:00 pm

Location: Oakland Mills High School

This districtwide event is open to all HCPSS families and will feature:

A session with Superintendent Bill Barnes
Resource tables hosted by HCPSS offices and local organizations
Information on programs, resources, and services available throughout the school year
Childcare and language access provided

For additional information, please visit the Family Academy Kickoff HCPSS News Post.

UPDATED PATUXENT VALLEY SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST

Click here for the 25-26 PVMS School Supply Menu, now updated to include a School Planner to help all of our students with organization.

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

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.