MMS GUIDANCE HOMEPAGE
Say
Hello!
There
are two school counselors at the middle school, serving Grades 5 & 6 and
Grades 7 & 8. School counselors are responsible for registering and
orienting new students, planning and implementing transition programs, facilitating
parent conferences during the entire school year, and organizing
standardized testing sessions in the spring. In addition, school counselors
schedule all students and work with teachers to help create successful learning
situations for all children. During X-blocks, counselors are available for
academic progress checks and organizational assistance, as well as facilitating
a variety of groups for students, ranging from social skills to relaxed,
small group luncheons. Counselors are
also available during the day for conflict resolution, friendship issues,
individual crisis intervention, and counseling regarding divorce, loss, or
coping with adolescent growth.
As
experienced counselors, our goals are to help all students use their middle
school years as a significant personal learning time. We enjoy working with
students, parents, and teachers, as well as community resources in order to
accomplish these goals.
MMS Code of Conduct
STUDENT
CODE OF CONDUCT
All members of the
Mansfield Middle School Community treat each other they way they like to be
treated. All members are responsible for their actions and reactions, respect
each other's personal space and property, and conduct themselves with honesty,
trustworthiness, and integrity. (Passed by MMS Student Council, June 1999)
Special Programs
~
Character Education ~
The Character Concepts program at
~
The Ambassadors' Club ~
The
Ambassadors' Club is a group of students who make a commitment to helping
anyone who is new to MMS feel welcome here. Students meet weekly and invite new
students, as well. The purpose of these meetings is to help students become
better acquainted with one another and to learn to be a better team member and
leader here at MMS. An Ambassador is a student who is specially trained to
personally assist new students during their first weeks here at MMS. We will be
focusing on community projects this year.
Upcoming Events:
Red Ribbon Week
October 27-31
Show Good Character by being Drug Free!
Monday: Team Up Against
Drugs: Students are encouraged to wear
team jerseys.
Tuesday: Being Drug Free is No Sweat: Students are encouraged to wear their sweats.
Wednesday: Red Clothing Day: Students are asked to wear red clothing.
Thursday: Show Your School Spirit: Students are asked to wear the school colors,
blue and yellow.
Friday: Drugs and I Don’t Mix: Students are encouraged to wear mismatched
clothing.
Homework
Teacher expectations for homework time
commitment can be found in the Parent/Student Handbook. Counselors are
available to families to help troubleshoot homework issues, which may include
time management issues, home-school communication, and organization. Students
can also stay after school with the Homework Help Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday(when we do not have a staff meeting), and Thursday afternoons to
complete homework. A teacher must sign
up the student in order for them to attend. Call the school at 429-9341 for
each teacher’s Homework Hotlines. Or, visit www.school.aol.com
Absences - Regular
student attendance in school is essential to the educational process. Our state
legislature strongly reaffirmed this principle by passing Public Law 91-303.
With the passage of this legislation, school systems are now required to be
much more aggressive in monitoring attendance and reporting students who are
truant to an appropriate state agency. To help us carefully monitor attendance,
we ask that you do the following:
o
If you
know in advance that your child will be absent from school, please send a note
or call the school and let us know.
o
On
days when your child is sick and will not be coming to school, please call the
school office between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. and advise us that your child will be absent that day. The
absence line number for
In
unusual circumstances, a family may wish to remove a child from school for the
purpose of educational travel:
1. A written request, to be approved by the
Principal, must be submitted no later than three weeks before the intended trip
is to occur. The Principal will determine if the absences are excused or
unexcused.
2. It is the child's responsibility to make
arrangements to get and complete as much regular school work as possible.
3. At the teacher's discretion, such
assignments may be modified to accommodate the trip setting, but should not be
construed as a total replacement for classroom learning.
For
more information please refer to the
Middle School Tips & Tools (for parents and students)
Small Steps Toward Big Success
o
Be
positive - Expect
your child to do well. Focus on future goals, not past failures. Talk about
what it will take to succeed. Praise them, and celebrate progress!
o
Make
rules - Help your
child to learn good habits - studying daily, when and where to do homework,
limits on TV time, phone calls and outside activities.
o
Give
responsibilities - Being
independent helps self-esteem to grow - it shows children that they can
succeed. Let them make their own lunches, manage a bank account, care for a
pet.
o
Make
time - Make family
meals a habit. Spend at least a few minutes a day discussing school, friends,
and interests. You don't have to schedule this time. Talk at the supper table,
in the car, while on a walk.
Websites and Links of Interest
o
Differentiated
Math Instruction at Mansfield Middle School: Learn more about
differentiated math instruction at
How
to contact us:
Karen Despres, 5th & 6th Grade School Counselor - 429-9341, ext. 110 or despreskl@mansfieldct.org.
Kristina Kyriacou, 7th & 8th Grade School Counselor - 429-9341, ext. 340 or kyriacoukm@mansfieldct.org
Visit
our homepage at http://www.mmsnet.org.