Pony Express

Celebrating Black History Month at O. Henry

February marks the beginning of Black History Month, a time to honor and celebrate the contributions, achievements, and resilience of Black Americans throughout history. At O. Henry, we believe in fostering a culture of learning, respect, and reflection. Throughout the month, students will engage in activities and discussions that highlight historical figures, cultural contributions, and the ongoing impact of Black history on our world today. We encourage families to join in these conversations at home!

Counselor Appreciation Week – Thank You, Ms. Claflin & Ms. Price!

This week, we recognize the incredible dedication of our school counselors, Ms. Ivy Claflin and Ms. Rachel Price! Our counselors work tirelessly to support our students’ academic, social, and emotional well-being. From helping students navigate challenges to providing guidance on future goals, they play a vital role in creating a positive and supportive school environment.

Please take a moment to thank our counselors for their hard work and commitment! A quick email, note, or kind word would mean so much to them.

STAAR Interim Assessments This Week – What Parents Need to Know

This week, students will participate in STAAR Interim Assessments, an important step in our instructional planning process. These assessments provide us with valuable insight into student progress and help us tailor instruction and enrichment to best support each learner.

✅ How You Can Help:

• Ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast before testing.
• Remind students to bring their fully charged Chromebook each day.
• Encourage them to do their best! These assessments help us understand their needs, not determine grades.

We appreciate your partnership in helping our students succeed!

Thank you for your continued support of O. Henry Middle School. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Let’s make it a great week to be an O. Henry Mustang!

☮️, ❤️, and 🐴’s,

Marlo Malott

Monday, 2/3 A Day

• ELAR STAAR Interim Assessment until 11:30 (see schedule)
• 4:00 Boys C team Basketball Practice
• 4:00 Spring Theatre Auditions in Ms. White's Room-- Charlotte's Web

Tuesday, 2/4 B DAY

• Math STAAR Interim Assessment until 11:30 (see schedule)
• 4:00 Spring Theatre Auditions in Ms. White's Room-- Charlotte's Web
• 5:30-6:15 Mustang Dance Team Parent Meeting

Wednesday, 2/5 A Day

• 9:00- 11:45---7th Grade Field Trip to Career Quest Expo at Distribution Center in Austin.
• 8th Grade Science and Social Studies Interim Assessments in Class
• 4:00 Spring Theatre Auditions in Ms. White's Room-- Charlotte's Web

Thursday, 2/6 B Day

• 7:30 Student Led FCA in Big Gym
• 8th Grade Science and Social Studies Interim Assessments in Class
• 4:00 Spring Theatre Auditions in Ms. White's Room-- Charlotte's Web
• 4:00 Boys C Team Basketball Practice
• 6:00/7:00 Boys Basketball vs Kealing 7th @Kealing, 8th @OHMS

Friday, 2/7 C Day

• 4:00 Spring Theatre Auditions in Ms. White's Room-- Charlotte's Web
• 4:00-7:45 Beginning Band Bowling and Pizza Party

Saturday, 2/8

• 9:00/10:30 Girls Soccer vs Murchison at OHMS

Wednesday, February 5th, the 7th grade class will be attending Career Quest Expo at Distribution Center in Austin. This engaging and immersive career exploration is designed for 7th-grade middle school students in Travis County. Their aim is to bring hands-on explorative experiences to students to help them discover their areas of interest and what options are available to them in middle school, high school, and post-graduation.

We will leave O. Henry in the morning on AISD buses and return before lunch.

If you'd like to chaperone, Austin ISD is now directly managing the volunteer registration and background check process for all volunteers through the Voly platform. Any parent or community member interested in volunteering must register through Voly, where background checks will be processed automatically at no cost to the volunteer. This step is essential to ensure that all campus volunteers are properly screened and approved before participating

Please reach out to amber.bass-patterson@austinisd.org if you have any questions.

Has your Mustang lost something? Please direct them to check out the Lost and Found in the cafeteria for clothing, lunch boxes, water bottles.

For personal small items like earrings, rings, necklaces, and glasses, please direct your student to the office for recovery.

Here are a few of the award-winning books that can be checked out in the OHMS library!

"New Kid" by Jerry Craft

This graphic novel follows Jordan Banks, a seventh-grader who is one of the few students of color at his prestigious private school. As he navigates friendships, school life, and his identity, the story explores race, class, and belonging with humor and heart.

"Ghost" by Jason Reynolds

The first book in the Track series follows Castle Cranshaw (Ghost), a boy with a troubled past who discovers his talent for running and finds mentorship in a track coach. The story delves into issues of poverty, family, and self-identity.

"The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander

A fast-paced, poetic story about twin brothers navigating the challenges of growing up, family, and basketball, all while dealing with change and loss.

"Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson

A memoir-in-verse about Woodson's childhood, growing up as an African American girl in the 1960s and 1970s, and discovering her voice as a writer.

"Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" by Mildred D. Taylor

Set during the Great Depression, this novel follows an African American family in Mississippi as they confront racism, injustice, and the strength of family.

"Ghost Boys" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

This poignant story follows a young boy named Jerome, who is shot by a police officer, and his journey in the afterlife as he connects with other “ghost boys,” including Emmett Till.

Please fill out the form below if your student athlete is interested in participating in the O. Henry Golf Club.

The club is open to any student at O. Henry regardless of skill or grade level. The season typically starts right after Spring Break and goes on until early May.

We work closely with AHS Golf and Lions to create our season schedule. More information will go out as sessions are organized.

O. Henry Golf Sign Up 2025

Welcome to the Mustang Strength Club! Strength Club will meet every Thursday morning from 7:15-8:00 in the O. Henry weight room, starting February 13th. We will be lifting weights
(bench press and squats) and doing simple movements: box jumps, jump rope, pull ups, push ups, etc. Athletes will also have access to the small gym to do various fitness activities.

Who: open to 6th grade girls who are serious about improving their strength and fitness

When: Thursday mornings, 7:15-8:00

Where: O. Henry Weight Room, drop off your athlete on Exposition, athlete will enter through gym doors

Sponsor: Coach Crystal Gaffney (7th grade vball/bball coach)

We will also have parent volunteers leading workouts. Parent volunteers are key to this club's success.

If you are interested in volunteering your time once or more a month, please reach out to Coach Gaffney.

crystal.gaffney@austinisd.org

School Year 2025-2026

Save the date!!!

O. Henry volleyball and girls basketball camp will be held June 2nd -5th, 2025

Registration will be open in February. Stay tuned!

Girls Athletics is in need of gently used sweatpants, leggings, shorts, and sports bras. We are in need of all sizes. Please bring donations to the front office. Thank you!

Check our our School Year 2025-2026 Transition Newsletter.

We will keep this updated until August 2025. Linked here are copies of Course Sheets, Course videos, and more information about O. Henry.

https://secure.smore.com/n/ref0u

.

Each week we will feature a member of our faculty and staff. Thank you for being a part of our Mustang Family!

OFFICE VOLUNTEERS - WE NEED YOU!

Parent involvement is what makes a school GREAT! A great way to help and get to know the staff is to volunteer in the front office. SIGN UP HERE TO VOLUNTEER IN THE OFFICE!

Mustang Mall

The Mustang Mall now has a dedicated square credit card reader, so the kids are able to use watches, Apple Pay and cards to pay!!

We are always looking for volunteers to work the store during the 2 hour lunch period. CLICK HERE to sign up for Mustang Mall!!

Dear Parent or Guardian,

We hope your child has had a fantastic year so far at O. Henry! We appreciate your partnership this year and are thrilled to begin preparing for the upcoming year.

We wanted to announce that our annual registration process is now open. To ensure your child is all set for next year, you will need to register your child using the AISD Portal by mid-May.

Registering online will only take a few minutes and ensures your child has a smooth transition into the following year. This process allows us to make sure all of your information is up to date.

If you have any questions about the registration process, please call 512-414-7328 or our front office at 512-414-3229.

Lizbeth Rodriguez-Loza

Registrar/ PEIMS Clerk

**90% rule what does it mean?**

If a student drops below 90% in a course, an "NC" is entered instead of a grade. The grade may be passing – but the student did not attend at least 90% of the time. Please contact your student’s Assistant Principal to see what corrective steps must be taken.

Notices are going out to families this week whose students are dropping below 90% attendance and we will be required to attend "Attendance Matters" workshop:

REGISTRATION LINK: https://www.hoopgeneration.org/spring-2025-tryouts

HG Tryouts

PROMO CODE: SCHOOLPROMO