East Fairmont Middle School

For updates on COVID-19 cases in MCS, visit our homepage daily or this link: https://www.marionboe.com/page/covid19-reporting

Parents: Please be sure to review all paperwork that was brought home by your children today. Those need filled out and sent back in to the student's a/a teacher. Most importantly, please make sure that your child knows how they are getting home at the end of the day. If they are riding a bus, make sure they know the bus number. If they are a pick-up, let them know a good location to be picked up at. If you need to change the plans for how your child is getting home, we ask that you call and notify the school as early as possible. Please do not wait until 2:00 to try and make these changes as the office is usually really busy at the end of the day and it is difficult to notify students of these changes that late. Thank you and I hope your children had a good first day and we look forward to seeing them again tomorrow!

East Fairmont Middle Staff has been hard at work over the last week preparing for the return of our students. We can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow morning! Don’t forget charged chromebooks, masks, and water bottles and arrive before 7:10!

Change of menu for Tuesday, August 24th. Menu for Tuesday Aug 24 (breakfast) cereal, cereal bar and mandarin oranges, (lunch) sloppy Joe, or pulled pork sandwich, green beans, carrots and celery, applesauce.

Academy Day 2021: All middle & high school students, parents can ask questions about U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy as well as ROTC scholarship process. No registration required.

"Grit and grace" and "stick together and take care of each other," are the words of 1986 graduate of North Marion High School and the first female WVU Mountaineer and former WV Secretary of State Natalie Tennant: https://5il.co/xos8 #MCSgetbackinthegame

Marion County Schools releases 2021-22 Quarantine Guidelines Summary Document at https://5il.co/xmt5. In the K–12 indoor classroom setting, a quarantine excludes students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student if both the infected student and the exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time. See more information at the above link.

MCS New Challenge! Join the NASA TechRise kick-off event and learn more about this 2021-22 challenge where 6th-12th grade teams will compete to fly experiments on a rocket or a high-altitude balloon! Sign up and learn more at: https://www.futureengineers.org/nasatechrise

Given a review of Marion County trends in COVID-19 cases, in collaboration with the MC Health Department, MCS will extend the current mask mandate in all indoor spaces for all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, to the end of the first semester. This mandate was originally in place through August 25 by MCS. It will be assessed regularly in collaboration with the MC Health Department, and it is our sincere hope that it can be lifted when local cases fall within acceptable levels.

We thought we would review a few things before school starts. First and foremost, Marion County Schools are currently under a mask mandate. This means that masks must be worn inside Marion County School facilities at all times unless an individual is eating, drinking, or participating in an athletic competition. This will be reviewed again this coming week and a decision will be made based on the current numbers in our county. Second, there have been a lot of questions about water bottles. East Fairmont Middle's rule on water bottles is that they must be clear, plastic, and when closed are spill proof. That does not exclude water bottles that are tinted or have a design of some kind. Students are only allowed to have plain water in the classroom. Disposable 25 cent water bottles are also acceptable and can be filled utilizing the touchless water stations. Another big question from parents has been the use of backpacks. Students may use their personal backpacks to carry materials to and from school. Those backpacks must be kept in the locker throughout the school day. They are not allowed to carry these to class. The county provided chromebook bags may be carried during the course of the day to transport their chromebooks. Students should not put more than the chromebook, a pencil box or bag, and maybe a folder and/or notebook inside this bag. These bags were not made to carry several books. Each student will be given a locker with a lock that has been preinstalled. Teachers will be working with students to make sure they are able to work these locks. Students should never give their combination to another student. Cell phones and other electronic communication devices are to be turned off and placed in a student's locker throughout the course of the day. Students are not allowed to use these while in the school building. This includes bus room, cafeteria, hallways, bathrooms, and classrooms. If parents need to reach their children during the day, they should call the main office. Many policies including the dress code are contained in the first several pages of the handbook that is contained in the front of the planner. Please be sure to review these with your students.

Don't forget that East Fairmont Middle School's NEW student orientation is Monday at 10 am. This is only for incoming fifth grade or students who have enrolled over the summer. The student and one parent (two parent absolute max) may enter through the entrance closest to the parking lot and then enter the gymnasium. Please remember that masks are mandated right now in Marion County Schools so come with one for each person attending and work to maintain as much social distancing as possible. Can't wait to see everyone!

Our boys' and girls' cross country team will be participating in their first race of the year this weekend. They will be running in the Autumn Classic Invitational at St Mary’s High School on Saturday with 21 other middle school teams! An exciting, BIG race to begin our season!

Exposing MCS to the arts with Fairmont State University Academy for the Arts: Future activities in the works for theatre camps, scholarships, WV Folklife Center field trips, school performances, and a $10,000 George W. Bowers grant. See https://5il.co/x626 #MCSgetbackinthegame

To read about some of the supplies and preventative measures in place for 2021-22 in MCS through the Maintenance/Facilities Department, please see https://5il.co/x9u4 #MCSgetbackinthegame

In an on-going effort to keep families up-to-date on mitigation strategies in place, MCS provides information about various departments' protocols in place as we welcome our students in grades 1-12 back on Aug. 24. See Transportation: https://5il.co/x9q0 #MCSgetbackinthegame

In coming days, a QR code sticker like this will be at the entrance of MCS facilities with centralized air units. Codes for stand alone units will also appear in the future. Once scanned, the GPS website tells how the building has improvements to the air quality at the school.

Congratulations to Desiree Hardaway, secretary at Fairmont Senior High School, who is the 2022 MCS Service Personnel of the Year. Ms. Hardaway will be honored among other WV county Service Personnel of the Year during a virtual ceremony in September. #MCSgetbackinthegame

Welcome back Hornets!!!! Please view our video reminding everyone of our current morning drop off and afternoon dismissal procedures. https://wvk12-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/hsnodgra_k12_wv_us/EcsNsVFlgEZBsdVzUcfLGbcBJXJpuClN6YKYweXgzgwDjw?e=lE8Ctw

Fall Picture Day will be handled by Lifetouch Studios. This will occur on Thursday, September 9th during school hours. Students will be receiving picture information the first few days of school.

Renowned community servant, Executive Vice President of Davis & Elkins College and 1986 graduate of East Fairmont High School Rosemary Thomas reminds students and staff to “not sit on the sidelines” and “leave it all on the field” at https://5il.co/x62u #MCSgetbackinthegame