ADMINISTRATIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS -
Important Announcements: This week, I am sharing the required quarterly announcements to parents and students. Below, please find important information related to our school campus and normal operating procedures. If at any time you have questions regarding this information, please don’t hesitate to contact Administration with your concern.
REQUIRED NOTICES: Term 2
Front Entrance: UMS has a secure Front Entrance. All visitors to the building must enter through our main office. We have the buzzer system and our front office staff will greet you upon arrival. We appreciate your cooperation as we do have a required FCPS protocol we follow when meeting visitors for the first time. To ensure the safety of our students and staff, please be prepared to show identification and state the purpose of your visit if we have not met you yet. This protocol is part of our security for the building and we thank everyone for their cooperation in helping us maintain this security for our school community.
At the middle school level, we are often asked “How can I support my child in middle school?” We always encourage parent involvement and this assists students with their learning. Encourage reading and writing; consider reading the same book as your child. Always encourage your child to do their best and to set realistic goals for the school year. We value our positive and collaborative parent partnerships and appreciate your support of our school expectations and goals. We encourage two-way, open communication with teachers/staff as soon as there is a problem so we can respond promptly to your concern(s).
If there is anything we can do to assist you and your child, please let us know! We look forward to a great year with our students and families!
Online Free and Reduced Meal Application: The Free and Reduced Meal application is now online. Families can apply online and the approval process is faster because the information is submitted directly to FCPS. All students received a paper application the first day of school and applicants must reapply each school year.
FCPS Policy Updates and FYI: Books/Materials/Equipment - Students are responsible for the careful use and protection of any books, materials, and equipment loaned or assigned to them. Students are responsible for returning these items in good condition, allowing for normal usage, at the end of the year or end of classroom use. If students do not comply with this procedure, the individual will be assessed a fee to cover the loss or damage. Our students have traditionally done an excellent job in this area and I anticipate the same this year.
Smoking: Please be aware that there is a 24 hour/7 days a week smoking ban on all school property.
Weapons/Pagers/Laser Pointers: Please remind your children that knives, firearms, and any other weapons or “look alikes”, portable pagers, as well as laser pointers are forbidden on school property at all times. Per FCPS Regulation # 200-29: It is unlawful for students to possess or use any weapon on school property. Students who have or use a weapon on school property will be suspended from school, and the police will be notified of the incident. A weapon is any object designed to harm another physically or an object which is used in a way that can physically harm another. This school is committed to providing each of you with a safe environment, and we will do all we can to carry out that responsibility including, if necessary, conducting searches of student lockers.
Safety: Our school has monthly evacuation/fire drills to prepare our students and staff for an emergency situation. Not all of these fire drills occur on warm sunny days. If you are in the building during a fire drill, we ask that you evacuate the building promptly. In addition to fire drills, we also have severe weather drills, alternate drills such as lock down drills, as well as, bus evacuation drills twice a year to familiarize the students with a bus emergency and an alternative exit. The bus drills and severe weather drills are held in the fall and spring. Please see the FCPS Calendar Handbook for complete details on school policies and regulations.
ATTENDING A SCHOOL OUTSIDE YOUR FEEDER AREA: Dates for applying to attend a school outside the usual attendance area are January 2-March 1.*
FCPS will post the out-of-district application online on January 2 in the section For Families and Students at www.fcps.org. Those needing assistance may call 240-236-2493 after January 2. Schools projected to be over capacity in the coming school year are closed to out-of-district students. FCPS will post the list of restricted schools online in December.
For details, please see the updated Assignment and Transfer of Students Regulation 400-15: https://apps.fcps.org/legal/doc.php?number=400-15
*In the prior version of the regulation in place last year, the application window was April 1-May 31. In 2019, FCPS will post applications January 2, due by March 1.
8th Grade & NEW to FCPS STUDENTS HEARING AND VISION TESTING will take place on Wednesday, January 9, 2019. If your student currently has glasses and/or hearing aids, please ensure students bring them to school that day!
STUDENTS "BREAKOUT" OF 7TH GRADE SCIENCE CLASSES! Recently, Mrs. Poti’s and Ms. Griffin’s 7th grade science classes participated in a Breakout EDU as part of their culminating event of their Chemistry Unit. Students worked in teams to solve clues that are used to open five different types of locks. Of the 17 teams that participated, 10 were successful in “breaking out”. “There are usually several different types of clues for the students to decipher,” says Dave Adamiak, Advanced Academic Specialist at UMS “Sometimes it takes several clues to just open one lock. Some clues are even written in invisible ink!”
The lesson was created in conjunction with Mrs. Poti, Ms.Crawford of the FCPS Advanced Academic Office and Mr. Adamiak. A number of Breakout lessons were created to support the Highly Able Learner Program in both science and social studies classes. Several of our teachers use them as a culminating activity for a specific unit.
For more questions about the Highly Able Program at UMS or about Breakout EDU, please contact Mr. Adamiak - david.adamiak@fcps.org
FCPS CONTINUES TO NEED SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS! And, we find that parents make the best subs! You will love substitute teaching for these reasons:
You must love working with kids and have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. Visit https://www.applitrack.com/fcps/OnlineApp/default.aspx?Category=Substitute to see all of the requirements and to apply online.
If you have additional questions, call the Sub Help Desk at 301-644-5120.
Our UMS newsletter will be published monthly on the 1st Thursday of each month. For time sensitive information, we will continue to send FOF Notices. The monthly newsletter will also include a calendar of UMS events. All of our newsletters and notices are archived on our UMS website. Our next newsletter will be published on January 3, 2019
REMINDER: DRIVERS & CAR RIDER TRAFFIC
Urbana Middle school experiences heavy traffic during morning arrival and PM dismissal. During both times, lines can be extremely long and dropping off and picking up your child/children becomes challenging for everyone.
UMS Administration has established a designated CAR RIDER area, traffic routines and procedures that promote student/staff safety while attempting to keep traffic moving. Included in these expectations is driver courtesy.
We acknowledge that everyone has busy lives and places to go, but we expect all drivers to comply and assist us in preventing a tragedy.
Here is a review of the guidelines and procedures on which we need everyone's cooperation:
AM: If you arrive early and sit until 7:30, please do not block curbside. We have parents dropping off and they cannot get to the curb to drop their child off safely. If you arrive early, please consider parking in the middle spaces and then rejoining the line once our doors open at 7:30. All of our community will appreciate this small gesture as folks try to get to work on time.
In advance, we sincerely appreciate everyone's cooperation, patience, courtesy, and compliance with these expectations.
LOST & FOUND ITEMS:
The weather is turning cooler and our Lost and Found box has many coats, sweatshirts, sweatpants, jackets, clothing items, school supplies, lunchboxes, shoes, and hats. If your child has lost an item at school, please encourage them to check this box. The Lost and Found box is located in the cafeteria and students can easily do this before school, after school, or during lunch.
Parents/Families: If you would like to look for an item, please contact the front office to arrange a time to visit.
Items not identified/claimed by December 14 will be donated to our local charity.
URBANA HIGH SCHOOL MINI-THON - Joshua DiGiorgio, Public Relations Chairperson for UHS Annual Mini-THON, invites the entire Urbana Community to this year's UHS Mini-THON. The UHS Mini-THON is the largest student-run organization in Frederick County and they raise money to help support pediatric cancer research and treatment. Over the past four years, the Mini-THON has raised over $155,000 through the generous donations and support of the Greater Urbana Community. To reach their donation goal, various community events, fundraisers, and activities are held. One of their primary initiatives this year is to introduce younger students in our feeder pattern to Mini-THON with the goal of empowering them to make a difference.
LOOK FOR FUTURE "UPCOMING EVENT" NOTICES as UMS will share the information with our families as UHS
Mini-THON Website: https://www.uhsmini-thon.com/
Four Diamonds Website: https://www.fourdiamonds.org/
Flyer Copy: https://twitter.com/UHS_Minithon/status/1037472140348538880
December is super quiet time in the UMS PTSA since everyone is busy preparing for the upcoming holidays and Winter Break!
THe next PTSA meeting is January 15th @ 7 PM in the UMS Media Center.
For details about events, volunteering, daily morning announcements, and fundraisers, please visit www.umsptsa.org
http://education.fcps.org/ums/
3511 Pontius Court Ijamsville, MD 21754 240-566-9200 Fax 240-566-9201