MAMS PRINCIPAL UPDATE~OCTOBER 8, 2021

MAMS PRINCIPAL UPDATE~OCTOBER 8, 2021
Posted on 10/12/2021

 

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Mt. Ararat Middle School

66 Republic Avenue, Topsham, ME 04086

Phone:  (207)729-2950     Fax: (207)729-2964

Website:  mams.link75.org

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Megan Hayes Teague, Principal

[email protected]

October 8, 2021
Dear MAMS Families,


Happy Friday to everyone! The fall is flying by, as we embark on our second full month of school. I hope this newsletter finds you well, and enjoying your long weekend. As always, if you ever have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Here are a few things coming up in our school: 

Important Dates:
*
Monday, October 11: Indigenous Peoples’ Day: No School
*
Tuesday, October 12 through Friday, October 15: MEA (NWEA) Testing, All Students
*
Thursday, October 14: Lockdown Drill at 9:00am (Slight Time Change Due to Testing)
*
Wednesday, October 20: Parent & Principal ZOOM, 5:30-6:30pm


Parent-Principal ZOOM. We plan to continue to offer quarterly Parent-Principal Coffees as a way to meet with families in our MAMS community and gather feedback about what is going well and what could be going better. Some sessions may have a focus or a theme, while others will be more open to topics that attendees are interested in discussing. Our first Parent-Principal Coffee is scheduled for Wednesday, October 20 at 5:30pm via ZOOM. Our focus will be on first quarter feedback. What is going well? What could be going better? We would also like to gather some feedback on a proposed change to our Honor Roll. Please join us and share your thoughts on the start of another unusual year!

Notes from Nurse Naomi.

 

1.  Good news!  Judi Jones from Brighter Smiles, will be providing dental cleanings for students who are enrolled in the program.  The cleanings will take place on 11/29, 11/30 and 12/01.

 

2.  Currently we are experiencing lots of coughs with colds, allergies, some strep throat and some hand, foot and mouth disease at school.  With the ongoing Covid pandemic, it's hard for all to determine when to keep a student home.  Attached is the PRE-SCREENING TOOL for School Attendance for students and staff to use before coming to school.

 

Please feel free to call me if you have any questions.


Purchasing a Yearbook? It's never too early to think about purchasing a school yearbook for your MAMS student.  Through Treering, you will receive a 5% discount through the month of October.  The benefit to ordering online is that your student will receive 2-free pages that you (or they) can customize!  Please follow the instructions below in order to place your order today!

 

*To order directly through the school (cash or check) please email Yearbook Advisor Lisa Rioux at [email protected] for more information.


 


Staffing Updates. Mt. Ararat Middle School is very excited to welcome the following new staff members:


Mandy Ackley, 7th/8th Grade ELA--Team Merrymeeting

Kate Stephens, Social Worker


We would like to extend our best wishes to Megan Bosarge (7th Grade ELA) and Matt Howard (Social Worker) as they pursue opportunities outside of MSAD 75.


Additionally, we are in the process of hiring a new Spanish teacher. I hope to have an update for you in my next newsletter. A big thanks to everyone for your patience as we have worked through a challenging hiring season, and a shout out to Rachel Miller, our long-term substitute, who has been holding down the fort in the world language classroom.


Exploratory Class Updates. At Mt. Ararat Middle School, we truly believe that middle school is a great time to try new things! A large part of that experience occurs within our Exploratory program. Students participate in the Exploratory program during all three years of middle school, and are exposed to a wealth of content from Music and Art to Health and P.E. to World Language and STEM. To learn more about the Exploratory content at each grade level, the teachers have created brochures. Please click on the grade level below to learn more about that grade’s Exploratory teachers and learning goals. 


6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

MAMS Focused--Respectful--Responsible--Kind Student of the Week. Because of the great value we place on focused, respectful and responsible behavior in our community, we have established a program to recognize our students. This year, we have added “kind” as a fourth core value to be recognized and celebrated. Each Friday, teams are asked to submit the name of one student whom they believe most exemplifies the team's definition of focused, respectful, responsible and kind behavior. Those students are called to the office, presented a certificate, and entered into a monthly drawing for a gift certificate. Additionally, Ms. Phillips contacts the families to describe the behaviors that led teachers to their choice! Congratulations to the September Students of the Week.

Nate Gerrish 

Sage Parmentier

Ella Yazwinski 

Drako Chiarolla

Noah Gerry

Joy Stewart 

Josh Perkins

Sydney Doyle

Liam Jessie

Sophia Hickman 

Will Rideout 

Evan Kowalsky

Nic Portaluppi


MSAD 75 Food Pantry. In partnership with the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, W.I.N.G, The Food Pantry at Mt. Ararat Middle School is up and running. This resource is available to all families in our MSAD 75 community with children under eighteen residing in the household. Students do not have to be middle school students, or even school-aged for families to use this resource. All MSAD 75 families are welcome. W.I.N.G. has discreet drive-up service and is staffed by parent and community volunteers. If you have special requests, or would like your order packed in advance of your arrival, please call 729-2950 x7202 and leave a message with your name and phone number, and a volunteer will give you a call back. W.I.N.G. is open Mondays from 10am to 1pm and Fridays from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. W.I.N.G. will be closed on Monday, October 11 for the holiday. 

 



Attendance. This is just a reminder to let families know that the school must track student attendance and mark a student’s absence either excused or unexcused. If your child will not be available for learning for one of the state excused reasons (personal illness, medical appointment, religious holiday, family emergency, planned absence, or educational disruption due to homelessness or hospitalization), please call the Main Office at 729-2950. If we do not receive a call from you, you will receive an automated call to let you know that we have marked your child absent. We do need you to call us back to inform us of the reason for your child’s absence. Without this information, we must mark your child’s absence unexcused. We thank you so much for your help in keeping our attendance records accurate!

Student At Risk of Self-Harm Outside of School Hours?  If you and/or your child become aware of a student that may be at risk of self-harm when school is not in session, please DO NOT attempt to contact school personnel during this time.  Staff are not working at their desks and may not be checking email or voicemail during these times.  Therefore, vital safety information could easily be missed and students could be placed at greater risk. Instead, please utilize THIS step-by-step guide for how a parent could respond to such a concern outside of school hours.  This guide is placed prominently on our MAMS webpage, and was created in collaboration with local police, mental health providers, and the local Crisis Response Center.



With gratitude,

Megan Hayes Teague

Mt. Ararat Middle School Principal


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