The eNews is the official electronic newsletter of Mahtomedi Middle School.

Collaboration is at the heart of innovation and creative thinking in our middle school community at MMS. When students work together, they bring diverse perspectives, experiences, and ideas to the table. This exchange challenges them to think more deeply, ask better questions, and consider solutions they may not have discovered on their own.

In classrooms, collaboration might look like group projects, peer feedback, or problem-solving activities where students build on each other’s ideas. These experiences not only strengthen academic skills but also help students develop important life skills such as communication, empathy, and adaptability.

By learning to listen, share, and respectfully challenge one another, students become more confident thinkers and creators. They begin to see that creativity isn’t just about having a great idea—it’s about refining and improving ideas through teamwork.

As families, you can support this growth by encouraging your child to share their thinking, be open to others’ viewpoints, and embrace the learning process. Together, we are helping students become innovative thinkers who are prepared for the future.

Go Zephyrs!

Jackie Collins, 
Principal, Mahtomedi Middle School

The MMS Youth Night returns tomorrow, Friday, March 27, after school! Please note, students must be registered by tonight at 7 pm in order to attend (no registrations will be accepted at the door). Click here to register.

Join us for a night of pizza, fresh cotton candy, slime making, cupcake and cookie decorating, giant inflatables, dancing, and open gym!

An informational meeting is scheduled on Tuesday, March 31, at 7:15 pm at the Chautauqua Fine Arts Center for 7th grade parents and students interested in the annual eighth-grade Washington DC trip next year.  The meeting is NOT required to sign your child up for the trip. If you know you are sending your child on the trip, you do not need to attend the meeting unless you want to ask questions in person. 

This five-day, four-night trip will occur April 7-11, 2027. The cost ($2,219 for the 2026 trip) includes all meals, airfare, hotels, coach transportation in Washington, night chaperones, tour guides, all admissions and fees, and a souvenir group photo. Also included in the cost of the tour is Accident and Illness Coverage, 24-hour Emergency health care access, and on-site Nations Classroom staff.

Some of the sites on the itinerary include Gettysburg, the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, Supreme Court, National Archives, the Smithsonian Museums, Ford’s Theater, the Holocaust Museum, the National Cathedral, and much more!  

A fundraising group has also been formed. Sign up for the fundraising group using this link.  

Need fun, enriching activities for the summer? Mahtomedi Community Education summer registration is now live on Eleyo! Whether you're interested in arts, academics, or athletics, we’ve got something for everyone. Examples for MMS students include: Community Theatre: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, The Page Turner Challenge, and Zephyr Strong Jr. Spots are filling fast—register today and make this a summer to remember!

Students in Mrs. Glaser's 8th grade Science classes investigated how forces transfer through a system by setting up domino chains and observing how a push on one domino caused the others to fall. They also completed a cup stacking challenge, where they practiced carefully pulling index cards from between stacked cups to demonstrate how objects at rest tend to stay at rest. In another activity, students attempted to quickly pull a piece of paper from under a penny without moving it, further reinforcing the idea of inertia. These engaging activities helped students see Newton’s First Law of Motion in action.  

On Wednesday, March 18th, the 8th Grade Band students got to have a video meet with a composer of one of their pieces for the Spring band concert. Aakash Mittal composed the piece Three Songs from Bengal, a three movement work that takes traditional Bengali ragas and folk songs and incorporates them into a wind band style with a jazz flair. Students got to learn about Mittal and what led him to write this piece. They also got to ask him questions about himself and the music. 

As part of the session, 8th graders performed Mittal's piece for him, and Mittal got to work with the students on different aspects of the piece. The students learned how music was taught in India, and Mittal taught them some sections where they got to try out traditional counting (takadimi) and singing. Mittal shared that he was very impressed with the students' playing and was proud of how quickly they made adjustments to the piece based off of his feedback.

If you'd like to hear this piece, come to our spring 8th Grade Band concert on May 7th at 7:45pm! 

Mrs. Mancini's 7th grade English students debated in teams about the characterization of the narrator in the story they were reading.

Join friends for the Spring Cribbage Club! Gamers will meet TUESDAYS after school from 2:45-3:45 in the media center to play cribbage. This club is open to all students, grades 6-8. Students should know the basics of the game before joining. 

CORRECTED Dates: April 14, 21, and 28: May 5

Please use this form to sign up your student for this classic and fun game!