The MMS Wolf Call

September 24, 2024

In This Issue:

Letter from our Principal
MMS Attendance Office Tips
News from MMS PTO
MMS Volunteer Updates
Family Resources

Letter from our Principal

Dear Families,

As we settle into the school year, I wanted to share some important updates and topics that are essential for our school community’s success.

Volunteering at MMS

We are fortunate to have a dedicated community of parents and guardians who are always willing to lend a hand. This year, we have a variety of opportunities for you to get involved and support our school. Whether you can spare a few hours a month or just want to contribute to a specific event, we’d love to have your help. Not only are these volunteer options a great way to serve the school, they are also a great way to connect with other students and parents and see first hand the great things happening at Mountain View.

Ways to Help

Watch D.O.G.S (Dads of Great Students)- Visit student classes and be a caring and supportive adult to students while monitoring the hallways and the lunch room. To learn more come to our kick off event on October 3rd at 6:30 pm in the MMS commons.
Event Volunteering- Keep an eye on the parent square to sign up for special events like school dances, field day, etc.
Friday Volunteers- Nearly every Friday there is a chance for parents to serve at our PRIDE Ticket Store or with our ASB Popcorn Fundraiser. This is a great chance to support school programs and see your student during their lunch.

Cell Phones & Wolf Mode

Cell phones are a common concern in today’s educational environment. While we acknowledge the importance of technology, we have noticed that cell phone use during school hours can negatively impact both learning and overall student engagement.

We encourage students to place their phones in “Wolf Mode” or airplane mode during instructional time to minimize distractions from constant notifications and help them stay focused. Studies have shown that when students are focused on their devices, they miss out on valuable learning moments and can become disengaged from classroom activities.

Our cell phone policy is designed to promote a balanced approach:

Phones should be off or on silent during class unless instructed otherwise by the teacher.
Students are encouraged to use their phones responsibly during non-instructional times such as lunch or breaks.
Parents needing to get urgent messages to students are always welcome to contact the school.

We appreciate your support in reinforcing these expectations at home and helping your student understand the importance of managing their cell phone use during school. For more information about our cell phone policy please reference the MMS Cell Phone Policy and the importance of staying focused in class.

School Safety

Ensuring the safety of every student is our most important responsibility. We are continuously working to maintain a safe and secure learning environment. This includes:

Regular safety drills: Throughout the year, we conduct fire drills, lockdown drills, and other emergency preparedness exercises to ensure our students and staff know how to respond in various situations. This week is Safety Week at MMS and all students are learning about all of our emergency procedures.
Visitor management: All visitors must sign in at the front office and wear a visitor’s badge while on school grounds. Our staff is trained to ensure that no unauthorized individuals are on campus.

Vector Alert System: During last week’s class presentations, students learned about the various ways they can report bullying or any other safety concerns. They can report issues directly to any trusted staff member, and all members of our school community can also use the Vector Alert System to report concerns. Remember, if you see something, say something.

Sincerely,

Amy Montgomery

Principal

MMS Attendance Office Tips

Excusing Absences & Late Arrivals

If your student is absent from school due to illness, appointment, or occasional family/personal reasons, please use one of the following three ways to excuse your student:

Call the direct attendance line at (253) 891-5210 and leave a message at any time.
Email students name and absence reason to joelle_atkins@sumnersd.org
Send a parent or doctor’s note with your student to school upon their return and make sure they turn it into the attendance office.

Please be advised: If your student is an athlete, they must return with a doctor/dental note to be eligible to participate.

(As a reminder, school starts Mondays at 9:05am and Tuesday-Friday at 7:25am)

Early Dismissals

We understand there are occasions where you will need to pick up your student early during the school day. The following options are available for an early dismissal:

Send a note with your student the day of early dismissal and have them bring it to the attendance office before school starts.They will be given a dismissal slip and will meet you out in front of the school at the designated time.

Come into the attendance office and sign your student out. We must have a parent, guardian or emergency contact signature. The student will be called out of class at that time.

State Law and Required Attendance

The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District and staff care about the well-being and academic achievement of each student. We know that daily attendance is one of the most powerful predictors of school success and on-time graduation. Our goal is to have every student at school on time, every day.

State law for mandatory attendance, called the Becca Bill, requires children from age 8 to 17 to attend a public school, private school or a district-approved home school program. Children who are 6 or 7 years old are not required to be enrolled in school. However, if parents enroll their 6 or 7 year old, the student must attend full time. And, school districts are required, under RCW 28.225.020 and RCW 28A.225.030 to take a series of actions when students accrue absences.

Also by law, we notify parents/guardians when their student is absent. If a student reaches a certain number of unexcused absences the school will contact parents/guardians to create a plan to support good attendance. Find information about excuse and unexcused absences, tardies and attendance procedures in the district’s Student & Family Information Guide and Policy 3122 Excused and Unexcused Absences.

News from MMS PTO

You're invited to join us for our first PTO meeting of the school year, Tues., Sept 24th at 6:00pm in the MMS Library - guest speaker Principal Amy Montgomery, news from ASB, volunteer opportunities from Parent Involvement Coordinator Nicole McCoy, and an overview of what you can expect from the PTO this year! We have open PTO meetings every other month throughout the school year.
NEW Wolf Wear DESIGN (along with our classic designs) available now at http://www.mmswolfpackpto.org, while supplies last! Online purchases will be sent home with your student. PTO online store is open through Sept.
The PTO leadership team for the 2024-25 school year is President Janelle Hizzey, Vice President Jessica Adams, Secretary Allison Warmington and Treasurer Angela Jonas! Reach out to president@mmswolfpackpto.org to learn more!
Fred Meyer Community Rewards – It's easy to link your Rewards card to benefit MMS PTO! Log in to www.fredmeyer.com/i/community/community-rewards and search for #RA978 - Mountain View Middle School PTO - to designate us as your preferred non-profit organization. We'll receive cash back when you shop! PLUS: You still earn your Reward Points & Rebates!
Stay current with PTO projects and activities by following us on Facebook at MMS Wolfpack PTO and Instagram @mms_wolfpack_pto.

MMS Volunteer Updates

We are thrilled to announce that Beautify Bonney Lake was a tremendous success, and our MMS campus is looking so much better! A huge thank you goes out to the 45 Mountain View families and staff members who came out to lend a hand, as well as a special shout-out to the BLHS Boys Tennis Team for their support. Your hard work and dedication made all the difference, and we are so grateful for your efforts in making our school a cleaner, brighter place for everyone! Thank you for helping make this event such a success!

Dads of Great Students, don't forget to join us on October 3rd at 6:30 pm for our Watch DOGS Pizza Night! Come learn more about the program and enjoy some delicious pizza with your student. We look forward to seeing you there!

Please RSVP with a yes or maybe at the following link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0E49A9AE2CA3FA7-51187101-watch

Please email any questions to nicole_mccoy@sumnersd.org

Thank you for your support and dedication to our school community!