Meadowlawn Middle Parent Newsletter Weekly Updates: Week of 10/26/2020
Reminders from Ms. Parris, Principal
- Monday, October 26th – Faculty and Staff Professional Day. No Classes for Scholars
- Principal Let’s Chat and PTSA Virtual Meeting, Thursday, November 11th at 5:30 PM
- Parent Questionnaire: https://tinyurl.com/Parent-Questionnaire-Oct2020
Please take a moment and complete the Parent Questionnaire.
Pinellas County Schools Referendum benefits teachers and students
The Pinellas County Schools Referendum is up for renewal. The Referendum boosts reading, art and music programs, provides up-to-date technology and textbooks, and helps recruit and retain quality teachers. Voters have supported the Referendum every four years since its initial approval in 2004. An independent citizens committee oversees Referendum spending to ensure money is spent as voters intended. Every penny of the funding benefits Pinellas teachers and students. For more information, please visit www.pcsb.org/referendum.
Family and Engagement Webinars
Change Phone/Email Contact Information
Our school district requires accurate contact information to send parents phone calls and emails about: o Emergencies or severe weather.
o School or district events.
o Specialapplicationopportunities.
To update your phone and email address:
- Visit https://reservation.pcsb.org and log in with your parent username and password. If you do not have a
parent ID or forgot yours, please contact Meadowlawn MS Main Office at 727-570-3097, ext. 2000 for
assistance.
- Select the option: “Change Phone and Email Address Only”
- Enter your child’s name and date of birth or student ID number, and update your phone number and email
address.
Curriculum and Scheduling Info (Mr. Blanco, Assistant Principal of Curriculum)
The first grading period ended on Friday 10/23/2020. Report Period 2 begins Tuesday 10/27/2020. Lets get a good start on the second grading period. Report card schedule for the 1st grading period is as follows:
October 27 Digital Parenting- How to Stay Ahead Register Here
Did you know 40% of children in grades 4-8 chatted with a stranger online? In this webinar, we will dig deep to learn what kids are doing online and the impact this has in their lives. We’ll give you the knowledge you need to start talking internet safety with your children as well as tools you can implement at home to keep your children safe and secure online.
Returning Scholars for Report Period 2
MMS Faculty and Staff would like to welcome back those scholars who were approved for a Learning Option change, and will be joining us on campus starting Tuesday 10/27/2020. Thos families who were approved should have received a personal phone call from their grade level office and an additional parent connect message from Mr. Blanco this weekend. Just a few reminders for those scholars returning to campus:
- Parent pick up and drop off has been adjusted. There are multiple drop off points. Please follow staff directions and signage to guide you. Students will need to know their 1st period teacher to facilitate drop-off and afternoon pick-up
- Gates open at 9:20am. Scholars will be instructed to report directly to 1st period. There will be no socializing or congregating allowed.
- Please follow all directional signage
- Students will be assigned seats on the bus, in class, and in the lunchroom for contact tracing purposes.
- There are no lockers and students can carry their backpacks with them on campus; all phones must be off
upon entering the building and stored in their backpacks, not on their person.
- Non-Negotiable- Masks must always be worn properly (over the nose and mouth) in the building, except in
the cafeteria when eating or drinking.
- All 7th Graders must be up-to-date on their Immunizations (i.e. Tdap and Varicella). Please provide a copy of their Form 680 (Florida Certification of Immunization) or Religious Exemption Documentation.
School Operations (Dr. Gordon, Assistant Principal of Operations)
- Our school safety and sanitizing procedures are in full swing. We are practicing social distancing in all areas of the school this includes one directional hallways and stairways. Each hall has hand sanitizer, and all classrooms are equipped with a sanitizing station. We have also implemented staggered class transitions and dismissal to minimize the number of students moving at one time. At the end of each school day, all classrooms are disinfected and sanitized.
- Please remind your scholar to wear their mask so that it covers their mouth and nose. Also remind them to stay six feet apart from their classmates as they move through the hallways.
- Please remind all scholars that have been issued a laptop to store it in their book bag when not in use. This will reduce the chance of damage and costly repairs that take time and leave the scholar without a device.
- We have received the remainder of the devices for students. We will be setting up a procedure to distribute them to scholars. Please be on the lookout for corresponding paperwork to be filled out by parents.
School Expectations (Mr. Wicks, Assistant Principal of Athletics, Activities and Behavior Management)
- Athletics for the middle schools will not be until semester 2 with three truncated seasons (volleyball; basketball, cheerleading; track). Please begin preparing ahead of time. In order to try out, all athletes will need an athletic physical within the last year on file with the school. Athletic eligibility is having a minimum GPA of 2.0 from the previous semester. Since our sports will not be until semester 2, this means that the GPA requirement is based on their semester 1 grades (not quarters). If grades are in question, it is time to begin working to make gains. Take advantage of the ELP tutoring program before school for PCS scholars and after school for Face to Face scholars.
- Congratulations to our October PBIS Award Winners:
Certified Staff Member – Ms Adrienne Wood Non-Certified Staff Member – Mr. Jorge Calderon
6th Grade Student – Davion Fields 7th Grade Student – Ava Warren 8th Grade Student – Skyler Rusilko
- Scholar engagement is the key to success, for both Face-to-Face and Virtual Students. The two biggest obstacles are cell phones and the chat box in the Teams meetings. Unless the teacher is allowing the use of the cell phone in class, it should be off and put away. Once all scholars receive their laptops there will not be a need for cell phones in the classroom. Please encourage your student to keep them put away and please avoid texting to them as well. The second obstacle is the off-task
comments scholars make in the Teams chat box during class. Even though this is silent, it has the same effect as talking in class whereas multiple scholars are not paying attention. Please encourage your scholar to only use the chat box to ask questions, to provide answers, and to communicate with the teacher.
Technology Updates (Ms. Putkonen, Media and Technology Specialist)
Computer Forms Need Signatures
- We have received the remainder of the devices for students. We will be setting up a procedure to distribute them to scholars. Please be on the lookout for corresponding paperwork to be filled out by parents.
- If your child did not receive a form, but needs a computer, please have them check their Focus Messenger for a note from Ms. Putkonen. I have many scholars who still have a device checked out from last Spring that needs to be returned before I can send them home with a new device. Please send these devices to school with your child so that they can return it - (face-to-face only).
- If they borrowed a desktop and they are a face-to-face student, please reach out to Ms. Putkonen directly to arrange for drop-off of the desktop computer. Her number is 727-570-3097, extension 1030.
Meadowlawn Virtual Library
- With our library now open, both virtually and in person, scholars can now check out books from school and from home! If your child wants to check out physical books, they still can! They just need to log into Destiny.pcsb.org and search for the book they want and then place it on hold. When the book is ready, I will send them a message on Focus and reach out to the family to arrange a pickup.
- Face-to-face scholars can come and shop for books in the library between classes, or before or after school.
Family and Community Engagement (Ms. Covington, Family and Community Liaison)
