EMMS Eagle News - December 18, 2020

Fri, 12/18/2020 - 1:41pm
Ellicott Mills Middle School  
EMMS EAGLE NEWS
Friday, December 18, 2020
#EMMSOneMillOneFamily
#EMMS_Pride

UPCOMING: 

  • December 21 11:25a.m.-12:05p.m.: EMMS Student Trivia Lunch Bunch
  • December 24 through January 3: WINTER BREAK
  • January 4: Students Return to Virtual Classes
  • January 18: Schools and Offices Closed
  • January 28: End of Second Quarter / End of First Semester
  • January 29: Professional Work Day / No School for Students
  • February 1: Beginning of Third Quarter/ Beginning of Second Semester
  • February 5: Report Cards Issued

Announcing EMMS Student Holiday Trivia Lunch Bunch

Get your trivia fingers ready! Join your teachers and peers for a super fun Holiday Trivia Lunch Bunch on Monday, 12/21, from 11:25 a.m.–12:05 p.m. The code will be emms-holidaytrivia.
 

ATTENTION 8th GRADERS: Upcoming High School Info Sessions

JROTC Applications: The JROTC program for high school students supports citizenship, character, and leadership development. Students who do not attend a school where JROTC is offered may apply to participate for the 2021-2022 school year by scheduling an interview with JROTC officials through January 5, 2021.
 
Career Academies Virtual Info Session: Students in grades 8-10 and their parents/guardians are invited to learn how CTE Career Academies provide high school students with opportunities to earn college credit, scholarships, and industry certifications; participate in worksite and mentorship experiences, and become creative problem solvers by participating in hands-on project-based learning. Learn more and register for the virtual session on January 7.
 
Registration Opens on 12/21
Registration Q & A Sessions
Parents & Students:  12/21 from 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Students Only:  12/22 & 1/5 from 12:30-1:00 p.m.
Meet Code:  EMMS-STUDENTSERVICES
High School Information Nights
Centennial:  1/6 @ 6:00 p.m.
Howard:  1/6 @ 6:00 p.m.
Mt. Hebron:  1/7 @ 6:30 p.m.
All meeting info TBA
 
Message from Centennial High Band Director, David Matchim
My name is David Matchim and I am one of the band directors at Centennial High School.
If you are attending CHS next year, please visit https://tinyurl.com/chsbandinformation to learn
about the band program and sign-up for the mailing list to receive updates regarding auditions,
parent meetings, rising 9th grader events, and more.
 
Message from Howard High Dance Director, Ms. Sara Cisera
Here are the dance courses incoming Howard HS freshman can sign up for:
Dance I                         *Dance II                      *Dance III
*For the above "starred" classes, students will be required to audition to be placed in those classes.
Auditions will require a pre-recorded audition video to be sent at a date TBD (in Feb. or March). Audition information will be available and shared at the beginning of the Second Semester.
 
Message from Howard High Principal Novak
Family Information Scheduling Night for all Rising 9th Graders and Current Howard Students!
Please plan on joining Howard HS on January 6 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. for a virtual Lions Night! We look forward to sharing with you critical information regarding scheduling for the 2021-2022 school year, including live Q&A sessions with teachers, counselors, and administrators, as well as pre-recorded informational videos that can be viewed at your leisure.
 
More information will be coming soon about how to join in on this important annual course scheduling evening!  We encourage all families and students who will be a member of the Howard High Community next year to attend!

EMMS CELEBRATING OUR EAGLES

Teachers and Staff at EMMS and Elliott the Eagle are proud to announce to Eagle Eye Drawing Winners for this week!
 
Grade 6: Krish A. Patel
Grade 7: Anania Alemayehu
Grade 8: Reagan Fils-Aime
 
Thank you for Making Great Things Happen at The Mill!

EMMS YOUNG AUTHORS' CONTEST WINNERS

We would like to congratulate the winners of our school-wide Young Authors’ Contest! These students’ entries will be submitted to the county-wide contest for judging. Way to go, Eagles! 
 
Name
Category
Title
Amy Gu
6th Grade Poem
“Light At Night”
Ellie Namkoong
6th Grade Short Story
“Stuck in a Schoolhouse”
Maya Finkelstein
7th Grade Poem
“Panic”
Aditri Maiti
7th Grade Short Story
“Scar of the Past”
Maria Anita Gomes
8th Grade Poem
“Smoke Signals”
Sarah Carlson
8th Grade Short Story
“If Humans Could Smell Stories”

EMMS General News 

[REMINDER] FLEX Reminder for Students:
 
Please Return EMMS Media Books/Materials: Students, please take some time to locate overdue library books and play-a-ways that you borrowed either from our EMMS Media Center or from your elementary schools last year. You may return all media items to the permanent return bin in front of EMMS 24/7! If you have any questions about library items, please reach out to our EMMS Media Center staff: donna_monger@hcpss.org or christina_batelka@hcpss.org. Thank you for your cooperation!
 
Distribution of 2020/2021 Student Materials: EMMS is reaching out DIRECTLY to families as we have items to distribute to their student(s) based on request and class registration.
 
Family Technology Support: Before contacting the Technology Support Team, please make sure that you have checked all of the resources available to you @ hcpss.me. If you still have a Canvas or Synergy technology-related question, please complete this form, and a member of our support team will be in touch with you within 2 school days.
  • If you recently received a Dell device from EMMS, please check out the following links:

HCPSS NEWS

[NEW] Nominate an Outstanding Principal or Teacher: Nominations for the HCPSS Principal of the Year and Teacher of the Year awards are now open and are due no later than Friday, January 8, 2021. HCPSS will publicly announce its principal and teacher nominees in the spring.
 
[REMINDER] HCPSS COVID-19 Dashboard: HCPSS launched a new COVID-19 dashboard, aimed at identifying positive COVID-19 cases of students and staff who have been in HCPSS facilities. The dashboard will be updated every Wednesday by 11 a.m., consistent with the Maryland Department of Health reporting. Any cases reported after Tuesdays will be included in the next week’s update. Learn More.
 
[REMINDER] HCPSS 2020-2021 Inclement Weather Protocols: The implementation of virtual instruction has changed the way the Howard County Public School System will manage inclement weather days. Learn More.
 
Free Student Meals: Grab-and-Go meals are served every day school is in session, Monday through Friday from 8-9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. and are free of charge for all students and any child under age 18. All meals include breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner. Find details about pre-ordering, weekend meals, and more information online.
 
HCPSS will be closed for winter break from Thursday, December 24, 2020 through Friday, January 1, 2021.
There will be no meal service during this time.
To ensure children have access to essential nutrition during the holiday period,
families may pick up additional meals in advance of the break. Learn More.
 
HCPSS Translations: Regarding information for the 2020-2021 school year, the HCPSS website is updated regularly with new information and remains the repository of all information related to HCPSS’ coronavirus response. Many of the most important documents and resources have been translated and can be found online. Please visit the link below for access to translated files:  https://www.hcpss.org/2020-2021/translations/.
 
Google Meet Expectations for Students and Parents/Guardians: To ensure a positive and productive virtual learning experience, it is important that all students and parents/guardians adhere to these Google Meet expectations, and review the virtual instruction responsibilitiesexpectations, and best practices provided online.

COMMUNITY NEWS

HCPSS Community News / Events: Please visit the Community News and Programs page on the HCPSS website for announcements of upcoming events and programs sponsored by non-profit organizations.
 
[REMINDER] Virtual Public Hearing: 2021-2022 Proposed Academic Calendar:
Tuesday, December 22, 7 p.m., Virtual session
The public hearing on the 2021-2022 Proposed Academic Calendar will take place on Tuesday, December 22 at 7 p.m. Board meetings are currently held virtually, live on the HCPSS website and on Comcast 95/Verizon 42. Learn about pre-registration and testimony. Register online to testify by Friday, December 18. Specific instructions on testifying virtually will be emailed to each registrant prior to the public hearing.
 
[REMINDER] Environmental Forum: Discussion Series for Middle and High School Students:
Wednesdays, December 2 through January 20, 3 p.m., virtual sessions on Google Meet
Middle and high school students are invited to participate in a free discussion series on environmental topics, offered in partnership with the Howard County Conservancy. Each week, participants will hear from experts on an environmental topic, then join in a discussion on how the topic relates to everyday life at home and in our community. Learn more and register.
 
Howard County Association of Student Councils (HCASC): HCASC welcomes all middle/high school students to their next virtual meeting. Click Here to Read More About HCASC.
 
HCC Kids on Campus: HCC’s well-known Kids on Campus program provides enrichment education for youth ages 8 to 17. Topics range from Art from Around the World, Roblox, Nature Explorers, Math enrichment, World Languages, and SAT Prep. HCC Kids on Campus has something for every interest! This could be a great opportunity for students to supplement around content areas they want to learn more about or need support in! Upcoming available courses can be found here. A limited number of scholarships are available for families who need financial aid. If you believe you may be eligible for financial aid, please click this form link to download, complete it, and submit it via email to  NoncreditFinAid@howardcc.edu as soon as possible. 
 
FREE HOMEWORK HELP! ACHIEVE SUCCESS TOGETHER is offering free middle school homework help. All middle schoolers are welcome to get matched to an experienced high school tutor! AST is a student-run community organization now celebrating its fifth year. Our tutors are carefully vetted, flexible, and love teaching! Sign up at achievesuccesstogether.org
Questions? Email astofficers@gmail.com.

HCPSS / HELP   https://help.hcpss.org/technology

There are links to many resources at HCPSS Connect and additional resources available within the Canvas LMS and the Synergy SIS. For additional support, please contact your child’s school. To report a Login issue, visit HCPSS Connect Help. For resources on using HCPSS Connect, visit HCPSS Connect Guides.
 
If a parent/guardian is not receiving emails and/or texts, please complete EMAIL / TEXT HELP FORM and HCPSS Tech Staff will look into the issue. The majority of the time, the user has unsubscribed or marked us as spam, and we can quickly add them back in to restart communication. Occasionally there is a break in the system, and we need a deeper dive into the issue.
 
Need to Get in Touch with Someone at EMMS?
We highly encourage you to email our staff due to the decrease in on-site staff availability (click here for staff contact information).

Connect with Us:

 
Address
4445 Montgomery Road
Ellicott City, MD 21043
 
Phone
410-313-2839
 
 
Twitter
@hcpss_emms
 
 
 
 
 

 

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