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Pony Express
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OF O. HENRY MIDDLE SCHOOL
In this Edition
NEW featureed items will be in BOLD
- Happening This Week- calendar of events and announcements
- Mustang News-Episode 9
- Art In Action- Each week we will feature student Art
- Athletics-Congratulations!
- Counselor Corner-
- Fine Arts News- Theatre Show on November 4th, All City Guitar
- Library News
- National Junior Honor Society
- Nurse Update
- PTA News--Bond- Voting November 8,Virtual Academy Coaching
- From AISD-- AHS Academy Information Night, LASA Information Sessions, AHS Vertical Team Night, Austin High Red Jackets Dance Clinic, Mountain Biking Club
HAPPENING THIS WEEK
Save the Date
- Monday, November 7th-- PSAT for all 8th graders
- Tuesday, November 8th-- Student Holiday, Staff Development
Yearbook Baby Pictures-8th Grade: if you're in 8th grade remember to send in your baby pictures for the yearbook! You can email them to gerard.castilo@austinisd.org
Monday,10/31A Day1,2,3,ACES, 4
Last Day of Library Scare Fair Book Fair
- Students may dress up for Halloween--please see guidelines here:
- Yes, you can wear a costume on Monday to school - It must be school appropriate
- Letter to students and families on costume guidelines
- No Fake/look-alike weapons
4:00-5:30 UIL Theater Rehearsals Cafe
4:00-5:30 Twilight Grade Recovery, Homework Club, Science Club
Tuesday, 11/1--B Day 5,6,7, ACES, 8
4:00-5:30 UIL Theater Rehearsals Cafe
4;00-5:00 8th grade girls BB practice
6:30 LASA Information Night
Wednesday, 11/2--A Day---1,2,3,ACES, 4
4:00-5:30 Twilight Grade Recovery, Homework Club, History Club, GSA Club
4:00-5:00 Cheer Practice OHMS
4:00-5:30 UIL Theater Rehearsals Cafe
4;00-5:00 8th grade girls BB practice
4:00 Boys Soccer Practice
Thursday, 11/3--B Day-5,6,7, ACES, 8
7:30 FCA in Big Gym
Orchestra Field Trip
AHS Presentations during ACES
4:00 Boys Soccer Practice
4:00-5:30 Twilight Grade Recovery, Homework Club, Math Club
4:00-5:30 UIL Theater Rehearsals Cafe
6:00-- Girls Basketball vs Lamar
6:45-8:15 Cheer Practice WAYA
Friday, 11/4 C Day 1-8:
AISD Future Ready- Wear a College Shirt
Arbor Day and Presentation for Native Plants and Animals
6:00 Brothers Grimm Theatre Show
Satursday, 11/5
Boys Soccer away game
ART IN ACTION
ATHLETICS
Congratulations to the 7th grade A football team for finishing 2nd overall in the City this year with an overall record of 6-2. Great season Mustangs!
Captial 10K Mustang Team
Hey Everyone,
Please join the O. Henry team and run the Cap10K with us! Click the link below to register. You can find our team under "O. Henry Middle School." School teams are comprised of staff members and students. I know some of our cross country runners plan to run with us. Please extend the invite to any students you think may be interested in joining the team. The price is currently $35 and it will increase on 12/5. Let me know if you have any questions!
Congrats to the 8th Grade A&B Girls Baskeball team!
8th A Team
Campbell Breed
Gracie Grethel
Page Ihrig
Miya Johnson
Julie Rodriguez
Avery Simmons
Talia Tidmore
Eva Flint
Julianne Flint
Wesley McGinnis
8th Grade B Team
Maeve Beliveau
Loriana Hernandez
Carter Kuczaj
Stella Misenheimer
Georgia Ohls
Cate Riley
Ellie Schoch
Katherine Thompson
Julianna Trevino
Carly Vaughn
Millie Mangum
Monarch Migration
Rocket Launch Design
Counselor Corner
8th Grade Students and Parents: It is almost MAROON AND WHITE NIGHT TIME!
8th Grade Students and Parents:
It is almost MAROON AND WHITE NIGHT TIME!
Plan to attend the highly engaging Maroon and White Showcase Night at Austin High on Thursday, December 1st! This one-of-a kind event will allow future Maroons to explore all of the amazing programs that Austin High has to offer. Tour the Culinary Arts Kitchen, our Film Studio, or learn more about the exciting opportunities in sports and clubs. Visit with teachers and students about our Academies and learn about their signature experiences. The event will begin at 6:00pm in the Austin High Performing Arts Center, with a special performance featuring the many award-winning programs that Austin High has to offer. Families will then have time to visit with teachers and students representing all aspects of Austin High academics, electives, sports, and clubs. Mark your calendars for this exciting night! The event will be ending at 7:30pm.
Austin Community College Partnership
Austin Community College is partnering with Verizon and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) to offer a free hands-on STEM learning event for middle school students. The event will take place on November 5th at our ACC Highland Campus.
ACC hosts a summer camp through our Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program every summer. This year we are hosting a one-day workshop that will allow students to experience a day of camp. Students who attend the event will be given first access to information on signing up for the 2023 free summer camp.
Save the Date - Pre-Med Summit at UT
The University of Texas' American Medical Student Association, a pre-medical student organization at UT Austin, is planning to hold the second annual Pre-Med Summit on Saturday February 18, 2023. Please save this date in your calendar! This event is primarily for students interested in going to medical school, but it is open to most any student interested in the biomedical field. As we plan, I will be sending updates with more detailed information, so keep an eye out for them!
Need to Reach Your Counselor
You can email at ohenry.counselors@austinisd.org
Grading Periods and Progress Reports
Progress 1-- Closes 9/2
Progress 2- Closes 9/23-- student eligibilty check
1st Nine Weeks- closes 10/7-- student eligibilty check on 10/13, lost or gained 10/20
Progress 3- closes 11/4--student eligibilty chek on 11/4, lost or gained 11/11
Progress 4- closes 12/2-student eligibilty chek on 12/2, lost or gained 12/9
2nd Nine Weeks-closes 12/20, lost or gained 1/17
Fine Arts News
Band at Beginning Band Night
Congratulations Guitar
Congratulations to the following students for being selected to the AISD All-City Guitar Ensemble.
These students are working on their challenging music. They will rehearse and perform with other talented students throughout the district. All are invited to the performance on Wednesday, November 9th at 7:00 PM at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center.
2022 - All-City Guitar Members
Cole Ball
Liam Cutshall
Esteban Martinez
Henry McGuire
Zane Perez
Myers Powell
Theatre News
The theatre production needs some help. Do you have a large doll house or a set of golf clubs in a bag or just 2-3 clubs that you can loan.
We need them ASAP till Nov 14. We will return them to you after the show.
Please contact. Mrs. White (becky.white@austinisd.org) if you can help us out.
Thank you so much for supporting the fine arts.
Large doll house. Should stand around 3 ft high (does not have to be in great condition)
OHMS Mustang Theatre Presents: The Brothers Grimm
One Night Only
Nov. 4 @ 6pm
Tickets $5:00 at the door(cafateria)
Library News
On Monday, October 17th, the district started the 1 Million Minute Challenge! This is our chance to shine as a campus and show that we are a community of readers. Students can log the minutes/books they are reading using this form: bit.ly/3SRqWBt (must be logged into AISD account)
National Junior Honor Society
Anne Carter Hutchison----President
Henry Hanna-----Vice President
William Rhoden-----Secretary/Treasurer
Beckett Poage-----Community Service Chair
Jenna Reyes-----Historian
Ethan Stern-----Chair - Induction rehearsal/ceremony
Grant Vogt------Chair - School Services
Nurse and Health Update
Austin ISD school nurses are getting opioid overdose treatment Narcan as part of a fentanyl prevention and emergency response plan that includes a partnership with Austin ISD police, emergency management and local health authorities.
Why it matters: These steps, part of the district’s “Fake & Fatal” awareness campaign, comes in response to fentanyl overdoses in neighboring school districts and rising national numbers of fentanyl-related fatalities.
Situational awareness: With Halloween around the corner, the “Fake & Fatal” website offers community resources, fact sheets and tips for talking about the drug and its many forms, including brightly-colored Fentapills that take on a similar appearance to candy.
By the numbers: Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl accounted for 67% of the 107,375 deaths attributed to drug overdoses and drug poisonings for the 12-month period ending Jan. 2022, according to the Centers for Disease and Control.
PTA News
PTA News Updates
Election Day is November 8th!
For more information about the 2022 bond in general you may visit www.austinisd.org/bond.
The Virtual Academic Coaching program supporting O. Henry students is back! This program provides parent/community member volunteer-led, free, VIRTUAL ACADEMIC COACHING for students!
Students nominated by their family will receive free, after-school or weekend one-on-one virtual support to reach their academic goals. Academic coaching support includes managing schedules, planning and prioritizing school work, turning in missing assignments, coaching on executive functioning skills and more!
This program is supported by O. Henry parents and community members for O. Henry students and we need more volunteers to support more students! Interested in volunteering one hour per week from home or interested in nominating your student for the program? Learn more here:
https://ohenrypta.org/new-virtual-academic-coaching/
Interested in learning more? Please read our FAQ!
Interested in volunteering? Please complete this volunteer form!
Interested in nominating your student? Please complete this student nomination form!