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Pony Express
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OF O. HENRY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Week of March 20-26, 2023
In this Edition
NEW featureed items will be in BOLD
- School Calendar for the week
- AISD and O. Henry PRIDE Week Schedule of Events
- MAP Testing in English and Math Classes
- Mustang News-Episode 24
- Art in Action-
- Athletics-Track Schedule, Cap10K, Save the Date-Summer Camp
- Counselor Corner--Gifted and Talented Showcase, 8th Grade Field Trip
- Fine Arts News-Congratulations Band on Sweepstakes, Theatre Performance-Addams Family April 13&14
- PTA News-NEW 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--Future Global Studies Parent Social, Model UN, Hoop Generation Basketball, Summer Camp with Verizon now open-- FREE Summer STEM Camp, Girls Empowerment Network Event.
Week of March 20-26
7:00 Tennis Practice
4:00 Track Practice, Homework Club
Tuesday, 3/21- "B" Day
7:00 Tennis Practice
4:00-Track Practice, Theatre Rehearsals
Wednesday, 3/22- "A" Day
4:00 Track Practice, Homework Club, Golf Practice
4:00- PRIDE Social in the Library
Thursday, 3/23-"B" Day
4:00- Homework Club, Golf Practice
Friday, 3/24- "C" Day
Choir Pre-UIL
Saturday, 3/25
5:00-9:00 AISD PRIDE Y'all Connect at Celebrate at PAC
IT'S AISD PRIDE WEEK March 20-24
O. Henry Middle School is proud to be a part of district that “believes that a valuable element of education is development of respect for all individuals, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, immigration status, or any other basis prohibited by law” and that our district “is committed to providing all students a positive learning environment that enhances personal safety and promotes respect, dignity, and equality.” (AISD FN LOCAL)
Pride Week serves to remind students and staff that O. Henry is a safe place for students and families that are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning. We want everyone at school to be who they are and show respect for each other. Everyone is welcome at O. Henry Middle School!
This week's activities include:
ACES Lesson: Tree of Respect;
Like any other campus activities, if you would like your child to opt-out of this activity, please complete the Opt Out form and email to ohenry.counselors@austinisd.org or drop off in the front office. Thank you!
Wednesday, March 22: Pride Social open to all LGBTQ+ students and allies/supporters, 4pm - 5pm in the Library, activities, photo booth, swag, and snacks; please pick up a ticket in advance in the counseling office
Thursday, March 23: Lunchtime - come make colorful bead bracelets with the counselors, tickets are limited
Friday, March 24: Wear rainbow colors to show your support! Stickers and Swag available in the counseling office all week!
Saturday, March 25th: AISD's Pride Y'All Community Event, AISD Performing Arts Center 5pm - 9pm, Speakers, performances, booths, and breakout sessions
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.
Art in Action
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.
O. Henry Summer Sports Camp (Volleyball/Basketball)
O.Henry Summer Sports Camp (Volleyball/Basketball)
Who: Girls entering 5th-8th grade
When: June 5th-8th
Where: O.Henry Gym
Please sign up using this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkbrjmlaCsa44EmKDRb8cRx0YQCjHuESTQqCsCUyC5kMWGrQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
Thanks,
Coach Cohen, Coach Gaffney, and Coach Kobs
COUNSELOR CORNER
SAVE THE DATE-- 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
8th grade End of the Year Trip
"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
BAND
UIL Sweepstakes
Congratulations to our Wind Ensemble for earning a Sweepstakes trophy and superior ratings in Concert and Sightreading at UIL. All six judges were unanimous in their decision! Mr. Pinkney would like to thank these talented students for their hard work and dedication.
Information for New Band Recruits
It’s time for 2023 - 24 Beginning Band Instrument Selection. If your child is interested in learning to play a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument, we would like to invite them to join our award-winning O.Henry Mustang Band. No previous music training is necessary. Band is open to all incoming and returning O.Henry students. Students who attend one of our Instrument Selection sessions will be able to try out instruments under the supervision of a music teacher. Our aim is the help students choose a musical instrument that they will thrive on and enjoy playing.
Please use the link below to sign up for a 15-minute time slot on one of our instrument selection days.
Mustang Theatre Presents The Addams Family
PTA NEWS
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!
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!!