August 7, 2026
Dear Marrington Middle School of the Arts Families,
I am thrilled to share exciting news about our school community! At the end of last school year and into the summer, a dedicated team of volunteers came together with a shared mission to solidify and celebrate the identity of Marrington Middle School of the Arts. Their thoughtful work and passion have resulted in something we can all be proud of.
Please join us in embracing The Marrington Middle School of the Arts Mariners!
This new identity reflects who we are and who we aspire to be. The Mariner identity embodies the qualities we value most: teamwork, resilience, creativity, and purpose. Just as mariners work together to reach their destination, we support one another as we navigate the challenges and celebrate the victories that define our middle school experience. Each of us—students, staffulty, families, and neighbors—is part of one crew on the same journey. Each plays a vital role in our shared success. We are anchored to our goals, guided by our commitment to excellence in academics, arts, and character.
This is more than a new name or mascot. It is a renewed commitment to our collective vision and a powerful symbol of what we can accomplish together.
Mariners Own It!
We look forward to the year ahead and to seeing this spirit come alive in our hallways, classrooms, and community. Thank you for being part of our crew.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lauren Canfield
Principal
Marrington Middle School of the Arts
Dear Marrington Middle School of the Arts Families,
I am thrilled to share exciting news about our school community! At the end of last school year and into the summer, a dedicated team of volunteers came together with a shared mission to solidify and celebrate the identity of Marrington Middle School of the Arts. Their thoughtful work and passion have resulted in something we can all be proud of.
Please join us in embracing The Marrington Middle School of the Arts Mariners!
This new identity reflects who we are and who we aspire to be. The Mariner identity embodies the qualities we value most: teamwork, resilience, creativity, and purpose. Just as mariners work together to reach their destination, we support one another as we navigate the challenges and celebrate the victories that define our middle school experience. Each of us—students, staffulty, families, and neighbors—is part of one crew on the same journey. Each plays a vital role in our shared success. We are anchored to our goals, guided by our commitment to excellence in academics, arts, and character.
This is more than a new name or mascot. It is a renewed commitment to our collective vision and a powerful symbol of what we can accomplish together.
Mariners Own It!
We look forward to the year ahead and to seeing this spirit come alive in our hallways, classrooms, and community. Thank you for being part of our crew.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lauren Canfield
Principal
Marrington Middle School of the Arts
Please visit https://app.smore.com/n/rhcd8 to view a Special Back to School Edition of our Weekly Parent Newsletter for important information regarding Meet the Teacher, Arrival/Dismissal, first day, and more!
What an INCREDIBLE turnout! Thousands of attendees came to grab a backpack and join the fun at our OneBerkeley Back to School Festival! We can't wait to welcome BCSD students back to school on Aug. 12!
Our 2026-2027 Meet the Teacher event will be held on August 10, 2026 from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Drop in to pick up your schedule, meet your teachers, tour the campus, and more!
What's for dinner? Wendy's! Stop by the Wendy's on Red Bank Rd tonight from 5p-8pm and help raise funds for the MMSOA Band Program.
Please join the MMSOA team in welcoming guidance counselor Mrs. Lynn Skiles to the team for the 2026-2027 school year!
MMSOA is please to welcome Mrs. Katie Clarkson to our team for the 2026-2027 school year. She will be teaching Chorus, Piano, and Guitar. Help us welcome Mrs. Clarkson to our community!
School Supply Lists for the 2026-2027 School year are live! Click here to view: https://www.bcsdschools.net/o/mmsoa/documents/mmsoa-school-supply-lists/28291045
On Monday, the Berkeley County Board of Education approved the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 General Fund Budget, a financial plan that invests in students and employees while making responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Review key components of the approved budget at https://www.bcsdschools.net/article/3019537.
Summer Reading
🌞📚 Grow Your Mind This Summer: Dig Into a Good Book! 📚🌞
Get ready for an exciting summer adventure through stories, imagination, and discovery! From June 1 – August 5, BCSD students are invited to join the Beanstack Summer Reading Challenge in partnership with the Berkeley County Library System.
This summer, our goal is to read, explore new genres, and log 2,000,000 minutes as a community! Every minute you read helps your school earn bragging rights, fun badges, and a chance for top schools and libraries to win amazing prizes—including a $3,000 grand prize and a virtual author visit!
🎯 How to Participate:
✅ Read books you enjoy.
✅ Log your reading minutes in Beanstack.
✅ Earn badges and celebrate milestones.
✅ Challenge your friends and classmates.
Reading is a way to travel to new worlds, meet unforgettable characters, and keep your brain strong all summer long.
📖 So grab a book, find your favorite reading spot, and let’s make this the BEST summer reading challenge yet.
🌞📚 Grow Your Mind This Summer: Dig Into a Good Book! 📚🌞
Get ready for an exciting summer adventure through stories, imagination, and discovery! From June 1 – August 5, BCSD students are invited to join the Beanstack Summer Reading Challenge in partnership with the Berkeley County Library System.
This summer, our goal is to read, explore new genres, and log 2,000,000 minutes as a community! Every minute you read helps your school earn bragging rights, fun badges, and a chance for top schools and libraries to win amazing prizes—including a $3,000 grand prize and a virtual author visit!
🎯 How to Participate:
✅ Read books you enjoy.
✅ Log your reading minutes in Beanstack.
✅ Earn badges and celebrate milestones.
✅ Challenge your friends and classmates.
Reading is a way to travel to new worlds, meet unforgettable characters, and keep your brain strong all summer long.
📖 So grab a book, find your favorite reading spot, and let’s make this the BEST summer reading challenge yet.
📚🪩 We celebrated a HUGE accomplishment at MMSOA with a silent disco for our entire middle school after students read and logged more than 2 MILLION minutes on Beanstack during the 2025–2026 school year! 🎉
The celebration included two fun photo walls with a custom printed Beanstack photo strip. A life-size Benny the Bean (aka Dr. Canfield) even made an appearance to congratulate our readers! 📸
Watching hundreds of students silently disco together while celebrating reading was truly unforgettable. What an amazing experience for our school community!
We are so proud of our readers and grateful for the excitement our students brought to reading all year long. 🪩📚
The celebration included two fun photo walls with a custom printed Beanstack photo strip. A life-size Benny the Bean (aka Dr. Canfield) even made an appearance to congratulate our readers! 📸
Watching hundreds of students silently disco together while celebrating reading was truly unforgettable. What an amazing experience for our school community!
We are so proud of our readers and grateful for the excitement our students brought to reading all year long. 🪩📚
MMSOA's weekly Parent Newsletter is available now and includes a special celebration for tomorrow! Click here: https://app.smore.com/n/uv7e40
MMSOA's PTSO is selling gold stars for 8th grade promotion- your message will be hung in the lobby at the 8th grade promotion ceremony at GCH. Deadline to make your order in May 22, 2026. Follow the link below to get yours today!
https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zeffy.com%2Fen-US%2Fticketing%2F8th-grade-stars&data=05%7C02%7CCanfieldL%40bcsdschools.net%7C5a39147227ae4949e84708deb5f92b66%7C579aed70f477454d8072eb13e7a78d65%7C0%7C0%7C639148278972039489%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=AA%2FAbR9518rqEzWcvWlGh0n7315Kw42wkXlcpFwUXhQ%3D&reserved=0
https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zeffy.com%2Fen-US%2Fticketing%2F8th-grade-stars&data=05%7C02%7CCanfieldL%40bcsdschools.net%7C5a39147227ae4949e84708deb5f92b66%7C579aed70f477454d8072eb13e7a78d65%7C0%7C0%7C639148278972039489%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=AA%2FAbR9518rqEzWcvWlGh0n7315Kw42wkXlcpFwUXhQ%3D&reserved=0
📘✨ Yearbook distribution was a huge success! ✨📘
We are proud to share that we sold and distributed 342 yearbooks this year! Even more exciting, our yearbook earned the Gold Level National Yearbook Program of Excellence award! 🏆
This year’s theme "Lighting the Way to Excellence" truly reflects the amazing memories, achievements, and spirit of our school community. 💡
A huge thank you goes to Mrs. Courtney and Mrs. Fisher, our dedicated yearbook advisers and creators, for their hard work and creativity in bringing this incredible book to life!
We currently have 22 overrun copies available for purchase. Students may purchase a copy in the library for $49.05 (tax included).
📌 Important Payment Information:
• Payment must be made in person.
• We can only accept exact cash (we cannot provide change) or checks (made out to MMSOA).
We are proud to share that we sold and distributed 342 yearbooks this year! Even more exciting, our yearbook earned the Gold Level National Yearbook Program of Excellence award! 🏆
This year’s theme "Lighting the Way to Excellence" truly reflects the amazing memories, achievements, and spirit of our school community. 💡
A huge thank you goes to Mrs. Courtney and Mrs. Fisher, our dedicated yearbook advisers and creators, for their hard work and creativity in bringing this incredible book to life!
We currently have 22 overrun copies available for purchase. Students may purchase a copy in the library for $49.05 (tax included).
📌 Important Payment Information:
• Payment must be made in person.
• We can only accept exact cash (we cannot provide change) or checks (made out to MMSOA).
MMSOA's weekly Parent Newsletter is available now! Click here: https://app.smore.com/n/2vwmfy
Highlights include: Upcoming Events, Course Requests/Registration, SIC Report to parents, and Yearbook News
Congratulations to our April Beanstack Challenge Winners! We are so proud of all of our amazing readers for logging their reading in Beanstack all year long! Your dedication, excitement for books, and commitment to growing as readers have been incredible to watch. Every minute logged represents imagination, learning, and perseverance — and we couldn’t be more proud of our students for making reading such an important part of our school culture!
☀️Be on the lookout for BCSD's Summer 2026 Reading Challenge. From June 1st through August 5th, read and log your minutes in Beanstack: "Grow Your Mind This Summer: Dig Into a Good Book!" ☀️ More information will follow closer to end of school.
☀️Be on the lookout for BCSD's Summer 2026 Reading Challenge. From June 1st through August 5th, read and log your minutes in Beanstack: "Grow Your Mind This Summer: Dig Into a Good Book!" ☀️ More information will follow closer to end of school.
Library Book Fair News
Our school community continues to amaze us! 💙
A heartfelt THANK YOU to our incredible students, families, staff, and community members for supporting all three of our Scholastic Book Fairs this year. Because of your enthusiasm and generosity, our fairs were a tremendous success and helped continue building a strong culture of reading at Marrington Middle School of the Arts.
As highlighted in our attached Impact Report, our students purchased an incredible 1,590 books — the equivalent of 286,200 minutes of reading! Through generous Share the Fair donations, we were also able to provide 33 books to students in need.
“Students will read if we give them the books, the time, and the enthusiastic encouragement to do so.”
Thank you for helping us put books into students’ hands and encouraging a lifelong love of reading. Watching our students get excited about books is one of the greatest joys of what we do, and your support makes it all possible! 📖
-Mrs. Courtney & Mrs. Fisher
Our school community continues to amaze us! 💙
A heartfelt THANK YOU to our incredible students, families, staff, and community members for supporting all three of our Scholastic Book Fairs this year. Because of your enthusiasm and generosity, our fairs were a tremendous success and helped continue building a strong culture of reading at Marrington Middle School of the Arts.
As highlighted in our attached Impact Report, our students purchased an incredible 1,590 books — the equivalent of 286,200 minutes of reading! Through generous Share the Fair donations, we were also able to provide 33 books to students in need.
“Students will read if we give them the books, the time, and the enthusiastic encouragement to do so.”
Thank you for helping us put books into students’ hands and encouraging a lifelong love of reading. Watching our students get excited about books is one of the greatest joys of what we do, and your support makes it all possible! 📖
-Mrs. Courtney & Mrs. Fisher
The end of the school year is rapidly approaching which means we are beginning to look forward to next year! Please compete your returning student registration via Parent Portal and the course selection form with your student. Click the links below to access the grade-specific form: (Selection forms close May 22, 2026)
Rising 6th graders: https://forms.gle/5cAXVBXWXJyzkCcG6
Rising 7th and 8th graders: https://forms.gle/mHAwwa1BY7B3YfVH6
Rising 6th graders: https://forms.gle/5cAXVBXWXJyzkCcG6
Rising 7th and 8th graders: https://forms.gle/mHAwwa1BY7B3YfVH6
