Skip to main content

Mifflin County School District

Your School System of Choice

November Newsletter

Posted Date: 10/30/26 (04:04 PM)

Mifflin County Junior High School Newsletter

November 2026

MCJHS

Dear Parents/Guardians

Welcome back! We are so glad you are part of our school family.

As we welcome November, we enter a season filled with opportunities to reflect, show gratitude, and celebrate the many accomplishments happening throughout our school. With the excitement of fall activities behind us and the holiday season approaching, this is a great time to recognize the hard work, dedication, and positive contributions of our students and staff. As always, thank you for your continued commitment to creating a supportive, engaging, and positive school environment. We have much to be thankful for, and we look forward to another great month of learning, growth, and school spirit!

This newsletter will be a go-to source for important updates, upcoming events, celebrations, and helpful information throughout the year. We are grateful for the continued partnership of our students, families, staff, and community as we work together to make this school year a successful one.

Let’s continue to support one another, strive for excellence, and "Run with the P.A.C.K" as we take on the school year ahead—together.

Important Dates

November 9 - 9th Grade Academy Tours
November 23 and 24 - Evening Parent Conferences
November 25- Morning Parent Conferences
November 26-November 30- Thanksgiving Break
December 1-2- Vision and Hearing Screenings
December 23- January 1- Holiday Break

In this issue:

 
Black and White photo of students sitting at desks with pen and paper

Mifflin County School District Policies

Mifflin County Junior High is committed to maintaining a positive and responsive school environment. If you have a concern or complaint about Board policy and procedures, programs, personnel, operations, or facilities, concerns should be addressed directly with the teacher, staff member, or administrator involved.

To support this goal, we ask that families review the Student Handbook for Secondary Education, which outlines important policies, expectations, and guidelines. We encourage parents and guardians to read through the handbook with their student to ensure everyone is familiar with school rules, attendance policies, and behavior expectations. Please note that as policies change, the Student Handbook may be revised accordingly.

Parent Conferences are on November 23 and 24. These are the two dates for parent conferences. However, parents can request a parent-teacher conference at any time. Parents can contact the teacher, school counselor, and/or principal to schedule a parent-teacher conference. More information to come from Mrs. Manges.
 
While we have added flexibility in how we offer parent-teacher conferences in November, the available times still do not work for some parents. We want to remind them that parent-teacher conferences are not solely available on those November dates.

Policy 105.1 - Parents/guardians and students have an opportunity to review instructional materials and have access to information about the curriculum, including academic standards to be achieved, instructional materials, and assessment techniques. To request review of instructional materials and access to information about the curriculum, including academic standards to be achieved, instructional materials, and assessment techniques, submit a written request to the building principal.

Policy 906 - Many issues can be resolved through open and respectful communication. More information on complaint procedures is provided in Policy 906 of the MCSD Policy Manual.

Policy 110 - The building principal will be responsible to ensure that no student in the school is denied participation in any school program for financial reasons and that the privacy of each student is protected. The principal will use the guidelines of the free and reduced price lunch program to determine the ability of students to provide necessary school supplies. Parents/Guardians must complete the Application for Instructional Supplies and submit required documentation when requesting free instructional supplies for students. Please contact the principal for more information and to request the application.

Link to Mifflin County School District Policy Manual: https://policymain.org/mifflin-county-school-district/policies

Health and Safety

Health and Safety icons

Medication Information

We handed out Over-the-Counter Medication forms to students. A parent/guardian must complete and sign this form for students to receive medication from the school nurse. If your child does not submit the Over-the-Counter Medication form to the Nurse's Office, your child will not receive medication at school. Forms are available in the nurse's office. As a reminder, students are NOT permitted to carry any medications on their person during school hours. This includes cough drops, medicated creams, eye drops, or anything else that is used for medicinal purposes. Any medication required to be taken at school MUST be transported to school by a parent/guardian or designated adult and accompanied by a physician's order. Parents and guardians are required to sign medications into the nurse's office at drop-off. If your child requires an inhaler, a new physician order must be submitted to the school nurse EACH school year before your child can carry an inhaler on their person. Failure to do so is a violation of the MCSD Medication Policy.

**All student medications must be dropped off with a nurse present.**

Vision and Hearing Screenings

Each school year, the district nurses and trained staff from the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit (TIU) complete state-mandated vision and hearing screenings. On those days, nurses also conduct state-mandated height and weight measurements. Act 20 of 2026, Part 4 states that students may now be exempt from height and weight measurement upon a parent or guardian's written request. These screenings will be conducted at MCJH on 12/1 and 12/2/26. If you wish for your child to remain exempt from height and weight measurement, please submit this request in writing to Mrs. Allison, the school nurse, by 11/30/26 via a note or email.

Yearbook

Yearbook info
Order Your Yearbook Here!

Community Involvement

Weis4School
Our district is proud to foster a strong sense of community through various events and involvement opportunities. 

Weis4School
SCAN NEW QR CODE TO REGISTER YOUR CARD!
  • Points are awarded to your school every time you shop and are converted to CASH for your school. 
  • Please share our QR code with your friends/family so they can help us earn points! 
  • Eligible points from the beginning of the year will be added retroactively, so you can register anytime. 
  • More information is located on the MCJH website under the Assist MCJH tab. 
*Even if you had an account last year, you must register again for the 2026-2027 School Year!

Weis4School Rewards update for last year:  $2,182.
Weis4School QR

Box Tops for Education MCJH

MCJH receives rewards from Box Tops, a digital receipt-scan app that is free and available for download on the App Store or at Google Play.

Don't have the Box Tops App yet? Download it using the QR Code.

Box Tops Update: $52.60

Homelessness Awareness Month - November 2026

Pennsylvania Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) Week recognizes and brings awareness to the importance of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the education needed to provide stability and consistency to students experiencing homelessness across Pennsylvania.   Under federal law, children are considered homeless if they lack a fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence. Many people associate being homeless with living on the street, but homelessness is often hidden, especially in rural communities.  To date for the 2026/2027 school year, Mifflin County School District has identified 80 students that are doubled up living with other families, living at the homeless shelter or living in campers/RVs.  

To assist those in need, MCSD staff will be raising money for the district’s student homelessness fund. In exchange for a $5 donation, staff will be able to dress down on Friday, November 13th to prepare for Homelessness Awareness week 11/16 to 11/20 and are encouraged to wear a red shirt to spread awareness on Red Shirt Day on Friday, November 20th.

If you are experiencing homelessness, please know that help is available.  Please reach out to either of our district’s homeless liaisons:

Nicole Frazier, LSW       
717-250-0414; nrf56@mcsdk12.org

Kaitlin Marshall, LSW
717-250-2423; kjm07@mcsdk12.org 

Students of the Month

8th Grade- Audrey S. and Ben L.

Audrey
Ben

9th Grade- Madalyn Y. and Landon C.

Madalyn
Landon

Leaders of the Pack

8th Grade- Nami I. and Matthew G.

Nami
Matthew

9th Grade- Aaliyah R. and Robert C.

Aaliyah
Robert

Communities that Care Poster Winner

Aimeelynn N.

Aimeelynn

PBIS

PBIS Description
PBIS Update

Art Club Elementary Monsters

During the last two weeks, 9th grade Ceramic 1 students were busy making Elementary Monsters. These are fun monsters that 3rd graders at East Derry drew with their art teacher Mrs. Reigle. We are hoping to have them painted and delivered before Christmas break! 
Monster
Monsters
 

Stine's Science Bubbles

Mrs. Stine's science students developed a lab to investigate which brand of dish washing detergent produces the largest bubble. The students had to test six different brands of dishwashing detergents utilizing the steps of the scientific method.
Bubble 1
Bubble 2
Bubble 3

Ski Club 2026-27

Paperwork is available for the 26/27 ski season. Students may stop by room 209 to pick up forms. The deadline for registering with Tussey Mountain is November 30th, 2026, for the discount pricing. All forms and transportation payment to join ski club through the junior high is due to Mrs. Hopple by December 1st, 2026. Please do not forget to join google classroom and add MCJHS Ski Club to your Parent Square account.

MC Travel Club

MC Travel Club is organizing a 12-day trip to Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and France in June 2027 through EF Educational Tours. Students will have the opportunity to explore historic landmarks, experience different cultures, and visit destinations including Dublin, Edinburgh, London, and Paris.

This opportunity is open to eligible Mifflin County students in grades 9–12, including students attending public, private, and homeschool programs.

Families can also explore the itinerary and enroll directly through our official EF tour website:

For more information, please stop by the main office to pick up an information packet.

Contact Us

Contact information

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. You can reach out via the following:

Address: 700 Cedar St. Lewistown, PA 17044
Phone: 717-248-5441
Fax 717-242-5806

Mrs. Angela L. Manges, Principal alp54@mcsdk12.org
Mr. Shain A. Hosterman, Assistant Principal sah59@mcsdk12.org
Mr. Richard A. Strausburg, Assistant Principal ras37@mcsdk12.org

Mrs. Lisa Kile, School Counselor (Last Names A-K) lak28@mcsdk12.org
Ms. Kristine Johnston, School Counselor (Last Names L-Z) kaj15@mcsdk12.org

Mrs. Abigail Allison, Certified School Nurse aek38@mcsdk12.org
Monday-Friday (8:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.)
Mrs. Carrie Baumgardner, Health Room Aide clb46@mcsdk12.org
Monday, Wednesday, Friday (7:45 a.m.-3:15 p.m.)

Family Access
Family Access is an excellent resource to keep up to date on your student’s academic progress, and we encourage you to access it regularly. 

If you need login information, please call Mrs. Bulick, the guidance secretary, at 717-248- 5441 extension 7506 for assistance.