Decemeber 2, 2017
From the Principal's Desk:
Greetings Knight Families,
I would like to thank the many families who have already completed the annual MHS perceptual survey. Your input is important to us as we strive to improve the learning experience for all students. If you haven't already completed the survey, there is still time. The deadline is Wednesday, December 6. Parents and guardians can access the online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HHKVVZR The specific password for MHS is 0313 (each school as a specific survey link and password). Students will be completing the student version of the perceptual survey during KnightsQuest on December 4th, 5th, or 6th.
FCPS will be hosting Civility Week Monday, December 4 through Friday, December 8. The purpose of FCPS Civility Awareness Week is to promote a culture of civility in our schools, at home, and in our community. Daniel Buccino of the Johns Hopkins Civility Inititative has been invited to be the keynote speaker on Tuesday, December 5 from 6:00-7:30 pm at The Arc at Market Street 555 S. Market St. Frederick. Mr. Buccino will be presenting informaion from the book "Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct" by P.M. Forni. After reading the forward and the first chapter of Forini's book, my goal is to finish reading the book before Mr. Buccino's presentation. If parents, students, staff and community members are interested in attending, please register using this link http://www.tinyurl.com/civilityFCPSform.
FCPS is looking for family/community feedback in the proposed draft of the FCPS 2018-2019 academic calendar which is visible online for public review and comment. I encourage you to review calendar information at www.fcps.org/calendar and follow the instructions to submit comments from now through Monday, December 4.
FCPS is also busy planning for the FY2019 budget and is providng the community the opportunity to provide input at the Budget Community Forum which is scheduled for Wednesday, December 6 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm in the BOE Board Room, 191 S. East Street. On Thursday, January 4, at 7:00 pm the Superintendent will present the recommended budget. And on Wednesday, February 7, the BOE will host a public hearing on the budget. To view the entire budget calendar and meeting locations go to FCPS 2018-2019 Budget Calendar If you have questions or are unable to attend the meetings, be sure to email our questions or suggestions to the budget office.
Thank you in advance for your participation and involvement in your child's education. Please call me or email me or call me if you have questions or concerns
Lee
Looking Ahead
FCPS Keynote Speaker Daniel Buccino of teh Johns Hopkins Civility Initiative The Arc at Market Street 555 South Market Street
College Night for Juniors
6:30PM
FCPS Community Budget Forum in the FCPS Board Room
For more information on FCPS Budget, visit this link http://www.fcps.org/about/our-budget
*Dates and times are subject to change.
Keeping You Informed
From the Attendance Office Please help us serve you and your child better. If students need to be released from school for early dismissal appointments, please have the student turn in early dismissal parent notes to the front office before school.
Missing 10 percent of the school year, or about 18 days in the school year negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month which is considered chronic absence. A truant student is one who is unlawfully absent from school for more than:
The Middletown High goal for attendance is 96% which was met the first two months of school. Let's strive to reach 96% in the month of December. Winter break starts Friday, December 22 and school resumes Tuesday, January 2.
Announcements
Mindful Mornings
Students are invited to come to the media center on Wednesday mornings to experience mindfulness before students start their school day.
Mindfulness simply means being present with yourself without judgement, and more and more people are practicing mindfulness to improve their lives. There are many benefits to practicing mindfulness including: less stress and worry, better focus, and establishing inner calmness. Recent neuroscience research shows that mindfulness actually changes the brain making it possible to move on and release negative patterns.
We invite students to start their Wednesdays in a refreshing way! Join us for mindfulness every Wednesday in December (6th, 13th and 20th) from 7:00-7:15 am.
See Ms. Langley if you have any questions. Students may sign up in the media center.
John Hopkins University Engineering Innovations
Johns Hopkins University Engineering Innovations summer prohram for high school students is an amazing opportunity for our students to earn three JHU credits and one high school credit. Students will have the opportunity to learn, to think, and problem solve like an engineer while applying math and science concepts they have learned in high school. Students are typically rising 11th and 12th graders. They need to have taken Algebra II, some Trigonometry, and a lab science.
Applications are open on December 15, 2017.
Flier #1 / Flier #2
Attention Junior/Senior Girls: Mardi Gras Princesses
The Frederick Woman’s Civic Club, Inc. invites junior and senior girls to join the Mardi Gras Ball’s Royal Court as a Princess at their upcoming Mardi Gras. They will be honoring young women who are Juniors, Seniors, or College Freshmen in Frederick County Public or private schools. The 57th Annual Mardi Gras Ball will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2018, from 6 to 11 PM at the Clarion Inn Frederick Event Center.
$1,000 Scholarship Awarded to the randomly selected Queen of Mardi Gras.
Due date: January 5, 2018
Click on links for more information:
Community Service Hours
Students who do community service are reminded to submit the Record of Volunteer Hours and Community Service form to Mr. Zimmer and Mrs. Gibson in room 315. Forms should be submitted within two weeks from the completion of activities.
Attention Parents/Guardians of Seniors
Monday, December 18, is the deadline for purchasing a senior ad in the yearbook. Leave a special word of encouragement or share a memory with your graduating senior. Students love the photos you pick (especially the ones of them as babies) and the notes you leave for them. You don't want your senior to miss out.
"I see it happen every year. The first thing seniors turn to when they get their yearbook is the message and photos that their parents have submitted for them. You get a lot of smiles and a lot of happy tears, too. It's a really special moment for most of these seniors." - Noah Kady, yearbook adviser
Parents can go directly to the website at Jostensyearbook.com to place an order. Under the "Yearbooks" tab, go to "Order Your Yearbook Ad" and pick "Order a Student Ad". You can design your ad right there on the site or simply submit the photos and have a Jostens representative do it for you.
Monday, December 18, is the last day to purchase ads if space is available, but because space is limited, all ad purchases will be treated as first-come, first-served.
(ALL yearbook advertisement submissions and photos will be reviewed and may be edited for style, content, and appropriateness. Content that is in violation of any FCPS policy is prohibited. The parent is providing consent to use personal information about his/her child in this submittal and assumes any and all responsibility and liability in the event any objections are raised by the school staff, the administration, and the student.)
Lost and Found
The Lost and Found box in the cafeteria will be cleaned out during winter break. All remaining items will be donated.
2017-2018 Young Authors Contest
The 2017-18 Young Authors Contest (YAC) is underway! YAC is an annual contest sponsored by the State of Maryland International Reading Council (SoMIRAC) and promoted via Frederick County Reading Council and Frederick County Public Schools. Each year, students at Middletown High School are encouraged to participate in the SoMIRAC Young Authors Contest. Students can submit poetry and short story entries for a chance to win. This is also a great opportunity for students' creative writing skills to shine and, if a student becomes a county or state winner, this is quite an honor to brag about on any future college or scholarship applications!
For additional details and guidelines, students must visit/email Mrs. Flagg (joy.flagg@fcps.org). Deadline for all submissions is December 15.
NCI Fall Lacture Series: Dr. Walter Hubert
The 2nd talk in the NCI Fall Lecture Series designed for students interested in the NCI Intern Program will be on “Ethics in Science” and will be held at the Advanced Technology Research Facility on Monday, December 4 from 5:00pm – 6:00pm in the auditorium. Please register ahead of time at: https://ncifrederick.cancer.gov/events/FallLectureSeries/.
See Mrs. Gibson with any questions.
Extended Learning Tutoring Information
For students needing additional support in English, Math, and Social Studies, tutoring is offered after school according to the schedule below:
-English: Ms. Clark: T & TH: 2:30 - 3:30 pm -Math: Mr. Frey: T: 2:30 - 3:30 pm and TH: 2:45 - 3:45 pm -Social Studies: Ms. Thompson: T & TH: 2:30 - 3:30 pm
Fundraisers
Senior Class '18 Claire's Gourmet 11/1-12/22
Media Center
Our online catalog, LS2PAC, is a great way for students to search and place holds on books. Students can log in using their FCPS GAFE account.
Axis360 is a resource provided by FCPS that contains eBooks and audiobooks available for check out on all digital devices. Both fiction and nonfiction titles are added regularly.
To access Axis360, users will login with their FCPS IDs and the PIN will be the last four digits of their ID. This applies both to students and staff.
For example...
Here are the links to Axis360:
High Schools: http://fcpshs.axis360.baker-taylor.com/
Middle Schools: http://fcpsms.axis360.baker-taylor.com/
Elementary Schools http://fcpses.axis360.baker-taylor.com/
Links to the HS and MS Axis360 walls are also located at the top of the grid on the MHS Media Center homepage.
Media Specialist: Lindsey Weaver
Visit Our Online Resources
Athletics Information
Winter Sports Registration: Link to register for winter sports- https://frederickcounty-ar.rschooltoday.com/
http://www.middletownathletics.org
http://www.frederickcountycmc.org Twitter: @mid_sports
MHS Sports Club: A 501C3 organization dedicated to the support of sports programs at MHS. https://sites.google.com/site/mhsportsclubmd/
Athletic Director: Mike DeSimone
Counselor Update
Be sure to check out information about scholarships, college visits, and other important counseling news using the link below.
News From the Counseling Office
Our School Counselors: Meredith Bagnell (A-D) Brad George (E-K) Greg Chapman (L-Rod) Paula Langley (Roe-Z) Department Chair
Learn More
Round Table News
See other works by our students: Student Media Experience
PRINCIPAL Lee Jeffrey Middletown High 200 Schoolhouse Dr. Middletown, MD 21769 240-236-7400 Phone 240-236-7450 Fax
Follow Us on Twitter @MHS_Jeffrey Visit Our Website: https://education.fcps.org/mhs/
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS Brooke Hontz Danny Rumpf Helpful Links: School Cash Online Menus & Meals Grades Online www.fcps.org