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We have a lot to celebrate at MES. In this newsletter, you will find our Teacher of the Year, Educational Support Professional of the Year, the return of Mrs. Oliver, and our improved MSDE Star Ratings.

We also have many fun events over the next few weeks, the Holiday Shop, a Concert, a Pancake Breakfast, Fancy Lunch, and Winter Break.

At our December 6th, Community Gathering, I discussed how all this fun sometimes also creates stress. I shared that we will continue to maintain routines; work when it’s time to work and celebrate when it is time to celebrate right up to December 20th.

I also discussed how our expectations can sometimes cause us stress. It can be fun to think about future events, and there is nothing wrong with anticipation - that is part of the fun. When the moment comes, I encouraged students to enjoy the special moments at school as they are rather than compare them to our expectations.

Parents can help by

1. Use this Newsletter and information from teachers to review upcoming events with your children and prep them for changes in routines

2. continue to keep their routines as much as possible, including sending them to school daily

3. discuss their expectations with them, and encourage them to think about what might actually happen and if they will still enjoy themselves

Here is a helpful article with tips on helping your children manage stress and enjoy the holidays.

Happy Holidays!

Principal Lynch

We will continue to take students outside for recess as often as possible. Please be sure they have winter weather gear at school.

There are many items in the lost and found. They will be donated after December 20th. Please be sure to reclaim items by that date.

We are excited to announce that MES is partnering with Food Services to offer a Holiday PJ & Pancakes Brunch!

This will occur during students' normal lunch times on December 12th, 2024.

To ensure sufficient space and meals are available, RSVP using this form by Sunday, December 8, 2024.

Families may purchase meals as well for $6.00. Our Food Service Team can only accept cash in the exact amount.

We hope you will be able to join us!

Lunch times are as follows

11:30 am - 12:00 pm = 4th Grade lunch

12:00 pm - 12:30 pm = Kindergarten lunch

12:15 pm - 12:45 pm = 2nd Grade lunch

12:30 pm - 1:00 pm = 3rd Grade lunch

12:45 pm - 1:15 pm = 1st Grade lunch

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm = 5th Grade lunch

The PTO is in need of Volunteers for our upcoming Holiday shop, the week of 12/16-12/20. Thank you in advance!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E49ACA923A4FB6-53708892-holiday

Andrew helped another student clean up their desk from a water spill. He got paper towel and help this student dry off their belongings. This showed kindness towards peers!

Cullen was helpful at recess with other students on the swing. Another student struggles to get onto the swings. Cullen frequently goes over and holds the swing so she can get on safely.

After finishing his work, Ron showed much kindness by sweeping up some messes around the classroom without being asked. He also organized papers for me at my back table. Ron showed a lot of responsibility and integrity by helping with tasks around the classroom and cleaning up messes he did not make and set an amazing example for others!

Cullen is making helpful and safe choices during class time. He shows kindness to his classmates and helps his classmates stay safe and to their best learning.

Abygale (not pictured) took it upon herself to organize our classroom library books after completing her work for the day. Abygale even organized our books in alphabetical order! It showed much kindness and set a great example for others.

Collin is truly an amazing second grader! He puts forth the greatest effort to learn new skills in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. The quality of his work shows how well he strives for excellence in everything he does. He understands that honest mistakes are okay because that is the best time for learning. Not only that, but he also helps out with our morning meetings and number corner routines with Sawyer and Kaley too. He has embraced this new class job with enthusiasm and is truly a team player in our classroom. His academic effort in our classroom is commendable. He owns his learning and is headed in the right direction for future achievements! He is so easy going and works well with others!

Sawyer and Kaley are natural born student leaders in our classroom. They work well together to lead our morning meetings and lead specific number corner routines in our classroom too. Sawyer and Kaley understand the value of respect, responsibility, and teamwork to encourage others to do the same. They inspire others to learn the value of working together to achieve learning goals as a classroom community.

Tre' was kind to a student and reminded them to pack their lunchbox and hat when he noticed it in his cubby. It helped his friend be prepared for the next day.

Dylan makes good choices at recess and keeps himself safe as well as all of the other students on the playground.

Calvin told a teacher when he found a crack in the top of the twisty slide. It allowed the teacher to check to make sure the slide was safe for students to use and let Mr. Lynch know that there was a small crack in the slide. He kept his classmates and other students safe at recess.

On his way to the bus, Grayson saw a photograph of a student and her dad on the ground. He took the time to pick up the picture and bring it back to his teacher so she could return it to the owner. The picture was special to the student and she was disappointed that it was lost. She was very excited to get the picture back and grateful that Grayson didn't just pass by the picture on the way to his bus.

Jackson is always willing to help me when I ask him for help. It helped me get everything that I needed to get done for TuesYAY a whole lot quicker! :)

Reagan is helping clean up in the room and helping others with their writing. It helps keep our room clean. It is also helpful when she helps others students sound out words.

Ruby consistently sets a positive example for others. She always works hard on each assignment and frequently checks Schoology for any missing work! Ruby is organized and on top of her schoolwork! It show responsibility and accountability for her work! Ruby is an amazing leader!

Trey worked very diligently on his most recent Interim ELA assessment. He was focused the entire time and tried his best! He set an amazing example for others and worked hard during class time to complete this assessment during the allotted time! Way to go Trey!

Beckett helped a fellow student clean up a water spill in the hallway. Beckett was kind enough to get paper towels and stay after class to help his classmate in need!

Ayrton has been doing an amazing job remaining focused in class and completing his assignments. It shows immense responsibility and sets an awesome example for others.

MES has improved to be ranked as a 4 star school by MSDE. The hard work and dedication of our staff, students, and parents is the reason for this improvement. Congratulations to everyone!

Improved school attendance was an important factor in raising the achievement at MES. Barring illness, please continue to send your children to school regularly. Should you need help with school attendance, please reach out to Ms. Hall shall@smcps.org or if it is medically related, to Ms. Gregory drgregory@smcps.org. We are often able to collaborate to improve attendance.

Link to SY 24-25 Calendar

December

December 12 - PJs & Pancakes Brunch

December 16 - Winter Vocal Ensembles Concert @ 7 pm, Gym

December 16-20 - PTO Penguin Shop

December 20 - PTO Fancy Lunch, 2-hr. Early Dismissal

December 23 - January 3 - Winter Break

Looking Ahead to January

January 1-3 - Winter Break

January 6 - Schools Reopen for Students and Staff

January 6 - PTO Meeting @ 4 pm, Media Center

January 20 - Holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, All Schools and Offices Closed

January 24 - Talent Show @ 7 pm, Gym

January 28 - HAC Opens, Report Card Distribution

January 31 - No School for Students, Professional Day

PTO Board

Nicole Rumaker- President

Dawn Roach- Vice President

Jennifer Shaffer- Secretary

Maria Mosher- Treasurer

Nicole MacLean- Member At Large

Email: mes.pto@yahoo.com

PTO Facebook Page