Meade Middle School

Hello Meade Parents and Guardians, We have completed another successful week at Meade Middle School! We continue to be proud of our academic scholars. Did you know you can help your students gain success and grow as an academic scholar? AACPS has Virtual Homework Help and Tutoring. Many courses are supported in subjects including Math, English, World Languages, Social Studies, Science, Reading, Computer Science and ESOL. All students in grades 6 to 12 are encouraged to take advantage of the program to get off to a good start this year! More information is available at www.aacps.org/tutoring

If you, as parents or guardians, work on federal property in Maryland; live on federal property in Maryland; and/or are active duty military personnel, please complete the Survey as soon as possible. AACPS receives approximately 2 million dollars in federal grant funds annually to operate and maintain schools and enrich school programs. In order to receive these funds, the U.S. Department of Education requires that all families participate in the Survey to determine eligibility. Please complete the Survey as soon as possible. Access to grant money will help create rigorous, real life learning environments for our students.

Today is School Custodian Appreciation Day. Our custodians are the quiet heroes of our school. They are the first to arrive each day, cleaning up all the messes no on else dares to touch. They befriend every student that passes by. They are our #SchoolHeros. We will tweet tomorrow the goodies we have for them!

We continue to ask that you remind your student(s) t bring their chromebook, charger, and headphones with them EVERY DAY. Many students are coming to school without their chromebook and charger. This makes it hard for our teachers to provide ongoing rigorous 21st century instruction to our students.

At Meade Middle School we believe love is action. Love is truth-telling. Love is fighting for what is right. Love is doing what is right. We are committed to creating educational spaces that tend to the harm and violence that has been enacted against BIPOC bodies and minds-specifically, those of our children. “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” - Angela Y. Davis

Principal Karla Steinbach

Amanie Pusey is one of our 6th grade students. Amanie has been seen in his classes demonstrating leadership skills. His favorite class is Social Studies. Amanie shares this is because they do a lot of fun things. He really enjoys "drop everything and write". He really enjoys writing about what he wants to do in the future. Outside of school Amanie plays football for the DMV Knights. He plays the positions wide receiver and backup quarterback. We look forward to seeing Amanie grow as a student leader!

Meet Language Arts teacher Ms. Leah D. Banks. Ms. Banks is joining us after teaching at Lindale Middle School. This is her fifth year as an educator in Anne Arundel County. Before teaching in AACPS she taught in Baltimore city. Ms. Banks attended and graduated from Towson University with degrees in African & African American Studies and History. In her free time she likes to spend time with her family and friends. Ms. Banks is a foodie who loves to travel. She loves playing her Xbox series X, her favorite game is Mortal Kombat 11. While Ms. Banks loves teaching, she hopes to be a Broadway Actress someday. Ms. Banks shares her why behind teaching: it’s her passion…All 120 of her kids are part of her heart…it’s the love and responsibility she has toward them and the amount of trust they have in her…the commitment she made to them…instilling and fostering a love for learning! Yes, she calls all of her students "my kids"! They will always be her kids long after they stop being her students. She believes in her kids,she tells them she loves them everyday!

Saturday, November 12, Meade cluster schools will be hosting a free fall community event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Meade Middle School. During this event, students from all 13 schools in the Meade Cluster will be sharing their talents, such as dance, chorus, band, art and more. There will also be fun activities, community resource information, food, and the opportunity to learn about the various programs offered in cluster schools. Please join us for a day of fun celebrating all the amazing things happening in the Meade Cluster!

The Meade Community (community organizations, business partners, schools, families, etc.) are collaborating to create a cluster wide hashtag. Please vote on your favorite #hashtag https://forms.gle/EApvEJGgJLWScG488

Getting a note or a phone call from a teacher about your child's behavior can be hard for parents. You might feel confused, upset, or embarrassed—all of which are natural reactions.

If your child gets into a fight at school or shows other inappropriate behavior, don’t panic. The first step is to work with school administrators and teachers to determine the underlying cause of your child's behavior.

Establish Regular Communication

· If your child's misbehavior is an isolated incident, monitor their progress for a few days to make sure it gets better.

· If your child is getting in trouble at school often, it might be helpful to establish daily communication with their teacher or a school administrator.

Devise a Monitoring System

· Contact your child's teacher to discuss how you can work together to address your child's behavior.

Decide How to Communicate

· Teachers often have a preferred method for parent communication. For example, some teachers will record colored smiley faces (green, yellow, or red) to track a child's behavior throughout the day, while others prefer to write a quick note.

Communicate Frequently

· Kids feel good when they can show you they've done well at school. When they have days that don't go well, you can work together to come up with ways to make the next day better.

Work As a Team

· Let your child's teacher know you want to support them. Staying flexible will help show them that you are keeping their needs in mind too.

Reward Desirable Behavior

· Establish positive consequences to reinforce the behavior you want to see.

Problem-Solve With Your Child

· On the days when your child has a hard time managing their behavior, problem-solve with them about how they can do better the next day.

Stay Calm

· Calmly talk with your child and ask for their input about what would be helpful. Using a problem-solving approach can make them more willing to talk about how they feel.

Ask About What They're Working On

· Sometimes, kids can clearly explain the reason for their behavior.

See If They Need Extra Support

· Misbehavior can also stem from not knowing how to do the work. Kids sometimes decide they would rather appear “bad” than “stupid.” They might act out rather than ask for help to avoid being teased by classmates.

Let Your Child Express Their Feelings

· According to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), children often won't talk about their concerns because they are confused or don't want to worry their parents.1 Reassure your child that talking can be helpful, especially if they have questions or worries.

Here are some ideas for talking with your kids:

Encourage Them to Share Their Feelings

· Give your child space to talk about how they feel and why—even if their statements don't make sense or their thoughts are jumbled. The important thing is that they are expressing themselves.

Provide Reassurance

· Once they are done sharing, reaffirm that it's OK to feel upset, but reassure them that they are safe. You may want to share ideas on how you deal with stress and anxiety. Then, work together to find a solution that fits their needs.

Give Them Choices

· Kids become empowered when they feel like they have some control over their lives. Likewise, having a sense of agency can reduce fear.1 Be compassionate about the challenges your child is facing and find ways to give them some control in their lives, such as letting them decide what to pack in their lunch or which clothes to wear.

Avoid Pressure

· However, if your child isn’t ready or willing to talk, don’t pressure them. Instead, the next time your child has a day that goes well, ask them what they did and how things went to help them become more aware of what worked. This can give you both valuable insight that you can use to encourage your child on not-so-easy days.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/childs-behavior-problems-school-1094910

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from September 15 to October 15. It is a time to appreciate and celebrate the colorful cultures, rich histories, and diversity of the American Latino community. Hispanic Americans have been integral to the prosperity of the U.S. Their contributions to the nation are immeasurable, and they embody the best of American values. The Hispanic-American community has left an indelible mark on the U.S. culture and economy.

Health Issues & Concerns:

Please call the Health Room as soon as possible to inform them of any health concerns such as food allergies, asthma, or any conditions that require your student to take medication.

Medications at School:

All medication given by the HR requires a doctor’s order via the AACPS - PARENT’S REQUEST TO ADMINISTER MEDICATION form. This includes over-the-counter meds such as Ibuprofen and cough drops, as well as any prescribed medication to be given during the school day. Only adults can bring medication to school. Never put any medication in a student backpack or lunchbox. Over the counter medication must be received as new (sealed, unopened).

Illness & Injuries:

Please call to inform the HR if your child is diagnosed with a contagious illness such as Covid, flu, Fifth’s Disease, Chickenpox, etc. Please call the HR if your child has suffered any serious injuries while outside of school. Injured students need a doctor’s note for any cast, crutches, brace or splint regarding any kinesiology restrictions.

When to Stay Home:

Students should stay home from school due to serious illness, injury or a condition that may be passed to other children. Although no comprehensive list is possible, the following conditions may be considered appropriate reasons to keep a student home from school: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, earache, cough, sore throat, and undiagnosed rash to name a few. A student with a fever of 100.4 °F must stay home until the student is fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.

Immunizations and other Requirements:

All 7th graders/new students need to submit a copy of their current immunizations before attending school in the Fall. Please contact your pediatrician to obtain a copy for school if you have not already done so. No Shots = No School.

This time of year brings forms to complete. Thank you for your timely attention to these important processes that facilitate communication and help with student safety and other factors crucial to school operations.

EMERGENCY CARD VERIFICATION - Please be sure to update your student's emergency card per the email that is sent to the primary contact on record. This requires you to log into the parent portal to update or verify the information on record. This process began in July and the roll-out of emails from AACPS has continued. If you have not yet completed this critical process or need assistance, please email

CODE of CONDUCT - we begin each school year with important reminders about student behaviors, expectations, and overall practices via the AACPS Student and Parent Handbook. Printing of this essential piece has been delayed. Please review here. Teachers will review information in class and we ask that you do so at home as well and complete the acknowledgement/agreement page., which your student needs to return to their teacher.

September

26 NO SCHOOL- Rosh Hashanah

October

1 MEADE CLUSTER EVENT @ Meade Middle

5 NO SCHOOL- Yom Kippur

20 2 hr early dismissal- Conferences

November

3 2 hr early dismissal- End of 1st Marking Period

4 2 hr early dismissal- End of 1st Marking Period

8 NO SCHOOL- Election Day

21 NO SCHOOL for Students- Conferences

22 NO SCHOOL for Students- Conferences

23 NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving Holiday

24 NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving Holiday

25 NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving Holiday

December

23-30 NO SCHOOL- Christmas/Winter Break

January

2 1st Day of School in 2023

16 NO SCHOOL-MLK Day

23 2 hr early dismissal- End of 2nd Marking Period

24 2 hr early dismissal- End of 2nd Marking Period

25 NO SCHOOL for Students- Teacher Work Day

Meade Middle School is an amazing community made up of a diverse student body and staff. The staff of Meade Middle is committed to seeing their students grow and succeed through their mission to help Motivate student Excellence in an Anti-racist, Diverse community of Empowerment

Email: MeadeMS@AACPS.org
Website: https://www.aacps.org/Page/3880
Location: 1103 26th Street, Fort Meade, MD, USA
Phone: 4103052400
Twitter: @MeadeMSAACPS