Massabesic Middle School

December 16, 2022

Hello!

Hopefully, as you read this month's family newsletter you are somewhere warm and hunkered down for our first big snowfall of the season. This past month has been full of great events for the MMS Community including our "Bring a Vet to Dinner" event, the MMS Chorus Concert, the MMS Band Concert, the first ever MMS Math Meet, the start of the winter sports season and finally the beginning of Trimester 2. It is hard to believe that the first trimester of the school year is behind us already! Stay tuned for the upcoming important dates and all of the events that will be happening in the coming winter months here at school. We hope you stay warm and enjoy the holiday season!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Grantham and Mrs. Troiano

Important Upcoming Dates:

December 23-January 2: No School RSU 57 (Holiday Break)

January 9-13: Youth Truth Survey Week

January 11: Early Release Day

January 16: No School (Martin Luther King Jr Day)

January 17-18: NWEA Winter Testing

January 19: MMS Winter Dance

January 20: End of Quarter 2

Unfortunately, this is a time when the shelter fills up with residents. The shelter has been able to secure a donor for toys, which is great. However, the shelter is in need of NEW:

• twin-size sheets
• comforters
• pillows

If you are in a position to donate these items, please drop off at MMS. We will have a donation box in front of the library and thank you in advance for your generosity.

The MMS Math Team competed in the first math meet of the season on December 7!

Each grade level's team worked extremely hard in each round and collaborated well in the team rounds. Each student persevered and contributed to their team's overall points. Highlights include sixth grader Garrett S scoring 15 points for the team in the Arithmetic round, seventh grader Thomas B scoring 14 points for the team in the Geometry round, eighth grader Connor R scoring 10 points for the team in the Arithmetic round, and seventh grader Ben S scoring 33 points in the individual rounds for second place in the seventh grade meet.

As we continue to practice and prepare for upcoming meets we would be happy to have new members join! Check in with Ms. Locke if you have any interest in joining the MMS Math Team!

The return to school this year, without strict covid restrictions, has been a blessing for many who struggled to find coverage for childcare, and/or the ability to remain at home for extended periods of time due to CDC Guidelines. This year, our district, like many districts across the state, have seen an increase in respiratory illness in particular. Last week, Maine.gov sent a press release regarding the sharp increase in Influenza cases across the state, and that has been consistent with what we have seen at MMS. Wintertime is notorious for a number of different illnesses that impact our community on an annual basis. Not only do we see influenza, but we are also seeing some reports of COVID, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and enterovirus.

Since all of the guidance around COVID and when to keep your child home if they are sick, I am finding that parents are sometimes unsure about when their student should attend school. Students should be staying home when they are ill. Students with symptoms of fever, diarrhea, or vomiting cannot return to school until they have been without those symptoms for a full 24 hours, without the use of any medication that will prevent those symptoms (fever-reducing medication, antidiarrheal medication, etc.). Many of the aforementioned illnesses will have a lingering cough. If the cough is such that it is uncontrollable and disruptive to learning for your student and others, they should be home until that has improved. If you have questions about when your student should return to school following an illness, please contact the School Nurse for guidance.

Attached here is the notification sent home on December 13, 2022 regarding the increased absenteeism at MMS due to illness.

Below are a few ways to help prevent the spread of illness...

● Wash hands frequently

● Stay home when sick

● Cover coughs/sneezes

● Wear a mask

● Get vaccinated for preventable diseases/illness

Please feel free to contact the School Nurse, Jen Dorr, BSN,RN at jenniferdorr@rsu57.org or by

phone at 207-247-6121, ext. 4005.

Thank you, in advance, for your efforts in helping to bring our school community back to a healthy learning environment for our students and staff.

With Care, Jen Dorr, BSN, RN

Our 8th grade science students have been learning about energy transfer. As part of this unit they have been given a group engineering design challenge, to build a "Tiny House for Penguins", which they will test by melting (or not melting) ice cubes! Below are some photos of this project in its early stages from Mrs. Perreault's class.

Do you have the ParentVUE app? Please be sure to download the Parent VUE app or access the site online to view your student's gradebook, assignments, schedule and more. Student gradebooks are updated frequently and we ask that you regularly check your student's account. Please contact our main office for assistance if you have trouble activating or accessing your account.

Click here to access the RSU 57 Athletics and Activities page to find out about events happening within the district, get out there and show your Mustang Pride!

Please note that middle school students are encouraged to attend high school sporting events, but must be accompanied by a supervising adult.

Be sure to read the Family Handbook.

Website: https://middleschool.rsu57.org/
Location: Massabesic Middle School, Old Alfred Road, East Waterboro, ME, USA
Phone: (207) 247-6121