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Weekly Update - 5/3/24

Thursday was a busy day for the middle school.  Our NJHS advisors, Mrs. Kasprowicz and Mrs. Pohrte organized a great ceremony where, Mr. D'Angelo swore in our newest cohort into the National Junior Honor Society.  We celebrated the academic achievement of our seventh graders, as well as their character.  We are excited to see how these young leaders will develop in eighth grade.

We also had multiple students present at the Youth Voices Conference at Buffalo State College.   Under the guidance of Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Cassidy and Mrs. Nachtrieb students were able to share their stories with students, teachers and professors from all over Western New York.  Find more information about Youth Voices here.

Mrs. Daigler hosted our annual Drama Fest on Thursday.  Middle school students have worked with current and former Maryvale students throughout the year to fine tune their craft and learn about performing in front of an audience.  This work culminated in Drama Fest, which also celebrates the students' hard work and dedication.

Tomorrow, we are partnering with the Cheektowaga Chapel to get our courtyard garden ready for growing soon! Thanks to The Chapel's Day of Service, our staff, donation of Stone from LM Stone (Jackson McBride's family, an intermediate student), and the community side of the Wellness Grant. 

Looking forward to next week, we intend to celebrate our teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week.  Their hard work and dedication is often taken for granted and should not be overlooked.  Take some time next week to thank a teacher who has made a difference in your life or your child's life.

We will also be administering the last of the NYS assessments on Thursday and Friday.  This math assessment, like ELA, will involve the entire school and will be computer based.  We will follow a special schedule on these two days.

Lastly, there is information below concerning an off-site evacuation drill that we will be conducting on May 13, as well as an informational session on a walkability assessment.  The walkability assessment is part of our Community and School Wellness Grant and will explore elements of complete street design and how they benefit our community and schools.

PTO

Our Middle School PTO is run by dedicated parents with the objective of providing additional opportunities for our students.  They financially support our field trips, purchase the 8th grade t-shirts, assist with funding for various clubs and activities, including SPIN and our year end carnival.  Additionally, they assist with organizing and chaperoning our school picture days, activity nights and other events during the year.   While this may sound like a lot (and it is),  having a large and strong group of parents and teachers allows us to spread the work among many people.  With that said, the more parents who are involved, the less commitment is needed by each individual. 

Please consider joining our PTO or better yet, become an officer.  Our next PTO meeting is on Monday, May 13th in the Middle School Library at 6:30 pm.  Elections will be held in addition to the regular meeting.   We are also working to bring back the virtual option for the meetings to help parents who are unable to be here physically.

PTO Officer Nomination Form.

NYS Assessments

All students will be taking the NYS 3-8 assessments on their Chromebooks this year.   The dates for the middle school assessments are as follows,

ELA  - April 23rd and 24th

Science - May 3rd (8th grade only)

Math - May 9th and 10th

In preparation for the assessments, please be sure your child gets a good night's sleep, eats a healthy breakfast and has their Chromebook fully charged.  Also note that students must give their best effort on the NYS Assessments in order to be considered for exam exemptions.  Details concerning exam exemptions can be found below.

Yearbook 

Order your yearbook by May 16th!  See the flyers below for more information.

Extracurriculars

Check out the video below promoting our STEM Club for Girls.  Contact Mrs. Aumer with any questions. (aumer@maryvaleufsd.org)

Clubs and intramurals are in full swing.  Below is a list of the clubs that are running and the teachers who will be running them.  Please check the Flyer News or ask the club advisor for meeting times and locations.

The MS PTO is looking for active members and officers.  Contact Mr. Bryan Devans for more information at maryvalemspto@gmail.com.