Book Information (Purchasing & Renting)

Buying Texts:

We ask that students buy some of the books they use in particular classes. These are generally workbooks, novels, and short story collections where the expectation is that students will be filling in blanks, highlighting, underlining, and taking notes in the margins. The books that we ask students to buy can be found on the Grade Level Supply Lists. Please note, required book purchases for 6th Grade this year will be announced later on in the year.

Renting Texts:

The other way your children will get books is through book rental. These will be distributed to families before school starts and you will be charged a “user’s fee” for them. The fee is substantially less than the cost of buying the books and covers the cost of replacement when a book has become too dog-eared to use again or when the publisher comes out with a new edition. Math, Modern Language, and Language Arts teachers often use rental texts rather than ask you to buy them.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT RENTALS:

• If your child loses the text, you will be charged the full cost of replacing it.
• You will be charged the full cost if the book is returned at the end of the year and has sustained more damage than we would reasonably expect (e.g., ripped pages, marked up pages, etc.).

Book Rental Fees

Math: all grades $20
Language Arts: all grades $5

Other Materials

These materials are from independent publishers or vendors and have been purchased by the school on behalf of the students. They will be billed to your account. 

The Park School is committed to taking action toward diversity, equity, and inclusion, and one option for action is supporting Black-owned businesses. We hope that you will consider purchasing books for this school year from a Black-owned independent bookstore. The lists below of stores all over the U.S. can help you in that process. You might consider contacting a shop in a community to which you have a connection. Remember to give yourselves and the stores some lead time to process your order. 

Here is a link to a June 2020 article in Bustle Magazine listing Black-owned bookstores. It contains links for ordering.

Lit Hub also has an extensive list on their website.

Here is a link to a list at the website of the African American Book Club.

Opportunities

Yoga: Consider joining Friday afternoon yoga practice for Middle School students. Our fun, energizing practice includes understanding of the cultural roots, philosophy, and many benefits of practice, all while building strength, balance, and flexibility. Led by Heather Freas-Kostic, we meet Fridays, 3:30-4:15 p.m. for 6-8 weeks sessions. The first session will run September 9–October 21. All levels of experience are welcome, including newcomers. The activity is free of charge, and the first 10 students to sign up will be accepted. Use this form to sign up.

Robotics: Technology Coordinators Tara Northcott and Samira Phillips will lead this year’s robotics team which will run from September through December. Meetings for the club will be held from 3:30-5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To accommodate students with multiple after school interests and to achieve our goals for the team, students must attend at least one meeting per week to participate. During the four month season, students will work together to design and build a robot to compete with other teams in regional competitions which will take place two weekends in December. The activity is open to all Middle School students. Please note: there is a suggested donation of $100 to participate in this activity. For more information, to volunteer, or to sign up, please complete this form or contact Tara Northcott at tnorthcott@parkschool.net. You can learn more about FIRST Tech Challenge at https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/ftc.

Middle School Pi Club: Join the Pi Club for ten sessions this fall to learn about the history of multiplication as a mathematical operation. We will learn various algorithms as we study how students in ancient Babylon and medieval Europe did their assignments on multiplication, and we’ll discover how and why computers multiply better than humans! Conversations will be led by Park parent Alena Savonenko and will occur on Fridays from 3:30-4:30. The first session will be on September 9th. Location to be announced.

Before and After School Activities: Students will learn about additional activity offerings at an assembly in September. At that time, they will also learn about auditioned chorus and instrumental ensembles, which will meet weekly, before or after school.

After-School Music Program (ASM): A variety of music lessons are offered after the school day for an additional fee. Weekly instruction is offered with a variety of instruments. These lessons are in addition to the student’s regular participation in music class.

To register for lessons please visit: Individual Music Lesson Info and Registration

For more information, contact Chris Peterson at afterschoolmusic@parkschool.net.     

Co-curricular Ensemble Audition Requirements:

• Chamber Strings and the B#s: This link will take you to a folder with PDFs of the suggested audition pieces for Chamber Strings and the B#s. Students have the option of playing the suggested piece, or a piece that they have already been working on outside of school. Students will also be asked to play a scale of their choice, and to sight read a provided excerpt.
• MS Jazz Ensemble and Modern Music Band (MMB): MS Jazz Ensemble and Modern Music Band (MMB): Guitarists, bassists, and pianists that would like to audition for Jazz Ensemble and Modern Music Band (MMB) will be asked to play a song with chords. Drummers will be asked to play a swing rhythm and a rock rhythm. All students auditioning will be asked to sight read a provided excerpt.

CO-CURRICULAR ENSEMBLE AUDITION REQUIREMENTS:

• Chamber Strings and the B#s: This link will take you to a folder with PDFs of the suggested audition pieces for Chamber Strings and the B#s. Students have the option of playing the suggested piece, or a piece that they have already been working on outside of school. Students will also be asked to play a scale of their choice, and to sight read a provided excerpt.
• MS Jazz Ensemble and Modern Music Band (MMB): MS Jazz Ensemble and Modern Music Band (MMB): Guitarists, bassists, and pianists that would like to audition for Jazz Ensemble and Modern Music Band (MMB) will be asked to play a song with chords. Drummers will be asked to play a swing rhythm and a rock rhythm. All students auditioning will be asked to sight read a provided excerpt.

Athletics: The welcome letter from the Athletic Leadership Team can be found here.

Donate or Borrow Used Sports Equipment: Anytime this summer or fall, bring your lightly used shin guards, hockey sticks, cleats, etc., to the Athletic Center for donation. Families and students who are interested in trying out for a sport, but who don’t want to make an initial investment in equipment, should call Dia or Robin at 410-339-4140 or 410-339-4150 or email athletics@parkschool.net to see if equipment is available.

Athletics, Music, and After-School Activities: Middle School is a great time to try new things, and the following optional activities are available to students free of charge:

• Fall Athletics (field hockey, soccer, cross-country)
• Winter Athletics (basketball)
• Spring Athletics (lacrosse, baseball, softball, tennis)
• Before-School Music Ensembles (Chamber Strings, B#s)
• After-School Music Ensembles (Jazz Ensemble, Modern Music Band)
• Fall/Winter Robotics (7th/8th graders)
• 8th Grade Production (winter into early spring)
• Math Circle
• Yoga

General Information

Library Programming

The library team, and especially Liz Proctor, our Middle School librarian, are excited to welcome students back this fall. We want to ensure that our students continue to have opportunities to access our rich and diverse collection of books for both personal and academic purposes. We plan to keep in place our new system of book holds through the library catalog system. Books placed on hold will be made available for pick-up at our library cart located across from the MS/US Library entrance. Instruction (or a refresher) for placing print books on hold will be provided early in the school year. In addition to helping our Middle School students access print and digital resources, Liz Proctor will be teaching library classes to the 6th grade on a rotating schedule throughout the year, and she will be working with the 8th grade on their Advoc8 projects. The library team is looking forward to keeping our community connected to books, research and learning, and to building our Middle School culture of reading.

Veracross Calendar

Logging into the Veracross Parent Portal will allow you access to the Veracross Calendars. Your Household Calendar will display important events and dates that specifically affect members of your household. For Middle School students, it will also display their classroom assignments. The School Calendar will display everything that’s on the school’s public calendar. You have the ability to subscribe to each of these calendar feeds and have the dates imported directly into your online calendar system (Google, iCal, or Outlook). For information on how to subscribe, click here. Try it out and know that you can always unsubscribe!

Backpacks that fit!

Not all backpacks fit in the student lockers. Before purchasing a new backpack this fall, be sure that the make and model will fit! Any backpacks or other personal items left in the hallway will be moved to the Lost and Found.

• Height of lockers: 29 inches
• Width of lockers: 14 inches
• Depth of lockers: 16 inches

Communications Guidelines for Families

At the beginning of the school year, you can expect to hear from your child’s advisor who will establish the best ways for you to communicate throughout the year (by email or phone). At Park, we have determined that 24-48 hours is a reasonable amount of time for school personnel to respond to parent emails or phone calls. Messages left after 12:45 p.m. on a Friday may not be answered until the following Monday. Texting teachers or advisors is not appropriate unless specific permission is given by the school employee. In an emergency, families should call the Middle School Principal, Joshua Wolf, or a school counselor if necessary.

Student Support: Counseling and Wellness

You can read a message from the counseling department here.

Park’s Counselors also lead the Park Connects Parent Education Workshops for parents at each grade level throughout the school year. Refer to their calendar for education workshop dates specific to your child’s grade.

Tutors

Our Middle School Learning Resource teacher, Betsy Gerding, maintains a referral list of tutors who are approved to work on Park’s campus, and she can help pair your child with the appropriate support if necessary. Only vaccinated tutors will be allowed on campus. Please call or email Betsy Gerding if you have questions about tutoring  (bgerding@parkschool.net or 410-339-4119).

Lost and Found

Every day, students lose items here in the Middle School. The lost and found is often filled beyond capacity and many of the items go unclaimed. Please be sure to label all notebooks, books, calculators, pencil cases, lunch boxes/bags, water bottles, jackets, gym uniforms, sports equipment, musical instruments, etc. If we are able to determine an item’s owner, we will do our best to ensure it is returned.

Student Conduct and Discipline

All Middle School advisors and students will be reviewing Park’s Student Harassment Policy, as well as the school’s General Principles of Conduct and Middle School Disciplinary Process and Procedure document. Please review these documents yourselves and feel free to call Joshua Wolf (410-339-4186) with questions. Also speak with your child about the importance of respect for others.The one-page Student Harassment Policy and the Principles of Conduct and Student Discipline document can be found in the Veracross portal. When logging into the portal, click on All School Resources, select Middle School, and scroll down to the “Forms” section.

Park Bulletins

In an effort to streamline and improve communication between school and families, Park sends out a bulletin every Thursday for each division. The Park Bulletins are sent, as links, to all families and Park staff and contain news and information from the school, teachers, and community. To reduce the number of emails you receive, we ask that you scan the Bulletin weekly to be kept apprised of campus happenings and the latest changes to the calendar. The first Bulletin for 2022-23 will be sent to you at the start of the school year.

Permission to Be Away Form

This form is used for planned absences. It is the student’s responsibility to complete this form, listing all classes that will be missed during the absence. The student must turn in the completed form to the Middle School office at least one day prior to the planned absence. A Permission to Be Away Form can be picked up in the Middle School Office ( a paper copy) or found in the Veracross portal. When logging into the portal, click on All School Resources, select Middle School, and scroll down to the “Forms: Sign and Return” section.

Middle School Trips

Curricular field trips and outdoor education trips at Park aim to strengthen the social, emotional, moral, and practical dimensions of each student’s character, while simultaneously providing opportunities to extend classroom learning. Our program is designed to create transformational moments in children 11-to-14-years-old by taking students briefly beyond their comfort zones to a space where adaptation to changing circumstances is required for success, the confidence to thrive in unfamiliar situations is discovered, and bonds of community are deepened. 

The fall (6th grade) and spring (7th and 8th) grade-level camping trips will be celebratory experiences where kids explore the natural world, build community, and collaborate with their peers. Detailed trip information will be made available to parents prior to travel. Every effort is made to accommodate the individual needs of a child and safely manage medical conditions. Students’ participation is deeply valued and participation is expected. 

Tentative overnight trip dates:

• 6th Grade: October 27-28, 2022
• 7th Grade: April 27-28, 2023
• 8th Grade: June 1-2, 2023

Field Trip Permission Forms

The Off-Campus Activities section of the enrollment contract includes authorization for the student to participate in off-campus activities; however, in advance of each field trip parents will be provided with an Off-Campus Activity Attendance Form to review and sign. Signing the form confirms that a parent/guardian is informed of the destination, duration, the mode of transportation, and any special instructions.

Save the Dates

Please stay tuned for important Music dates at the start of the 2022-23 Academic Year.

Note: All dates and times are subject to change. Please subscribe to your Household Calendar through Veracross for a complete and up-to-date calendar of events.