Events & announcements
Meeting dates, Shark Shop dates and the fundraisers that run all year. Day-to-day news goes out in the Facebook group first.
The calendar
18 events ahead. 2 have already happened this year and have dropped off this list automatically.
Thursday, October 22 · 3:55–4:55 p.m. · SRMS
An after-school social for sixth graders. A permission slip is required.
Thursday, October 22 · Severn River Athletics
Last day to submit Winter registration paperwork, including a sports physical, to be eligible for tryouts. Already submitted for a Fall sport? You don't need to do it again.
Monday, October 26 · 4:00–6:00 p.m. · Severn River & Magothy River Middle
A joint community event with Magothy River Middle. Sign up a trunk, volunteer, or donate candy — all three links are below.
Tuesday, October 27 · Severn River Athletics
Bocce, Girls Flag Football and Boys Flag Football. Tryout details go out as soon as they're finalised.
Tuesday, October 27 · 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. · JB's Sports Bar & Restaurant, Severna Park
Mention Severn River Middle and 15% of your bill is donated to the PTSO. Dine in or carry out — third-party delivery is excluded.
Saturday, October 31 · Severn River Middle
Final day to bring in food and give online for the Anne Arundel County Food Bank's biggest drive of the year.
November 4–6 · Advisory, 9:20–9:56 a.m. · SRMS
Marking Period 1 assemblies, one grade per day: 6th on Nov 4, 7th on Nov 5, 8th on Nov 6. Volunteers are needed to hand out treats.
Tuesday, November 10 · 7:00–7:45 p.m. · Online
School and PTSO leadership are both there. Come hear what's planned, and say what you'd like to see. You don't need to be a member to attend.
Wednesday, November 11 · 5:00–6:30 p.m. · Severn River & Magothy River Middle
A cluster-wide evening for families thinking ahead to high school and beyond.
Friday, November 13 · During lunch · SRMS
Students spend the Shark Bucks they've earned on new and gently used items.
Monday, November 30 · 4:00 p.m. – close · The Point
Mention SRMS and the PTSO receives 20% of your bill. An easy night off from cooking.
Friday, December 18 · During lunch · SRMS
The one month students shop for someone else — gifts for family and friends, wrapped free by volunteers.
Tuesday, February 2 · 7:00–7:45 p.m. · Online
School and PTSO leadership are both there. Come hear what's planned, and say what you'd like to see. You don't need to be a member to attend.
Friday, February 12 · During lunch · SRMS
Students spend the Shark Bucks they've earned on new and gently used items.
Friday, March 12 · During lunch · SRMS
Students spend the Shark Bucks they've earned on new and gently used items.
Tuesday, April 6 · 7:00–7:45 p.m. · Online
School and PTSO leadership are both there. Come hear what's planned, and say what you'd like to see. You don't need to be a member to attend.
Friday, May 14 · During lunch · SRMS
Students spend the Shark Bucks they've earned on new and gently used items.
Tuesday, June 1 · 7:00–7:45 p.m. · Online
School and PTSO leadership are both there. Come hear what's planned, and say what you'd like to see. You don't need to be a member to attend.
Notices
Some of these come from the school rather than the PTSO — each one says who it's from. Notices with a deadline disappear once it passes.
A new quarterly assembly celebrating students for attendance, academics and kindness. Marking Period 1 runs November 4, 5 and 6.
One grade per day, during Advisory from 9:20 to 9:56 a.m. — 6th grade on November 4, 7th on November 5, and 8th on November 6.
The PTSO is handing out treats to the honorees, and we need volunteers to help. It's a short, genuinely cheerful hour.
As of October 1, AACPS requires fingerprint-supported background checks for chaperones and for several specific volunteer roles.
Background checks approved before October 1 are still accepted while they remain valid. After that, chaperones need to complete fingerprinting with AACPS.
Fingerprinting costs $61.75, and unlike the commercial check it stays valid for the whole time your family has students in AACPS — so it is a one-off for most people. Book by phone on 410-222-5045, and allow at least three weeks before the trip you want to work.
Not every volunteer needs it. School-based volunteers who won't have lone supervision of students generally don't. Shark Shop volunteers, for example, need the commercial check rather than fingerprinting.
The 39th annual food drive for the Anne Arundel County Food Bank runs through October 31.
This is the Food Bank's largest drive of the year, supporting more than 72,000 people in our county facing food insecurity. It funds food pantries, baby pantries, the Mobile Food Pantry, and the Backpack Buddies program that runs inside AACPS.
It is also a genuinely good lesson for our students — it shows them they have the power to make a difference in their own community.
There's a calendar of suggested items for each day of the month, based on what the Food Bank most needs. That said, all non-perishable, unexpired food is welcome. Please choose plastic over glass where you can, as glass containers tend to break in transit.
To give money instead, use the link below and select Severn River Middle from the school menu. Food and funds are both collected through October 31 — and the grade level that brings in the most food earns incentive time during the school day.
Bocce, Girls Flag Football and Boys Flag Football. Registration paperwork and a sports physical are due Thursday, October 22 to be eligible for tryouts.
The Winter season begins Tuesday, October 27. Tryout information goes out as soon as it's finalised.
If you already submitted registration paperwork for a Fall sport, you do not need to submit it again.
A joint event with Magothy River Middle. There are three ways to help, and decorating a trunk is the fun one.
Please consider decorating your trunk and supporting this community event — it's one of the easiest ways to be part of the school year without committing to anything ongoing.
We also need adult and high school volunteers on the day, and candy donations. Candy can go to the main office, or straight to the school through the Amazon list below.
A sign-up for Community Spirit Raffle donations is coming shortly.
PTSO meetings
School leadership and PTSO leadership are both in the room. You’ll hear about upcoming happenings, school projects and what’s being planned for students — and you’re invited to say what you’d like to see.
Meetings run 7:00–7:45 p.m. and are held online. You don’t need to be a member to attend, and you don’t need to come to all of them — there are only four left this year, so even one is worth it.
Meeting link: meet.google.com/zpt-niir-hkn
All year round
Set these up once and they keep working. No extra cost to you.
Groceries
In months when we’re the selected cause, every $2.75 reusable Community Bag sold at our local Giant sends a donation to the PTSO.
Dinner out
Mention the school and a share of your bill comes back to the PTSO. Order direct — third-party delivery is excluded.
Online
Buy from our Amazon wish list and ship it directly to the school. Remember to pick the Severn River MS PTSO shipping address at checkout.