MMS Parents and Guardians,

As we move into the heart of the holiday season, I want to take a moment to reflect on one of the themes that shines the brightest this time of year—giving. Whether it’s giving our time, giving kindness, or giving someone that last available parking spot at the mall (a true act of heroism), this season reminds us how a small gestures can make a big impact.

Speaking of the holidays… as you gear up for the now seemingly month-long Black Friday sales—please keep in mind that our winter break begins on December 24 and runs through January 4. We’ll welcome students back on January 5, refreshed, recharged, and hopefully not still stuck in a return line somewhere.

Thank you, as always, for your continued partnership and the generosity you show our school community. MMS is a special place because of the families who support us, encourage us, and occasionally send us an email reminding us what day it is.

Wishing you a joyful, laughter-filled start to the season!

Joel Yohn, MMS Principal

Upcoming Events

• December 16 - MMS Chorus Concert 7 pm

• December 24-January 2 - School Closed

• January 8 - End of Marking Period 2
• January 9 - Staff Day (No School for Students)
• January 16 - MMS Report Cards Posted to Sapphire
• January 19 - School Closed
• January 20 - Staff Day (No School for Students)

MMS School Hours

Doors open at 8:10 am for students. The tardy bell rings at 8:30 am.

Dismissal begins at 3:20 pm for students.

As we head into the winter season, we recognize the possibility of inclement weather that may result in a delayed opening or school closure.  Identified here are our plans for 2-hour delays, school closures, and remote learning days should we exceed four weather-related closures this school year.  MMS staff, students, and families can expect timely updates throughout the year, including any adjustments to the bell schedule due to weather conditions.

MMS Mini-THON
January 23, 2026 6-9pm

Please pick up a registration packet in the MMS main office.  

Forms are also located on our website. 

Hello MMS Families,

As we move through the heart of the school year, we’re kicking off a special Counselor Spotlight Series to help you get to know the faces behind our counseling team. Over the next few newsletters, we’ll be introducing each of our amazing school counselors.

Meet Your 6th Grade Counselor: Ms. Emily Normand
Part 1 of our 3-Part Counselor Spotlight Series

This year marks my 17th as a school counselor, and I’m proud to be in my 4th year serving the students and families of Mechanicsburg Middle School. As a graduate of MASH and a lifelong Wildcat, being part of this community is especially meaningful to me—both personally and professionally. I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Shippensburg University, and I’ve been fortunate to grow my career in education right here in central Pennsylvania.

I live in Upper Allen with my two amazing daughters, our 2-year-old golden retriever, Millie, and our cat, Gilbert. Life at home is full of laughs, pet hair, and good coffee!

Some of my favorite things:
     Coffee (hot, always!)
     The Phillies
     Musicals
     Hiking (I’m definitely a mountain-over-beach person!)
     Traveling
     90's music and the occasional true crime podcast binge

My favorite part of being an MMS school counselor is the chance to build relationships with students and families that grow over three years. Watching students learn, change, and build confidence from 6th to 8th grade is a privilege I never take for granted. 

Quick Academic Reminder

As always, please take a few moments this week to check Sapphire for grades and sit down with your child to explore Google Classroom together. It’s a great way to stay connected, catch missing work early, and help students feel more in control of their learning.

Stay tuned for the next newsletter where we’ll feature another member of our awesome counseling team!

Warm regards,

Middle School Counseling Team
6th Grade- Emily Normand - enormand@mbgsd.org
7th Grade- Katie George - kgeorge@mbgsd.org
8th Grade- Kristie Socha - ksocha@mbgsd.org

Reminders:

7th Grade:  Dental exams are due. Dental exams during your student's 6th or 7th grade years will be accepted.

6th Grade: Physical exams are due. Physical exams during your student's 5th or 6th grade years will be accepted. Please send dental or physical exams to school with your student or upload to Sapphire.

Medications in school:  If your student needs to take any prescription medication during the school day, we will need a written physician order and the medication in the original bottle with the pharmacy label attached.

If your student has emergency medication for seizures, asthma or allergies, the required forms can be found here, along with the medication, along with the medication policy: https://mechanicsburgasdpa.sites.thrillshare.com/o/masd/page/health-forms

If you have any questions or concerns about your student’s health, please contact the health room at (717) 691-2454, or email Mrs. Kessler skessler@mbgsd.org, or Mrs. Kresge jkresge@mbgsd.org. Thank you for helping us to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Please make sure to remind your children to check the Lost and Found!

To help maintain a safe, respectful, and distraction-free environment—especially in areas with less supervision like restrooms—we are updating our cell phone procedures this year. All student cell phones must be turned off and kept inside backpacks throughout the entire school day. Phones should not be carried on the student’s person, visible, or used at any time during school hours.

If a student is found with a phone out, in use, visible, or simply on during the school day, it will be collected by school staff.

• First offense: The phone will be housed in the main office and returned to the student at the end of the day.

• Additional offenses: The phone will be housed in the main office and must be picked up by a parent or guardian. Additional disciplinary actions may also apply.

We understand you may have concerns regarding your ability to communicate important information to your child. If a student needs to make an emergency call during the day, they are welcome to use the phone in the main office. Likewise, if you need to get a message to your child, our office staff will make sure they receive it promptly.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we work together to create a safe and focused learning environment for all students.

We're excited to share that, beginning this school year, our daily breakfast and lunch menus will be available online and through the MASD mobile app. You can access them anytime, anywhere - right from your phone, tablet, or computer!

Food Service Department Information

Free and Reduced School Meals

mySchoolBucks

We’re excited to announce that MMS has been selected to pilot the district’s new Attendance Automated Notification System!

What this means for you:

1.    Report absences by email only. Please send notice of your student’s absence to mmsattendance@mbgsd.org. (Phone calls are not required.)

2.    By 9:30 AM: If we have not received an email, or if you only call without emailing, your student’s absence will be marked unlawful and an automatic attendance message will be sent via text, email and phone call.

3.    During the transition: If you receive an absence notification but your student is actually present, please call the office at (717) 691-2452 to clear it up.

We appreciate your patience as this new system is rolled out districtwide. Our goal is a smooth and seamless transition.