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Pony Express
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OF O. HENRY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Week of March 26-April 2, 2023
Reminder-No School Friday, March 31
In this Edition
NEW featureed items will be in BOLD
- Quick News-Save the Dates
- School Calendar for the week
- Campus Advisory Counsel-Budget Meeting this Tuesday
- Counseling Center Corner- Course Verification Forms, Pride Week Swag, MAP testing reminders
- Athletics-Track Schedule, Cap10K
- Grade Level News-This Week in ACES, 8th Grade End of the Year Field Trip, Gifted and Talented Showcase
- Fine Arts News-Congratulations to Art and the Jr. Vase Participants, Congratulations to Orchestra at UIL, Theatre Performance-Addams Family April 13&14, Art in Action-Highlighting Student Art each Week,
- Mustang News-Episode 25
- Elective Course News-Native Plants and Animals Plant Request List
- PTA News-NEW-Calling for PTA Board SAVE THE DATE- Cornhole Tournament
- Registration for 2023-2024 school year
- From AISD--AISD Family Survey- Window to complete from March 20-April 14, Events and News--All in for AHS Future Global Studies Parent Social, Model UN, Summer Camp with Verizon now open-- FREE Summer STEM Camp, Girls Empowerment Network Event.
QUICK NEWS
Save the Date
- No school:
Friday, Aprirl 7
- Basketball Uniforms-- return all Basketball uniforms by this coming Thursday, March 30th!
Student and Parent/Caregiver Fentanyl Presentation
- Theatre Musical-The Addams Family
- STAAR TESTING DATES
Friday, April 21- Make Up Reading Day
Wednesday, April 26th- 8th grade Science
Thursday, April 27th-8th grade Social Studies
Friday, April 28th- Make-up Testing Days
Monday, May 8th-6-8th Math and EOC Algebra
Tuesday, May 9th- Make Up Math Testing
- PTA Cornhole Tournament and Social
See Flyer Below
Week of March 27-April 2
7:00 Tennis Practice
4:00 Track Practice, Homework Club
Tuesday, 3/28- "B" Day
7:00 Tennis Practice
4:00-Track Practice, Theatre Rehearsals
4:00- Campus CAC Meeting- Presenting 23-24 School Budget
Wednesday, 3/29- "A" Day
4:00 Track Practice, Homework Club, Golf Practice
Thursday, 3/30-"B" Day
Girls Outside Field Trip
4:00-Homework Club, Golf Practice, Theatre
6:00 Tennis vs. Bailey MS at AHS
6:00 Track vs Lamar, Garcia, Means, Webb at Lamar
6:00 Parent Learning Series-Avoiding Power Struggles
Friday, 3/31- School Holiday
Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez Day
O. HENRY CAMPUS ADVISORY COUNCIL (CAC)-- MUSTANG COUNCIL
Speaking at a CAC Meeting
Our next CAC meeting will be TUESDAY, MARCH 28 from 4:00-5:15.
This month we will be reviewing the 22-23 Budget and our CIP goals updated for this school year.
If you are interested in speaking to our CAC using our citizen communication time, please email our CAC Co-chairs Paula Cook (paula.cook@austinisd.org) or Suzzane Perez (suzannep@gmail.com)
Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes can be found on our campus web page.
Citizen Communications is the first item on the agenda and is time set aside for non-members to make comments to the CAC. The co-chairs may limit the time given to individual speakers and will ensure that the districts "Citizens Communication and Visitor Guidelines" are applied. Under these guidelines, except for requests for clarification, dialogue shall not occur between the speaker and the members. If the CAC is interested in hearing more from a speaker, the speaker may be invited to a future meeting and be placed on the agenda. The CAC may also call a special meeting specifically for the purpose of open-dialogue with non-members but it must be posted for discussion on specific topics.
COUNSELOR CORNER
Course Verification Forms
Please be on the lookout this week for an email containing a 23-24 course verification form from the counselors. This is NOT your child’s schedule for next year. It is a list of the courses we will try to turn into a schedule over the summer months. This is your opportunity to check for errors, make changes, or see if applications were accepted for special courses.
Pride Week
We still have pins, flags and other swag available from last week. Stop by the counseling office if you did not get any merchandise last week!
MAP Testing- Why it is important
Our next testing window will be from Monday, March 30th-Thursday, April 6th. Our goal is to have 100% of our Mustangs complete these assesments and to show "growth" or improvement in their skills from the fall and winter assessments in their two core courses.
Our teachers will be sending out their specific schedule this week. Students will be taking these tests over the course of 2 Block Day periods, and while some students may not need the entire testing time, it is important for students to take their time and take these assessments seriously. We want all our Mustangs to show their best content knowledge.
We will be sharing final MAP reports after the testing window has closed, which will include a paper print out sent home for all students who have completed their assessments. While the STAAR test is slated for the end of April, we will not be getting our scores back until much later in the year during the summer break.
We will be using a combination of MAP scores, grade reports, and attendance to determine which students will be invited to Summer School and the possible change of a student schedule for the 2023-2024 courses to include interventions and additional academic supports.
Please reach out to your student's teacher or Marlo Malott, Principal at marlo.malott@austinisd.org or 512-414-3229 if you have additional quesitons.
ATHLETICS
Track and Field
Track & Field Practices this week will be on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 4:00-5:15 PM.
See you there! If you would like to be added to our track families email list, please send Coach Cohen an email (macie.cohen@austinisd.org).
Cap10K Team
Attention Students!
Please join the O. Henry team and run the Cap10K with us on April 16, 2023! If you are interested in running or walking the 6.2-mile race, register on the following link. To be on the O. Henry team be sure to choose "School Team Member" and "O. Henry Middle School" when you register.
Our team will be comprised of current staff and students. Email jenny.parker@austinisd.org if you have any questions.
Grade Level News
This Week in ACES
- Participate in a Mario Cart Competition by ACES in the Big Gym
- Have Outside Time with their ACES grade
- Have a Study Hall and Do a Backpack Cleanout
- Participate in a Student Technology Inventory Check (chargers and Chromebooks)
- Review the Tardy Report
- Review Going the Nurse Expectations
- ACES Teams with McNally, Russell, Jurkovic, Mehta, Carrillo and Borders will play intramural kickball
8th grade End of the Year Trip--Wednesday, May 24th
"We are going to Typhoon Texas this year for our EOY 8th grade field trip.
Permission forms have been handed out through science and should be returned to science teachers. They are due by March 31st. Please click on the link below for information about the field trip and payment. If you have questions, please email Crystal Gaffney or Megan Aguilar."
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b2bqlWjkK1aWR4VUfM1a-QU-PWFB-gVC386Chsk5pTA/edit
Gifted and Talented Showcase
AISD Gifted and Talented Showcase
AISD is hosting the 2nd annual Austin ISD GT Student Showcase. Project submissions will be accepted from March 1-31 and will showcase exemplary GT student work in May on our main AISD website.
The 2023 GT Student Showcase Theme is "Find the Good" which comes from a Jesse Owens quote:
"Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start believing in it."
You will find all the details on the links below:
Austin ISD GT Student Showcase Website
Austin ISD GT Student Showcase Flyers
Note: AISD will only accept ONE link for each project submission. If students have multiple links, they need to find a way to organize/collect them into one link... for example they can create a Google Slide Deck or website and include all their links.
FINE ARTS NEWS
Congratulations Jr. Vase
Congratulations Orchestra
Mustang Theatre Presents The Addams Family
Art in Action
Elective Classes News
Native Plants and Animals Plant Request List
Hello Parents and Students! We are asking for donations of pollinator plants.
We are trying to build up our pollinator/butterfly garden at OHMS. As many of you know, the Monarch Butterfly was put on the endangered species list summer of 2022. Monarch Butterflies specifically lay their eggs on milkweed plants because the caterpillars/larvae feed on it as they are growing. Milkweed is very hard to find these days. We are also looking for donations of native Texas flowering plants so that we can beautify our garden and provide a place for pollinators to feed and visit. The following are some suggestions, and you can also check out the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center plant list. https://www.wildflower.org/collections/collection.php?start=40&collection=TX_central&pagecount=10Links to an external site.
Thank you so much
Dawn Davis & Dan Moise
Milkweed (any native Texas variety)
Turk's Cap
Winecup
Gregg's Mistflower
Coreopsis
Larkspur
Coneflowers
Verbena
Lantana
Rock Rose
Any central Texas Salvias/Sages
Blackfoot Daisy (and any other Central Texas Daisies)
Primroses and Buttercups
Penstemon
Phlox
PTA NEWS
PTA Positions for 2023-2024 School Year
President Elect
Treasurer Elect
Secretary
VP Communications
VP Ways and Means
VP Support
OTHER AISD SCHOOL NEWS
Registration for 2023-2024 School Year
Hello, Mustang Parents!
I hope this message finds you and your family well.
This is a reminder to register your student to O. Henry for the upcoming school year, 2023-24. If your student plans to attend O. Henry next year, you must register him/her online as soon as possible.
Your student registration is also critical to helping us determine how many students we will have in each class, and how many teachers we will need.
Please keep in mind that student registration must be repeated each year, even if yours is a returning student. Filling out the class choice sheet does not mean your student has already registered.
Follow the link according to what applies to you (new or returning). If there are any documents that you're unable to upload, you are welcome to email them to me
(lizbeth.rodriguez-loza@austinisd.org). Please be sure to include your student's name in any emailed communications.
Also, if you run into any technical problems with the website or your login, please call our Parent Support Line at 512.414.9187.
Future Austin High School Academy of Global Studies:
Attention Parents of future Austin High School Academy of Global Studies:
Please join us at a Parent Mix and Mingle on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 for a chance to gather with other AHS Academy for Global Studies parents and guardians!
Join us from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at St. John Studios (705 West St. Johns Ave, Austin, Texas 78752) for light bites and drinks
Contact Greta E. Goldsby with any questions! ggoldsby@drennergroup.com or 202-306-1733 Hope to see you there!
All in For AHS
Parents of Future Maroons are invited to get a jump start on impacting your student’s high school education by attending ALL IN for AUSTIN HIGH, the only school-wide fundraising event supporting academic and experiential programming at Austin High, including:
Our innovative four-academy structure
Travel and field trip opportunities for all students
Challenging and diverse academic experiences for all students
A wide variety of electives and extracurricular opportunities
Join us for a sneak peek at ALL the great things happening at Austin High, connect with current parents, teachers, staff and alumni and help ensure ALL Austin High students have excellent academic opportunities. It will be a fun night of friends and fundraising where 100% of the proceeds will go to academic and extracurricular programming at Austin High School that benefits ALL students in ALL academies.
ALL IN for AUSTIN HIGH
Saturday, April 15, 2023
6-9pm
Lions Municipal Golf Course
2901 Enfield Road
Ticket and sponsorship information is available at www.austinexcellence.com. Any and every level of participation by our parents and community makes a difference and we can’t do this without ALL of you! Questions? Contact Shannon Grethel at shannon_mullen@yahoo.com We hope to see you there!
Model UN Program
For more information on what Model UN is, please visit our website:
MiddleMUN
First of all, we will be hosting a half-day Model UN conference for middle school students called MiddleMUN. This is a great opportunity for kids interested in Model UN; it is beginner level and very fun! It is on April 8th from 9:00AM-2:30PM at Austin High School.
If your school does not have a Model UN program or club, that is all the more reason to get kids interested! We offer individual registration if a student would like to register. I also have attached a flyer for MiddleMUN- would it be possible for you to hang that up at school? Let me know if that is something you can do or if there is anything I can do to help.
For more information, please visit our website. You can find our MiddleMUN page under the “More” tab.
https://sites.google.com/stu.austinisd.org/freshmun2023/more/middlemun
Or email us questions at austinhighschool.modelun@gmail.com
Junior AUSMUN
We also will be hosting a summer camp at Austin High for middle school students called Junior AUSMUN! Registration for this event will be done by individual families instead of through a school, but the program wants to spread the word. Would you be able to have flyers or a summary advertising it around O. Henry or in your school's newsletter? I have attached them below. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Please visit our website for more information or email us questions at austinhighschool.modelun@gmail.com
Junior AUSMUN website: https://sites.google.com/stu.austinisd.org/juniorausmun2023/home
You are more than welcome to email my personal email (avmare6@gmail.com) for questions regarding flyers and advertisement, but please email our program’s official email (austinhighschool.modelun@gmail.com) if you would like to register for MiddleMUN or ask about our Model UN program. We hope to see you and your students at our middle school events!
FREE Summer STEM Camp
Austin Community College is partnering with Verizon and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) to offer a free STEM learning summer opportunity. The VIL STEM Achievers program is a FREE four-week STEM camp for middle school students. The Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program will empower students to discover new skills and learn about careers in different technology fields through hands-on activities, mentorship, and technology. The camp will occur from June 6 - June 30 (Mon - Fri) and be held in person at our ACC Rio Grande Campus.
We will host several informational sessions via zoom. Please use the link below to sign up for an info session to learn more about the VIL STEM Achievers program.
RSVP here for an information session
Join Zoom Meeting
https://austincc.zoom.us/j/91933915628?pwd=UEZ5UTZJWDNaSzlTY0JYdFFlWnhYdz09
Meeting ID: 919 3391 5628
Passcode: 004147
Registration is now open for the camp; all middle school youths are welcome. Here is the link to register https://naccemeets.nacce.nacce.com/vil/home.
Do you know a girl who wants to change the world?
Do you know a girl who wants to change the world?
Girls Empowerment Network and Excellence and Advancement Foundation is excited to host Spark Change Day on Saturday, March 25th from 10AM-4PM at the Texas State Capitol! This in-person and hands-on advocacy event is meant to inspire youth* in grades 6-12 to lead and get involved within their communities. Learn about developing your unique voice to advocate within your community! Receive training on the power of advocacy, participate in activities exploring issues youth are facing, and hear from local policy makers and advocates.
Link to Register here: https://form.jotform.com/GirlsEmpowermentNetwork/SCD-2023
Confirmed Guests
Representative Claudia Ordaz Perez of District 79, Representative Lulu Flores of District 51, Senator Sarah Eckhardy and Representative Vikki Goodwin!
Confirmed Organizations
NAMI Texas, IDRA, Texas Appleseed, We Measure and Texans Care!
Stay tuned for more local and national speakers to be announced! The lineup of participation activists and policymakers is impressive, and you won't want to miss it!
Topics
- Mental Health
- Safe and Supportive School Environments
- Healthy Relationships
- Equity
Spark Change Day Logistics
Date: Saturday, March 25
Time: 10AM-4PM CST
Where: Texas Capitol (in person!)
Who: Youth in grades 6-12*
Cost: There is no cost associated with attending Spark Change Day!
Additional Info: Breakfast and Lunch provided and opportunities to win door prizes!
Registration: https://form.jotform.com/GirlsEmpowermentNetwork/SCD-2023
Visit us at our website here or email adreayn@girlsempowermentnetwork.org for more information! We would love to see the youth in your life at Spark Change Day!
Help us spread the word!
*Although the overall mission of the Spark Change Project is to amplify the voices of girls of color this is also a gender diverse event that is open to all girls and non-binary folks.
We would love your help spreading the word about Spark Change Day, so please do feel free to share this opportunity with your friends, co-workers, family, and on social media! If you have any school contacts whose students (6th-12th) would benefit from Spark Change Day, I’d be happy to connect with them. We’d love the opportunity to share this engaging event with as many folks as possible!
THANK YOU!!