MMS Update

Greetings Merrimack Middle School Families,

We are off to a wonderful start at MMS this year! This week, students were introduced to the library, began their advisory groups, participated in their first band and chorus rehearsals, and our 8th graders have already started planning for their spring field trip.

Families of 8th graders, please be sure to review the trip paperwork included below and continue calendar sales for our fundraiser. Sales will close on September 24, so we encourage students to keep up their efforts. This date is also the final day to support our PTG by purchasing Merrimack apparel—more details can be found below. We are also beginning our After School Academic Program (ASAP) the week of September 15th, see information at the bottom of the newsletter.

As a reminder to all families, there will be no school on Wednesday, September 10, due to staff professional development.

Thank you all for all your support, have a great week!

Mr. Hill demonstrates a phenomena in science class for 8th graders to investigate.

No School for Students - There will be a teacher professional day on September 10th. There will be no school for students on this day.

8th Grade Calendar Fundraiser - Our first turn-in for calendars sold is September 12th, extra calendars can be picked up in the main office.

ASAP - Our after school support program begins September 15th. Please sign up at the bottom of the newsletter.

Picture Day - Get your smiles ready for September 19th! Ordering information can be found below.

Thank you to all the families who attended our 8th Grade Culminating Experience meeting this week. Copies of the paperwork are available below, and additional fundraising calendars can be picked up in the main office.

8th Grade Culminating Experience Packet

Hello from your MMS Kitchen Staff!

We hope you had a wonderful and relaxing summer.

What a great way to start the day, with BREAKFAST! We now offer a variety of breakfast choices. Muffins, breads, bagels, yogurt, cereals and so much more. Breakfast is $2.00 (Free for Free and Reduced students) or they can buy a la cart.

We also have some great meal choices available to your student. In addition to the regular menu choice, we also offer a second hot lunch choice. Other choices are Grab and Go meals—such as bagels with cream cheese, PB&J Uncrustables, and a variety of sandwiches—each meal includes a vegetable, fruit, and milk. Fresh salads are also available daily at the snack line. Lunch is $3.75 ($.40 for Reduced and Free from Free students)

We have a snack line that offers chips, muffins, cookies, and flavored waters. To purchase a snack, your student must have their student ID card or cash.

We encourage students to bring their student ID cards to help make the lunch line go smoothly. If they lose their card, they can ask their homeroom teacher for a replacement. Any card they have had in the district will work.

Forms will be coming home to apply for the Free and Reduced lunch program. A reminder, you do have to apply every year. The mail office has extra forms if you did not receive one.

Remember, if your student has any food allergies, please send a doctor's note to the nurse so we can update their lunch profile. We do offer special gluten-free meals for students with a doctor's note.

Please contact jennifer.cargile@sau26.org with any questions

Thanks to our fabulous librarian, Mrs. Denehy for working with ELA classes in our library!

Picture Day is coming on Friday, September 19!

You can place your order on mylifetouch.com using your Picture Day ID: EVTFFWW2G. Order before midnight on Picture Day to get FREE shipping!

Your child can also bring their completed flyer with cash or check on Picture Day. Orders after Picture Day must be placed online only on mylifetouch.com .

Full Picture Flyer

Getting a kick out of PE class...

Robotics - Students interested in joining our famous robotics club should email mmsftc@gmail.com

to register.

Drama Club - Auditions for the Drama Club's fall production of "Puffs - Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic" are next week! Sign up at MMSDRAMACLUB.COM

Mixed Media Art Club - Come learn about printmaking, collage and other mixed media techniques! Mrs. BC is offering an after school, Mixed Media Art club in September and October. It’s important to sign up and get your permission slip back to Mrs. BC by September 19th, as the club starts on the 22nd. Permission slip can be found in the main office and outside Mrs. BC's door.

8th Grade Reading Ambassadors - Attention 8th grade Book Ambassadors, our first meeting is after school on Tuesday, September 9. Please stop by room 208 for a permission slip. If any other 8th grade readers would like to join, please also stop in for a permission slip!

Something Else? - If your student is interested in creating a club at MMS, simply confirm an adult advisor and the club is yours!

Wednesday, September 10

• Boys’ "White" Soccer vs. Hood at 3:30 PM (Bishop Field)

• Volleyball vs. Woodbury at 3:45 PM, followed by a scrimmage match

Thursday, September 11

• Team pictures after school

• All athletes are encouraged to take individual pictures

Saturday, September 13

• Cross Country at the Nashua Invitational (Nashua High School South), Bus departs MMS at 7:00 AM

Perfect day for Cross-Country practice!

Interested in volunteering? See the information below and click the image for your online trainings.

MMS Spirit Store Closes TONIGHT!

Don't miss your opportunity to order some of the fun new MMS gear which features products with Merrimack logos for everyone! The hot items this year include sweatshirts and tees with a retro puff paint logo, or the simple chest embroidered logo hoodies, along with both styles of hats. We are excited to see everyone sporting their new gear throughout the hallways, in the classrooms, at school events and activities. The store closes TONIGHT @11:59pm. Questions? Please contact info@mintprintworks.com

Calling all Volunteers!

Are you interested in volunteering this school year? If so, please complete the below steps to ensure you are cleared to volunteer throughout the school year (this includes parents that are considering/plan to chaperone the 8th Grade Washington, DC, culminating experience). All Vector training is due no later than Fri, 10/31, per MSD administration. Thank you for your commitment to our schools!

Ice Cream Volunteers Needed (Friday lunch time opportunities)

Would you love to spend some time volunteering at MMS? The PTG needs volunteers on Fridays to sell ice cream from 10:30AM - 12:15PM. If you would like to volunteer, please visit the SUG below to sign up. As always, thank you for volunteering. We sincerely appreciate your time! (Note that all MSD volunteer requirements MUST BE COMPLETED before volunteering)

https://bit.ly/mms-icecream25-26

Lifetouch School Pictures

The MMS School Picture Day is Friday,9/19. Order today at mylifetouch.com [Picture Day ID: EVTFFWW2G]

PTG General Info:

It was so nice to meet so many of you at the Open Houses last week! Please join us at our first general meeting on Mon, 9/8 @6pm and/or feel free to reach out to any of us - we look forward to meeting everyone throughout the school year!

September Important Dates:

• MMS Spirit Store CLOSES TONIGHT @11:59pm
• PTG September General Meeting: Mon, 9/8 6-7PM in the MMS library
• No School: Wed, 9/10 [Teacher Workshop Day]
• MMS Picture Day: Fri, 9/19
• Volunteer Background Check/Vector Course completion: no later than Fri, 10/31

PTG Contact Info:

Kim Desmarais, President [president@mmsptg.com]

Liz Thomson, Fundraising [Fundraising@mmsptg.com]

Rachel Paepke, Treasurer [Treasurer@mmsptg.com]

Michelle Bouley, Secretary [secretary@mmsptg.com]

Annette Chaput, Volunteer Coordinator [volunteer@mmsptg.com]

Chrissy Drew, Member-at-Large [member@mmsptg.com]

Band and Chorus are tuning-up for a great year!

Arrival - Please see the map for drop-off procedures HERE. Our school does not open until 7:00 each day, so please plan accordingly.

Dismissal - Our dismissal procedures begin at 2:00 with announcements and bus dismissals. Please be sure your student knows their afternoon bus number. This will help ensure they dismiss at the appropriate time.

Late Bus - We are offering a late bus for students every afternoon at 4:00. No sign up required, students will just need to tell the driver their street address.

Mrs. Trepaney's 8th Grade Social Studies Class

ELA Families,

This year, both our 7th and 8th grade classes will be using Wit & Wisdom, a rich curriculum that helps students grow as readers and writers while also building their background knowledge in history, art, and culture.

Attached you'll find the Family Tip Sheet for Module 1 in each grade. These sheets give you a preview of the texts, artwork, and music your student will engage with in this first unit. They also suggest great conversation starters and questions you can use at home, along with recommendations for additional books that connect to the module. As we wrap up each module, we'll send home the next Tip Sheet so you’ll always know what’s coming up in class.

We're excited to begin Module 1 and to partner with you in supporting your student’s learning journey!

September Challenge:

September is the perfect time for fresh starts—and that includes reading! This month, we're encouraging students to explore something new: a book in a different genre, a story set in a new place, or an author they haven't tried before.

How the challenge works:

• Students choose and read books of their own choice.

• For each book they finish, they complete a simple entry form.

• Each entry gives them a chance to win prizes in our September Reading Contest!

We hope you'll encourage your child to discover new stories, reflect on what they read, and take part in the fun. Every book is a chance to start a new chapter—both in reading and in learning!

Grade 8 Module 1 Tip Sheet

Grade 7 Module 1 Tip Sheet

Français, Español, Português

It was a good week to get outside of the classroom.

Click HERE to Register for ASAP!

In our ongoing effort to increase school security, we have the following procedures when parents/guardians come to our school during school hours. Thank you all for your understanding.

Dismissal - If dismissing a student, we ask that an authorized dismissing parent/guardian show their ID in the foyer, and then wait in that location for the dismissed student to meet you.

Dropping off items - If a parent/guardian is dropping off an item for a student, we ask that they leave it in the designated area in the foyer.

Visiting the school - If parents/guardians are arriving for a scheduled meeting, we ask that they show their ID in the foyer and then sign in at the main office to receive a visitor pass.