Pony Express
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OF O. HENRY MIDDLE SCHOOL
No School- Monday, March 31st
📅 No School – Monday, March 31
Just a reminder that there will be no school on Monday, March 31 in observance of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta Day, as well as Eid Al-Fitr. We hope our families who celebrate enjoy a meaningful and joyful holiday.
PRINCIPAL UPDATE
Dear Mustang Families and Caregivers,
We’re wrapping up March with lots of exciting news and celebrations across our campus. Here are a few highlights for the week:
🌟 Shoutout to Ms. Jan Loewe!
Please join us in congratulating Ms. Jan Loewe, who has been named a finalist for AISD Teacher of the Year! Out of more than 5,000 incredible educators in our district, Ms. Loewe’s dedication, passion, and commitment to her students have truly stood out. We are so proud to have her as a part of our O. Henry family!
🐐 Nessie Had Twins!
We’re thrilled to announce that our beloved campus goat, Nessie, recently gave birth to twin kids! Both babies and Nessie are doing well and recovering nicely. Be sure to check out our social media for some adorable photos soon.
🎶 Good Luck, Mustang Choir!
Best of luck to our amazing Choir students, who will be heading to UIL competition this week. We are so proud of all their hard work and know they’ll represent O. Henry with talent and grace.
📚 April is Arab American Heritage Month
As we look ahead to April, we’re excited to honor and recognize the rich history, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans throughout the month. Stay tuned for ways we’ll be celebrating and learning as a community.
Thank you for your continued support and involvement.
Let’s make it a great week to be an O. Henry Mustang!
☮️, ❤️, and 🐴’s,
Marlo Malott
HAPPENING THIS WEEK
Monday, March 31
No School
Tuesday, April 1 --C Day
8-8:40 CAT team tour
4:00 Track Practice, Theater Rehearsal
Wednesday, April 2--A Day
8:45 Evacuation Drill: 1st period
1:45-2:15 6th Grade and 7th Grade Level Assemblies- Super Star Awards and Honor Roll
4:00 Track Practice, Theater Rehearsal
Thursday, April 3--B Day
7;00 Girls Strength Club
9:00-11:30 America at War Field Trip- Simms
1:45-2:15 8th Level Assembly- Super Star Awards and Honor Roll
6:00 Track OHMS/SMall/Covington at Small Middle School
Friday, April 4--C Day
Choir at UIL
STAAR State Testing Dates in April
SAVE THE DATE-- STARR Testing Dates in April
Families- We wanted to give you plenty of time to look ahead to the dates slated for state testing. Thank you for not planning for early pick up or appointments on these days.
ELA 6-8: Thurs 4/10, Makeup Fri 4/11
Science 8: Thursday 4/17, Makeup Thurs 4/22
No School 4/18 (Holiday)
Social Studies 8: Weds 4/16, Makeup 4/21
Math and Algebra: 4/24, Makeup 4/25
SAVE THE DATE- End of the Year Field Trips--Friday, May 23rd
8th Grade- Typhoon Texas
7th Grade- Austin Parks and Pizza
6th Grade- Pinbalz
Grade Level Leads will be sending home paper copies of forms and information. We will also be sending grade level emails with additional information.
MUSTANG NEWS
ATHLETICS NEWS
Track and Field
Track this week:
No school or practice Monday
Practice Tuesday and Wednesday 4-5:15 PM
Track meet at Small Middle School on Thursday evening
Track meet details will be emailed out by track coaches early this week. Go Mustangs!
O. Henry Golf Club
Please fill out the form below if your student athlete is interested in participating in the O. Henry Golf Club.
The club is open to any student at O. Henry regardless of skill or grade level. The season typically starts right after Spring Break and goes on until early May.
We work closely with AHS Golf and Lions to create our season schedule. More information will go out as sessions are organized.
COUNSELING CENTER CORNER
School Year 2025-2026 Choice Sheets
Check our our School Year 2025-2026 Transition Newsletter.
We will keep this updated until August 2025. Linked here are copies of Course Sheets, Course videos, and more information about O. Henry.
BAND AND ORCHESTRA NEWS
Band & Orchestra Instrument Selection Sessions for New Students
Band & Orchestra Instrument Selection Sessions for New Students
It’s time for 2025-26 Orchestra and Band Instrument Selection! If your child is interested in learning to play a string, woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument, we would like to invite them to join our award-winning O.Henry Fine Arts program. No previous music training is necessary. Band and Orchestra is open to all incoming and returning O.Henry students. In most cases, instruments can be provided by the school. Students who attend one of our instrument selection sessions will get to try out instruments under the supervision of a music teacher. Our goal is to help students choose an instrument that they will thrive on and enjoy playing.
Instrument Selection Dates
Orchestra: Tuesday, April 8 (4:30-6:30 PM) at O.Henry MS
Band: Wednesday, April 9 (4:30 - 6:30 PM) at O.Henry MS
Band & Orchestra: Thursday, April 10 (4:30 - 6:30 PM) at O.Henry MS
Please use the links below to sign up for a 15-minute time slot on one of our instrument selection days.
Band Instrument Selection Sign-up
Orchestra Instrument Selection Sign-up
In addition, we will also be holding an instrument session at Oak Hill Elementary on Thursday, April 3rd from 4:30 - 6:30 PM. The event at Oak Hill Elementary is a come and go as you please session. There is no sign up for April 3. If you are unable to attend any of the sessions listed above and would like to schedule an appointment on a different date, please contact the directors.
For questions about Band please contact Mr. Pinkney at sedric.pinkney@austinisd.org
For questions about Orchestra please contact Ms. Uy at sarah.l.uy@austinisd.org
Native Plants and Animals
Nessie had twins!
Check out our newest addition to the Mustang Family. Nessie gave birth to twins. They are all doing nicely and enjoying their time on the farm.
MEET THE MUSTANG
Each week we will feature a member of our faculty and staff. Thank you for being a part of our Mustang Family!
PTA News
PTA NEEDS YOU FOR 2025-26 LEADERSHIP
The PTA Nominating Committee needs to fill the following positions: President Elect, Treasurer Elect, Secretary, VP Communications, VP Support and VP Ways and Means.
We would love to have representation from as many grades and prior elementary schools/areas as possible. Serving on the PTA Board is a great way to support our teachers and administration, and serve the greater OHMS community. Please email Laura Lee Daigle, parliamentarian, at lauraleedaigle@gmail.com for more detailed leadership descriptions, questions, or to nominate yourself or a friend. Nominating Deadline: March 28th, 2025
Thank you!
Upcoming PTA Dates:
Upcoming PTA Dates:
March 17-21 - SPRING BREAK
March 25 - Mustang Council (CAC) Meeting
March 31- Student and Staff Holiday
April 4 - General PTA Meeting - 8:30am in the library
April 18 - Student Holiday
OHMS Headed to Italy!- Summer 2027
Explore Italy Summer 2027
Are you interested in going on a trip to Italy in June of 2027? If so, please contact Jenny Parker for more information about the Explore Italy trip. Some of our stops will include Venice, Florence, and Rome. jenny.parker@austinisd.org
REPEAT INFORMATION
Enroll Austin School Year 25-26
Annual Registration
Dear Parent or Guardian,
We hope your child has had a fantastic year so far at O. Henry! We appreciate your partnership this year and are thrilled to begin preparing for the upcoming year.
We wanted to announce that our annual registration process is now open. To ensure your child is all set for next year, you will need to register your child using the AISD Portal by mid-May.
Registering online will only take a few minutes and ensures your child has a smooth transition into the following year. This process allows us to make sure all of your information is up to date.
If you have any questions about the registration process, please call 512-414-7328 or our front office at 512-414-3229.
Lizbeth Rodriguez-Loza
Registrar/ PEIMS Clerk
Attendance Reminders/Updates
**90% rule what does it mean?**
**90% rule what does it mean?**
If a student drops below 90% in a course, an "NC" is entered instead of a grade. The grade may be passing – but the student did not attend at least 90% of the time. Please contact your student’s Assistant Principal to see what corrective steps must be taken.
Notices are going out to families this week whose students are dropping below 90% attendance and we will be required to attend "Attendance Matters" workshop:
2024-2025 Bell Schedule
Community Information
Junior AUSMUN Summer Camp Interest Form OPEN!
Hello!
My name is Mia Ansel and I am the Undersecretary of Registration for Austin High School Model United Nations. If you are receiving this email, you have either participated in past Jr. AUSMUN Summer Camp programming, AUSMUN Fall Conference, Middle MUN, or you have caught the attention of our program as a school, group, or individual who would be a good fit for this summer experience.
On behalf of Austin High Model UN, I would like to personally invite students from your school to our fourth annual Junior AUSMUN Summer Camp for rising 7th-9th grade students, taking place this Summer from July 7-10! Junior AUSMUN Summer Camp is a four day immersive experience and preview of high school Model United Nations, designed for rising 7th through rising 9th grade students. Campers will gain critical research and writing skills, public speaking confidence, global awareness, and long-lasting friendships through participation in Junior AUSMUN Camp!
The interest form for this program has officially opened and students are encouraged to fill it out if they are at all interested! This form is not official registration; it will simply add students to our email list for further updates (and priority registration) about Junior AUSMUN Camp and provide our staff with a rough estimate of campers. Please click HERE to fill out the interest form. (https://forms.gle/wwdiTZZ3mNCZRQoF8)
If your students have not yet experienced the magic of Austin High MUN programming, we invite you to explore our Junior AUSMUN Camp website. Please visit our website for more information on who we are and the communal impact we strive to make as a program. Please share this email with them and their families!
If you or your student has already entered high school, please feel free to "unsubscribe" from our list by responding to this email. If you have any questions regarding group registration, you are also welcome to reach out and we are happy to provide more information. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions; we look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Mia Ansel
Undersecretary of Registration