Good evening Mustang families. This is Marla Mondora, principal of Martin Gifted and Talented Magnet Middle School, with our family message, Mustang News.  Messages will be sent weekly on Sunday evenings at 5pm. They are also housed on our school website, https://www.wcpss.net/martinms, under “Principal’s Message”. I am sending this message 3 ways: phone, email and text. If you are not receiving this message 3 ways, log into https://www.wcpss.net/schoolmessenger to update your communication preferences.

On behalf of the entire staff, I would like to thank the PTA for the fantastic breakfast that welcomed our staff back to school on Thursday. It was a great way to kick off the new year!

We had a great turnout for our Stampede Celebration on Friday. Students and their families started to build connections within the Martin community. We look forward to seeing all our 6th graders on August 29th.

We look forward to our Schedule Walkthrough for all  7th and 8th grade families on August 25th. The seventh grade walkthrough will be between 9-11 and the 8th grade walkthrough will be between 1-3. This will be an opportunity for families to pick up a copy of student schedules, see where their classes are and meet their teachers. This is a “drop in” event with no formal program. 

Athletics: The Martin Athletics Department will host an informational meeting for all students and their families interested in Martin Athletics on Wednesday, August 24th, at 6pm in the Auditorium. For questions, contact John Basaldu, our Athletics Director, at jbasaldu@wcpss.net.

Cell Phones: As we move closer to the start of the year, we do want to remind students that cell phones should be off and out of sight during the instructional day. We ask that families call the front office if they need to get in touch with their students during the instructional day. We appreciate your support in our efforts to maximize our instructional time and minimize distractions.

7^th Grade Families: As a reminder, all 7^th graders are required to have updated vaccinations on file that include a Tdap booster and Meningococcal vaccine. Email a copy of your student’s vaccination records to esepulveda@wcpss.net or kfrechette@wcpss.net.

Student Council: Students interested in being part of Martin’s Student Council are invited to attend an information meeting on September 7th from 2:15-3:15 in room 1031, Ms. Snider’s classroom.

Calendar Reminders: We do have a few events for the start of the school year we want you to have on your calendar.

• Fall Sports Tryouts begin September 6th. All required eligibility paperwork must be uploaded to Dragonfly by September 1st.

• September 2nd is an Early Release Day for WCPSS and Martin will dismiss at 12:15.

• Meet the Teacher is September 8th at 6pm with a PTA general meeting at 5:30.

• Monthly Martin Family Coffee is September 16th at 8am in the Auditorium.

• 6th Grade Family Coffee is September 23rd at 8am in the Media Center.

Transportation: For families interested in yellow school bus transportation, please be certain you register for transportation by visiting https://www.wcpss.net and navigating to parents - transportation - bus rider registration.

For families who are coming through the carpool loop, please enter and exit the carpool line from Horton Street, making right-hand turns both into and out of the parking lot. This will help keep the flow of traffic moving. We encourage families to arrive close to 7am to allow your students ample time to get to class and get settled.

School Meals: Students will need to know their PowerSchool numbers to purchase breakfast and lunch this year so please help your student memorize this number. Our cafeteria is selling a la carte items this year. Please remind students they may only go through the line one time. To add funds to your student’s account, visit My SchoolBucks.

We need ALL families to complete a 2022-2023 meal benefits application so our school can be eligible for extra funding next year. Apply Online by clicking THIS LINK. Paper applications can also be requested by calling 919-588-3535 or 919-856-2920 or emailing cnsmealbenefits@wcpss.net. 

Thank you Mustangs, and have a wonderful week.