Mustang Memo

Hello, Mustang Families!!!

I hope this summer has given each of you a chance to re​lax​ and re- ​charge for an exciting new school year! Throughout the summer, we've been busy preparing for the return of our amazing students​! There will be some changes this year, but one thing won't change - our why. This is why we are here: to create a supportive, inspiring, and challenging environment where every student feels seen, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential. Your partnership in shaping these young minds is immeasurable, and I'm confident that together, we will make this an extraordinary year​!

We look forward to seeing you at Open House on Wednesday, August 6. We will have 6th Grade at 4:30, followed by 5th Grade at 5:15. We can't wait to see you! Students will find out which POD and Advisory they are in during the week of Open House.

Classes begin on Tuesday, August 12. Students should be in their classrooms ready to learn by 7:40 AM. We can't wait!!!

Fayetteville Public Schools will be providing new Student ID Badges and a new lanyard for all of our students again this year. In middle school, students must again wear their ID with their school-issued lanyard all day, every day. The ID badges from last year will not work, so they can be destroyed or put away as a memento. :-)

An email was sent to all Guardians listed in the Guardian 1 slot on Wednesday, July 23rd. Take action once you receive that email on the online enrollment forms. You will need to follow the instructions in the Back to School Check-In section. Also, please complete the free & reduced lunch forms that have to be completed EACH YEAR (Next Section). These are tremendous saving for school breakfast and lunch. This online registration form closes on August 8th so please don't wait, complete it once you receive the email.

If you don't see the email, please check the spam and/or junk folder in your email. The email will NOT come from Fayetteville Public Schools but rather you should be looking for "PowerSchool Enrollment" in your email.

This year, EVERY student will receive one FREE breakfast everyday as a new law for the entire state of Arkansas! All they have to do is go through the cafe line and enter their lunch code and it is free!

For lunch to be free or reduced, each family MUST fill out the meal form. This is the link to apply for free/reduced meals: https://www.myschoolapps.com/

And lastly, to add money to your student's meals account: www.MySchoolBucks.com

One of the most stressful times for middle school families in Fayetteville is finding out what pack/pod/nest that their child is in for the year. Some students have been in the same school for 5 years in a row and this transition brings on unknown topics for families that deal with social and school familiarity...let alone the new academic pressures.

We want you to know that we are aware of that and will work hard to make middle school the best experience and work hard to reduce those anxieties that come with these changes.

We have a process that is used that includes teacher comments, individualized education plans, and social/emotional needs of the students entering McNair. The master schedule also begins to be different in middle school as we have full inclusion for math and ELA...which means that 99% of our students receive grade level instruction AND it also means that scheduling is a tight process.

Middle school is also a place where students begin to have new friendships and interests. All of the Mustangs will be in a club this year and will also begin rotating to as many as 6 different teachers everyday. You can trust that we have the best interests of your student in mind, and if they are not in a pod with their known peers or if they are not in a preferred pod, we will continue to attend to them and make sure they are doing well with the change this transition brings.

This year's schedule and pods will be shared with you the week of August 4th. Please honor the Pod selection process. We fully believe that after the first few weeks, all students will settle in and that they will be 100% behind their pod and team!

Thank you for your consideration in this matter! We have wonderful pods and teachers and cannot wait for you to get to know your team!

This year we are making some changes regarding personal electronic devices which include cell phones, smart watches, and earbuds. We will continue implementing the new screen time guidelines from the district which limits the use of Chromebooks to 120 minutes each day. The Chromebook will NOT be used as a reward and we will focus the use of technology for enhancing the learning experience. The following will be implemented starting the first day of school:

• Student assigned Chromebooks will stay at school and charge in carts
• **NEW** Per state law, cell phones, smart watches, and wireless earbuds are prohibited from bell to bell. These personal electronic devices will be placed in Yondr Pouches during advisory and placed in the student's locker all day...an exception will be for students who need it to monitor a health information device. That must be pre-approved prior to school starting. They will "unlock" the Yondr Pouch at the end of the day and the pouch will either be stored in their Advisory classroom.
• We will instruct the students on the use of the Yondr Pouch during our "RUN WEEK" when students begin school on August 12.

Again, per state law, there will be no access to personal electronics during the day. Thank you for your understanding and support as we remove these from use throughout the school day!

If you need to contact your child with important information, you can call the school office at (479)527-3660.

Reminders:

As we head into Tax-Free weekend next week August 2nd & 3rd, it is always great to remember the following items for dress here at middle school:

• No hats or hoodies are allowed to be worn over the head
• No earbuds are allowed at anytime...classroom sets of headphones are in place to use
• The bottom of all shirts must touch the top of the pants/shorts worn at all times

Last May and June we asked everyone to let us know if your child needed bus transportation. Many of you filled that out (THANK YOU!) and we have created NEW and more efficient bus routes. We will be using the NEW Student ID Cards (that will be given out the first day of school) to "Badge ON and OFF" the buses this year for all K through 6th grade students.

If your child signed up to ride the bus, you will receive correspondence from the Transportation Department. If you have not previously signed up your child for transportation, contact your building’s administrative assistant to sign up. It will take up to two weeks from the time you enroll in transportation for you to receive an assignment.

A transportation representative will be at Open House, on Wednesday, August 6th, from 4:30-6pm to help answer questions.

Specific information for car riders and walkers will be shared in the coming weeks.