Matthew Henson Weekly Update
November 6, 2026
Principal Message
Dear Matthew Henson Families,
Thank you to all the families that came out on Wednesday for our first lunch with your student event. It was a great to see so many families enjoying this time together.
Today is a no school day for students as teachers are conducting parent teacher conferences. The sign up for the conferences has closed. If you did not sign up for any conferences, please contact your child's teacher directly as walk in meetings will not be accepted.
Happy Veterans Day to all U.S. military veterans for their service!
Have an amazing weekend!
Mrs. Christina Caballero
Principal
A Day & B Day Rotation - Week of November 9th
Monday, November 9th -B Day
Tuesday, November 10th - A Day
Wednesday, November 11th- Schools Closed - Veterans Day
Thursday, November 12th - B Day
Friday, November 13th - A Day
Word of the Week - Week of November 9th
Each week, students will be exposed to a Word of the Week. We will also demonstrate how the word can be used in each of the teacher's classrooms. The word will also be displayed in each classroom on the board or wall with a definition.
Word of the Week for November 9th -Describe: To explain or write about. To put into words a picture or an account. To tell how something looks, or how something happened including how, where, who, and why.
PBIS THANK YOU
Just wanted to take a second to say thank you so much to every parent/guardian who donated to our PBIS Ice Cream Social! WE are so grateful to have such a supportive community that makes things happen! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! -Mrs. Spriggs (PBIS Chair)
Husky Holiday Store
It's that time of the year again! MHMS is excited to announce the return of the Husky Holiday Shop! Please review the attached flyer and share it with community members! With over 700 students we would love for every student to at least be able to shop for something for their loved ones. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Spriggs (kspriggs@ccboe.com) or Mr. Kemp (dkemp@ccboe.com).
Winter Jackets
As the weather is getting colder, we have shared that winter jackets are not permitted to be worn during the school day. Examples of jackets that need to be kept in the locker are pictured below.
Late Work Policy
All missing classwork assigned before interim is due before grades are submitted for interim. Similarly, all late classwork assigned after interim is due before grades are submitted for report cards. Late work will not be accepted after these due dates. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain additional copies of assignments if they do not have the original.
· It is the student's responsibility to make sure that missed material is handed in on time based on their absence(s).
· If a student sits in class and completes no work, they will receive a maximum of 50% when the assignment is submitted late.
· Students will have the following percentage deducted per assignment, when an assignment is submitted late.
o 6th grade – up to 10%
o 7th grade – up to 20%
o 8th grade – up to 30%
The first quarter ended on Tuesday, October 27th and no later work for the quarter will be accepted as teachers are working to finalize grades.
Media Center Information
Yearbooks!
Yearbooks are officially on sale for all pre-orders! All pre-ordered yearbooks will arrive with our extra copies in late May and will be given directly to students in the final weeks of school. Yearbooks cost $30 with additional cost for accessories or personalization.
Here is the link for yearbook orders: Matthew Henson Middle School – Yearbook Order Center
Students are currently in the process of voting for our yearbook cover. This is part of their second class visit to the media center as a survey vote. The most popular cover as voted by students will be the theme for this year!
Library Media Center Updates
We have already checked out over 1,300 books so far in just the first quarter alone! Our students are selecting great series, graphic novels, new titles, and sampling so much of what we have here in the library. Please continue to encourage your students to read whatever makes them happy and ask them about what they are reading! Reading is one of the simplest ways to support academic progress, emotional growth, and mental health! As an added suggestion, even middle schoolers aren't too old to do some reading aloud together!
Currently, we have a line of students waiting on the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, Fight or Flight. If your student already placed a hold on this book, it will be delivered directly to them as soon as it is ready. If your student wants to read this newest addition and hasn't yet placed a hold, they can come visit the media center to do so any morning!
PTO
The Matthew Henson PTO does not charge membership fees. Every parent, guardian, and staff member at Matthew Henson is automatically a member of our PTO, and we warmly welcome everyone to join us at our PTO meetings throughout the year.
All meetings will be hosted via Zoom, with invitation links and meeting agendas sent out via email each month. In the meantime, you can sign up for our email distribution list or follow us on our PTO Instagram and Facebook pages to stay connected.
Email List: https://forms.gle/F5WJku8Qehr9PSDS9
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewhensonpto
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatthewHensonMSPTO
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us at matthewhensonpto@gmail.com.
PTO November Meeting
Mrs. Caballero is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Henson November PTO Meeting
Time: Nov 9, 2026 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://ccboe.zoom.us/j/88922452968?pwd=rlVTzWuhJwl5zss4FWDmNvBcM0c6g1.1
Meeting ID: 889 2245 2968
Passcode: 877074
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Upcoming Dates to Remember
November 9
Report Cards Posted
6th Grade Honor Roll Celebration
PTO Meeting 6:30 PM – Virtual
November 10
Tobacco Survey 2nd Block
7th Grade Honor Roll Celebration
November 11
Veterans Day — Schools & Offices Closed
November 12
Middle School Archery Tournament @ Somers Middle School
November 13
8th Grade Honor Roll Celebration
November 16
8th Grade Space Foundation Visit
November 18
PTO Ledo Spirit Night 4:00-9:00 PM
November 19
2 Hour Early Dismissal
November 23
8th Grade Mt. Vernon Field Trip
November 25–27
Thanksgiving Break - Schools Closed
Bookbag/Backpack/Binder Policy
There are no changes to the bookbag/backpack rule for students for the 2026-2027 school year. The CCPS rule on bookbags and backpacks states that students may bring their bag to school, but it must be stored upon arrival and retrieved upon departure at the end of the day. During the school day, students can carry their laptop sleeve and/or hand-size bag for personal items.
For more information, see the Student Personal Property section on Page 15 of the Code of Student Conduct. See the graphic below for examples of bags and carrying cases that are compliant with the CCPS policy. The policy does not allow students to carry zippered binders.
Car Rider Informatiom
One of our goals is to provide a safe and secure environment when your child is being transported by county school buses or private vehicle.
The bus loading and unloading zone is located in the front parking lot and is entered using the front driveway. Buses will exit using this driveway as well as Henson Road. No private vehicles are allowed in this area from 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM or from 2:50 PM to 3:15 PM. As in the past, the “drop off” and “pick-up” area for students being transported by private vehicle is in the rear of the building at the cafeteria entrance. Parents must use Henson Road to access this “drop off” and “pick-up” zone. Students can be dropped off between 8:15 AM and 8:30 AM. Students are considered tardy (unexcused) if they are not in their 1st block class before the 8:30 AM bell. In the afternoon students can be picked up in this same area from 3:00 PM to 3:10 PM. Students who are not picked up by 3:10 PM will be in the main office for sign out. No child may ride with another adult unless we have written permission from the parents granting permission. Parents who pick up their child in the back need to be aware that the buses will begin to exit using Henson Road at approximately 3:05 PM.
CCPS Student Code of Conduct
The CCPS Code of Student Conduct committee made some changes to the guiding document for the 2026-2027 school year.
We have highlighted some of the frequent topics on the attached document for your review.
Cell Phone Policy
Students may bring their phone or device to school, but once school begins the device must be powered completely off (not on vibrate or silent mode) and must remain in a non-visible, secure location.
Discipline Steps
We will continue to review our discipline steps with students as they are getting acclimated to the school year. The graphic below shows the steps with utilize if disruptive behavior occurs.
Dress Code
Students are reminded and expected to follow CCPS dress code. Student attire should not be disruptive or distractive to the learning environment. The CCPS Code of Student Conduct committee updated the student dress code for the 26-27 school year. Students are still not permitted to wear any top or shirt that does not fully cover their midriff area. So, in student terms of understanding - no crop tops. The dress code emphasizes the role of parents and their responsibility to ensure their child is coming to school each day dressed appropriately.
Early Dismissals from the Main Office
Authorized parents/guardians may pick up their child from the main office any time before 2:45 pm as an early dismissal (photo id must be provided). Those listed as an “Emergency Contact” are not authorized to pick up a student without written consent from the authorized parent/guardian. Written consent can be provided physically to our main office or can be emailed to Ms. Jelissa Jones (jejjones@ccboe.com) AND Ms. Kendra Watson (ljwatson@ccboe.com). Authorized parents/guardians are those listed on a child’s birth certificate or those granted guardianship by a judge (court documents signed by a judge must be provided).
Food Service
PTO
WELCOME to the PTO!
The Matthew Henson PTO does not charge membership fees. Every parent, guardian, and staff member at Matthew Henson is automatically a member of our PTO, and we warmly welcome everyone to join us at our PTO meetings throughout the year.
Our PTO meetings are held monthly, starting in October. All meetings will be hosted via Zoom, with invitation links and meeting agendas sent out via email each month. In the meantime, you can sign up for our email distribution list or follow us on our PTO Instagram and Facebook pages to stay connected.
Email List: https://forms.gle/F5WJku8Qehr9PSDS9
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewhensonpto
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatthewHensonMSPTO
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us at matthewhensonpto@gmail.com.
Administration
Below is the administrator caseload and contact info:
8th Grade Administrator
Adam Kennedy - akennedy@ccboe.com
7th Grade Administrator
Derrick Thornton - dsthornton@ccboe.com
6th Grade Administrator
Brittany Yhap - byhap@ccboe.com
Student Support Team
Below is counselor caseload and contact info:
Angela Giddins - agiddins@ccboe.com
8th Grade Counselor
Katrina Spriggs - kspriggs@ccboe.com
7th Grade Counselor
Alexandra Eichel - aeichel@ccboe.com
6th Grade Counselor
Jessica Gray - jrgray@ccboe.com
Pupil Personnel Worker (PPW)
School Visitors
Main Office hours are 7:45 AM-3:30 PM. All school visitors must provide photo identification and state purpose of visit at the front door intercom. The main office has the right to deny entry if identification and purpose of visit cannot be verified.
Principals and Counselors perform daily duties that include several meetings and observations throughout the school day. If you are looking to meet with a principal or counselor, it is strongly encouraged to call ahead to schedule an appointment, as walk-ins cannot always be accommodated. Remember to choose patience and kindness, as our staff works hard to make everyone a priority.
School Contact Information
Matthew Henson Middle School
3535 Livingston Road
Indian Head, MD 20640
Mrs. Christina Caballero, Principal
301-753-1784 Office
301-944-0793 Fax
Visit us on the web at HOME - Matthew Henson Middle School (ccboe.com)
INSTAGRAM: @matthewhensonms and @ccab_principal