MMS Weekly Announcements

Hello Hawk Families,

What an incredible first week of school! We are so proud of all of our students for the positive start to the year. A special shout-out goes to our 6th graders, who have done an outstanding job adjusting to middle school. They have shown maturity, responsibility, and a willingness to learn. We could not be more impressed.

We also want to thank our families for the many kind words, smiles, and encouragement shared in the car rider loop this week. Teaching nearly 400 new 6th-grade families our arrival and dismissal procedures while navigating extreme heat and afternoon thunderstorms was certainly a challenge, but your patience, support, and understanding made a tremendous difference.

We are already seeing great progress! On Monday, car rider dismissal concluded at 5:05 p.m., and by Friday, we had improved that time to 4:46 p.m. As our students, families, and staff continue to learn and refine our procedures, we expect the process to become even more efficient.

Thank you for partnering with us as we continue our journey of "Going for the Gold!" We are excited for a wonderful year ahead and look forward to all that our students will accomplish.

As always, Go Hawks!

Principal Humphreys

This year’s school theme, “Going for the Gold!”, encourages students to strive for excellence, set goals, overcome challenges, and demonstrate strong character. Weekly inspirational quotes will help students reflect on what it means to be a champion. Families are encouraged to discuss these messages at home and reinforce that true champions show kindness, responsibility, integrity, respect, and perseverance in all areas of life. By working together, school and home can help students develop the mindset and habits needed for lifelong success.

Week Two Inspirational Quote:

Students participated in safety drills this week. Please take a few moments to review the video that was shared with your child. The video reinforces important safety procedures and provides an opportunity to discuss the importance of being prepared and following directions during emergency situations.

Please note that students will participate in emergency drills each month throughout the school year. These drills help ensure that students and staff are familiar with safety procedures and are prepared to respond appropriately in a variety of situations.

We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for all students. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure the safety and well-being of our school community.

School-wide assemblies were held in both the gym and health classes last week. These assemblies provided important information about school expectations, safety procedures, and ways students can be successful throughout the year. We appreciate our students for their positive participation and attention as we work together to create a safe, respectful, and productive learning environment.

To help reinforce our expectations, we will highlight and review a school-wide rule each week with both students and families. Consistently revisiting these expectations will help ensure that everyone understands our procedures and contributes to a positive school culture. Together, we can help our students make great choices and have a successful school year.

DCPS Dress Code Appearance Reminder:

Administrators and teachers at Duval County Public Schools shall enforce dress and grooming guidelines outlined in 1006.07(2)(d) F.S. that promotes the successful operation of the schools. The school administration shall be the final judge as to neatness and cleanliness of wearing apparel and whether or not such apparel is appropriate, disruptive, distracting, or in Infraction of health and safety rules.

General Code of Appearance | Duval County Public Schools

Teacher conference times are available each morning from 9:05 a.m. to 9:25 a.m. If you would like to schedule a parent conference, please contact Mr. Rau at rauc@duvalschools.org. We value our partnership with families and look forward to working together to support your child's success.

Tardy consequences will begin on Monday, August 17th. Students are allowed five tardies per quarter. To help ensure a smooth transition between classes and allow staff to accurately monitor attendance, students are not permitted to leave class during the first 15 minutes or the last 15 minutes of each class period. We appreciate your support in encouraging students to arrive on time and be prepared for learning each day.

If a student arrives to school past 9:45 am, a parent or guardian must enter the building to check in the student. After 3:45 pm, we ask that parents and guardians do not check students out of school. Thank you for following this school-wide procedure. It allows the school staff to prepare for dismissal.

Barrett D.

Barrett is a 4th period student service learner. Barrett has worked tirelessly every day this week to help get the library collection back on the shelves. Breaking down boxes, organizing class sets, loading books onto shelves, etc. ~ Mrs. Segers

Thomas R.

Thomas is a role model in my Algebra 1 Honors class. He is attentive and leads by example. As a student athlete, Hawk Nation is proud to have Thomas at Mandarin Middle School. ~ Ms. Busuttil

ATTENTION GATE STUDENTS AND PARENTS: The GATE store is officially open; don't miss out! Open until 8/28

https://www.mmshawks.com/mms_homepage/shop/home

Come support Mandarin Middle School Thursday, August 20th between 5-8 PM at Jersey Mike's Subs. Just tell them at checkout you're here to support MMS and 10% goes back to us! Easy dinner + supporting our Hawks = WIN WIN! 💙🖤 Go Hawks!

Monday, August 17th

Volleyball and Cheer Tryouts

Thursday, August 20th:

Jersey Mike's Subs Spirit Night 5:00pm - 8:00pm

SAC Meeting 5:30pm

Friday, August 21st:

Hawk Store Opens (During Lunch)

Thursday, August 27th:

Esports Meeting 6pm in Rm 55

Please review the attached traffic flow directions before the start of the school year. It is important that all families follow these school-wide procedures to help ensure the safety of our students, staff, and visitors.

Please note:

• Students may not be picked up at the front of the building.
• Do not stop the flow of traffic and wave for your child to cross the street to your vehicle.
• Follow all designated pickup and drop-off routes and staff directions at all times.

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to maintaining a safe and efficient arrival and dismissal process for all students. Working together helps keep Hawk Nation safe!

Does your child have a food allergy? If so, please review the DCPS food allergy policies and procedures to help us provide a safe learning environment for your child.

To support awareness and safety, a food allergy sticker will be placed on your child's ID badge at the beginning of the school year. Please ensure the school has current and accurate medical information regarding your child's allergy. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Boone. (booneg@duvalschools.org)

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the school's front office. Thank you for helping us keep all students safe.

Don't miss out on capturing this year's memories! Purchase your yearbook today to celebrate friendships, achievements, and special moments from the school year. Reserve your copy early to ensure you don't miss out.

BuyTheYearbook.com

Code: 388680

Cost: $40

MMS Fanwear

Students who are enrolled in PE for 1st semester will need to purchase their uniforms below. In order to avoid shipping costs, order before Aug 21st.

https://stores.inksoft.com/mms_pe/shop/home

Lunch Prices Approved

Breakfast is free.

Lunch is $4.35 for secondary school students.

Use the link below to add funds to your child's lunch account.

My Schools Bucks

Free and Reduced Application can be found below:

Free & Reduced Price Meals | Duval County Public Schools

It is highly recommended that you do not wait until the last minute to register for transportation. The Transportation Department has informed us that transportation requests may take up to seven (7) days to process.

Please review the following important transportation policies and procedures:

• Students attending through the Special Transfer Option are not eligible for transportation.
• MMS-zoned students must live more than two (2) miles from the school to qualify for transportation.
• The EduLog App is available for parents to track their student's bus information and location.

Bus Registration Link:
https://www.duvalschools.org/o/dcps/page/bus-registration

We encourage all families needing bus transportation to register as soon as possible to ensure services are in place for the start of school. Thank you for your attention to this important information.

Our meetings occur the 3rd Thursday of every month at 5:30 pm in the media center. We hope to see you at our first meeting on August 20th

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, September 8th, from 6:00 PM–8:00 PM for our upcoming Family Night! We are excited to welcome our families to campus and look forward to spending an evening together celebrating our school community. More details will be shared soon.

We can't wait to see you there!

School computers will stay in the classrooms this year. If your child needs a laptop, please click on the links below to purchase or apply for a free laptop: Urban Mining Discounted Laptops (https://dcps.urmining.com) and Emergency Communications Fund (ECF) Grant(https://dcps.duvalschools.org/laptops).

A special thank you to PTSA Moms for hosting our 6th grade mixer. Our 6th graders had a great time participating in the fun activities while meeting new friends.

PTSA would love your support by joining for the 2026-27 school year. Our PTSA does a wonderful job supporting our teachers and students throughout the school year. Individual membership fees are $10 and family memberships are $15.

https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/hf-1Cyp4oKsWBDWjiMhQsxkoqJ?domain=mmsptsa.givebacks.com

This is a reminder that all students entering 7th grade in Florida must meet the state's immunization requirements. Specifically, students must have a Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) booster and a current Florida Certification of Immunization (Form DH 680) on file before attending school.

These requirements are established under Florida Statute 1003.22, which requires students attending Florida schools to comply with immunization requirements adopted by the Florida Department of Health.

Please submit updated immunization documentation to Mr. Rau (rauc@duvalschools.org) as soon as possible to ensure a smooth start to the school year. If you have questions, please contact your healthcare provider or local county health department.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this important requirement.

We are excited to have Hawk Store, a positive behavior incentive program designed to recognize and reward students for demonstrating our Hawk values each day. Students can earn Hawk Bucks by showing the qualities that make our school community strong:

• Honest – Making good choices and taking responsibility for their actions
• Ambitious – Working hard and striving to do their best
• Willing – Being ready to learn, participate, and help others
• Kind – Treating everyone with respect, compassion, and empathy

As students earn Hawk Bucks, they can save them and shop for fun rewards and items at the Hawk Store, which will be open twice each month during lunch.

Our goal is to encourage positive behaviors while celebrating the great choices our students make every day. We look forward to seeing our Hawks earn and spend their Hawk Bucks throughout the year!

Thank you for your continued support in helping us build a positive and successful school community. The store will be opened on August 21st and August 28th during lunch times.

• Provide incentives to motivate student achievement

• Reward instructional personnel for their dedication to students and the community

• Share knowledge of real-life business experience with students

• Assist the school in raising funds or making donations to enable the school to reach academic, technological, or rejuvenation goals

• Participate in a mentoring/tutoring program Your participation as a business partner will influence students, your future employees, and leaders in the community.

Whether you are a small business or a major corporation, we need you. Mandarin Middle School invites you to invest in our students, our community, and our future. If you are interested in forming a partnership with Mandarin Middle School, or need more information on our partnership program, please contact our School Business Partnership Liaison at humphreysj@duvalschools.org.

A student's DCPS password is the key to keeping their account secure. Students in grades 6–12 have the ability to manage and update their passwords at any time, giving them greater control over their account security. Click here or review the attached flyer for step-by-step instructions on how to update your password. If you need assistance, please contact your school principal, who can help you with password management and account access.

Taking a few minutes to ensure your password is secure helps protect your personal information and keeps your account safe throughout the school year.

New state requirements, volunteers must be fingerprinted and cleared before they interact with the student population.

Tier 1: Volunteer with a teacher and whole class. (Students are never left alone with the volunteer.)

Tier 2: Volunteer one on one, field trips, or any situation where volunteer is alone

with a student.

Click the link below to register:

https://dcps.samaritan.com/custom/506/volunteer_registration

If you were unable to view last month’s newsletter, you can access it by clicking the link below.

July Newsletter

https://app.smore.com/n/asjdb

Back to School Newsletter

https://app.smore.com/n/d4v5p

Please review the link with your child if they are aware of any suspicious activity. The link is a reporting tool that allows anyone to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials. Students can also access the link on their school laptop. Thank you for helping us keep our school safe!

https://getfortifyfl.com