November 1, 2013

Good afternoon everyone. 

This one is a bit lengthy, so please bear with me.  In addition to new information, I am attempting to also roll through some repeated items to make sure I am getting the information out.

If you drove your child to school yesterday, thank you very much for your patience during morning traffic and the rain.  The sheer number of cars reminded me of traffic Ski Trip Friday mornings (more information on this in future communications).  I hope we didn’t delay anyone too much.

Upcoming Calendar Events:

TODAY

LMS Fall Play; LHWHS Black Box Theater; 4:00 pm and 7 pm

Wednesday, November 6

7^th and 8^th Grade Orchestra Concert, LHWHS Auditorium – 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, November 7 and Friday, November 8

7^th Grade Trip to Kansas City

Monday, November 11

LMS Penny War (all week)

Tuesday, November 12

6^th Grade Parents to Lunch, LMS Cafeteria – 10:38 – 11:08 a.m.

6^th Grade Parent meeting, LMS Library – following lunch shift

Wednesday, November 13

7^th Grade Parents to Lunch, LMS Cafeteria – 11:26 – 11:56 a.m.

7^th Grade Parent meeting, LMS Library – following lunch shift

LMS Vocal Music Concert, LHWHS Auditorium – 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, November 14

8^th Grade Parents to Lunch, LMS Cafeteria – 12:14 – 12:44 p.m.

8^th Grade Parent meeting, LMS Library – following lunch shift

Friday, November 15

No School

Monday, November 18

LMS Canned Food Drive (through November 25)

Thursday, November 21

Anticipated delivery of fundraiser cookie dough

Tuesday, November 26

LMS Turkey Trot

Wednesday, November 27 through Friday, November 29

No School

Penny War/Canned Food Drive/Turkey Trot

For those of you new to LMS, these coordinated activities raise money and food donations for Gateway 180, an area shelter that distributes food and funds to many area homeless shelters.  These annual events are a great way for students and staff to serve others as we lead up to the Thanksgiving holiday and break.  A brief summary of each activity follows:

·      Penny Wars:  November 11 – 15.  Each grade level will have a jug placed in the Lobby for donation collection.  All pennies and checks (made out to Ladue Middle School) placed into a jug count as a positive amount for that grade level.  All silver coins and paper money counts as a negative amount equivalent to that donation for that grade level.  As you can imagine, the strategy is to load your grade level jug with the most positive points while adding donations to the other grade level jugs that result in negative points (okay, Mr. Obvious).  The grade level with the greatest positive amount at the end of the week wins.

·      Canned Food Drive:  November 18 – 25.  There will be a competition to see which class at each grade level brings in the most canned goods.  The class with the best overall donations will earn a pizza party.  Students/parents may choose to bring in money instead of cans.  One can equals $0.50.  Checks should be made payable to Ladue Middle School.  All cans will be collected in the “before school waiting area each morning (i.e. Cafeteria or Gym).  All students bringing in 100 or more cans will receive a 100 Can Club Certificate.  This will be displayed in the hallway and their name will be read on the afternoon announcements.  Members of the 100 Can Club will also have an opportunity to throw a pie at, or shave the hair of, their favorite teacher at an assembly before Thanksgiving break.

·      Turkey Trot: November 26.  We invite all parents to join their child in the running of this year’s 16^th annual Turkey trot (you can choose to run or walk our one mile course).  The top make and female finisher at each grade level will receive a special trophy.  The top ten male and female finishers at each grade level will receive a Turkey Trot t-shirt.  Parents who plan on running/walking with their students should meet them on the upper soccer field behind our Administrative Center.  Times will be subject to weather conditions:

6^th Grade: 1:01 – 1:39 pm

7^th Grade:  11:07 – 11:45 am

8^th Grade:  11:49 – 12:27 pm

·      All School Celebration Assembly: November 26.  This will occur in our Gym at 2:25 pm.  The following groups will be recognized: Winning grade level of the Penny War, Winning class of the Canned Food Drive, 100 Can Club members, and Turkey Trot winners.

Ski and Snowboard Club (new)

Parents: Do you want to get your kids off the couch and away from staring at their computer, television or phone screens every Friday night this coming winter?  Once again this year we will be taking kids to Hidden Valley for some fun on the slopes to ski and snowboard.  Blue information/permission forms were available during conferences last week. 

If you did not receive them, please see the Hidden Valley ski information sheets that are available on the front page of the LMS home page. 

Registration for the Friday ski pass is done on-line. However, signing up for the bus transportation and/or pink hooded sweatshirts will be done before school beginning at 7:30 AM on the following dates in the LMS lobby.

Nov. 12 - 8th Grade 

Nov. 13 - 7th Grade

Nov. 14 - 6th Grade

Nov. 15 - no school no turning in forms - this was an error on the original permission form

Nov. 18 - Extra day for anyone who missed the other days

If you have questions, email Mark Biernbaum at mbiernbaum@ladueschools.net

Rock Wall (update)

The LMS Physical Education classes will begin their first rock climbing unit on Monday.  The unit is titled "LMS ROCK GYM".  All LMS PE grade levels are eligible to participate in the activity. Students must return the rock climbing waiver form in order to take part in the unit.  The PE department is very grateful to the LMSPA for their generous donation that allowed us to purchase and install the rock climbing wall.  We are looking forward to our students experiencing a wonderful lifetime activity.  (Editor’s Note – If you get a chance to come by school, please take a moment to check it out.  It is very cool.)

7^th Grade Kansas City Trip (update)

The 7th grade Kansas City trip is scheduled for Thursday, November 7^th through Friday, November 8th. Students need to be at school by 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 7th. Students will need to be picked up at LMS at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 8th. Packing lists were sent home with students on Friday. If you need an extra copy please look on the LMS homepage for a link to the packing list. All medication for the trip must be turned in to Nurse Haley Pepper by Monday, November 4th. If you have questions about the trip, please email Laila Crabtree at lcrabtree@ladueschools.net.  

Film Screening (repeat)

The Diversity Cadre at LMS is thrilled to be sponsoring a screening of the documentary Jim Crow to Barack Obama on Thursday, November 21 at 3:15.  Presented in cooperation with Cinema St. Louis and the 22nd Annual St. Louis International Film Festival’s Cinema for Students (CFS) Program, Jim Crow to Barack Obama is a documentary featuring intergenerational conversations between African American elders who grew up in the now extinct era of Jim Crow and youth ages sixteen through thirty.

This documentary asks us to wrestle with the question: “How have issues of race and racism changed in the United States over the last one hundred years?”

The screening will be followed with a question and answer session with the director, Denise Ward Brown.

Please consider attending this event.  The screening will be held in the LMS Cafeteria on November 21 and will begin at 3:15 pm.  The question and answer session with the director will follow and the entire event should conclude before 6 pm. 

Girls On Track (repeat)

Girls On Track, an after school program for LMS girls, will return next semester.  Lisa Witzofsky, one of the parent volunteers, is currently looking for six parents to commit to one practice day per week – either Tuesday or Thursday.  If you are interested and/or need additional information, please contact Lisa at blwitz@charter.net or at 314-989-1993.  The more coaches they have, the more girls can participate.

Thanks and have a great weekend.

Greg