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Pony Express
Week of March 4-10, 2024
Spring Break- Week of March 11-17
In this Issue
Newest Updates in BOLD
- Principal's Update
- Happening This Week at O. Henry
- Mustang News- Episode 22
- Counselor Corner- AVID Summer Bridge, Updated 24-25 Transition Newsletter
- Athletic and PE News-Tennis News, Track and Field News, Golf News
- Fine Art News- Art in Action, Band News, Orchestra News
- PTA Updates-
- Other Campus and AISD News: Attendance, Enrollment for 24-25 School Year, Bell Schedule, AISD Calendar, Transportation, AISD Health Services, Weather Guidelines
Principal's Update
Weekly Principal Update
Dear Mustang Families,
As spring approaches, we wanted to update you on some exciting events and activities happening at O. Henry Middle School in the coming months.
Spring is a time of growth and renewal, and we are thrilled to see our students continue to flourish academically, socially, and emotionally. With the warmer weather, we encourage our students to take advantage of outdoor learning opportunities and to engage in physical activities during recess and after school.
Upcoming Events:
Spring UIL Music Concerts: Our talented students have been working hard to prepare for the annual spring UIL Music Concerts. Congratulations to our Orchestra this past week and Good luck to our Band this week. Stay tuned for Guitar, Choir, and our Spring Theatre Musical.
Spring Sports: Our spring sports teams are gearing up for an exciting season. Whether your child is interested in track and field, or tennis, or golf, we encourage them to try out and be part of our teams. Please check out the Athletic section of our newsletter.
End of the 9 Weeks: This Friday, March 8th, the 3rd Quarter will close and grades will be finalized after Spring Break. This is a great opportunity to discuss your child's progress and goals for the remainder of the school year.
Summer Enrichment: Check out how your student can participate in the summer AVID Bridge program. We will also share other opportunities in the community as they become available. Information will be at the end of the newsletter each week.
Spring Break: Spring break will be from Saturday, March 10- Sunday, March 17. We hope our students and their families enjoy this time off and come back refreshed and ready to finish the school year strong.
Monday, April 8-- Solar Eclipse : We will be celebrating The Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8th with various activities focused on this once in a life-time event. All Students will be provided with Eclipse Glasses. If you or someone in your family would like to be a guest speaker or outside chaperone for the event, please email marlo.malott@austinisd.org.
As always, we appreciate your continued support and partnership in your child's education. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.
Make it a great week to be an O. Henry Mustang!
☮❤️&🐴's,
Marlo Malott
African American Culture and Heritage Celebration
Congratulations to our Outstanding Students of Excellence Jourdan Stevens, Roman Simpao, Raleigh Crowther, Shai Coates, Ella Ramirez, Nico Hill. These students were recognized for their academic accomplishments on Friday, February 23rd at the African American Culture and Heritage Celebration. Celebrating African American Heritage is an opportunity to honor the rich cultural contributions and resilience of African Americans throughout history. From art and music to literature and civil rights activism, African Americans have made indelible marks on our society. Let us use this time to reflect on their achievements, honor their struggles, and commit to building a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
Happening This Week Around Campus
Monday, March 4- C Day
- NAEP Make-up Test- 8th Grade
- 3:50 Track and Field Meeting
- 4:00 HW Club
Tuesday, March 5- C Day
- 7:00 6th Grade Girls Fitness Club, Orchestra Rehearsals
TELPAS Reading/Writing Makeup Testing
- 5th period ACES- Women in History Lesson
- 4:00-HW Club, Theater
Wednesday, March 6 - A Day
College Shirt Day
- B Lunch-7th Grade Book Club
- ACES-6th- Indoor Games, Study Hall, 7th Outside Time; 8th Panoramic Class Picture
- Band at UIL
- 4:00-HW Club, Theater
Thursday, March 7- B Day
- 7:00 FCA Huddle- Student Meeting
- C Lunch- 6th Grade Book Club
- ACES-ACES-6th-Outside Time; 7th--Indoor Gamess and Study Hall; 8th-Indoor Gamess and Study Hall
- Band at UIL
- 4:00-HW Club, DND, Theater
Friday, March 8-C Day
END OF THE 9 WEEKS GRADING PERIOD
Staff vs. Students Basketball Games
1st period - 7th grade
5th period - 6th grade
8th period - 8th grade
- 5th ACES- Mustang News
Neurodivergent / Guess the Shapes / Leap Day / Guess the Future / Cooking Pretzels / Teacher Blend / Chocolate
Counseling Corner
AVID Summer Bridge
AVID Math Summer Bridge Opportunity
- 7th Grade Accelerated Summer Bridge -This course is designed for rising 7th graders who would like to be part of the pathway to take Algebra I in 8th grade. 7th Grade Accelerated sign up form
- Algebra Readiness Summer Bridge - This course is designed for rising 8th graders who were not on the pathway to take Algebra I in 8th grade. Students will need to show mastery of 8th grade math at the end of the camp in order to take Algebra I in 8th grade. Algebra Readiness sign up form. This opportunity is only for rising 8th graders
AVID Summer Bridge is designed to strengthen students' math skills over the summer to prepare for Algebra. Deadline to register with transportation is April 21, 2024. Registration for students who do not need transportation is open until May 10, 2024. Please note: Students must be enrolled in Austin ISD in Spring 2024 to participate in summer programs.
June 3- June 20 (No Fridays or June 19th) (Please note the flyer listed May 29 incorrectly as the student date)
8:30 am -1:00 pm
It is important that students make a commitment to attend all 11 days. Space is limited please fill out this Google form.
Tennis News
Click here for more information about Tennis for the Spring 2024 Season: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelllfxDKKZd7uO3gm1CwV1XUYEiep1QBEI_Pi_Jsm7G3pnrg/viewform?usp=sf_link
Track and Field
SAVE THE DATE
Track Meets this Monday, March 4
Golf News
Mustang Golfers!
Please fill out the form below if your student is interested in playing golf this year at O. Henry. The season starts after Spring Break and goes on until Mid-May. We don't have an exact practice schedule yet as we coordinate with Lions to maximize the space they have available.
Fine Arts News
Art In Action
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Band News
Best of luck to members of our Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble as they perform their UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluation this week at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center. Parents are allowed to attend both the concert and sightreading portions of this event.
Symphonic Band – Wednesday, March 6 UIL performance schedule
8:15 AM Report to OHMS Band hall for uniform inspection and final instructions
9:00 AM Load Bus/Depart for AISD PAC
10:30 AM Concert Performance on Stage
11:00 AM Sightreading
11:30 AM Load Bus/Depart for OHMS
12 Noon Arrive at OHMS/Go to B Lunch
Wind Ensemble – Thursday, March 7 UIL performance schedule
7:30 AM Report to OHMS Band hall for uniform inspection and final instructions
8:30 AM Load Bus/Depart for AISD PAC
10:00 AM Concert Performance on Stage
10:30 AM Sightreading
11:00 AM Load Bus/Depart for OHMS
Band Social at Westgate Lanes
Orchestra News
Congratulations to Chamber Orchestra on earning all "1's" this past week. As the hightest honor possible, under the direction of Sarah Uy, our Mustang string players were ready to play their very best. Way to go Mustangs!
PTA IS LOOKING FOR 2024-25 LEADERSHIP
The PTA Executive Board is happy to congratulate 2024 nominating committee members: Rebecca Hatcher, Jen Kolerich, Heather Willison, April Allen and Kirsten Matetich, with alternates Pam Kelly and Amy Koenings.
Committee work begins this week, and we welcome nominations from all members for the following positions: President Elect, Treasurer Elect, Secretary, VP Communications, VP Support and
VP Ways and Means
Serving on the PTA Board is a great way to support our teachers and administration, and serve the greater OHMS community. Please email Rachel Elder, parliamentarian, at rachelreit@gmail.com if you would like to nominate someone, or for job descriptions and questions.
DIRECTORY SPOT IS LIVE!
The much-anticipated Directory Spot app and online program is live! Use Directory Spot to contact parents of your student's friends, or to contact an O. Henry teacher.
Directory Spot is an opt-in school directory, so you will only be listed if you provided permission at the beginning of the year. To use: download the app or go online to directoryspot.net and use the same email that you registered with to log in, then create a password, and start searching!
SAVE THE DATE:
Friday, April 19 Mark your calendar for the 2nd Annual Cornhole Tournament & Mixer at Zilker Sunshine Camp in Zilker Park. This adults-only event is a great way to see friends and meet OHMS parents, caregivers and staff.
Other Campus and AISD News
Attendance and Absence Reporting
Feeling Sick?
NEW AISD Enrollment System
All families should enroll in school for next year.
Why is matters?
School budgets are based on enrollments. For O. Henry this impacts the number of courses we can offer and the number of teachers and staff members we can hire.
For students applying to high schools, an application may be necessary, This is due on February 6th.
Weather Guidelines for PE and Athletics
Please plan on dressing for the ever changing Texas weather. We expect students to be prepared to be outside. We encourage sweatpants, hoodies, coats, beanies, etc whatever else is needed to feel comfortable.
Regular Bell Schedule 2023-2024
Transportation and Traffic
Car Riders: To keep traffic flowing, follow the arrows on the map below. Be patient, student safety is our most important priority. To keep our Mustangs safe, do not drop off in back bus lot. If pickup is altered due to bad weather, a Schoolmessenger alert will go out from the Principal.
Bus Riders: Bus riders may only ride their assigned bus. Use the Bus Finder page to check which route you are assigned. Buses leave promptly at 3:57 PM each day - information about late buses will be available in coming weeks. Buses drop off and pick up on the east side of campus. For additional questions about transportation see AISD's website here.
Walkers/Bike Riders: If walking or biking to school please be safe and use crosswalks to get across streets. Bike racks are available for student use.
Local Enrichment Opportunities
O. Henry Middle School
Website: https://ohenry.austinschools.org/
Location: 2610 West 10th Street, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-414-3229
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ohenryms
Twitter: @Ohenryms