Middle School Matters

The Mission of Portsmouth Middle School is to create a strong and safe learning environment: promote social, emotional and physical well-being and to provide opportunities for each student, to the best of their ability, to meet high academic standards, develop responsibility, and achieve the positive social values and behaviors to become productive citizens.

The next district Climate and Culture Subcommittee meeting will be taking place on Thursday, December 14th from 6:00-8:00 P.M. at Portsmouth Middle School. All are welcome to attend. Here is a link to the flier. There will be girl scouts available for babysitting. If you would like to take advantage of this service, feel free to fill out this form.

During Advisory in the month of December, we are working as a school community to revisit our core values while having a bit of fun!

Advisories are working as teams to decorate classroom doors to represent PMS' core values:

Be Safe. Be Respectful. Be Responsible. Be Ready to Learn.

Pictures will be coming soon!

We have a table full of lost and found items. If anything is missing, please have your child visit the table by the gym before the Winter break. Anything left after the Winter break will be donated.

Our 7th grade team successfully rolled out lockers last week! The familiar sound of lockers closing shut followed by complete silence in the halls tells us the 7th graders are getting the routine down very quickly!

Locks on our mustard yellow lockers mean one thing: our 8th graders are now beginning with locker use this week!

Portsmouth Schools are collecting gift cards for families in our community who need assistance this holiday season. If you are able to help a Portsmouth family please email Sara Gullison, Social Worker, at Gullisons@portsmouthschoolsri.org to purchase a gift card for a child. Thank you so much for your support!

The PTO meeting from last week has been rescheduled for this Wednesday, December 13th at 6:00 P.M. Dr. Masterson will not be in attendance. He is at a national conference for the district.

The mid-quarter progress reports will be coming out next week. Feel free to check in with your child to ensure that their work is passed in and not outstanding. The progress reports are used to determine eligibility for after school sports/activities.

Please see the link here for the sign up/information regarding Gingerneering.

Please see the link here for the Candy Cane O’grams

The Portsmouth Fire Department provided an annual assembly for out students on Fire Prevention. Please ask your child about it!

If you would like to volunteer in school or help on a field trip, please use this form going forward to become VIS approved.

Our Newport Career & tech field trip was held Thursday of last week. For students and parents interested, Newport career and tech will be holding an information night on Wednesday, December 13, from 6:00-7:30. Attached is a flyer with more details. Thank you

We will be holding a Winter Clothing Drive in the month of December to help support families within our community. We have dedicated boxes set up in each grade wing for items such as gloves, hats, scarfs, sweaters, jackets, etc. If you have any clothing items you would like to donate please have your child bring them into school and they can drop them off in one of the 4 bins we have placed in each grade wing. Thank you!

Yearbooks are on sale for all families. If you would like to purchase one, you can do so by clicking the link here. Sales will end on December 31st.

Come and join the PBruins for Portsmouth MIddle School night! There is a link to the flyer here. There will be a God Bless America Performance by the members of our very own Portsmouth Middle Schools Tri-M National Music Honor Society & Chorus Members chorus on Sunday, December 17th at 4:05pm! Group rate tickets are $25 and all kids receive a FREE P-Bruins Hat!

www.providencebruins.com/Portsmouthmiddle

Please see the letter linked here from the PTO regarding board openings for next school year.

Please click the link here from RI Student Assistance Services and the Portsmouth Prevention Coalition.

Please see the linked flier regarding a winter soccer program.

Please see the linked flier regarding winter basketball programming.

Fire drills occur on a regular basis. State law requires each school to conduct eleven fire drills, two lockdown drills and two evacuation drills each year. Shelter in Place drills are conducted throughout the school year. Children are given instruction on all procedures. Children are expected to behave in a calm, orderly manner during these exercises. Please review the importance of such exercises with your child and emphasize the need for appropriate behavior.

A lockdown is an alert to a school community that students and staff should not leave the classroom and should gather in one area of the room until provided with further direction.

An evacuation requires all students and staff to exit the building and meet at a designated safe place.

A shelter in place is an alert to a school community that movement outside of classrooms is being restricted for a brief period of time. It is typically used when a student or staff member is requiring some sort of attention (sometimes medical) and the school is trying to keep that area clear and/or protect that person’s privacy. If there were a serious safety concern the school would not issue a shelter in place.

We will send notification of lockdowns, evacuations, and shelter in place drills and events via email.

For access to your child's schedule and grades, please log in to the Aspen Portal.

If you are having issues accessing Aspen, please email familyportal@portsmouthschoolsri.org with your child's name, date of birth, grade level, and your name. The system administrators will be able to restore access to your account and make sure that you can login.

• Students should come to school with a charged Chromebook
• Students should come to school with a reusable water bottle.