MMSOA Parent Newsletter

09/25-09/29-Fall Book Fair

09/26-Student Council Info Meeting, 7:30am in Room 105

09/26-Renaissance Planning Committee Meeting at 7:30am in Room 206

09/27-Last Day for 8th Graders to Turn in PSAT Forms

09/27-Early Release, 11:50am Dismissal

09/28-Renaissance Decorating Committee Meeting at 7:30am in Room 206

09/29-Spirit Day: Neon Day

09/29-Spark-a-Thon Dance

10/05-Yearbook Pictures

10/09-Craft Corner, 3:05pm in the Library

10/16-Library Club, 3:05pm

10/17-PSAT, 8th Grade Only

10/19-Beta Club meeting, 7:30am in Room 207

I want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous contributions to our Spark-A-Thon Fundraiser. Because of you, we raised, $27,688.

Your contributions enables us to enhance the educational experience for all our students. Whether it's providing additional learning resources, organizing extracurricular activities, or improving our facilities, your support plays a vital role in making all of this possible.

It is heartwarming to see our school community come together to ensure a brighter future for our children. Your willingness to invest in their education is a testament to your commitment to their growth and development. Again, Thank you for your support and have a great week.- Alison Thornley

Dear Parents,

My name is Steven Sorrell, and I am a seventh-grade teacher at Marrington Middle School of the Arts as well as the school's Spelling Bee coordinator. I would like to take this opportunity to invite your child to participate in Marrington Middle School's Spelling Bee program!

This year, we will use the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s online testing platform to hold our grade-level spelling bees.

The first step to spelling bee participation for your child is registering for the online testing platform by visiting https://online-test.spellingbee.com. I encourage you to watch this video tutorial that will walk you through the registration process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ThKRsffiFc.

The deadline to register for the online test is September 28. Once you have registered, I will be able to assign the appropriate test to your child on September 29. Your child must complete the test before the given deadline of October 10. Tests can be taken on any device with a web browser, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge are our preferred browsers. We do not support Safari for desktop or Internet Explorer.

The six students from each grade with the highest scores will move on to compete at the school level. This year, our school-level competition will be administered via in-person Spelling Bee. The time and location of this event will be shared at a later date.

Our three school champions will then move on to represent Marrington Middle School in the next level of the Post and Courier regional spelling bee program, which also may include online tests in lieu of in-person spelling bee events.

Remember, the first step to spelling bee participation is to register at https://online-test.spellingbee.com. Please register your child at your earliest convenience as I will begin assigning tests to students soon. If you have already registered in the online testing platform for another child, you can log in to your account and add an additional child to that same parent account. There is no need to register a different email address for each child in your household.

Please reach out to me if you have any questions about our school spelling bee program. I look forward to having your child compete to represent our school!

Sincerely,

Steven Sorrell

Marrington Middle School of the Arts

7th-Grade ELA Teacher

843-572-0313

sorrells@bcsdschools.net

The Scholastic Book Fair opens Thursday at 7:30 am. The fair will be open Thursday and Friday this week as well as all of next week. Regular hours are from 7:30-3:45 with one exception; the fair will close at 1:00 on Friday, September 29th. Students are welcome to shop before school, throughout the school day, and/or after school. Families may shop with students after school. Payment may be made in the form of cash, checks (made out to MMSOA), debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, and Scholastic eWallet. Additional book fair information may be located in the Library Media Center Google Classroom.

Thank you for supporting student literacy and the MMSOA library!

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/marringtonmiddleschofarts1

Watch Schoology Overview for Parents to find out more about the following information:

• Sign up
• Adding a child
• Navigation
• Grades

Check out the i-Ready family guide!

English version

Spanish version

SC Immunization Certificates # 4024 are due by Friday September 29th.

All 7th graders are required to get the Tdap vaccine to protect them against whooping cough (pertussis). Proof of Tdap must be submitted on an updated SC DHEC Certificate of Immunization form #4024. Doctor's note of the Tdap will not be accepted. Immunization must be on an actual SC DHEC Certificate of Immunization # 4024.

Any student who does not turn in a SC DHEC Certificate of Immunization showing they have received their Tdap Vaccine by 09/29/23 will not be able to attend school until documentation is turned in. If your student has an appointment to get their Tdap vaccine after 09/29 please turn in an appointment card stating that.

Attendance notes are due within three days of your student returning to school. You may email them in at pattersong@bcsdschools.net or send them in with your student. You can check attendance at anytime in parent portal.

The PSAT will be administered to all 8th graders on October 17, 2023. A parent permission letter and information went home with each 8th grader. Permission forms must be turned in to Ms. Scoggins by this Wednesday, September 27th.

Chorus T-shirts (black with royal blue and white text- item B on the form) will be required for all majors and will be part of the informal chorus uniform again this year. The cost for each shirt will be $10.00. Notes went home with students last Tuesday but can also be located on the chorus schoology classroom in the week 5 folder. You can go to the link or scan the QR code below to order all merchandise no later than Wednesday, October 4th at 3 PM.

All Band Major Parents:

1. If your student is renting an instrument through MMSOA, Ms. H needs the rental form and money asap!
2. Please have your student's BLACK MMSOA Band Shirt ordered by October 4th!

Orchestra Musician of the Week 5: Keelie Owens, violinist

• Congratulations to Loni Sagen, Jace Duncan, Kelvin Greene for making the Summerville Youth Orchestra
• Sept. 30 region audition video is due. Please, do ahead of deadline to insure no technology issues.
• 7-8th Grade Orch. Need to practice G Force for our Veterans day Concert in Nov. 10th (during school)
• 6th grade Orchestra should be working on #26-35 in their book . We will begin with the bow this week.
• Orchestra Tee Shirt order instructions were sent home 9/19/23. Please, order by Oct. 4.
• Instruments should be going home during the week or weekend for practice. Musicians are allowed to come to the strings room at 7:55 am to practice as well.
• Thank you for participating in the Spark-A Thon.
• Itzhak Perlman will be performing with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra on Feb. 20, 2024. Great opportunity to see a Master of the violin.
• Did you know- Students receive discount tickets with the Summerville Orchestra and Charleston Symphony Orchestra.

FOR FUN Check out https://youtu.be/3V7EugoweM4?si=Bqs89JF08KPYflu3

Join the Symphonic Scholars After School Strings Club!

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Exciting news! We're introducing the Symphonic Scholars After School Strings Club, offering your child a chance to dive into the world of music, improve their instrumental skills, and connect with fellow young musicians.

Club Details:

• Start Date: October 10th
• Day: Tuesdays
• Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
• Location: Marrington Middle School of the Arts

Meet Ms. Rosie McCumiskey, Our Club Sponsor:

Ms. McCumiskey, a dedicated 6th-grade teacher and a passionate violinist with 19 years of experience, will lead the club. She's been the president of the Clemson Symphony Orchestra and part of esteemed musical groups. Her goal is to nurture your child's musical talents and provide a supportive space for them to thrive.

Collaboration with Ms. Raymond, the Strings Teacher:

Ms. McCumiskey will work closely with Ms. Raymond, our Strings Teacher, to create a curriculum that complements both musical growth and classroom learning. Together, they aim to provide a well-rounded musical education.

Student Commitment:

By joining the club, students commit to:

• Attend meetings on Tuesdays from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
• Actively participate and cooperate with fellow members and instructors.
• Practice regularly and strive for improvement.
• Dedicate themselves to solo and ensemble assignments.
• Abide by the attendance policy to maintain the quality of the club experience.

Attendance Policy: Consistent attendance is crucial for success. Three or more unexcused absences may result in membership review.

Instrument Rental: Students without instruments can rent them to fully engage in the musical experience.

Please return the permission slip by October 2, 2023. We're excited to welcome your child to the Symphonic Scholars for an enriching musical journey!

Mark your calendars for our annual TRUNK OR TREAT Fall Festival on October 27th from 5pm-7pm.

Featuring:

Games

Costumes

Face painting

Haunted Hallway

Selfie station

Food Trunks

and, of course, TRUNKS OF CANDY!

Tickets for this event are $5/child - adults are FREE!

Pre-register using this link:

https://mmsoa-trunk-or-treat-fall-festival2023.cheddarup.com

This event is open to the public - so please invite your friends and family and SHARE this link with them!

Are you interested in participating in this event? Host a trunk for only $10! Get involved and have some fun doing it! Register your trunk at:

https://trunk-or-treat-host-a-trunk.cheddarup.com

Are you interested in supporting the students and faculty at MMSOA and are not sure how? Join the PTSO!

Our membership form can be found here:

https://forms.gle/eHvwqYNhxDSXW7hHA

Membership dues can be paid through CheddarUp:

https://mmsoa-ptso-memberships-2023-2024.cheddarup.com

PTSO Calendar:

09/29/23 Faculty/Staff lunch for NEON Spirit Day; KONA ICE coming for all students/staff

10/27/23 Faculty/Staff lunch for Halloween Spirit Day

10/27/23 Trunk-or-Treat from 6-8pm (Volunteers needed!); KONA ICE and Food trucks

11/21/23 Supporting Faculty/Staff Tailgate lunch for Football Spirit Day; KONA ICE coming for all students/staff

12/06/23 PTSO Membership Meeting at 4pm at MMSOA

12/15/23 Ugly Sweater Dance from 3-5pm

12/21/23 Faculty/Staff Breakfast for Holiday Spirit Day

01/26/24 Faculty/Staff lunch for Disney Spirit Day; KONA ICE coming for all students/staff

02/09/24 PTSO support for Renaissance-sponsored Valentine's Dance from 3-5pm

02/23/24 Faculty/Staff lunch for Harry Potter Spirit Day; KONA ICE coming for all students/staff

03/08/24 Faculty/Staff lunch for Red, White and Blue Spirit Day

03/20/24 PTSO Membership Meeting at 4pm at MMSOA - By-Laws and Executive Board Nominations

03/29/24 Faculty/Staff breakfast

04/24/24 PTSO Membership meeting - Board Elections!

05/03/24 Faculty/Staff lunch for Star Wars Spirit Day; KONA ICE coming for all students/staff

05/06 - 05/10/24 Teacher Appreciation Week